Hello all, your final assignment has arrived! Thank you for utilizing this blog this year, this component has been fun to watch and read.
DUE TUESDAY, MAY 4TH
Construct a 2-3 page paper discussing one of the following themes in the novel. Be sure to use the text for evidence, and provide specific examples/symbols/events that project the theme. Then, after completing your paper, post a brief synopsis of your paper and respond to two of your classmates.
It's the final dialogue, let's make it good!
Themes:
1. Discuss specifically John Steinbeck's writing style in relation to the historical context and pressures of the time. Thematically, how does the time period project a theme of depression/fight/dissatisfaction amongst characters. How is this revealed throughout the novel?
2. Discuss the theme of the American Dream falling short? Define the connotation of the word/idea, and how it was a driving force, despite its probability to fail. Does the dream still exist by the end of the novel?
3. Discuss the importance of weakness and strength. Describe specific characters, their interactions, and their personalities. Describe the journey they are taking, and the presence/absence of strength and weakness. Locate specific incidences, places, etc. that illustrate this theme/idea.
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In my paper I discussed the theme of the American Dream. In the novel, it was very clear that the dreams of everyone fell short. They envisioned their lives different than what they actually turned out to be. Achieving the American Dream was indeed a driving force for all of the characters, even though there was a high chance they would fail. Unfortuanetly, most of them did fail. I talked about Curley's wife never being a Hollywood star like she dreamt she would be. Also, I discussed Lennie and George always wanting to own a farm which obviously did not happen. By the end of the novel, the dream does not still exist. George admits that his dream is impossible to accomplish.
ReplyDeleteI also spoke about the American Dream in my paper. I described what it was and how George and Lennie tried to reach it. I spoke about how Lennie was a stumbling block for both of the men to reach their goal, which caused them to fall short. I touched on how George was trying to help Lennie reach his own dreams, but eventually had to stop, because Lennie could not do it. Lennie failed at reaching his goal; poor guy. But George continued as best he could; he couldn't let Lennie get in the way anymore.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Abi:
ReplyDeleteGood point Abi. Lennie was a stmbling block for the men. Even though George was trying to help Lennie, he ended up being a hindrance. I hadn't really thought of that. All the men fell short of their dreams and never actually achieved their goals. I'm glad we agree!
In my paper, I discussed the difficulty it is to fulfill the American dream, and all the hard work Lennie and George had to do to try to fulfill their dream. I also talked about the fact that so many people work towards accomplishing the American dream, and just as Lennie and George, they work hard their whole lives, just to have a better life, to have a home to go to, and to have untarnished happiness. However, through the story of George and Lennie, we learn that sometimes accomplishing the American dream can be very difficult, and many times impossible. George and Lennie were never able to fulfull their dream of owning land, and having their own farm and a place of their own.
ReplyDeleteI did mine on the American Dream, too, actually haha. I kind of explained how exactly George and Lennie's trials and tribulations contributed of the falling short of the American dream. I talked about how Lennie was a big problem to George in reality, but George I guess didn't really want to admit to it at first because he wanted to help Lennie succeed as best as he could. But in the end, George went on to try and reach his goal, even though that meant more or less leaving Lennie to fend for himself. Everyone basically realized that their visions of the future weren't panning out as they thought, even though they all felt the drive and determination to reach those goals.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Liz:
ReplyDeleteI'm glad we are all writing on the same thing! Lol. I also agree with you Liz. It is extremely difficult to fulfill the American dream, and your right, so many people work towards it their whole life. It is often times impossible. I also talked about Lennie and George never fulfilling their dream of having their own farm. It was unfortuante, and throughout the whole story, we saw the dreams of characters never happen.
to liz:
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with what you said about the difficulty of reaching the American Dream. I almost feel that the "American Dream" is different for everyone, in one way or another. I also liked what you said about how hard Lennie and George had to work to continue towards their goal, even though they never reached it.
to audrey:
I agree with you and Abi. I felt the exact same way as you guys did as far as Lennie being a problem in the two men reaching their goals. I almost wonder what would have happened if Lennie wasn't the way he was, and they actually did succeed, or get close to succeeding, what they had initially set out to do.
In response to Audrey Biesk: I agree with everything you said, and I really liked how you said that the American dream was a driving force for all these people, and I believe that to be true, and I think that is still true these days. It is that driving force that causes people to go to college, and work so hard just to get ahead in life. They think that if they work hard enough, they can have happiness, freedom and contentment. The American dream is still alive today, and is what drives people to make America better.
