Sunday, September 12, 2010
Analysis Paragraph: "A Whole New Mind"
Pink's self-righteous humor (that is to say, he knows he is correct in what he writes ("On the off chance that you're still not convinced, let me offer one last-and illuminating-statistic."), but he attempts to use "comedy" to smoothly 'suade others rather than blatantly stating his truths) (somewhat) subtly warns his fellow academics of the impending doom progress bears for them: "our left brains have made us rich...(but) the very triumph of L-Directed Thinking has lessened its significance. The prosperity it has unleashed has placed a premium on less rational, more R-Directed sensibilities-beauty, spirituality, emotion." The development achieved thus far is due to the abundance of worldly knowledge cultivated and the applications found for that knowledge. Whether more progress cannot be made in this same way, or whether humans have grown weary of academics and would rather explore what our ancestors did, it is hard to say; regardless, "In an age of abundance, appealing only to rational, logical, and functional needs is woefully insufficient." To ensure modern legacies will be carried on, offspring must be exposed to as many members of the "hippie" (politically correct term unknown) population as possible (evolution will prevent any ancestors from being shamed, as these "hippies" will don suits), far from the domain of public education, where they must spend only the minimum amount of time required (until the education system realizes in what way the world is traveling), to become successful members of society. Attractive and somewhat functional services/products/etc. will sell more than plain services/products/etc. that are extremely functional. The all too necessary pursuit of (applicable (to the world)) knowledge will become the pursuit of "Why?" (knowledge applicable to (just) ourselves) (transcendence), which will, ironically, be trekked upon (/achieved) by means of creativity. Worldly pursuits do not make people happy; what else is there? The answers can only possibly exist in the "abnormal." "The paradox of prosperity is that while living standards have risen steadily decade after decade, personal, family, and life satisfaction haven't budged." Prophesying the end of (the flourishing) of minds like his, Pink uses this book as what could be a last opportunity to sound smart while smartness is treasured.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Advertisement Analysis
During the 1940's, every American was concerned with how World War II was unfolding. Several companies in the U.S. exploited patriotism to "build up hype" for whatever product was being sold. The Scotch tape company was no different.
In the ad found at http://adflip.com/addetails.php?adID=2323, Scotch tape applies ethos to improve potential sales. By mentioning Uncle Sam, the universal symbol for the United States (' army), readers are subconsciously forced to give their undivided attention to what Scotch tape has to say: American soldiers are using the tape to help bring Victory back home. If the United States Army can use Scotch to stay alive and vanquish the enemy, problems in our own country do not stand a chance. The "INVEST IN VICTORY - BUY WAR BONDS" at the bottom is more proof that the company is helping the Army, providing space in an ad the tape company paid for for the government to ask for help. By referring to their product as "good old Scotch tape," the company calls upon itself; "We've been around a while, so you can trust us." It is because of the long-standing record that the company holds that the readers are expected to understand that all the tape made is being sent overseas, as winning the war is more of a priority than pleasing the citizens. The tape will return when Victory does.
The men to the immediate right of the focal point, the woman in red, beam pathos from their faces. The woman in red (sexy, appealing to men, usually the larger demographic, especially from the viewpoint of an... "immature (and sexist)" publication) was carrying a lunch sack but now all her food has ripped through the puny bag and has fallen (which would not have happened had Scotch tape been applied). The two men are waiting for her to bend over and retrieve her food, like nearly any man, other than a gentle, would. Everybody on the train is smiling, except for the woman, who looks shocked, so readers are expected to either smile as well, or maybe even laugh at the woman, both positive responses. As mentioned before, the tape company uses the credibility of the nation's army to help sale the tape. By mentioning the fact that the army uses the tape, any readers who also use the tape, or that are planning on it, can feel a sense of patriotism, that they are helping the country.
It is logical for any company to list some of the potential uses of its product, and with the flexibility of the tape, Scotch is a brand to be trusted. However a company goes about advertising its product, though, if appealing to ethos, pathos or logos, no doubt the ad will help "move a few units."
In the ad found at http://adflip.com/addetails.php?adID=2323, Scotch tape applies ethos to improve potential sales. By mentioning Uncle Sam, the universal symbol for the United States (' army), readers are subconsciously forced to give their undivided attention to what Scotch tape has to say: American soldiers are using the tape to help bring Victory back home. If the United States Army can use Scotch to stay alive and vanquish the enemy, problems in our own country do not stand a chance. The "INVEST IN VICTORY - BUY WAR BONDS" at the bottom is more proof that the company is helping the Army, providing space in an ad the tape company paid for for the government to ask for help. By referring to their product as "good old Scotch tape," the company calls upon itself; "We've been around a while, so you can trust us." It is because of the long-standing record that the company holds that the readers are expected to understand that all the tape made is being sent overseas, as winning the war is more of a priority than pleasing the citizens. The tape will return when Victory does.
