For the average person, this may not be the easiest novel to connect with.  However, this novel can be connected to many movies like The Perfect Storm and Titanic, in the sense that they both have to do with being isolated in the middle of the sea, and have to do with the ship sinking. Furthermore, this novel could connect with other stories like The Cay, or Apollo 13 in the sense that they both explore isolation.  But it would be difficult for someone to personally connect with this story.

             Overall In the Heart of the sea story is an interesting story. The plotline is somewhat bland, and after an enraged sperm whale rams the Whale ship Essex, the storyline soon falls apart. However, there are some interesting parts, for example        “With barley a pound of crackers left, the crew dared to speak of something that had been on everyone’s mind, weather they should eat, in stead of bury the body.” This quote is a good example of how Philbrick shows how desperate the crewmembers were after their ship sunk about 1400 miles away from South America.  It is an interesting read, especially at times like this.  There were many exiting parts. For example when the ship was rammed, this go the slow story going.  Before the Essex sunk, the story was quite boring, but soon people started eating dead bodies. Overall the first half of the book is quite boring and bland, but after the climax, the book starts getting tip-of-your-seat, heart-pounding interesting.

            The Heart of the Sea contains many literary devices that make it worthy of literary recognition. Many colorful similes, metaphors, and personifications are used. For example: “ as darkness approached on the first day, the wind built steadily, kicking up a steep, irregular chop.”  In this one sentence, there are three creative personifications that add some pizzazz to the text. There are however, some parts of the story that are flat and bland. Unfortunately this takes away from the novel. At points of interest the story is able to come to life with a plethora of similes, metaphors, personifications, ironies and much more.

            In the Heart of the Sea challenges the thinking of readers.  It makes one think, “What would I do in a situation like this?” it makes them question their actions, and expands their minds. For example: (see quote paragraph 2) it makes one wonder “would I rather eat a dead human, or die of starvation?” this novel puts the structure of the human mind to the test.  The countless taboos that the crew performs are only part of the novel. This novel makes people see life in a new way, and thank that whaling was illegalized. This novel wasn’t only a source of entertainment; it was an experience as well.

All in all In the Heart of the Sea is a well-crafted novel that is known to many as “worthy of literary merit.”

In Lord Of The Flies hunting plays a huge part in the events that occur. Jack Merridew, a lead chorister, is the main hunter. From the moment he met up with the other boys it was clear that he wanted to hunt. Jack thinks that he should have been leader from the start. He says:

“I ought to be chief, because I'm chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp.”

Jack shows at this very early point in the book that he clearly thinks he is superior to any of the other boys on the island and that he wants to be leader. You can tell what sort of leader Jack would be by the way he orders around his choir and they obey with “dreary” obedience. When Ralph is picked as chief instead of him Jacks face “disappeared under a blush of mortification”. You can tell that there will be a rivalry between these boys as it is clear Jack still wants to be the chief.

When picked as leader, Ralph gives control of the choir to Jack and when Jack is asked what he wants his choir to be, the suffusion is drained away from Jack's face when hunters are mentioned. This shows how much he likes the prospect of being a hunter and killing for food. This definitely shows what kind of character Jack Merridew is. Jack's aggression is also shown when the three boys, Ralph, Simon and Jack are exploring the mountain for the first time and they come across some candle bushes. Jack decides to draw his knife and slash ruthlessly at one of these bushes. However, when the three boys come across a piglet caught in creepers, Jack raises his knife, ready to make his first kill, but then he freezes with his knife in the air. The schoolboy inside him tells him that it is wrong to kill and he must realise that for the first time he is about to take life. Jack pauses long enough for the piglet to escape and run to safety. After the event Jack desperately tries to defend his pride by saying:

“I was choosing a place, I was just waiting for a moment to decide where to stab him.”

This shows the reader that Jack is ashamed of not being able to bring himself to kill the piglet and he feels weak because of it. He vows next time to make the kill.

