Theme Analysis

In last week's blog response, I asked you to select a theme that "hit home" with you the most.  Now that you have set your sights on a theme you would most like work with some more, it is time to test your skills of analysis.  Scan through the last chapter (6) inOf Mice and Men and see if you can pull out a moment from the text that, upon close reading, says something about your selected theme.

For example, imagine that I am a student who was most interested in the theme of "The American Dream."  When scanning chapter 6 I came across this moment in the text:

 "A water snake glided smoothly up the pool, twisting its periscope head from side to side; and it swam the length of the pool and came to the legs of a motionless heron that stood in the shallows.  A silent head and beak lanced down and plucked it out by the head, and the beak swallowed the little snake while its tail waved frantically." 

Next, try to analyze how this moment is somehow connected to the theme you have chosen.

In chapter 6 in, Of Mice and Men, freedom is portrayed within George and Lennie.  After killing Lennie, George had the freedom to do whatever he wanted.  He always was saying how Lennie was always making him feel trapped like he couldn't do anything.  But after he killed Lennie, that is no longer a problem.

Novel Reaction: Thinking Forward

We have investigated many captivating themes that exist in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men over the last few weeks.  You have explored the desperation and poverty of the American 1930s through pictures and video.  You have witnessed how John Steinbeck used naturalism to portray certain characters as "human beasts" acting on impulsiveness and instinct for self-preservation.  You have examined how the author used literary devices such as sentimentalism, diction, tone, parallelism, and foreshadowing in order to propel these themes.  You have close-read and analyzed the text digging deeper and deeper for evidence of themes such as Power vs. Powerlessness, Individual vs. Community, The American Dream, Euthanasia, Racism, Loneliness, and maybe even a little Sexism.  Pat yourself on the back!  You have been critically thinking about this novella on so many different levels. 

For this week's blog response, you need to make some pretty serious decisions!  We are quickly approaching the time where you will be expected to write your Research Paper based on a topic of interest from Of Mice and Men.  If you have been keeping up with your reading, completing your notes, participating in conversations and activities during class on the various themes, and completing your blog responses this choice will be fairly easy!  If not, you may be in for a struggle....

What topic or theme that we have touched on during this unit has "hit home" with you the most?  Which theme or topic has a personal connection for you?  Which did you find most captivating or interesting to discuss and investigate during this unit?  Select a topic/theme from the list above that peaks your interest, and, in this week's blog response, discuss why you find it fascinating, which moment in the story you think about when reflecting on this theme, and how this theme is relevant in today's world.

The theme that i thought was the best we've talked about was freedom.  Because of Lennie's disability, he can't do the same things as George or anyone else.  In our current world,people with disabilities are still able to work and do things which is demonstraited in this story by Lennie having a job.

Chapter 5 Notes

Questions:

• I wonder if Curley really loved his wife?  I think this because, if he really loved her, he would have stayed and mourned her death instead of as soon as seeing her dead, go after the guy who he assumed killed her.
• Do you think Lennie will get killed or hurt this time?
• Why doesn't Curley's wife care about her husband at all?  She told Lennie that if Curley gets tough with him then just break his other hand.  If she loved or cared even the tiniest bit about her husband, she would love him no matter what he does.  She wouldn't go around complaining about her husband.  
• What do you think George will do next?  Will he go to the brush and hide Lenny and sort it out or will he just tell them where he was?
• Do you think that the boss will come back in and try to fire George as well because he said that he and Lennie stay together?
•  Why did Curley's wife start screaming when Lennie grabbed her hair?  Why couldn't she just say to let go of her hair nicely?

Prediction:

      In the next chapter I think that Curley will find Lennie and kill him and George will be an accomplice, because he will tell where Lennie is hiding. "You George! You stick with us so we don't think you had notin' to do with this." (Steinbeck 98.) When Curley said this I automatically thought that they will think that George had something to do with this. Curley will get mad that he can't find Lennie and look at George asking him if he knows where Lennie is. Curley will get it out of him he will squeeze it out of him. They will force him to tell them where Lennie is and they will find Lennie and kill him just like Curley said. 

Connection:

I can connect to Lennie when Curley's wife was talking to him and he was in a different world thinking about something else.  Many times people talk to me about something and i am just in dreamland.  I was thinking a certain thing just like Lennie and did not pay attention to what she was saying.

Chapter 4 notes

Prediction

I think George will not come back from the city one day when he goes just like Crooks said.  I think that the author is trying to foreshadow that George will leave Lennie one day when he goes to the city.  One day, George will get really upset with Lennie, might take his money and leave.  He was saying that Lennie had about $100 saved up and might take all the money from their bank and leave.  That is what any guy might do to live his own life like what Crooks said.  It is much easier to live alone and he himself said that to Lennie in the beginning of the story.


