PART 5 AND 6:

Part 5 and 6:

          Chapter 5 and 6 led from Lennie stroking his dead puppy in the barn, to being dead himself. I think Steinbeck used the puppies death in the beginning of the chapter to foreshadow Lennie's death. Lennie, whom everyone sees as more animal then man, died due to the haplessness of his situation, a child like brain being forced in to the body of what could have been a strong independent man, just as the puppy was forced to have a master such as Lennie, not being able to make the decision for himself. Both Lennie and the puppy had no say in their own life and died not knowing why. Lennie died clueless of the cruelty of the world, he still talked and thought of the rabbits he would raise with George up to the moment he died. George talked Lennie through their dream, while killing him, "George raised the gun and steadied it, and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie's head... He pulled the trigger. The crash of the shock rolled up the hill and rolled down again. Lennie jarred, and then settled slowly forward into the sand and he lay without quivering"(106). And like the puppy, George tries to cover up Lennie's death, saying that he had the gun, just as Lennie tried to hide the puppy's death. Being an animal, the puppy probably didn't understand why death had taken him, neither would Lennie.

Affects of Relationships on the American Dream

In part five and six of the novel, Of Mice and men, I saw a profound theme of the American Dream and how certain relationships can affect it.
As Curley's wife described her American Dream, to become a starring actress in Hollywood, I noticed how her relationship with her mother and her husband affected her destiny. At age fifteen, Curley's wife was asked to join a show but her mother said she was too young. Then she met a man who said he would put her in the movies because of her talent. He promised he would write to her about it. When she never got the letter she assumed that her mother had stolen it. Since Curley's wife doesn't trust her mother you can assume that her mother doesn't trust her. In order to make a dream come true, you need strong, supportive relationships with people who have faith and trust in you. She went and married Curley to get away from her mother, but found herself still stuck in a place where she couldn't make something of herself. Since Curley doesn't care about her  happiness enough to let her peruse her dream she is permanently stuck at the ranch.

Throughout the whole novel, George and Lennie were dedicated to a far fetched dream that motivated them to stay on their best behaviors. Lennie especially helped the men, George and Candy, move closer to their goal. Every time Lennie asked George to retell the description of their future life at their farm, George's motivation grew.
When George was forced to peacefully take Lennie's life, he automatically knew that their dream was over. Without Lennie, George doesn't truly believe that their dream can come true. Before Lennie died he had George explain to him how they were different than other ranchers. George explains how other ranchers don't have anyone who cares about them. Lennie happily chimed in "But not us," and both of them continue by saying "Because I got you'- An' I got you. We got each other, that's what, that gives a hoot in hell about us." (104). Once Lennie is no longer with George, he knows that he will not be able to keep the belief that the dream would come true. This shows that in George and Lennie's friendship, Lennie helped George to believe and George helped Lennie stay on track. Without Lennie's belief the dream can not come true, just like how George's absence would leave Lennie to make more bad decisions that would block the dream. Without each other the men become just like any other rancher. The bond that the men have is the foundation of their dream and if affected the dream crumbles. If Lennie didn't kill Curley's wife, I think that George, Lennie, and Candy would have reached their dream because the men all trust each other and have powerful traits that complement one another.
Through Curley's wife's relationship with her mother and husband, and Lennie and George's relationship, I learned that in order to achieve a dream you need to be surrounded by people who will always believe in you and most of all, to always have belief in yourself.

Candy's dog to Lennie

At the end of OMAM I noticed a few similarities between Candy's dog to Lennie. One similarity I noticed is how they're both like animals, especially Lennie, with John Steinbeck referring Lennie's hands as "paws", and explaining how the mentally disabled were put into cages like animals. Another similartity I noticed was how they died. In both of their deaths Carlson or his things were involved (Carlson shot Candy's dog, and George used Carlson's gun), they were both shot, and both deaths were intended to be respectful, memorable, and intended the beings be put out of their misery. It is explained in the book that Candy's dog had to be shot because he was old and suffering.  Lennie was suffering too, by being stressed that he wasn't good enough for George and that he's always hiding and getting into trouble. The only difference in the deaths was that Candy regrets not shooting his own dog to put him out of misery because he is his friend and beloved companion. While Lennie and George are the same way, George wanted to do it the proper way by putting Lennie out of his own misery and saying goodbye. I could also tell how George felt after killing Lennie, "George shivered and looked at the gun, and then he threw it from him, back up on the bank, near the pile of old ashes." p.106.  George wanted Lennie's death to mean that between them, they were close companions, and are always going to be together no matter what.

Part 5/6

In part 6, George decided to shoot Lennie after he accidentally killed Curley's wife. I was very surprised at first, and I thought about why in the world George would do that. I thought about all the times they spent together and how much Lennie loved George. Towards the end of part 6, I realized why George shot Lennie when Slim said, "You hadda, George. I swear you hadda" (107). This brought me back to when Slim also said, "An s'pose they lock him up an' strap him down and put him in a cage. That ain't no good" (97). Both these quotes helped me register why George would shoot Lennie. Slim was telling George what would happen to Lennie if he was found by the guys. The guys would lock him up and Lennie would be tortured. George had to make a decision because he didn't want Lennie to be harmed by any of the men on the ranch. By shooting Lennie quick, George was able to save Lennie from being tormented and living the last days of his life, in pain. I believe it was a good thing that George shot Lennie himself.