Jack says to Ralph that his hunters will be in charge of keeping the fire at the top of the mountain alight. When Ralph and Piggy see a ship passing in the sea they immediately become ecstatic over the prospect of rescue. The two boys look up towards the mountain only too see that there is no longer smoke coming from the mountain. The fire had been let out and the ship had no chance of seeing the boys. Jack was so obsessed by the thought of getting his first kill and hunting that he and his hunters had forgotten all about the fire. This is a key point in the book because it shows that the hunters now value hunting more than being rescued and taken home. It is almost as if these boys do not want to be saved. When Ralph confronts Jack and the hunters about the fire Jack is so excited about making his first kill he is not at all bothered about the fire. Jack describes the event in detail to Ralph and listens to nothing he says about the fire. He says:

“We got in a circle-We crept up-The pig squealed.”

The last thing in Jack's mind at this time is the fact that the fire has gone out. The hunters also make up a chant about the killing of the pig. It goes:

“Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood.”

This aggressive chant shows how much the boys who take part in hunting have changed in such a small amount of time, from middle class children to killers. It is also another turning point for the boys as now that they have made their first kill and broken that barrier there is now no stopping them to what they can kill, pig or human, as we find out when Simon and Piggy are both brutally murdered by the hunters.

As the novel progresses hunting turns from a secondary task after rescue to an obsession for Jack and the hunters. Jack especially seems to enjoy the buzz and feeling of hitting a pig with his spear or cutting its throat. You can tell this from the way he acts after a kill:

“I cut the pig's throat,” said Jack proudly.

This shows us that he feels good after killing an animal. He enjoys it so much that after the hunters' first kill he announces that they will go hunting everyday, emphasizing again how much he likes it. The hunters at this point are also laughing about the smoke, showing how much they care about it. Ralph says:

“You hunters! You can laugh! But I tell you the smoke is more important than the pig.”

The hunters disregard Ralph's comment and take no notice to it. When all the boys are eating the meat that the hunters have caught and cooked, Piggy is not offered any meat as he and Jack do not get along. When Simon offers Piggy some of his meat Jack takes great offence to it. I believe that this is because he takes so much pride in his hunting he is offended when people give away what he has worked to catch.

Later in the novel it is clear that a divide in the group is taking place. This divide is between the hunters and the non-hunters. They start to live separate lives on the island. The hunters trying to kill as much as possible, have feasts and have fun on the island without a care for rescue, and the non-hunters trying desperately to get rescued and saved from the strange and unknown life of the island. Eventually this split becomes so severe that it causes the group to split. In a fit of rage Jack asks who thinks Ralph should not be chief. When no one agrees with him he declares in total embarrassment he is going off on his own. He says:

“I'm not going to play any longer. Not with you.”

He takes off down the beach by himself but the next day is joined by some more, and then some more until Jack has a tribe of his own much bigger than that of Ralph's. His tribe have fun, cover themselves in paint and hunt. Things that are much more appealing to a group of boys than building a fire and waiting for rescue. I believe that overall it was hunting and the conflicts that it caused that led to the two groups splitting. It is not long until this group of boys having fun turn into killers. They have lost all basic human qualities and turn into savages. In my opinion it is again the hunting that changes these boys so dramatically and causes huge conflict on the island.

Overall hunting and the hunters play a very large part in Lord Of The Flies, taking the life of one pig changes these boys so drastically that within a short amount of time they can turn to killing humans. Hunting combined with the freedom of the island turns these boys into savages.

Animal Farm is a short allegory that displays the conflicts of a communist, totalitarian government. Although considered a classic by the literary circles of America, Animal Farm reads like a children's book. Taking into account the talking, literate animals, this book touches on the borders of fantasy. George Orwell wrote this book about communist Russia, but now it has become a subtle rebellion agaisnt totalitarianism in general.

Siddhartha by Herman Hesse

Siddhartha covers the basics of Buddhism, enligthenment, and Nirvana in about 190 pages of easy reading. This adventure follows a man through life, while he tries different paths in an attempt to reach enlightenment. The writing is not difficult or long winded, but is written to be understood. The concepts of this book are some-what hidden, but they are not difficult to understand. The reader just has to look for the ideas as they appear in the text.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451 is a great book that criticizes and condemns censorship. Although Fahrenheit 451 is considered a classic, the writing of the book is simple, with a descriptive nature that entertains the reader as he reads. Many great books lack the lyrical quality of a book like Fahrenheit 451. The concepts presented in this book are also easy to grasp, as the book does not posess any extended metaphors or allegory. This book contains a plethora of information, making it one of the easiest classics to write about.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men is a concise book that tells the story of two farmers in about 110 pages. Steinbeck is a highly regarded writer, considered one of the greatest American authors. This book is commonplace on high school curriculum and yet another easy read. If you're reading this book for a high school class, be prepared to write a paper about the importance of language in the book.

