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.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment