Modern Classics Summarized: Of Mice And Men

This is the most depressing book I've ever read. Why would you make me read this? Why would you make me read this *twice*?
The better question is, why does the American education system feel the need to subject teenagers to this year after year? HAVEN'T WE ALREADY SUFFERED ENOUGH?

[@agustinvenegas5238]

"if you don't have depression of your own the school will assign you some"

[@laoshij9382]

????????

[@mediatorraptor3349]

This so true. Worst part is that I was assinged this booi during quaranitine

[@stefansauvageonWhaATwist1369]

Ouch

[@randomgamer6352]

Considering I had to read Where the Red Fern Grows in FOURTH GRADE, I can confirm this is true,

[@TF2Fan101]

Gavin Jo Ah, yes, I remember reading Where The Red Fern Grows. That book had me in tears by the time it ended.

[@anniel6479]

Fun Fact: the yeti in loony tunes that loves cute animals is based off of Lennie. This is referenced with his catchphrase "I'm gonna love it and hug it and name it George".

[@allanolley4874]

There is also a big cat named Benny who hang out at least once with Sylvester but calls him George (saying "but I can't say 'Sylvester' George") and has a similar catch phrase to the Yeti. He is hoping Sylvester will catch him a mouse as a pet.

[@anniel6479]

Allan Olley Oh yeah, I forgot about him.

[@tomatowithcheese9104]

NOP NOP NOP NOP TOO MUCH FOR MEH

[@Dorianin1]

Huh. Interesting, nice piece of info!

[@teddbear2422]

NOOOOOO!!

[@sabanna8457]

"And he apparently passses out puppies like party favors" Me: *WHERE DO I FIND THIS MAN*

[@Delta-ei7im]

Sabanna *HE’S AUTISTIC GOD DAMN IT*

[@Delta-ei7im]

Wait shit I misinterpreted shit sorry

[@downwardspiral8501]

in the south, six feet under

[@bigpigeon2384]

Sabanna WE NEED ANSWERS

[@thealtpandapng]

Sabanna oh my god your pfp.

[@purplehaze2358]

"Have I mentioned that this takes place during the great depression?" This book gave me great depression.....

[@unfortunatedictator9916]

Question, Why is Dr. Bright commenting on a video that oversimplifies a 1930's novel when he *should* be studying certain keter scps right now?

[@a.h.tvideomapping4293]

Unfortunate Dictator it’s Dr Bright what do you expect. This is the dude that has to be told he can’t feed peanut butter to canine SCPs

[@nathannotnate4908]

Damn I was assuming the depression would be from having to live forever in one body or another watching all your friends and family die around you but this book works too

[@cheatcode436]

Aren't you already depressed?

[@uglyweirdo1389]

Everywhere. I find you everywhere.

[@ragingultimate1003]

Some small notes I'd like to add: At the beginning of the book, during the first night, Lenny comments on the lack of ketchup on his beans (that's what they ate), which really drove home the fact that Lenny's mind acted more or less like a small child - one popular stereotype back then was that little kids loved ketchup on everything. Curly wears his glove on his left hand because it's full of Vaseline - it keeps his hand smooth for his wife. About George not bullying Lenny anymore - in the book, George stopped bullying Lenny and got his revelation that maybe he shouldn't bully someone that couldn't comprehend that he was being bullied when George almost caused indirect murder and almost caused Lenny to *drown* - he couldn't swim. The worse part is that when George managed to save him from the river/lake he was drowning in, Lenny just offered a big smile (or he apologized to George. It's been a while since I last read the book for obvious reasons) Also, one other reason why Lenny is with George was because George had promised Lenny's late aunt that he would take care of Lenny. When the laborer killed off Candy's dog, it wasn't the fact that it was a dog that made it excruciatingly sad - it was that Candy kept on saying that he should have killed his own dog instead of letting someone else do it for him - that he should have been with his dog in his final moments. The moments leading up to it isn't anything to sniff at, either - Candy repeatedly tells them - and begs at one point - to not kill his dog, but after a lot of coaxing he finally gives in. It's only after the gunshot fires is when he regrets his decision. The reason why nobody noticed Curly's wife's body until Lenny got such a head start on them was because they were all playing a game of horseshoes. The movie frequently slips back and forth between the two perspectives - Curly's wife and Lenny and George facing off with Slim in the finals. Even Crooks gets in on the action. The final conversation between George and Lennie in the book is the exact same one at the beginning of the book - about the farm, farmhouse, and rabbits. In fact, it's so heartbreaking that the simple term 'Tell me more about the rabbits, George" will drive almost any emotional literature-bound college kid to tears. The final conversation between George and Candy is about their future and the farmhouse. Candy is still eager about the farmhouse vision that George, Lenny, and Candy had dreamed about. However, George is no longer disillusioned by the dream and tells Candy that it was no use. I'd actually go into detail if it weren't for the fact that... I can't put it into well enough words (and because I don't want to tear up), so down below is a transcript of George and Candy's conversation about the future. *Now Candy spoke his greatest fear. “You an’ me can get that little place, can’t we, George? You an’ me can go there an’ live nice, can’t we, George? Can’t we?”* *Before George answered, Candy dropped his head and looked down at the hay. He knew. George said softly, “-I think I knowed from the very first. I think I know’d we’d never do her. He usta like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would.”* *“Then-it’s all off?” Candy asked sulkily.* *George didn’t answer his question. George said, “I’ll work my month an’ I’ll take my fifty bucks an’ I’ll stay all night in some lousy cat house. Or I’ll set in some poolroom till ever’body goes home. An’ then I’ll come back an’ work another month an’ I’ll have fifty bucks more.”* In other words, Lennie was the glue that held the dream together - once he had killed Curly's wife and George realized that he had to mercy-kill Lennie, he truly realized that the dream was just that - a dream that was too good for reality.

[@smolblacquecat7148]

These notes aren't very small

[@sliceofgarlicbread]

(Casually copies text)

[@lazarus8018]

Well that's sad.

[@medium393]

Well said man, we’ll fucking said.

[@tesscrelli783]

When I first watched the movie, I thought it was sad. Then I read the book and analyzed everything, then realized that none of the characters in the book ever had their dreams come true. Lennie doesn't get his rabbits, George doesn't get his land, Crooks doesn't get past the blatant racism, Curley's wife doesn't become a star, Candy doesn't get to live his life happily and instead has to live with the constant threat of getting fired. Geezus, this novel is a piece of work. And it made me cry.

[@RockManIAm]

Tess Crelli Sounds like Steel Ball Run.

[@Kaltagstar96]

What about Slim?. He was the most likeable character besides Lennie, did he ever get his dream realised or was it a case of we never found out what his dream was in the first place?.

[@FeanorFireHeart]

@@Kaltagstar96 *smiles and points to forehead* You can't have your dreams dashed, if you don't have a dream.

