Monday, March 15, 2010

Of Mice and Men - Chap. 4

This chapter is all about not fitting in.


It's about being a "freak."


It's about being a "misfit."


Here's the question posed to you: To what degree is it the fault of the "misfit", the "freak", the "outsider" that he or she doesn't fit in? What responsibility do "non-outsiders" have, if any, to include "outsiders" in social situations? In short, whose fault is it that some folks don't fit in, and whose responsibility is it to fix it? Use a specific example - either from the novel or elsewhere - to support your claim.

Again, you can earn extra credit for commenting on the posts of your classmates.

After you've done your work, I have a little treat for you. You might have seen this before, but maybe now you'll get the joke.

65 comments:

  1. In Of Mice and Men, Crooks is immediately considered to be an outsider based on just the color of his skin. It was society that turned him into something unpleasant, and not something that he had personally done to cause him to be a "misfit". If he was a jerk or behaved poorly towards others, then there would be a reason for him to be mistreated by the people that he worked with. There is no rule for what a "freak" or "outsider" is. People all around the world are the ones that come up with their own criteria for who should be excluded from the better group. When Curley's wife comes into Crooks' room, she regards him as a "bindle stiff" along with Lennie who she calls a "dum-dum", and Candy who she refers to as a "lousy ol-sheep" (Steinbeck 78). These kinds of people should be considered just as good as everyone else because they do not go out of their way to avoid others; it was just how society viewed them. Therefore, humans that criticize those kinds of people are the ones that are at fault, and if they change their views,everyone could then be considered equal.

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  2. Lennie is pretty good example of what a misfit is. Lennie is a big guy who Curley doesn't like and he picks on him for that,calls him names and tries to pick fights with him. Like him Crooks is also an outsider because he is black and at the time white people didn't really respect blacks. Both of these characters are similar in this way and they can relate to each other. But it's the people who do fit in who can't find the courage to actually treat them as equals, although some do.

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  3. In the book series, Maximum Ride, "The Flock" are considered outsiders because of the way they look and the things they can do. There are six members in the flock and because of scientific experiments, they are 98% human and 2% bird which makes them very different from everybody else. They have wings so they can fly but there are also other interesting powers each character has. For example, Angel, who is the youngest of the flock, can read minds, talk to fish, and she is also extremly intelligent. All the characters in the flock are different but it isn't their fault. They were being experimented on by crazy, loony scientists so why should the flock be at fault? They were taken advantage so they are at no fault. They try to fit in but that's sort of hard to do when they have wings and they can fly. Even though they have physical differences, they should not be treated differently. The society should just accept them as they are and learn to live with their queer and interesting abilities or appearances. People should not be based on their looks but their personality and the flock have great personalities.

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  4. There is a difference between being responsible for engaging the outsider and not causing anything to provoke him. The only true responsibly that the “non-outsiders” have is to pick a side. Either be there for them and act as a friend, or not stand in their way. You never really know who the “freak” is in a situation because if that outsider goes among others like him, he will appear to be normal. In the book, Of Mice and Men, Lennie is said to be the “outcast”. But really no one has the responsibility to involve him in anything. George and Crooks pick two different sides. While George looks after Lennie and is a friend to him, Crooks tries to aggravate Lennie by asking him questions “Well s’pose, jus’ s’pose he don’t come back. What’ll you do then?” (Steinbeck 72) I think its not the outsiders fault if he does not fit in because everyone is different and that’s what makes the world. The non-outsiders don’t have to engross them but they definitely cannot provoke them. Once they do, they become responsible for the “outsiders” actions, no matter who committed them.