Part 5 and 6:

Part 5 and 6:

In part 6 Of Mice and Men George shoots Lennie in the back of the head. George had to shoot Lennie before Curley could make Lennie suffer. Lennie accidentally kills Curley's wife when he was playing with her hair his strength broke her neck and she dies. Lennie knows what he has done, and he remembered what George told him a while back go to the bush if there is ever any trouble. When Curley found his wife laying dead on the ground he knew it was Lennie who had killed her. Curley gathers the other men and immediately go to kill Lennie. George knew that Curley would kill Lennie with anger and fury so George ran ahead of Curley to kill Lennie peacefully himself. George ran to the bush because he remembered telling Lennie to go there if there is any trouble. When George arrives at the bush, they start talking about the dream and how Lennie would tend to the rabbits. Without Lennie knowing and while Lennie is still talking about the dream, George raises the gun slowly behind Lennie's head and shoots him. George knew this would be a better way to die than having Curley kill him but when George was about to shoot him his hand was violently shaking it was hard to do. In part 3 of the book, Carlson says "Got a Luger. It won't hurt him none at all" (48) when he is trying to convince Candy to put the dog out of it' misery by shooting it. Carlson is explaining to Candy that shooting the dog in the back of the head will make him feel less pain and die more peacefully. George remembers this right before he goes to the bush so he grabs Carlson's Luger before he leaves and uses it to shoot Lennie. I think that George shot Lennie because he wanted Lennie to die a peaceful life without Curley's rage. George knew that the dream and Lennie tending his own rabbits made him happy so that's why George had Lennie talk about the dream. All George wanted Lennie to do was be happy and in this case die happy so that explains why George killed Lennie in the end of the book.   

Part 5 and 6

In part 6 of Of Mice and Men, Lennie is shot in the back of his head by George. After Lennie accidentally kills Curley's wife by playing with her hair and breaks her neck, he runs away. When Curley finds his wife lying dead on the ground, he knew that Lennie had done it. He was furious and wanted to kill Lennie immediately. Curley and the rest of the men left to go find Lennie and kill him. George remembered that he told Lennie to run away to the bush whenever there is trouble, so George went ahead of everyone else to go find Lennie before Curley would find him and kill him. Once George finds Lennie, they both start talking about their dream and how Lennie would tend to rabbits. Earlier in the book Carlson says "'Got a Luger. It won't hurt him none at all.'" (47) when he is trying to convince Candy that he should kill his dog. Carlson explains to shoot the dog in the back of the head, so he won't feel any pain. George remembers where to shoot Lennie, so he grabs Carlson's Luger and shoots him. Once the men saw that George shot Lennie, Slim said, "You hadda, George. I swear you hadda" (107). This made me think that George shot Lennie because he didn't want Lennie to suffer if Curley would have done it. George wanted Lennie to find peace and be happy before he dies, which is why George was talking about their dream. He wanted Lennie to think of a happy and safe place. This explains why George shot Lennie in the end of the book.

Part 5: Lennie and Curley's wife

In part 5 of Of Mice and Men Curley's wife and Lennie confined in each other some interesting secrets. Curley's wife told Lennie that " I get awful lonely" (86) and that "I don' like Curley. He ain't a nice fella" (89). She also tells him about her past and how a man wanted to get her in the movies and Hollywood.  I think that she told him all of this personal and potentially risky information because she knew that Lennie was so focused on his puppy and that he wouldn't listen. Also, she told him this because she could probably tell that he was not a person that understood or followed conversation much. Lennie on the other hand told Curley's wife that "George says I ain't to have nothing to do with you-talk to you or nothing" (86) and that "I like to pet nice things...sometimes I even pet mice"(90). The first thing that he told her lead to her telling him how she was lonely and about her past. The second thing he told her however lead to her telling him to stroke her hair because it was very soft. When Lennie did this, Curley's wife panicked, because he wouldn't let go of her hair leading to Lennie accidentally breaking her neck, which killed her. In the end the significance of the confessions was that they lead to the death of one of the confessors, and that Curley's wife's confession, especially, could have gotten her in a lot of trouble, and did. 

Part 5/6

             To bring "Of Mice and Men" to an end we experience part 6, where Lennie has a period of hallucination. The cause of this event was when Lennie had accidentally killed Curley's wife, which had stirred up anxiety causing him to flee to the Salinas River. Leading into the beginning of his hallucination process where Lennie went head to head with a character who meant everything to him, Aunt Clara. "She stood in front of Lennie and frowned disapprovingly at him" (Steinbeck 101), her reaction towards him stood out to me because prior in the novel we heard of Aunt Clara as a caring woman towards everyone, so when she gave him a look of disapproval in his hallucination Lennie realizes he messed it up and that he had already lost someone's respect for him. "And when she spoke, it was in Lennie's voice" (Steinbeck 101) as Aunt Clara kept adding on misery her voice became a voice in his head, which kept drilling all the ways George could be happy and free without Lennie holding him back. As she then faded away,  "there came a gigantic rabbit" (Steinbeck 101), I think that Steinbeck added in the rabbit because throughout the story Lennie's mind was always set on tending rabbits, so when one appeared "and spoke in Lennie's voice too" (Steinbeck 102) he felt the pressure build up more and more on his shoulders. When "'the rabbit repeated softly over and over, he gonna leave ya all alone'" (Steinbeck 102) Lennie was put in a place of arguing with himself and how George was and wasn't gonna leave him, "'He won't, Lennie cried frantically. 'He won't do nothing like that'" (Steinbeck 102) but since Lennie contained a young gullible mind he believed the rabbit's word and questioned himself as he was discussing with the rabbit. Throughout the entire scene of Lennie's hallucination it was resembled as battling himself, because this event was like the weed scene where he interacted with a young lady and his action towards her made a big impact on himself and George causing them to flee and start over. Which I think was very similar to Lennie and Curley's wife because he is now running around with pressure and a twisted mind set that will sooner or later lead to a bigger consequence of his wrong doing.