The men to the immediate right of the focal point, the woman in red, beam pathos from their faces. The woman in red (sexy, appealing to men, usually the larger demographic, especially from the viewpoint of an... "immature (and sexist)" publication) was carrying a lunch sack but now all her food has ripped through the puny bag and has fallen (which would not have happened had Scotch tape been applied). The two men are waiting for her to bend over and retrieve her food, like nearly any man, other than a gentle, would. Everybody on the train is smiling, except for the woman, who looks shocked, so readers are expected to either smile as well, or maybe even laugh at the woman, both positive responses. As mentioned before, the tape company uses the credibility of the nation's army to help sale the tape. By mentioning the fact that the army uses the tape, any readers who also use the tape, or that are planning on it, can feel a sense of patriotism, that they are helping the country.
It is logical for any company to list some of the potential uses of its product, and with the flexibility of the tape, Scotch is a brand to be trusted. However a company goes about advertising its product, though, if appealing to ethos, pathos or logos, no doubt the ad will help "move a few units."
Monday, August 16, 2010
Make Sense of This, You Are My Friend
Jeff Lyons, the illustrator of this painting, comments on the comments others have made at http://lyonsart.com/wordpress/surrealism-abstract-artwork/; he explains that there is no symbolism in paintings of his like this one: “These are essentially meaningless images.” Acknowledged… Because I spent two hours looking for any image that was not copyright protected, though, I am going to pretend that some kind of analysis of this image other than an aesthetic one is able to be made and attempt to make a few such examinations.
At first glance, the “surrealist abstract artwork” looks to be a picture of some kind of eastern dragon, such as the ones that roam the streets during Chinese New Year. The red curtains on either side are pulled aside to release the “beast.“ The green figure on top is the horns. The “house-like things” on either side could be the eyes. All the blue and orange (bright colors, such as the ones splashed onto the Oriental dragons) make up the nose and mouth region. The blue “C” shapes, the curved part inside them, would be the snout extending from the face. The minuscule brick region in the middle would be the actual orifice that would take in food and release fire. The tiny figures on the tiled floor are most likely humans, which gives the paining a somewhat eerie feeling (as if the alien-like figure on top (green skin tone and cloak, white eyes without pupils, mouth agape, slight horns, pose), surrounded by some sort of aura, didn’t already). Such a small “mouth” on such a huge “creature” and we are still able to be consumed when anything else would be safe from such a tiny hole. The staircases on either side of the form are the legs, ironically. The towers on either side of the green figure at the top look as if they could be part of the whole “creature,” but the towers also look to be part of the windows surrounding the “dragon” and for the whole complex to be one solid body, keeping the “dragon theory” in mind, seems unlikely.
The multiplex may be nothing other than that. Red curtains are drawn to reveal a show or attraction and all the people, those behind and those blocked off by the curtain’s path, before being drawn, are aimed towards the only opening (there are stairs but the proportions make it look as though the stairs are at least three feet tall (assuming the humans are six feet high) and why climb when there is an open door); the red above the door signifies, if not says, “Vacancies.” In the open windows are shapes that look like hands… “beckoning people to come closer,” to be polite and optimistic. The green “man” on top must be the manager, or at least the magician, as that “man” must have been the one to open the massive curtains, to conjure the huge shadowy “limbs” in the windows. The “man’s” expression does not seem to be one of malice and mischief, but of concentration or surprise or ecstasy, if anything. Upon closer inspection, what I assumed to be the guardrail of the stairs, as they dipped down into the floor, may be the actual stairs. Following those lines up leads the eye to the windows of the towers on either side of the extraterrestrial, where there are two more “human-sized” shapes.
Random objects could have been thrown together, arranged symmetrically, to truly make nothing more than a “surrealist abstract” work of art. The central yellow part looks like a bell that has been filled with brick, to never resonate sound again. The white pieces in the middle of the bell, in the middle of the blue and yellow ornate decorations on the bell, look like a flower, with the blue and yellow surrounding it being the organs of the flower (perhaps the alien turned the flower inside-out to be able to examine more closely). The brick walls surrounding the bell are the walls of the garden. The buildings coming out of the sides of the bell are the groundskeepers’ shacks. The eaves above the doors are fanned out banana peels with cherries at the center of the “spokes.” The doorways are covered in lambs’ blood, to prevent plagues coming to their doorsteps. The gardeners gloat about their preparedness, hands in the windows, but the other inhabitants on the ground were not so thoughtful. They are being attracted by the alien’s bright tractor beam, emitting from the bottom of the bell-shaped UFO; the master’s mansion was converted to the space creature’s chambers. The two sentinels in the windows of the highest towers are the galaxy’s last defense: Alien escapes and everybody’s doomed.
