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 topic that "hit home" with me the most was the topic of loneliness. This really hit me, because a lot of examples are shown in the text about loneliness. It is common for a novella to have a major topic like loneliness, because it is a common problem. Many people are locked down onto a place and feel lonely, because they have no where to go. This type of loneliness is represented a lot in the book like being lonely, because under law or a person they are locked down into not doing many things or not going many places, because of their gender, color, age, and state of mind.
In this novella loneliness is a major topic that is used a lot through the book it is used from characters like Crooks and Curley's wife to characters like Lennie. It is a major theme that a lot of people in this book can relate to. "Why can't I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely." (Steinbeck 86.) A character like Curley's wife is lonely, because of her gender. She is the only woman on this ranch she has nobody to talk to except for the guys on the ranch. But, Curley won't even let her out of the house. Another, lonely person is Crooks being a colored person and not having many right to do many things he is often lonely. "Crooks, THE NEGRO stable buck, had his bunk in the harness room; a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn." (Steinbeck 66.) Crooks had his own little room away from the bunkhouse he wasn't allowed to go in there, because of the law he had to have a different sleeping accommodation from the other guys. Since, he was the only colored person on the ranch he had to live in the barn on a bed made out of straw.
This topic is relevant in today's world not as much as it was back then, but it is relevant. In today's world many people are lonely like in school for being who they are. If you are not like many others you are excluded out of their little circle and have to be by yourself. Being who you are is not really something you do at school or in public. In order, to fit in to a group you have to gave the same likes as they do in order to fit in. For example, if you don't like video games, but your friend does and likes to play it every hour of the day. You are from now on excluded from his group and don't have something in common. Instead of hanging out with you he will preferably go hang out with someone who does like video games. And, will play with him when ever he wants. This will make you lonely not being able to hangout with your friend, because he has another friend who pursues the same interest he does. Loneliness exists today as it had in the past even though the type of loneliness has changed like being colored, old, or of gender. It is till around in a different way like for having different interests and being excluded out of a group.Go here and you will learn more about loneliness.
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