Gigantic Rabbit

This is kind of what I would picture the gigantic rabbit like that Lennie has a vision of in the book. I'm not sure if this is real but it comes pretty close to what I think the author meant in the book.

Chapter Five Response

The fifth chapter of the book was definitely a decisive one. This chapter is where the dreams of George, Candy, and Lennie are smashed apart. The major event in this chapter obviously was Lennie breaking Curley's wife's neck. When trying to blame someone in the book for this the reader can not really blame anyone. Lennie is too stupid too understand that he has to let go of Curley's wife or else he'll kill her. Curley's wife just wanted some company. The reader is left with some what sympathy for both and no one to blame for the tragic event. The movie was quite accurate with showing the event of Lennie breaking Curley's wife's neck as it is written in the book.
So far the author has been building up from the beginning of the book about George and Lennie getting their own little place, and with every chapter it came closer to becoming reality. And now the reader would be expecting a happy end with them living in peace. The abrupt destruction of their dream is just unexpected, but also been foreshadowed by the author. For example when Curley's wife comes inside the barn Lennie is there with his dead pup which he killed because he got angry with it but, didn't mean to. I think that this truly makes this story a good one. The author does not follow the cliché way of just having a happy ending. Because we have already finished the movie in class I know what to expect for the ending, but I believe that as in most chapters the book will contain more details than the movie about the sad ending of this story.

Tupac Shakur: My Block

My Block Remix by Tupac Shakur

I choose this song because it talks about death, the pain of losing friends, and prejudice. All of these issues relate to the novel as the characters in this book also have to face this.

[Chorus: a bunch of kids - see the liner notes]
Living life is but a dream
Hard times is all we see (on my block)
Every block is kinda mean
But on our block we still prayyyyyy
But on our block we still prayyyyyy...

[Verse Two]
Now s**t's constantly hot, on my block, it never fails to be gunshots
Can't explain a mother's pain, when her son drops
Black male slipping in hail when will we prevail
Fearing jail but crack sales got me living well
And the system's suicidal with this Thug's Life
Staying strapped forever trapped in this drug life
God help me, cause I'm starving, can't get a job
So I resort to violent robberies, my life is hard
Can't sleep cause all the dirt make my heart hurt
Put in work and shed tears for my dead peers
Mislead from childhood where I went astray
Till this day I still pray for a better way
Can't help but feel hopeless and heartbroke
From the start I felt the racism cause I'm dark
Couldn't quit the bulls**t make me represent
Hit the bar and played the star, everywhere I went
In my heart, I felt alone out here on my own
I close my eyes and picture home... on my block

[Chorus w/ minor variations]

[Verse Three]
And I can't help but wonder why, so many young kids had to die
Caught strays from AK's and the drive-by
Swollen pride and homicide, don't coincide
Brothers cry for broken lives, mama come inside
Cause our block is filled with danger
Used to be a close knit community but now we're all cold strangers
Time changes us to stone them crack pipes
All up and down the block exterminating black life
But I can't blame the dealers
My mama's welfare check has brought the next man chrome wheels
Shit's real, I know ya feel, my tragedy
A single mother with a problem child, daddy free
Hanging out picking up game, sipping cheap liquor
Gamin the hoochies hoping I can get to sleep with her
It's a man's world, staying strapped
Fantasies of a ni**a living phat, but held back
Pipe dreams can make the night seem hopeless
Wide eyed and losing focus... on my block

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFZSiSM6k28

Link to the video of the song (Warning contains explicit language) These lyrics start at 1:20 mins.

Chapter Four Response

In the fourth chapter of the book the author complicates the author by weaving in a couple of twists into the conflicts. The beginning of the chapter starts off with bringing us the character of Crooks the stable buck a little bit closer. The author focuses totally on him with his writing and for the first time in the book we learn about a character not through dialogue but through the description of the author. I believe the author did this so because Crooks is not accepted in bunk house or along the other farm workers because he's black, this way we do not learn anything about him through dialogue except about his crooked back. The author describes the shocking racism against black people that existed back in that time, and the reader really gets some sympathy for Crooks as a character. Having Lennie who doesn't know too much about how blacks are treated in that time, go into his room and talk to him is a smart choice. It is a good way of educating the reader about the racism because as the reader, Lennie doesn't know anything. Lennie then tells Crooks about the place they'll get because he does not remember not to tell anyone. Crooks tells him he's nuts and says that he's seen too many guys with the same thought in their head blow their money and their dream. Then the wife comes in with her usually "Have you seen Curley?" line and starts talking to Candy, Lennie, and Crooks in a tone that is quite degrading. She for example says "Hmm, they left all the weak ones". They then get in quite a big argument, and as soon as Crooks tells her she is not wanted in his room she reveals the next to nothing rights black people had big then. She says she could have him hanging in a tree in no time if he says anything, and as soon as that is said by her Crooks retreats and does not talk back. In the movie this part of the novel is just skipped, maybe the director wanted to reach a greater audience by not having such a strong topic in his movie. Steinbeck however describes the racism of his time thoroughly to the reader.

Loneliness of Curley's Wife

This is painting I think very well expresses the loneliness of Curley's wife, which Steinbeck highlights a bit more in this chapter. First off in we think that Curley's wife is flirty and doesn't know how to act, but the author gives the reader more insight on her feelings in this chapter which gets her some sympathy.

