Section 2



           
           At the end of the section Curly comes into the workers shed and angrily asks where his wife is. George being quick tempered replies snappishly that his wife had left 30 min ago. after saying this Curly really notices George for the first time,and seems to Annalise him. after leaving tho George turn around to Linnie and tells him that he might get into a fight with Curly himself. This foreshadows that he will probably get into a fight with him, Maby to protect Linnie? I don't know. then will he and Linnie will have to be on the run again?

           Candy's dog is a symbol in the book. You can tell from context clues that candy's dog is very old and doesn't care much Any more. This symbols hope of accomplishing the American dream, and that many are loosing hope or don't care anymore. Also when the dog looks up it is like the workers when they are younger searching for a chance to accomplish their dreams. Then when he puts his head down again it is like the workers realizing that accomplishing their dreams are harder than it seems and that they are giving up hope.

Chapter 2 Question 2

Out of the characters introduced in Chapter 2 Curley stood out to me the most. He stood out to me because I thought he was not very respectful towards big people like Lennie, the swamper says "He hates big guys. he's all the time picking scraps with big guys. Kind of like he is mad a them because he isn't a big guy." Curley was also the bosses son and I think that gave him the confidence that he could treat people how ever he wanted and nothing bad would ever happen to him. He also seemed to have confidence because a couple weeks prior he had been married. One other thing it said was that if Curley jumps a big guy everyone would treat it like Curley was a game guy, but if a big guy jumped him everyone would say pick on someone your own size. I don't think Curley has the right to jump someone and not get any punishment or get jumped by the person he jumped. I believe that you should treat others how you want  to be treated, so if Curley is beating up people he should be expected to get beat up as a result.

Part 2: Crooks

Although all we really hear of Crooks is foreshadowing, I think there is enough to infer and think about regarding him. George seems surprised when the old man mentions that there is a black man on the farm. The old man describes him as nice, with a crooked back. (Hence the name?) We also hear that the boss often likes to "give him hell" when he's upset. Obviously, in this novel we are past the point of slavery. But this really shows how prevalent racial discrimination was for a long time, even after the Civil War. I think because Crooks is unique, it will be especially interesting to see how George and Lennie treat him. What do you think? Will they discriminate against him like so many others? Or will they view him as an equal?

Part Two of Of Mice and Men

In part two we met curly's wife first, on the bunk house porch. Her disposition is pleasant and she is pretty. While on the porch, she was attracting Lenny when George quickly said  stay away from her. He had also said that to Lenny about Curly. Her role is to represent temptation and evil. What do you guys think?

WALSH Part 2 Q's (optional)

Part 2:

(REMEMBER: These questions are OPTIONAL; you can respond to them in a post, or just used them as direction for what to focus on while you read)

1. We meet several new characters. Choose one to discuss. What did we learn about them - - physically and their disposition? HOW did we learn about them? What do you think this character’s role in the story is?
 

2. Of the new characters that were introduce, does anyone stand out to you as different from the others? How so? What do you think Steinbeck’s rationale (thinking/planning) was here?
 

3. Steinbeck often reveals important information at the end of each section. Reread p 37 again closely. Analyze what is said about George and/or about Candy’s dog. What foreshadowing and/or symbolism is being addressed here?

Section 2: The Hiding Spot Foreshadowing

Once again as in Chapter 1, the recurrence of the secret hiding place was mentioned. This is another example of foreshadowing. On page 30, George warned Lennie that if Curley ever comes to Lennie to hurt him escape to the secret spot. George said, "Look, Lennie, if you get in any kind of trouble, you remember what I told you to do." My prediction is that Lennie will get himself into trouble and the two companions will meet up at the secret hiding place down by the river. I also think that Curley will be the guy to mess with Lennie and try to make him talk.
What do you think will happen with Lennie and George's secret hiding spot?

Section 2: Curly

In section two George and Lennie meet Curly. Curly is the bosses sun so he moves around the ranch whith practical impunity. Most people dislike Curly and as George puts it "This Curly guy sounds like a son of a B***"  Curly is really a jerk who makes everybody mad. George foresees problems and tells Lennie to stay away from Curly. That is probably foreshadowing a fight.

Lenny and George's Description Section One

The author describes George as " The fist man was small and quick, dark of the face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features. Every part of him was defined: small, strong hands, slender arms, and a thin bony nose. The author describes Lennie as " Behind him walked his opposite, a huge man, shapeless of the face, with large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. His arms did not swing at his sides, but hung loosely. They both want to own a farm together. George is not nice to Lennie because of his mental inferiority. Lenny likes to pet mice, but usually ends up killing them when they bite him. Lennie wants rabbits when they own a farm so he can pet them.

Part 1 Blog

The author describes Lenny as a sort of optimistic guy who makes the most out of the situation. He describes George as a serious and gruff guy. From the first part of the story I can already tell that the two balance each other out. Lenny who is an intellectually challenged character is difficult to put up with due to his disability, but George still stays with him. The two of them live a lonely life and depend upon each other. George shows that he likes to be in control of the situation and Lenny goes with what ever George says.

Part 1

An example of foreshadowing that I saw in just this first section would be the fact that George said to Lennie that if Lenny ever gets in trouble then he needs to come to the brush by the pond and wait for George to come and help him. I think that this is an amazing example of foreshadowing because the author gives us clues that this same sort of thing has happened before on different ranches. He said that Lennie and George have had to run away from multiple farms for misbehaving. Another example of foreshadowing was that Lennie said he would run away from George and leave him alone. I think that this is a good example because George was yelling at how stupid Lennie was and that without lennie George could be much better off by himself. After George stops yelling at him Lennie says maybe he will leave. I think that this might happen in the story, but based off of prior knowledge from the gallery walk and Mr. Kay's prelude to the story, I know that this probably won't happen.

Part 1 in Of Mice and Men

1. An example of foreshadowing is when Lenny said I hold it in my pocked and if it bit me i would give it a little pinch on the head, then it was dead. This shows that Lenny uses his strength when he doesn't realize how much force  he's actually using.
2. In California there were a crazy amount of farmers working on one plantation at a time. This might be in the story. There could be a couple hundred farmers on the farm that George and Lenny are going to work on.
3. As George, Steinbeck says that Lenny is a Crazy bastard.

Section 1, Georges and Lennies descriptions

In the story Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie were described with very specific details. George is a small, smart man with a dark face. He is quick with restless eyes and strong, sharp features. Even though he was small he had very strong hands, slender arms, and a thin bony nose. Lennie is the complete opposite of George. George is tall with a shapeless face with large pale eyes with large frail shoulders. He walks very heavily while dragging his feet like the way a bear drags his paws. When he walks his arms don't swing them hang loosely. Lennie has short term memory loss and George sometimes teases him about it and gets mad that he doesn't remember the stuff he says. George and Lennie ran away from there old farm because Lennie did something bad which made them have to run away and they are trying to find a new a farm and build a house and live a happy life. If Lennie and George start to behave and work hard I think that they can accomplish there dream of having there own land with a house.. This could definitely change the plot of the story if they don't have to run away again and try and find a new farm and start all over.

Section 1 Lennie and George's Description

In the story Of Mice and Men the author John Steinbeck gave a very detailed description of Lennie and George.  Lennie is a burly man with wide sloping shoulders.  His face is shapeless and he has large pale eyes.  Lennie walks in a very distinct manner because he walks heavily and drags his feet like a bear drags its paws.  George is the total opposite of Lennie.  George is small with slender arms and small hands.  He has a dark face, restless eyes and a thin bony nose.  Although Georges features are small, his hands are strong and he is a quick thinker  I think in the long run these features will help Lennie and George accomplish their dream of having their land and small house.

