Character Analysis || Research Connection

Character Analysis: Lennie Smalls
Lennie Smalls is the perfect example of a kid in an adults body. He has the strength of a lumberjack, but a brain like a dog. Quoting the book, "He hears Lennie's whimpering cry and wheeled about. Blubbering like a baby! Jesus Christ! A big guy like you, said George. Lennie's lip quivered and tears started in his eyes." (Steinbeck, 9) . This shows that Lennie is a very fragile and innocent person, that is scared of his opposite. Lennie is devoted to following George's order, as a dog is devoted to its master. Lennie is motivated to follow George's commands, because of his love for animals. "But you ain't gonna get in no trouble, because if you do, I won't let you tend the rabbits." (Steinbeck, 16), Whenever George uses this line against Lennie, Lennie would try his best to stay out of trouble, so that he would get to tend the rabbits at their "ranch dream". Lennie's feeling of security, comes from petting soft things. When things around him get tough, he would pet soft objects to feel more safe and secure.

Lennie mostly pets animals since they have soft fur, but since he is a big man, he often snaps their heads when they bite him. "Lennie looked sadly up at him. They was so little, he said apologetically. I'd pet 'em and pretty soon they bit my fingers and I pinched their heads a little and then they was dead--- because they was so little. I wish't we'd get the rabbits pretty soon George." (Steinbeck, 9-10) Lennie always does things that gets him into trouble, but he doesn't do it on purpose. However when Lennie does get into trouble, he would have to depend on his opposite, George Milton to get him out of it. For the reason of that, Lennie would always feel guilty for dragging George down with him every time he causes trouble. "Lennie gave a cry of terror. Blood welled form his nose. George, he cried. Make um let me alone, George." (Steinbeck, 63). This direct quote from the book proves that George "is wearing the pants" in their relationship. George takes care of Lennie and he also makes his decisions for him. Lennie is just like a child depending on his parent aka "George". George leaves out their "ranch dream" as a goal for Lennie, so that he could have something to hope for. Whenever George tells the fictional story about their dream, Lennie would light up with enthusiasm and embrace the dream as if it is going to come true. Overall Lennie is a nice guy, but not the brightest. He could be a nuisance sometimes, but George would always have his back.

Research Connection to "Of Mice and Men"
"Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck takes place in California during the time period of the Great Depression. A time where history took a downfall in the economic world. Millions of people were scrambling to find jobs due to the economic fall in the mid 1930s. "The timing of the great depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in 1930 and lasted until the late 1930s or middle 1940s. It was the longest, deepest, and most widespread depression of the 20th century." (Great Depression,1). Many of the characters in the book were migrant workers in desperate need of money and food. The main characters, Lennie Smalls and George Milton, had a dream that they would own a big ranch, with farm animals, and a comfy bed to sleep on. But during the time of the Great Depression, that dream would have been counted as a negligible dream, seeing as the economy is dying and that jobs are hard to find. George Milton didn't really quite believe in the dream, he always knew that it was fictional and that it would never come true. Lennie Smalls on the other hand, embraces the dream with hsi childlike personality every time they talked about it. Mental retardation or intellectual disability explains why Lennie is a child in an adult's body. "Mental Retardation is a disability in which the diagnosed learns and develops more slowly than other people". 
(What is intellectual disability?, 2) During that time period, Lennie wouldn't be diagnosed with this disability because mental retardation wasn't brought out to the public yet. If there has been a more social understanding of Lennie's condition then there wouldn't have been consequences. All in all, the book definitely takes the reader on a journey through the time of the great depression, facing unexpected obstacles.

Mental Retardation || Summary

Mental retardation, also know as intellectual disability is a mental condition that is usually diagnosed before the age of 18. There are 4 levels of mental retardation-- mild, moderate, severe, and profound. The age that this disability most affects are the ages between 6-60. Intellectual function can be measured with an IQ test to detect below- average intelligence. If a person has this disorder that means that he or she learns and develops more slowly than others. People that are diagnosed with this intellectual disability will have trouble learning in school and functioning in everyday life. He or she is usually slower than others in other skills, like how to get dressed and how to act in big crowds.