[@KuroeNezumi]

@@RockManIAm ...I mean, didn't Jhonny recover his legs? that's a "dream" that did come true on that story.

[@WobblesandBean]

@@Kaltagstar96 Slim was one of the guys that kept "raising hell in a cathouse". I don't remember if he had any dreams like the other characters did, but I recall it was all the sadder when George told Candy that he was giving up on the idea of a farm and was just gonna spend his meager earnings at the brothels just like Slim.

[@bananewane1402]

George killed Lenny to spare him from the cruel, harsh ways of the world. He was afraid of what Candy would do to Lenny so he decided that he himself would kill Lenny in the kindest way possible. Also there was the problem of Lenny killing more people.

[@johnkidby7948]

Curley, not Candy.

[@syweb2]

@Maya Aguilar Shit happens, and the world sucks. Sometimes, a quick death is better than prolonged suffering.

[@dylan-5287]

It's strange how some people identify so strongly with lennie. I get it at first maybe but once he kills another person I kind of lose sympathy for him. It's like having a dog that won't stop attacking people, at a certain point a hard decision has to be made.

[@gracehaven5459]

@NoisyCricket42 no truer words spoken

[@GhostCabinet]

George wanting to be the one to kill Lenny is foreshadowed by candy when he says he wishes he was the one to put his dog down

[@tommaldonado8243]

*"Tell me about the rabbits, George"*

[@SStarry_Days]

Shut

[@eryvac0074]

The

[@thereisnoqueenofengland1605]

Heckin

[@zainrizwanthegoat]

Up

[@tagz5186]

Please?

[@michaelbryant3640]

I played Lennie in a stage production of "Of Mice And Men." My parents were sitting in the front row when I got shot in the head at the end.

[@toxicsugarart2103]

Michael Bryant OOF

[@benjiusofficial]

You made sure to wink at em right before, right? Really send it home.

[@adrianfrauca8118]

get well soon...

[@Horde1Blades]

adorable

[@lemmonboy6459]

“You’re in the splash zone :)”

[@girlthatisagirl2538]

Oh my god.... lenny wasnt ever describing the farm they were gonna live on was he? He was just describing heaven.... and where lenny would probably end up

[@emilyb5307]

Girl ThatIsAGirl I only just made this connection as well, but the phrase "bought the farm". . . Oh boy.

[@drawingfandome]

Holy flip your right

[@mielliot13]

... Holy crap, I never put that together.

[@EmilyGrace-gw7im]

Holy shit....

[@phearypoy2149]

Feel good novel of the century kid!

[@Chameleon1616]

You should have highlighted the connection between the way Curleys wife exacts power over Crooks due to how she feels powerless herself. The fact that her name is never even mentioned as anything more then X mans wife is crucial.

[@switchplayer1016]

I always wondered why english teachers never point that out.

[@GumWad99]

As Red would say, if we wanted analysis we would be on sparknotes. Still a good connection

[@dilsaw4977]

Nah she needs to make room for all the stale "my faith in humanity is destroyed" remarks.

[@lilithcrow6675]

@@switchplayer1016 mine did.

[@JasonAFlintham]

I’ve gotta admit it’s always struck me as odd that Curly’s wife was never given a proper name, when the only character in the book with a lower social standing than her was. My only guess is it was to make her less sympathetic to the audience due to A) her wanting to sleep with absolutely everyone on the ranch EXCEPT for her husband and B) her needing to be less identifiable since she was Lenny’s only human casualty.

[@infernodude4516]

I gotta say, I prefer how the book handled Lennie getting shot in the head, with George being so hesitant to do it, but finally doing it to spare Lennie from Curley’s wrath. And in the movie it just happens so fast that you don’t really have time to feel sad, since it’s over in an instant

[@micealcurphey753]

Same also book Lennie and george had the better relationship overall

[@WolfgangDoW]

You get George's thought process too, and him hating that Lenny has to die, but needs to do it quick and cleanly rather than slow and painful from Curly He learnt how to do that when he watched the dog get put down before

[@tevineleven11]

@@micealcurphey753 How so? I always felt their relationship was slightly better in the movie than book personally

[@micealcurphey753]

@@tevineleven11 I felt like we got more time with the characters see them develop and how George had the whole dream of the farm for Lennies sake. Tbh it’s been a long time sense I read it and tell me if it seems wrong

[@Deadflower019]

Personally, I prefer how the movie does it. One quick shot and boom. The lives of the two main characters are ruined.

[@lauries3961]

I think I get it. George did kill Lenny, but it was to save him. He knew no-one would understand that Lenny was innocent and just not very bright, and he knew Lenny would be tortured, imprisoned, or worse if Curly found him. So he shot him and gave him a quick and painless death. This is mirroring how Candey's dog was put down by another rancher and how he felt guilty that he wasn't the one to do it. Maybe George, seeing this, realized even before Lenny accidentally killed Candey's wife what was going to have to happen. He knew that he would probably also get arrested for killing Lenny, but he was willing to take the bullet for his friend by putting a bullet in his friend's head. And maybe deep down, standing on the river bank, Lenny knew too. Maybe he was describing heaven. Those are my thoughts anyway. Thanks for reading.

[@prestonflinders9209]

But he’s not innocent, being handicapped mentally isn’t an excuse to allow behavior like that.

[@tpmyer627]

*Aggressive sobbing noises*.

[@tpmyer627]

@@prestonflinders9209 I find that statement unfair, he didn't mean to kill anyone, his "murders" were completely accidental, I'm pretty sure Lenny was just a nice guy with no ill intentions

[@justyouraveragemutantblood2185]

Preston Flinders insanity plea exist for a reason. It’s unfair to fully hold those who do not understand or can control there actions on the same level as those who do understand. Intent is important and it was an accident.

[@artemis_smith]

Everyone hears the gunshot in the book and runs to where George shot Lenny. George makes up a bullshit story about self defense. He doesn't take a bullet or go to jail, he just gives the gun back to the guy he stole it from.

[@puffedrice4624]

" hey you know what this high school literacy curriculum needs more of? CRUSHING MISERY"

[@gerstein03]

Yeah hi school curriculums have the most depressing books in them. We got this, we got 1984, we got lord of the flies, and we got catcher in the rye. These books are some serious bummers

[@Peterowsky]

First year of highschool, what book should we have our students read? Any of the dozens of classics, a lot of which are quite somber? Nahhh, The frigging Kite Runner!

[@jenluvjake]

I liked this comment in spirit

[@Maninawig]

I remember it a little sadder... maybe cause I related more to Lenny, being a fish out of water. If it wasn't in the 1930s though, they would have given him a stuffed animal with a sound box.

