Of Mice and Men
Hm… I really don’t like this book any more than I do other books of the sort. It’s got a few basic things about it that are worth knowing though.
1) there is a swamper in the book named Candy, who has an old dog. He is pressured by the others in the barrack-like building to put the dog out of it’s misery, and because he loves the dog so much, he lets someone else kill it, an act that he later regrets. George, a main character, decides not to let a stranger kill his companion, Lennie, who was going to die no matter what, so he did it himself. I think that it’s a bit of something worth knowing, that it’s better to get rid of something you love yourself than letting someone else do it.
2) The big guy, Lennie, does some bad things, but is completely innocent due to mental retardation. He then ends up killing someone on accident. He gets nervous, and runs. I think this is a metaphor for the seeming innocence of people who do bad things without meaning to in real life. That things that start little turn big because of lack of cautiousness.
3rd and final, there’s something I learned by doing an essay on the book. No matter what the subject is, you can hate it or love it, but you can still get a good grade on it regardless of viewpoint taken. Good thing to know.
Way to go John! I too did an oral report on this book while in high school, although it was a couple of years ago..ha! It was one of those books that you don’t really forget..or at least for me. The book is much better than the movie they tried to do..as most always is the case.
I had a first-hand sort of viewpoint on the Lennie character, having an older brother and sister who are mentally-challenged. Watching them, one thing I understood from personal experience was that they could not control their emotions well at all.. especially anger
was a problem. Afterwards though, they could always express a deep sorrow for their actions. They are indeed God’s children all their lives and have a sure place in Heaven, I believe.
Comment by Cheryl — October 21, 2005 @ 4:15 pm