Elie vs. Lennie: Understanding the World

Compare and contrast of Night and Of Mice and Men:  Post 2


   Jon, I am incredibly relieved that you thought Night showed a stronger level of discrimination in it since that story is based off of horrible events that actually happened in history. I agree with you that even though both books show a desire for freedom, Elie's want to be free is much more noticeable than that of George or Lennie's, and this creates a dramatic amount of empathy within a reader. I feel that everyone who was able to think straight after experiencing the trauma from the Holocaust wanted to achieve freedom as much as Elie, while other minorities in Mr. Steinbeck's story wished for the independence George and Lennie wanted to have, showing us that these main characters were never the only ones to think of having equal rights to those who were "superior" to them.
   Although the themes within Night and Of Mice and Men are very important to know about, I want to focus mostly on the main characters for this post. Specifically, I want to compare Elie and Lennie since they were the two who were most often the targets of discrimination, and we could actually hear and analyze what they thought when others bullied them. Elie, for one, was a boy when he was taken to concentration camps, and therefore, he had a much harder time understanding exactly why he was experiencing such events than the adults that surrounded him. Lennie could be described as being even less capable than Elie when it came to learning about how the world works because of his mental state, and his lack of sensibility made him seem more childish that of Night's young protagonist. Due to the differences in the mental states of these two characters, it is crystal clear that Elie began to take in the happenings around him pretty fast and adapted to his new environment much quicker than Lennie was able to realize the mistakes he repeatedly made. "The morning star was shining in the sky. I too had become a completely different person. The student of the Talmud, the child that I was, had been consumed in the flames." (Wiesel, 34).  Although both Elie and Lennie went through forms of discrimination and hoped for a better life, the differences in how they saw the world and its people created varying options for the two, whether they were becoming determined to create a bright future or thinking about how not to kill one's next pet.
   In the end, one can say that Lennie's mental state is what killed him, because Elie was very young when he experienced the Holocaust, yet he survived since he could notice things and use his observations to learn from them. Lennie, even being a fully grown man, could not grasp many general concepts of life throughout Mr. Steinbeck's entire novel, and his innocence is what caused him to kill Curley's wife. It was in no way Lennie's fault that he had a hard time adapting to new environments, yet it is more that this poor character can be seen suffering his entire life because of something so uncontrollable. Elie and Lennie were not different because of Lennie's disability, but more so because of how they saw everything with such different points of view. Elie learned how bitter the world can be and what one needs to do for survival from what he witnessed, while Lennie was continuously stuck on the idea of being sheltered by George for the rest of his life (until his death). "'George gonna come back,' Lennie reassured himself in a frightened voice. 'Maybe George come back already. Maybe I better go see.'" (Steinbeck, 71).
   Jon, do you think that Elie and Lennie are more similar because of their life experiences, or more different because of their various coping strategies? Do you think George is more like either one of them?

   

Compare and Contrast Post 1: Freedom

I think that Night definitely had more discrimination in it.  After all, this is a book about the Holocaust, the largest attempted genocide in human history.  Everything that happens to Elie in the book is a direct result of discrimination towards his religion, while discrimination in Of Mice and Men is occasional and on a much smaller scale.
     I find the idea of freedom in both of these books to be interesting. In Night, Elie constantly thinks about why he is being oppressed, and copes with it differently at different sections of the book. He dwells on losing his freedom, and how his life has changed since then.  Unlike George and Lennie, he has to accept being imprisoned possibly indefinitely. George and Lennie willingly give up some freedoms in order to make money, so they accept having less freedom. Elie gets no say in the matter. Elie is also treated much worse. Elie's loss of freedom is forced on him, while George and Lennie give it up as part of a deal, so they gain something in exchange.
     I find it interesting that the characters in both stories have to live in bunkhouses and do daily manual labor.  However, except for that and the idea of less freedom, that is where the similarities stop.  Elie is imprisoned for his religion, while George and Lennie opt to agree to such a structured and controlled life in exchange for pay.  Elie is also physically forced to stay in the camps, while George and Lennie stay since they want to make money. They are not physically forced to stay, but morally forced, if you will.  This also brings into question how much each person valued their freedom beforehand. 
     George and Lennie, two broke farmhands wandering the country looking for work, are completely willing to give up some things to make money, during the Great Depression no less. Before being sent to a camp, Elie lived in a middle-to high-class household with a loving family and lots of friends. Upon losing these things and being forced to work in the camps, his life has gotten significantly worse.  George and Lennie's lives barely changed, so they could accept it much more easily.