#3 Lennie And George

Section 1

Ant guide: Question #3 George and Lennie

       
           The author Vividly describes each character, both wearing the same clothes, Denim (Cotton) Pants and a shirt, with brass buttons and black shapeless hats. Besides their cloths though their features  were almost polar opposites. George, Was on the smaller side with a dark face. he was quick and had restless eyes scanning his surroundings. he had sharp defined features with thin arms and legs and is very bony. Also very perceptive and a quick thinker, and could also be irascible at times.
         Linnie was very different in all ways He was very large with broad shapeless features, and pale eyes. Thick limbed and strong. Though he was not very smart and often forgot things.
        I think that the author is foreshadowing what Will happen later in the story. i think that George is very quick and will be the minds of the group, but might get them into trouble being mean. Also Lennie will be the muscle of the group also not being as smart but may show light onto Georg's quick temped thinking. They will help to keep each other in check. and use there features and abilities to accomplish their dream.

Section 1 Lenny and George

As I was reading section 1 of the novel, "Of Mice and Men," I realized the relationship of the two characters introduced, George and Lenny. George and Lenny had a very different friendship that I would imagine true friends would share. First to start, Lenny was a man who forgot everything and often caused trouble. George was a man who often was bossy and the responsible one compared to Lenny. I would say that the friendship of Lenny and George was actually quite ironic. I say this because most people would expect that friends always are there for each other and they encourage them and help them when they struggle. Instead, George treats Lenny nearly the opposite. He says to Lenny, "I got you! You cant keep a job and you loose me ever' job I get. Jus' keep me shovin' all over the country all the time. An' that ain't the worst of it. You get in trouble. You do bad things and I got to get you out." His voice rose nearly to a shout. "You crazy son-of-a-bitch. You keep me in hot water all the time." As seen, Lenny has just really disrespected George and it is ironic that a true friend would treat him this way. I think that it is very mean of George to treat Lenny this way and again I am very surprised that Lenny is treated this way by his friend. I am thrilled to find out how this "friendship" of George and Lenny develops.

Do you agree that George and Lenny's friendship is ironic.

Part 1: Character Descriptions

I think Steinbeck does a great job of using complex language to develop his characters. He writes descriptions about how "refined" George's movements are, or how "shapeless" and "lumped" Lennie's figure is. These descriptions really force the reader to paint a picture in their head. I for one enjoyed the scene when Lennie started crying while George was ranting. Not, of course, because I enjoyed Lennie's sadness, but because the image in my head was vivid. I've only read sixteen pages of the book and I already have a concrete picture of both of the main characters, as if I'm watching a movie. The really great thing is, the detail is complex, so it only gives the important ideas and a few minor bits, but leaves the reader with no doubt of the appearance and mannerisms of the characters. I really look forward to seeing how the novel will fill in my visions of the characters, and use dynamic aspects to especially expand on the relationship between George and Lennie.

Section 1: Lennie and George's Relationship

In Part 1 of Of Mice and Men it is apparent that Lennie and George have a very unique relationship. First off, George is a small quick man with a mean disposition that bosses Lennie around. Lennie is a huge man that acts like a child and has a bad memory. One example of George being hurtful to Lennie follows, "I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn't have you on my tail. I could live so easy and maybe have a girl." This is hurtful because George is basically telling Lennie that he is not important and just gets in the way a lot of the time. On the other hand, George can sometimes show kindness towards Lennie like when he said, "...because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that's why." I believe that the relationship between Lennie and George will change the story and will be a big part of the book.

What do you think of Lennie and George's relationship?

Lennie and George's Bond

Lennie and George's bond

             Lennie and George have an interesting bond. I learned from section 1 that while Lennie is sometimes a liability, he also is a good companion. George fantasizes about life without Lennie, but he soon realizes the harsh consequences that could result from leaving Lennie. He states that many ranch workers throw their life away and have no family or friends, but he has Lennie. Lennie seems to appreciate George's company and even says that he will go away if George doesn't like him, but George refuses. I believe this pair will stick together throughout the story and their bond will continue to grow stronger through the challenges that ensue at their new ranch.
             Another thing I noticed about their relationship is that while Lennie forgets things often, George will almost always help him remember. This shows that George is kind to Lennie and appreciates him. Close to the end of section 1, Lennie is comforted by a story of what he and George will do in their upcoming life; they will live in a house with a couple of acres and have a garden and animals. Lennie likes this story because it is one of teh only things he can remember and may be his only hope.While Lennie may have a disability, he and George are a perfect pair.