ReplyDeleteIn Response to Abi: I also agree with you when you say that Lennie was a stumbling block for both of them, it was him that held back George from doing everything he wanted to do, and it was because of everything that Lennie did that they were never able to fulfill their dreams.
OUCH! Good job! That's really funny...sucks for the students.
ReplyDeleteI didn't write about the American Dream. In my paper, I discussed Steinbeck's style of writing and his ability to empathize with his characters. I talked about how John Steinbeck writes with a style unlike many others, and how his ability to empathize with his characters comes from his own experiences. He writes with a lyrical beauty, and uses it to express himself in his works. From the intensely vivid descriptions of the land to the true-to-the-heart portrayal of people, the novel is one great example of his capability to identify with the characters he creates no matter how tragic or tortured they may be.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Audrey:
I like that you discuss how they fall short of their dreams yet they are still driven by them. Chasing the American Dream is difficult and indeed does have a high possibility of failure. When this happens like it did for Lennie and George, it is crushing and defeats the characters.
In response to Meghan:
I like your recognition of Lennie and George's trials contributing to their falling short of their dreams. I also like that you talked about how Lennie is a burden on George yet George never gives up on him (I also mentioned this in my paper). Sometimes though, people do have to change their plans to achieve their dreams.
I wrote my paper in response to prompt #2. I discussed how allusive the American dream can actually be, and how George and Lennie find that out the hard way. It's unfortunate and tragic, but several people fall short of their goals despite all of their best efforts. It's also sad that George realizes too late that he and Lennie's dreams cant become a reality.
ReplyDeleteIn my paper i discussed the second prompt. The American dream is simply a dream. It is a dream that one day you will have the money and the means to do whatever you wish to do. This dream, no matter the probability of it ever coming true, is a driving force int the novel Of Mice And Men. This dream fails for Lenny but the dream/concept still lives on for many other people. This dream can drive people to do some crazy things and these crazy things can lead to this dream coming true.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Jill
ReplyDeleteWAY TO BE DIFFERENT!! lol i just couldnt do it. I had to write about the American Dream! In any case... I would have to agree that the style John Steinbeck writes with seems to sympathize with his characters and that this style of writing is not seen in many authors.
In response to Abi)
ReplyDeleteI can agree that Lennie was a stumbling block, and George couldn't let him get in the way anymore, but i also think that George killed Lennie as a kind of courtesy. Lennie couldn't function in a normal society, and i think that George realized it would be hard for Lennie to live in a world where the people are cruel and turn a blind eye to others. I think George's motives behind killing Lennie were kind of a last ditch effort to spare Lennie from the bleak looking future he was about to face.
In response to everyone else:
ReplyDeleteI too chose to conform to society and write about the American Dream. Because of this decision it was very hard for me to disagree with anything any of you said, because I basically said all the same things. Therefore, all I have to say is "I agree!!". That is all. lol
In response to Meghan's response to Liz)
ReplyDeleteI FEEL the same. I think everyone's version of the American dream is different, but i do still think that it's based on the want to succeed. I think that's what motivates people is the will to accomplish the goals that one sets out for themselves.
I wrote on the American dream like everyone else, mostly the impossibility of it. I used George, Lennie, and Curley's Wife as examples. They all have some sort of dream that failed for different reasons, some their fault, some the fault of others. George was put in a bad situation where he felt the need to stay with Lennie and provide support which would eventually kill his dream. Lennie, couldn't help his problem, but because of this problem, he would not be able have the rabbits like he originally wanted. Their dreams could not be reached because of circumstances in their lives.
ReplyDeleteIn the 1930’s everyone believed in the American Dream, the ideal lifestyle. Everybody dreamed of one day owning their own house and being free to be their own masters. This ideal lifestyle drove each character to work as hard as one could to reach their goals. Curley’s wife wanted to be a Hollywood movie star. Crooks did not want to be lonely, but to hoe a patch of garden. Candy did not want to be thrown off the land because of his age. George and Lennie dreamed of their own place for freedom and freedom of worry that Lennie would get in trouble. Lennie just wanted to pet the rabbits. But all these dreams came to a screeching halt when Lennie accidently killed Curley’s wife. Curley’s wife’s dreams’ died with her. George and Lennie were on the run again. George was forced to kill Lennie, which crushed the dreams of George, Lennie, Crooks, and Candy. The American Dream that burned inside each of these characters, died as Curley’s wife did.
