The End Of The Road

As a write my last blog post, I can't get the end of Of Mice and Men out of my head. The book takes place over about a two day period. The two days are just a piece of a journey. It ends with one of the main characters, George, killing the other mentally insane one Lennie. Throughout the book, the author, John Steinbeck, creates an interesting perspective on Lennie. Personally, I felt bad for him, but there was also the angle of, he sets George back. The relationship between the two characters is crucial to the story and is true friendship. George kills Lennie for their own personal good. Lennie knows its coming and lets it happen. In that moment I felt truly bad for him but the way that Steinbeck brings out your emotions is great.

A crucial them to the book was follow your dreams. Lennie dreamed about having his own land and rabbits to play with. As George has a gun to Lennie's head, Lennie says, "'And I get to tend the rabbits'" (Steinbeck 116). This quote sums up that theme in the book. Even when he knows he is about to die, he still believes his dream could come true. The courage he shows and the passion he shows for that dream really makes the reader think about what they want to come true.

Overall I enjoy Of Mice and Men very much. It wasn't too tough of a read but the friendships and symbolism was great.

Very Enjoyable

So far, Of Mice And Men, has been great. The plot line has been different but enjoyable and the symbolism and themes are even better. The book is about Lennie and George, two friends who are opposites but somehow fit together. Lennie is not mentally right but is physically superior to others. George is on the smaller side but is smart. They rely on each other to help each other get through in life. Lennie recently got them in trouble at there old work place so they had to escape and go to a new one. Lennie just got into a fight and broke a guys hand.

Lennie is for some reason in love with animals. He loves petting things especially dogs. Lennie says, "I didn't mean no harm, George. Honest I didn't. I jus' wanted to pet 'um a little" (Steinbeck 47). The dogs mean a lot to Lennie and to the symbolism in the book. Dogs represent friendship and loyalty. Lennie loves the dog as much as he loves George. There friendship is powerful and that is a special thing. That is part of a theme in the book. Friends can help people get through anything like LEnnie and George help each other.

As for the future in the book, Lennie just broke the boss's son's hand. If Lennie and George get kicked out, which could easily happen, then they are going to be looking for work again. I think that they are going to stay and eventually buy the land that they want and start a good life. Will there be struggles along the way, yes, but that will be what makes the book interesting.

Of Mice and Men

If you asked me one week ago what do you know about Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, I would've said nothing but that I thought it was a classic. I knew absolutely nothing about it and I still don't know much about it. My friend Lizzy read it and said she thought it was good. So, I decided I'd give it a try. But there was one problem, I knew nothing about the book or author. So, I did a brief research on the book. I've learned that it was written in 1937 (OY, that isn't a good sign). This means the language and concept will be tough. I've learned the basic plot line consists of two people who live in California and are trying to survive during the great depression. The book is probably gonna be good considering its a classic but I hope its never too boring. The potential for a great interesting adventure as a reader is there but I'll have to read to find out if it lives up to the hype.

Mind Control

My head is spinning as I write this. George Orwell's end to 1984 really makes you think about control and the end of the book actually was very interesting. The book was slow at the beginning, but like Animal Farm, another book written by Orwell. They are also similar in the sense that the endings of the books were great. Orwell writes, "But it was all right everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother" (Orwell 245). Reading this is ironic. If you can remember from my last post, I said it seemed as if Winston was going to rebel against Big Brother, but now he loves them. That is where the book got interesting. Winston was caught with plans to rebel and was brought to a prison. The leaders then brainwashed him and tortured him to change his whole mindset. O'Brien says, "... Look at this filthy grime all over your body. Look at that disgusting running sore on your leg..." (Orwell 224). The pain and torturing made him see himself differently. As important as this was to the plot line, it was important to the theme. Orwell's themes deal with power and control, in this case mind control. He is saying how powerful the mind is and how powerful control is. The government has so much control that they can change someones mind. They made him love something he hated. Another part of control is said in this photo:

It is amazing how this is semi-true and a whole government is based off of it.

All in all the book was slow at the beginning but much better towards the end.