Part 1

Part 1

This novel is set in Salinas Valley, California in the 1930's. Salinas Valley's economy heavily relies on agriculture. In this novel George and Lennie are ranch workers who work together in the fields.

George is a small intelligent man and Lennie is a big man who forgets things easily. Because Lennie has done something bad at the ranch so they have to flee and find new jobs. It is important that these two character maintain a close friendship because of the tough times they are going through.   It is probable that George and Lennie will be discriminated because of Georges skin color and Lennies disability. 

 In the 1930's there were many migrants coming to California from the Midwest because of the Dust Bowl. The Dust Bowl was caused by over farming and severe droughts. Thousands of farmers migrated from states in the Midwest especially Oklahoma. That gave them the nickname Okies. Because there were so many migrants from the Midwest it is going to be hard for George and Lennie to find jobs. 

Part 1 Qs (OPTIONAL)

Part 1:

(REMEMBER: These questions are OPTIONAL; you can respond to them in a post, or just used them as direction for what to focus on while you read)

1. There are examples of symbolism, foreshadowing, AND irony within just this first section! Identify one of these and explain.

2. We know that the story takes place in Salinas Valley, California during the 1930’s. Do some outside research and share with your classmates something that you learned about this setting (time and/or place). Then discuss how that might affect the plot of the novel.

3. List some words that Steinbeck uses to describe Lennie. List some words that Steinbeck uses to describe George. How do these descriptions compare and/or contrast to one another?

Section 1

In Part 1, we observe George and Lennie taking a night’s rest near a river. George is a small man who is the “brains”, Lennie is a big man who is the “brawn”. George is a talker, Lennie is mostly quiet. Lennie has trouble remembering simple things, and has the “mind of a young child”. This is where one of the statements on the sheet comes in: if one has mental problems, does that make them lesser than you? Lennie is mentally inferior to George, as he has childish instincts. However, George still treats him as a friend, and takes care of him. He tries to deal with Lennie’s inferior way of thinking by taking control and making plans and telling Lennie what to do. Some  things he cannot deal with, like Lennie’s forgetfulness or his strange habits (keeping a dead mouse in his pocket). However, George and Lennie both care deeply for each other, and are close companions.

Part 1

Part one shows George and Lennie to us. George is a small man who likes to be in control. he swears a lot. Lennie is a big man who dose not have a very good memory.  This goes back to the question on the sheet about whether or not a person with an intellectual deficiency is worth the same as someone who dose not.  Lennie is intellectually inferior to George and George knows it. In this case the answer to that question is yes. George is still treating Lennie like a friend instead of scorning him for his intellectual disability. In the gallery the was a mention about a dog and that is compared to Lennie. This is unfair because Lennie really tries to be "normal" but can't. The dog on the other hand could not care one way or another. If the dog dose something wrong and you yell at it it will slink away. However when George yells at Lennie, he still stays.

Ant Guide : Taking control

People that are poor should get a job rather than rely on friends, family, or their church.

    I believe that if you are at rock bottom poor, you should ask for help but also try to start on your own. Friends and family should be a reliable start, but should not be constantly donating. You should Take Control in your life. Get a job, a house, car, pay bills, and live the american dream. Every person should be able to live the american dream with that one acre lot and a white picket fence. Making this dream a reality comes with responsibility and hard work. Living in america should be a fair community.

Anticipation Guide Number 1: People that are poor should get a job rather than relying on friends, family, or church for help.

I strongly agree with this statement. A well-known saying is, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." This quote can refer to the subject of getting your own job. What happens if a family member dies or a friend can't keep supporting you for fear of bankruptcy? This instability is an important reason to take the time and effort to create opportunities for yourself.

