2018 OMAM blog (C period)

During Part 3, Carlson kept telling Candy to kill his dog. He complained that the " 'dog stinks...That stink hangs around even after he's gone...Got no teeth...He's all stiff with rheumatism" (44). Carlson then goes on to suggest that Candy shoot his dog saying that " 'he wouldn't feel nothing...He wouldn't even quiver' " (45). Slim agreed saying that the " 'dog ain't no good to himself' " and saying that he " 'wisht somebody'd shoot [him] if [he] got old an' a cripple' " (45). I understand where Candy is coming from, I had a dog that my family eventually decided to put down, but even though I would like my dog, Roxanne, to still be alive, I know that it would be very selfish of me to keep her alive while she is suffering. Eventually, everyone will get to a point that life is too painful, hard, et cetera to keep living and if the person or animal is better off not living, than it's not o...

In part 3 of OMAM, Carlson suggests shooting Candy's dog. Candy doesn't refuse, but as a reader, I could tell that he wasn't all for the idea. When Carlson brings up shooting Candy's dog, Candy "... squirmed uncomfortably. 'Well-hell! I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup. I headed sheep with him.' He said proudly, 'You wouldn't think in to look at him now, but he was the best damn sheep dog I ever seen.'" (44) When Candy hears the idea of shooting his dog, he begins to get uncomfortable, and talks about how great of a dog he was and still is. He doesn't say it, but we can tell that Candy really doesn't want to loose this dog. On the other hand, Carlson wants this dog gone. He gets into detail about why he should shoot the dog. He describes the dog and says "'Well I cant stand him in here," said Carlson. "'That stink hangs around even after hes gone.' .... 'Got no teeth.' .... 'He's...

Why does George protect Lennie? During part 3, I realized that when George is talking to Slim, he protects Lennie.  Like on page 39 when Slim calls Lennie a cuckoo, but George says otherwise.  George says, "'He ain't no cuckoo.  He's dumb as h- but he ain't crazy.  I had to reread that line because in the past George is kind of mean to Lennie.  But then I remembered when Lennie offered to leave, but George said he wanted Lennie to stay with him.  I think that Geroge has gotton so used to Lennie and his childish ways, that he has come a little closer to accepting that.  Another reason why I think George is protecting Lennie is because he doesn't want to get fired again or be forced to leave because Lennie is crazy.  He wants to make some money and make the dream about the rabbits come true.  But what I found most odd was that Geroge did not only protect Lennie, but he called himself stupid.  On page 39 Geroge says, "'An' I ain't so b...

In part three my attention was drawn to the part where Carlson kills Candy's dog in order to put it out of its misery. Carlson tells Candy that he can "put the old devil out of his misery right now and get it over with." p.g 47. He makes it seem as though he is doing it out of kindness to the dog but i'm not so sure about that. I think that Carlson wants to get rid of the dog because it can't do anything useful on the farm anymore because of its old age. Carlson knows that Candy doesn't want to kill the dog because it is very close to him but he wants to do it anyways because it would benefit him. I think that Carlson thinks that since Slim just got new puppies, if he got rid of the old dog then Candy could train one of the new ones to be a useful dog on the ranch.Therefore I think Carlson killed the dog to make his life easier. Let me know why you guys think Carlson wanted to kill the dog.

One major theme, not only from Part III, was gossip. It seems like none of the boys actually get along behind each other's backs, and it seems pretty obvious who the main topics are and who are the biggest sources of information. But the strange thing is, that no one really knows what George thinks about all of this. His actions are pretty contradicting because he seems to not really care, he is always half in and half out of the conversation. He also tells Lennie that they have to stay away from gossip and trouble. But George is always being talked to about what is going on in everybody's lives and it seems like he can't stop himself from offering his opinion. In fact, when he was talking to Whit about Curly's wife, he couldn't seem to stop himself from saying, "She's gonna make a mess."(51) Despite all of his lectures to Lennie about staying on the outside and not getting into trouble, he just can't help himself. But actually what surprised me ev...

One of the things that stuck out to me in part three (p. 52-65), was how George was telling Slim many things that he wouldn't mention to just anyone. George told Slim why Lennie and him left Weed and many things about Lennie. George turned to slim and asked, "'You wouldn' tell? ...No, 'course you wouldn'.'" (41). Where did this trust come from? Why is George so certain Slim can be trusted? Personally, I believe that George tells Slim these things because of Slims reputation and welcoming attitude towards him and Lennie. After all of their run ins with people on the farm who care more about themselves then others makes me a bit skeptical of Slim's behavior. Slim gives Lennie a chance to watch the pups in the barn and Sits with George to talk. All of these instances seem a bit too good to be true. Another thing that adds to my suspicion is how with others he doesn't seem nearly as nice or caring. For example, when candy is told that his beloved d...

