Friday, October 25, 2013

Day 5 (Period 2)


Instructions if you need them:

1. Each student needs to post at least once in the comments section of their period's blog post.
2. Posts should be about Day 5 reading, and can be either a discussion question, or an answer to someone else's discussion question.
3. Try to keep questions and answers roughly equal... if you see there are more questions than answers, add a question. If you see more answers than questions... pose a question!

Some additional suggestions:
  • include page numbers if you're asking a question
  • make sure it's clear who you're answering- either reply directly to a question, or state in your comment which question you're referring to

-Mrs. L.

20 comments:

  1. Everybody on the ranch hates Curley and his wife. They also know that Lennie isn't bright and doesn't have much common sense. Therefore, when Lennie kills Curley's wife, why does everyone side with Curley and want to kill Lennie?

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    1. They don't realize Lennie wouldn't hurt someone out of anger . It also might be out of job security.

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    2. I think this was partly because of the prejudice towards the mentally disabled at the time, therefore the non-disabled person would have the advantage regardless of the situation. Also, they are intimidated by Lennie and want to get rid of any chance of him hurting anyone else in the future. The ranchers aren't very forgiving in general anyways.

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    3. It does not matter whether Lennie killed Curley's on accident or on purpose; the only difference is whether it is manslaughter or murder.

      Additionally, everyone sides with Curley because they know that taking a life is an unforgivable sin. Even though George and Slim know that it was an accident, they understand that the law of the land says that the accused must not go unpunished.

      --Joshua Soong

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  2. To Jeffery Chiu's Question:
    When Lennie kills Curley's wife, everyone sides with Cuely and want to kill Lennie because they feel Lennie is too dangerous. The first time they saw Lennie's danger is when they saw Curley's hand broken. This time, they saw Curley's wife's neck is broken; this showing that Lennie is extremely strong and could kill more people easily. On page 97, when everyone is getting worked up into a fury and getting their guns, John Steinbeck writes, 'Carlson came running in. "The bastard's stole my Luger," he shouted. "It ain't in my bag."' What Carlson says makes everyone feel that Lennie is even more dangerous because they feel that he may be possessing a gun. Usually when people have just killed someone and has a gun, it shows they are insane, and are extremely dangerous. Everyone feels that Lennie isn't a person that can be negotiated with--they feel that they have to kill him. Another reason why everyone sides with Curley and wants to kill Lennie is because if they don't help Curley, Curley can get them all fired--being the boss' son. If nobody helps Curley, Curley will see them as traitors and as associated or supporting the murder act. That can also lead them to be lynched or arrested, especially since back then, the law enforcement wasn't that great. Everyone had to join in on the hunt for Lennie because it was Curley's wife that was killed. The last reason is probably that everyone has a vengeful feeling because they all probably view murder as unacceptable. With that feeling, they feel that all they can do is to go out and get Lennie for what he has done.

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  3. On page 89, Curley's wife says to Lennie, "'I don't like Curley. He ain't a nice fella'" (89). If she doesn't like Curley, why did she even marry him in the first place? Was this because she was mad for not receiving any letters?

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    1. I think that she married Curley partly because of the the letter. She says that she always thought that her mother stole it, and so she didn't want to be in a place where she couldn't do something useful and have her letters stolen. So then, she met Curley the same night and may have decided to marry him the same day, maybe because she was upset. She was probably wasn't considering what she was getting in to, and just wanted to get away from her mother.
      -Ryan T.

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    2. In response to Elisa's question:

      I believe Curley's wife married Curley to get away from her parents. While Curley's wife was talking to Lennie about her past, she said, "'I wasn't gonna stay no place where I couldn't get nowhere or make something of myself, an' where they stole your letters. [...] So I married Curley'" (Steinbeck 88). Because she believed her mother hid her letters from Hollywood and because her mother wouldn't let her join the show that went through Salinas, Curley's wife wished to get away from the place where she felt like she had no control over her own life. By marrying Curley, she would escape her family and live with Curley instead. This is why Curley's wife married Curley when she didn't even like him.

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  4. Do you think that George will also help the workers catch Lennie? Do you think he might even agree to kill Lennie? Also, do you think that George will side with Lennie, even if it costs him the job?

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    1. I don't think George will help catch Lennie because of what they have been through starting from Chapter 1. I don't think he will try to kill Lennie because he was friend to him. No he will not catch Lennie because they have been friends from the start of the book.

      Jai Vumma

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    2. I don't think that George will abandon Lennie that easily after everything that they have done together since chapter one. George loves Lennie, and Lennie loves George. I think that the situation will have to get real bad in order for George to kill Lennie.

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    3. I think George may help them catch Lennie because he finally realizes that Lennie is very dangerous and he could ruin any job for George. Even though they have a strong connection, I still think George may agree to kill him and he won't side with him because it will cost him the job. The situation is alrady pretty bad and Lennie has killed someone so he is extremely dangerous. If George does not kill him and help catch him, it will cost George the job.

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  5. George and Lennie always talked about how they weren't like the other men and how they were going to save up money for their own plot of land and a house. On page, 94 and 95 though, George said, "— I think I knowed from the very first. I think I knowed we'd never do her.." Why is it so hard for George and other men living on the ranch to save up money and not blow it all out at the poolroom or a cathouse? Even if Lennie was going to be shot (or maybe not), all George would have to do is wait for a little longer to receive the money he needs to achieve his dream.

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    1. It's hard for them to save up money because part of them thinks that they won't actually be able to get enough to buy the land, and that they should just spend it on brief immediate amusement rather than saving it up in anticipation of something that will never happen. Also, I think that is Lennie ends up getting shot, George would give up on it all because it wouldn't be the same without Lennie. He gets the money and buys the land, working with Candy. But Lennie won't be there; he was the one who sort of motivated George into really planning to maybe get the land. With all his talk of rabbits and whatnot, it will seems empty if he's gone. Lonely.

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  6. Curley becomes furious when his wife is found dead. Slim says, "Curley--maybe you better stay here with your wife" (98). Instead of being really sad, he is really angry. Does this show that he never really cared for her (and that's why he didn't show any sadness) or that he cared for her ALOT (and that's why he showed lots of anger)?

    Sharon Wang

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    1. I think he's just upset he doesn't have a pretty woman to show around anymore. Honestly, I believe he was just looking for an excuse to blame Lennie, because he didn't like Lennie from the start, which was another reason why he was upset. I don't think he really cared for his wife very much.

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  7. If Lennie dies, do you think George will get over it and still try to achieve their dream? If not, what do you think will happen to Candy.

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    1. If Lennie dies, I know George would be really depressed because they've known each other for a long time now and have always been there for each other. I think over time George will get over it and try to acheive their dream because he knows that's what Lennie would've wanted, and Candy would probably come along since he has most of the money.

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  8. Because Lennie was mentally disabled and didn't now any better, he accidentally killed Curley's wife. Do you think it's his fault for doing such a thing or do you think that it was the other ranch workers' fault for leaving him by himself? Why or why not?

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  9. I don't think it was anyone's fault. Since Lennie didn't talk much the whole time, I don't think the other ranch workers knew he was actually mentally disabled; they probably just thought he was kind of dull. I think he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.

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