Thursday, September 18, 2008
Comment 2 - Making Connections
Think about two connections you made while reading chapter 2 (pages 17-37). Follow the example located in the "comments" on this post. You will need the sentence and page number, your connection (3+ sentences), and the type of connection (text to self, text to world, text to text).
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27 comments:
Text:
Over each bunk there was nailed an apple box with the opening forward so that it made two shelves for the personal belongings of the occupant of the bunk… (page 17)
My connection:
This reminds me of my dorm and sorority rooms in college. My roommate and I would always rig up little shelves to hold what we needed in bed – alarm, phone, chapstick, etc. We had many more items than these men did, and we needed/had many more shelves!
Type of connection:
text to self
* Remember, you need to post TWO connections!
Text:
"This guy Curley sounds like a son-of-a-bitch to me."(page 27)
My connection:
This reminds me of someone who I used to go to school with. He was a little crazy for no apparent reason.
Type of conection:
text to self
Text:
"Listen to me, you crazy bastard," he said fiercely. "Don't you ever look at that bitch. I don't care what she says and what she does. I seen 'em poison before, bt i never seen no piece of jail bait worse than her. You leave her be." (page 32)
My connection:
This reminds me of "Undercover Brotha." The character called "White She-Devil," is also a trap waiting to happen for an unexpecting man. They both know they are good-looking and they use it to woo men and tear the apart.
Type of connection:
text to movie
Text:
"Curley's like a lot of little guys. He hates big guys...he's mad at 'em because he aint a big guy"(page 26)
Connection:
It does seem like little guys do always try to pick fights with tall people. My friend, and I wont mention his name, is really small and always trys to mess with or pick on the taller people to make him feel better. Maybe it makes him feel superior to others because he can beat up someone taller.
Type of connection:
text to self
Text:
...Against the walls there were eight bunks.(page 17)
Connection:
This part of the story reminds me of a basketball camp I went to when I was in 5th grade. The beds were really close together and there really wasnt much "private" space.
Type of connection:
text to self
Text:
And these shelves were loaded with ... razors and those Western magazines ranch men love to read and scoff at and secretly believe. (page 17)
My connection:
This reminds me of the theory that pixies caused milk to go bad. Most scoffed at the idea, but secretly left out food to keep the pixies away from their milk.
Type of conncetion:
Text to world
Text:
And at his heels there walked a dragfooted sheep dog, gray of muzzle, and with pale, blind old eyes.
My connection:
This description of the swamper's dog reminds me of my neighbor, and best friend's dog, Gombette. That dog was massive, and my six year old self was dwarfed by Gombette. Gombette had a huge thick coat, and had really pale eyes, however she wasn't blind. I was terrified of that dog, but I was reallly sad to learn that she was dead.
Type of connection:
Text to self
Text:
"At about ten o'clock in the morning the sun threw a bright dust-laden bar through one of the side windows, and in and out of the beam flies shot like rushing stars." (page 18)
My connection:
This reminds me of when my family going so Philmont boyscout camp. We go every other year, and every day we are there, we stay in a cabin. These cabins are nice, but a little dusty. My bed is always by a window and so the sun always shot through the window and you could hear the bugs flying around you!
Type of connection:
text to self
Text:
"Near one wall there was a black cast-iron stove, its stove pipe going straight up through the ceiling. In the middle of the room stood a big square table littered with playing cards...."
My connection:
In my basement, we have a black cast-iron stove with a stove pipe going straight through the ceiling near a wall. Also we have a square table in the middle of that room with playing cards on it for any time that we would want to play.
Type of connection:
text to self
Text:
"Oh I ain't saying he's bright. He ain't but I say he's a God damn good worker. He can put up a our hundred pound bale."
My connection:
This reminds me of stories like 1984 where people are exploited because they are stupid and/or controlled by someone with more intelligence. The horde of strong but dull minded man carries the work load of the society in that book while the "smart man" picks the fruits of his labor.
Type of connection:
text to text
Text:
"You God damn punk," he said. "You tried to throw a scare into Slim, an' you couldn't make it stick. Slim throwed a scare inta you."