In Part 3 (pg. 38-51) of Mice and Men , Carlson tries to convince Candy to shot his dog but Candy keeps saying that he has had his dog to long. Carlson explains to Candy that the dog is miserable and shooting him is in the dogs best interest. However, Candy says "Well-heck! I had him so long. ... You wouldn't think to look at him now but he was the best dang sheep dog I ever seen" (pg. 44) I think that Candy is worried that he will be lonely without his dog and is not even thinking about the dog's health. But in the end, Candy mans up and kills his dog. However, after the men in the cabin hear the shot Candy doesn't return to the cabin. Do you think killing the dog was the right decision? How do you think Candy will act?

In part three, I noticed Candy's connection to his dog. As Candy said, he has had his dog since he was a pup.  He helped Candy herd sheep, and he was the best at it. But, Carlson keeps on suggesting that the dog should be put down. He claims the dog smells, and he cant do anything. The only thing that Candy has is his dog. He finally succumbed to putting the pup down, "let's get it over with." That's when Carlson took the dog outside and put him out of his misery. The dog is in a better place now, but it got me thinking. Is killing a dog considered murder? Yes, the dog smelled, couldn't see, hear, or walk without pain, but does that mean kill him? The dog will go when the time is right. Although killing the dog seems harsh, it was in the best interest of both the dog and Candy. The poor dog doesn't have to keep suffering, and Candy can get one of Slim new pups. Now looking back I understand that his killing was not a murder. It was a medical decision just ...

One thing I noticed in Part 2, was the power dynamic on the farm. Curley, as the boss's son, knows that he is high on the ladder of power and lords his status over everyone else. He is always wearing high-heeled boots and by doing so, makes him able to look down on everyone else. He also sounds very haughty and arrogant. Curley will pick on those he knows can't fight back without consequence. He doesn't like big guys and will target and sometimes fight them. He knows that he won't end up punished because if " 'Curley jumps a big guy an' licks him...ever'body says what a game guy Curley is. And s'pose he does the same thing and gets licked. Then ever'body says the bi guy oughtta pick on somebody his own size' " (26). Even though Curley is the boss's son, the men on the farm seem to see Slim as the second in command. When George and Lennie first saw him, "there was a gravity to his manner and a quiet so profound that all talk sto...

One thing that I noticed about Lennie is how sweet he is. He doesn't really understand the world around him and has a hard time understanding how strong he is. He is this little boy trapped in a giant’s body. on page 10 he explains why he keeps killing the mice but he doesn't care that they are dead he is just happy about the texture of the mouse. throughout part 2 he tries to keep quiet as much as possible as to not upset anyone. on page 19 Lennie copies everything that George does with his bed following Georges lead. When he’s talked to by the boss he freezes up and looks to George for help. He acts like a scared kid. Then when Curly stands up to him and tries to intimidate him he tries to be small and quiet. Then when he meets curlers wife he has this wow she’s pretty moment. This shows that he is nothing but a big sweet heart.

One thing that I noticed in Part Two, was the the gossip and competition between the boys on the ranch. Most of the background info on other characters were derived from Candy while he and George were talking. I thought it was a bit strange that he was so willing to talk to newcomers all about his coworkers, and it wasn’t all necessarily good things either. In my opinion, this is a bit like gossip today. People talk freely about someone behind their back but that doesn’t mean it is that way when they were face to face. This goes along with another thing that was addressed in Part Two, the fact that it was strange for two men to be looking for work together. I think that both of these themes are connected and provide some hints for later in the book. Maybe George and Lennie can teach the boys on the ranch a thing or two about friendship, or maybe the opposite will happen and something will end up driving them apart. It really is a scary thing to think about, that the one real friendsh...

In part 2, Leadership was shown by George. George was a leader by taking Lennie to the farm, and he protected Lennie from saying something he didn't mean. George also protected him from Curly's wife. He told Lennie to stay away from Curly's wife because he was protecting him from trouble. Curly was already trying to start trouble, and George was a leader to try and shut it down.

In part 2 of Of Mice and Men I think there are two main leaders. I think that the first one is George because he guides Lenny. He is almost a father figure to Lenny. When Lenny does something wrong George will step in and fix the problem with no hesitation. When the boss was talking about how Lenny doesn't speak that much, with no hesitation George said "...He got kicked in the head by a horse when he was a kid. He's alright..."(22). Although this was a lie it came off as a true statement to the land owner making Lenny have an easier time on the farm. This also shows confidence in George. The other leader is Curley because he is the king of the plantation. Although we have only met him for a couple of pages you can see his energy when he walks into a room. He is also the plantation owner's son which gives him a lot of power. As you can see there are two different people doing the same job, leadership. If you find or have read about other leaders or want to add ...