Surbhi, what do you think about the idea of freedom in these two books? How prevalent is it in each book, and do only the main characters experience a loss of freedom, or does it affect more people in the story?

Of Mice and Men Chapter 6: Lennie's Death

Upon finishing the book, I found Lennie's death deeply saddening, but I also thought of the deep symbolism behind his passing. I find it very fitting that George kills Lennie in the end. It's a very sad ending to the book, but it carries deep symbolism.  I sort of viewed Lennie as being every man's crazy dream in life.  All he wants to do is go live on a farm and tend the rabbits.  This idea, of course, is crazy, since this is in the middle of the Great Depression and they are simply farm workers.  However, Lennie pursues it constantly.  Simply put, they are like two parts of the mind.  George represents reason and logic, he is the set of values rooted in knowledge, common sense, and reason.  Lennie, however, represents creativity, hopes, and dreams. Lennie lives in a life filled with fun, while George constantly works through every day, very systematically thinking of his future.  George has to constantly control Lennie's impulses, and keep him sensible and under control. Lennie lets them have fun and enjoy life occasionally. But, if the creative side grows too strong and endangers both individuals, as Lennie did by killing Curley's wife, then the sensible side silences it permanently. George does this by killing Lennie.

A Reoccurring Theme of Discrimination...

Compare and contrast for Night and Of Mice and Men:  Post One


   Jon, I don't find it too surprising that both of these books have the common theme of discrimination in them, considering that they take place somewhat in the past and are based off of times and events in which racial and other judgments were common things. Throughout Night and Of Mice and Men, one can see that those who are different are treated horribly by those who believe they are superior to minorities. Elie, Lennie, and Crooks are all considered lowlifes by other characters due to their religion, mental state, or race. Even though Night can be said to take place much further in the future than Mr. Steinbeck's novel, there is just as much, if not more, discrimination that can be detected within it.
   Night is based off of an event caused by the intolerance of differences in people, while Of Mice and Men is a book in which much of the story is shaped by the rude behaviors of people who are unwilling to accept that everyone is different. "He backed until he was against the wall, and Curley followed, slugging him in the face. Lennie's hands remained at his sides; he was too frightened to defend himself." (Steinbeck, 61-62). Both Mr. Wiesel and Mr. Steinbeck did a great job of taking two very different settings and incorporating within them the idea of discrimination in order to get their morals across to the reader. These are both very realistic stories, in fact, Night is a memoir, and this makes one wonder about the reality of our societies and communities around the world. Recognizing the horrible ways in which different people were and are treated in real life is something that these authors help a reader do; their writing not only entertains, but it also inspires one to change the ways of majority rule. "'I've got more faith in Hitler than in anyone else. He's the only one who's kept his promises, all his promises, to the Jewish people.'" (Wiesel, 77).  Just because a person is of Jewish decent or is not as mentally capable as others, doesn't mean that he or she needs to be treated abnormally, and this is something that still needs to be realized.
   Mr. Wiesel recalls how his religious background got him in trouble, and that kind of discrimination can be seen today between the Hindus and Muslims of India. Mr. Steinbeck told about the burdens a mad man would have had to carry in the past through his words, and this can also be seen today in the ways that groups of people all over the world consider mentally unstable individuals burdens, even with such modernization in thinking nowadays.
   Of course, the ways in which the discrimination for both stories takes place are not at all the same since religious intolerance and ability intolerance are very diverse topics, but discrimination in any form can be seen as bad by how the writers creatively show its negative effects in society. Religion is something that can be changed no matter how hard that is to do, and while mental disabilities cannot, one should not have to compromise with religious beliefs because of what others think. Mr. Wiesel uses a weaker branch of discrimination in his writing, yet the level of hatred against his beliefs in his story make his argument seem even more devastating than the one found in Mr. Steinbeck's story.
   What do you think about this Jon? Whose story do you feel holds the stronger discrimination in it?