My connection:
I know several people with loud mouths and little to back their statements. The text also reminds me of a song called "Put Up or Shut Up". The chorus is as follows:
[Chorus: Guru] + (Krumbsnatcha)
Oh you brag about the ki's you flipped and who you done up
brotha' whattup? (Put up or shut up!)
Poppin licks about the chicks and the whips you got
You think you hot? (Uh-uh, man - you put up or shut up!)
Always talkin bout your dough and your wealth and fame
Youse a lame (Get out of here - put up or shut up!)
You got hot beats and kids that can spit mad fire?
Youse a liar! (That's whack - put up or shut up!)
Both the text and the song describe people that are obnoxious to many people on this planet.
Type of connection:
text to self, text to text
Text:
This here blacksmith-name of whitey- was the kind of guy that would put that stuff around even if there wasn't no bugs- just to make sure see? (page 19)
my connection:
this reminds me of my sister. she is kinda a clean freak and she hates all kinds of bugs. she always tries to get rid of them.
type of connection:
text to self
text:"You takin' his pay away from him?"
"No, 'course i ain't."
My Connection:
This reminds me of other books ive read where people are suspicious of any people who care about each other, because in the other characters experience people dont help other people out for free.
Type of Connection:
text to text
-Connection 1-
Text:
"[Curley's]eyes passed over the new men and he stopped. He glanced coldly at George and then at Lennie. His arms gradually bent at the elbows and his hands closed into fists. He stiffened and went into a slight crouch. His glance was at once calculating and pugnacious." (25)
My connection:
This image of Curley struck me as one quite similar to Emile Janza, a character in _The Chocolate War_ by Robert Cormier. Indeed, the two share many distinctive traits, including their short stature and inherently vicious natures.
Type of connection:
Text to Text
-Connection 2-
Text:
"'Well, Curley's pretty handy,' the swamper said skeptically. 'Never did seem right to me. S'pose Curley jumps a big guy an' licks him. Ever'body says what a game guy Curley is. And s'pose he does the same thing and gets licked. Then ever'body says the big guy oughtta pick somebody his own size, and maybe they gang up on the big guy. Never did seem right to me. Seems like Curley ain't givin' nobody a chance.'" (26-27)
My connection:
This passage reminded me of an incident between a friend of mine and another student, which involved the dichotomy presented above, though the roles of "Curley" and "the big guy" were rather reversed.
Type of connection:
Text to Self
Text:
"Yeah? Married two weeks and got the eye? Maybe that's why Curley's pants is full of ants." (page 270)
My Connection:
This reminds me of a movie I watched the other day called "A Matter of Justice." A marine marries a very pretty woman. This woman is quite the flirt, though. The man spends more time looking for her and fighting other men for her than he spends time being with her.
Type of connection:
Text to text
Text:
"I tol' you you couldn't bring that pup in here."
"What pup, George? I ain't got no pup."
My Connection:
This reminds me of when I was little and my family had just gotten a puppy. He was supposed to sleep in a cage downstairs in the kitchen, but I really wanted him to sleep in my room. I remember sneaking him up a few times...
Type of connection:
Text to self
Text
"The bunk house was a long, rectangular building. Inside, the walls were whitewashed and the floor was unpainted." (page 17)
My Connection
Two summers ago i went backpacking in New Mexico. This reminds me of how the staff cabin looked in one of the camps we stopped in.
Text to self
Text
"You guys better come while they's still something to eat. Won't be nothing left in a couple of minutes."
Connection
Many times when I go camping, there is some who is never hungry around the time we eat, so we always tell them to eat while we have food, because they always complain about being hungry later.
Text:
"At meals he peeled his boil' potatoes, an' he'd take out ever' little spot....before he'd eat it."(page 19)
My connection:
This reminds me of one of my friends. They are sort of anal about their food like not letting the potatoes touch the meat.