Chapter Three Response

In chapter three the author finally gets the plot going with some conflict. The first two chapters the book was busy with making us familiar with all the characters on the farm besides George and Lennie, and the author also stirred up a bit of conflict by having Curley instantly pick on Lennie. The third chapter was a lot more fun to read than the previous chapters, Candy letting Carlson shoot his dog is one event that demonstrates the authority that Slim has among the farm workers. First Carlson complains about the dog and how much he smells, he then suggest that the dog be shot and put out of his misery. Candy first hesitates and does not want to kill his dog, but then as Slim tells him that dog isn't any good to himself anymore he lets Carlson shoot the dog. The other major event in this chapter is the fight between Lennie and Curley. Prior to the fight Candy overhears George and Lennie's conversation about the piece of land that they always dream about getting. With Candy chipping in over $ 300 the little farm they always wanted is finally in reach and the reader is left wondering if they eventually accomplish their dream. Then Curley starts a fight with Lennie and only after George telling him multiple times to fight back he grabs Curley's fist and crushes it. This part of the third chapter shows how destructive Lennie can be and I feel that something will happen in the next chapters with Lennie by mistaking killing someone like he did with the mouse in the first chapter.

Whit and Crooks and Curley's Wife

This is what I would say crooks look like. Maybe a bit younger looking but he describes his face by saying his eyes are deep inside his head.



This is what I think Curley's wife would look like as the author describes with red lipstick and heavy make up.




Finally this is what I picture Whit looking like. The author doesn't really take too much time to describe him except that he's a young farm worker and that's it.

The Boss of the Farm

This is what I would picture the Boss of the farm looking like. He's described by the author as wearing high boots to show that he is not a working man but I could not find a picture that fit him wearing high boots and the picture I had in my head while reading about him.

Carlson

This is what I would think Carlson would look like in the real world as the author describes him a bit fat and big.

Candy's Dog

This is what I think Candy's old dog would look like. The author doesn't really describe him too much except that he's old, gray, and has no teeth. I think the author rather uses the dog as a literary device in the book to demonstrate the authority that Slim possesses amongst the farm workers.

Picture of what I think Slim would look like

This is I would say Slim would look like. As the author describes in the book he combs his long hair back before going into the bunk house. Also the wife of Curley has been eyeing him, which means that he can't be an ugly farmer.

What Candy would look like in the real World

This what Candy would look like. An old farmer whose face tells of experience and history by itself. The other hand in this picture isn't showing as Candy is missing one hand in the book and movie.

What I believe Curley looks like

This is what I think Curley would look like. He is a bit short looking and this picture also includes the one glove that he always wears on his left hand.

Chapter Two Response

Through out the second chapter the author really gets the story to flow and become interesting to read. George and Lennie go to the farm they are going to work on, and the reader is introduced to some new characters. One of them is Candy an old man that works on the farm and misses a hand. He also has a dog that is about as old as he is. Another character that I think won't be too important in the story is the boss of the farm as he is not referrred to with a name by the author. Curley which I believe along Lennie's stupidity will be the antogonist in this story is also introduced along his not so loyal seeming wife. Curley being a short guy imediately tries to start something with Lennie getting mad for no reason. Candy then later on explains to us that he has done some fighting in the ring and always picks on bigger guys. Another character is Slim who like Candy seems like one of the characters that will become George's and Lennie's friend, as he is quite nice to them and does not react in the fashion that Curley does. What is also mentioned in the second chapter is that Slim's bitch has delievered puppies and immediately we know that George will have to get one for Lennie as he told him that in the first chapter. In the next chapter I believe that Lennie's working abilities and George's cunning mind will earn them some respect on the farm and their only trouble will be Curley as his wife as Lennie has a history with getting in trouble because of woman, and is seen staring at her when she's standing in the doorway by George

Chapter One Response

The first chapter of the book started off well as the author initiates the plot with George and Lennie being chased for something Lennie did. The setting is in the countryside and the author does a magnificent job of using nature's symbolism. In this chapter he used plenty of different kind of birds to do the job of foreshadowing or symbolizing the mood between George and Lennie. I myself can connect with the story a bit so far as I'm from a small town in Germany and grew up in the countryside. The movie we've been viewing in class parallel to reading the book, is pretty exact with displaying the setting as the author describes it in the novel. The first chapter ends with George and Lennie going to sleep out in the open, prior to this they had a fight which I believe the author uses to let the reader know what kind of a relationship exists in between George and Lennie. We are a bit ahead of the book with watching the movie so I already know what will happen in the next chapter, even though we haven't seen or read it I strongly believe there will be a fight in between Lennie and owner's son.

What I think George and Lennie look like

This is what I imagine Lennie would look like a bit. The author describes as tall, big and quite the opposite of George.














This is what I think George looks like to some extent. Of course George would not be wearing a suit because he helps on farms but the face is what I would imagine him like.

Setting Picture

This is what i imagine the setting of the book looks like. The picture is taken in California and that's also where the story takes place.

John Steinbeck

This is John Steinbeck, the author of "Of Mice and Men"
He looks like a thoughtful and serious person.