The Stranger by Albert Camus

This book is realistically for the "B" and above students. The Stranger is short novel filled with existenialist ideas and morals, which are subtlely showed with no obvious clues. One must be prepared to study and think about this book intently before any hopes of writing a decent paper amount. However, any paper that impresses a teacher about this book will get an "A" for sure. This book is on this list because it is an easy read, but the concepts are deep below the surface, and therefore the reader must be prepared to dive into this book headfirst.

Harry potter along with his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley go on a quest to defeat the dark wizard Voldemort who is the most dangerous wizard alive. This wizard had also killed Harry's parents long before Harry went to Hogwarts which is the school of witchcraft and wizardry.

After accomplishing many things and going through dangerous activities they do accomplish the task given. They collect the horcruxes which are objects with the fragments of Voldemort's soul.

Harry Potter along with his trusted friends go through many hardships and they also take help from the great headmaster, Dumbledore. Dumbledore is portrayed as the most powerful wizard alive until obviously he dies after getting killed by Severus Snape.

I really like this book and I also like the movies which are action packed. Great plot was made and the story was told really well. J.K. Rowling has made one of the greatest and the most action packed books in the world. This book would be given an 11/10.

In the beginning of the book, Bilbo is visited by Gandalf, an old, grey wizard with a model reputation. Gandalf proposes to Bilbo the partaking of exciting and raw adventure, although Bilbo wants nothing to do with it. Wittingly, Gandalf organizes a whole crew of dwarves to meet at Bilbo's house, without Bilbo's knowing. Bilbo is alarmed at the visitors, yet he remains polite, and sees to it that they are accommodated. Finally, Gandalf arrives and explains the situation. He informs Bilbo that these are the partners that he will be traveling with on their newfound adventure. Bilbo is not happy with this at all, yet when the dwarves begin to play their songs, Bilbo's Tookish side dominates, and he feels renewed and invigorated by the verses they sing. The next morning he awakes, and feels crazy that he actually agreed to tag along on the journey. Bilbo's outlook on the adventure remains narrow and foolish, until he begins to realize what actual problems are. As the journey progresses, Bilbo's wisdom, character, and determination begin to broaden.

The ultimate growth of Bilbo Baggins can be seen most when Gandalf decides that he needs to part from the group. Up until this point, Mr. Baggins depended largely on the grey wizard Gandalf to protect him and the party. With no more Gandalf, Bilbo must rely on his own wits, and learns to overcome fears and pressure. Amazingly, the small hobbit rescues the dwarves from ferocious spiders, crafty wood elves, and on top of it, has to deal with the dwarves' complaints.

The transformation of the self-concerned, care-free hobbit is vividly portrayed throughout the book. Tolkien makes no mistakes in the way that he shows how Bilbo has achieved a new sense to his personality, yet remains the same in the way that he still enjoys his hobbit hole and the comfort therein. Although, he has not completely remolded to hobbit society, as he still enjoys stories of adventures and chatter with elves, dwarves, and wizards, rather than hobbits.

Conrad's decision to use his specific style was influenced by two major factors; the age in which he was living and his diverse ethic background. His work straddled the Victorian age and the post Victorian or modern age. His prose is graphically descriptive and composed of complexly written paragraphs, rarely using single sentences. His sentence structure of piling details onto details then concluding with a statement to finally bring sense to his thought strongly compliments the high expectations of his demanding age. English being Condrad's third language after Polish and French also influenced his style in a number of ways. Consequently, he used techniques common to Polish and French such as triple parallelism and rhetorical abstraction to make a point. This aspect, along with that of his era, influenced his exceptionally detailed sentence structure and his use of intricate diction.