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  5. In the movie Forrest Gump, Forrest (Tom Hanks) as a kid is treated differently (picked on) because he is different (has a physical disability). Because of the way he was born, with abnormal legs and a unstraightened spine, what could he have done? How could he have prevented this abuse? There is a short answer, and it is he could not have. Many people are treated differently because of how they look. Why does someone deserve to be excluded for something they had no control over? It is just luck of the draw, but that justifies nothing. Anybody who can take the time to write a post on a blog can show compassion. Treating others as equals is not necessarily a campaign. All those kids who harrassed Forrest had to do at the least, was simply leave him alone, because he was not bothering them. Even that is underwhelmingly lazy. Unless people do things to attract attention or harm people in some way, they are not doing anything that could possibly spurr on such acts of discrimination and illtreatment. It is almost entirely (it can be situational) the fault of those who exclude rather than those excluded. Many of the "outsiders" have been exiled so much they have become shy because of it, and cannot do anything about it. Now it is the responsibility of those who discouraged the "misfits" to fix the problem they evidently created.

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  6. In the book Ranger's Apprentice The Sorcerer of the North Trevor is the epitome of somebody who doesn't fit in. He is huge in stature while he has a mind like a child. I don't mean that he's slow but he likes things just like a child. He also has misshapen features which was part of the reason he was shunned from society. He lives in a forest because if he goes near society they chase him away as if he is a monster. Those were the reasons that Trevor is the epitome of somebody who doesn't fit in.

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  7. In the movie "Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer", Rudolf is considered to be a "freak" because he doesn't look like everyone else and has that ever so famous nose. It is not anyone's fault that a person doesn't fit in but sometimes people need to understand that everyone needs a place to fit in. So whose job is it to make sure that they fit in? It is everyone's job to help make everyone fit whether they know that they are doing this is something else. Just by the actions that people do to other people, they are helping that same person choose the friends that they are going to have or the "misfits" for everyone of the friends that a person finds. Every person has that "misfit" friend that they love. For Rudolf, it was a matter of finding those "misfits" for him to fit in with. Rudolf found those friends because he was looked down upon by the other reindeer. Because of that, Rudolf was determined to find the place where he belonged. So he set on a quest to find that place and found them, The Land of Misfits. There is no way to really fix the problem because everyone who isn't in our lives help us to find the people who are truly meant to be in our lives.

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  8. I think it is the people not accepting the persons fault because they are not accepting people for who they are and the person not fitting in cant change anything about that because that's the way he is such as in the civil war when blacks were on a lower social level than the whites just because of their skin. The blacks couldn't do anything about their skin and they whites should have been more accepting.

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  9. In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, when George and Lennie first arrive to the ranch, both of them are considered to be outsiders. But, they do not try to fit in right away and become friends quickly with the other ranch hands. However, the other ranch hands besides Slim and Candy do not try to be welcoming and friendly to them either. Later in the second chapter, Curly tries to pick a fight with Lennie because he did not respond to him. Even though Curly was just jealous that "he ain't a big guy" (Steinbeck 26). It was Curly's responsibility for Lennie and George to feel welcome and help them fit in. It is also Lennie and George's responsibility to be kind and respectful to everyone on the ranch. So it is really both groups fault that Lennie and George, the "misfits", were excluded at the ranch.

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  10. It is not the misfit's fault that they are a misfit. It is societies fault. We set up all different kinds of molds that are acceptable, most do not fall in those molds. We always get told that people who are different should be involved but they don't use their own advice. There are many situations that cause misfits. one of those is the tv show heroes. it is all about these people who have supernatural powers like flying and traveling through time. when ever these people "come out" they often get rejected. they upset the status quo and that annoys people. They just get shoved aside be cause they don't fit the mold.

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  11. In Of Mice and Men, both Lennie and Crooks are considered to be misfits yet for completely different reasons. Lennie is a nice guy but he is so intellectually challenged that he is not taken seriously, but Crooks on the other hand, is an outsider due to his skin color. I think that it is the “non-outsiders” fault that there are “outsiders” in the first place and I think it is everyone else’s job to fix that. In the movie Edward Scissorhands, Johnny Depp plays Edward and he is an outsider. He is judged by the way he looks and his scissors for hands especially, but it is before anyone even knows him. People may seem “weird” or they may have differences but it is never good to judge a book by its cover.

