Winnie McCabe

Winnie McCabe
Of Mice and Men
John Steinbeck
Historical Fiction
Just Right
Just Finished
107

1. I just finished Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. George kills Lennie at the end of the book. This was a major event that left everybody confused. First, Lennie killed Curley's wife because she screamed when he was too rough with her hair. Lennie remembered that George told him to run to the brush if he got into any trouble. When Curley found out about Lennie killing his wife, he arranged that everybody go searching for him. Curley announced that he would kill Lennie himself out of anger. George knew exactly where to find Lennie. He split from the rest and met Lennie at the brush. He knew that Lennie had done a terrible thing and that he would be killed by Curley. Lennie asks George to tell him about the rabbits. George begins talking about their 10 acre ranch with rabbits and chickens. Then George asks him to look the other way and shoots him in the back of the head. Lennie's last words were about the rabbits, the thing he loved the most.

2. I absolutely loved Of Mice and Men. I have been reading a lot of Steinbeck books recently. I really like his writing style. Everything is so clear and straight to the point. Steinbeck also does a great job of leaving the reader questioning, even at the end of the book. I think that the idea of writing a novella about migrant workers is very captivating. They are often forgotten about because people just look right over them. I used to be that way, but now I have a greater appreciation for them. I learned that everyone has their own story and background. I also love how Steinbeck foreshadows so many major events. This really adds suspense to the plot. I just really love the way he perceived the characters. George's relationship with Lennie is priceless. Even though they are a non-traditional family, they love each other just as much as any family loves each other. Steinbeck is an amazing writer and his writing deserves to be read everywhere today.

3. One theme that I noticed in this book is non-traditional family. I see it with the boys in the bunk house, Candy and his dog, and most importantly George and Lennie. None of these families are "traditional". They all consist of different types of people (or dogs). The bunk house is like a family because deep down they all care about each other. Even though the men travel solo, they develop a bond with fellow migrant workers. Candy and his dog show a non-traditional family with a human and a dog. Candy has had the dog since he was a pup and they grew old together. They love each other as much as any other traditional family loves each other. The most important non-traditional family in this novella is George and Lennie. They are two migrant workers that travel together and look out for one another. They both love each other unconditionally and will always be a family.

4. My favorite character is definitely Slim. Most people look past him when they read this book. Slim is really just a genuine guy that everyone looks up to. He has a reputation that no one can replace, not even Curley. He is the leader of the bunk house and everyone likes him. One particular incident where  Slim showed leadership is when Carlson wants to put down Candy's dog. Candy takes a look at Slim to see if he is showing any reverse thoughts about it. Slim's reaction made Candy decide to put down the dog. Slim was also a great friend to George. I felt as if they were very similar characters. The way Slim leads the workers is similar to the relationship between George and Lennie. Slim is a really great person that I think everyone should aspire to be like.

5. My least favorite character is Curley's wife. She was very inappropriate when it came to the workers at the ranch. She always flirted with them and provoked them. Most of them just ignored her but Lennie couldn't control himself. She shouldn't have put herself in a dangerous situation. Provoking Lennie was such a bad idea. She should have minded her own business and stayed in the house. It really bothered me how Curley's wife and Curley would always come to the bunk house and ask where they are. It got to a point where it was almost like they just weren't married and were playing hide and seek! She just annoyed me to a point where I stopped caring about her. Even though I feel bad for her, I still feel like she should not have been flirting with the workers.

6. The ending of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck really surprised me. After going through so much with Lennie, George shoots Lennie himself. That alone amazed me because I was completely in shock but I understood why it had happened. If Lennie had gone back to the ranch after killing Curley's wife, he would have been killed by Curley. George had no choice but to kill him, there was nothing left for him and Lennie at the ranch. The ending happened so abruptly that I did not expect this to happen. At the same time I completely understood the reason for George to kill Lennie. This particular case was foreshadowed earlier in the novella. When Carlson wanted to put down Candy's dog, he shot him in the back of the head. Later, Candy said that he should have put down the dog himself. I think George killed Lennie with compassion. There was nothing left for Lennie, he would have been killed by Curley either way.