I doubt if all, IF ANY, of this made sense but I just wanted to prove that whether the artist intends for there to be deeper meaning in their works or not, the more you dig, the more potential meaning can be found. Any meanings that are found, if enough evidence is present, can be proven to be right. The artist creates a world that we are sucked into and to hold our hand through the journey and tell us any meaning instead of making us find it renders art pointless. Again, how much sense this all made is another matter but just to find meaning that the creator did not intend to be found in their works is an accomplishment (…or maybe just a sign of a lack of a life).
At first glance, the “surrealist abstract artwork” looks to be a picture of some kind of eastern dragon, such as the ones that roam the streets during Chinese New Year. The red curtains on either side are pulled aside to release the “beast.“ The green figure on top is the horns. The “house-like things” on either side could be the eyes. All the blue and orange (bright colors, such as the ones splashed onto the Oriental dragons) make up the nose and mouth region. The blue “C” shapes, the curved part inside them, would be the snout extending from the face. The minuscule brick region in the middle would be the actual orifice that would take in food and release fire. The tiny figures on the tiled floor are most likely humans, which gives the paining a somewhat eerie feeling (as if the alien-like figure on top (green skin tone and cloak, white eyes without pupils, mouth agape, slight horns, pose), surrounded by some sort of aura, didn’t already). Such a small “mouth” on such a huge “creature” and we are still able to be consumed when anything else would be safe from such a tiny hole. The staircases on either side of the form are the legs, ironically. The towers on either side of the green figure at the top look as if they could be part of the whole “creature,” but the towers also look to be part of the windows surrounding the “dragon” and for the whole complex to be one solid body, keeping the “dragon theory” in mind, seems unlikely.
The multiplex may be nothing other than that. Red curtains are drawn to reveal a show or attraction and all the people, those behind and those blocked off by the curtain’s path, before being drawn, are aimed towards the only opening (there are stairs but the proportions make it look as though the stairs are at least three feet tall (assuming the humans are six feet high) and why climb when there is an open door); the red above the door signifies, if not says, “Vacancies.” In the open windows are shapes that look like hands… “beckoning people to come closer,” to be polite and optimistic. The green “man” on top must be the manager, or at least the magician, as that “man” must have been the one to open the massive curtains, to conjure the huge shadowy “limbs” in the windows. The “man’s” expression does not seem to be one of malice and mischief, but of concentration or surprise or ecstasy, if anything. Upon closer inspection, what I assumed to be the guardrail of the stairs, as they dipped down into the floor, may be the actual stairs. Following those lines up leads the eye to the windows of the towers on either side of the extraterrestrial, where there are two more “human-sized” shapes.
Random objects could have been thrown together, arranged symmetrically, to truly make nothing more than a “surrealist abstract” work of art. The central yellow part looks like a bell that has been filled with brick, to never resonate sound again. The white pieces in the middle of the bell, in the middle of the blue and yellow ornate decorations on the bell, look like a flower, with the blue and yellow surrounding it being the organs of the flower (perhaps the alien turned the flower inside-out to be able to examine more closely). The brick walls surrounding the bell are the walls of the garden. The buildings coming out of the sides of the bell are the groundskeepers’ shacks. The eaves above the doors are fanned out banana peels with cherries at the center of the “spokes.” The doorways are covered in lambs’ blood, to prevent plagues coming to their doorsteps. The gardeners gloat about their preparedness, hands in the windows, but the other inhabitants on the ground were not so thoughtful. They are being attracted by the alien’s bright tractor beam, emitting from the bottom of the bell-shaped UFO; the master’s mansion was converted to the space creature’s chambers. The two sentinels in the windows of the highest towers are the galaxy’s last defense: Alien escapes and everybody’s doomed.
I doubt if all, IF ANY, of this made sense but I just wanted to prove that whether the artist intends for there to be deeper meaning in their works or not, the more you dig, the more potential meaning can be found. Any meanings that are found, if enough evidence is present, can be proven to be right. The artist creates a world that we are sucked into and to hold our hand through the journey and tell us any meaning instead of making us find it renders art pointless. Again, how much sense this all made is another matter but just to find meaning that the creator did not intend to be found in their works is an accomplishment (…or maybe just a sign of a lack of a life).