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  12. Anthony IvankovichMarch 18, 2010 at 4:58 PM

    In the book Twisted, Tyler is a nerdy boy and before school was about to end he spray-painted a rude remark on the school. Over the summer he had to take job in construction to pay for the damages. Over that period he put on some muscle and then when he came back to school he was that strong bad boy. So in the beginning Tyler was an outsider and then he helped himself by making an outrageous statement and then becoming a new person. This goes to show that the "non-outsiders" make it so the "outsiders" have to change to fit in. This is not very nice, but if the "outsider" starts to become happy with themselves then it is not all that bad.

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  13. In the book Burn, Cameron is automatically chosen to be an outsider his freshman year in highschool just because he isnt a jock. He gets picked on and beaten up by the jocks daily and he cant stand it anymore but there is nothing he can do because no matter how hard he tries they wont stop bullying him. I think the fact there are even "outsiders" in our world is because the "non-outsiders" think that people who look differnt or act different must be wierd. In of Mice and Men, Lennie and Crooks are automatically outsiders just from they way the act and the color of their skin(Crooks). The reason why this happens is because the non outsiders dont know what to think of them so they treat them as nothing and look down on them.

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  14. Anthony IvankovichMarch 18, 2010 at 5:12 PM

    I disagree with Annie. I feel that the "outsiders" can change but just do not want to because that is not who they are. If Cameron really wants the jocks to stop bullying him then he should try to change a little. Not that he has to fit in with the jocks, maybe he could workout for the summer so that he could stand up for himself or something.

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  15. Being an outsider or misfit is the fault of the outsider himself and also of the "non-outsiders." The reason it is both of there faults because the outsider is different then what the non-outsider are. So right away they notice that the misfit isn't like them so they tend to reject him. It is also the misfits faults that he is being rejected by the group because he doesn't attempt to make himself fit in. Maybe where he used to be it was normal to be how he is, but if the misfit goes to a new place and becomes an outsider, then he should change his ways to fit into the group and be considered normal. A good example of a misfit is the main character in mean girls played by Lindsay Lohan. She comes from Africa and used to be home schooled so right away people start to reject her. But since she doesn't want to be an outsider she tries to adapt to the way people live in her new town.

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  16. Being an outsider or misfit is the fault of the outsider himself and also of the "non-outsiders." The reason it is both of there faults because the outsider is different then what the non-outsider are. So right away they notice that the misfit isn't like them so they tend to reject him. It is also the misfits faults that he is being rejected by the group because he doesn't attempt to make himself fit in. Maybe where he used to be it was normal to be how he is, but if the misfit goes to a new place and becomes an outsider, then he should change his ways to fit into the group and be considered normal. A good example of a misfit is the main character in mean girls played by Lindsay Lohan. She comes from Africa and used to be home schooled so right away people start to reject her. But since she doesn't want to be an outsider she tries to adapt to the way people live in her new town.

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  17. In the movie, I am Sam, Sam has devolopmental disablilties, just like Lennie. Sam's daughter, Lucy, is soon smarter than her father and is embarassed of him. Her friends make fun of her dad all the time and soon she's taken away from him. It's people's fault that they can't accept mentally challenged individuals. It's not their fault they were made that way. They just need a little help. Educated people should teach others about this mishap. People should try to make friends with the mentally challenged because they are brilliant people. They may just find out that their next best friend will be a mentally challenged person.

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  18. I belive that it is not the fault of the outsider that he does not fit in. However that does not change the fact that he is unwelcomed. It is more the outsider's responsibility to find a place were he is welcome and avoid places he is not rather than have other people be forced to except him. A example of how outsiders should find a place they fit in is in the book Of Mice And Men when Lennie and George move to another ranch. Lennie is a instant favorite of the ranch hands, he can do the work of three men, is very nice and easy to get along with. If Lennie were to go to a city to work he would be considered an ousider because of his unintelligence and large size but on the ranch he is a perfect fit.

