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Reading Assignment: Pages 37-84

Writing Assignment: These are the opening sentences, "At first glance, George in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men seems to be the one in control of his hulking* sidekick Lennie. But on closer inspection,* it's clear that there's is a symbiotic relationship between the two men in which each needs the other to survive." Your job is to use quotes from the text and descriptions of events to support this idea. But you have to weave those quotes and descriptions smoothly into a paragraph (or two). You can't just list them.

Please note the opening. The writer, in this case me, makes a statement about how things appear. Then she challenges that appearance to say if you look more closely, you will see something else. THIS IS A CLASSIC WRITER'S OPENING. IT'S USED ALL THE TIME in English. I call it the "I know what it looks like if you are not paying close attention, but if you paid attention you would see this" opening. Get comfortable with it, and you will always have an introduction to use if you can't come up with something you like better.

Quick Review of Symbiotic

We discussed symbiotic in class. But just to review, its a two-part relationship in which each side needs the other in order to survive, at least when the term is applied to humans. When it's applied to other forms of life, there can be some variety in the relationship.However, if someone says to you in English, "Those two have a very symbiotic relationship," the person is saying that two people, in different ways, help each other survive and would probably be in trouble if they didn't have each other.

To help you remember, I have attached a drawing of a real symbiotic relationship. The bird cleans the hippo's mouth of bugs and god knows what in order to get his dinner. The hippo lets the bird do it because it makes him feel better, and he leaves his mouth open. While his mouth is open, the bird can get dinner without being attacked by his enemies. Each helps the other survive.symbiosis

If you think this is hard, blame Mark. He wrote about how one man chains or fetters the other to him. And that made me think, this would be a good assignment for you to flesh out, or fill in with details.

*hulking: big and clumsy
*inspection: the act of looking closely

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  • symbiosis: symbiosis in action
Last edited by Laraine
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At first glance, George in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men seems to be the one in control of his hulking sidekick Lennie. But on closer inspection, it's clear that there's is a symbiotic relationship between the two men in which each needs the other to survive. George is clever but not so strong and Lennie is quite different. If there hadn't been Lennie, George can't work so well and can't get enough money. If there hadn't been George, Lennie can't keep alive for that long time. So I think that George is like the head of Lennie's and Lennie is like the body of George's. They need each other so much.

Here is Alice's response:

At first glance, George in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men seems to be the one in control of his hulking sidekick Lennie. But on closer inspection, it's clear that there’s a symbiotic relationship between the two men in which each needs the other to survive. First, Lennie has enormous size of body but couldn’t think so fast, so he needs George to guide him, to help him do the right thing. Secondly, sometimes George is to impulsion, so he will need Lennie to pacify his emotion. Both of them are important to each other, so they can’t leave one another.

 

  At first glance, George in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men seems to be the one in control of his hulking sidekick Lennie. But on closer inspection, it's clear that there's is a symbiotic relationship between the two men in which each needs the other to survive. Lennie Small, a strong and simple man who had an ironic name. Because of his personality, he couldn’t go to work by himself. Fortunately, George, a man who was really good at talking led him since his grandmother died. This group had two members, one could always talk wisely and sharply, and the other one always listened and could work very hard. Every boss would like to hire a man who had both of these two merits—clever and hardworking. No one would like to hired a man who could speak well but not very strong and good at working, and no one would like to hired a man who wasn’t clever but only hardworking, either. Lennie couldn’t control himself. For instance, when he wanted to fight back Curley, he couldn’t control his strength and when to stop. He needed a person who could remind him and taught him just like George. These two men helped each other, and they couldn’t live without each of them.

Very nice. I am very happy to see you using information from the book to support what you say. I like, too, your point about a boss needing to hire both men in order to get one really good worker. That's a good way to indicate how symbiotic the relationship is. 

Nice conclusion too. I will respond as well via e-mail, but glad to see you writing again. 

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