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Radical Ways to Alert - Like Gojira
The painting at * http://www.artquotes.net/artists/keck/abstract-painting3.html evokes a feeling of violent movement: possible escape, probable pursuit. The red figure moves from the right, out of what appears to be a jungle of sorts, towards a tower at the left. From right to left, the shape's "back" has three jags on it, to illustrate movement (as in the common character for lightning). These bumps could also be the scales of a dragon, or maybe even raised hairs of sorts, like on a cat, which would show aggression, alertness. To the left of the third spike is another, more flat, one. This is either another result of movement as the malevolent form rushes towards civilization, or the ear of the dragon, lowered in the same manner dogs exhibit while combating each other. To the left of this: an upward "swooping" slash of lighter color. Is this figure pure fire or a creatures with slanted, concentrated eyes? I say the latter. Below the "ear" is another jag, the assumed chin or jowl, and to the far left of the form is a rounded part on top and a circular void below, perfect size for a mouth that is preparing to unleash a powerful force from within (and it is in this void that the lightest shade of yellow originates).
Clouds of fire emanate from the creature's back as smoke from the charred forests left behind are caught below the beast, sucked into the rush of air. This monster is clearly one of fire. Fire was discovered and harnessed by man. Man tears down forests and does what suits him best with the earth that is meant for all living creatures. The shape at the left of the image is clearly man-made, indicated by the intricacies of the stone and the small towers at the top of this larger. Perhaps the creature's motivation for charging so fiercely is to end the tyrannical reign of man, to save what is left of it's earth (ironically burning some of the most precious resources in the process (all wars suffer casualties)). The colors in this image (parchment yellow, charcoal black, vivid red and moss green) suggest some Asian influence, as does the nature of the building. Asian countries are some of the most polluted on the earth. The illustrator might have meant for this to be a warning: "The earth (the past, the forces, the ancestors) will take vengeance upon you for destroying this planet... brutally."
This painting is divided in two vertically. Maybe this is because the image took up two canvasses but maybe this was intentional. Looking at the left half alone, the proposed meaning of this image (a cry to end, or, at least, limit, pollution) cannot be. Without the forest and the entire length shown of the red figure, the tower stands alone with a path of blood moving towards it, or possibly a mountain range. The right half of the image still shows fire leaping forth (the red shape is wider at the far right end) from the jungle, but with no visible target. The forest could still be taking action against some unknown force. A fire started by man may be rejected from the forest, it shoving the flames back towards the creators.
However this picture is broken down, a slight feeling of uneasiness creeps into the viewer. The manifestation of man (the tower) looks so insignificant when compared to the vibrant shape of red hurtling towards it. The edifice is even slightly curved where the cloud of orange impacts. Man may have dominated and taken control of the earth, but the earth has the power to overthrow us whenever it so desires.
* During the composition of this journal, the URL from which I gathered this image, a website that sells art pieces, ceased to exist; the art piece this journal is about was sold or moved. So I included the image in this post, but kept the original link.
Abortion:Murder. Death Penalty:Justice.
The death penalty is utilized to decrease the populations of prisons and to rid society of the worst offenders, today (though it has existed for thousands of years). This sentence is never taken lightly and is only administered justifiably... say supporters. People even remotely against the practice, though, oftentimes believe that this punishment is anything but fair and justified.
The picture found here, http://theblacksentinel.wordpress.com/2007/08/09/death-penalty-becomes-the-new-lynching/, illustrates the idea that the decision between the death penalty and a life sentence (black and white, opposites) is based solely on race (black or white). In the article containing this illustration, it is mentioned that through studies it has been found that the number of inmates on death row coincides with the number of lynchings in olden times, "proof" of the claim (if inspected carefully, the scale in the middle of Blind Justice and Grim Reaper leads the viewers' eyes upward, to the shoulders, where there are ruffles in the garment(s): a possible invisible, implied noose). The title of this image is "And Justice For All," but in the bottom right (Death's side) corner, there is a character proclaiming "Injustice for all..." that are sentenced to Death; because of the Reaper's preparedness to harvest while Justice allows the "Whites" to live, with her sword at her side. Ethnicity is not the only area in which opponents of the death penalty believe there to be bias, though.
The representation of a scale balancing nooses, as found at http://ucsbglobalvoices.wordpress.com/2009/03/25/episode-10-day-of-debate/, (the second picture down the page), further illustrates the concept that capital punishment is "unfair." One noose is heavier than the other, though there are less victims on the heavy side than people on the light. The left, heavy side is also darker than the right, light, lighter side, proving that the decision of a "jury" to put a person to death obliterates any hope the convicted held on to. The use of color and the depiction of the victims (none fleeing or panicking, plainly) evokes the feeling in viewers that perhaps the whole situation surrounding the executions is a sacrifice of some sort (if this is the case, the "peasants" would not view the action as executions but the fact that the victims are being sent to death equates to death sentences, the whole point of this "journal"). The scene is too broad for any further comments on the population to be made; no bias can be said to exist among them, though, if anything, the ones on the right must have acted as the jury condemning the ones on the left, outweighing the victims' (possible) objections.
