Chapter 2
Annotation focus:
1)Interactions between the men on the
ranch. Concentrate on where are friendships possibly forming and where may
conflicts occur. Consider also how the
men react to Lennie and George traveling together.
2)Examples of foreshadow – find at least three.
RESPONSE PROMPT
“On some level we are all
facing fear - afraid of being seen for who we truly are. Afraid of seeing ourselves for whom we really are. Afraid of confronting our limiting beliefs,
we avoid facing fear by hiding. In order to prevent our true inner self from
being seen, we wear a symbolic or metaphorical mask over our authentic
personality in the hope that we will remain hidden” (Neta).
Choose one character in Of
Mice and Men that is hiding behind a metaphorical mask. Explain why this person “wears” a mask and
how the reader’s understanding of this character can change once the
character’s true emotions are understood.
Because of his limited cognitive ability, Lennie is the only
character not hiding behind a mask. Instead
he is controlled by his true emotions. Analyze
your annotations on friendship and conflicts.
Then, use those to explain the significance of the quote: “Lennie cried
out suddenly – ‘I don’t like this place, George. This ain’t no good place. I wanna get outa here’” (Steinbeck 32).