Questions
1)  Why does Crooks tell Lennie that George might not come back and complains about his life when he knows that Lennie wont even understand him?
2)  Why does Candy start talking back to Curley's wife?  She is lonely and trapped in a house all day and wants to communicate with other people.   why does Crooks tell Lennie that George might not come back and complains about his life when he knows that Lennie wont even understand him?
3)  Why did Candy tell Crooks about the house that they were going to set up?  George told them not to tell anyone and Candy is sensible.  
4)  Is it better to live alone as an African American and live in a place by yourself, living peacefully and in an organized environment or live in the bunkhouse full of guys which is probably dirty?  Crooks that a nice place to himself, a nice place to eat, sleep, pass the time.  He had books and was clean, and did not have to have to worry about all the drama of the guys. 
5)  Why did both Crooks and Curley's wife say that getting a house and living there will never happen and that many guys have dreams like that and it wont happen?  Is the author trying to foreshadow that George, Lennie, and Candy will not get a house and will leave just like all the other men?

Investigating the Themes in Of Mice and Men

Choose one of the following questions that interests you most to respond to in this week’s blog 

post:

1.)  What different forms of power exist in Of Mice and Men?  What kind of power does Lennie 

have?  What kind of power does George have?  What kinds of power or powerlessness do 

other characters possess?  

2.)  What kind of relationship do George and Lennie have?  Is their relationship a friendship?  

How does this relationship express Steinbeck’s position on the individual versus the 

community?

3.)  Is the American Dream a real possibility in the story?  If yes, what characters, symbols, 

events, or other details from the story confirm that the American Dream is within reach?  If not, 

what characters, symbols, events, or other details from the story represent the American Dream 

as out of reach?  


Check out the info History.com has to offer about the American 1930s!  Who had power in the 

1930s?  Who did not?  What kinds of power existed then?  What important relationships were 

formed in the 1930s?  Was the American Dream still alive in the 1930s? 



          George has power over Lennie.  He bosses Lennie around and is verbal rather than physical.  On page 9, "Slowly, like a terrier who doesn't want to bring a ball to its master, Lennie approached, drew back, approached again.  George snapped his fingers sharply, and at the sound Lennie laid the mouse in his hand."  George is like the master and Lennie is like the terrier.  he controls everything Lennie does.  It says that George snapped his fingers and at the snap, Lennie put the mouse in his hand.  Lennie is powerless compared to George.  George, Lennie, and all the other men working in fields were powerless during the Great Depression.  Compared to the wealthy, they had to struggle a lot in order to get the little money they could.
Curley has power over Lennie until the end of chapter 3.  Before, he tried to pick on Lennie and try to start a fight.  He is also powerful because he is the boss's son.  At the end when he started hitting Lennie he was powerful.  When George told Lennie to fight back, Lennie crushed the man.  There was a change in power from when we met Curley till now.  Candy is old and powerless.  People now say that the old are the wisest.  The men didn't give Candy a choice.  They forced him into saying yes for killing his dog.  No one supported Candy and never would.  He could not stand up for his dog, to keep him alive.  The boss had a lot of power.  He controlled everything and for once someone told George what to do.  These are some characters who show power and who are powerless!

Chapter 3 Notes

Questions

1. I wonder why George trusts Slim enough to tell him why him and Lennie came to work on the ranch when he just met him?
2. Why is Curley so frustrated with tall people? I think he might have been bullied as a child.
3. Why doesn't Candy prevent his dog from being shot?  Why didn't he keep on arguing?
4. What does George really think about Lennie?
5. Why did the author add the part when they talked about the letter that Bill Tenner wrote to the editor of some magazine?

Predictions:
     I predict that Curley will be afraid of Lennie from now on.  After their little fight, Lennie almost broke Curly's hand very easily, showing that Lennie can handle Curley if he ever had to.  Not to mention that Curley is terrified of big people!

 

 

Summary: 
     Slim talks to George about him working together with Lennie and is surprised that  Lennie, a tall, dumb guy and George, a smart, small guy are together.  Carlson then walks in the bunkhouse and offers to kill the dog since Candy won't.  When Carlson takes the dog outside to be killed, Candy feels motionless, looking at the ceiling when he hears the gun shot from outside of Carlson killing the dog. Later, Lennie and Curly get into a fight. Lennie doesn't fight back, but grabs Curly's fist, possibly breaking bones.

Chapter 2 Notes

Questions

• Do you think that Lennie is going to fall in love with Curley's wife the way he kept on talking about her and saying she was pretty?
• Why does George not want Lennie to not say anything to anyone?  Why is he so worried about Lennie that he needs to give him the permission to talk?
• Why is it that in front of Slim, George complimented Lennie but he when they are alone, he never stops complaining and making fun of Lennie?
• Is Curley's wife was really looking for her husband or trying to go around and show off?
• Why did Curley at the end of the chapter take George's height, measure his reach, and look at his rim middle?
• Do you think that Lennie is going to fall in love with Curley's wife the way he kept on talking about her and saying she was pretty?

Reflect

• If i was the author, i would have given the character a name other than Curley.  This may seem weird, but i just find it difficult to follow the story or picture it with a name like Curly coming up every paragraph.

Predictions

• I think that Lennie is going to fall in love with Curley's wife and Curley will find out and hurt                 him or do something bad.