Novel Reaction: Thinking Forward

We have investigated many captivating themes that exist in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men over the last few weeks.  You have explored the desperation and poverty of the American 1930s through pictures and video.  You have witnessed how John Steinbeck used naturalism to portray certain characters as "human beasts" acting on impulsiveness and instinct for self-preservation.  You have examined how the author used literary devices such as sentimentalism, diction, tone, parallelism, and foreshadowing in order to propel these themes.  You have close-read and analyzed the text digging deeper and deeper for evidence of themes such as Power vs. Powerlessness, Individual vs. Community, The American Dream, Euthanasia, Racism, Loneliness, and maybe even a little Sexism.  Pat yourself on the back!  You have been critically thinking about this novella on so many different levels.

For this week's blog response, you need to make some pretty serious decisions!  We are quickly approaching the time where you will be expected to write your Research Paper based on a topic of interest from Of Mice and Men.  If you have been keeping up with your reading, completing your notes, participating in conversations and activities during class on the various themes, and completing your blog responses this choice will be fairly easy!  If not, you may be in for a struggle....

What topic or theme that we have touched on during this unit has "hit home" with you the most?  Which theme or topic has a personal connection for you?  Which did you find most captivating or interesting to discuss and investigate during this unit?  Select a topic/theme from the list above that peaks your interest, and, in this week's blog response, discuss why you find it fascinating, which moment in the story you think about when reflecting on this theme, and how this theme is relevant in today's world.

The topic that has "hit home" me the most in Of Mice and Men is the American Dream.  The American dream has personal connection to me because I would want to live a successful life with happiness and basic needs.  The American dream made me interested to discuss and investigate during this unit because all the character's had a dream and that John Steinbeck did a good job talking about each character and based upon their actions what they wanted their American Dream to be.

I found the American Dream topic fascinating because it everybody in the story wanted their life to be better and in the story John Steinbeck would talk about each character's American's dream.  In the story I think about the American Dream when Lennie keeps on talking about what George's and his future dream will be.  Curley's Wife talks to Lennie is an another moment in the story I reflect to as the American dream.  The American Dream is relevant in the today's world in the sense that people want to have a successful, wealthy life and the main thing today is money but in the 1930's it was water, food, nice place to live, etc. (what people needed to survive and be happy). 

I found a video on youtube that is the "Fallacy of the American Dream" and that everybody wanted to achieve prosperity, success and many more things upon their circumstances in the 1930's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3qwGnKaP4A