ReplyDeleteMy paper debriefs the topic to the American Dream. John Steinbeck reflects George and Lennie as two characters that tear one another apart. Lennie crashes George's aspiration for lasting freedom and money, but George crashes Lennie's hopes of ever having a farm with rabbits. Through Lennie's misktakes George learns that his dreams can not be fulfilled. Both literal and figurative effects of freedom and the American Dream represent how both characters grow to break free through their journeys, mistakes, and aspirations.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Mark
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is very tragic. You almost feel sympathetic for these characters and wish that they could have had the happy ending of this story. People need to learn to accept failure and learn from it, especially when the fail at accomplishing their life goals.
In response to Meghan
I completely agree with you. In my paper I also talked about how Lennie was a problem for George. No one in this novel, had their dreams become a reality like you think they would have. Some people can't accomplish things because others in their lives.
In response to Abi:
ReplyDeleteThere were a lot of stumbling blocks for the characters to overcome in order to reach their American dream. Lennie was just too big and strong of a block that he forced all their dreams to die. But I wonder if George and Candy will still try for their dream and get rabbits in honor of Lennie.
In response to Tina: I don't think George really wanted Lennie around anymore to begin with. It seemed like he always got in his way and George's American Dream couldn’t be fulfilled with him around. I think the American Dream still lives through George.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Joel: Do you think their dreams really died with them and George's fell as well? Or do you think that there could have been a dream at all? of course there is an American Dream played out through Geroge's Journey, but what was the true meaningful journey of Lennie or Curly's wife?
ReplyDeleteIn response to Jill:
ReplyDeleteI liked how you discussed the lyrical writing of Steinbeck and how he used the beauty of nature to contrast the terrible hardships the characters went through. It made the book a little less depressing that way. But Steinbeck was able to empathize and relate to the characters, which also made the reader do the same.
In response to Destiny:
I don’t think George didn’t want Lennie around. He just got frustrated with him sometimes, but he always loved him. That is why he never left Lennie and would never dream of doing such a thing. If he didn’t love him, it wouldn’t have been as hard as it was to kill him.
Of Mice and Men reflects on a romantic theme, a “throw-back” to the time of transcendentalism, when “the American Dream” was subtly hinted at in nature but not voiced outright. This is clear through Steinbeck’s elaborate descriptions of nature as well as the colorful character dialogue. Lennie and George just want to live the Dream. They acknowledge they will only be on the ranch temporarily, as a next step in pursuit of the dream. The fruits of one’s labor are another great part of the American Dream. To observe the fruits of one’s labor truly gives a sense of great accomplishment—and of success. Even though it seems from the beginning that George, Lennie, and Candy are going to get their dream, there is a sort of foreboding in the mournful, underlying notes of the story. The dream is often so easily and so often snatched away from its pursuers, both in fiction and in life. Yet it continues to hold a draw for almost everyone in some way or another. At the end of the novel, the dream still exists, at least for Lennie, right up ’til the very end. As for George, even after the death of his best friend, it is most likely that he, too, still feels some yearning for what can be—or mostly, what could have been.
ReplyDeleteMy paper was about the American Dream also. However, I mainly touched on Steinbeck's purpose for not having the characters achieve thier goals. I think he wanted it to be different then other novels, to not have the "fairy tale" ending." Instead to make life more of the reality as it is. I wonder how many people throughout the world have actually achieved the "American dream?" The author connects with all of us who haven't conquered what we hope for.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Jill:
ReplyDeleteI like that you mentioned Steinbeck's writing style. I can see what you mean when you said he cam sympathize with his characters. I can see this just through the colorful character dialogue. Good choice.
In response to Erin:
ReplyDeleteGood topic--interesting perspective. I agree that he didn't want that fairy tale ending, which I think was a twist because for the longest time I thought they were going to get their ranch and their rabbits.
continued...
ReplyDeleteI also talked about the relationship between George and Lennie. Lennie represents anything or anyone that may interfer with the American Dream. George then had to deside if he needed to free himself of the handicap for his dream, or maybe give it up to continue to help Lennie.
In response to Mark:
ReplyDeleteI also thought that the novel was somewhat depressive and sad. For some time now I have been asking myself the point of the novel, for just every character to not get what they wanted. Then I realized that Steinbeck was just trying to portray reality. In the real world, people generally don't live happily ever after.
