Literature Circles Week 5- Vocabulary Enricher

This week I am the Vocabulary Enricher.

“But by the pool among the mottled sycamores.” (99) Any of several North American plane trees.
“She wore a huge gingham apron.” (100) yarn-dyed, plain-weave cotton fabric, usually striped or checked.
“Now Lennie retorted belligerently.” (102) Warlike; given to waging war.
“Lennie removed his hat dutifully.” (105) Performing the duties expected or required of one; characterized by doing one’s duties.
“His voice was monotonous.” (103) Speaking but with no emphasis.

Personal Book Review

Of Mice and Men
John Steinback
Drama

The novel Of Mice and Men is set during the Great Depression in the 1930’s. The two main characters George and Lennie are venturing through the forests of Gabilan. George, the smarter of two finds a job for them on a ranch. As they approach the ranch, they have mixed feelings about the experience. Lennie is solemnly concentrated on getting his own ranch with George. George wants to stay awhile at this job and earn some bucks while he’s at it. At the ranch they meet some interesting people, all of which create different impressions in their minds. Curley, the boss’s son stands out as one of the main characters because of his negativity towards Lennie. As the story progresses, the tension builds between Lennie and Curley but the worst is yet to come as the ending nears.

George and Lennie are the two primary characters in the book with a subsequent amount of minor ones. George is one of the wisest characters and he makes decisions for Lennie regarding the path they take. George is a realistic character because he tries to mediate the controversy occurring between Curley and Lennie. “George said, “His name’s Lennie Small.”” (21) This quote describes how George takes charge of Lennie in order for them to get a job. He answers a question directed towards Lennie because he is mentally challenged and needs George’s help to live.

Lennie is the other primary character in the novel. Lennie seems like a real character because he acts in a dull manner. The story needs a character like Lennie because main roadblocks can be caused by him. “Lennie dipped his whole head under, hat and all.” (3) This quote shows how Lennie is challenged and can’t think through situations. He dips his head under the water in the river without knowing what’s in it. Lennie’s inability to focus also causes internal conflicts for George in how to handle Lennie.

Curley is one of the main characters George and Lennie meet on the ranch. His abominable attitude and audacious actions lead to altercations and dislike from others. Curley talks rudely to others specifically people who are tall. ““What the hell are you getting’ into it for?”” (25) This quote spoken by Curley shows how he talks to George concerning Lennie. Curley decides his enemies by the first impressions from others. Curley’s flirtatious wife adds more depth to his behavior. The wide range of personalities in the characters allows the author to set up important themes through the context of the novel.

In this novel there are many important themes that are evident. One of the major themes in Of Mice and Men is the importance of friendship. George and Lennie have built a strong and unlikely friendship by overcoming many hardships. Steinback illustrates to the readers how perseverance and friendship can lead to the completion of George and Lennie’s goals in getting a ranch. They have both stayed with each other for many years and can now see the end for their misery. Crooks, the black-stable hand suggests their plan is incomplete able. ““I never seen a guy really do it. If you guys want, I’d come an’ lend a hand.”” (76) This quote said by Crooks is significant in shifting the mood of the book. Up to this point there is much disbelief in their plan because of Crooks. He has been at the ranch for a long time and has seen many people come through with the same mindset. Crooks’ view changes the reader’s opinion because of his experience at the ranch. As Crooks understands that George and Lennie have almost all the pieces to the puzzle he sees some hope. This moment makes the novel “A Gripping Tale” as quoted by The New York Times. Friendship is one of the main themes in the novel because of its occurrence in the novel.

The novel’s connection to our world today makes it truly remarkable. The storyline is fantastic but the way it is framed is lackluster. The novel is compressed into 107 miniature pages. The exposition and rising action are thoroughly explained; but the climax abruptly comes and goes. Steinback doesn’t build any anticipation towards the end of the book. There is a feeling that something might happen between Lennie and Curley with all the tension building. The novel has many lessons but with the unsatisfactory attempt to show them there are opaque. Of Mice and Men can be enjoyed by someone looking for a short novel to read with a simple plot. The novel has many great ideas expressed within but the missing components take away its greatness.