One thing that stood out to me in part two was the relashionship between Lennie and Curley. As Curley walked into the picture it was clear to me that he didn't like Curley, I couldnt help but wonder ... was it jus that he was small and short and Lennie was big and tall or was there something else behind their relationship. The author is yet to answer my qustion so I am going to try and figure this out ! I couldn't help but notice the tension between them. On page 26 Lennie said "' we jus' come in"' Curley responded with "'Well, nex' time you answer when your spoken to."' It felt as if to me that they had known each other before this interaction judging by what they said and how nervous Lennie was just to be around him. There is a chance that this is just becuase of his mental illness but it is not clear. As a result I belive it could lean either way. Did anyone else notice the tension or thought the same?

The main person that stood out to me was the farm owners son Curley. Throughout all of part two he was trying to make a fight with George an Lennie. Right as he walked in the door, "His arms gradually bent at the elbows and his hands closed into fists" (25). Curley was a small man and felt very intimidated by the bigger boys. As candy said in part two he was always looking to pick a fight with them. George and Lennie can not afford to get in a fight with Curley it will ruin there stay there. Throughout the chapter George has to keep reminding Lennie to stay away, "If he comes in here you move clear to the other side of the room" (29). This makes it clear that there is big possibility that both George or Lennie will get into a fight with Curley. I sure hope they don't!

In part two, there was one thing that really caught my eye. Lennie and George's relationship. George seems to be the obvious leader between the two companions. Flashback to the first chapter. When they were traveling together the order in which they were doing so was noticeable. Small before tall. George walked in front of Lennie, representing that he is the one in power. Now, back in"present day", they boys arrived at the ranch. There, they meet many new people such as, the boss, Curley, Curley's wife, and more. While being introduced to all these new people, Lennie didn't say one word. George spoke for the both of them. That's when Curley noticed the pattern. When Curley began talking to George and Lennie, he demanded "'Let the big guy talk'". George handled it with peace and responded by letting Curley know that Lennie didn't have too. After a little sass going back and forth, Curley ended the conversation with "'Well, nex...

The thing that really grabbed my attention when I was reading part 2 was how obedient Lennie was to George. Mainly on pages 29, 30, and 31 George tells Lennie what to do and Lennie complies. For example, "'You keep away from Curley, Lennie.'" "'Sure I will, George. I won't say a word.'" (30) Without question Lennie obeys almost immediately. For that, I wonder how their relationship came to this leader follower status. George Leads and Lennie follows. Since Lennie seems to rely on George telling him what and what not to do what would happen if George somehow disappeared or their relationship ended. Would Lennie be able to function or work on his own? I believe that slowly George should learn to let Lennie do things on his own and let him learn his lesson and face his own problems. But, If there is a big change would it ruin their relationship? I honestly believe a big change like that would strain their relation ship, yet not ending it altogether....

Curley is an interesting character in Part 2. He purposely tries to pick a fight with Lennie to prove how tough he is. Today, I will be analyzing why I think Curley acts this way. The swamper told us that Curley is the boss’s son. I believe that this puts a lot of pressure on Curley’s shoulders to do great things. Curley seems to be arrogant and cocky by nature, but I also think that’s because he’s use to people treating him like that. The swamper informs George that, “S’pose Curley jumps a big guy an’ licks him. Ever’body says what a game guy Curley is. And s’pose he does the same things and gets licked. Then ever’body says the big oughtta pick on somebody his own size, and maybe they gang up on the big guy.” (26) Since Curley is somewhat short, if he fights a bigger guy and wins, he looks really tough. However, if he loses, he can blame the big guy because it was an “unfair fight.” Finally, Curley is the only worker with a wife. Unfortunately, she isn’t the most loyal wife. She often...

In OMAM, part 3, George and Slim go into the bunk house together and start up a conversation about Lennie since Slim recently saw him work. Slim now sees how "Maybe [Lennie] ain't bright, but [he] never seen such a worker. He damn near killed his partner buckin' barley. There ain't nobody can keep up with him. God awmighty I never seen such a strong guy" (39). Slim now knows how strong Lennie is but also about how he has an intellectual disability. He begins to wonder why George and Lennie travel together. He thinks that its funny how "a cuckoo like him and a smart little guy like [George] [are] travelin' together" (39). We can see that Slim admires Lennie's strength but thinks that Lennie is a crazy man. George gets a little defensive of this and states that Lennie is not crazy just flat out dumb. Slim just sits back and listens to what George has to say.