[@dylanbutler7301]

*1930s

[@Maninawig]

AnelsWatchingRandomStuff, I highly doubt that. When you study film history, you learn that Alfred Hitchcock was a big player in the creation of rules and regulations to this day. In fact, among other things, like the scandalous act of showing a toilet on the tele, the whole "No animals were harmed in the making of this film" is a direct descendant to a lawsuit he had from animal lovers after the making of his movie "The Birds" in 1963. In order to create his movie, he had trained __ crows to be man eating beasts by, what we would consider, sadistic ways. (Note, at the time, animal stars were not a training... this movie also started that industry single handedly). Since the birds were going to attack humans, he couldn't just release them into the wild, so he killed them, spawning the "animal cruelty" lawsuit. The industry was then banned from harming animals for the making of a film. Since this adaptation of the book "Of Mice and Men" was done in 1992, they couldn't outright kill a dog, however, if my study of film history serves me correctly, a loophole was presented during the filming. They had a hard time filming with the doll they had, and one of the puppies in the litter they filmed had died of a natural cause that presented at birth. *SPOILER* not all puppies make it *END SPOILER* The director seized the opportunity and called up their lawyers to ok the use of the corps of the dead dog in the film.... He is criticized for that decision to this day, however, to say he is wrong would be to say that the use of taxidermied animals for close up scenes (such as playing tug-of-war with a skunk that took your wallet) is wrong.

[@Maninawig]

Dylan Butler, you're right, the book was published in 1937, I will correct my blunder right away

[@MidoriMushrooms]

and now I learn even more ways in which hitchcock is an actual fucking sociopath. Like his reputation for being a disgusting stalker who forced an actress to work under him just so he could creep on her wasn't bad enough. I can't believe how much of our film industry was pioneered by this asshole.

[@mielliot13]

I remember being distraught and terrified reading this as a kid and debating if what Lenny did was a kindness or evil. must have been like 11-12 at the time. I think this summary is intended to be rushed to take the sting out a bit

[@LilypadPanda]

One of the things I found saddest about this story is how, throughout the book, it's hammered home that the life of a depression-era itinerant worker is a *very* lonely one. With no home, no long-time relationships and no stable source of income, the workers are described as living paycheck to paycheck, filling the void with booze, gambling and prostitutes. George and Lenny pride themselves on being different. They have each other, and a dream of a future they can work towards. After Lenny dies, George gives up on the dream. He *could* continue trying to achieve it, but without Lenny...what would be the point? The book ends with George accepting Slim's offer to go to the bar and drink away his problems. Without Lenny, he has no motivation. He's just another lonely itinerant worker, living paycheck to paycheck. George's life has become 'easier', but it hasn't become better.

[@MadmanEpic]

Fluffy gloves. The end.

[@helencui7960]

That would've actually fixed everything.

[@minhqun]

MadmanEpic Great depression

[@johnfraire6931]

Qun Minh So? He's killed enough mice (and... puppies) to have enough materials to make some fluffy gloves. ...Actually then again, he complained that the mice get all scraggly when they die, huh?

[@Druid-T]

John Fraire this is during the Great Depression, name one method during that time to keep fur clean and somehow make gloves out of it

[@johnfraire6931]

Tony Power Well, if neither characters took the time to level up their nature or crafting feats, that's on them.

[@coolbeans5911]

Lmao i remember reading this book while waiting at a bus station and the cleaning guy walked up to me and asked: "is everything okay? Are you alright? You look very sad" and i said "no i'm fine, the book is just very sad". He was like "you shouldn't read sad stories. Read happy ones" 🤣🤣🤣 lol what a sweetheart

[@benjiusofficial]

You can't appreciate happiness without sadness.

[@danielvictor3262]

I hope he's having a good life

[@Wendy_O._Koopa]

r/wowthanksimcured

[@nicholas6836]

@@Wendy_O._Koopa r/ShutUpYouRedditor

[@Wendy_O._Koopa]

@@nicholas6836 r/wasthatsupposedtobeirony

[@they6789]

I know of an even better feel good novel called "I have no mouth and I must scream". You should definitely do a summarized video of it!

[@tentathesane8032]

isn't it just a short story, not a novel? But yeah, that was great surreal horror

[@johnbones3455]

AM is a scary, scary man.

[@zodiac5403]

are you trying to get her admitted into an institution????

[@jenluvjake]

@@zodiac5403 is not this platform, the internet itself, an institution

[@brittanyyates2563]

This book and movie made me cry in class, I have a little brother with autism and when he got his growth spurt (6,1) people freak out , but he is very friendly and has very good manners

[@IrvingIV]

@jocaguz18 The whole point is that lennie is tragic, it is not his rough qualities that we enjoy, but rather his dream that we understand, and his failure that we pity. There is a reason Disney got rich off of "I want more" stories.

[@marjorierene427]

Brittany Yates same here. My brother doesn’t understand that he is bigger and stronger than other people and I know he means no harm but he just doesn’t understand.

[@dilsaw4977]

@jocaguz18 Yes he was clearly a danger to others but he didn't do anything maliciously. He didn't want to hurt his puppy or Curley's wife, he made mistakes and didn't know what to do afterwards without George's guidance. I would hope that after reading this story and others you would be able to understand the difference between a cold blooded killer and a disabled man who doesn't understand the consequences of his own actions. All he wanted was to look after the rabbits on a farm he owned with his best friend, and surely you should feel something after realising he can't have even that.

[@dilsaw4977]

​@jocaguz18 Disabled people aren't dogs.

[@dilsaw4977]

@jocaguz18 lol, my mistake for thinking I was talking to a non subhuman. enjoy your assburgers.

[@AliCatDarling]

Our teacher told us to not read ahead and wanted us to read the ending in class, together. I, being the rebellious *cough, bookworm, cough* student that I was, didn't want to put the book down when I got to the part we were supposed to stop. So, I had a good cry by my lonesome. I was the only one who did not listen. Next day in class, we read the ending and I sat there awkwardly as the entire class around me wept.

[@jmurray1110]

I just predicted it by the first chapter though I suspect he would be lynched so it didn’t really affect me

[@jmurray1110]

@Anne TheReader no im not a drug or psychic its just schools like picking shit books with 'dark' themes and his assult charge was established leading to it being the obvious conclusion to make

[@blackeyedchild3688]

I was in an honors class so we had to have read and annotated the whole book and have it ready for the first day of school. But I had the misfortune of getting pneumonia so I missed the whole first week.

[@aquaislyfe9510]

I probably would’ve still cried the second time ngl

[@brokenearth7079]

Same, but I limited myself to a page or so ahead. Plus, even then I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who cried. Maybe they were as good at hiding it as I was, or something.

[@TheThreadWeaver]

So when I was suuuuuuuper young, I walked in on my dad watching this movie and I saw the scene of Lennie crushing Curlie's hand with absolutely no context. That scene's been stuck in my brain for decades with absolutely NO context at all. But now, thanks to you, I have context for one of my very early childhood memories! Y-... yay...