One thing that influenced my response was Mr. Kay's speech. At one point, he spoke about a Bosnian janitor at the school who said he was, "living the american dream." This term is often misunderstood , as it could mean a number of different things. For the janitor, it meant he was making a new life for himself and his daughters (who were getting the chance to go to college). I feel that the  American Dream should be a driving factor in someone's life; to start something you care about and keep yourself afloat should be a priority in anyone's life. No one wants to be a parasite on someone else for the entirety of their life. So yes, try anything to get a job and make progress to create a better life for yourself and a stronger country.

Ant Guide: #5

Mentally impaired people are worthless, and cannot function like "regular" people.

I disagree with this statement because everybody that is mentally impaired does something good in the world.  Also nobody in the world is worthless everybody has a part to make this world go round. For example the Special Olympics helps mentally impaired and people that have a physical disability, but I am going to talk about the Special Olympics and the mentally impaired kids.  The kids feel like they are apart of the world and mean something in the world.  This is why I think mentally impaired people are not worthless and mean something in the world.

Ant Guide: Post #1

People that are poor should get a job rather than relying on, friends family and church.

               I disagree with this statement, because of the word, relying. I think that it is correct for churches  and friends to supply help but I don't think that it is right  for people to rely on these sources of help. Unless, there is no possible way for that person to get  a job, witch is highly unlikely. Even, most disabled people can get a job. Working at a low mind or physical level workplace. There are options for every kind of person. I don't disagree with the thing as a whole. These programs kept my mother and grandma alive for a few months when she could not find a job, that part I don't disagree with, but the problem comes along when people rely on these programs constantly, or more than they need to. Today that is a big problem with the american economy is that to many people are relying on social programs, and are living off of them. Also they will not be influenced  find jobs because they don't need to and getting one would get them off the programs, and taking away there free things. so I agree with keeping these programs but I would limit them to shorter periods of time. influencing people to go out and get jobs.

Anticipation Guide: Difficulty Of Life (Statement 8)

LIFE TODAY IS MORE DIFFICULT THAN IT WAS IN THE 1930'S

     I disagree with this statement, I think life was more difficult in the 1930's. I think life was more difficult in the 1930's because the 1930's was the time of the Great Depression. During the Great Depression many people lost almost all of their money. After losing their money which took very long to get it was very hard to regain. Many people went broke and died because they could not afford food. 

Anticipation Guide: Self Reliance (Statement 1)

People that are poor should get a job, rather than relying on friends, family, or church for help.

I strongly agree with this statement, because what you do as a person is one of the only constants in life. It is important to have supportive and caring friends, but ultimately being able to take care of yourself is the best option. People living in poverty, or even those who are just moderately poor, definitely have a harder time with supporting themselves. However, taking action to earn money, studying hard, building connections, and focusing on the right things can always help you dig yourself out of a hole.

Of course, all of these things are easier said than done. Getting into a good school can be hard with no educational background, and making powerful friends could seem impossible if you don't know where to start. This is where determination comes in. Going to a public school and studying as hard as you possibly can will build character and knowledge, as well as the probably of getting a scholarship or getting a well paying job to get into a respected college. From there, earn a degree and get an even better job. Save money and go to grad school, etc. As you can probably see by now, placement on the economic hierarchy depends just as much on will and determination as on luck and inheritance.

Although this path may seem harder than simply asking for help, you will build character and self reliance in case anything goes wrong. Your friend could stop supporting you, your family could move on, and the church could deem you unworthy. But you can always control what you do.

Ant Guide: Taking charge

People that are poor should get a job rather than relying on friends, family, or church.

I strongly agree with this statement. It is important to have friends and family but you can not rely on them forever. Sometimes you have to take charge of your own life and make things better yourself. A librarian once told me a story. " Give a man a fish he has food for one day, teach a man to fish he has food for his entire life." The moral of this story is that you should learn to do things yourself like getting a job and supporting yourself. You should take charge and live the American Dream. Through hard work you can succeed.


I can see how people think that you should rely on your family and friends. You should use your resources. But there comes a point when you have to make thinks better.