I would give Of Mice and Men a rating of 2 out of 5 stars.

Literature Circles Week 4- Discussion Director

This week I am the Discussion Director.

Questions:

1. How was Lennie killing Curley’s wife foreshadowed through the previous events?
2. What do you think George was thinking of when he found that Curley’s wife was killed?
3. If you were Lennie what would you do if you accidently murdered someone?
4. Do you feel any sympathy for Lennie because of his actions?
5. Did the killing of Curley’s wife change your opinion of Lennie? Why?

Answers:

1. Lennie killing Curley’s wife was foreshadowed through his displays of strength. Previously he was able to injure Curley proving his ability to inflict pain. Curley is a strong man so for Lennie to beat him up is an accomplishment. We have already learned that Lennie is strong because when he pets the mice he sometimes kills them. Steinback emphasizing this point through Curley shows that there might some foreshadowing. “Curley was white and shrunken by now. He stood crying, his fist lost in Lennie’s paw.” (63-64) This quote describing Curley shows how he lost his fight to Lennie.

2. When George found out that Curley’s wife was killed I think he was thinking about Lennie. He probably knew that Lennie killed her. George would try to find Lennie and see if he is safe. There would be no doubt in his mind that Lennie killed her because accidents like this happen to him. George would be furious with Lennie because they would have to leave the ranch and get a new job.

3. If was Lennie and had accidently murdered someone I would hide the body and run away. Since Lennie is mentally challenged and he just ran away without do anything with the body. Since the book is set in the 1930’s there isn’t much technology to catch the murderer. I would also tell George because they both would need to run away. If Lennie stayed at the ranch he would be killed by the others.

4. I feel a little bit of sympathy for Lennie because he is mentally challenged. He didn’t know what to do in that situation and just held on to her hair. Lennie didn’t mean to kill her so I wouldn’t be that mad at him to kill him. I would be upset with him because he killed someone and disobeyed George’s orders to stay away from her. There needs to be some sympathy for Lennie because it was an accident.

5. The killing of Curley’s wife changed my opinion of Lennie because I don’t feel that much sympathy for him anymore. Before I felt sorry for him because he’s challenged. Now since he killed someone because he disobeyed George’s orders I don’t feel sorry for him. This moment in the book changes the mood and the reader’s outlook on the characters.

Journal Response 3

Choose an important character

Write the following:

Write a paragraph about the character and include:

--appearance.
--actions
--ideas-- what the character thinks.
--manner-- how the character acts.
--reactions of others to the characters.
George is an average height man who’s shorter than Lennie. He likes to wear a hat and a coat. He always needs to keep up with Lennie and watch his actions very closely. He makes good decisions about the welfare of Lennie and himself. When George makes decisions he needs to take in account how it will appeal to Lennie. George thinks very strategically because he doesn’t want to create any conflicts between other characters. He comes up with clever ideas in order for Lennie to remember orders. George acts in a calm manner to not result in altercations with characters. When George acts he doesn’t make a big deal about it. Other character think George is a good guy because he has kept up with Lennie for so long. He could have just left him by himself but he made a promise to Lennie’s Aunt that he is going to protect him. Candy likes how George acts because he wants to join in on their plan to open a ranch.

Why is s/he important in the novel?
George is important to the novel because there needs to be someone to help Lennie. If George wasn’t there then Lennie wouldn’t be able to function as George gives him orders. George is needed for them to get a job because Lennie couldn’t do it by himself. There needs to be a character to mediate all the problems in the story. George is there to keep everything under control.

Would you like to be the main character? Why or why not?
I would like to be the main character because he keeps the book flowing. He is a well-respected man and has some purpose in life. He has a goal and is trying hard to achieve it. He is always trying to make the situation better for Lennie and himself. I would like to be a character who is motivated and George is a perfect example of it.