Lennie's Hallucination

Lennie's Hallucination

In part. 6 of Of Mice and Men, there was the shocking event which was when George shot Lennie. Crazy, right?!? After Lennie had done a bad thing (killing Curley's wife), he went back to the bush near the Salinas River just like George told him to. Soon after, he started to hallucinate.

First, he saw his Aunt Clara who was described as "a little fat old woman" (Steinbeck 100). What stuck out to me was that when she started to speak, it was in Lennie's voice. I think Steinbeck purposely made it in Lennie's voice because he wanted it to show the reader that Lennie is the one shaming himself about what happened. Lennie repeated the phrase "I tried, Aunt Clara, ma'am. I tried and tried. I couldn' help it" (Steinbeck 101). I think he repeated this phrase because it is something like what he would say in real life when he is sorry about something he did. Right when Aunt Clara left, "there came a gigantic rabbit" (Steinbeck 101).

In Lennie's mind, there appeared a huge rabbit. I think a rabbit appeared because throughout the whole book, Lennie was only thinking about tending to rabbits at their dream house. The rabbit also spoke in Lennie's voice. The rabbit scolded Lennie as he stated that, "You'd forget 'em and let 'em go hungry. That's what you'd do An' then what would George think?" (Steinbeck 102). Most of the comments that the rabbit said revolved around Lennie's mistakes and what George would think about it. The rabbit claimed that George will "beat he** outta you with a stick" (Steinbeck 102). I think George is involved in most of the "conversation" is because Lennie is always worried about what George would think because he is always trying to be on his best behavior.

I think that Lennie was hallucinating because he is regretful for what he has done. I think he realized that the same situation in Weed was repeating itself, and he was scared for what George would think of him. 

Parts 5 and 6

In the beginning of chapter 5 Lennie is in the barn with a dead pup talking about how, "George ain't gonna let me tend no rabbits, if he fin's out you got killed."(85) As Lennie was talking, "Curley's wife came around the end of the last stall. She came very quietly, so that Lennie didn't see her."(86) When Curley's wife asked him, "What you got there sonny boy,"(86) Lennie replied, " George says I ain't to have nothing to do with you- talk to you or nothing."(86) Lennie is obeying George's command to not look at or talk to Curley's wife. George strongly feels that Curley's wife is nothing but trouble. While Curley's wife continues to try and make conversation Lennie is stressing that, "I ain't supposed to talk to you or nothing."(86) Curley's wife then opened up about how she, "Get awful lonely,"(86) and how she, "Can't talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad."(87) This shows that she's always in the house because she really has no choice but to listen to Curley talk about stuff repeatedly. She flirts with the other guys when Curley's not around for new conversation. I personally don't think it's okay to "flirt" with other men on the ranch as a married woman, but I feel a little sorry for her and think that maybe just talking to others is a good thing. After all she does have to sit in a house day after day listening to Curley's stories, so pretending to look for Curley is a way out of listening to that when she can. Even though Lennie told her numerous times he wasn't allowed to talk to her she didn't care and went on with a story about how she, " Ain't used to livin' like this," she, "Coulda made somethin' of myself."(88) As usual Lennie was thinking about how him, George, Candy are, "gonna have a little place- an' tend rabbits."(88) Lennie isn't paying much attention to Curley's wife story kind of like how he didn't pay much attention to Crooks story when he was told one. All Lennie was thinking about during most of both stories was how he was going to tend the rabbits like George promised he would. When Curley's wife found out that Lennie liked to stroke soft hair and fabric she let him, "Feel right aroun' there an' see how soft it is."(90) Lennie loved it so much that his, " Fingers closed on her hair and hung on."(91) "Let go," she cried. (91)"You let go!" (91)"Lennie was in a panic."(91) Lennie was in a panic and wouldn't let go just like in the incident he had with Curley. Lennie panicked and wouldn't let go off Curley's hand and squeezed it to death. And like the incident where Lennie like a girls dress but wouldn't let go because he was scared. Curley's wife was yelling and trying to shake free but Lennie held on to her hair, mouth, nose, and begged, " Oh please don't do that, George'll be mad."(91) " George gonna say I done a bad thing. He ain't gonna let me tend no rabbits." Lennie once again was mostly concerned about tending the rabbits. If George heard her screaming and saw Lennie, he would've said he couldn't tend the rabbits anymore. Eventually Lennie got upset and shook her so much that, "Lennie had broken her neck."(91) Lennie had killed Curley's wife. That was the motivation behind Curley wanting him dead. Also note that he was still upset about his hand! When Lennie ran south he stole Candy's luger. As Lennie was sitting by the lake his aunt Clara and a rabbit appeared. Aunt Clara talked about how George is a nice caring guy and has been watching him while he's done all these bad things. The rabbit tells Lennie that George is going to hit him with sticks and things like that and then he's gonna go away. When George finally came he convinced Lennie to turn his head while he talked about the dream and gradually pulled the gun closer to him. He picked the gun up and made sure, "Lennie turned his head." After Lennie's last three sentences, George,"Pulled the trigger." George shot him in the back of the head. I think George killing Lennie was the best decision for the guys. They all agreed on killing Lennie for killing Curley's wife but George was the one who took care of Lennie so I think it's only fair that if someone kills him it should be George. Curley already didn't like Lennie so his death would have been a slow and painful death. George had to kill Lennie at that moment because if he would have let Lennie run away if one day the guys came across Lennie they would definitely shoot Lennie. George made a right yet very sad decision.

