Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Y11 Of Mice and Men Quote Quest

Instructions
-click on 'comments'
-fill in the box with your name, theme (eg. 'loneliness'), character (eg. 'Slim'), quote and comment
-fill in the security 'word'.
-submit your comment. I have to moderate it first so it won't appear immediately!

Deadline 24/4/07



1. Dreams
-Find a quote that reveals the dreams or ambitions of these characters, and write one sentence about that dream.-

eg. George

‘George said reverently, “Jesus Christ! I bet we could swing her.” His eyes were full of wonder. “I bet we could swing her,” he repeated softly.” (Section 3, p.87)

The word ‘reverently’ shows that George sees the dream as almost holy in its promise of a better life, like Heaven, while the fact that he repeats the phrase, “I bet we could swing her,” perhaps suggests that, even with the promise of Candy’s money, he has to talk himself into believing the dream could be made real.

Lennie

Curley

Curley’s wife

Candy

Crooks

Slim

2. Loneliness
-Find a quote that reveals the loneliness or isolation of these characters, and write one sentence about that loneliness.-

eg. George

‘Slim twitched George’s elbow. “Come on George. Me an’ you’ll go in an’ get a drink.”
George let himself be helped to his feet. “Yeah, a drink.” ‘ (Section 6, p.148)

The way George allows Slim to help him ‘to his feet’ shows us that George needs companionship as much as any other man, and yet the irony of him accepting a drink, after telling Lennie that migrant workers drink because nobody ‘gives a damn’ about them shows how lost he is without the direction in life looking after Lennie gave him.

Lennie

Curley

Curley’s wife

Candy

Crooks

Slim


3. Friendship
-Find a quote that reveals the friendships of these characters, and write one sentence about that friendship.-

eg. George

‘George went on. “With us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us” ‘ (Section 1, p.32)

George is almost simultaneously restricted by Lennie’s dependence on him and grateful for the way Lennie gives him purpose and direction: George and Lennie are perhaps the only characters in the novel who have real affection for one another, and yet their relationship is based not only on affection, but also on guilt, duty and mutual need.

Lennie

Curley

Curley’s wife

Candy

Crooks

Slim

4. Outsiders, discrimination and prejudice
-Find a quote that reveals the way these characters are both victims of prejudice, prejudiced themselves or affected by prejudice. Write one sentence about that prejudice.-

eg. George

‘ “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place” ‘ (Section 1, p.32)

George is acutely aware that migrant workers like himself and Lennie are outside of the mainstream of society: even though he fits in well on the ranch, in a wider social context he is still regarded as a tramp, or what Curley’s wife calls a ‘bindle-stiff’ .

Lennie

Curley

Curley’s wife

Candy

Crooks

Slim



5. Hardship and poverty
-Find a quote that reveals the way these characters are victims of various kinds of poverty, whether financial or emotional. Write one sentence about that poverty.-

eg. George

‘ [George] unrolled his bindle and put things on the shelf, his razor and bar of soap, his comb and bottle of pills, his liniment and leather wristband.’ (Section 2, p.40)

As a migrant worker, George has no possessions other than those he can literally carry on his back: by describing the contents of his ‘bindle’ so exactly, and because these items are very basic and related to basic hygiene and health, Steinbeck subtly emphasises his poverty and hard working life.

Lennie

Curley

Curley’s wife

Candy

Crooks

Slim


6. Power and hierarchy
-Find a quote that reveals the way these characters are participants in the strict pecking-order of the ranch. Write one sentence about that hierarchy.-

eg. George

‘ “Slim moved back slightly so the light was not on his face. “Funny how you an’ him string along together’. It was Slim’s calm invitation to confidence.
“What’s funny about it?” George demanded defensively. (Section 3, p.65)

The adverb ‘defensively’ is especially telling here: Steinbeck rarely comments on his characters, and the fact that George responds ‘defensively’ to a personal question demonstrates that he is acutely aware of the power imbalance between himself and a senior hand like Slim, and how easily Slim could exploit that by betraying anything George gives away to the Boss.

Lennie

Curley

Curley’s wife

Candy

Crooks

Slim

22 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Zoë Fox

Steinbeck shows a sense of discrimination, prejudice and feeling like an outsider through what the characters say or feel.
Curley’s wife becomes angered at Lennie when he states that he isn’t allowed to talk to her,

‘Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely’ (section 5 p122)

Curley’s wife has a sudden outburst of anger about how she is treated. Being expected to stay shut up in the house all day, not being allowed to speak to anyone on the ranch except Curley. I think, despite what she is being made out to want throughout the book, and how she flirts with all the ranch-handlers, all she really wants is a friend to talk to.

