Book and Character Analysis

In "Of Mice and Men", the character Lennie has a disorder call mental retardation. From research, mental retardation makes the one diagnosed with it aggressive and also they don't learn as fast as the normal human. Lennie has this case that his brain is not as developed as Georges and all of the other characters. Because of this, George bosses him around because he can't think for himself. For example, when Curley was beating up Lennie, the normal person would react and try to fight back or escape. Lennie cannot think for himself so he just stood there getting beat up until George told him to fight back resulting in Lennie squeezing Curleys hand. Also, Lennies brain can't control how hard he wanted to squeeze Curleys hand so he over did it and broke his hand by mistake. Also, this time is placed in the time of the Great Depression. From research, most of the population of the United States were poor. This was the case for Lennie and George and everybody else who works at the ranch. They are all very poor so they have to do anything to make money. They are  doing labor work for only a little bit money just to stay alive.

Basic attributes of Lennie are obvious as stated in the book. Bulky and unintelligent. But really understanding the book lets one see the deep atributes that the author is trying to make readers realize. "Lennie dipped his whole head under, hat and all, and then he sat up on the bank and his hat dripped down on his blue coat and ran down his back. "Tha's good," he said" Lennie does not think abou the future. He lives in the present and does whatever he says he wants to do. Without thinking of the consequences of drinking from the green lake, he dumped his head in taking in big gulps. His carefree atribute lets him do stuff like this. "What you want of a dead mouse, anyways?" "I could pet it with my thumb while we walked along said," said Lennie" Someone mean and strong don't usually like to pet little creatures and rub their heads. Lennie is a 'gentle giant'. After lookinf past the bulky outside of Lennie, there is a gentleness atribute that Lennie has resulting him to like petting little creatures heads. Not all atributes of a person can be seen from the outside. The most important atributes are deep within. Never judge a book by its cover.

Mental Retardation

       Mental retardation is now known as intellectual disabilities is when a people have limitations in intellectual functioning which is mental abilities and adaptive functioning which is life skills. "Intellectual disabilities do not represent a particular disease or disorder. Instead, they result from many causes. These are medical conditions, brain damage, genetic causes, and certain psychiatric conditions." According to mentalhelp.net, researchers are saying that these people are not clinically ill, they attract this disability by other causes. This means that these people catch this disease by brain damage, genetics, etc. Since these people are not ill from a disease or illness, there is no need for them to take any medications for their disability. "Families caring for people with intellectual disability need their own support. Among the services for families there are: community supports, financial supports, advanced directives for future care, respite and emergency services, family education and support groups, and advocacy and legal supports." This shows that there are steps taken from the government to help the families with these people with the disabilities. Also, it shows that even though there has been a negative attitude towards some of the people with disabilities, there are people who are there to help them and their families to support them. In conclusion, people with intellectual disabilities are just like us, we are regular people in this world who work hard to make something of their lives and try to find our purpose on this world.

       Mental retardation or MR has put many kids at a disadvantage in life. "Psychology Today" states, "Other behavioral traits associated with MR include aggression, dependency, impulsivity, passivity, self-injury, stubbornness, low self-esteem, and low frustration tolerance." These disabilities adding on to the MR are very difficult for children to live in the real world. Because of disabilities such as stubbornness, low self-esteem, and aggression, MR children have to attend special education classes excluding them from normal people activities. "Psychology Today" also states, "Sometimes physical traits, like shortness in stature and malformation of facial elements, can set individuals with MR apart, while others may have a normal appearance." The most thing that kids have insecurities about is how they look. Kids goals are to look good like everybody else. MR makes it very hard for them to do so if they have unordinary shortness or a deformed face. Kids with MR have a very difficult time in life. But also, they should not be treated differently socially.


Sources: 

"Intellectual Disabilities Summary And Conclusion." Mental Help Intellectual Disabilities Summary and Conclusion Comments. Web. 16 Feb. 2016. 


"Psychology Today." Mental Retardation. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2016.

Of Mice and Men Vocabulary

Skittering:

"On the sandy bank under the trees the leaves lie deep and so crisp that a lizard makes a great skittering if he runs among them." (Page 1)

Sentence: The cat skittered across the tile floor when the dog started chasing it.

Own Definition: To move quickly across a certain area.

Definition: Move lightly or quickly or hurriedly.

Morosely:

"George stared morosely at the fire." (Page 12)

Sentence: I sat morosely on my bed after being scolded by my parents for yelling at my sister.

Own Definition: To be in a bad mood.

Definition: Gloomily or sullenly ill-humored, as a person or mood.

CJ Bonilla and Zak Tachino

A Coney Island Life Final Draft

     Life is beautiful. Getting the chance to explore anything you want. But it also has an expiration date. Nobody lives forever. But one can fill their limited lifetime with everlasting memories. One should not have any regrets when they expire. There should be no "shoulda, coulda, wouldas." The goal in life is to make goals, accomplish them, then make more goals to accomplish later. Feelings and thoughts can be expressed through literature, metaphors, and poems. Literature is a great way to express ones deepest thoughts in an indirect way. "A Coney Island Life" by James L. Weil portrays that one shall live in the present not knowing what awaits them in the future.
     Nobody can do every little thing that they want to do in their life. All one can do is live every second getting closer and closer to achieving those goals. "And soon my helium hopes break skyward without me." This person didn't get to do everything they wanted to in life. Their goals that were not completed are going up with them as they go out of the world. Don't be this person. Be a better person. A better person with more goals accomplished in their lifetime. "I take perhaps my last ride on this planet carousel." The last chance one will get to complete all of their goals in life. The tiny amount of time in life. One can live this time out to the fullest or reminisce about what goals were not achieved. Do not live in the past, but live in the present. Reminiscing is for later life. 
     Everybody has that small fear of not knowing when you will perish. So the fact that one does not know when their time will come should make one obligated to live life to the fullest in the present. "And I ask how many more times round I have." Should time be used by thinking or doing. One can think about how long they might have, or they can do anything they set their mind to. Any goal can be achieved through hard work. And hard work can only be done by living in the present. Do not think about the future either. Think about now.  "To catch that brass-ring-sun before the game is up." This is what life is all about. Getting to achieve that last goal before time runs out. Life is a game. If one just thinks and doesn't do, time will run out, but in real life there are no extra lives. Use the one life one has to make the best out of everything. 
     James L. Weil used metaphors to explain how life is like Coney Island. It is really fun, but in the back of your mind, you know that the fun has to end sometime. With this poem he is trying to encourage everyone to live in the present not knowing what awaits them in the future. Don't let any unfulfilled dreams follow you out of your life. Finish the dreams before there is no tome left.

Vocab Metaphors