They had walked in single file down the path, and even in the open one stayed behind the other. Both were dressed in denim trousers and in denim coats with brass buttons. The first man was small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features. Every part of him was defined: small, strong hands, slender arms, a thin and bony nose. Behind him walked his opposite, a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. His arms did not swing at his sides, but hung loosely.
The first man stopped short in the clearing, and the follower nearly ran over him. He took off his hat and wiped the sweat-band with his forefinger and snapped the moisture off. His huge companion dropped his blankets and flung himself. (1.2-4)
Sound familiar? Kind of like the pictures, right? In writing, compare and contrast this opening section from Of Mice and Men to the pictures you analyzed in class. What does the text and the photographs show us about the 1930s? Be specific!
The very first sentence make me think about the picture. The way the sentence was detailed made me think of the way this picture was set-up. The third sentence also stuck out to me because it almost described the man's appearance. Both the story and the picture paint a very clear story in my mind. It seemed like life was hard during the 30s. It was tough to find work and living conditions were deplorable. Despite the fact that the man in the picture is walking alone, the description the book gives shows that there are two men. Meaning while the picture man is alone the description of the two people show they are not alone by themselves. In both the picture and the story description, the characters seem to be going no where. Like it's just all empty space for miles. This also shows that in the 30s, there was not very much industrialization going on in some parts of the USA.
I, too, was drawn to the empty space that existed around the lonely man in this picture. I find it interesting as well that the book portrays these men as traveling together. Which do you think was more common in the 1930s based on what you have learned so far? Togetherness or Separation? Why do you think Steinbeck chose to portray these characters as travel mates if this time period was a time of such loneliness?
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