9:56 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Zoë Fox

Steinbeck shows a sense of discrimination, prejudice and feeling like an outsider through what the characters say or feel.
Curley’s wife becomes angered at Lennie when he states that he isn’t allowed to talk to her,

‘Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely’ (section 5 p122)

Curley’s wife has a sudden outburst of anger about how she is treated. Being expected to stay shut up in the house all day, not being allowed to speak to anyone on the ranch except Curley. I think, despite what she is being made out to want throughout the book, and how she flirts with all the ranch-handlers, all she really wants is a friend to talk to.

9:58 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

robbie sheets
5.hardship and poverty-slim

"You guys better come on while theres still something to eat. Won't be nothing left in couple of minutes".

This demonstrates the general hardship and shortage of food for the overworked men, but it does really exagerate;the food will probably be gone in a 'couple of minutes'. Steinbeck does not seem to write looking for empathy, but just tells it how it is and shows the characters just getting on and not meanering with the problems. Also shows how the harship brings the men together like a family in a way and they stick up for one another.

2:24 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

robbie sheets, butterfingers!: "does 'not' exagerate...."

2:03 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Declan Gilbody
3. Friendship - Slim

'slim twitched George's elbow. "Come on, George. Me an you'll go in an' get a drink"'.

this is Slim's first realy attempt at a frinedly jesture with goerge as a way to try and take him mind of killing Lennie. I believe it is also slims attempt at comforting goerge without looking hos abillity to be incontrol of a situation. The "get a drink" hows that now he has lost his companion he is like all other traveling farm hands and Steinbeck shows us that george will problably turn out like the other by spending all his money on "cat houses" and drinks.

4:45 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Jodi Embery
Power and Hardship - Curley's wife

"...Curley says he's keepin' that hand soft for his wife" (section 2, page 49)

the fact that curley is spreading a "dirty thing" around shows that curley has little or no respect for his "wife" and, in turn, his workmates do not either judging by the names that she gets called: "tart" and "tramp." Steinbeck has made a deliberate point of not giving her an actual name, emphasizing the minimalist role women played in society during that time.

7:25 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Emily Edwards

4. Outsiders, Discrimination and Prejudice - Crooks

"They play cards in there, but I can't play because I'm black." (section 4 p100)

Steinbeck is outlining the prejudice towards people of a different race that occured at this time in America. It shows how black people were discriminated against, with crooks not being allowed to join in with the others on the ranch. Crooks has referred to the 'bunk house' as 'there,' showing his lack of knowledge of it due to his rare visits, and how he is not really associated with it.

7:25 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Jessica Watts
4. Outsiders, Discrimination and Prejudice-Candy

'The old swamper looked quickly at him, and then shuffled to the door'(section 2 p42)

The language Steinbeck uses to describe Candy shows how he is old and not needed which we can see from words like swamper and shuffled. Candy is not like the others which makes him an outsider who is discriminated against because of his age. Also as someone who is higher up in the ranch hierarchy enters the room Candy leaves, showing he knows that he knows his place, and that he is an outsider as he can't do the same jobs as the others.

8:31 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

David Baker
3. Friendship - Candy

"we oughtta let 'im get away. You don't know that Curley. Curly gon'ta wanta get 'im lynched. Curley'll get 'im killed.
(section 5 pg 131)

This shows Candy's sympathy for Lennie as he does not want Lennie to be 'killed' as he cares for him, which shows how he likes Lennie and feels like a friend to him by suggesting to "let 'im get away" rather than to hand him in to Curley who would "get 'im lynched".

10:23 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

georgie walker

2. loneliness, Curley's wife

"Well I ain't giving you no trouble. Think I don't like to talk to somebody ever' once in a while?" (section 4, page 110)

The fact that Curley's wife cannot see the wider implications of talking to Crooks, Candy and Lennie shows how naive and innocent she is; perhaps she is blind to the "trouble" she may cause as a result of her loneliness. She directly questions Crooks in an almost threatning manner in response to the way she is being treated. I feel that she is sensitive to the fact that she is in a loveless marriage and is expected to stay in the hosue all day. She is merely looking for companionship like many of the men on the ranch.

