Setting is not only the physical time and place, but can also include the emotional atmosphere in which a story takes place. Describe the setting of the novel Of Mice and Men in both senses—physical (time, place, physical features of the environment) and emotional (is the atmosphere friendly, antagonistic, collaborative, dog-eat-dog, etc). In your description of the emotional side, explain what evidence from the text you are basing you interpretation on.
The physical setting of Of Mice and Men is set during the Great Depression, which would be around 1929-mid 1930s, and is apparently set in a sort of a mill or ranch out in the rural areas of California. Knowing this relative time period, we can assume that jobs are hard to come by in the novel, and George and Lennie (and probably every other character they will meet) are willing to do anything, as long as its a job.Again, the American dream of owning land has never died down yet, and is the dream of George and Lennie. In this world, it's pretty much a dog-eat-dog world as most folks, especially those in large cities, where moody and pessimistic workers battled it out to survive off of the meager wages they were paid at work, if they got any work at all.
The emotional environment of the book, however, is slightly different from what you would expect from one that is set during the depression. Despite the hard times, there is a sense of manly camaraderie amongst the ranch workers, and a relative balance of power. It can be compared to a dramatic play's plot: there is order, then characters cause a disorder, and finally that disorder is resolved and order is restored, only more stable than in the beginning. Before the arrival of George and Lennie, there was order. Now with their arrival, the balanced social interactions and relationships, especially regarding Curley, his wife, and the Boss, are being reshuffled.
Curley and his wife play a major part in causing disruption and disorder in collaborative and relatively friendly attitude of the ranch workers.
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Monday, February 28, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Base Theme
In 1938 John Steinbeck wrote in his journal, “In every bit of honest writing in the world there is a base theme. Try to understand men, if you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and nearly always leads to love. There are shorter means, many of them. There is writing promoting social change, writing punishing injustice, writing in celebration of heroism, but always that base theme. Try to understand each other.” Comment on this quotation, as it relates to what you have read in Of Mice and Men so far. Take into consideration all that you have learned about literary elements.
The theme of understanding each other and being kind to each other is no doubt very common in literature, and plays a greater role in religion. In Christianity, Jesus said that the one of the two most important laws of the Word was to "Love your neighbor as yourselves." This is hard for many Christians, in one sense because they feel a sense of moral or spiritual superiority compared to those who do not follow their religion, and as a result place themselves higher than others in society, and in another sense merely because they are human and cannot empathize easily. In some of the epistles, the authors discuss this. In 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul say to "not take pride in one man over another" (I Cor. 3:6), since nothing makes them different from anyone else, and reminds the Corinthians that love for one another, no matter for someone of the same religion or not, is the most important trait one can have. In another book (I forget which) he basically says to live amongst the people and follow/learn their culture instead of regarding it with indignity. In the Gospels Jesus himself dined with the downcast of society, displaying his desire to want to understand others. In fact, Jesus himself came down and sacrificed himself as a human being, displaying his need to understand man.
In more modern times, Civil Rights activists, poets, and anti-imperialism Americans have also written pieces of literature promoting the need to understand one another.
As it related to Of Mice and Men, George cares for Lennie far too much than what seems natural. He acts as though he is fully responsible for his well-being and his future. While others may display prejudice against Lennie because of his limited mental capacity, George understands his situation and Lennie as a person so much that he (although he probably will refuse to admit it) has a brotherly love for Lennie.
In contrast, George cares little or less for the personality of Curly and cannot empathize (or can't even dream of empathizing) with him, and vice versa. As a result a conflict is imminent. In the same way, the boss's prejudice against the stable boy, a black man, also displays his lack of understanding and respect for the other.
The theme of understanding each other and being kind to each other is no doubt very common in literature, and plays a greater role in religion. In Christianity, Jesus said that the one of the two most important laws of the Word was to "Love your neighbor as yourselves." This is hard for many Christians, in one sense because they feel a sense of moral or spiritual superiority compared to those who do not follow their religion, and as a result place themselves higher than others in society, and in another sense merely because they are human and cannot empathize easily. In some of the epistles, the authors discuss this. In 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul say to "not take pride in one man over another" (I Cor. 3:6), since nothing makes them different from anyone else, and reminds the Corinthians that love for one another, no matter for someone of the same religion or not, is the most important trait one can have. In another book (I forget which) he basically says to live amongst the people and follow/learn their culture instead of regarding it with indignity. In the Gospels Jesus himself dined with the downcast of society, displaying his desire to want to understand others. In fact, Jesus himself came down and sacrificed himself as a human being, displaying his need to understand man.
