...What role does nature play in John Steinbeck's novel, Of Mice and Men? Set in the Salinas Valley of California, Of Mice and Men features George and Lennie, two old-time friends setting off to work in a ranch after being kicked out of their last one. Their dream is to own a piece of land on their own, where they're free to do whatever they want. By chasing this dream, the duo will face many obstacles in their path and see new things, many of which will be reflected through the nature and landscape throughout the story. Steinbeck's diction of the natural world creates an atmosphere of peace, eeriness, and forewarning, all of which symbolize events that happen in the story. The story begins with a description of an area surrounding the Salinas...
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...The doors of the barren red barn awaited to be opened and closed as they once were. Inside it smelt of manure and the perspiration of horses, cows and playful children. In the empty space are cracked concrete floors that are cold and covered with little dust bunnies crawling around in the cool fall breeze. It has the feeling of peace in the world, like nothing bad could ever happen again. It was like the taste and feeling you get when you eat a bowl of warm soup on a crisp winter evening. It looks worn out and tired from the years of hard work, but still in some way alive and happy. When I walk inside it’s like nothing someone have ever seen before. In the corner stood an old rusty tin bowl, once used for dog food, has little brown specks...
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...Women in Okonkwo’s Life Okonkwo is considered the picture of masculinity. He has two barns full of yams, three wives, and is known throughout the village for defeating the undefeated Amalize the Cat in wrestling. He did not start out this great, for his father was lazy and improvident. He was unwilling to help while his loving mother had died when Okonkwo was young. In the book Things’ Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo is a man determined to be strong, powerful, influential, courageous, hard-working, and able to provide for his family; everything his father was not, and somewhat of what his mother was like. The role of women in Okonkwo’s life seemed to be an unimportant role, but in reality, it is the key factor in running his life. Women’s role in Okonkwo’s life is huge, for his mother’s influence was able to get him a home to stay. His wives role in child bearing allows him to have children. His wives caring for the family run the household. Although Okonkwo has a rough exterior, inside he is a man determined to never be what his father was like. In his village of Umofia, Okonkwo is banished for seven years after accidentally shooting a boy, so customs stated that he pack up and leave, along with his family. Okonkwo, with nowhere else to go, went to his mother’s old village. The book states “It was a crime against the earth goddess to kill a clansman, and a man who committed it must flee from the land…Okonkwo was well received by his mother’s kinsman…” This means it is...
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...We took the firearms, and after some debate, Michael decided to take the Winchester, and I took the Makarov. We gathered our bearings, and began reviewing the map. After some discourse we made the decision to head north towards the illustrious North Western Airfield, the military base used in the initial evacuation. Without delay, we exited the old barn and began our journey north, through the forest. With the Airfield still many kilometers away, and our supplies dwindling, we knew we would need to stop and scavenge for supplies in the nearby towns. As we continued, we came across an abandoned military outpost on the outskirts of the town Stary Sobor. As we entered the small building, we immediately realized that it was entirely untouched by scavengers. Military backpacks, MREs and firearms were all there for the taking. We armed ourselves with M4A4 rifles, and took what else we could before moving out. The North Western Airfield wasn’t far from here, and we headed out quickly, eager to...
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...by an all-knowing narrator in the third person. The action of this novel starts when the oldest pig on the farm, Old Major, calls all animals to a secret meeting. He tells them about his dream of a revolution against the cruel Mr Jones. Three days later Major dies, but the speech gives the more intelligent animals a new outlook on life. The pigs, who are considered the most intelligent animals, instruct the other ones. During the period of preparation two pigs distinguish themselves, Napoleon and Snowball. Napoleon is big, and although he isn't a good speaker, he can assert himself. Snowball is a better speaker, he has a lot of ideas and he is very vivid. Together with another pig called Squealer, who is a very good speaker, they work out the theory of "Animalism". The rebellion starts some months later, when Mr Jones comes home drunk one night and forgets to feed the animals. They break out of the barns and run to the house, where the food is stored. When Mr Jones sees this he takes out his shotgun, but it is too late for him; all the animals fall over him and drive him off the farm. The animals destroy all whips, nose rings, reins, and all other instruments that have been used to suppress them. The same day the animals celebrate their victory with an extra ration of food. The pigs make up the seven commandments, and they write them above the door of the big barn. They run thus: 1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. 2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings...