In response to Tina:
I enjoyed your connection between the death of the American dream and Curlys wife. Although the American dream is difficult to achieve and didnt take place in this novel, I still do believe in it though.
In this book John Steinbeck is saying that the American dream is impossible. The truth is you can work hard your whole life and in the end the world will take your little dream and wipe his butt with it.They all had their little dreams in the book and these are what drove them forward in their life. Unfortunately for them in the end they didn't come true. The thing is that everyone thinks that their dreams are somehow different from everyone else's as if they are somehow more achievable than the next guy.This blind faith is what drives people forward to achieve their dreams, some people achieve them and some don't that's the problem with the American dream, it is not achievable for everyone, even though everyone thinks it is for them.
ReplyDeleteIn my paper I responded to the 2nd promt about the theme of the American Dream. I discussed how it was a driving force, esspecially for George and he took Lenny for the journey, almost as his provider and protector. Sure Lenny dreamed as well, but he never really understood it. The other characters had somewhat let their dream pass had forgotten about it, yet when George arrives and a few characters find out about his dream, their dream is renewed as well. Candy and Crooks see hope and acctuality in George's dream and their fire to live the American dream is renewed. Yet in the end the dream falls short and George sees it as impossible to ever live out the dream. Yet I still see a glimer of hope as George is strong willed and the absence of Lenny might aid him in acheiving his true dream.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Audrey. I agree with what you had about the dream and thought much of the same. At the end I possibly thought George had a chance to go on and still capture his dream with his will t succeed but maybe it isn't meant to be.
ReplyDeleteIn response to tyler. I agree with what you had on the 2nd promt and liked how you eloborated on what the American dream, or and kind of dream that someone throughly pursues can cause them to do. Dreams can puch and motivate someone to do things that many find not possible.
ReplyDeleteI replied to Prompt #3, which was about the importance of weakness and strength. I said that the three main strengths, which also turned out to be weaknesses, were physical strength, predatory human tendencies, and the corrupting power of women. Physical strength is displayed in Lennie, as he is enormous and can win any fight, even crushing Curley’s hands, and accidentally kills anything he touches, such as mice, hid puppy, and Curley’s wife. His brute force is also his weakness because he cannot control it and it eventually leads him to kill Curley’s wife’, which then is atoned by the taking of Lennie’s own life. Predatory human tendencies are mainly displayed through Curley, who thinks he is the toughest guy on the ranch, easily becomes jealous, and always wants to fight to prove his dominance. This personality of Curley’s becomes his downfall because he starts a fight with Lennie and comes out of it with a crushed hand. The final strength I discussed is the corrupting power of women, which is displayed in Curley’s wife. She lives a scandalous life and flirts with whomever she pleased, even though she was married. Her power of seduction is enormous, but by using it, she leads an unhappy life with no commitment or satisfaction. Ultimately, her very strength proves to be her weakness when she attempts to seduce Lennie, and he eventually kills her.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Tina:
ReplyDeleteI particularly like the way you described your paper and summarized the American Dream presented in the novel. You gave great examples of how each individual had their own personal vision of success and you gave a bunch of them. The only thing I don’t agree with you on is that the American dream died in everyone in the novel. I think it did for everyone except George. Although George’s dream was to own his own land and house with Lennie, I think his ultimate dream was more selfish than that. Even though he was sad about Lennie’s death, the death provided him with an escape route and now he can pursue his own dreams without being hindered by Lennie.
In response to Abi:
I totally agree with you about Lennie being a stumbling block to George. Although he loved Lennie, George wasn’t ever able to pursue the things that he wanted. I’m not saying that Lennie’s death was great, but just that it does not hinder George’s personal dream. Rather, it sets it into motion and reality.
My paper focused on prompt two. I explained how the Idea of the American dream was a driving force for the characters of the novel and that they were motivated by it to make the decisions they made and take the path they took. I discussed how the American Dream seems to not exist in the book because nobody fufills their dream.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Nate: I liked what you talked about in your paper and how you chose a different prompt then the rest of us lazy seniors. I think that Lennie's strength was also his weakness and that without George he would already be long dead or arrested. But that could be the case with any lasting feature of a person.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Beast: My paper is alot like yours so I agree with pretty much everything you said. I don't see the glimer of hope that you saw. But I am also not as optimistic of a person or reader.
ReplyDelete