What do you think? Should you take charge 

Ant. Guide: # 1

People who are poor usually don't have a job to help there family, if they relying on other family members or friends who are wealthy and have a job, instead of taking money from them or relying on them to feed them and care for them, they should go through the process of getting a job. The person or family they are relying on are fighting and working hard for their own job and making money for their family while the poor are just receiving things and not even working hard to try or even get a job to help them or their own family. They are living an unfair life from everyone else because they are not working hard like everyone else, all they are doing is getting and not giving. They should try and get a job or something that makes money for there family. Poor people should not just get and be cared for, they should try and get a job or a house to support their own family.

Ant Guide: Friendship

 "A true friend will tell you the truth, even when you don't want to hear it."

I with-ought a doubt agree that a true friend must tell you the truth no matter what. A true friend is a person who is always there for you, and always has your back. That person will always be on your side and stick up for you when you are struggling. They will do all that they can do to help heal you from misery and they should tell you the truth. If your friend did not tell you the truth, than you could not rely on him to always be there for you. This is because if he wont even tell you something that is important for you to know even if you might not want to know it then it could end up hurting you. If you believe that you have found a true friend than he would know that the right thing to do would be to tell you the truth, even if it can make you upset. They would realize that the truth in time would help you and it would would be very important for you to know. 

Ant Guide: Dreaming is for dreamers, and dreamers go nowhere. Be real?

I disagree with that statement. I disagree because if you start small with an idea then you can take strides to accomplishing that dream. For example, some people will start a dream and just give up, but accomplishing a dream will take a long time and will take perseverance. Although, sometimes dreams can be way out of reach like if a 5 7" man wanted to be an NBA basketball player. In that situation you could say be real, but not if a dream is well thought out and planned with a chance of happening. Also, dreamers can be people who are in need but also talented people who want to achieve more. Dreamers can go somewhere.

What are your thoughts on dreamers?

Ant Guide: Poor Getting a Job vs. Relying on Friends, family, or churches for help.

     

       

Ant Guide Post #1

People that are poor should get a job rather than relying on friends, family, and church for help.


        I think poor people should get jobs. Even if the job is working at a fast food restaurant earning minimum wage, they still will meet people, make money, and possibly get promotions. They can save money to buy things they need, or possibly get a better education. With a better education, they can get a better, higher paying job. If they rely on family, friends, or churches, they will gain no respect or real payment. they will not gain the satisfaction of earning money, and no achievements in life. They could have family, friends, and churches help them get a job or education, but should not rely on them their whole life for their wants and needs.

Anticipation Guide: Women

Women today are more often treated by men as equals rather than objects.

    This statement can be argued on many fronts. Women do have many more privileges than they did in the 1900’s, but they still lack some choices. While women can now vote, go wherever they want, and be business owners or powerful and wealthy individuals, they have never been president, cannot play major league baseball, and are still thought of as the “housekeeper”. I remain neutral in this debate, but I believe that women should have all the opportunities as all men. These are my thoughts on the authority of women.

Anticipation Guide: Poor People

I definitely think that people that are poor should get a job instead of  relying on their friends and families. Maimonides said " Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime."I feel like this quote really represents this topic because if the poor person just gets help from his friends, and or family, then he will always go to those people for help. If he gets a job and works hard he will now be relying on himself and he will not need help from his friends. This is a topic that I definitely agree on.

"Of many feelings that hurt - grief, anger, jealousy, loneliness hurts the most."

Ant Guide

I fully agree with this statement. You can be angry or jealous, but you will always have your friends and family to get over that, without friends and family you have no one to fall back on. Being lonely is the most painful thing a human can endeavor. Everyone has felt left out or not fit in at some point in their life. This feeling blatantly sucks, and there is very little you can do about it. This is it is so crucial in life to have someone you count on to have your back. Who that person is does not matter, as long as you trust them and they support you.

Ant. guide question 7

Sometimes justice mandates that the law be broken. Justice and the law are different. However, justice is supposed to be a sort of vengeance, to avenge an amoral action. Often the law in enforcing morality. It could just be me but, if you murder a man to avenge a murder, then soon the entire world is dead. to quote the old saying “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth and soon the whole world is going around blind.” Ignoring all the metaphors for a moment, justice and the law both defend morality, therefore if you break the law, you are more likely to be on the wrong end of justice if you break the law for any reason.