Specifically in his novel Heart of Darkness, the style is unique because of the point of view Conrad incorporated. The novel is a story of a story, his “narrator” serves simply as the framework in which the actual narrator, Marlow, tell his story. This feature has a couple of important ramifications. Simply because the core story is being told out loud, the readers have a chance to be a part of Marlow's mental process; his doubts, opinions, and sensations. Throughout his story, Marlow tries to organize his thoughts and figure out himself what he is saying. Therefore, the prose resembles a speaking voice included with hesitations, repetitions, pauses and other strictly spoken elements of communication.

The undeniable facet of the realistically tragic darkness that is tightly twined throughout the entire novel also assisted in constructing Conrad's style. He paints terrifying images with sinister and mysterious metaphors using dark diction. He reveals horrifying truths of man's easily corruptible human nature as he develops the theme throughout the book. The corruption of man's civility by the untamed darkness of the savage jungle is the core theme and contributes profoundly to the tone of the book.

In contrast to Conrad's, Proulx's style used in The Shipping News is a result of the current changing modern age where people are starting to loosen their grip on ridged rules of strict grammar and writing. The most outstanding attribute of Proulx's style is that subjects are frequently left out, an occasional preposition is forgotten and random single words often serve as sentences. Descriptive paragraphs composed almost entirely of fragments. Curt and crude. Almost all grammar rules broken; untraditional and unconventional. Like a mad scientist experimenting. Unsystematically dripping random chemicals into a test tube. Eccentric. Experimental style hard to grasp but then hard to let go.

The motifs and extended metaphors in this novel help shape the darkly comic style in which it was written. Each chapter's introductory title is an explanatory excerpt from mostly Ashley's Book of Knots but also Mariner's Dictionary and Quipis and Witches Knots. These unusual introductions are used to present a symbolic way into the chapter, assist in carrying the knot theme on with the book, foreshadow upcoming events, and merely draw attention to the reader. The knot theme gives a framework for Proulx to develop her truth revealing, funny-tragic metaphor. The knots, found everywhere in the ropes of life, symbolize human experiences. The shipping theme conveys the human experience in general. This metaphor is further developed by the deliberate style Proulx uses in this novel.

The surrealistic and humorous style of The Shipping News can also be attributed to the omniscient third-person point of view Proulx uses to narrate the story. By choosing this point of view, she has the ability to tell the reader what any given character is feeling at any given moment. The third person view detracts slightly from realism but leaves room for sarcastic remarks and comic exaggerated comparisons about any of the characters. The reader is told things that the characters in the novel aren't, so irony is free to develop in abundance.

Style is an important tool used by all authors to grasp the reader's emotions and mold them according the author's desire. In Joseph Conrad's novel Heart of Darkness, his exotic, mysterious style pulls the reader into the darkness that creeps from its impenetrable lair, the jungle. In The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx, her comically surrealistic style and her cleverly used motifs bring the reader to the coastal life of her main character, Quolye, and give to the reader a chance to personalize with the knots in his ropes of life. By using style, the authors paint the image of their novel to captivate the reader's attention sensations.

C

During the novel Steinbeck gives many clues that their dream is futile as many tedious obstacles present themselves. The rabbits sit like "grey, sculptured stones," which then run for cover at the forthcoming footsteps; this represents the calm before the storm of Lennie and George's world.

Candy's dog was “a dragfooted sheep dog, grey of muzzle” which Candy had raised from a puppy. The dog eventually gets shot mercifully by Carlson, another ranch hand who cannot stand the smell and says that it's Candy who is not being kind keeping him alive. During the exchange of views Candy looks for alternatives, he looks to Slim who is the most respected ranch hand, due to his talents to help him. Despite this, Slim takes Carlson's point of view and offers Candy one of his puppies to raise up. "Candy looked about unhappily." "No" he said softly. "No, I couldn"t do that. I had "im too long." It is clear from this that no one understands the bond that Candy shares with his dog as the majority of the other ranch workers travel alone, not including Lennie and George who are also misinterpreted, especially by the boss.

Curley's wife is married to the boss' son Curley as of 2 weeks. She is quite often misunderstood by the other ranch workers and considered a "tart" and a "looloo." Some would argue that she was just lonely, being the only woman on the ranch. She couldn't freely talk to the other workers as they thought she would get them "canned", being the boss' son's wife.

