For a moment the place was lifeless, and then two men emerged from the path and came into the opening by the green pool.
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!
After reading the paragraph the first picture that comes to mind is Highway 84. Only because the way the author decides to describe the men. In my mind i picture those men working a hard job that they dont deserve. During the time period of the 1930s the economy was at an all time bad. Jobs were difficult to find during this time. The people in the book could have came a across a highway such as Highway 84.
Desperately needing a job they must have taken any job it was for the money. After such misery of job during this time period they must have been working hard just to keep living. Because nothing was easy mostly with such an economic downfall. And maybe the only way men could find some type of job was through signs like the one found on Highway 84.
I like that you chose this photo as inspiration for your response. It's great that the photo helped you visualize the text a little more. The two men in the story could very well have walked off a highway like highway 84 and may very well have seen a sign like the one in the photo that helped them to find work. The really funny connection is that there is a character named Curly later on in the story and the bottom of the picture says, "Curly Farley's Camp." I wonder how people found jobs most of the time during this time period. Did they just keep walking until they came across signs like this? Did they hear about jobs through word of mouth? Newspapers? Is it easier to find jobs now?
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