Critical Thinking Blog #7

Let me just preface my blog with the fact that I am honestly not a fan at all of John Steinbeck. He is wordy and most of the time extremely dull. Also, what is his deal with mice? Anyways, I did slightly enjoy The Leader of the People, mainly because of the Grandfather character, which made this story redeemable to me because it is easy to relate to and the characterizations are interesting. My Grandpa is the same way--telling the same stories and with the same rhythm and tone. In fact, the last time I saw him a couple weeks ago he told some story about NYU because my sister just got in and my Dad's side of the family hails from the Bronx, which led into some other story about where they used to live there and something about the area around NYU being turned into a haven for liberals (which, of course, we should avoid at all costs. God forbid he ever discovers our political viewpoints). I enjoyed his optimistic depiction of Jody and the willingness he has to help those around him. When Jody replies to his Grandfather that, "Maybe I could lead the people some day" (Steinbeck 2059), his naivete and positive outlook are revealed. While this is status quo for most children, I liked that Steinbeck depicts it fairly accurately and doesn't look down upon this childish view, but rather values it and is the factor that cheers the Grandfather u[. In the end, Jody tries to cheer up his Grandfather with lemonade showing his desire to help. He is cognisant of his Grandfather's disappointment because of what his father has said, which shows his maturity and the ability to recognize the feelings of others.