Curley's wife, throughout the novel was portrayed as, very well made up "She had full, rouged lips", with fine clothes "She wore a cotton house dress and red mules, on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers". This sort of attire is inappropriate for on a ranch which shows that she still longs for the "movie star" life she was told she could have by an admirer. She represents the failed dreams of many women stuck in loveless marriages. Throughout the novel Steinbeck never named Curley's wife as she was seen as a possession, not a person. Curley's wife was the only woman mentioned on the novel, aside from Lennie's Aunt Clara, ideally because in those days women were seen as a trap to ensnare and ruin men.

Slim is considered "the Prince of the ranch", which shows that the workers, even Curley respect him, and what he does. Slim is a "jerkline" skinner, very skilled in his work, "He was capable of killing a fly on the wheeler"s butt'. He is also one of a very few that understood the bond Lennie and George shared, himself and Candy are the only people that show compassion to George in his loss at the end of the novel.

The antagonist in this book would defently be Count O'laf, he's crule, crude and murderous for too many reasons to count, he tries and suceeds in killing innocent people to get closer to the Baudalair fortune, he messes with the childrens minds, he puts the Baudalairs through the worst time of there lives.

There are multiple protagonists in this story, Klaus, Viliot and Sunny, each of them are trying to get a nice life with their unique foster parents without count O'laf trying to kill them and they are against him in every way possible.

Analyze: Realistic Character

The most realistic character in this novel would have to be Count O'laf, he has a strict relation to the Bauldalairs with his momentum to kill them and recieve the fortune of their dead parents. He plays more then one character in this novel, he is Count O'laf, and his disquise is captain sham whom he tries to be a nice forgiving parent just to get custudy of the children.

Predicament/Dilemma

The Baudalair family must choose between risking their lives between by stealing a sail boat from one of Count O'laf's hired henchmen to see their Aunt Josephine across the lake with lethal leeches, or, coming into town with Count O'laf and telling Mr.Poe their story which he might not even believe.

Tension

Lemony Snicket, the author, had the most tension in the novel near the end when the Baudalairs had to fight/run away from one of the terrifying henchmen of Count O'laf, example, "Without a word the mountainous person grabbed Violet by the hair, and with one swing of its arm lifted her way up over its muscular shoulder the way you might carry a back-pack" or "He felt somthing grab the back of his shirt, and began running down his back, and Klaus realized with with horror that the person was holding in his or her mouth!"

Key Words

Leech

Leeches roam the lake and eat away the Baudalairs boat and kill Aunt Josephine.

SailBoat

The family operate a sail boat to get to Curdeled Cave, the destanasion where Aunt Josephine is.

Wind

On the way back from Cudeled Cave, the wind stops and Count O'laf catches the Baudalairs and Aunt Josephine.

Message

In Aunt Josephine's fake suicide note, she writes a hidden message written with spelling mistakes.

Library

Aunt Josephine spends most of her time in her library, filled with hundreds of books about grammar.

Disguise

Count O'laf uses a disguise to kill Aunt Josephine and trick Mr.Poe.

Book

Klaus knows how to sail because hes read books about sailing.

Bite

Sunny bites multiple objects to foil Count O'laf's evil plans.

Ferry

When the Baudalairs try to escape from Count O'laf on the ferry, they find it closed.

Cliff

Aunt Josephine's house is on a giant cliff above Lake Laucharmose, her house ends up falling off the cliff when a hurricane hits.

Hurricane

A huge hurricane, hurricane hurman, destroys Aunt Josephines house and makes it hard to navigate in the Lake.

Captain Sham

This fake character is Count O'laf in disguise.

Curdeled Cave

Aunt Josephine retreats to this cave after faking her death.

Grammar

Klaus knows that Aunt josephine is absessed with good grammar and uses that to dedect a secret message in her note.

Count O'laf

Count O'laf is a character that pushes the story forward with his plans.

Violet

This character does not play a huge roll but helps invent contractions to evade Count O'laf.

Sunny

Sunny is just an innocent three-year-old character that bites ropes and things to escape Count O'laf.

Mr.Poe

Mr.Poe is the person who eventually saves the Bauldalairs from Count O'laf.

Aunt Josephine

A character that is terrified of anything that can harm her, she is the family's current foster parrent but ends up dead.

Brobdingnagian

The author uses this word to discribe the person protecting the sailboat keys. Means "Unbelievable Husky".

