Of Mice and Men II
Question: In the story, what do the other men think of Lennie? Use examples from the text.
In the start the ranchowner is wondering what George is trying to sell him when George won’t let Lennie talk. The men are suspicious why George is doing that. George tells them that Lennie isn’t smart or bright, but he’s one hell of a worker. As Lennie is working there they agree with George. Slim says that Lennie is like a child, but he is also the strongest man he has ever seen. Curley hates Lennie, and he’s looking for excuses to start a fight with Lennie. Curley is a small man with a temper, and he hates big people. Otherwise I think the men like Lennie, he’s not smart so he’s not the kind of person to plot something, and he’s a very strong man making him a very good ranch worker. He also obeys orders.
Of Mice and Men
Question: How do you know that George and Lennie have known each other for a long time?
It’s not hard to discover that George and Lennie have known each other for a long time. They basically say it straight out in the third chapter when they’re talking to Slim. Slim questions that it’s not that normal that two guys are working with each other for that long, and George answers “We have known each other for a long time”. Though I will of course put some other examples in except for that. On the way to the ranch Lennie is petting a dead mouse, and he vaguely remembered a woman who used to give him mice to pet. George tells Lennie he’s quite stupid, because that woman was Lennie’s aunt, who passed away a while ago. This tells that George knows Lennie very well as he knows Lennie’s family members. Seeing as the aunt has been dead for a while as well it indicates that George has known Lennie for quite some time. Also, the main thing behind all this: George and Lennie have been working with each other on many jobs, and Lennie always ruins it according to George. This tells us they’ve had quite many jobs, and that they’ve been working with each other for a long time. Based on the examples and facts above, we know that George and Lennie have known each other for a long time.
John Steinbeck Questions
1. Which one of John Steinbeck’s novels won a Pulitzer Prize?
John Steinbeck won the Pulitzer Prize for his novel The Grapes of Wrath.
2. Where and what year was he born?
John Steinbeck was born in Salinas Valley, 27th February 1902.
3. Name three of John Steinbeck’s books that were made into Hollywood films?
Here are three books by John Steinbeck that was made into Hollywood films: The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men and The Forgotten Village
4. In what year did John Steinbeck write of Mice and Men?
Of Mice and Men was published in 1937 by Spangler (the publisher).
5. What did John Steinbeck do during WWII?
During World War II Steinbeck was a war correspondent for New York Herald Tribune. If Steinbeck was caught he would have been executed, but all his missions were successful. Steinbeck got the Haakon VII medal of freedom because he contributed with helping the norwegian resistance movement.
6. What US President awarded Steinbeck the United States Medal of Freedom.
Lyndon B. Johnson awarded Steinbeck the United States Medal of Freedom.
7. What is John Steinbeck’s Museum called?
John Steinbeck’s museum is called The National Steinbeck Center.
8. How old was Steinbeck when he died?
John Steinbeck was 66 years old when he died.
9. What does the novel “The Moon is Down”, have to do with Norway?
The Moon Is Down is much like the German occupation of Norway druing World War II.
10. Find out on the internet the two main characters “Of Mice and Men”. Tell me a little about them and what the story is about (8 sentences).
George Milton is an intelligent man, and he is also caring. With him is Lennie Small, a man who has mental problems, and he is incredible strong. Lennie can’t control his own strength, which gives him some problems. With an accident Lennie kills his puppy, and he is afraid that George won’t let him be near the rabbits anymore. Lennie is fond of soft and smoothe things, like animal fur and hair. George is having a ranch, and he and Lennie wants to make the dream of owning their own piece of land come true. The dream seems to be within their reach, but problems start when Lennie is accused for attempted rape because his uncontrolable strength when he touched a young woman’s dress. In the end the dream is crushed when Lennie kills Curley’s wife in an accident.
Caught in a Viscious Circle
Question 1: Write a list of all the characters in this story and describe what type of person they are.
Elaine – Elaine is a good person, though she is the one caught in a viscious circle. She is hanging around with friends that have bad influence on her. The “leader” of her friend-gang makes her do things that she doesn’t really want to do. She does not like Cordelia, but she still does whatever she tells her to do.