Ant Guide: Friendship

Being rich is more important than having close friends.

Wow. I could not disagree more! Given the 1.5 billion dollar lottery that was just up for grabs, this statement is quite fitting. I, just like everyone else, had fun dreaming about winning that insane amount of money. However, you have to also consider the horror stories of people who have won in the past and ended up losing everything. And by everything, I don’t mean the money. They invested well and spent responsibly, BUT… surely it caused strife amongst family and friends who suddenly needed to borrow money. No amount of money is worth replacing the support of friends and family.

Considering friends specifically, I could not function without them. I love my family, but there is something different about the support of a friend. I am so lucky to have many amazing friends in my life – some of them are people I work (or have worked) with, some of them are people I met back in college, and some of them are people who have been in my life for as long as I can remember. I have two life-long friends whose friendships date back to 3^rd grade! We went to school together from 3^rd grade all the way through college. We were in each other’s weddings, and even though we live in three different states, we talk often and visit when we can. Sometimes months go in between visits, but when we’re together it’s like no time has passed. Those are the best kind of friendships, where you know each other so well that you don’t have to explain and justify things; you just get each other.

I think there are definitely people who would take the other side, who believe that money trumps everything. Surely you can maintain (or create) happiness if you are rich… money provides big houses, fancy cars, and amazing trips. But again, I disagree. If you don’t have friends to share your big house, fancy car, and especially those amazing trips with, what’s the point? I argue that it is true friendship that brings about joy, confidence, adventure, support, and all-around happiness.

What do you guys think? Does money ultimately trump all things? Or do you hold the greatest value on your friendships?

Welcome!

Hey Blues!

Welcome to our Blog J   

I'm so excited to get this going! You guys blew me away with your commitment to class discussions throughout Chains, so I wholeheartedly believe you are ready to take it to the next level - - putting your thoughts out into the blogging world. With this comes a bit of added responsibility, but I know you guys can handle it (and we will talk much more about this in detail in class).

LOGISTICS: Instead of submitting answers to Walsh-created discussion questions on Canvas for each section of our novel Of Mice and Men, you all will be engaging in discussion here on our blog! But here's the catch... this means I need YOU to spur discussion. This could be done by posing profound (ding!) questions, by writing a thoughtful reflection that encourages your classmates to respond, and/or by writing a insightful response to a classmate's post. You will find more information about the requirements below.

***Confession: I will still post some discussion questions J This will be to get your mind focused on certain ideas & topics as you read. You are welcome to respond to them, but you are also encouraged to create your own questions to pose to your classmates. 

TIPS for Blogging:

• Please use professional font (style, size, color)
• There is a spell check option (use it!) and be sure to reread your post before publishing to make sure it reads fluently and professionally.
• Unlike your google docs, blogger does not auto-save! Be sure to click save several times while you are working on your post.
• When your post is finalized, you must publish in order for your classmates & teacher to view/comment.

Grading (4-point scale):

To receive full credit, you will be expected to complete one blog post or comment per section of the novel (there are six). Please note: the requirements for comments are the same as blog posts – comments on a classmates’ post should be just as long and thoughtful as the blog post itself. Posts & comments should be at least one paragraph in length and should include profound thinking that serves to further your own understanding of the book as well as your classmates’. While blogging certainly has a more casual feel and tone, you must remain professional in language (no technology slang - - i.e. LOL, OMG, u instead of you, etc.)  Blogs will be graded on thoughtfulness & effort as well as grammar and conventions. **Please see my example posts for clarity. 

4	3	2	1
Meets all expectations. This is shown through a complete post/comment that shows deep thinking that is fully explained. Professional language is used.	Meets most expectations. This is shown through a complete post/comment that shows deep thinking, but may not be fully explained. Professional language is used.	Meets some expectations. This is shown through a blog post/comment that shows signs of deep thinking, but a lack of explanation leads to the reader with questions. Some slang is used.	Not meeting expectations. This is shown through an incomplete blog post that lacks signs of deep thinking. Slang is frequently used.