Would you like the main character for a friend? Give your reasons.
I would like George as a friend because he seems trustworthy. He has all the qualities a good friend would want. George is a smart person and reliable. Since George knows how to deal with Lennie, I would want him to be my friend.

Literature Circles Week 3- Summarizer

This week I am the Summarizer.

The chapter starts off with the author describing Crooks. He is in his room on a Saturday night when Lennie approaches him. Crooks acts in a mean manner and tries to dismiss Lennie but he goes to see his pup. Crooks later allows Lennie to stay for a while as they talk. Lennie tells Crooks about the rabbits there going to get on their ranch. Crooks thinks Lennie is joking and doesn’t believe they will ever get it. Crooks tells Lennie about his past but Lennie is only concerned about the pups. Crooks hypothesizes what will happen if George never comes back. This makes Lennie upset and he starts to cry just as Candy enters. Candy reassures Crooks that they will get the ranch. Crooks starts to believe they might get the ranch and suggests that he could join them. Curley’s wife enters and asks for Curley. Crooks and Candy get upset with her and tell her to go back to her room. She asks how Curley got his hand injured and they reply by explaining how he got it caught in a machine. She doesn’t believe them and tells Lennie that he did a good job in messing him up. George comes to the barn and takes Lennie back to their room.

Jounral Response 2

Questions

1. What point of view is your story told in?

2. Is the point of view effective?

3. What is one of the most important/memorable events that have happened so far? Think about that moment and re-tell it from another point of view. For example, if you were reading We All Fall Down as your Literature Circles novel you may re-write from Will’s fathers Point of View(min. 300 words)

Answers

1. The point of view in this novel is third person because the pronouns “He” and “They” are used throughout.
2. The point of view in this novel is effective because the author allows the readers to have their own opinion without being biased by other characters. The author gives good information about the characters and events but doesn’t always specify how the characters feel. This allows the readers to be creative with what they think of the characters and with their emotions towards them. There are not many opinionated comments in the novel about other characters personality ensuring there is fair judgment for reader’s feelings. For example, George comments on Lennie’s mental capability to allow the readers to get a sense of his character. His comments are usually within reason to not bias the readers into feeling sorry for him or disliking him. From the author not biasing the readers, the third person tense is effective.
3. The moment in the book I chose to re-tell is when Candy offers to join George and Lennie on pursuing their goal of getting a ranch. I will re-tell the moment from George’s point of view starting on page 59.

After I had heard Candy pitch his idea of joinin’ us on the ranch I need to think about our options. The idea of creating the ranch was s’posed to be only for me an’ Lennie. Lennie was to take care of the animals especially tendin’ the rabbits an’ I was s’posed to do the rest of the work.
Candy seems like a good person who won’ leave us but he’s limited to only a certain amount of work. He’s pitchin’ us a good deal by offerin’ up all his money. The money could really help us in starting’it up an’ by givin’ so much money he shows true dedication’. But’ in the long run the money won’t equal the amoun’ of work he’s goin’ to complete.
This conversation’ would have never started’ if Lennie didn’t open his mouth. He had to talk ’bout tendin’ them rabbits an’ getting’ a place. I wish that guy coul’ be quiet ’round others an’ only talk if asked. The same orders need’ to be repeated to him for it to sink in his brain.
But’ I also feel sorry for the Swamper’ for losing his arm while workin’. He’s got on’y hand an’ needs assistance in daily life. “Candy, Lennie an’ I will think bout’ it. We need to know if it’s okay to change our’ plans,” I said unwillingly.
“Please George, I got no relatives’ nor friends. Jus’ be kind to me. Think bout’ it and tell me your answer.”
He ain’t goin’ to go away easy. I’ll have to get rid of him with a new ’proach. Maybe if I tell him we’ll do her with the money, then he’ll leave us ’lone for a while. “Okay Candy, I’ll see if we can get the house with the money. You coul’ do the work in the house while me and Lennie do the work outside,” I said.
“Sure, in a month’s time I’ll come by and we’ll get the house,” said Candy happily.
I watched as he exited’ the room and thought ’bout how I would destroy the plan. But’ for now I had to worry about working and Curley.