    

An Ending of Grief

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Chapter 6


   Jon, I unfortunately agreed with your statement about the book not ending well for Lennie when I read your post, and I am sad to say that we were both absolutely right about that. The ending of this story was very surprising to me, for it was neither Curley nor his workers who caused Lennie more pain in this chapter. I think that we both saw the events that took place now coming from afar after comparing our posts, but it is just that I didn't realize what was about to happen until it did.
   Mr. Steinbeck was able to create a strong relationship between George and Lennie in this story, showing it to us through the smallest actions or events, and this is what made his ending a bit of a shocker. This book was written so that a reader could experience the unique bond that these two characters shared with each other, and to witness that the sweetness and love of this bond is what took Lennie's life was something that gave me mixed emotions about how it ended (the bond and the book). When the author took us back into the context of the beginning, a beautiful and lively landscape, the tragedy that was about to occur became something out of the blue, something that I certainly didn't expect. The comfort and acceptance George gave to Lennie when they began to talk gave the indication that George would never turn on Lennie and that he would stay as Lennie's protection as long as he lived. "'No,' said George, 'No, Lennie. I ain't mad. I never been mad, an' I ain't now. That's a thing I want ya to know.'" (pg. 103). Yet, the complete opposite happened. George became the attacker, and Lennie the target.
   The most visible reason why George would have murdered his own companion is that there was love hidden in the bullet he put through Lennie's head. George wanted to keep his mentally disabled partner away from a brutal death by the hands of Curley and the others as well as keep himself away from the guilt he would feel by letting Lennie go through all of that pain. Shooting Lennie would have been one of the hardest things for George to ever do, yet it was a vital action if he wanted to end Lennie's suffering. "Slim said, 'You hadda, George. I swear you hadda.'" (pg. 104). Giving Lennie a quiet and unexpected death was something that George was compelled to do due to his affection for Lennie, and the grief that came across his features after he did it showed just how much he had come to care for the one who had caused him so much trouble in the past. 

Of Mice and Men Chapter 5:Curley's Ignorance

I definitely agree with you.  Curley is a very self-centered, cruel individual, and I too hope something bad happens to him at the end of the book.  I found it very sad when Lennie killed Curley's wife.  I didn't feel especially bad for Curley's wife, since she purposefully caused trouble with Lennie, but for Lennie. Lennie is such an innocent character at heart, although his actions do not immediately describe him as such.  But now he was done the unforgivable, and killed another person.  Even if you did know Lennie very closely, as George did, it is very difficult to forgive him for that.  Some crimes are so serious that they extend beyond the range of forgivability due to mental illness.  I also feel especially bad since Lennie killed Curley's wife.  Curley is the one man who hates Lennie the most out of everybody on the ranch.  Curley, in his blind ignorance, cannot see the fact that Lennie is disabled. Instead, Curley sees a large, stupid man who broke his hand and flirts with his wife. Instead, Lennie is a kind, mentally disabled individual who can get angry sometimes, but mostly simply is kind to people and wants others to return the favor.  I fear that this novel will not end well for Lennie, since Curley will spread his ideas of the man to all his workers, and they will listen to him since he is their boss.

Not Weak, Yet Vulnerable

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Chapter 5


   Jon, it is interesting that you saw George and Lennie's relationship as being one of benefits, but it makes complete sense. I always thought George simply felt like he was Lennie's family and that was why they stayed together, but the fact that Lennie can get work and other necessities for George also comes into play here. Of course, I still believe George has come to care for Lennie, but your post has made me consider a part of the relationship between these two men that I hadn't realized was present before now.
   One thing that has become extremely obvious in this chapter is that a person with the kind of mental disability Lennie has should never be left without someone who can properly take care of him or her. Without George, Lennie got himself into a heap of trouble by killing Curley's wife (although she did ask for it), and he was not even able to fully understand the severity of what he did. "For a moment he seemed bewildered. And then he whispered in fright, 'I done a bad thing. I done another bad thing.'" (pg. 89). It is not at all true that people with mental disabilities need to be treated as if they cannot do things, but some of them do need to be kept under a watchful eye so that they don't feel alone or cause chaos. Lennie never did anything on purpose, but his mental disability kept him from defending himself. Lennie's state of mind is not a weakness in my point-of-view, yet it is something that makes him less able to understand the ways of the world, and therefore, he is a very vulnerable target to things such as mobs and accusations.
   Curley, on the other hand, seems to be the one creating problems for our main characters. This man is too full of himself to see that he will gain nothing by bullying Lennie and that, in fact, doing so just makes him a cowardly being. Curley's wife might have been a very odd character, but she was right about Curley being such an awful husband, considering that he looks like a really mean man in general. "'I don't like Curley. He ain't a nice fella.'" (pg. 86). Part of me is currently hoping something bad will happen to the main villain of our second novel.