In more modern times, Civil Rights activists, poets, and anti-imperialism Americans have also written pieces of literature promoting the need to understand one another.
As it related to Of Mice and Men, George cares for Lennie far too much than what seems natural. He acts as though he is fully responsible for his well-being and his future. While others may display prejudice against Lennie because of his limited mental capacity, George understands his situation and Lennie as a person so much that he (although he probably will refuse to admit it) has a brotherly love for Lennie.
In contrast, George cares little or less for the personality of Curly and cannot empathize (or can't even dream of empathizing) with him, and vice versa. As a result a conflict is imminent. In the same way, the boss's prejudice against the stable boy, a black man, also displays his lack of understanding and respect for the other.
Magic Pictures
Look at the illustrations in your textbook on pages 356, 359, and 361. Choose one, or write about all three. Describe the picture(s) using specific sensory details. Then explain what elements of magical realism are in them (if any). Can you relate anything in the pictures to the story “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”?
In one of the images, there is an ostrich (which appears to be fake) in a doorway on an open street corner, and several young children are sneaking peaks at the ostrich from behind the corner. The ostrich is what any ostrich would look like - a tall, slender, pink neck that barely clears the height of the door, black body feathers, and long, pink legs that look rather strongly built. The children, who are looking at the ostrich from behind the street corner, seem young - all preteens - and are watching the ostrich with a mix of humor and vivid interest, and though they seem to want to approach the ostrich, they hold back the temptation.
Apart from the ostrich and the children, the street is oddly empty, save for a few background objects (buildings, lampposts, and cars). It seems as though the street is rather old, with decaying buildings, but are relatively tall.
The image isn't exactly sunlit; although it is light enough to see the image clearly, it is obvious the sun is not shining bright.
The children behave the same way the main characters of "The Very Old Man With Enormous Wings" reacted when they saw the old man with wings in their courtyard: a sense of vivid interest, surprise, and were tempted to approach and examine the figure. In addition, though the old man was thought to be an "angel" due to his appearance, the priest warned that this figure probably was not an angel from the heavens because other factors about his outward appearance seemed to contradict the splendors of the angels that is depicted in the Bible. In the same way, the ostrich is lifelike in its outward appearance, but something about it makes it seem fake.
In addition, the weather of the image also matches that of the short story: cloudy.
In one of the images, there is an ostrich (which appears to be fake) in a doorway on an open street corner, and several young children are sneaking peaks at the ostrich from behind the corner. The ostrich is what any ostrich would look like - a tall, slender, pink neck that barely clears the height of the door, black body feathers, and long, pink legs that look rather strongly built. The children, who are looking at the ostrich from behind the street corner, seem young - all preteens - and are watching the ostrich with a mix of humor and vivid interest, and though they seem to want to approach the ostrich, they hold back the temptation.
Apart from the ostrich and the children, the street is oddly empty, save for a few background objects (buildings, lampposts, and cars). It seems as though the street is rather old, with decaying buildings, but are relatively tall.
The image isn't exactly sunlit; although it is light enough to see the image clearly, it is obvious the sun is not shining bright.
The children behave the same way the main characters of "The Very Old Man With Enormous Wings" reacted when they saw the old man with wings in their courtyard: a sense of vivid interest, surprise, and were tempted to approach and examine the figure. In addition, though the old man was thought to be an "angel" due to his appearance, the priest warned that this figure probably was not an angel from the heavens because other factors about his outward appearance seemed to contradict the splendors of the angels that is depicted in the Bible. In the same way, the ostrich is lifelike in its outward appearance, but something about it makes it seem fake.
In addition, the weather of the image also matches that of the short story: cloudy.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Magic Realism
Many young readers have a problem with magic realism. Despite it being an establish genre since the early twentieth century, and one that has received many accolades (such as the Nobel Prize), for some reason many inexperienced readers find it difficult to understand and appreciate. Why do you think that is? Do you have difficulty with magic realism? If so, can you explain it? If not, why do you think others do?