Lennie and George in the End...

At the end of the book in part 6, Lennie is shot by George. I think George did it out of kindness, not to be mean. George knew that Curley would go after Lennie with rage without stopping to think about it, so he goes to kill Lennie himself, that way Lennie doesn't become scared of Curley. Lennie runs away after accidentally breaking Curley's wife, ending in her death. I think Lennie runs away because he is scared and he thinks that "George'll be mad"(page 92). When Slim asks where Lennie might have gone, George knew "He...would went south."(page 96) because he told Lennie to go to the bush when there's trouble. While the men are searching for Lennie, George goes ahead of them to get to him. He tells Lennie to face the Salinas River and they start talking about their dream. Eventually, George pulls out the Luger that he stole from Carlson and he shoots Lennie, who dies a peaceful death. Earlier in the book, Carlson says "Got a Luger. It won't hurt him none at all."(page 47) when he is about to kill Candy's dog. I think George decides to use the Luger because he heard what Carlson said. Also I think that George is a great friend because he didn't put Lennie through misery.

Part 5/6

2. WHY DID GEORGE DO WHAT HE DID (to Lennie) IN THE END????

(Use previous events, info, quotes to prove the foreshadowing AND the explanation for WHY he did it.)

In part 6, George shoots Lennie in the back of the head because he would rather let him die in peace then making him suffer from Curley. George knows that Curley will hurt Lennie and kill him with anger and rage, but if George kills Lennie himself without him knowing, Lennie could die without having to die scared from Curley. After Lennie kills Curley's wife, Curley was furious and was wanting to find Lennie to kill him immediately. George was nervous about Lennie and doesn't want any more trouble. When the men were searching for him George thought of how he told Lennie to go to the bush when there was trouble. George finds Lennie at the bush, and before the men come, they talk about the "dream". George shoots Lennie with Carlson's Luger that he stole before they left the ranch. In part 3, Carlson says "'Got a Luger. It won't hurt him none at all.'" (47) when he is about to kill Candy's dog. It made George inspired which made him kill Lennie with the Luger. Because of this, Lennie was able to die peacefully.

Blog 5/6

In the final part of the novel Of Mice and Men,  Lennie accidentally breaks the neck of Curley's wife while innocently playing with her hair. As Steinbeck describes how she

looks while lying dead in the haystack, he makes some interesting remarks. "And the meanness and the plannings and the discontent and the ache for attention were all

gone from her face" (92).  Now that she has passed away, all of her bad qualities have disappeared. She now looks very pretty and sweet, without any trace of how much

she strived for attention. Also, she now looks much younger because her unhappiness and need for lots of attention made her look much older.  I think that this is all very

ironic because now that she has been murdered, she is no longer in an unhappy place. Her death actually saved her from the dissatisfaction with her life with Curley. She is now free from her unhappy marriage and her constant loneliness. 

Part 5/6 OPTIONAL PROMPTS

Part 5:

(REMEMBER: These questions are OPTIONAL; you can respond to them in a post, or just used them as direction for what to focus on while you read)

1. Lennie and Curley’s wife both confided in each other. What did she tell Lennie and why do you think she chose him to confess this too? What did he tell her and what event did this lead to? Elaborate on the significance of these confessions.

2. Describe what Curley’s wife looked like once she died (p. 92-93). What is ironic about this description?

3. What question does Candy ask George, and what is his response? (address two important quotes here… one on p. 94 and the other on p. 95) WHY do you think George plans to become just like every other rancher, rather than live out the dream with Candy?

4. What is Curley’s motivation for going after Lennie? Use quotes to support your answer and elaborate on the significance of this.

5. What lie does George tell Slim? Before reading part 6, what did this lie make you think about George’s plan? After reading part 6… what was his actual plan? Elaborate on the significance of the lie and the reality.

Part 6:

1. Analyze Lennie’s hallucination. Use some quotes to support what you think it all means.

2. WHY DID GEORGE DO WHAT HE DID (to Lennie) IN THE END????

(Use previous events, info, quotes to prove the foreshadowing AND the explanation for WHY he did it.)

3. Why did Steinbeck choose to have Carlson, of all characters, be the last one to speak in the novel? What significance do his words have? OR What theme do his words support? à “Now what the hell do ya suppose is eatin’ them two guys?”