Type of connection:
text to self
Text:
He glanced coldly at George and then at Lennie.....His glance was at once calculating and pugnacious.(page 25)
My connection:
This reminds me of being a new student in school. There always seems to be someone who tries to make you feel uncomfortable because they don't feel secure with themselves and they want you to think they are better than you.
Type of connection:
text to self
Text:
"Give you what, Gerorge?"
"You know god damn well what. I want that mouse." Lennie reluctantly reached into his pocket. His voice broke a little. "I dont know why I cant keep it."
My connection:
This reminds me of when i was little, I always wanted somthing that I couldn't have. Aww good times good times.
Type of connection:
text to self
Text:
Curley's like a lot of little guys. He hates big guys. He's alla time picking scraps with big guys.
My connection:
This reminds me of a person i went to school with. Evertime someone bigger then him would talk slik to em he went off say things like, " just because your bigger then me dont mean i would woop you ______ !" Fill in the blank, yea a little rough dude.
Type of connection:
text to person I know
Text:
Lennie leaned eagerly toward him. "Le's go, George. Le's get outta here. It's mean here."(page 33)
My connection:
I can relate exactly to the way Lennie feels. Although it's a simple feeling, it's one I would think many people feel when they are uncomfortable. This summer when I went on the Europe trip with my classmates, I was very uneasy and if I did something wrong and someone corrected me my stomach would lurch and I would feel like Lennie.
Type of connection:
text to self
Text:
She had full, rouged lips and wide spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails were red. Her hair hung in little rolled clusters, like sausages. She wore a cotton house dress and red mules, on the insteps of which were little bouquetts of red ostrich feathers. "I'm lookin' for Curley," she said.
My connection:
Her character reminds me of Scarlett O'Hara from Gone with the Wind. Both of them are flirtatious and dress themselves up. They also both seem to be bound for trouble.
Type of connection:
text to text
Text:
"Tell you what" he said finally, "last guy that had this bed was a blacksmith-hell of a nice fella and as clean a guy as you want to meet. Used to wash his hands even after he ate." (page 18)
My connection:
This blacksmith reminds me of one of my teachers I had as a kid. She would always make us keep the room crisp and clean. Nothing could be dirty or messy.
Text:
And at his heels there walked a dragfooted sheep dog, gray of muzzle, and with pale, blind old eyes. The dog struggled lamely to the side of the room and lay down, grunting softly to himself and licking his grizzled, moth-eaten coat. (page 24)
My connection:
This sort of reminds me of my grandparents farm dog. It is an old lazy dog that just sits around. It's very friendly and cute though.
Text:
"Tell ya what-- know what he done Christmas? Brang a gallon of whisky right in here and says, "Drink hearty boys. Christmas comes but once a year."
My connection:
This reminds me of how my parents will reward me when i do something good. It makes me think that all the workers really respect the boss and think highly of him.
Type of connection:
Text to Self
Text:
"'...Why you think i'm sellin' him out?'
'Well i never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy. I just like to know what your interest is.'"
My connection:
This text reminds me of how me and my best friend are and how we always watch out for one another, I find it interesting that the boss can't think that two people just are enough just to look out for each other.
Type of Connection:
Text to self
Text:
"Near one wall there was a black cast iron stove..."
My Connection:
This reminds me of a family friend's kitchen. They live in a very old house with some some of its original appliances.
Type of connection:
text to self.
Text:
And at his heels there walked a dragfooted sheep dog, gray of muzzle, and with pale, blind old eyes.
Connection:
This reminds me of my friends dog, Jake. The dog is very large, and old and moves very slowly.
Text to self
Text:
And these shelves were loaded with little articles, soap and talcum powder, razors and those WEstern magazines ranch men love to read and scoff at and secretly believe. (page 17)
Connection:
This passage depicts the way people feel when they're insecure. They may like something but they hide the way the feel to maintain the image of a person they are not.
Type:
Text to world
Text:
His hands, large and lean, were as delicate in their action as those of a temple dancer. (page 34)
Connection:
This reminds me of a different book I read over the summer, New Moon by Stephenie Meyer. This description corresponds to the one in New Moom for the character Jacob. Jacob is a large guy without a lot of coordination, but when he's doing what he loves, working with car parts, his awkwardness vanishes allowing him to work with small pieces of metal despite his large and lanky form.