I think young readers (especially teenagers) dislike magic realism on impulse and find it difficult to understand because they tend to think and dream in simpler, narrower terms.
Young people tend to do what is easiest and simplest, and in terms of thinking they tend to have a narrow worldview that usually occupies a personality extremity. They cannot extend their minds and think outside the box to envision magical realism because they are used to reading what they expect to read (fantasy with fantasy, action with action). Because magical realism incorporates magic and fantasy so nonchalantly into our own world, most readers struggle over the idea of the plot. That tinge of discomfort when reading magic realism occurs because of its irony and the lack of clear distinction between what is real and what is fantasy, and because we are not used to thinking in such fashion, it is easier for most people to announce, "I don't get it" and push it out of their minds - completely opposite of the feelings the genre intended to produce.
I personally have little problems with magical realism. I think it's a wonderful, surrealist, mysterious, and very very interesting literary genre that provokes within me conflicting feelings of wonder and discomfort, and challenges me to expand my view of the world. In my old school I read a lot of the Bible, and that challenged me to find connections and imbued within me a similar (different of course, since it's the Bible!) feeling of inspiration.
I think young readers (especially teenagers) dislike magic realism on impulse and find it difficult to understand because they tend to think and dream in simpler, narrower terms.
Young people tend to do what is easiest and simplest, and in terms of thinking they tend to have a narrow worldview that usually occupies a personality extremity. They cannot extend their minds and think outside the box to envision magical realism because they are used to reading what they expect to read (fantasy with fantasy, action with action). Because magical realism incorporates magic and fantasy so nonchalantly into our own world, most readers struggle over the idea of the plot. That tinge of discomfort when reading magic realism occurs because of its irony and the lack of clear distinction between what is real and what is fantasy, and because we are not used to thinking in such fashion, it is easier for most people to announce, "I don't get it" and push it out of their minds - completely opposite of the feelings the genre intended to produce.
I personally have little problems with magical realism. I think it's a wonderful, surrealist, mysterious, and very very interesting literary genre that provokes within me conflicting feelings of wonder and discomfort, and challenges me to expand my view of the world. In my old school I read a lot of the Bible, and that challenged me to find connections and imbued within me a similar (different of course, since it's the Bible!) feeling of inspiration.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
The Unexpected
Think of an unusual or startling event that you witnessed. Write a paragraph about how you reacted, and speculate about whether you would react the same way if the event occurred again.
An unusual or startling event... It's hard to think of a good example at the moment. Wait, I have one. I learned recently that quite a few of my friends down in Taichung entered relationships, and despite it being their first year down there, some entered relationships in just the first/second quarter. Naturally, I responded with great surprise, incredulity, and let accidentally slip a couple of swear words. In this specific situation, I generally felt elated and found the entire situation very, very humorous (on principle I don't necessarily approve of high school relationships). In other situations though, I might respond with fear, panic, or shock.
If the same event occurred again, I don't think I would experience that same jolt that I felt during the first event. I think that if it were the second, I would respond with similar emotions (just not as powerful as the first), but if the event repeated itself for a third time or more, then the event would no longer be "unusual" or "startling", and I would probably respond with, "what else is new?"
An unusual or startling event... It's hard to think of a good example at the moment. Wait, I have one. I learned recently that quite a few of my friends down in Taichung entered relationships, and despite it being their first year down there, some entered relationships in just the first/second quarter. Naturally, I responded with great surprise, incredulity, and let accidentally slip a couple of swear words. In this specific situation, I generally felt elated and found the entire situation very, very humorous (on principle I don't necessarily approve of high school relationships). In other situations though, I might respond with fear, panic, or shock.
If the same event occurred again, I don't think I would experience that same jolt that I felt during the first event. I think that if it were the second, I would respond with similar emotions (just not as powerful as the first), but if the event repeated itself for a third time or more, then the event would no longer be "unusual" or "startling", and I would probably respond with, "what else is new?"
Monday, February 14, 2011
Ode
An ode is a lyrical verse written in praise of, or dedicated to someone or something which captures the poet's interest or serves as an inspiration for the ode. You can write an ode to just about anything: your mother, happiness, toast, or a pair of old socks. Think about what you might want to write an ode about. Write down everything that you can think of about your topic. Try to come up with strong descriptive words that make clear images (colors, shapes, smells, tastes, sounds, and emotions). Don’t worry about writing complete sentences or paragraphs, just let the ideas flow out of you.
