Weekly Blog for 4/27/15 OMAM

Prompt:

Brainstorm the different types of conflicts via your Google doc, creating a chart that addresses the conflict, types of conflict, and the effect that the conflict has had on the plot so far. From your brainstorming session, choose at least two conflicts to explore more in depth in this blog. Be sure to include textual evidence and support and also identify the effect that the conflict has had on the plot so far.

First Conflict: Crook vs Society

Second Conflict: Lennie vs. Curley


            One conflict that I noticed was that Crooks wasn't accepted into the farm. I saw this because he often mentioned that no one wanted him to be around because he was 'black'. This affects the story because he can relate to the other characters and make the reader maybe feel sorry for them. Like the bad things about them or there faults. Like Curley's wife, how she gets separated from them because she is a girl. In the story he says that no one wants him to play cards with him because hes black. This shows how much racism was going on at the ranch. He all alone against all the white men on the ranch.

            The second conflict that I noticed was Lennie and Curley. In the story I think Candy had said that Curley didn't like big guys. Thats why immediately there was that tense feeling in the bunkhouse when Curley first met Lennie. Then afterwords Curley kept sending mean glances or glares while Lennie was scared and tried to hid from him. After awhile it all lead up to the fight that happened between them and caused Lennie to crush Curley's hand.

I commented on:

Mia's Blog

Diana's Blog 

Jared's Blog

Dream Poem

Dreams exisit

Everywhere around us

It's what keeps us going

Even in the darkest times

It helps us decide our future

Even if we change them

Its something that we always

try to reach in the end

because it will make us happy

They are seen as 'dreams'

yet if you chase it far enough

It would become reality

My dream is different from yours

but that doesn't stop us from trying 

to both reach our own

Weekly Blog for 4/20/15 Of Mice and Men

º Describe the atmosphere of the ranch and bunkhouse.
º Why doesn't Curley's wife have a name? What message, if anything, is John Steinbeck  trying to send by not giving her a first name?

            I would say that the atmosphere of the bunkhouse would be tense. I think this because before Curley came into the bunkhouse, it was fine but since a bit later in the book we discover that Curley doesn't like big men. Since Lennie is big Curley tries to intimidate him which causes George to get mad, "He glanced coldly at George and then at Lennie. His arms gradually bent at the elbows and his hands closed into fists He stiffened and went into a slight crouch. His glace was at once calculating and pugnacious. Lennie squirmed under the look and shifted his feet nervously." This means that since Curley doesn't like big men he immediately tried to be mean by curling his fists and going into like a fighting position like if Lennie did something to show a threat, he would attack. Even after Lennie does get scared and wants to leave, George becomes like a brother and tries to calm him down. This makes that tense mood that stayed even after Curley left. I think that the atmosphere of the ranch is mostly Tense as well, as we don't see that much of the whole ranch in the first one to three chapters. 

             I think that Curley's wife doesn't have a name because since shes the only girl there, and is to be married to Curley it would be reasonable for everyone just to call her Curley's wife, as the book refers to her as. I think this because since back then women where seen as possessions there would be no need to give her a name as she could just be called "Curley's wife". In the story it says "He got married a couple weeks ago. Wife lives over in the boss's house." Which just states that they don't bother calling her by her first name if she even had one because now she is Curley's wife, its more practical to just call her that. I think that the message John Steinbeck is trying to say is that back then women where considered possessions and it didn't matter if she had a name or not.

I commented on:

Mia's Blog

Diana's Blog

John's Blog

Weekly Blog for 4/13/15 Alabama Moon

Are the characters realistic (do they seem like they could be read people)? Why

or why not?

• Describe a character that you would like to meet (which doesn’t mean that you

think you would like the character, but that you think the character would be

interesting). List 4 questions that you would ask.

Describe the major conflict. What side are you on?
 

          I think that the characters in this story seem like they could be real people. I think this because sometimes you find people living in the woods like Moon and his father (not exactly like them, they must have electricity and like a cabin).  I also think that they could be real people because like any other boy that loses his parents and has no relatives, he goes to a boys home. I also think that the characters could be real people because in the story, not everyone is perfectly healthy as for example Kit has cancer.

          I would like to meet Moon. He is a brave kid and I would love to have him tell me what its like to live in the wild. I would ask him "What did it feel like burying your own father?" I would ask him this because he must have been very emotional, and it surprised me that a kid had that much strength to bury his own father. Another question I would ask would be, "How did you feel when they put you in the boys home?" I would ask this because it was all of the sudden, from the forest to an actual home, I wonder how he felt. I would ask him "Why did you go back to the store to talk to Mr. Abroscotto?" because I'm guessing he knew that Mr. Abroscotto could have just called Sanders to catch him but yet he did it anyways. My final question that I would ask him would be "How do you feel living with Hal?" I would ask him this because like before it was a sudden change and he seems to be doing well but I would ask this just to make sure. 

          The major conflict in the story is that Moon wants to live in the forest while many other people tell him not to. The major conflict is also when Sanders is trying to catch Moon, because he left with Kit and Hal. I am on Moon's side because yes, it is insane that a kid wants to live in the woods. I would never do it. Moon on the other hand, has lived in the forest his whole life. Even if his father died I think that he is very skilled and prepared to live life the same as when his dad was alive. 

I commented on:

Bianey C

Rebecca T

Devin R