Literature Circles-Week 2- Vocabulary Enricher

This week I am the Vocabulary Enricher.

“On the trigger of the hoosegow.” (56) Hoosegow- Slang for a jail.

“George said reverently.” (60) Reverently- feeling, exhibiting, or characterized by reverence; deeply respectful: a reverent greeting.

“On the phonograph.” (52) Phonograph- A character or symbol used to represent a sound, esp. one used in phonography.

“He’s all stiff with rheumatism.” (44) Rheumatism- any disorder of the extremities or back, characterized by pain and stiffness.

“There came a little gnawing.” (49) Gnawing- to bite or chew on, esp. persistently.

Journal Response 1

Questions

1. Describe the setting in the novel – Time, Place and Circumstance. Please use quotations to support your answer.
2. Which characters have you been introduced to so far? What are they like? Is there any conflict between characters?
3. Find a quotation that helps describe each of the characters you have been introduced to.

Answers

1. In the first two chapters of the novel Of Mice and Men there are two settings. The book starts with Lennie and George walking near the Gabilan Mountains. They are in the countryside walking on open land for miles. There is a river near the path they are walking on and a small forest. George and Lennie use the river to drink from and the forest to gather firewood. “On the valley side the water is lined with trees.” (1) This quote shows how Lennie and George use their surroundings to survive as they walk towards the ranch where they are going to work. The second setting in the novel is the ranch. The ranch contained a bunkhouse where the workers sleep. The building was in poor condition and contained 8 bunks. Each room had only a few items including a table and a box for personal belongings. Overall, the ranch was big with a stable and many fields with grain. “The walls were whitewashed and the floor unpainted” This quote is a description of the living conditions for Lennie and George. Based on the language and the setting of the story the time period for the book is in the 1930’s. There is a lot of racist words used in the chapters to indicate the setting is when racism was an active part of peoples life. The circumstance in the story is George and Lennie are walking towards a ranch to find a job. When they arrive at the ranch they meet some of people working there. Immediately they make some friends and enemies based on their personality.
2. The two main characters we were introduced to in the first two chapters are Lennie and George. Lennie is mentally challenged and has trouble understanding orders and remembering knowledge. Since he is disabled he makes bad decisions which get them both into trouble. George is a much smarter person than Lennie and is able to get them out of tough situations. He knows how to deal with Lennie in some situations but sometimes acts wrong. George uses his intelligence to get them both jobs and his cleverness allows them to keep the job. At the ranch we are introduced to a few characters. The first character who appears at the ranch is the old swamper. He seems like a nice person by escorting in George and Lennie even though they were late. He tells them about some of the people and things on the ranch including the boss. The boss is the next character we are presented with in the novel. We learn from the old swamper that the boss can be a nice guy by giving the workers a gallon of whisky for Christmas. The boss can also get mad when people disobey him. He gets upset with George and Lennie when they arrive late for work. Curley is the next character in the novel. He acts very rude to George and Lennie because of his ego. He was just married a couple weeks ago so he acts very tough. He tries to pick a fight with Lennie because he doesn’t like tall people. Curley’s wife is very flirtatious and happy. Lennie likes her but George isn’t fond of her. Curley’s wife also asks Slim where her husband is. Slim is a nice man and introduces himself well to George and Lennie. He’s very polite and tries to get to know them by asking questions without hurting their feelings. Slim also killed four dogs and he has five left. Carlson is the last character we are introduced to in the second chapter. He enters the room and talks to Slim about the dogs. Carlson tells George and Lennie about what he heard from Curley. He made Lennie even more scared of Curley.
3. A quote to describe Lennie is “Lennie dipped his whole head under, hat and all.” (3) This quote shows how Lennie isn’t able to think about decisions to make. He drinks water from a river without knowing what’s in it. George later tells him he shouldn’t drink from water that’s not moving. A quote to describe George is ““I ain’t saying he’s bright. He ain’t. But I say he’s a God damn good worker.”” (22) This quote said by George is an example of how thinks intelligently to get them out of situations. He tells the boss that Lennie isn’t smart but he can do good work. George knows what the boss is looking for and that’s a good worker. He keeps enforcing the point that he can do good work for the boss to believe him. A quote to describe the old swamper is “The boss was expectin’ you last night. You can have them two beds there.” (18) The old swamper is a kind man and this quote is an example of how even though George and Lennie were late he still let them come in. He could have easily turned them down and got new workers. A quote to describe the boss is ““Gets pretty mad sometimes, but he’s pretty nice.”” (20) The old swamper told George and Lennie this quote about how the boss is. He has two sides; nice and mean. When he meets George and Lennie he is mean because they have showed up late for work. A quote to describe Curley is ““He hates big guys. He’s alla time picking scraps with the big guys.”” (26) The old swamper knows a lot about the people on the ranch especially Curley. He describes Curley as always on top in whatever he does. Since he likes to pick fights it seems that Lennie and Curley are going to fight later on in the book. A quote to describe Curley’s wife is “Lennie’s eyes moved down over her body.” (31) Curley’s wife seems to be attractive from other character’s reaction including Lennie’s. Most of the characters we meet dislike her because she is married to Curley. A quote to describe Slim is ““Hope you get on my team.”” (34) Slim portrays himself as a nice person by trying to encourage them to be with him.