Cordelia – She is, to put it simple, cruel. She can’t stand being made fun of, and she bosses others around. She makes Elaine do things she doesn’t want to do. She is dependant on her friends, but she still treats them like dirt.
Carol – She is not as bad as the others. She is at the bottom a good person, but is bossed around, just as Elaine. Carol cares for others, and she takes things seriously. I think it would be best for her if she found her some other friends, like if she joined Elaine and her new friend Jill.
Grace – It’s not too much about her, but from we see she is basically Cordelia’s puppet. Cordelia’s opinion is her opinion, and she does what Cordelia tells her to do.
Elaine’s Mother – She cares for Elaine, and she knows that her friends aren’t good for her. That’s why it wasn’t hard for her to tell who threw Elaine’s hat from the bridge even if Elaine did not tell her.
Question 2: What is the theme of this story? What is the author trying to get across to the reader?
The theme in this story is how some friends have bad influence on others. She is trying to tell you that you should have your own opinions, and don’t just do as others tell you to. In the end you are caught in a viscious circle (which is why she gave that title to the text) and it is harder to stop. Stay away from people who have bad influence on you.
Question 3: What did you like/dislike about this story, please be specific!
I like the theme in this story. The message the author gives is quite good, and the message counts just as much for today as it counted for 30 years ago. I am glad Elaine discovers that Cordelia has bad influence on her, and decides to find some new friends.
2. Five People that Mark Twain Admires
Judge Thatcher – I think Mark Twain admires him because he is a man of his word. He is wise, he is kind, and he is helping others when they need help. He is not tricked easily.
Huckleberry Finn – I think Mark Twain admires him because he is a boy who wants to be free and do whatever he wants. Huck is also honest, and a kind person. He doesn’t want to trick or harm other people.
Tom Sawyer – I think Mark Twain admires him because he likes adventures, and to have fun. Tom is a good boy and a friend of Huck as well. Tom does what he is told, he’s a nice guy willing to help others.
Jim – I think Mark Twain admires him because he is a very good person, yet he’s only a slave. He shares things with you eve if he doesn’t have much to share. He also believes in everything you say. It’s not always a good thing, but most of the time it is.
Mrs Douglas – I think Mark Twain admires her because she is a nice old lady. She wants the best for Huckleberry, though Huck doesn’t want “what’s best for him”. She is a kind person who takes care of other people.
4. Jim – Huck’s True Father?
Some critics claim that Jim is Huck’s true father. I am going to judge this statement. Some info about Huck and Jim before we start: Huck helped arresting some bandits while they were trying to rob Mrs Douglas. He got a reward on $6000 for it, and Mrs Douglas took him into her home because Huck did not have a proper home. Mrs Douglas’ sister, Ms Watson, has a slave named Jim. Jim is nice to Huck, and Huck likes Jim.
Not long after, Jim and Huck found themselves in the same situation. Jim had run away from Mrs Watson because she intended to sell him, and Huck had run away from his drunk father. Jim was always kind to Huck, he shared his food with him, and he took him with him on his journey. Huck likes Jim, so he wants to join him on his escape.
Over the journey to escape from their past, Jim takes good care of Huck. Together they build a raft, and go downstream with the Mississippi River. Later on, they meet two men that are calling themselves the King and the Duke. The King says he’s the King of France, and the Duke says he’s the Duke of Bridgewater in England. Huck finds out what kind of people they are, but Jim wants to think the best of everyone. The King and the Duke joins Huck and Jim on the raft.
Later on they arrived in a town, and there was a funeral going on. The King and the Duke tells that they are someone that they’re not, and they try to scam the funeral to make some money.Huck then realizes Jim was right about the King and the Duke, so they run away from them. Together they escape to where Tom Sawyer lives.
To the conclusion: Jim isn’t Huck’s biological father as we know, that is the drunk Mr. Finn. Though, Jim takes on the role as Huck’s father, helping him out, he’s being kind to him, he uses his wisdom to give Huck advice, and he wants the best for him, in difference to Mr. Finn who only wants Huck’s money. So yeah, you could say that Jim is Huck’s true father.
Questions:
1. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was first published in: Charles L. Webster And Company, 1884.
2. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn can best be described as: One of the first great American Novels. Huck and Jim escapes together to run away from their homes, and they get in the middle of several adventures on their way.
3. Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer each received ________ dollars when they found money that the robbers had hidden in the cave:$6000
4. Huck’s father returns because he:Huck’s Father returns because he wants Huck’s money.
5. When Jim first sees Huck Finn on the island, he thinks Huck:Jim thinks Huck is someone trying to get Jim back to Ms Watson. That will say the sherrif.
6. Jim runs away from Miss Watson because:Jim runs away because Ms Watson is planning to sell Jim.
7. Huck escapes to Jackson Island and discovers that: Huck discovers that Jim has run away from Ms Watson.
8.Mark Twain’s approach to the issue of racism in Huckleberry Finn is that: All races have right to be free, to live their own life.
10 Facts about Mark Twain
1. Mark Twain is a pseudonym. That will say Mark Twain isn’t his real name, just an “artist name”
2. Mark Twain’s real name is Samuel Langhorne Clemens
3. Samuel Langhorne Clemens was born 30th November in 1835, in a place called Florida in Missouri.
4. Samuel Langhorne Clemens died 21st April in 1910.
5. Samuel Langhorne Clemens was almost 75 years when he died
6. Samuel Langhorne Clemens is a very famous writer. He has written books like Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer (who knows each other in the stories by the way).
7. Samuel Langhorne Clemens has been told to have started the American literature by Ernest Hemingway.
8. Samuel Langhorne Clemens was born 2 weeks after Halleys Comet passed the Sun.
9. Samuel Langhorne Clemens stated that he would die when Halleys Comet passed the Sun again. He died a day after the comet passed.
10. Samuel Langhorne Clemens wrote many books. Most of them were fiction.
Lennie
Lennie works at a farm. He is incredibly strong, but he can’t seem to control his strength. Lennie loves animals, and likes to be around with them. Because of his strength though he has certain accidents that leads to the pet dying or getting major injury. Lennie is afraid that George won’t let him take care of the rabbits after he killed a puppy. Lennie likes smooth things like hair and fur, and I think he has some kind of mental handicap.
The parents and the 7 Drunk Kids
A pun on the fairy tale “The Wolf and the 7 Young Kids” http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm005.html
Once upon a time there was a big party in a hut in the forest. They were up late at night, drinking beer and dancing. Then they discovered they were out of beer. One kid volunteered to go outside to get some more. Before he left, he told them “And remember to watch out for our parents. They will not like us being drunk, and will try to trick us to come out so they can take us back home”. “Don’t worry mate” the kids replied. “We’re going to be just fine, just get that beer for us”. So the kid went away, but couldn’t go in a straight line as he was rather drunk.
After a while someone knocked on the door. “Who is it?” the kids said. “I’m here with the beer” they got as an answer. “LIEZ! From what I hear you’re sober, and the kid we sent to get beer was drunk. You must be someone’s parent!” So the kids did not open up for the person outside the door.
The parent had to fool the kid, so he went to a bar and grabbed a couple of whiskies, and went back to the hut. “Knock, knock boom!” it said as the parent fell to the ground. “Hey guys, I’m back with the beer! Let me in, I really have to use the toilet!” the parent said. “You’re drunk enough, so you’re not one of our parents” and so they opened the door. Then they saw it was a parent after all and started running around and hiding. One hid under the sofa, another hid beind the TV, the 3rd hid behind the curtains, the 4th hid under the sink, the 5th hid behind the door, the 6th jumped out the window and the 7th hid behind the parent. The parent found them all, except for the one hiding behind him (alcohol does not make you very smart to put it that way).
Then the kid who went out to get beer came back and was quite surprised. “Where are my drunk friends?” he said. “*Hick* Someone’s parent *hick* came and *hick* took them home” the remaining kid said. “Well well, that’s just more beer for us!” And they sat up and drank beer all night… until they passed out.
10 sentences with prepositions
1. The book is on the table
2. The bottle is behind the TV
3. The knife is in the drawer
4. You are in the kitchen
5. The cake is on the plate
6. The videos are on the shelf
7. I am in Oslo at the moment
8. The calculator is next to the computer
9. I saw it on TV
10. I am in the basement
Prepositions are marked in bold.
Veni, Vidi, Dormivi 