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...“The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst is about William Armstrong, also known as Doodle, who had a physical and mental condition. When he was born William’s brother was six years old, and when William died his brother was thirteen. The story is called “The Scarlet Ibis” because the family saw a bird dying in their backyard which was far away from its native land, and William died away from his home. Mr. Hurst was born in North Carolina at a farm by the sea. He studied singing and in Italy and he became a banker. During his thirty four years as a banker he also published a few short stories including “The Scarlet Ibis”. I personally did not like how the story went but I do like how Mr. Hurst wrote it. I also like how he referred the scarlet ibis...
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...AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF HERBERT HENRY SCHMIDT This is an autobiography of Herb Schmidt as told to Rhonda Schmidt in July of 2011. Herb was 93 years old at the time and his memory of past events was crystal clear. November 24, 1917, I was born in West Alton, Missouri to George Schmidt and Mary Smith Stormer. I was the sixth of eight kids: Bertha, Bill, Frank, Charlie, George, me, Albert and Ed. It was so cold in 1917 that my Mom could not give me a bath for 9 days. [pic] (George & Mary Schmidt, Bertha, Charlie, Bill, Frank, Albert, Herb, George, Ed) [pic] (This photo taken in July of 2011. This is all that remains of the Schmidt Homeplace on Red School Road in West Alton, Missouri. Herb was 93 at the time this photo was taken.) I went to the Red School. I had to walk one mile to school. It was one big room and we had up to 35 kids with only one teacher. There were eight grades. Grades 1 thru 4 were taught every year, but grades 5, 6, 7, and 8 were taught every other year; like if 5th was taught this year then 6th would be taught the next year and the same with grades 7 and 8. The brighter kids helped the slower kids. Albert always needed help. I don’t think he graduated. I took an exam on Health and the teacher did not know how to record it because I got 100%. The year I graduated there were 4 kids who graduated from 8th grade. Because...
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...George even says in act two “Ma, I don’t want to grow old. Why’s everybody pushing me so?” (Wilder Act 2). He loves being a kid and playing baseball for school, but he doesn’t realize that everyone has to grow up at one point. The people in this play and in real life do not truly understand how much they take their life for granted and do not understand that. Emily says in act three in the graveyard “Do human beings ever realize life while they live it?—every, every minute?” (Wilder Act 3) Thornton Wilder’s interpretation of the American Dream is that people need to be accepted, loved, appreciated, and valued by other people before they can achieve the American dream. This is universal because even though it is called the American dream people from different countries also believe in having...
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...“The Inheritance of Tools” by Scott Russell Sanders Answer the following questions completely; be prepared to discuss your answers in class. 1. Note examples of figurative language in paragraph 1. Explain their effect. 2. Cite two examples of parallel syntax and explain their effect. 3. Consider the speaker’s use of direct quotations from his father. Describe the tone delivered by those quotations. 4. Consider the organization of the essay, noting particularly the sections about the gerbils (paragraphs 1725). How does that section contribute to the overall effect? 5. Read paragraph 20. Explain the purpose of Sanders’s reference to the grand events included there. 6. Explain the rhetorical effect of the allusions that Sanders includes in paragraph 25. 7. Drawing from anywhere in Sanders’s essay, select one particularly striking verb. Explain its effect. 8. Read carefully the final sentence of the essay. Discuss the effectiveness of concluding with this selection of details. 9. Discuss the significance of the title “The Inheritance of Tools,” and of the word “inheritance” as it relates to the piece as a whole. The Inheritance of Tools, by Scott Russell Sanders At just about the hour when my father died, soon after dawn one February morning when ice coated the windows like cataracts, I banged my thumb with a hammer. Naturally I swore at the hammers the reckless thing, and in the moment of swearing I thought of what my father would say: "If you'd try hitting the nail it would...
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...Book of Kings. I was awed by his intonation of the word “Selah.” He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.” Jim had no clue what the word meant; perhaps he had not. But, as Jim grandfather uttered it, it became unclear, the most spiritual of words. Early the next morning Jim ran out of doors to discover about him. Jim was informed that theirs was the only wooden home west of Black Hawk- until people arrived to the Norwegian agreement, where there were several. There white frame house; with a tale and half- story above the basement, stood at the east end of what I might call from the farmyard, with the windmill close by the kitchen door. From the windmill the ground sloped westward, downward to the barns and granaries and pig-yards. Beyond the corncribs, at the base of the shallow draw, was a swampy little pond, with rusty willow bushes flourishing about it. The road from the post-office arrived directly...