Literature Circles- Week 1- Discussion Director

This week I am the discussion director. Here are my five questions for discussion.

Questions:

1. What are your feelings towards Lennie up to this part of the book and what do you think will happen to him in the next couple of chapters?
2. If you were George, how would you treat Lennie in terms of his mental capability?
3. What is Curley's significance in George and Lennie's life?
4. Do you think Lennie's hiding place in the brush will be used? Why or why not?
5. How does the boss portray himself to the workers?

Answers:

1. I feel that Lennie is holding back George from getting far in life. George has to always babysit Lennie because of his inability to comprehend the meaning of his orders. George needs to explain everything twice to Lennie so it will sink into his head. “When we get the coupla acres I can let you tend the rabbits all right. ‘Specially if you remember as good as that.” (15) This quote illustrates to us how George needs to care of Lennie. George needs to motivate Lennie for him to remember all the information. George could be very successful if Lennie wasn’t with him. Up to this point in the book George seems smart because of h ability to take care of Lennie. I think Lennie will have a problem with George because of how he is treated. I think this will be the main problem in the story because there is a lot of tension building up in the first couple chapters.
2. If I was George, I would take care of Lennie by letting him keep the animals he finds as pets. This would occupy Lennie and George could attend to the important works such as getting a job. I would try to encourage and motivate George to accomplish small tasks. “somebody’d shoot you for a coyote if you was by yourself.” (13) This quote shows George’s negativity towards Lennie and his feelings. Lennie will not respect George if he doesn’t keep him motivated. George should treat Lennie with respect if he wants him to be productive in his work.
3. Curley’s significance to the story is to create an obstacle for George and Lennie to overcome. There needs to an encounter for them as they work on the farm. Up to this part of the book Curley begins to become more of an important character. The other people working on the ranch have their own views of him and each presents a new perspective. Once Curley enters the room and talks to George and Lennie there is some indication of what might happen. Curley begins to start a fight with Lennie giving the readers the idea they might have an encounter. Curley’s personality associates him with the term the “bad guy”.
4. I think Lennie’s hiding spot in the brush will be used because there will be a problem where George and Lennie need to leave the ranch. I think Lennie will do something to upset the workers on the ranch and will need to run away. George will not be near Lennie at the time and when he receives the news will run towards the hiding spot. The mentioning of the brush gives the readers the image that the hiding spot is important. The readers will not have forgotten about this event but it will just be lingering in their thoughts. If Lennie goes to the brush there will be a distinct connection of the events in the story.
5. The boss portrays himself as a cruel person to his workers. He shows this by getting very upset with George and Lennie for showing up late for work. He acts very strict resulting in the workers obeying and working properly. It seemed to work on George because he got worried that if he didn’t listen then he would be fired. He keeps the workers on their toes by telling them that he is watching what they do. George isn’t afraid of the boss and talks confidently to him resulting in the boss keeping his eye on them. The boss portrays himself as a mean amn so others will do their work properly.