Sometimes, no bias may exist at all; the whole reason for the execution is to provide a show for supporters of the "method of punishment." The image at http://www.drakecentral.info/cuba/cubainthenews/cubanews-2008.html, (about three-fourths of the length down the page, to the left of the bold "April 29") depicts an executioner questioning, who is assumed to be, the "marshal" of the village, about the prominent trend in executing at the time. The victim, of course, looks terrified, but the bulging of his eyes suggests mental cries of "What?! I'm about to die and you're only worried about pleasing the onlookers?!" The viewers stand in the background, looking anticipative and curious, completely unfazed that a man is about to die (quite the contrary).
Due to images such as the one shown in https://sloone.wordpress.com/2008/04/17/are-we-sure-there-are-no-secret-executions-in-malaysia/ (portraying an annoyed California informing the anesthesiologist that the nervous wreck of an Opposition is the one in need of the anesthetic, not the criminal, who lies on his death bed terrified and waiting), advocates and enemies of the death penalty are the most dedicated, respectfully. The juries that now send convicts to death may soon be voting on whether or not to completely abolish the practice. I do not support the possibility, but I do not completely savor the idea that my fellows' lives may be in the hands of some who are not capable of judging correctly and justly.
The picture found here, http://theblacksentinel.wordpress.com/2007/08/09/death-penalty-becomes-the-new-lynching/, illustrates the idea that the decision between the death penalty and a life sentence (black and white, opposites) is based solely on race (black or white). In the article containing this illustration, it is mentioned that through studies it has been found that the number of inmates on death row coincides with the number of lynchings in olden times, "proof" of the claim (if inspected carefully, the scale in the middle of Blind Justice and Grim Reaper leads the viewers' eyes upward, to the shoulders, where there are ruffles in the garment(s): a possible invisible, implied noose). The title of this image is "And Justice For All," but in the bottom right (Death's side) corner, there is a character proclaiming "Injustice for all..." that are sentenced to Death; because of the Reaper's preparedness to harvest while Justice allows the "Whites" to live, with her sword at her side. Ethnicity is not the only area in which opponents of the death penalty believe there to be bias, though.
The representation of a scale balancing nooses, as found at http://ucsbglobalvoices.wordpress.com/2009/03/25/episode-10-day-of-debate/, (the second picture down the page), further illustrates the concept that capital punishment is "unfair." One noose is heavier than the other, though there are less victims on the heavy side than people on the light. The left, heavy side is also darker than the right, light, lighter side, proving that the decision of a "jury" to put a person to death obliterates any hope the convicted held on to. The use of color and the depiction of the victims (none fleeing or panicking, plainly) evokes the feeling in viewers that perhaps the whole situation surrounding the executions is a sacrifice of some sort (if this is the case, the "peasants" would not view the action as executions but the fact that the victims are being sent to death equates to death sentences, the whole point of this "journal"). The scene is too broad for any further comments on the population to be made; no bias can be said to exist among them, though, if anything, the ones on the right must have acted as the jury condemning the ones on the left, outweighing the victims' (possible) objections.
Sometimes, no bias may exist at all; the whole reason for the execution is to provide a show for supporters of the "method of punishment." The image at http://www.drakecentral.info/cuba/cubainthenews/cubanews-2008.html, (about three-fourths of the length down the page, to the left of the bold "April 29") depicts an executioner questioning, who is assumed to be, the "marshal" of the village, about the prominent trend in executing at the time. The victim, of course, looks terrified, but the bulging of his eyes suggests mental cries of "What?! I'm about to die and you're only worried about pleasing the onlookers?!" The viewers stand in the background, looking anticipative and curious, completely unfazed that a man is about to die (quite the contrary).
Due to images such as the one shown in https://sloone.wordpress.com/2008/04/17/are-we-sure-there-are-no-secret-executions-in-malaysia/ (portraying an annoyed California informing the anesthesiologist that the nervous wreck of an Opposition is the one in need of the anesthetic, not the criminal, who lies on his death bed terrified and waiting), advocates and enemies of the death penalty are the most dedicated, respectfully. The juries that now send convicts to death may soon be voting on whether or not to completely abolish the practice. I do not support the possibility, but I do not completely savor the idea that my fellows' lives may be in the hands of some who are not capable of judging correctly and justly.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
My Photo Stories
Sorry if too small. Kind'a struggled to conceive of any picture to go with the stories and once one was conceived, I struggled even more to bring it to the digital world. Ended up having to scan the background picture and every hand-drawn piece into the computer then rearrange everything then print it then rescan it and finally begin on the process of completing the homework. Irrelevant but I wanted to share my pain... Few picture ideas, so I pieced together three dam workers; the middle one surrounded on either side by a fellow he likes (left) and one he does not (right). This is illustrated by the illustration of his divided face. So handsome. Oh, and he has a clipboard. 'Cause every foreman needs to feel important. (The face is not supposed to be a representation of myself.)
Monday, May 24, 2010
Analysis: Of Mice and Men
Details:
From his first two paragraphs, John Steinbeck sets the scene in Of Mice and Men through his use of imagery/foreshadowing as he describes the natural world in a parallel to later events in the novella. "...under the trees the leaves lie deep and so crisp," may be talking simply about nature or of George and Lenny and the relationship between them. Under implies some thing over another, or protecting another, or above another. The leaves lie to viewers about the depth of them. Deep means not shallow, much to be gone through. Lenny is under George in intelligence as George is under Lenny in size. Lenny sometimes lies to George to try and keep himself out of trouble (he did not have a rat in his pocket apparently). George's motives for protecting Lenny are deeper than some think; he is not just doing it for protection, to have Lenny over him. The trees, George, protect the leaves, Lenny, even though they are slowly dying, the leaves are crisp and Lenny is doomed. "...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," is able to be related to Lenny's impending doom. Lenny has made the mistake of getting into trouble with women because of his unknown strength. This has occured more than once, the beaten path. The boys coming down from the ranch are doing so in the pursuit of recreation, the elimination of one they do not particularly like, Lenny. The boys follow Slim, the leader, who handles his problems with violence and vasoline. The tramps, the women Lenny gets in trouble for associating with, come wearily, weary of Lenny and his ignorance and of life, in one case, down from the highway. Lenny and George were constantly on the move, symbolized by the highway. "...the limb is worn smooth by men who have sat on it," suggests tearing away a figurative mask, to reveal the true essence of a thing. George is the limb in this parallel. He is hard on the outside; with questioning, men sitting on the limb, the bark begins to wear away and his affection for Lenny is revealed. Countless authors describe the setting in a manner completely seperate from the characters, unless the story somehow involves the surrounding area; the description of setting has no point but to allow the reader to have some idea as to where to place the story. Steinbeck, however, describes the setting in a way that can also be applied to the characters and the story, through foreshadowing and parallels.
Point of View:
The third-person objective point of view accentuates the differences between each character through descriptions of their traits by the other characters' observations ("others" including the "unbiased" opinion of the "omnipotent" narrator). The chosen quote, from page 37 of the novel states that "Curley seemed really to see George for the first time. His eyes flashed over George, took in his height, measured his reach, looked at his trim middle." When Curley encountered George in the bunkhouse, looking for his wife, Curley only noticed George because of his involvement in locating the woman, and because of George's attitude ("cold," slightly confrontational). Curley was a small man and had self-confidence issues, forcing him to constantly be vigilant in the pursuit for fights to prove to himself and others that he was not to be underestimated. He looked over George to see how big he was in comparison, sizing up a potential opponent. George also happened to be small, this making Curley feel relieved and more at ease when talking to him, reassuring him that the fight, if one ensued, would not be a great challenge. Crooks, the black, handicapped, stable buck, always "...kept his distance and demanded that other people kept theirs." (pg. 67) As also stated in this passage, Crooks was "proud" and "aloof." These quotes show that Crooks knew he was different from the others. Keeping out of the way of the other ranch workers was the only way Crooks knew of to maintain his pride and to prevent his insecurities from overwhelming him. Third-person perspective allows readers to see the differences in Crooks better than if first-person perspective was used; first-person often evokes feelings similar to the narrator's and unbiased opinions, best derived from the third-person, are better for evaluating the text (readers are given the information and are able to make their own conclusions about the content). Without the descriptive passages regarding these characters in third-person perspective, these inhabitants of Of Mice and Men would not be as clear to "see" as they are.
