A favorite novel

Teaching is always a challenge, but teaching Engligh takes so much planning and a toll on the creativity. Maybe that is why my creativity is always so low! Very few people walk into an English class at any level, excited about it. It is one of those 'required so it must be bad' type of high school classes. Teaching juniors, all of them, for over 25 years made my life very challenging. At the point they walked through my door, they were a. tired of school and just wanted out b. hated English and everything to do with it with a passion (due to earlier experiences) c. siblings (or even worse CHILDREN) of former students who knew coming in what was expected and didn't want to do it or d. ready to do whatever I asked them to because they wanted good grades. That last group was easy. The other three were the challenges.

When I needed a novel to teach the boys who returned from the morning vocational classes and went right into my room after lunch, I came up with teaching Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. Is it about mice? Well, not really, although Lennie does like to pet dead ones in his pocket. Is it about men? Yes, migrant farm workers on a ranch in California. Does it relate to life? Of course! But that is another issue.

Criteria for a novel for junior boys who don't want to be in English class at all: short (check), easy to read (check), good plot (which means someone dying usually - check), and a good way to keep the focus (check).

John Steinbeck wrote many novels ranging from The Grapes of Wrath (not exactly short) to The Red Pony (used in 8th grade English classes and one section of it we read in 223) to East of Eden (the movie version starring James Dean is a must-see) to Of Mice and Men, and I am omitting several from this list. His style in OM+M is one that fits the criteria needed for the juniors. It was short. It was easy to read. The vocabulary was very simple. The plot had just enough conflict to keep them interested. The symbolism was easy to understand (of course I always had to point that out). Plus..the novel included some great dialogue, which translates to fun in the classroom.

When I first introduced the novel I would assign parts and told them the parts were theirs until they died--the characters that is! That always intrigued them. I also acted like I was really pondering who would read which part (like I didn't already have it planned). Let's see...a short little guy who is always looking for a fight, thinks he has power, wants to be in charge even though he isn't---Curly...hmmm (looking around the room)...How about Frank? You could do that role! And the room would erupt with laughter and comments aimed at Frank.

At the end of each class I would assign some of the 'narrative' for them to read, ask them to answer the study questions, and be ready to roll when they walked in the door the next day. Most of the time they would walk in and start moving the desks so we would have plenty of room to 'act out' the scenes before I could even ask them to. Sometimes a student would stop me in the hall, look around, and quietly tell me how much he liked the next chapter and couldn't believe that Lennie had actually crushed Curley's hand. Of course it was told to me quietly, no one else around---can't be seen talking to Mrs. Siemens about a book, can you? Reputation to consider here.

Oh the intensity! The dream--would they pull it off? Why didn't Curley's Wife just stay away from them? What would The Boss do when he found out about the crushed hand? Would Lennie ever get a puppy? How could they hide the dead body and still keep Lennie safe?

When the last page was turned, when the novel ended, there was always a sense of disappointment and sadness in the room. The students left with shoulders sagging and spirits spent. They were disappointed the story of Lennie and George was over.

The test? The best grades ever! They knew that book. The only ones who didn't pass with flying colors were the habitual absentees who didn't bother to read anything that was missed, and who really didn't care anyway. But the rest of them? They loved it. Even today a former student will mention how much he enjoyed reading that book about those two guys who were on the farm and the one guy kept killing everything he touched.

Yes, Of Mice and Men is a favorite novel. I like Steinbeck's style. I like the story and the characters, the conflicts and the symbolism. But what I really like is that Steinbeck was able to capture the attention of many junior English students at West Central and give the experience of reading one of my favorite novels!