12:39 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thomas Childs

3 - Friendship - Curley

'Seen my old man?’ – Section 2

Curley introduces himself to the novel by asking where his father is – this sets his tone for the entire narrative – all he ever seems to do is ask where his family members are. This shows that he is lacking in companionship, although he considers himself ‘above’ the ranch hands and so cannot be seen to make friends with them. He could be using his relatives as an excuse to get into a conversation with anyone.

8:48 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Emma Gedney

2. Loneliness, Crooks

“I ain't wanted in the bunkhouse” (section 4)

Crooks seems resigned to his situation as he states his seclusion as fact. As this statement is negative, it implies that Crooks is bitter about being kept away from the other ranch hands. This bitterness at his own situation also shows as “He kept his distance and demanded that other people kept theirs”. This establishes that Crooks constant loneliness has become a fact of life for him and that he is trying to shut out the people who reject him, therefore in his own way he is almost exacting revenge on those who isolate him.

8:56 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Katie Donovan

Outsiders, Discrimination and prejudice

Curely

"Curely stepped over to Lennie like a terrier, "what the hell you looking at" (pg 90, section4)

After the previous arguement with Slim, "Curely rage" gets directed onto Lennie. Steinbeck describes Curely as a "terrier", fast and easily annoyed. As slim fought against Curely, Curely turns to Lennie, due to his slow like, disabled, behaviour. Curely thinks that Lennie will not fight back. This is showing prejudice towards lennie as curley thinks that he is slow, this is also showing the discrimination between disabilities in the 1930's.

9:17 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hayley Hamilton
Dreams
Candy

After Curley’s wife is discovered dead, Candy blames her before repeating his dream in a, ‘singsong.’
Steinbeck then describes how his eyes, ‘blinded with tears.’

Steinbeck’s use of the word, ‘blinded,’ makes the reader empathize, and understand Candy’s increased vulnerability and helplessness. This is similar to the passage near the end of the novel in which George says, ‘I’ll stay all night in some lousy cat house.’
These two moments of realisation that the, ‘impossible,’ dream has again become impossible show the true poverty of the men, and again return them to that which is typical of migrant workers; ambitionless and unable to sustain savings.
However, Steinbeck also subtly reinforces the companionship which made Lennie and George different.
The, ‘blinded,’ old man appears dreamless and weak, whilst Steinbeck portrays the hierarchical structure of the ranch; the only person Candy could talk down to was a dead person.

11:04 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Becca Dyer

2. Loneliness- Curley (Section 3)

'"You come for me, an' I'll kick your God damn head off."
Candy joined in the attack with joy.'

This quote comes from the passage where Slim and Carlson have turned on Curley. The workers have an advantage over Curley, because there are more of them. This is evident because less powerful characters such as Candy take the opportunity to voice their opinions on Curley too. The fact that Candy joins 'the attack with joy' shows how much Curley is hated, and how he has to use his strength as a barrier so that people can't see that really, he is lonely.

12:26 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

5. Hardship and Poverty

Curley

"...He wore a work glove on his left hand, and, like the boss, he wore high heeled boots."

Steinbeck portrays curley as a man craving power that he is not sure he has. He acts out to the people on the ranch asserting himself as a tough man not to be reckoned with and on some level achieves respect for it, but he display doubt in himself by want to be the boss. He shapes his physical apperance to match that of the bosses in an attempt to make sure that all of the ranch hands know that he is better than them when in reality his craving of their approval makes him a weaker character. He suffers a lack a belief in himself as he is not the man he wishes he was.

Ali

12:53 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Zoe Cornhill
4. Outsiders, discrimination and Prejudice. (Lennie)

Steinbeck creates a voice for the voiceless showing how both the lifestyle of migrant workers during the depression and the ranch hierarchy creates a sense of lonliness through discrimination.

(george) "One day a bunch of guys was standin' around up on the Sacramento River. I was feelin' pretty smart. I turns to Lennie and says "jump in" An' he jumps." (section 3)

Although George admits that men like them "belong no place" Steinbeck shows that in his past George has taken advantage of his power and authority over Lennie, in an attempt to win a place in society. He see's his ranking over Lennie as an opputunity to make himself seem 'smart', even though he is low down in the ranch's hierarchy and position in society. Because of Lennies mental disability, he is considered an outsider, and is not taken seriously, along with Crooks who is 'black', Candy who is 'old', and Curleys wife none of them really have a say, and are discriminated against.