Tones:
Steinbeck emphasizes the significance of trust between people and causes a significant amount of empathy to be had by the readers for the innocent and ignorant. George confesses to Slim that in page 40 that he "'Used to play jokes on 'im 'cause he was too dumb to take care of 'imself. But he was too dumb even to know he had a joke played on him... Why he'd do any damn thing I tol' him... He never got mad about it, neither. I've beat the hell outta him, and he coulda bust every bone in my bodyjus' with his han's, but he never lifted a finger against me... I turns to Lennie and says, 'Jump in.' An' he jumps. Couldn't swim a stroke... he was so damn nice to me for pullin' him out. Clean forgot I told him to jump in.'" George and Lennie are almost as brothers. George protects Lennie by looking out for him with his intellect; preventing people from taking advantage of Lennie because of his ignorance. Gerge confesses to Slim in this exerpt that he used to take advantage of Lennie in this very way. Lennie never got upset with him because he did not know any better. He completely trusted George and knew that he knew best. He followed him basically blindly. This system of protecting each other completely worked, as George managed to save Lennie from several near-death events. Lennie's size was his main contribution to the partnership. A big guy following a much smaller one is a sign to any potential attacker that the targets are brothers in arms and to mess with the scrawny man is to anger the bigger. This brotherhood would have lasted as long as the lives of the "brothers." And did, though George was forced to end Lennie's life. Why George had to do so is explained in this passage from pages 90 and 91: "'I like to pet nice things with my fingers, sof' things.'... Curley's wife laughed at him... 'When I'm doin' my hair sometimes I jus' set an' stroke it 'cause it's so soft...Here-feel right here.' She took Lennie's hand and put it on her head. 'Feel right aroun' there an' see how soft it is.' Lennie's big fingers fell to stroking her hair... She jerked her head sideways, and Lennie's fingers closed on her hair and hung on. 'Let go,' she cried. 'You let go!' Lennie was in a panic. His face was contorted. She screamed then, and Lennie's other hand closed over her mouth and nose. 'Please don't,' he begged... 'George'll be mad.'... Lennie began to cry with fright... 'George gonna say I done a bad thing. He ain't gonna let me tend no rabbits.'... He shook her then, and he was angry with her... and he shook her; and her body flopped like a fish. And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck." Lennie is mentally challenged. He enjoys simple pleasures, the most prominent being touching soft things and enjoying the texture. Curley's wife is what is known as a "floozy," unfaithful to her husband, and is always looking to spend time with random gentlemen (cough, cough). Soft things are usually delicate and dainty, and with Lennie's strength, this hobby of his is dangerous for him to pursue, as his great strength always seemed to damage whatever it was that he was petting (be it a small creature or a full grown woman). Curley's wife takes advantage of Lennie's weakness adn has him pet her hair, an attempt at having him open up to her for... further exploration for and of both of them (COUGH, COUGH). Lennie never means any harm to any thing and it is because of this that readers will feel empathy/sympathy for him. He is like a massive child: very easily entertained and subdued but overwhelmingly strong. Lennie only wishes to feel pleasant things but Curley's wife's panic at his insistence on petting her thoroughly causes him panic. Not knowing how to handle the situation, Lennie grabs on to her almost ferociously and ends up killing her, completely involuntarily. Steinbeck manages to grip readers' hearts in alternating ways through his nearly beligerant use of the tones of brotherhood and empathy, which seem to drip from the pages after having read the book.
From his first two paragraphs, John Steinbeck sets the scene in Of Mice and Men through his use of imagery/foreshadowing as he describes the natural world in a parallel to later events in the novella. "...under the trees the leaves lie deep and so crisp," may be talking simply about nature or of George and Lenny and the relationship between them. Under implies some thing over another, or protecting another, or above another. The leaves lie to viewers about the depth of them. Deep means not shallow, much to be gone through. Lenny is under George in intelligence as George is under Lenny in size. Lenny sometimes lies to George to try and keep himself out of trouble (he did not have a rat in his pocket apparently). George's motives for protecting Lenny are deeper than some think; he is not just doing it for protection, to have Lenny over him. The trees, George, protect the leaves, Lenny, even though they are slowly dying, the leaves are crisp and Lenny is doomed. "...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," is able to be related to Lenny's impending doom. Lenny has made the mistake of getting into trouble with women because of his unknown strength. This has occured more than once, the beaten path. The boys coming down from the ranch are doing so in the pursuit of recreation, the elimination of one they do not particularly like, Lenny. The boys follow Slim, the leader, who handles his problems with violence and vasoline. The tramps, the women Lenny gets in trouble for associating with, come wearily, weary of Lenny and his ignorance and of life, in one case, down from the highway. Lenny and George were constantly on the move, symbolized by the highway. "...the limb is worn smooth by men who have sat on it," suggests tearing away a figurative mask, to reveal the true essence of a thing. George is the limb in this parallel. He is hard on the outside; with questioning, men sitting on the limb, the bark begins to wear away and his affection for Lenny is revealed. Countless authors describe the setting in a manner completely seperate from the characters, unless the story somehow involves the surrounding area; the description of setting has no point but to allow the reader to have some idea as to where to place the story. Steinbeck, however, describes the setting in a way that can also be applied to the characters and the story, through foreshadowing and parallels.