Mental retardation could last for years, or it could be lifelong. There is no cure for this disability, but treatment could help. Special education and behavioral therapy can help the diagnosed person live their life to the fullest. Intellectual disabilities occur when the brain gets injured or when there is a problem that prevents the brain for developing normally. These problems can occur while the baby is growing inside the womb, during the child's birth, or after the baby is born. Intellectual disability does not only occur as a baby, but it could occur at any point during life. One cause for this is concussion during a sports event.

http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/intellectual/#def
http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/birth_defect/mental_retardation.html#
http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/intellectual-disability-mental-retardation
http://aaidd.org/intellectual-disability/definition

Vocabulary Assignment || Of Mice and Men

Definition:

belligerently- warlike; given to waging war

crestfallen- dejected; dispirited; discouraged

Quotes:

PG. 102: belligerently- Now Lennie retorted belligerently, “He ain’t neither. George won’t do nothing like that. I’ve knew George since --- I forget when -- and he ain’t never raised his han’ to me with a stick.

PG. 82: crestfallen- George scowled “I though I tol” you not to tell nobody about that. Candy was crestfallen, didn’t tell nobody but crooks.

Sentences:

- After stealing my brothers most prized possession, he became belligerent and started yelling at me.

- After cheating on her test, Meena Schmabola-Bomb was crestfallen when it came down to retaking her test.

Hydroflask || Graphic Card

Coney Island Life Analysis || Final Draft

People nowadays treat life as if it is forever. Instead of making dreams come true, people would rather wait for their dreams to come to them. When will it ever occur to them that life is a very valuable artifact and that they shouldn’t take it for granted. It is better to take chances in life than living it in a restricted “box”. “A Coney Island Life” by James L. Weil compares life to a carnival in New York. Talking about a carousel ride the person in this poem has a scarce amount of time left in their life and is reflecting on the obstacles that they encountered. As the person wasted their time wining "dolls", they're hopes and dreams were "breaking skywards without them". This piece of literature is simple yet it also has a deep meaning to it. The poem conveys the idea that time is valuable and we shouldn’t be waiting on goals and opportunities to come to us.

We haven’t lived life yet if we haven’t encountered an obstacle. Life is not perfect. It has its fun, scary, and sad moments. While fulfilling their dreams, people experience “roadblocks” but that doesn’t give them an excuse to turn around and give up. Instead it gives them a reason to work through the obstacle. Just like what James L. Weil said in the poem, “Having lived a Coney Island life, on roller coasters ups and downs.”, he gave the reader an idea of perseverance. The roller coasters represent the rough and good days in life. As we all know it, rollercoasters starts off with a incline that boosts up our adrenaline. Then it ends with a drop of fear and regret. James L. Weil compares the drops and loops of the rollercoasters to the sad and happy parts of life. In the poem, the line, “Now arms filled with dolls I threw so much for.”, gives the hidden meaning that determination helps accomplish many things in life. This line tells the readers that no matter at what cost, achieving a goal would give you happiness. To reach a goal, people would have to sacrifice a lot of things in their life. It may require time and hard work but it is all worth it in the end.

Many people do not realize that time goes by fast, and it could never be restored. It also doesn’t wait for anybody, so one must value and catch their dreams before it’s too late. When James L. Weil said “And seen my helium hopes break skyward without me.”, he conveyed the idea that time goes by fast so we should not waste it. Comparing goals to a simple balloon filled with helium, Weil shows us that our goals could fly away from us before we know it. Dreams and goals do not come to us, therefore we must accomplish it before time runs out. In the poem, James L. Weil expresses the value of time by stating “I take perhaps my last ride on this planet carousel”. By saying this, he is telling the reader to use time wisely and not waste it on useless things. Earlier in the poem, Weil stated the line "Now arms filled with dolls, I threw so much for." Sure, winning dolls could be great, but after winning them, they possess no purpose, therefore they just turn into a piece of decoration. Wasting time on useless things like dolls, is an example that Weil is trying to portray. Time could be free, but it is also priceless.

Through quotes and metaphors, James L. Weil teaches us a lesson on life, time, and dreams. Even though this poem was simple and short, it still gives us a great lecture on how to live our life. Within 60 words, James L. Weil explains to the reader that goals and dreams are the reason why we live life. Weil portrays the idea of pushing ourselves to the limit so that when the end comes, we would not die of regret but leave with a satisfaction that we have lived out lives to the fullest.

Vocabulary || Graphic Card