Quotable Quotes

'Her heart in her throat, Violet stood in front of the creature that gave her a fake smile'

'You cant lock up the barn after the horses are gone'

'Flying to the lake like a bird catching its dinner'

'Watching as if the hive on Violet's arm grew to the size of a soccer ball'

'The scenary looked as if it were painted'

Opinion

The writing style in this book is quite exaggerated, the author expands on little problems until you would think of them them as the main dilemma. My brain is full of creative images by the detailed discriptions in this novel and the emotions that the characters have when they realize somethings wrong. This is a reletively negative book, the Baudalair's are always losing anything that makes them feel relativly happy, which creats a bag of symbathy in the back of your mind.

The storyline in the movie version Of Mice and Men does justice to the novel because it follows it so closely. The story is about two friends Lennie and George and their search for the American dream. Their dream was to own a little house that was on property that they owned. “Someday we're gonna get the jack together and we're gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an a cow and some pigs and an live off the fatta the lan!” p.14 Just as George and Lennie were about have their dream come true by buying a house Lennie gets into trouble by killing Hurley's wife. “He lifted her arm and let it drop. For a moment he seemed bewildered. And then he whispered in fright, “I done a bad thing.

I done another bad thing.” p.91 In the last scene George makes the decision to kill Lennie before Hurley got to him All of the storyline was followed perfectly the only little difference in this scene is that in the movie George killed Lennie with out hesitating but in the book it was longer and it had sadder effect. “George raised the gun and steadied it and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie's head, the hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied. He pulled the trigger.” Pg. 106 The storyline was well followed in the film doing justice to the novel this however was not the only part of novel and book that were very similar, the settings were very much the same.

The settings in the movie Of Mice and Men were almost identical to the settings that were described in the novel. The story was set in the United States near mountains and streams, ranch country. One of the best replicated scenes was the bunk house. At the start of chapter 2 Steinbeck described the bunk house and in the movie it looks just as he describes. “The bunk house was a long rectangular building. Inside, the walls were whitewashed and the floor unpainted. In three walls there were small, square windows, and in the forth a solid door with a wooden latch. Against the wall were eight bunks, five of them made up with blackest and the other three showing their burlap ticking. Over each bunk there was a nailed an apple box with opening forward so that it made two shelves for the personal belongings of the occupant of the bunk” Pg. 17

The interesting thing about the movie is the characters were always in the right setting when an event happened just as described in the book. In the film when Lennie talks to Crooks the setting is in Crooks room in the novel it is the same “Crooks settled himself more comfortably on his bunk” set down,” he invited “set down on the nail keg.”” Pg. 70 In the film when George kills Hurley's wife it takes place in the barn while all the others are playing horseshoes outside in the novel it is the same “He pawed up the hay until it partly covered her . From outside the barn came a cry of men and the double clang of shoes on metal. “Pg. 92. Not only are the characters in the right setting at the right time they are also well portrayed.

In the movie version Of Mice and Men the characters are as I imagined them in my head. Lennie was a character that was well portrayed. This is the physical description of Lennie “ A huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders; and he walk heavily dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. His arms did not swing at his side, but hung loosely” pg. 2 Lennie was also slow in the head; they mention that in the story. Lennie looked and acted the way I pictured him. Other characters were also portrayed very well, George, Lennies only friend is described as being “small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features. Every part of him was defined: small, small hands, slender arms, a thin and bony nose.” Pg. 2 In the movie this physical description fits him well. All character descriptions fit the characters in the movie. The movie characters did the book justice.

I think that the film version Of Mice and Men did justice to the book. In the movie what I enjoyed most was how the character Lennie was portrayed. He was as I imagined him in the novel. Overall I like the book better that the movie only for one reason. I found that the novels ending was more dramatic and made me feel more affection for Lennie and George.

It is a heinous thing, to be forced into killing a friend out of mercy. To end a life, and in doin" so end of a lifetime of dreaming of a better life. I feel something akin to shame, even in admitting to my own self, that when first I laid eyes on the pair of them, I couldn't even begin to comprehend the bond they shared. An unlikely friendship, but one that benefited the both of 'em. One they both were dependent on. Perhaps if there were more men like Lennie and George, these bad times would be less dark.