Of Mice and Men Chapters 3-4: Lennie and George Part 2

     On the rubric for this project, it says you may pick one central theme and write about it for every post, so I have decided to write about Lennie and George's relationship for all of my posts.  I believe that this is a very important and central theme to the entire plot. 
     Prior to this point in the story, it wasn't exactly clear why George continued to stick around with Lennie, besides pure pity out of leaving a mentally challenged man to fend for himself in the Great Depression.  Now, it is slightly more clear.  Physically, Lennie is an extremely strong man.  This means that he is able to work very difficult and laborious jobs, while exerting only a portion of the effort.  Because of this, people love to have him work for them.  He is very agreeable, mostly due to his mental disability, and willing to do difficult work.  Working with Lennie very beneficial to George.  For example, if there is a very high paying job open at a ranch, then the head of the ranch will want Lennie to work there. However, Lennie won't accept the job unless George can work there as well.  So essentially, George can get jobs at places that he wouldn't be able to otherwise.  Lennie has many reasons to want to stay with George, such as how much he helps him and how nice he is to him.  Their friendship is defined differently by each person.  For Lennie, it is moral support and help with living a normal working life.  For George, it is out of pity and economic benefit.
     As the duo begin working at the ranch, they meet many new people.  Lennie, being a friendly person, begins talking to people and making new friends.  However, George cautions him against this.  I find this interesting, but very important and a useful safeguard for George to implement.  If Lennie becomes too friendly with people, he could grow more comfortable around them, and eventually make serious mistakes like he did by grabbing the ladie's dress.  It is better for everybody to keep their distance from him, and give him less of an opportunity to create problems.
     At this point in their story, Lennie and George's relationship is fairly consistent, but I feel that it will change soon.  As is with Lennie, problems will probably arise that affect their relationship.

The Likes of an Unjust Society

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Chapters 3 through 4...


   Jon, I feel like it was very good for you to research in order to find out what kind of mental disability Lennie might have in this story. When I started this book, I was pretty sure that it was some form of autism, and your research has almost confirmed that idea. So far, this book has given a lot of different reasons to believe that being autistic or having a mental disability is a disadvantage, while it is really not so due to the fact that one only needs others to understand his or her situation. Like you said before, these kind of people only need some sort of support, and Lennie has two forms of it with George and his mice.
   Although mice cannot stay with Lennie for long because of his tendency of killing them, George does stick up for his companion as often as he can, yet sometimes he falls short or isn't there to protect him. More can be seen about this older society and its ways when Curley starts to beat up Lennie just so that he can vent out his anger on someone too weak to fight back. Although George is here to protect Lennie this time, and he does it very well, the protector cannot always hover around the one he protects forever. For example, Lennie becomes a quick target for Curley's wife's taunts when George is not with him, and he has no way to really defend himself because he knows no better. "Lennie whined, 'I wisht George was here. I wisht George was here.'" (pg. 79). This shows that those thought to be weaker were bullied back then in an even worse fashion than it is done now, and that just reflects on how society worked then compared to how it works now in the West.
  Older thinking can also be seen in the way most of these characters treat Crooks' because he is black, and a connection between the two targets of these tragedies blooms almost immediately when they associate with one another. The only people that really even dare to talk to the stable-hand as if he was a normal person are Lennie and Candy, and this is only because neither of them really have a choice or know any better about what society may think. Curley's wife soon made all three men realize what the people of that time really thought of blacks and the mentally unstable when she talked to them in a harsh manner. "She turned to him in scorn. 'Listen, Nigger,' she said. 'You know what I can do to you if you open your trap?'" (pg. 78). This woman showed the men present just how much authority she had, yet she still confided in them to tell her tale of treachery since she knew they wouldn't dare reveal her secrets. The times in which this story takes place did not have much respect for different people, and although people may have mostly changed by now, many examples of such treatment can still be found, here and all around the world. 

