Luke Martiros

Luke Martiros

Of Mice and Men

John Steinbeck

Realistic Fiction

Just Right

Just Finished 107

#1 The ending of the book was not as great as I was expecting. Lennie killed Curley's wife, and then ran off into the woods. George knew that when Curley and then other men found him, they would torture him until he died. So with the gun that George brought along with him, he killed Lennie for his own good. George felt sad that his friend had to go, but he knew that it was the right thing to do. George also knew that it would be an easier life without Lennie, because he wouldn't have to worry about telling Lennie what to do throughout the day. But George would be without his best friend so he wouldn't feel as consoled as he normally would. I thought this was a bad ending because it ended with a life being lost. George had to kill his best friend because it was better for him. It is hard to think that a death could have any positive side to it.

#2 I did not enjoy the book as much as I thought it would, but it was pretty good for a school reading book. I thought that the beginning of the book was very boring, because it was hard to focus in on anything that was happening. There was not enough going on for me to really engage in the book. But later in the book I felt like I knew a little more about the characters and the setting, so it was an easier read. Lennie and George kept me involved in the book because of their relationship they had. I thought that it was very interesting that Lennie, a man of strength, but not awareness, would become good friends with a guy who was smart, but not very strong. I didn't know that John Steinbeck was a famous author until I was told in class. His work measures up to himself, because when you analyze the book, it is amazing what he can do in 100 pages.

#3 A theme in this book is desire to escape. In notice this theme in many different places. One place I notice the theme is when Lennie, George and Candy all made a plan to escape the ranch after they had enough money. They wanted to live at their own house, and have farm animals. Lennie wanted to tend the rabbits, and George and Candy would take care of the property. They would trade to get other necessary materials, and they would be living in a good condition. After the month had ended, Lennie and George would get their monthly pay of fifty dollars, and with the rest of Candy's money, they would head off and lead their own life.

#4 My favorite character is Lennie. Lennie is my favorite character because he has the most personality. Lennie is a person that is a mix of many things. He is unusually strong, and unusually simple-minded. Lennie has a lot to say but can't put it into words to say it. Lennie's unusual strength also makes him my favorite character, because it is amazing how Lennie can become so attached to something. Lennie loves anything that is soft. He had a "pet" mouse that he kept in his pocket. He told George that he liked it because it was soft. Lennie eventually killed it because of his strength. He said he was just petting it, but since he his so strong, his pets killed the little mouse. Also Lennie killed a puppy. Lennie wanted a puppy because they were soft. So he got one, but killed it very quickly. Lennie then didn't want George to find out what he had done, so he hid it. Lennie doesn't have a lot of confidence, and he has the intelligence of a little kid. I think that it is interesting how the author portrayed a character in such a way. Lennie is also the most talked about character in the book. He has something to do with most of the events that take place in the book. If Lennie was as smart as most people are, I think he would be a dangerous person to be around. He would be dangerous, because he would be really strong, and he would have brains to put his strength to work.

#5 My least favorite character is Curley. Curley is my least favorite character, because he is very controlling. Curley never wants other men to be near his wife, so he always checks in on her. Curley also thinks he is the boss of the ranch. He feels that he has the right over most of the men and is not very nice to them. Curley dislikes anybody who is bigger and stronger than him. One time, Curley thought that Lennie was laughing at him, so Curley started punching him. Lennie obeys George, so Lennie just stood there telling George to make him stop. After Curley punched George a few more times, George told Lennie to get Curley. Lennie held on to Curley's hand until it turned white. George told Lennie to let go, and George had to get Slim's help to get Lennie to let go of the strong grip. Curley deserved it though as he was just punching Lennie for laughing.

#6 The ending of the book was not what I expected as I was reading the book. I thought that Lennie, George, and Candy were going to save up their money, and buy their own home at the end of the book.  The author foreshadowed the death of Lennie in many ways. In the beginning of the book, George and Lennie had just left Weed, because Lennie was accused of raping a girl. So Lennie and George were in the woods, and Lennie found a mouse, and put it in his pocket. George told Lennie to take the mouse out of his pocket because he was going to kill it. Lennie refused and later on, killed the mouse. When Lennie went to the barn to see the new puppies, he was petting one and was thinking about the ending the rabbits at their new house. He became frustrated, and threw the pup across the room. The pup hit the wall and was killed. Then he went to go get the pup, so nobody saw what he had done. He hid the pup under some hay, and then Curley's wife came in. They started a conversation, and that led to Curley's wife telling Lennie to touch her hair, because it was really soft. Lennie had already previously killed two things that were soft, so I had an idea what was coming. Lennie grabbed her hair, and it was really soft, so he didn't let go. Curley's wife started screaming, and Lennie freaked out. He grabbed her mouth, trying to make her stop screaming. She couldn't breath for much longer, and she died. Lennie knew he wouldn't be able to tend the rabbits, so he ran away into the nearby forest. The men then found out what had happened, so they decided to go into the woods to kill Lennie. George knew that they were going to put him through a lot of torture, so he killed him with a gun he had stolen from the ranch. All three killings led up to the death of Lennie himself.