Euthanasia is a controversial issue at the best of times. So much for the American Dream. I got to where I am today by skill alone, but where I am is hardly living in the lap o' luxury. Sure, I get my stake and meals, and a bed if it can be so called, but the life of the ranch worker is no life at all. Just living is a chore.

All around me, I see the suffering of good, but disadvantaged men. Born equal, with an equal shot at success? Hardly. Take ol' Candy, he was a good worker in his day, but now he's as ol' and dogeared as that stinkin' bitch of his. I couldn't save that dog. Shot dead. He ought to 'ave brought his peace, after a lifetime of hard work. Is that the fate that awaits us, too? Disposed off, like poor Candy's dog, or Lennie, when we are of no further use? The American Dream, it never works out for folk like us.

I guess the trouble started way back, before the pair of them so much as showed face here. Curley has always been a troublesome character; thrives on the ill ease of others, and likes to see people on edge. Bitter, is the word I'd use. A small, angry man with too much to prove; dead set upon the way he is perceived by other, less small and less angry men. There's been an underlying tension "ere since the day he first bought that pretty thing of his home, and declared their engagement.

She is sure going to keep him on his toes, her running "round after the ranch hands like them and Curley are equals. Why, that would rile a better man than Curley. I would be glad to see him in such a state, had things turned out differently. I am saddened to say that I played my hand in it, encouraged her. She was a tart if ever I saw one, and at the time I thought that if I could 'ave got a rise outta that son of a bitch Curley through her, then it would be worth it. And I was lonely, too. We all are. George is lonely now too.

Deserved each other, is all I can say. I ain't ever seen a more dysfunctional couple. They might be together, but the two of "em are just as alone as the rest of us. Why, George and Lennie are the only two folk I"ve met up this way who share a real friendship of any sort. One that ones deeper than colleagues, or the companionship of a man and his working animals. My own Lulu has laid her pups, but she and they are no friends of mine. I disposed of the weakest to strengthen the litter, and to save my Lulu the strength. It had to be done, not out of compassion, but because economically, it made the most sense. I gave Candy and Lennie each one of Lulu's pups, but more 'cus I had no use for five than outta compassion for the two men; although I feel some responsibility for the death of Candy's old dog.

Curley doesn't intimidate me, and hasn't in a long time. I've seen enough of his kind before him to let that work, handy though he may be, and I've been around this place long enough to see what he is, and isn't capable of. Never before though, have I seen the kinda brawl exhibited by Lennie, that night he crushed Curley's hand. Scared me, that did.

Curley might be a good boxer, but he has half a brain, and enough sense to know when to stop. He has all of the ill intent that Lennie lacks, but Lennie hasn't the brains to know when to let go. If I'd been wise, I woulda sent Lennie and George on their way that night. Despite his best efforts, George could never "ave kept that big geezer outta trouble indefinitely; although I admire him for trying. Perhaps he cared too much for the oaf, he"d "ave rather see him locked up than harmed, but that is no way to live. We can"t be happy as free men, 'cus in truth we aren't free, but to see Lennie caged, would only lessen my cynical view of the world.

I saw today for the first time with full clarity, the difference in men. Perhaps I was becoming one of 'em. Distanced myself from the folk around me. Being alone for so long, a man becomes cold and unfeeling. Lose the capacity to emphasize with another human being. Why, like I couldn't when first I crossed paths with 'em, the others couldn't comprehend the friendship Lennie and George had. Didn't realise why George was grief stricken. They never dream of what they cannot achieve, 'cus the disappointment of recognising reality is such a burden. It's the difference between mice, and men.

Those that have heart, despite the suffering we all endure, and those that sacrifice that heart long ago to ease their suffering. Curley didn't ever have heart. His wife was killed, and all he could care for was his own revenge. He went after Lennie with a gun with intent to hurt him, draw out his suffering 'cus he'd been humiliated by Lennie. Carlson, he had no heart either. Cared only to live out the lifestyle of a trigger-happy cowboy outta some damned magazine. Whit, too, showed his true colours. Never heard the youngster more excited than he was at the prospect of holding a gun. They're worse than animals, they're animals with guns. But is it better to feel, and to know what loss is, than not to feel at all? To dream, and not succeed, but dream nonetheless? Today, I made my choice.