[@31webseries]

Phrases to avoid listening to when spoken to you by a person who is armed: "Look across the river," "Look at the flowers," "Look [any damned where besides the gun]"!

[@echo_soldier]

My brother seemed extremely upset when he finished the book in English class. My mom and I think it was because he related Lenny to me, since I have autism (he's older than me). I hated the book the whole way through, and I had to step out when we played the movie because I couldn't sit through the ending. I really related to Lenny's love of textures and not being understood.

[@aswecoll1de]

Being autistic I feel the same way, I feel like the book kinda misrepresents adults living with autism, but also has a grasp on it for the time period. It’s sad to see that disabled people, even in fiction, get treated in certain ways because were misunderstood.

[@sorenkazaren4659]

@@aswecoll1de I mean… the guy literally killed animals left and right by accident. And finally killed a person. I don’t personally see how autism has anything to do with it. I don’t particularly feel like the author was trying to portray Lenny as autistic. Focusing solely on Lenny as a character here, it seems to me that regardless of whatever mental situation he has going on, he couldn’t have had no consequences for his actions. I do appreciate that for the time period I sincerely doubt there would’ve been much that could have been done more ethically for him. After all I imagine during the Great Depression the best case scenario would’ve been life imprisonment. Which would NOT have been healthy for Lenny. Worst case would probably have been the electric chair or something equally horrifying.

[@aswecoll1de]

@@sorenkazaren4659 I am not continuing on this conversation as an autistic person. I said what I said, he simply should’ve had better.

[@sorenkazaren4659]

@@aswecoll1de If you insist. *shrugs* I still maintain the author probably wasn’t portraying Lenny as autistic. And as an aside, most autistic people don’t murder people.

[@aswecoll1de]

@@sorenkazaren4659 Dude, you are literally talking to an autistic person. The traits that Lenny possessed were clear signs of stereotypical autism. You can look through the comments and see other autistics just like me point this out. Of course we don’t know the authors intention, but we still have eyes.

[@lorenzoabrick5188]

Okay, I know it's completely irrelevant, but I'd hate to have a farm with bunnies. Bunnies are the *enemy* of farms, they eat *everything*.

[@AntiFaGoat]

Homestuck Obsessor First off, you always keep the rabbits in cages where they can't get to your crops and run away. As for why you'd farm them: You can eat them, skin them for pelts, use their blood as fertilizer, their poop makes damn good compost, and they breed so fast that you can sell/use them. Not saying that people have ever made it rich off rabbit farming or that it's your only source of food, but it could be a decent additional income for a small-scale farm.

[@lorenzoabrick5188]

True... But then you'd get animal rights activists screaming their heads off at you for constantly keeping the rabbits in cages, despite it being completely necessary if you do actually want to farm rabbits.

[@Talarue]

Animal Rights activists are not happy about basically anything...

[@jmurray1110]

It was the 30 I don’t think they had much power or range

[@longliveplanetawesome3223]

Bunnies aren't just cute like everybody supposes They got them hoppy legs and twitchy little noses And what's with all the carrots What do they need such good eyesight for ANYWAYS BUNNIES, BUNNIES, IT MUST BE BUNNIES!!!!

[@DolusVulpes]

The thing that gets me the most about the ending is that you can clearly feel throughout the entire scene that George absolutely hates himself for what he's doing, and it's tearing him apart that he has to. But he knows that there's nowhere someone like Lennie can go after becoming a murderer, and that if Curly catches him, he'll do much worse than what George does. George is trying to the most humane thing he can in an absolute nightmare of a situation, and it hurts him more than anything.

[@IanNfriends]

I was a little disappointed that you didn't point out the connection between George shooting Lenny and Candy having remorse over not being the one to shoot his own dog. But I guess, as you've said in other videos, if we wanted analysis we'd be over at Sparknotes!

[@blackraptor1154]

IanNfriends I saw the family guy version so when I read it in highschool I was already “oooh that nigga dead!” So I saw the connection right there.

[@aidannewall2289]

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY. Thank you for having a brain

[@ooohheldenring9770]

Also, write your own paper

[@ethanhudson2009]

Um she did point out the connection

[@ginge641]

@@ethanhudson2009 She pointed out the foreshadowing done by the death of Candy's dog, but not the significance of the dog's killer.

[@oliviajones6892]

I had a teacher who read this book to us. He had been a professional storyteller so of course he did voices and it was great. He also totally shipped George and Slim and talked about it constantly.

[@Resavian]

This is one of the books I reread regularly. I have a love-hate relationship with how depressing and devoid of hope it is, but I love the common connection between all of the characters and how similar they are even though the never make the connection themselves, they are all powerless, devoid of self determination to one degree or another and trapped in lives they never chose for themselves.

[@billiam_b]

Another thing that's good to mention is that the book says Curly's wife always wore a lot of makeup and gloves. Possibly showing that her, a seventeen y/o married an abusive and controlling man, which would kinda explain her actions. (Edit: misspelling/bad wording)

[@adrianfrauca8118]

I just finished my test for this novel and that didn't even cross my mind.

[@iexist1300]

I didn't realise her age was mentioned. But it is pretty clear that curly and his wife don't get along at all.

[@drewza98]

A girl in my class hadn't done the reading she was supposed to and yelped when Lenny got shot in the head in the movie. We laughed as she cried. We're not very nice. XD

[@DATA-EXPUNGED]

I wasn't allowed to read ahead, got sidetracked and stopped doing the reading halfway through, and bullshitted my way through the rest of the unit.

[@Reilly-Maresca]

One of the only class books I managed to not get spoiled by my friends who read ahead (I could mind you. There are some cases where I could've read the book in time it took the class to read a chapter, what with switching readers etc. I just consider it unsportsmanlike)

[@johanlindgren4660]

Bob Bobson I always do this because when I am done with the book I can finish other assignments so I don't have any homework

[@Reilly-Maresca]

+Johan Lindgren it was supposed to be a group reading thing. The teacher didn't like it either and a few guys I know ended up in trouble for it. Call me a stickler for the rules. I kind of am.

[@Stettafire]

I read the book a good few years before I ever had to study it. After originally enjoying the novel, I hated how I was forced to dissect it to death without any room for research or interpretation (if it wasn't in the marking scheme it was wrong to put it in the paper *sigh* i.e the complete opposite of what is encouraged in universities). But yeah, that awful english lit class was a big reason why I left school at 16. I LOVE english lit, but the class killed all enjoyment I might have had. It is no wonder why a lot of young people don't read if their classes suck that badly.