I think I'll do an ode on kites. As I go through the other disparate and disjunctive objects, places, ideas, or people I can think of, "kites" seems like the most resolute thing to write about. And now that I've got that decided, I don't think I'll reconsider. Kites it is.
I went to a park in Tainan over the Chinese New Year break, and I saw quite a number of people flying kites (the winds were appealing for kite flying that day). Kite vendors sold different kinds of kites, which they flew over their stands - there were dragons, box kites, traditional kites, slender kites, brightly colored kites, dark colored ones, ones with very long tails, others with shorter ones.
Then there were the children, young couples, and families who were flying theirs' over the afternoon zephyr, and if one inhaled deeply he/she would smell the scent of cut grass, the faint saltiness of the ocean, and the wafting scent of sausages from the nearby vendors. It was magnificent, watching the kites flying. The colors, the way in which they flew, all seemed aesthetically pleasing. I sat onto a marble bench beneath a tree's shade and looked up to the sky. A multitude of kites hung in the oh-so-light blue sky dotted with a few clouds, their tails rippling gently against the winds. Across the park, dogs, children, families, and young couples enjoyed each others' company.
Occasionally a kite would abruptly crash to the ground; a child would watch sadly as their kite's string slipped out of their grasp and flew away; or the kite would be a stubborn one, refusing to lift off the ground. I wondered how the kites could represent ones dreams; how sometimes they fail, but under the right conditions they can be cast out and flown.
I think I'll do an ode on kites. As I go through the other disparate and disjunctive objects, places, ideas, or people I can think of, "kites" seems like the most resolute thing to write about. And now that I've got that decided, I don't think I'll reconsider. Kites it is.
I went to a park in Tainan over the Chinese New Year break, and I saw quite a number of people flying kites (the winds were appealing for kite flying that day). Kite vendors sold different kinds of kites, which they flew over their stands - there were dragons, box kites, traditional kites, slender kites, brightly colored kites, dark colored ones, ones with very long tails, others with shorter ones.
Then there were the children, young couples, and families who were flying theirs' over the afternoon zephyr, and if one inhaled deeply he/she would smell the scent of cut grass, the faint saltiness of the ocean, and the wafting scent of sausages from the nearby vendors. It was magnificent, watching the kites flying. The colors, the way in which they flew, all seemed aesthetically pleasing. I sat onto a marble bench beneath a tree's shade and looked up to the sky. A multitude of kites hung in the oh-so-light blue sky dotted with a few clouds, their tails rippling gently against the winds. Across the park, dogs, children, families, and young couples enjoyed each others' company.
Occasionally a kite would abruptly crash to the ground; a child would watch sadly as their kite's string slipped out of their grasp and flew away; or the kite would be a stubborn one, refusing to lift off the ground. I wondered how the kites could represent ones dreams; how sometimes they fail, but under the right conditions they can be cast out and flown.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Another P.O.V.
Write about which character and scene you want to use for your writing assignment on The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Answer questions like, why did you choose this character and scene? What does your character look like? What kind of personality does he or she have? How does his/her attitude toward the situation differ from Christopher’s? What effect does Christopher’s words and/or actions have on your chosen character?
I'm not completely sure which specific character and scene I want to use for the writing assignment on The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time yet. I am thinking about using the scene where Christopher's father confiscates Christopher's "book" after a brief scuffle between the two, taking on the perspective of his father. I chose this character and scene because I think it can be a small representation of the troubles in life the father has experienced and his feelings towards them, as he is still hurt by his past, cares for Christopher and fears revealing his secret (his lie) to him. I plan to write the summary primarily focused on the possible emotions and attitude of his father and use that to imply his personality. The father can be described as patient, but with the pressure of recent events and the fear of revealing his lie, his patience and understanding personality is gradually being replaced with anxiety and discomfort. This will be the main focus and idea for the assignment.