Part 4: Curley's wife

In part 4 of Of Mice and Men, Curley's wife says, "They left all the weak ones here"(77) which is ironic is a couple ways. Firstly, she was one of the ones left behind. So, by saying all the weak ones were left behind she is implying that she is as weak as Candy, Crooks and all the other people left behind. Also, some of the people left behind are physically strong, like Lennie. So, if Curley's wife was implying that they were weak she was incorrect and also calling herself weak. Last, she was in that statement not only trying to insult Crooks, Candy and Lennie, but she also succeeded in insulting herself, which is ironic.

Treatment Towards Crooks

In part four of John Steinbeck's novel, Of Mice and Men, I noticed how different Crooks' living situation and treatment is compared to the other men on the ranch. As Lennie makes his way into Crooks' bunk in the harness room, Crooks becomes very hesitant to let him in.  Since Crooks is black, he has a separate bunk away from the other white men on the ranch. Most of those white men don't have any interest in hanging around in a negros room. Therefore, Crooks is not used to company in his bunk and has an automatic instinct to be suspicious and stay secluded. As he lightens up towards Lennie,  words started to flow from his mouth. Even though Crooks knows that Lennie is not truly listening to what he has to say, he continues to talk because he is desperate to interact with another human. As he explained his family story and how there was not another black person on the ranch, I began to realize how extremely lonely he must be. Even though he is able to keep more personal items and have more privacy, Crooks' living situation keeps him isolated from any other human interactions. Because of his isolation, he is the first person on the ranch that is able to understand why George would want to travel around with Lennie. Crooks enviously explains to Lennie that " George can tell him (you) screwy things, and it don't matter. It's just the talking. It's just bein' with another guy." (71). You can tell that Crooks is jealous of the relationship Lennie has with George because he has no one to ever keep him company.
When Crooks lets Candy join him in his bunk, I could tell that he truly enjoys the company even though he tries to act angry. He begins to have a true conversation with the men and slowly lets down his guard. Crooks noticeably regains his self confidence as he realizes that Candy and Lennie actually enjoy being around him even though he is black.  When Curly's wife comes in and makes rude remarks about the men, Crooks stands up for them, but is swiftly shut down by Curly's wife. It is apparent that the new company from Candy and Lennie gave Crooks confidence that made him forget how easily Curley's wife could get him in trouble. The moment Curley's wife is threatened she is quick to take advantage of the fact that he is black.  To make sure that Crooks stays quiet about her visit to his bunk she intimidates him by saying "I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it aint even funny."(81). Once Candy backs him up by saying he would accuse her of "framing" Crooks, Curley's wife has no other come back but to say that nobody would listen to them. Curley's wife's responses to the men's threats prove how harshly Crooks is treated compared to Candy and Lennie.
By watching Crooks' response to the men's company and Curley's wife's threats I came to a conclusion that Crooks has a extremely lonely and harsh life.

Scenes in Part 4

In part four of the book I noticed some similarities within the characters feelings and how Curley's wife opened up about why she flirts with all the men on the Ranch. On page 76 Curley's wife came up to the door and said, "Any you boys seen Curley?", while on page 77 as she was explaining where the guys went she said, "They left all the weak ones here... think i dont know where they all went... even Curley... I know where they all went." I find it really interesting that at first when she came up to the guys she asked where Curley was but then she said that she knew where Curley and the guys were. This further shows that Curley's wife keeps up with Curley but she's tired of sitting in the house all day hearing how, " Curley's gonna lead with his left twict, and then bring in the ol' right cross." So she goes out and flirts with all the guys on the ranch because she wants to talk and draw some attention to herself and the guys are the only people who will listen and pay attention to her.  I think Crooks also feels that he is lonely because he no one to talk to and he sits in his bunk all day by himself. He is separated from the other guys and, " Kept his distance and demanded that other people keep theirs." Crooks didn’t really communicate with the other guys because he is a different race than any other person on the ranch and he feels that he and the others should be separate because of racism strongly occurring at the time. The other guys didn’t talk to him either until most of them went into town and Lennie, Candy, and Curley's wife came into Crook's bunk.

I also perceived the way Candy and Crooks view Curley's wife virsus how Lennie looks at her. After she finished talking about how she knew were Curley and the guys went Lennie as usual, " Watched her fascinated." Lennie was still amazed by her beauty when ever he saw her speak or do anything rather. "Candy and Crooks were scowling down away from her eyes." Candy said to Curley's wife, " Then if you know, why you want to ast us  where Curley is at? I think Candy noticed that she was flirting just a little and really had no business in there. Curley didn't want to feed into her because like George he felt that she was trouble. Actually Crooks, Candy and George all thinks she is trouble and, " Got no call foolin' aroun' with other guys, causin' trouble." Towards the end of the chapter Curley's wife got a little hostile with Crooks. It all started off when Crook said, " Now you jus' get out, an' get out quick  . If you don't, I'm gonna ast the boss not to ever let you let you come in the barn anymore." Crooks had enough and he didn't like what she was saying let alone her presence in the room. When Crooks said that she became upset and said, "Listen n*****, you know what I can do to you if you open your trap?"(80) Crooks pressed himself against the wall and said, " Yes ma'am."(80) Curley's wife then said, " Well you keep your place then n*****. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it anit even funny." Crooks tonelessly said, " Yes ma'am."(81) I think that what she said to Crooks was a little mean because for one she's in his room where she shouldn't be and Crooks was tired of listening to her. I think that Curley's wife made it seem like she had some type of power over him and that if he was to do something she didn't like she would make sure that he was either killed or fired from the ranch. I also think that Crooks understands his position within Curley's wife because she's a white female and he's a black male and back then racism was still at its prime and a person like Crooks would be in a lot of trouble guilty or innocent for being accused of messing with a person/women like Curley's wife.