[@pRahvi0]

Ok, first: Thank you for reading this so we don't have to (unless our teachers get mad). Secondly: You made the right choice in not drawing it, since 1) this is not very light-hearted stuff and 2) I probably couldn't watch chibi Lenny without feeling even more bad than I did now

[@Sam-yo9hp]

I made my students read this silently in class and you could hear the gasps as individual students got to the end. One kid yelled "what the fuck!". It was a good day

[@adambebb99]

I remember a friend of mine asking the teacher "does Lenny get his rabits?" and I already knew he didnt because I had read ahead... F for Lenny

[@trod146]

Begging for attention... go bother your parents for attention instead of the internet..

[@ae0lis182]

@@trod146 Who hurt you dude

[@rnaa7156]

@@trod146 the fuck dude?

[@tenreco7366]

Kingbepic Hes just being hypocritical

[@thatsroughbuddy8742]

@@trod146 Fuck off. F for Lenny 😢

[@robertrowland1061]

George's act of sparing Lenny the cruel consequence of his innocent misdeed, is one of true Phileo Love. Those who mistakenly take it at face value, find it disturbing and have missed the point; it is actually quite beautiful but only those who suffer, have eyes to see.

[@timothymclean]

Well, it's not black-and-white. There are definitely pros and cons to that course of action (and every other one available). But his heart was in the right place.

[@arleccino1313]

Another, deeply symbolic, interpretation is that Lenny is the primal, base desires of man, while George is the intelligent, logical and "moral" aspect. Through the book Lenny is really only cognizant of his base desires and their fulfillment. Meanwhile, Lenny's filling of those desires causes George to suffer. It is only by killing Lenny, effectively killing the for lack of a better term "Id" (Even though Freuid was wrong about basically everything.), that George, the "Ego/Superego" can actually make his dream of a farm a reality. George's destruction of Lenny is modern man's destruction of his primal urges.

[@NotAFakeName1]

Robert Rowland I broke my brothers head a little when I suggested that George's action may not have been all that altruistic. What if, subconsciously, he was trying to unburden himself of his problems. While on the surface it was about giving Lenny a quick death in peace, his true motivation may have been freeing himself of the mess Lenny had gotten him in.

[@snowsong7108]

That would make sense, Patrick, if it weren't for the fact that Lenny was going to be lynched for killing Curley's wife anyways. Lenny's fate was already sealed, George just made it more pleasant for him.

[@NotAFakeName1]

Will Saldeen Oh sure, George had plenty of self-justification. But his motivation may have run a little deeper than that. After all, the two of them didn't even try running away from curly and the gang first.

[@samalman173]

After reading the book in school, I was mentally damaged for about a month

[@Aristocratic13]

Lol

[@aquras32]

Sam Alman when i watched this in school, my class joked and mocked it.

[@rinsavercool912]

Sam Alman I still am

[@HisameArtwork]

it's the same in every country...english, french, romanian etc teachers are sadistic bastards making kids/teens read this stuff... I had to read Mara, Morometii, Fratii Jderi and so on ...and adults complain videogames cause violence...these books are way more perverse.

[@SuperStarM64]

"And then Lennie dies" ... ..... ...... Red (And possibly every other poor soul who saw and read this part: *"WHYYYYYYYYY!!"*

[@pRahvi0]

I honestly think his life was more tragic than his death, though.

[@ethanhudson2009]

I feel you didn’t quite get across the point that Lennies mentally disabled, not just stupid

[@Claymann71]

Agreed. He was the 'Two brain cells total, & only when George is around' mentality. Which is fine today in Modernity, but back then? -0% sympathy for the Impaired. Think, 'Giant Man-Bear with Arms that can break bricks & bones like twigs' kind of 'I got a 0 In Int but 12 in Strength for my Stats!'. I realize this is how many men / angsty teens see themselves. I work construction & I am constantly breaking things with too much strength, but I am only 5 ft 11' but have been lifting 200 lbs for fun since I was 14. 'Strength is for protecting the weak & defending the innocent. Not killing.' -The Hulk.

[@hairglowingkyle4572]

Maybe it was intentional for a reason?

[@CombineWatermelon]

same thing, really. if it looks stupid, and it sounds stupid, it probably is stupid

[@CombineWatermelon]

@@omatofi why the fuck did you write an entire paragraph in response to dead obvious trollbait?

[@janinecat1865]

@@omatofi George recognized Lenny's humanity. He towed him along and kept him from the consequences of his actions hoping Lenny could grow out of hurting and killing anything he puts his hands on, but Lenny had done all the growing down's syndrome allots him.

[@sophie3869]

When I finished this book I threw it against a wall and cried silently for like 10 minutes

[@lexalina132]

catcher in the rye, plleeeeeease also, couldn't they give him a teddy bear or something equally soft and fluffy.... that won't die if he pets it to hard?

[@THEGOFER615]

lexalina132 excellent point

[@karlalemus5816]

lexalina132 it was during the great depression and they would have had to spare money for that so I don't think George thought it was worth it plus people would bully Lenny even more than they already did

[@Goldenheart_345]

Karla Lemus it would have been easier to buy a teddy bear than a farm full of bunnies who will DEFFINATLY die...

[@rachaelbeth3119]

no.... it kinda wouldnt... 1. lenny would just pet the bear all the time instead of working so he wouldnt get paid and theyd get fired 2. stuffed animals in the 1930s? the depression? when you where lucky to have 2 toys in the 50s? when ppl had money for shit? hahahahaha no 3. george wouldnt want to spend the money on it... see point 1 4. if they had the furs of animals to sow together for him... well they didnt know how to sow and the only one who might of was... well... the bitch that got killed they could of done it earlier before the farm but it would have cost money gorege didnt want to spend and i reiterate point 1

[@ColonizerChan]

It was the Great Depression, food was a lot more important. That was when pop pop really got a taste for velvetta and spam, and where you get the mentality of cleaning your plate

[@chloer6918]

I'm doing an essay for this book this year and I almost started crying in class because of it. Why do you want me to suffer like this, teacher? Whyyyyy?

[@gamezoid1234]

I loved reading this book in high school. Although it doesn't seem like it through the interview, it's a somber, melancholic look at life in the great depression, and is one of the best frames for the small smart/big dumb archetype. The ending is pretty visible from the out set, but the bittersweet nature of the book is well worth reading.

[@edwardteach3000]

Yep. Except that "from the outset" part, as I remember when my class read it in eighth. Part way though one of my classmates asked when they where going to by the farm (which made me make this face 😐, since I had finished reading it 3 weeks before, and had known there wasn't going to be a happy ending the moment I saw the name "Steinbeck" written on the cover).

[@gamezoid1234]

@@edwardteach3000 no kidding. I read 'grapes of wraith' a couple months ago, and I liked it quite a lot as well. It's also very dark, but the perseverance of the characters involved makes things quite hopeful.

[@edwardteach3000]

@@gamezoid1234 Read it in 11th, good book. A bit depressing at times, but, as you said the perseverance of the characters, combined with the little bits of random kindness thrown in, brings quite a bit of hope into the it.