I'm not completely sure which specific character and scene I want to use for the writing assignment on The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time yet. I am thinking about using the scene where Christopher's father confiscates Christopher's "book" after a brief scuffle between the two, taking on the perspective of his father. I chose this character and scene because I think it can be a small representation of the troubles in life the father has experienced and his feelings towards them, as he is still hurt by his past, cares for Christopher and fears revealing his secret (his lie) to him. I plan to write the summary primarily focused on the possible emotions and attitude of his father and use that to imply his personality. The father can be described as patient, but with the pressure of recent events and the fear of revealing his lie, his patience and understanding personality is gradually being replaced with anxiety and discomfort. This will be the main focus and idea for the assignment.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Holiday Reality
Your last journal entry was to be about what you would like to do for your holiday. Today you will write about what you actually did over the holiday. Then, write a brief compare and contrast essay discussing how what you wanted to do was like what you actually did, as well as how what you actually did was different from what you hoped to do.
Over Chinese New Year break, I did what I usually do at this time of year: go down to my grandparents' house with my aunts (on my mother's side of course) and uncles. There what usually ensures is a lot of TV-watching, smaller kids running about, food, dishes to wash, and daily sightseeing trips around the local area. Although I brought a couple of textbooks down to Tainan with me with the intent of studying, I did not even open the textbooks, let alone read them. They just became extra luggage weight. In addition, there was a small power struggle over the one computer with internet in the house between my sister and our cousins and me (and, occasionally, some of the adults). Apart from the (dusty) mattress on the floor (uncleaned, because my uncle and my aunt are too busy working and my grandparents' years are preventing them from climbing up three flights of stairs) that my sister and I slept on for the night that triggered my asthma, it was a relaxing time.
The best laid schemes of mice and men go oft awry. This quote perfectly describes the situations in which I often find myself in. I make plans and intend to do them, but circumstances change and motivation is lost, and the "schemes" I laid go "oft awry". Ah, well. As according to Murphy's law, "anything that can go wrong, will go wrong".
Not everything I planned to do went off. In fact, I accomplished the one thing I hoped to accomplish most - relaxing and doing close to nothing, as well as spending time with the family. Sleep, though, was a problem.
In addition, I am proud (actually no. Try guilty) to say that I accomplished zero schoolwork over the break. I would have liked to, but at the time I seemed to lack the motivation or the physical space to do it (my grandparents don't exactly live in a mansion). Or I might just be making up excuses. Either way, it only meant that I spent the entirety of my Tuesday finishing as much work as I think I possibly could have. It also doesn't make me much happier to learn that generally, schools don't require students to study over Chinese New Year. They honor the festivity (which obviously PAS does not... Or some of the teachers don't, anyways).
Over Chinese New Year break, I did what I usually do at this time of year: go down to my grandparents' house with my aunts (on my mother's side of course) and uncles. There what usually ensures is a lot of TV-watching, smaller kids running about, food, dishes to wash, and daily sightseeing trips around the local area. Although I brought a couple of textbooks down to Tainan with me with the intent of studying, I did not even open the textbooks, let alone read them. They just became extra luggage weight. In addition, there was a small power struggle over the one computer with internet in the house between my sister and our cousins and me (and, occasionally, some of the adults). Apart from the (dusty) mattress on the floor (uncleaned, because my uncle and my aunt are too busy working and my grandparents' years are preventing them from climbing up three flights of stairs) that my sister and I slept on for the night that triggered my asthma, it was a relaxing time.
The best laid schemes of mice and men go oft awry. This quote perfectly describes the situations in which I often find myself in. I make plans and intend to do them, but circumstances change and motivation is lost, and the "schemes" I laid go "oft awry". Ah, well. As according to Murphy's law, "anything that can go wrong, will go wrong".
Not everything I planned to do went off. In fact, I accomplished the one thing I hoped to accomplish most - relaxing and doing close to nothing, as well as spending time with the family. Sleep, though, was a problem.
In addition, I am proud (actually no. Try guilty) to say that I accomplished zero schoolwork over the break. I would have liked to, but at the time I seemed to lack the motivation or the physical space to do it (my grandparents don't exactly live in a mansion). Or I might just be making up excuses. Either way, it only meant that I spent the entirety of my Tuesday finishing as much work as I think I possibly could have. It also doesn't make me much happier to learn that generally, schools don't require students to study over Chinese New Year. They honor the festivity (which obviously PAS does not... Or some of the teachers don't, anyways).
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