I also think that George and Crooks feel the same way in regards to the American Dream. George isn't really a dreamer because times are so hard that he can no longer focus on a dream. George has to figure out how to make a living in reality. Although he has slipped once or twice thinking about the ranch they could live on, the foods they could harvest, and the animals they could raise with the money they save up. Crooks has been on the ranch a long time and has heard of guys like Lennie, George, and Candy wanting to live out a dream, but they just don't make it." You guys is just kiddin'  yourself. You'll talk about it a h*** of a lot , but you won't get no land. You'll be a swamper here till they take you out in a box. H***, I seen too many guys. Lennie here'll quit an' be on the road in two, three weeks." Seems like ever' guy got land in his head."(75) This shows that Crooks doesn't believe that the men who come on the ranch and work for a while to pursue a dream can actually accomplish that. He's always seen men come and go. I also think that Crooks may have gone through some things in the past that has prevented him from a dream he may have had so he stopped believing it could betide. On the other hand Lennie and Candy feel that this dream could transpire. Candy says angrily, " You God d*** right were going to do it."(75/76) Lennie as always was thinking about tending the rabbits like he'd been promised he would. Candy and Lennie were assured that they were going to have that land. Together, Lennie, Candy, and George were going to live the American Dream.                                                                

Part 4:

In part 4 Of Mice and Men, Curley's wife makes a statement that is ironic in a couple of different ways. Curley's wife says, "They left all the weak ones here." The first ironic thing about the statement is Lennie is one of the physically strongest men on the farm and even though he is sometimes weak on the inside she is wrong by calling everyone weak. If Curley's wife new what had happened to Curley's hand than she would understand that Lennie is not weak. Lennie had to be strong to contain all anger when he was being hurt but he also had to be brave and physically strong enough to fight back to Curley. The second ironic thing about the statement is Curley's wife says that Lennie, Candy, Crooks and everyone else left behind is weak but she was also left behind so she would technically be calling herself weak too. The last ironic thing about Curley's wife statement is when she entered Crooks cabin she asked if anyone knew where Curley was when she actually knew where he was. The ironic thing about that is Curley's wife was lonely and bored so she purposely went and asked them where Curley was but then she called all of them weak. If she was just going to insult them and call them weak there was no point for her going into the cabin.  

Part 4

In part 4 "Of Mice and Men", we were formally introduced to the audacious but sympathetic Crooks who contained many emotional surprises and actions in his pockets. Throughout this section, Steinbeck the author of the novel, had created Crooks to represent and symbolize the racial discrimination of this time period. Specifically stating, "A colored man got to have some rights even if he don't like 'em" (Steinbeck 82). This quote stood out and was surprising, because Crooks was a man with partial to barely any rights and for him to say he doesn't accept the rights is a mind twister. That was said because, "Crooks had his bunk in the harness room; a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn" (Steinbeck 66). Connecting this quote to why Crooks didn't like his rights was, because  of his race so he lived in a barn alone, which after a while had turned into loneliness and seeking a way out of his isolation.

Part 4- Curley's Wife

3. What is ironic about Curley’s wife’s statement: “They left all the weak ones here.” – p. 77

 When Curley's Wife approached Candy, Lennie, and Crooks and told them "They left all the weak ones here" while the rest of the men went to town was very ironic to me. I believed this was very ironic for multiple reasons. First of all, in case she didn't notice, Curley's wife was left at the ranch too! When Curley's wife entered Crooks cabin and found all of them sitting there, she asked where Curley was. This was because she wanted an excuse to talk to them because she was left at the ranch and was lonely an bored. Another reason her statement was ironic was because Lennie was actually very strong. The only way he was really "weak" was because of his mental disability.

Curley's Wife's Intentions

Curley's Wife's Intentions

Curley's wife was very prevalent in pt. 4 of Of Mice And Men, and we learned a lot more about her and what her intentions are. When she went into Crooks barn, she saw Candy, Crooks, and Lennie and said that they were the weak ones on the barn. This is ironic because she herself is weak and lonely as well as the other men. Her loneliness was pronounced when she said, "Think I don't like to talk to somebody ever' once in a while? Think I like to stick in that house alla time?" (Steinbeck 77). She is stressing about how she never gets to get out of the house and talk to anybody because she is the only women on the ranch, and people like to stay away from her because they think she is bad news. I think she wants to get out of the house and explore the world because she is always on the ranch left alone. While Lennie is only thinking of the rabbits and the farm, Candy and Crooks are trying to shoo away Curley's wife because they only think of her as a flirt and not a person who needs someone to talk to. They accused her of going around and talking to other guys and she flared up and said,"Sure I got a husband'. You all seen him. Swell guy, ain't he? Spends all his time sayin' what he's gonna do to guys he don't like, and he don't like nobody" (Steinbeck 78). She is clearly being sarcastic while stating that she hates her husband. I think she doesn't like Curley because he is way to controlling over what she does and never lets her out of the house which makes her lonely. I also think that since Curley behaves this way, it makes her want to go out more and interact with people. Since she strongly dislikes Curley, she told the men that she wants to "bust him (Curley)" (Steinbeck 81). I think Curley's wife is lonely because she is the only women on the ranch, and since Curley makes her stay in the house, she has no one to talk to when she needs someone.