Point of View:
The third-person objective point of view accentuates the differences between each character through descriptions of their traits by the other characters' observations ("others" including the "unbiased" opinion of the "omnipotent" narrator). The chosen quote, from page 37 of the novel states that "Curley seemed really to see George for the first time. His eyes flashed over George, took in his height, measured his reach, looked at his trim middle." When Curley encountered George in the bunkhouse, looking for his wife, Curley only noticed George because of his involvement in locating the woman, and because of George's attitude ("cold," slightly confrontational). Curley was a small man and had self-confidence issues, forcing him to constantly be vigilant in the pursuit for fights to prove to himself and others that he was not to be underestimated. He looked over George to see how big he was in comparison, sizing up a potential opponent. George also happened to be small, this making Curley feel relieved and more at ease when talking to him, reassuring him that the fight, if one ensued, would not be a great challenge. Crooks, the black, handicapped, stable buck, always "...kept his distance and demanded that other people kept theirs." (pg. 67) As also stated in this passage, Crooks was "proud" and "aloof." These quotes show that Crooks knew he was different from the others. Keeping out of the way of the other ranch workers was the only way Crooks knew of to maintain his pride and to prevent his insecurities from overwhelming him. Third-person perspective allows readers to see the differences in Crooks better than if first-person perspective was used; first-person often evokes feelings similar to the narrator's and unbiased opinions, best derived from the third-person, are better for evaluating the text (readers are given the information and are able to make their own conclusions about the content). Without the descriptive passages regarding these characters in third-person perspective, these inhabitants of Of Mice and Men would not be as clear to "see" as they are.
Tones:
Steinbeck emphasizes the significance of trust between people and causes a significant amount of empathy to be had by the readers for the innocent and ignorant. George confesses to Slim that in page 40 that he "'Used to play jokes on 'im 'cause he was too dumb to take care of 'imself. But he was too dumb even to know he had a joke played on him... Why he'd do any damn thing I tol' him... He never got mad about it, neither. I've beat the hell outta him, and he coulda bust every bone in my bodyjus' with his han's, but he never lifted a finger against me... I turns to Lennie and says, 'Jump in.' An' he jumps. Couldn't swim a stroke... he was so damn nice to me for pullin' him out. Clean forgot I told him to jump in.'" George and Lennie are almost as brothers. George protects Lennie by looking out for him with his intellect; preventing people from taking advantage of Lennie because of his ignorance. Gerge confesses to Slim in this exerpt that he used to take advantage of Lennie in this very way. Lennie never got upset with him because he did not know any better. He completely trusted George and knew that he knew best. He followed him basically blindly. This system of protecting each other completely worked, as George managed to save Lennie from several near-death events. Lennie's size was his main contribution to the partnership. A big guy following a much smaller one is a sign to any potential attacker that the targets are brothers in arms and to mess with the scrawny man is to anger the bigger. This brotherhood would have lasted as long as the lives of the "brothers." And did, though George was forced to end Lennie's life. Why George had to do so is explained in this passage from pages 90 and 91: "'I like to pet nice things with my fingers, sof' things.'... Curley's wife laughed at him... 'When I'm doin' my hair sometimes I jus' set an' stroke it 'cause it's so soft...Here-feel right here.' She took Lennie's hand and put it on her head. 'Feel right aroun' there an' see how soft it is.' Lennie's big fingers fell to stroking her hair... She jerked her head sideways, and Lennie's fingers closed on her hair and hung on. 'Let go,' she cried. 'You let go!' Lennie was in a panic. His face was contorted. She screamed then, and Lennie's other hand closed over her mouth and nose. 'Please don't,' he begged... 'George'll be mad.'... Lennie began to cry with fright... 'George gonna say I done a bad thing. He ain't gonna let me tend no rabbits.'... He shook her then, and he was angry with her... and he shook her; and her body flopped like a fish. And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck." Lennie is mentally challenged. He enjoys simple pleasures, the most prominent being touching soft things and enjoying the texture. Curley's wife is what is known as a "floozy," unfaithful to her husband, and is always looking to spend time with random gentlemen (cough, cough). Soft things are usually delicate and dainty, and with Lennie's strength, this hobby of his is dangerous for him to pursue, as his great strength always seemed to damage whatever it was that he was petting (be it a small creature or a full grown woman). Curley's wife takes advantage of Lennie's weakness adn has him pet her hair, an attempt at having him open up to her for... further exploration for and of both of them (COUGH, COUGH). Lennie never means any harm to any thing and it is because of this that readers will feel empathy/sympathy for him. He is like a massive child: very easily entertained and subdued but overwhelmingly strong. Lennie only wishes to feel pleasant things but Curley's wife's panic at his insistence on petting her thoroughly causes him panic. Not knowing how to handle the situation, Lennie grabs on to her almost ferociously and ends up killing her, completely involuntarily. Steinbeck manages to grip readers' hearts in alternating ways through his nearly beligerant use of the tones of brotherhood and empathy, which seem to drip from the pages after having read the book.
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