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  19. In the show "The Office," the character Michael Scott tries to fit in with his employees but the employees reject their own boss. Michael Scott has no physical disabilities, neither do the employees. In the office building, Michael is seen as a person that desperately tries to interact with his employees, but they think he is failing miserably so they decline (besides Dwight). In this situation it is Michael's fault for being socially rejected because he is very awkward and kind of a jerk. In this situation, it is the "outsiders" fault. But in a real life situation, it is usually the "insiders fault for not accepting the "outsider." The reason why it is opposite is because the "outsider" does not do something/anything that the "insiders" do. So in that case it is the "insiders" fault for not accepting. But if there is a physical disability there should be no discrimination at all, it only matters if the person accepts you as you would accept them

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  20. I agree with Ben Kraus because it was not Forrest's fault that he was born with a disability. Also there was no reason for the other people to bother him if he was not bothering them. So in that case it would be the "insiders" fault because they had no reason the pick on him and just because Forrest had a disability

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  21. In the movie "The Blind Side" the Character Michael Oher is the perfect example of Lennie. Michael Oher is an African American who started out with nothing and worked his way up to the football league. He was a big, and tall african American in an American team. He was standing out to everyone. Since he was tall and big everyone would look at him first. Since he was African American he stood out to other people. I don't think its a fault if some people stand out. They just like to express themselves and no one shouldn't disallow them from joining. In this movie, i guess the fault is the coaches. The coaches should have a mixed team so everyone feels welcome. I think though that not only the coach should fix this but the football players should encourage others to join also!

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  22. In the movie "The blind side" the character Michael Oher is just like Lennie. Michael started out with nothing and works his way up to a football team. He is a big, tall African American who joins an American Football team. I don't think its a fault if anyone stands out in a group. In the movie I think its the coaches fault, he should mix the teams with different cultured people so everyone would feel welcome. I think it is not the coaches fault but also the football players. The players should encourage others to join the team also!

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  23. In the movie "The blind side" the character Michael Oher is just like Lennie. Michael started out with nothing and works his way up to a football team. He is a big, tall African American who joins an American Football team. I don't think its a fault if anyone stands out in a group. In the movie I think its the coaches fault, he should mix the teams with different cultured people so everyone would feel welcome. I think it is not the coaches fault but also the football players. The players should encourage others to join the team also!

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  24. Having the Stereotypes "misfit", "freak", and/or "outsider" is based on what others think. It is not the persons fault that the are just "different", or just plain weird. Lennie and George are a good examples of the "outsiders" in the book Of Mice and Men. They are both the new guys on the ranch. Lennie is the strong, big guy, that can haul any kind of weight. But his knowledge, is a lot less than that. In the beginning of the book, Of Mice and Men, it displayed how Lennie's memory is not very good. Throughout the entire book, Lennie's personality is displayed on how he talks, and the way he acts. George is more of a "normal" person, and blends in a lot better at the ranch. But the first few days at the Ranch were tough. Curley was suspicious of George. But towards the end of the book, George started to fit in, while Lennie, was being, Lennie. It is mainy the "non-outsiders" responsibility to make the"outsiders" feel welcome. The "outsiders" might need to change it bit, but they will if the "non-outsiders" will open their friendship with them.

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  25. It all depends on the actual person, not their stereotype (like "outsider" or "loner"). Some people choose just to be like that, they'd rather go solo then go with the group. Some things just aren't anybodies fault, sometimes it's not even a fault, it's on purpose. It all depends on what the "outsider" wants. No one but the "outsider" could fix the situation. For most people, it's just easy to just jump into the situation, problem solved. However, other people just are too embarrassed to get into that type of situation. Sometimes they need a little push towards their goal so they can become more social as you would say.