About the Author

John Ernst Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California, on February 27, 1902 of German and Irish ancestry. His father, John Steinbeck, Sr., served as the County Treasurer while his mother, Olive (Hamilton) Steinbeck, a former school teacher, fostered Steinbeck's love of reading and the written word. During summers he worked as a hired hand on nearby ranches, nourishing his impression of the California countryside and its people.

He graduated from Salinas High School in 1919 and he attended Stanford University. He pursued a program of independent study and his attendance was sporadic. During this time he worked periodically at various jobs and left Stanford permanently in 1925 to pursue his writing career in New York. However, he was unsuccessful in getting any of his writing published and finally returned to California. His first novel, Cup of Gold was published in 1929, but attracted little attention. His two subsequent novels, The Pastures of Heaven and To a God Unknown, were also poorly received by the literary world.

John Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962 “...for his realistic as well as imaginative writings, distinguished by a sympathetic humor and a keen social perception.”

This information was obtained from the following site: http://www.steinbeck.org/Bio.html

Review

Here are a couple of reviews
Two men, George and Lenny, form a strong friendship, one man assuming the role of father-figure for the other, who has a child-like mentality but a brute strength that needs to be kept in check. Their quest in life is simple - to become settled and self-sufficient and to end their roaming lifestyle. However, George, the father-figure, is forced to face the reality of Lenny's mental instability/physical strength; he takes on the responsiblity of preventing further hurt/death by ending his friend's life, and thus ending his dream for their future."
J.L. McEachen, Resident Scholar
2nd Review
"George and Lenny have a dream. They want to save enough of the money that they earn as migrant field hands to buy their own farm and become their own bosses. George will be able to settle down without having to spend all his time and energy looking out for his huge cousin, Lenny, who is retarded, and Lenny will be able to do as he pleases without causing them trouble. They are hired to help pick the crop on a farm. The pint-size foreman, Curley, a sadistic, former boxer, who is unsure of his manhood and of his ability to satisfy his wife, doesn't like Lenny from the start, and George warns Lenny to stay clear of both Curley and his wife. One of the other workers gives Lenny a newborn puppy, which stays in the barn with its mother. After Curley picks a fight with Lenny and Lenny breaks Curley's hand, Curley goes to the hospital and Lenny seeks to comfort himself by stroking his puppy, which he has unknowingly killed. Curley's wife enters the barn and flirts with Lenny. She lets him pet her hair, as he had petted the puppy, but he won't release her hair when she tries to pull away. Frightened, she screams, and Lenny, trying to silence her, accidentally breaks her neck. Curley returns, and he and his men hunt for Lenny. George suspects that Lenny will go to a nearby creek. George finds him there, and kills him quickly and mercifully so that Lenny won't fall into the hands of the sadistic Curley. This is a short and enjoyable, if somewhat sentimental, novel, that illustrates the difficulty of the uneducated poor and their attempt to better their lives. It also condemns the harsh brutality of farm owners who cared nothing for the men by whose sweat and blood they obtained and retained the profits from their farms."
Gary Pullman, Resident Scholar

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