[@megand1609]

this book was one of the only ones ive ever read that made me genuinely upset. like i almost cried multiple times. damn you steinbeck

[@edwardteach3000]

I hate him, and I love him. He is that good of a writer.

[@dylanjanik6776]

We watched this movie in history class in 9th grade and every time Curly’s wife came on camera everyone yelled out how much they hate her.

[@trevorhallihan5529]

I want to upvote to agree with it as a statement of fact, but also eff that response to her character, everyone in the story is a tragedy, even poor Curley who was so angry and obsessed with his own impotence that he harms everyone in reach to feel powerful.

[@Mournforthelost96]

That ending though... Holy shit is that dark.

[@birdsqautchman1116]

ohhh so that's part where movies make spoofs off of, huh kind of makes less funny with context behind it, this just like the phrase "a dingo ate my baby", boy when heard background of that I was like "why did people think this can be made for laughs?!"

[@poofbomb-minecraftmore1883]

Also, George never gets the farm.... as it was his and Lennie's dream *together* so....

[@souvikrc4499]

Mournforthelost96 George did it as an act of mercy; rather than let Curley lynch him, he killed him to spare him the horrors of being lynched. Either way, at this point in the book, he was going to die.

[@aaronstrash]

You should do Lord of the flies, that'd be a great summarization LMAO

[@straycybernetics6145]

yeah it would definitely entertaining

[@redgallo4939]

hahahahha I'm thinking the same thing

[@nightsocoolioyep7663]

AaronsTrash she did

[@m1l4n1nh3ll]

NightSoCoolioYep the comment was over a year ago. Looool

[@wisewillow7530]

RED! PLEASE! Do "Fahrenheit 45" or " the story of the Salem Witch Trials" Two of my fav book.

[@snowsong7108]

And this isn't Steinbeck's most depressing work either; for maximum depression, check out East of Eden.

[@Dorianin1]

I think The Pearl wins that prize, personally.

[@melvinmerkelhopper5752]

Were you ever forced to read a story about Kittens in high school? That one was the most horrific.

[@Halo-lg7rq]

I haven’t read that, but would that be worse than Grapes of Wrath

[@LukasKellett1988]

East of Eden is a riot compared with Grapes of Wrath. I read it 10 years ago and still to this day cannot bring myself to reread it. I'm not in any way saying it's badly written as its beautifully written. Still my favourite author though.

[@chaotichoe2759]

I hope Lenny gets invincible puppy’s in heaven

[@firerulezz116]

I think it's notable how Lenny, Crooks, Candy, and the wife are all socially disadvantaged in some way. Sexism keeps the wife down (to a point where nobody even names her in the novel), Candy's old and frankly at a point of physical disability due to such, Crooks is black, and Lenny is "slow" or whatnot- by the modern perspective, we'd call it some kind of mental disability. Ultimately, all these characters are also victims in the story. The wife ends up dead (and also with unfulfilled dreams when there MIGHT have been a chance, maybe?), Crooks continues to suffer under racism and unfair treatment, Lenny ends up dead, and Candy is coerced into letting his dog be put down and will inevitably be kicked from the farm due to his increasing physical inability AKA increasing old age (something which he expressly is concerned about earlier in the novel, and part of the reason why he wants in on the rabbit farm plan- it's a safe future, and as a plus there's cute animals involved).

[@Blizzic]

I know, right. The books high schoolers are forced to read are really poorly chosen.,

[@enclinker7951]

Blizzic But the book that my class read was To kill a mockingBird was good!

[@MrWildcat28]

Magenvia I'm not putting my family name in here I read slaughter house IV in Highschool, To kill a mocking bird and Beowulf

[@fictionfan0]

Oh, but they're classics. They're not like those other books with enjoyable stories, relatable characters, and just as much subtext and analyzable material. (Seriously, the amount of times I had to read books like "The Lottery" almost every year was ridiculous.)

[@KaiTenSatsuma]

I recall getting middle schoolers, and even highschoolers to read books was like pulling teeth from a particularly ornery wolf.

[@javierpowell4705]

Blizzic I read it this year and i loved it, and i was invested in it the entire time

[@gabeheartz13saravia97]

Your drawings are fantastic, and all the characters drawn are adorable and handsome.

[@calhanlon5568]

Probably why she didn't do it here as it doesn't really for the bleak tone of the book

[@zacharyhayden6521]

Just this video alone made me feel pain. *I'm gonna read this book at some point now. I need more pain.*

[@idiomasentusiasticos7954]

For anybody who doesn’t get it: > Lenny is Candey’s dog and Candey’s dog is Lenny. It was a bit of foreshadowing. > Lenny wasn’t describing the house he was describe paradise, his own garden of Eden if you will And you should read the book because the part with Crooks really does tie the story together. Crooks doesn’t actually have that much to do with Lenny- and Crooks is the reason why the book is actually BANNED in many places across the States. Read it and you’ll see why. Just educate yourself by reading this masterpiece is what I’m saying.

[@c.o7993]

Bit late but im missing why crooks would get the book banned, bare in mind I'm not American

[@alefoster700]

"You hadda do it, George. You hadda"

[@casssidyy711]

The ending almost made me cry reading it, and hearing it again brought me pretty close to tears. This book messed me up, but I loved it sm

[@flameheart4019]

“Look at the flowers Lenny”

[@bakeskatesleep2080]

I watched this for the first time last week and it made me cry. We watched it for a literary class and we talked about how it shows how people of that time understood and treated people with disability (Lennie). The part that really stuck out to me was right after Candys dog gets shot and he says "I should've done it myself, I shouldn't have let a stranger shoot my dog" then later George has to shoot Lennie, saving him from a more painful death from Curly.

[@casterisk9527]

"It's no fun to bully someone when they don't even realize they're being bullied. What a stellar example of human compassion." I swear I woke my roommates up, that was so funny

[@calebh3632]

"Then he starts describing the farm they are gonna love on in vivid, beautiful detail and the rabbits lenny will be able to take car of. Then he shoots him in the head. *feel good novel of the century everyone!*

[@ClockFink]

I mean it’s depressing AF but legitimately my favorite classic novel. A man ought not let a stranger shoot his dog. Powerful stuff.

[@heretical_cuttlefish]

I feel like you should have explained Crooks a little better. For example, he backed out because he realized the whole thing is a pipe dream. I feel like adding these kind of details would have added a lot to your video

[@JenamDrag0n]

Except her video is a summary, not an analysis.