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...A Death in the Woods - Sherwood Anderson She was an old woman and lived on a farm near the town in which I lived. All country and small-town people have seen such old women, but no one knows much about them. Such an old woman comes into town driving an old worn-out horse or she comes afoot carrying a basket. She may own a few hens and have eggs to sell. She brings them in a basket and takes them to a grocer. There she trades them in. She gets some salt pork and some beans. Then she gets a pound or two of sugar and some flour. Afterwards she goes to the butcher's and asks for some dog-meat. She may spend ten or fifteen cents, but when she does she asks for something. Formerly the butchers gave liver to any one who wanted to carry it away. In our family we were always having it. Once one of my brothers got a whole cow's liver at the slaughter-house near the fairgrounds in our town. We had it until we were sick of it. It never cost a cent. I have hated the thought of it ever since. The old farm woman got some liver and a soup-bone. She never visited with any one, and as soon as she got what she wanted she lit out for home. It made quite a load for such an old body. No one gave her a lift. People drive right down a road and never notice an old woman like that. There was such an old woman who used to come into town past our house one Summer and Fall when I was a young boy and was sick with what was called inflammatory rheumatism. She went home later carrying a heavy pack on her...
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...the song of her town and the noise of the people at the stands trying to sell what they could. When she looked at all the stands selling key chains, pots and pans, bracelets, and fresh made chocolates she got excited. Her eyes bounced from stand to stand. She had as much excitement as a three year old in a candy shop. Blue was fifteen years old and had seen all of the shops before, but every time she felt the same excitement. As she walked home, she froze in place when she overheard two older women speaking in muffled voices. Blue could hear the stocky pale women in green cloth with lots of beads in her hair whispered, “Are you sure that Milo will hit in the next week?” After a long pause, the other woman who was tall...
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...Consuming Animals Steven D. McAfoose DeVry University It was the fifth of May 1982; a young boy had just turned 12 years old and was very excited. The only thing he wanted for his birthday was to attend the Pennsylvania Hunter-Trapper Education Course, which allowed him to purchase his hunter’s license for the upcoming winter hunting season. He had been shooting rifles since he was eight years old and became a very proficient marksman, so much that when he attended the United States Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia, he received his very first Certificate of Achievement for the highest overall marksmanship qualification record in the company of over 600 soldiers. He had killed his first deer that winter and she was a very healthy doe. He then conducted a field dressing on the doe and removed all her internal organs in order to transport her home. Once home, he proceeded to hang the doe from the rafters in the family barn. Within a few days, he had skinned and butchered the doe for steaks, sausage, and jerky and ensured that nothing was wasted, all under his father’s tutelage. This was a proud moment in his life, and years later he was able to teach his own children the art of hunting as well. He had learned the skill of providing meat for his home. A century or more ago, this would have been one of the most common ways of providing meat for sustenance. Because the human body requires certain minerals and vitamins to function, consuming meat and other...
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...Surrounded by New England saltbox houses with white paneling, the deciduous forests now vibrant with green hues, and muggy summer breeze caressing my cheek, I grabbed my sister's hand and began to mentally prepare for what camp would be like. As my family pulled onto the camp road, I saw a green and white sign, paint peeling, at the entrance of the camp. Behind it lied and old, red trolley and a building reading camp office at the top of a small hill. A woman smiled as she held a clipboard and asked for our...
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...1937 OF MICE AND MEN by John Steinbeck Copyright John Steinbeck, 1937. Copyright renewed by John Steinbeck, 1965. Published by arrangement with Viking Penguin, a division of Penguin Books USA Inc. ONE A few miles south of Soledad, the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green. The water is warm too, for it has slipped twinkling over the yellow sands in the sunlight before reaching the narrow pool. On one side of the river the golden foothill slopes curve up to the strong and rocky Gabilan Mountains, but on the valley side the water is lined with trees- willows fresh and green with every spring, carrying in their lower leaf junctures the debris of the winter's flooding; and sycamores with mottled, white, recumbent limbs and branches that arch over the pool. On the sandy bank under the trees the leaves lie deep and so crisp that a lizard makes a great skittering if he runs among them. Rabbits come out of the brush to sit on the sand in the evening, and the damp flats are covered with the night tracks of 'coons, and with the spread pads of dogs from the ranches, and with the split-wedge tracks of deer that come to drink in the dark. There is a path through the willows and among the sycamores, a path beaten hard by boys coming down from the ranches to swim in the deep pool, and beaten hard by tramps who come wearily down from the highway in the evening to jungle-up near water. In front of the low horizontal limb of a giant sycamore there is an ash...
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