Culey's Wife: The TRUTH!!!

Throughout part 4 there were several instances of lonliness that Curley's Wife states. I found one quote particularly interesting when refering to her lonliness. "....Standin' here talkin' to a bunch of bindle stiffs-a n****** an' a dum-dum and a lousy ol' sheep-an likin' it because they ain't nobody else. This quote has both insulting comments and a message. She says how they're all the worst and boring people to talk to, but she says how it's better than being alone. She probably feels this way because she says how her husband is always focused on fighting and picking on someone in  the ranch by practicing his punches(my money's on Lennie). She refers to this in another quote, also referring how lonely she is. Another reason why she's hanging around with the other workers is because she's the only women on the ranch. She wants a friend she can relate with, not a meatheaded husband and some male workers on a ranch. She wants a companion who will spend time with her, and will be there for her. By marrying Culey, that was a trip into lonliness. I can relate to Curley's Wife in a way, even though I would never want to be her. A similar situation I was in (a few years back) was when I had to stay in extended day at the YMCA. In extended day there were pretty much little kids there, and I was one of the few older kids. I couldn't really talk to or relate to the other kids because they were really different and I didn't really know them. I was staying there only because I participated in a camp there, and the kids I made friends with in the camp weren't there. Even though I got through it, the expierience felt a little lonely not having any kids my own age.

Part 4: Crooks

In part 4, I learned a lot about Crooks. Crooks is the stable buck and does all the hard work around the ranch. Steinbeck portrays Crooks' guilty pleasure by saying, "Crooks' face lighted with pleasure in his torture" (71). This shows how Crooks was fooling with Lennie, asking what Lennie would do if George never came back. Lennie started to freak out and Crooks didn't care. Later in the chapter, I learned that Crooks was only trying to get someone to talk to and share his feelings about his life. Crooks told Lennie, " If I say something, why it's just a negro sayin' it" (70). This shows how Crooks trusted Lennie. He is trusting Lennie with his feelings. Crooks even says, "...If you... guys would want a hand to work for nothing-just his keep, why I'd come an' lend a hand" (76). Crooks was talking about George and Jennie's dream land and how he would help if they needed it. I was surprised that Crooks offered because I wouldn't expect him to believe they would be able to make it. This showed me how Crooks was letting Lennie in. I was very surprised how Crooks ended up in this chapter because I didn't like him at first. Towards the end of part 4, I started to really appreciate him. In this chapter, I learned that all Crooks wants is someone to talk to and that he trusts Lennie.

Crooks: Part 4

In Part 4, I learned quite a bit about Crooks. Even though he is an African American, "...being a stable buck and a cripple, he was more permanent than the other men"(page 67). I think this means that he is very good at his job and he is trusted by the boss. Also I think that Crooks is going to stay longer at the ranch because he has so much experience with his job. Because Crooks has been at the ranch a long time, "... he had accumulated more possessions than he could carry on his back"(page 67). He was proud of all of his possessions, especially his books. I think he reads books to keep himself occupied because he is a lonely person. He does not have anyone to share anything with. When Lennie comes in, Crooks talks to him about his life. When he was talking Lennie, he was on guard, but deep inside I think he was grateful to be talking to someone. While he was talking to Lennie, he said "A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody. Don't make no difference who the guy is, long's he's with you"(page 72). I think this clearly shows that Crooks does not like to alone and that he is sick of it. Just as the quote said, he needs someone to talk to and get his feelings out. He tells Lennie, and even though he wasn't listening, Crooks keeps talking just so he spill his heart out. He wants to talk to other people, but since he is an African American, he knows it won't just happen.

Part 4

4. Curley’s wife reveals several times throughout her appearance in Section 4 that she is in the same exact state of mind as these men (i.e. LONELY) – where did we see evidence of this?

In part four of Of Mice and Men, Curley's wife reveals a different personality that wasn't shown when Curley was near her. When Curley's wife joins Candy, Lennie, and Crooks during their talk, she talks about her loneliness and why she was always wanting attention from the men. "Think I don't like to talk to someone ever' once in a while? Think I like to stick in that house alla time?" (77). This shows that Curley's wife is wanting to engage and explore the outer world, and not just stay at home doing work. She explains how she is lonely and has nobody to talk to except sometimes to Curley. She wants to go out and meet people, but since Curley's too protective of her and the other men don't like her because they know she's trouble, she has nothing to do. Curley's wife's excuse for going outside is to look for Curley, when really she wants attention. I think that because of her loneliness, she's going to cause trouble with one of the men, specifically Lennie, because he isn't sure what to do all the time when there's trouble.