[@lunarpolar2809]

sixty nine likes _we hit it_

[@iantheweird1384]

I also think she really did want to do this one

[@joneelillard892]

0:23 LOL "sketchy" Get it....because she was an actual sketch onscreen

[@Kendrahf]

This is the most depressing book you've ever read? Please! PLEASE! don't read Grapes of Wrath. Nothing goes right for that family in that book. The literal singular high point of the book is at the very beginning. The MC gets out of jail! Woohoo! Then it's all down hill from there. And this is me at the end, which a chapter or so to go. I think 'welp, there is nothing more that Steinbeck can write that can topple the biggest horror-fest' and then I finish the book and I just want to kill myself. Really Steinbeck? Was that really necessary?! You couldn't've spared the reader even that little bit?

[@ladythyme8819]

The Black Pearl was a heartbreak for me, I loved that book but it was so tragic.

[@Dorianin1]

I think you mean The Pearl. The infant getting it's head blown off was pretty traumatic, as I read it when I was 10 or so. The Black Pearl is Cpt. Sparrow's ship.

[@peilingpey697]

I think I was about the same age when I first came across it. I found it entertaining.

[@emilyb5307]

I had to read both this one and Grapes of Wrath . . . And Lord of the flies. All for one year of high school. That was a fun year. . .

[@powerofk]

Sounds about right. Add to that list A Separate Peace, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Fahrenheit 451, Catcher in the Rye, and the Great Gatsby for a full list of downer novels we had to read in high school. It's sad when some of the most entertaining literature were plays... oh, wait, in addition to the Shakespeare plays of Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Julius Caesar, and Taming of the Shrew, we also had to read The Crucible by Arthur Miller and Raisin in the Sun. We could have at least read Wizard of Oz or Alice in Wonderland.

[@franconysus]

You're finally getting some recognition , i'm so happy for you and Blue , you will have 1M in no-time.

[@vanchella1]

I also was required to read Of Mice and Men, and write a paper on it, back in my high school days. To this day, it is one of only two books that have made me so viscerally upset that I threw them at a wall. (The other one was The Kite Runner; DO NOT read that unless you are in a very good headspace.) They're both wonderfully written, excellent books. I don't ever want to read either of them again. Just gotta say as well, I've been following this channel for quite some time. These older videos still hold up and make me laugh! You and your co-creator Blue (shout-out from a fellow history nerd) should be very, very proud of how far you've come, and of your content's quality. It's been fantastic stuff even from early days. Keep it up!

[@emily_232]

This book honestly bummed me out in school for about 2 weeks. I do like it though in a funny way. Not so much what happens, but the way it’s written. Also maybe do The Great Gatsby!! Please?

[@ShanaReviews]

That moment when you realize the inspiration for Ed (from Ed, Edd, and Eddy) as well as the Abominable Snowman (from Looney Tunes) and almost every idiot character used for comedy in cartoons all came from Lenny While we clap and laugh at their antics as children, we were unaware of the fact that the trait which made them fun to watch all came from a tragic character Comedy born from tragedy indeed

[@creeperdude3480]

MHMH YEAH I DON'T LIKE THIS

[@cesbeee]

As someone who was not forced to read this, I have to ask WHY WOULD PEOPLE EVEN MAKE OTHER PEOPLE READ THIS WHAT THE FFFFF

[@cesbeee]

Oh! I'm sorry, then. I'll rephrase my initial comment.

[@FrankieB119]

+Francesca Baltasar For my class, it was part of a lesson to reflect "the human condition" in literature. What they probably meant was "the world sucks because humans suck".

[@acedragon1456]

I had to read this in school for my GCSE's

[@im_bored_hi_]

I once read a fanfic and the ending was inspired by the ending of this story. Those who didn’t know were sad because the ending is sad. Those who did know were also sad because the ending is sad and based off another sad ending, reminding them of that sad ending, making them sadder.

[@HornetHK]

This was my 8th grade english teacher’s favorite book and she insisted that we always spell Lennie’s name the correct way, with an ie. Half the comments here spell it “Lenny” and it is really bothering me help.

[@michaellee2]

Great summary. If it wouldn't be much of a burden, can you summarize The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemmingway? Just something to think about.

[@Duck-lb6ff]

Mind doing the catcher in the rye?

[@MaryZhuang]

i agree. catcher in the rye would be a great one to summarize

[@amerespectator3023]

Yes.

[@oof-rr5nf]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Would mean a lot to me.

[@Horizon_Light]

I remember watching the movie and I started crying because of how beautifully the land was described before Lenny was killed. In my opinion he was killed very quickly and all of a sudden so that kinda ruined the moment for me. But just the amount of hesitation in that scene to pull the trigger is so heartbreaking.

[@john4chan127]

As a person with a mentally challanged little brother, what happens to Lenny breaks me

[@Blessed_V0id]

"I hope that Chekhov's gun isnt fired" XDDDD true on two levels there

[@davidrosaii6145]

Since we are already on a depressing bent, why not just give in completely to despair and make a video of a Dostoevsky work? Crime and Punishment or the Brothers Karamazov would make excellent videos.

[@merrittanimation7721]

David Rosa II Crime and Punishment: A college dropout murders a couple people to sate his own ego. His sister tries to marry some dude to improve their financial situation while her creepy ex-employer tries to make moves on her. The college dropout spends 80% trying to justify his actions/ bring himself to tell people that he murdered two people. There's also a drunk and his family. A good portion of the named characters die and the college dropout is sent to Siberia. He gets better and marries the living personification of virtue and innocence. I've never read Brothers Karamazov so I can't say anything about it.

[@ineednochannelyoutube5384]

+Merritt Animation Russian realism is fucking unbearable. So goddamn boring it makes you want to rip your hair out.

[@janNowa]

I think this is the first of these videos I've seen where I've both read the book she's talking about and seen the movie she's cutting clips from.

[@xanderkirk7872]

Ngl, I read this book in 6th grade and cried when I finished it. It wasn’t much, I didn’t bawl or anything, but man, it hit me hard

[@megmoore8681]

It was incredibly awkward when I started crying in class when we read the ending.

[@siilverREAL]

tbh this book would've been a great read in school for me to learn about the great depression!!!! unfortunately when i read it i was 13 and on the cusp of realising i had autism and was just starting to realise the effects of the whole not knowing how social cues work thing. not only that but my teacher was straight up ableist the entire time we read the book and when we watched the film he kept talking about how much he "wanted to keep lennie as a pet because he was so cute" and encouraging my classmates to think the same way 👍 when the end of term rolled around and me, now well on my way to realising i was Not Normal, decided i was gonna write my final essay (all of us had to choose which character in the book was the most lonely and lennie wasn't even an option) about lennie. i think i raised some damn valid points (for a 13 year old running on spite for a middle aged man) but the response i got back was "lennie cant be the lonliest character because disabled people dont feel emotions." yippeee!!!!!!!

[@thegameranch5935]

Your teacher should be fired

[@Sweetumskitty1789]

You should do Something wicked this way comes or Fahrenheit 451. That'd be cool and you're videos are awesome. :)

[@xenothecatboi]

Savannah Nason Fahrenheit 451 is my least favorite book and I hope she tears it apart.

