For a moment the place was lifeless, and then two men emerged from the path and came into the opening by the green pool.
They had walked in single file down the path, and even in the open one stayed behind the other. Both were dressed in denim trousers and in denim coats with brass buttons. Both wore black, shapeless hats and both carried tight blanket rolls slung over their shoulders. The first man was small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features. Every part of him was defined: small, strong hands, slender arms, a thin and bony nose. Behind him walked his opposite, a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. His arms did not swing at his sides, but hung loosely.
The first man stopped short in the clearing, and the follower nearly ran over him. He took off his hat and wiped the sweat-band with his forefinger and snapped the moisture off. His huge companion dropped his blankets and flung himself. (1.2-4)
Sound familiar? Kind of like the pictures, right? In writing, compare and contrast this opening section from Of Mice and Men to the pictures you analyzed in class. What does the text and the photographs show us about the 1930s? Be specific!
They had walked in single file down the path, and even in the open one stayed behind the other. Both were dressed in denim trousers and in denim coats with brass buttons. Both wore black, shapeless hats and both carried tight blanket rolls slung over their shoulders. The first man was small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features. Every part of him was defined: small, strong hands, slender arms, a thin and bony nose. Behind him walked his opposite, a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. His arms did not swing at his sides, but hung loosely.
The first man stopped short in the clearing, and the follower nearly ran over him. He took off his hat and wiped the sweat-band with his forefinger and snapped the moisture off. His huge companion dropped his blankets and flung himself. (1.2-4)
Sound familiar? Kind of like the pictures, right? In writing, compare and contrast this opening section from Of Mice and Men to the pictures you analyzed in class. What does the text and the photographs show us about the 1930s? Be specific!
This opening section reminds me of the picture #2 I saw in class, "Bag Man on Road." From this picture I can see the stuff on his back which Steinbeck describes in the fourth sentence "tight blankets rolls slung over their shoulder. Steinbeck says that two people together walk down a single path, but from the picture I can speculate that the man in the picture is behind the other. Unlike the man in the picture, Steinbeck says that two men man have company of each other during the trip and he describes how they look in detail, while in the picture his front image is not shown. This photo struck me when I read the first few sentence because they were talking about men and only men and that two men were walking.
I think Steinbeck is trying to show us that the 1930's was hard, challenging, lonely including sadness. From the picture, it looks like people were poor and didn't have jobs. People had to struggle during their life.
The Great Depression happened during the 1930's and fashion industry was different and old.
1930's (Great Depression) times
The picture is showing a group of women sorting walnuts at the California Walnut Growers Association. I think these women had no choice but to hope for a better life.
I also found a video on hardship for people during the Great Depression. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpfY8kh5lUw
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