Of Mice and Men chapters 1-2: Lennie and George

Since this is the beginning of the novel, the relationship between Lennie and George is not very clearly defined yet.  It is very obvious that Lennie has some form of mental retardation, but the severity of said handicap is not yet apparent.  This definitely has a large impact on their relationship.
     "When I think of the swell time I could have without you, I go nuts. I never get no peace." (Men, 13)  Lennie is clearly a burden on George in more than a few ways.  George and Lennie consider themselves ranchers, moving form one location to the other, slowly building up a 'stake', spending it all in a local town, and moving on to the next ranch.  They never live anywhere for very long.  George partially attributes this to Lennie and the number of mistakes he makes. "You can't keep a job and you lose me ever' job I get.  An' that ain't the worst. You get me in trouble.  You do bad things and I got to get you out." (Men, 12)  Lennie's mental problems cause him to make major mistakes at his job and lose it, so he has to keep travelling.  Apparently he also gets in a lot of trouble, since he is not informed of some basic social graces. "Jus' wanted to feel that girl's dress-jus' wanted to pet it like it was a mouse- Well, how the hell did she know you jus' wanted to feel her dress?" (Men, 12)
     He thoroughly enjoys kinesthetic feedback, such as touching different materials.  Lennie specifically enjoys petting mice, considering how soft they are.  I did a little outside research and found that Lennie displays many of the symptoms of adult autism. (webmd.com) Some significant symptoms Lennie displays include obsessive habits, significant problems developing nonverbal communication skills, and relying on others heavily.

"Autism-Symptoms." Web MD. 12 Apr. 2010. Web.

Night Chapters 7-9: Family Implications

At this point in the story, Elie's father is close to death.  Elie is undergoing a moral conflict of how to treat his father.  In his last days, Elie's father refuses food and asks only of water, which aggravates his sever dysentery.  If I were in Elie's shoes, it would be very difficult for me to decide how to treat my father.
     On one side, I could deny him all food and accelerate his path to inevitable death.  This gives me more food and increases my chances of survival since I'm taking his ration as well.  He will also appreciate not having to suffer as long in a life that will end soon no matter what he does.  "It's too late to save your old father, I said to myself.  You ought to be having two rations of bread, two rations of soup..." (Night, 105)
     On the other side, I could continue feeding and caring for my father.  After all, he is my only remaining family member, one who has faithfully stayed by me throughout everything we have endured.  It only seems wrong for me to abandon him in the moment he needs me most, when he is on the brink of death.  "I knew that he must not drink. But he pleaded with me for so long that I gave in.  Water was the worst poison he could have, but what could I do for him? With water, without water, it would all be over soon anyway..." (Night, 104)
     Elie chose to stay by his father's side, and I don't blame him for his decision.  Even if it seems short-sighted to continue providing sustenance for a man doomed to die, Elie could not mentally accept abandoning his father.
     However, his father's demise seemed especially graphic to me.  After surviving constant starvation and overworking, his death was caused by his skull caving in from a nazi's truncheon.  If his father had remained quiet and quelled his madness, he could have survived for maybe another day.  But his madness ultimately killed him.
     Not being able to accept his father's death left indelible effects on Elie's mental state.  "Bending over him, I stayed gazing at him for over an hour, engraving into myself the picture of his blood-stained face, his shattered skull." (Night, 106)  He simply had no more energy to show emotion.  At some point prior to his physical death, Elie's father died in spirit.  Elie accepted this and moved on, blindly caring for him out of natural compassion towards his father.  I find this to be an extremely selfless act, one that few people could display in such difficult times.

Night Chapters 5-6: Elie's Life

After spending a significant amount of time in the camps, I find that Elie's daily life has become fairly routine.  Earlier in the book, when he was first taken to the camps,  the book was filled with sections about how Elie is scared and worried.  Now, after living in the camps for a while, none of this is present.  This is especially significant, considering he is going through harder things now than he was then.  A natural order has worked its way into his life, and he has been exposed to so much death and misery that it has less of an effect on him. In the beginning of chapter 6, Elie feels no fear at the words of the SS. "The SS made us increase our pace.  'Faster, you swine, you filthy sons of bitches!' Why not? The movement warmed us up a little." Elie has even progressed to the point where he sees the positive aspects of doing the grueling tasks assigned to him in the camps.  He has crossed over the mental boundary that causes fear and worry; He knows and accepts that worrying will not make him live longer.
     However, there is still one thing that he worries constantly about.  His father, in his old age, is a prime target for the weekly selections that weed out weak or old people that can no longer work effectively.  Elie's father is his only remaining link to his past life.  He loves his father deeply, and to lose him would have a large effect on his morale and will to survive.
     Strangely, Elie does not think too highly of the value of friends.  They are important to him, yes, but in times like this, people tend to form bonds stronger than most normal friendships due to the terrible things they have to go through.  However, he still is as close to his friends in the camps as he was at home.
     I think Elie's distance from his friends might be due to his other focuses at this time.  He spends a lot of time questioning the actions of his god and interacting with his father.
     At this point in the book, Elie is essentially looking past the difficulty of his work and high chance of death, and is instead spending time with his father and dwelling on his faith in religion.