Throughout part 2 of OMAM, someone who stood out to be the main source of tension was Curley. In part 2 when George and Lennie show up at the ranch, Curley immediately seems to want to start a fight with them. Curley thinks of himself to be above most people on the ranch, which gives him power. When Curley meets them, "He glanced coldly at George and Lennie." (25). He also clenches his hands into fists, implying that he wants to fight them. After George and Lennie meet Curley, Gorge explains to Lennie "'You keep away from Curley Lennie' .... 'Hide in the brush by the river, down in the brush by the river.'" (30) This could be foreshadowing that something bad is going to happen between Lennie and Curley. Since George keeps on reminding him to go down by the river, then something between Lennie and Curley could happen soon.

Of mice and men shows leadership through out all of the second section. Leadership was very important because it put all of the men in their place. The characters all had different amounts of power or leadership. The person with the most amount of leadership was the boss. The boss had lots of power because he was the owner of everything. Slim was thought of as the second most powerful by the ranchers, but Curly thinks he is the most powerful. Curly thinks he is a leader because he is the boss's son and its his land too. Curly "... Wore high-heeled boots and spurs to prove he was not a laboring man".(20). The ranchers were not really considered leaders bu they were of more importance than those who had a disability. The African american's and the disabled people were considered the least important because they were incapable of doing everything that a regular laborer could do. Leadership played a big role in the second section of of mice and men.

Why is Lennie so forgetful?      I realized that throughout part two of this charismatic book, that Lennie seemed very forgetful.  Lennie has to repeat things multiple times, just to remember.  Like when George tells him what to do if he gets into trouble.  George affirms, "'Hide in the brush by the river.  Say that over.'"  I beleive that Lennie is mentally disabled, because he always forgets things.  Also, he, not meaning to, gets into trouble.  He also has quite a mind - boggling amount of childish behavior for his age.  That corroborates ( ding)  my theory of his disability.  But, just because of his disability, or so I think, he is still very sweet, and loves soft things. 

In Part 2 I think that Curly is high in the leadership leader because his father owns the ranch but when the chapter ended Slim seemed to be at the top as well. Most of the ranchers look up to Slim when they want an opinion or advice. Also the ranchers listen Slim unlike they will with Curly because he is arrogant and rude. For example when Slim walks into the room the author described him as " A powerful, big-stomached man". This shows that men like him and think he's the best unlike when Curly walked in the room and the author described him as a man with a high ego. Therefor, I think that Curly is second on the ladder because his dad owns the ranch but I also think that in the ranchers mind Curly is second to Slim.

Lennie and George walked so long to get to the ranch were they are suppose to work but do they even want to be there when Curly is. When Lennie first came to the ranch Curly started picking a fight with him. When Curly first saw Lennie he put his hands into fist, what caused Lennie to get so mad? "Let the big guy talk."(25) Curly kept on wanting lennie to talk so Curly can get a reaction out of him. Lennie was very unconformable while Curly was picking on him because Lennie does not even know Curly that well. Maybe this little 30 second conflict is hinting at a much bigger conflict later in the book. Maybe Curly will eventually warm up to Lennie. Maybe they will even end up being friends in the end of the book. I think they will not be friends because Curly will not allow that to happen, but there is still a chance they will be friends. If they do that would be an interesting turn on the book because the fight they had was a big part of part 2.

Something that really stood out to me in part two is the Leadership Ladder between Curley and Slim on the farm. When I first read the second chapter I instantly assumed that Curley was the second in command because his father is the boss but as I kept reading I started thinking that maybe Slim was. Curley defiantly acts as if he is very important and above everyone else on the farm because his father is the boss and because he has a wife unlike the other men. He  thinks he is the second in command but I get the feeling that the other guys on the ranch don't look up to him as a leader.  On the other hand, I think the guys look up to Slim as their leader.  For example when Carlson says, "Why'n't you get Candy to shoot his old dog"(36) to Slim. Carlson is asking Slim to do it because he thinks that Candy is more likely to listen to Slim because of his status among the men. Therefore, I think that Curley is technically the second in command but Slim is thought of as t...

                      At the farm, there are people who are above each other or competing to be. Everyone wants to be next to the boss or close to his level. This stood out to me a lot in the book. I think of it as a ladder. The boss is on top, then there is Curly and Slim who are competing. Next, there is Carlson, George, Lennie, and Candy. Even though Candy has been here the longest he is old, so he isn't that much of help. Lennie and George are the new guys, this is why they are on the bottom. Curly is a jerk and Slim is nice so far. The leadership ladder takes place in the story because if you were higher up, that means you were more wealthy and people look up to you.  For example "Why don't you get candy to go kill his dog, then give em one of the pups to raise up." This shows that slim is on a higher level then Carlson because he is telling him to go tell candy to kill his dog. The leadership ladder is a big part of Mice ...