10:05 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Claire Dewberry

Lonliness - Lennie

"'I been with George a long time. He'll come back tonight...' But the doubt was too much for him. "Don't you think he will?'" (sectoin 4 P103)

Lennie starts to worry as Crooks plays with the idea of George not coming back to the ranch. Lennie is easily redirected by anyone, as can be seen because he begins to believe Crooks even though he knows "George wouldn't do nothing like that". Also, his loneliness in his state of mind causes him to need constant reassurance and conformation by someone especially George, but this turns to anyone when he is lonely and vulnerable as can be seen by the fact that he even asks Crooks (an outsider in the ranch and the one who was making Lennie feel vunerable) for reassurance: "Don't you think he will?".

1:04 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hope:
Hardship and Poverty (Crooks)

"Crooks' bunk was a long box filled with straw,on which his blankets were flung... His lean face was lined with deep black wrinkles, and he had thin, pain-tightened lips." (Section 4, page 98/99)

Steinbeck tells us of the condition that Crooks lives in, and shows how little care is taken over it. The blankets in his bunk were "flung", showing the effortless amount of fuss and perhaps even control that is given to Crooks by the other people on the ranch.
Crooks' face is lean, not thin or slim, showing he is more than likely malnourished. He has "deep black wrinkles" and lips that are "pain-tightened", perhaps caused by stress and upset.
The others refer to him as a "Nigger", and rarely by his name, reinforcing the idea that he is an outsider. They tell him to "keep his place", showing an obvious hierarchy in the ranch.

2:15 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

1. Dreams

Curley

'[Curley] hates big guys. He's alla time picking scraps with big guys. Kind of like he's mad at 'em because he ain't a big guy.'

Candy Section 2

Curley is a small man who is trying to live up to great expectations. Perhaps he looks for fights because he feels he has to prove himself. All of the ranchhands have their own dreams but Curley doesn't, at least he doesnt tell us directly. He has always wanted to be something more. He only married his wife so he could escape his loneliness.

Any mentions of his dreams are told through other characters. Steinbeck introduced the other characters through narration but Curley was introduced by Candy. This produced a biased view of Curley, altering the readers' perception and understanding and leading them away from his loneliness and dreams.

Heather Ivatt

8:43 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Power and hardship:

‘Candy looked helplessly at him, for Slim’s opinions were law. ‘Maybe it’d hurt him,’ he suggested. ‘I don’t mind takin’ care of him’’
[Section 3. pg. 72]

This quote is referring to Candy’s ‘cripple’ of a dog; the adjective ‘helplessly’ implies that Candy has little or no power on the ranch as he has no input or opinion on the fate of his dog-his only companion. When Steinbeck writes Candy’s dialogue, he chose this phrasing to give his opinion wouldn’t affect the final outcome anyway, and he is painfully aware of this. He is represented at the bottom of the hierarchical structure on the ranch. It appears that the character Slim has sympathy for the ‘old man’, by making a compromise, ‘You can have a pup if you want to.’ He demonstrates his sensitivity and sympathy towards the ‘old man’, consequently why the character is idolised so much.

2:21 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hannah Rosa
1) Dreams
Crooks
"Crooks interrupted brutally, "You guys is just kidding yourself..."" (section 4 - Lenny and Candy are with Crooks discussing their dream of owning a ranch).
By interrupting Crooks could be preventing them from becoming too carried away.He is almost trying to convince himself that the dream is unachievable. The use of the adverb "brutally" would suggest he is desperate in his action and is associated with violence and bullying. He is perhaps sceptical and feels that if he doesn't have the chance to aceive his dreams, nobody else should. On the other hand, Crooks possibly doesn't wish for them to get too carried away, so they avoid becoming disappointed. This contradicts his brutality, but not his desperation to halt them. After all, Lenny and Candy are perhaps the only two people who are lever ikely to be anything near to his friend.

Slim
"You think that guy wrote this letter?" (Section 3 - in reference to the letter from a ranch hand that has been published in a magazine).
By using almost contradictory terms to address the "guy" and the "letter", Steinbeck emphasises Slims disbelief. He refers to "that guy" and "this letter" as if the two don't fit together. Moreover, it is these two words which possess the main emphasis of the speech. The tone is mocking, signalling that Slim is findinig the suggestion almost humourous in its absurdity. This sort of thing is not meant to happen to a ranch hand. Like Crooks, Slim too is perhaps cynical.
The question mark, too, at the end of the speech, also adds to the confusion of Slim.

10:42 AM  

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