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  26. Having stereotypes directed at you is not something that most people can handle. Being called a misfit or a freak is something that could hurt a lot of people, just trying to fit in and be apart of the group. For example there was a book about a young man who was deaf in one year. Everyone thought he was strange and weird and he walked a little funny. Even though he was a perfectly normal, funny, shy guy. He would always talk to the girls and blush when they laughed at him. I do no think this is fair. Everyone should have their opinion respected and observed by others. I mean you cant judge a book by its cover, and a lot of people in this world do. Sometimes it is hard to be that person that goes out of their way and helps the kid everyone laughs at , but usually in the long run it pays off.

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  27. It is not someone's fault if they don't fit in. This is simply because the non-outsiders think that the outsiders are different and are weird. This is exactly what happens in the bokk, Of Mice and Men. The only reason why racism, sexism, and prejuduce are presentin this world is because the people that fit in think that the new guys are different. When Lennie and George come to the ranch, they don't really get along with the other workers there. This is because they are new and "different". Lennie is the equivalent of the Hulk, and George is the equivalent of a "normal, everyday" type of person. At first they don't fit in escpecially Lennie. But after a while the workers there soon respect them for who they are and there personalities. It is not Lennie's fault for killing everything he touches, it is mearly because he is too strong, big, and agressive. It is not like you can tell the Hulk to shrink back to huuman form, he does what he wants, when he wants. You just have to respect them and welcome them for who they are on the inside.

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  28. I agree with John H. because Michael Scott can not help the fact that he is a great leader and every single one of his employees thinks he is annoying, besides Dwight. Michael is very good at what he does, but his fellow workers don't see that in him. They just see a weird guy bosing them around and telling them what to do, especially Jane. They need to accept him for who he is on the inside, not by what he does physically.

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  29. to me a person like forrest gump is a misfit

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  30. In the book, Of Mice and Men, Crook is considered to be the "outsider" of all people working at the ranch. It's not his fault that this is case, yet people treat him differently just because of the color of his skin. He is called the "nigger" of the ranch, and he is a perfect example of a "misfit." Crook can not control these labels because it's just what people see him as. It's the worlds own view of people around the universe. In my opinion, people can't just say someone is a "freak," "outsider," or a "misfit." No one is actually going to be any of those labels, but people around the world will give assumptions on certain ideas that will eventually label you as one of those terms. Therefore, I believe that we as people should be responsible for fixing this problem because it is just our own view and isn't set in stone. If people don't view certain people as "freaks," "outsiders," or "misfits," then this problem will eventually die out.

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  31. In the book, Of Mice and Men, Crook is a good example of an "outsider." He is not allowed to do much of what many of the other workers are able to do, and could be considered as a "misfit" in this case. Although Crook's labels are valid to all people working on the ranch, they are just assumptions from peoples' views of others, all around the world. People use their own criteria and assumptions of certain individuals that eventually give them a label that will stay with them forever. I believe that there is no real "outsider," "misfit," or "freak." Yes, someone can be considered one of those labels, yet no one is actually born with that physical feature. Therefore, I think we as people are responsible for fixing this problem. If we stop making assumptions on certain individuals, and treat everyone the same, then this problem will eventually come to an end.

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  32. In the movie Invincible, Vince Papale is the main character and he is considered an outcast. The movie takes place in the nineteen-seventies and the Philadelphia Eagles are holding open tryouts because they need players. Vince is the best athlete at the tryouts and the Eagles call him back for summer camp. He goes there and all of the players are giving him dirty looks and telling him he is not going to make it and that he sucks. So it is the “non outsiders” fault because Vince has done nothing wrong he just did well at the tryout. He had not said one word to anyone and they already treat him like an outcast. It is the team’s responsibility to take Vince in as one of their own and teach him. If they do not do this then he will be of no help to the team. In the end they do start to treat him as one of them and Vince goes on to play three more years with the Eagles.

