"Ay, mine own fortune in my misery."- Romeo to Servingman

The servingman asks Romeo if he is able to read and Romeo answers, "Ay, mine own fortune in my misery." I realized that here Romeo is being melodramatic again. He is making it like his ability to read is the only good thing in his life right now. I know he is just saying this because he upset and depressed, but if he only wanted Rosaline for a physical relationship and not who she was then he is contradicting himself again. He says he only wants to sleep with her, but then when he can't, he goes into a depression. Usually, people get depressed when they are denied true love so if it was only for something physical then it wasn't real. I am also sure that there is another good thing in Romeo's life other then his ability to read, such as not being homeless. Right now, my impression of Romeo is a sefish, melodramatic child.

Romeo goes on saying how he only wanted this girl, Rosaline, for her looks. He wanted to sleep with her and have a physical relationship with her. If this is true, then it contradicts all what was said and done before. If he REALLY loved her, then that love wouldnt depend on her looks, it would mean more then that. If all he wanted to do was sleep with her then he wouldnt go and become despressed and anti social, he would just be upset. I think Romeo is being melodramatic because he can't get what he wants. Now that Romeo is unable to get her, he wants her even more then he did originally. He also says that since she wont sleep with anyone she will die with the same beauty because no body has touched hers. I think that Romeo is also being very seflish and only thinking of HIS needs, when he should be caring about why Rosaline doesn't want him. There can be a reason that this is happening such as a flaw in Romeo. Romeo should be thinking of this, instead of crying over the wrong girl.


-Romeo: page 23- lines 216 - 223

"Heres much to do with hate, but more to do with love"- Romeo

Romeo is this anti social, depressed character who we see struggling to understand the true meaning of love. He is depressed because he is in love with a women who doesn love him back. His strong feeling of love for her caused him to hate her, when she broke his heart. We can understand the connection of opposites here because love and hate do not match, but they do have similarties. When Montague is talking to Benevolio, and explaining to him how Romeo acts around the house, it may seem like Romeo was truly in love. Romeo creates a fake night in his room, by shutting the windows and doors. He goes out wandering and crying in the woods at night, but when he sees that dawn is coming, he qucikly goes back to his room to create that fake night. That is what happened to him after his heart being broken. What if this wasn't really love? why would romeo be doing all of this?

George and Lennie, two best friends, who stand side by side in just about anything. Lennie is developed mentally challenged, his mind works slower. In this novel, Lennie isn't part of a home that helps him, he is still walking around, free and enjoying what life has to offer. This is very very diverse from the world today. If there is a mentally challenged person today, they are quickly being put in homes, and are looked at differently; in the book we see that Lennie still has the hardships of a regular person. The relationship that they have together is very unique. It can happen to almost anybody but its amazing how these 2 men have stuck by each other and they are so different, they are more like a father and son. George doesn't really know if he wants Lennie with him or not. This decision is not a matter of what he wants, its a matter of what he needs. Of course George wants Lennie to be there, but he doesn't necessarily need him there, he can prosper without him. It also depends on George, if he knows the meaning of love, and hate. These 2 words are not the same, but share some qualities. For instance, sometimes when you love a person so much you are willing to do just about anything for them, even though this person hurt you many times and you hate him/her. That is similar to George because he hates Lennie for "ruining" his life, for making him run away, and for crushing his dreams; but at the same time he loves him because he's a great friend, has an amazing personality and understands things even though it takes longer.

The relationship between Lennie and George is a love hate relationship. Georges always says how he doesn't want Lennie with him, and how his life would be much easier. George thinks that without Lennie he would be able to "eat any place I [he]want, hotel or anyplace, and order any damn thing i could think of". Since George is hinting out to Lennie that he doesn't want him there, Lennie just says that he would "find a cave". When Lennie tells that to George, he quickly responds, "No- look! I was jus' foolin' Lennie. 'Cause I want you to stay with me." George needs him there, maybe without Lennie George has nothing to protect, or anyone to talk to. We understand how George really feels about Lennie, cares about him with every ounce of his heart.

John Steinback, author of Of Mice and Men was born on February 27, 1902 in Salinas, Califorina. He was one of the best authors of the 20th centuries. John usually wrote about the "homeless and the hopeless". Since his mother was a teacher, he loved to read and write books. A Cup of Gold, and Of Mice and Men were his first book and he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962, and died on December 20,1968.