Kindness

“’If I was a relative of yours I’d shoot myself’” (Steinbeck 24) George says to Lennie in Of Mice and Men.  Is he really being mean or is it just a joke?  I think it’s a little bit of both.  George and Lennie are an inseparable duo that look after each other.  When Lennie gets himself into trouble, like with the dress in Weed, George protects him and bails him out.  Although I think George is thankful to have someone to travel with and be his friend, I think he beats himself up a little bit for it being Lennie, who he constantly has to look out for.  George wants a little more freedom than he gets with Lennie, and it causes him to make mean jokes that aren’t actually true. 

            Although the jokes aren’t returned, it could also be the kind of friendship that George and Lennie have.  I have friends that make fun of me and I make fun of them, but it’s not harmful in any way because we know the other person is joking.  Lennie could know that George doesn’t mean what he says about him, so he doesn’t care George isn’t kind to him.  All the nice things George does for Lennie outweighs the “harmful” things said.  

Harlem Renisance Poetry

When studying historical poems, it can be hard to interpret the meanings within them.  But, when given a closer look, these deeper meanings become evident.  Countee Cullen’s poem “Tableau” mentions “That lightning brilliant as a sword / Should blaze the path of thunder” (11-12).  At a glance, one might miss the deeper meaning within this metaphor.  But, this metaphor is what gives the student an ability to take something away from the poem.  The poem previously talked about two biracial friends walking together, and the toll it takes on the people around them.  When this metaphor is added to the end, it allows the reader to see the significance within the poem by showing the reader that a small spark, such as two biracial friends walking together, can pave way for an even bigger boom, such as the end of segregation.  The smallest of acts can lead to the biggest of outcomes.