Of Mice and Men: Week of 4/29/14

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Prompt: After reading, I wonder…

Pick the phrase from what you are reading that made you think. Interpret what
the author meant.

Does the title fit the story? Why or why not?

Very recently in class we finished the book Of Mice and Men. Throughout the reading we notice Steinbeck's need to end the chapter right where it had started and his need to end the book where it begun. The story began with Lennie and George, the main characters, walking near the Salinas River. The novella terminated with the death of Lennie right on the banks of the Salinas River in California. With this in my mind my, I ponder why did John Steinbeck form his plot this way? In my opinion it is almist as if the Salinas River was a symbol, in a way, for the dream. I felt that when Steinbeck wrote the reading, Of Mice and Men, he purposefully had several hidden meanings. In my opinion he did a great job in hiding these meanings. That or I am not very good with searching, I will go with the latter.

A phrase from my reading that made me think was, "As happens sometimes, a moment settled and hovered and remained for much more than a moment. And sound stopped and movement stopped for much, much more than a moment.” This quote from the reading simply spoke to me. Possibly because it reminded if those single points in time that we all go through. The quote helps me keep in thought all of those terribly precious moments in our lives, the calm right before the storm. Almost as if saying a goodbye to someone you know you won't see for a long time or someone you know you won't see ever again. Yet, in that moment it is almost as if the world stopped and it was just you and that person. With no words in between, and no need to read between the lines. 

Of Mice and Men, Of Men and Mice, Of Mice and Men. In my opinion there is no other name that could be more superb than Of Mice and Men. The title is both interesting and significant. The fact that Steinbeck got the idea for the title, Of Mice and Men, from the poem, "To a Mouse," was a stroke of absolute sheer brilliance. In the poem, "To a Mouse," it states, "The best laid scheme o' Mice and Men, /Gang aft agley" or the best laid plans of Mice and of Men/ Often go awry. Once finishing reading the book you realize the great influence the poem had upon the book Of Mice and Men. The characters often face the side effects of having their plans for "agley."