1. Of Mice and Men is the story of two unemployed travelers named George and Lennie. George is a smaller man, but his size in height doesn't account for the size of his heart. Regardless of George's constant ranting about how life would be so much easier without Lennie, he continues to watch after and care for his friend. Lennie's size is very different from George's , somewhat like a giant. He 's bigger than the average man but due to his lack of mental abilities, this strength can be dangerous due to the fact that he isn't fully aware of how strong he really is. In the beginning of the book, Lennie unintentionally killed a small mouse due to his lack of control. Regardless of Lennie's lack of self-control, he is a overall sweet and innocent character. These two friends both share a dream to own land and grow crops of their own when they can obtain more money. Sadly, finding jobs isn't so easy with Lennie's illness, he constantly hurts others unintentionally and it makes it very hard for the two to secure a nice job. Eventually the two find work on a ranch where they quickly befriend the other laborers with the help of Candy, a man who too shares the friends dream. Things seem to be running smoothly for Lennie and George until they meet Curley and his coquettish wife. Curley's wife makes advances on both George and Lennie, these flirtatious actions soon lead to the death of Curley's wife, unintentional of course. Her death was caused by her attempts to flirt with Lennie. Due to Lennie's lack of self-control, he end's up breaking Curley's wifes neck and becoming the target of every laborer on the ranch. He flees the scene in a panic and is later found by his friend George. George is aware that Lennie's only chance of freedom is death. George mercifully kills Lennie himself to save him from a brutal murder by the ranch laborers.
2. The theme is friendship. George sticks by Lennie through thick and thin even in knowing he could be more successful without him by his side. Even though George killed Lennie in the end, it was still out of compassion to save him from a more brutal death by other workers.
3. The book was pretty depressing and somewhat lonely ? Every character seemed so lost and isolated, as if they have nothing to really live for.
*"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They ain't got no family. They don't belong no place . . ."
The character Lennie is probably what made this novel so depressing. For one he was mentally handicapped and his handicap caused him to hurt and kill animals and humans accidentally. It's somewhat cruel and twisted, the fact that he can't control himself even if he really tried. It's a terrible way to live.
4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.)
-Imagery
-Personification
-Flashback
-Foreshadow
~
CHARACTERIZATION
1. DIRECT
George: "The first man was small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features."
Lennie: "- A huge man, shapeless face, with large pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders-"
INDIRECT
Lennie: Speaks as if he's uneducated. The author uses broken English for the characters Dialogue
Curleys Wife: She constantly throws herself towards other men, making her seem desperate for attention from others.
I feel like the author uses both to help the reader form an opinion of the character. Direct characterization provides the imagery that allows the reader to create a visual image of the character. Indirect allows the reader to build an opinion of that specific character.
2. The author appears to use both syntax and diction during character dialogue. They speak in a very uneducated and improper way. The words are all over the place and barely put together. The quote
"You now shut up." appears to be the best example to represent both syntax and diction.
3. I consider George to be a very round character, mainly because Lennie's mental illness makes it difficult for him to evolve. In the beginning he has a dream to own his own land, though he only sees it as just a dream. Candy then provides money for his dream making it seem like a reality but it is then crushed to pieces when he is force to kill his best friend to spare him from suffering. Basically he goes from hopeless, to hopeful, to hopeless again.
Lennie on the other hand, is a very static and flat character, he has the same mindset throughout the story and it makes it difficult for him to grow or acquire various hopes and dreams.
4. I had somewhat felt like I met Lennie, mainly because I have a handicapped uncle. When he killed Curley's wife I had felt incredibly sad for him because I knew that he really couldn't help it. Alas, the connection was somewhat breif, mainly because I didn't have the "connection type mindset". My only goal was to finish the book and that's what I did. Connections can be difficult to achieve in only two weeks. I feel like I could have really connected with this character had I allowed myself to read deeper.
No comments:
Post a Comment