Type:
Text to text
Text:
"Well...tell you what. Curley's like a lot of little guys. He hates big guys. He's alla time picking scraps with big guys. Kind of like he's mad at 'em because he aint't a big guy."...(page 26)
My connection:
This passage reminds me of my friends. A lot of my friends are short so i know what they are talking about with people like this. My friends always resent the fact that they are short and they don't like it when people are a lot taller then them.
Type of connection: text to self
Text:
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 fourth, a solid door with a wooden latch.
My connection:
This reminds me of the building i stayed in while at a camp. It was a really long rectangle and they were very plain. All they had were bunk-beds. The walls weren't painted and everything was very dull.
Type of connection: text to self
Text:
The door opened and a tall, stoop-shouldered old man came in. He was dressed in blue jeans...(page 18)
My connection:
This reminds me of my grandpa. He always wore denim and was fairly tall. He also stooped slightly because the farmwork was too stenuous for his back.
Type of connection:
text to self
Text:
"If he tangles with you, Lennie, we're gonna get the can. Don't make no mistake about that. He's the boss's son. Look, Lennie. You try to keep away from him, will you? Don't never speak to him. If he comes in here you move clear to the other side of the room. Will you do that, Lennie?"
My connection:
This seems like most countries' way of thinking with the U.S. If countries are to be associated with us, they try to distance themselves as much as possible. The world seems to see us as the 'bully.'
Type of connection:
text to world
Text:
In the middle of the room stood a big square table lettered with playing cards, and around it were grouped boxes for the players to sit on. (page 17)
My connection:
This reminds me of the set up at a camp I stayed at, we had little to do but play cards. So in the center of the room was none other than a card table.
Type of connection:
text to self
Text:
I ain't saying he's bright. He ain't. But i say he's a God damn good worker. (page 22)
My connection:
I think it is incredibly honest of George to talk about Lennie so harshly when he is right next to him. At the time this story was written it might have been okay to talk about him like that. But today it would not be politically correct to talk about him like that.
Type of connection:
text to world
Text:
George looked around at lennie. "Jesus, what a tramp," he said...
"She's purty," said Lennie defensively. (pg.32)
My Connection:
This reminds me of the girls today, especially celebrities who glorify being promiscuous, but think their looks justify it.
Type of Connection:
Text to World
Text:
A tall man stood in the doorway...he moved with a majesty only acheived by royalty and master craftsmen...there was a gravity in his manner and a quiet so profound that all talk sropped when he spoke... (pg. 33)
My Connection:
This reminds me of those old western movies, when the infamous cowboy of the story enters the saloon and everyone stops what they're doing to watch him.
Type of Connection:
Text to World
Text:
George turned on Lennie. "So you wasn't gonna say a word. you was gonna leave your big flapper shut and leave me do the talkin'. Danm near lost us the job."
Lennie stared hoelessly at his hands. "I forgot, George." (Page 23)
My Connection:
This reminds me of what I do a lot. I always start talking when I'm not supposed to be talking. When I start to talk I always seem to say the wrong thing too.
Type of connection:
text to self
Text:
George watched him out, and then he turned back to the swamper. "Say, what the hell's he got on his shoulder? lennie didn't do nothing to him." (Page 26)
My connection:
I have seen this situation happen plenty of times. Someone will walk into a room and some random person just has to pick a fight with this person. That person doesn't even always have a reason for it, it's just to feel more dominant and impress someone.
Type of connection:
Text to world
"The bunk house was a long rectangular building. Inside, the walls were whitewashed and the floor unpainted." (Page 17)
This reminds me of a camp I used to go to. The cabins were really rough and not finished on the inside.
Text-Self
"Don't tell Curley I said none of this. He'd slough me. He just don't give a damn. Won't ever get canned 'cause his old man's the boss."
This reminds me of how people gossip about others , sometimes immediately after they leave the room.
Text-Self
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