Part four

While reading part four in Of Mice and Men, I further got to know about Crooks, the Negro stable buck. He expressed many of his inner thoughts by his speech. When Lennie enters Crooks solitude shed looking for the puppy, Crooks says "Well, go see your pup, then. Don't come in a place where you're not wanted" (69). Here he states to Lennie that people are not supposed to be where they are not wanted. This relates to Crooks and his inner feelings because earlier, he explained that the men on the ranch don't want him playing games with them because he is black. I think here, Crooks is trying to make Lennie feel bad by stating he isn't wanted there, possibly because Crooks wants Lennie to show empathy for him. Crooks later then asks Lennie "S'pose you didn't have nobody. S'pose you couldn't go into the bunkhouse and play rummy 'cause you was black..." (72). Here I can definitely tell that Crooks wants Lennie to view things his way. He wants him to understand the pain and sorrow in his true mind. Now that I really understand how hard Crooks wants one to feel his feeling and show empathy, I realized that he is really hurt about not feeling "wanted".

Part 4

Throughout part 4 of Of Mice and Men, Curley's wife reveals several times that she is lonely. When Curley's wife was talking to Lennie, Candy, and Crooks, she admitted why she was always asking for attention. "Think I don't like to talk to someone ever' once in a while? Think I like to stick in that house alla time?" (77). In this explanation she was giving to Lennie, Candy, and Crooks, she told them that she was lonely sitting in the house all the time with no one to talk to except Curley. Curley's wife just wanted someone to talk to especially since she's the only girl in town and Curley is always very protective of her, so she can't talk that much to most people. She just wants to have a conversation with someone outside of her house. This explains why Curley's wife wants to leave the house "looking" for Curley and draws attention to herself everywhere she goes. 

PART 4:

Part 4 Of Mice and Men:

          In part 4 in Of Mice and Men, I thought it was peculiar that even though Crooks was a crippled African  American in the 1900's, Steinbeck states "...being a stable buck and a cripple, [Crooks] was more permanent then the other men"(67). I think Steinbeck is showing us as his readers that Crooks has had this job for many years and the boss has no intention of firing or dismissing him, not only because he has many years of experience as a stable buck, but also because he was crippled and couldn't find another job easily. Maybe this is showing a sympathy from the boss or proving why the farm hands had spoken so highly of the boss at the beginning of the book, though they may be scared of him.

          And since Crooks had a more permanent job then the other men, and alone in his barnyard room, "...he had accumulated more possessions then he could carry on his back"(67). Especially books, which I presume he read to soothe his lonely mind. But as Crooks made clear to Lennie in part 4, Crooks does not enjoy being alone at all. Crooks fantasized to Lennie about having someone and tortured Lennie's weak mind, repeatedly telling him to try and picture his life without George. But the whole time, Crooks was actually trying to tell Lennie how he felt, trying to get him to understand his desperation for someone, and maybe gain some sympathy or even a friend out of Lennie. But Lennie couldn't understand that underneath all of Crooks harsh words against George, that he was pleading for compassion. Crooks practically yelled at Lennie, "A guy needs somebody-to be near him...A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody. Don't make no difference who the guy is as long as he's with you. I'll tell ya a guy gets to lonely an' he gets sick"(73). Crooks understands why George keeps Lennie around in the first few minutes of talking to him, while the other men think George has no reason for traveling with Lennie. Lennie and George have each other to confide in, while Crooks has no one. He spills his heart out to Lennie, and in seeing that Lennie will not tell anyone how he feels, he just keeps talking. It's probably the first time in a long time that Crooks has had such an intimate conversation and he yearns to be able to have the freedom to do so regularly,  but he knows that that is just a fantasy. So, Crooks confides in his books, his only real friends.

Curley's Wife: Loneliness

In part 4 of OMAM, Curley's wife showed a totally different side of herself. As she talked with Candy, Lennie, and Crooks, she finally told them why she was always drawing attention to herself. "Think I don't like to talk to someone ever' once in a while? Think I like to stick in that house alla time?" (77) During this outburst, she let them know that she is very lonely because no one is ever in the house to keep her company. So, she goes out of the house a lot just so she can have a conversation with someone. It would definitely be very hard to stay in the house all day everyday, so I hope that this conflict is resolved at some point in the book.

Part 4 (OPTIONAL prompts)

Part 4:

(REMEMBER: These topics are OPTIONAL; you can respond to them in a post, or just used them as direction for what to focus on while you read)

1. We finally get to know Crooks. What stood out to you or surprised you about him? With what intentions do you think Steinbeck deliberately characterized him?

2. “Crooks’ face lighted with pleasure in his torture [of Lennie]” – p. 71

At first this made me strongly dislike Crooks! BUT, after reading on, Steinbeck made it clear WHY Crooks was toying with Lennie about George not returning. Discuss your interpretations of this…

3. What is ironic about Curley’s wife’s statement: “They left all the weak ones here.” – p. 77

4. Curley’s wife reveals several times throughout her appearance in Section 4 that she is in the same exact state of mind as these men (i.e. LONELY) – where did we see evidence of this?

5. Some thoughts to discuss on the ending scene:

 - Why does Crooks change his mind about wanting in on their dream?

 - Why do you think Curley’s wife intends to get herself some rabbits?

 - How did Curley’s wife ultimately “win” the argument?