[@Sweetumskitty1789]

Did you have to read it for school? I mean that's where I read it.

[@xenothecatboi]

Savannah Nason Yeah.

[@MaskedGasRobert]

alright, I know I'm being a nitpicky asshole about this, but at the very end of the book the ending drives it home where Slim tells George they should go get a drink while Gurley and some of the other guys ask what's up with them. To me this symbolises George becoming one of the lonely ranch hands with nobody to care for and nobody to care for him so he spends his weekly paycheck on booze to drink his sorrows away. It's all come full circle. oh and the other ranch hands are clueless about the deal between George and Lennie, but still. sorry for being a nitpicky asshole...

[@hiero-green]

Flashing Redstone Yes! I thought the same thing; the entire book, he goes on and on about how he and Lenny are different; that they have each other, only to, at the end of the book, become just like every other migrant worker with nothing but himself and a paycheck to blow.

[@thepiggiesarehungry2444]

I was so mad when they didn’t include this scene, it’s not even being nitpicky because this scene was legit important to the story

[@zuziscuzi3100]

The story made me cry, especially the movie. It literally made me cry

[@alejandromendez1305]

Dang it, couldn’t help but tear up at remembering that bit you drew of The Oddesey.

[@Megawowsies]

I read this book in class, and as my teacher pointed out, Curley’s wife (who is never named-always referred to as “curly’s wife”) is FIFTEEN

[@kerentan9446]

just finished reading this... yep, "feel good novel of the century"

[@gazzmaz8830]

Lenney was great only if they gave him a fluffy animal that can withstand his love

[@thehalfnegativeoptimist4578]

The description of slim is almost hilarious in the book, they use words like “prince of the ranch” and describe him as if he’s some god in disguise (BTW I highly recommend you read the book if you are at all interested, it’s a surprisingly short read and there are a lot of interesting details like this that you can only get by reading it. Thanks for listening to my Ted talk.)

[@chromiumex2384]

Thanks for making that quick, cause I almost cried.

[@strubberyg7451]

I got to write a fan-fici extra chapter for my English class. In it, IIRC, George killing Lenny was a ruse, and they went to Hollywood to pitch their story for a movie. If anyone needs to imagine that's what happened, I'm happy to help...

[@captainrexct7529]

I cried 3 times reading the book and watching the movie, and feel no less masculine about it

[@zhanethehedgehog7091]

I'm starting to realize, a lot of these stories are so messed up, yet deliciously entertaining; still messed up though.

[@Manawolfman]

Like Lord of the Flies, I don't care for these stories that are just about how terrible people are. Part of me thinks that it only pulls society down as they're popular for spurring on the drama, which makes more people read them, who then look at these horrible human characters and think to themselves "Forget those heroes I once aspired to be like, if reality is this bad, why should I better myself?" It's soul crushing in that sense for me.

[@wisewillow7530]

I don;t know. I like reading books that Lord of the flies. I love the psychology of it. Its helps you understand someone better. Books like that help you have empathy for others and be able to understand the mind and soul of a person. When surviving in this world you don't need strength, you don't need to be fast or strong. The #1 tool you need is to be able look at the person to our side and be able to tell if there going to have your back or snap under pressure. Cause once you know that you can help them, you can save them. You can change the situation your in to make sure every can stay alive. These books show you humanity at its worst. The reason is so you can learn from the mistakes and fix them for yourself. So you can prove that what happend in theses book wont happen to you if your ever in this type of place. Well at least thats my take.

[@wisewillow7530]

* I meant strength you don't need to be fast or smart.

[@Sensiav703]

You could say the same about not learning about historical atrocities. You could just turn a blind eye to them and only focus on the things that make you feel good, but if they get ignored for long enough no one will learn from those mistakes, most likely ensuring they're repeated. The same thing goes for books like this. They're made to get the reader to face the ugliness of the human condition from a more personal perspective, to better understand how things can go wrong and identify how things could have changed to make it better. Maybe even instill introspection in the reader on their own similar mistakes in their past, if applicable. That's what I get from stories like this, at least.

[@Gamespud94]

You can say that these books are all about "teaching empathy" or "better understanding how things can go wrong and how to make it better" but honestly... what the fuck could they have really done differently? Lennie was just born.. different.. and there was nothing him or George could do to prevent any of this really but they both suffer because.... life sucks? WHAT'S THE LESSON? To just give up on people and accept nihilism? That's why I hated these books when I was in high school, they make you think critically only to the point of "There's really nothing I can actually take from this book that will in any way make my life better and only to make me hate people."

[@burgermeister8261]

I think the most heart wrenching part of the novel is the last few lines. George literally just shot Lennie and is visibly torn up about it, and Slim is trying to comfort him. Charles (the guy who shot the dog) is all “what are they upset about?” He’s lived his life on the ranch without companionship and doesn’t understand how George could possibly ever feel bad about it. It’s literally the last line in the book, and it’s extremely depressing.

[@nyotamwuaji6484]

In his defense, that was probably a lot kinder than what the court systems and the people would have done to him. Which is a very sad statement in of itself

[@charlottecochran2337]

Also Curly was planning to kill Lennie and he wouldn't have done it painlessly.

[@samlefebvre3928]

oH MY GOD YOU LISTENED I LOVE YOU

[@mediatorraptor3349]

My teacher assigned us this book durning quarantine. After reading the first two chapters, I talk to my discord friends about it. One of them told me Lenny was going die in a tragic way. This made me sad because I really liked Lenny. When I got back to reading the book, I could feel my heart beat faster every time I went to next pages. I tried to predicted how Lenny was going to die. Even with the spoiler from my friend, It still give quite the shock and feels when he died. The entire time I was begging for it stop. This must be the first book where I was constantly dreading through the almost entire book. The spoiler just added more suspension.

[@Chunky_doggo]

the movie ruins the emotion of the book, in the book george takes time to talk to lennie about the farm and the rabbits before shooting, in the movie george tells lennie to think of the farm and then just shoots him after pacing up and down for a few seconds

[@emit5586]

Candy was always the character I loved and pitied the most. He got so so close, so hopeful, having something to live for after the death of his dog. He even asked George if they could still have the farm after Lenny dies... But George is disillusioned with the concept now that his bud is gone. So Candy just goes back to being depressed, secure in the knowledge that unlike his dog, when he gets too old to be useful no one's gonna take him out back with a gun to make it quick.

[@derpysheep1086]

I remember last year in school we were reading of mice and men. It was just like you put it, "feel good novel of the century". Now my class as a whole could be a little dark. We read the book and Steinbeck made lennie death seem almost peacful. Watching the movie, like half the class almost laughed at how violent it seemed in the movie. And then the darkest kid in the class made us watch the death scene again cause he was dark. All in all, feel good book of the century. Great job on the vid!