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  33. In the movie Invincible, Vince Papale is the main character and he is considered an outcast. The movie takes place in the nineteen-seventies and the Philadelphia Eagles are holding open tryouts because they need players. Vince is the best athlete at the tryouts and the Eagles call him back for summer camp. He goes there and all of the players are giving him dirty looks and telling him he is not going to make it and that he sucks. So it is the “non outsiders” fault because Vince has done nothing wrong he just did well at the tryout. He had not said one word to anyone and they already treat him like an outcast. It is the team’s responsibility to take Vince in as one of their own and teach him. If they do not do this then he will be of no help to the team. In the end they do start to treat him as one of them and Vince goes on to play three more years with the Eagles.

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  34. Chelsea JerominskiMarch 18, 2010 at 7:49 PM

    In the show Everybody Hates Chris, Chris is an outsider. He attends an all-white school and is the only black kid. For that reason no one likes him and is a freak in everyone's mind. He cannot help the fact that he is black. In that case it is not his fault for not fitting in because he did nothing to9 make people not like him. I believe the people who do fit in should have the responsibly to fix it. The outsiders can usually not do anything to change the thing that people don't like about them, so the people have to change their attitudes about the thing instead.

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  35. If someone is born with a physical or mental disability, it is up to them to make new friends. People will always judge you on your appearance and how you look, but it is not a hard thing to change their mind about you. In the book " Good Country People" Hulga is involved in a hunting accident. Though she could fit in and have friends, she acts like she is above everyone she knows, and does not fit in. People can always fit in but have to try, because people will always see your faults before they see your good.

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  36. In general, I think it is the duty of the "insider" to help the outsider understand how things work. For a little while, it should not be the fault of the outsider if he/she makes a mistake because they are either learning something or they made a mistake. Again, Forrest Gump is a perfect example of not fitting in. Forrest is naturally not smart, and because of this, he is often bullied throughout the movie. He is not accepted into society until his true talents are recognized.

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  37. Wow, I saw that cartoon a long long time ago back when cartoon network had no shows

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  38. In the book, Of Mice and Men, Crook is the best example of an "outsider." He is isolated from everyone on the ranch and is very limited to many things that is wide open for everyone else. Crook would fit as a "misfit" in this book just because he does not work with anyone on the farm, but more as an individual. This isn't Crook's choice, but the people's criteria of Crook. Crook is black, so is called a "nigger" on the ranch. In my opinion, I believe that people are not actually an "outsider," a "freak," or a "misfit." Every individual has their own assumptions on different ideas and people. If a group of people says someone is an "outsider" because of the color of their skin, then that is what this specific person is going to be known as for a long period of time. Therefore, I think that we as people should be responsible for fixing this problem because we caused the start of this riot in the first place. So, if we all stop labeling each other and treat everyone equally, then this problem will eventually come to an end.

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  39. In the book, Of Mice and Men, Crook is the best example of an "outsider." He is isolated from everyone on the ranch and is very limited to many things that is wide open for everyone else. Crook would fit as a "misfit" in this book just because he does not work with anyone on the farm, but more as an individual. This isn't Crook's choice, but the people's criteria of Crook. Crook is black, so is called a "nigger" on the ranch. In my opinion, I believe that people are not actually an "outsider," a "freak," or a "misfit." Every individual has their own assumptions on different ideas and people. If a group of people says someone is an "outsider" because of the color of their skin, then that is what this specific person is going to be known as for a long period of time. Therefore, I think that we as people should be responsible for fixing this problem because we caused the start of this riot in the first place. So, if we all stop labeling each other and treat everyone equally, then this problem will eventually come to an end.

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  40. In the book, Of Mice and Men, Crook is the best example of an "outsider." He is isolated from everyone on the ranch and is very limited to many things that is wide open for everyone else. Crook would fit as a "misfit" in this book just because he does not work with anyone on the farm, but more as an individual. This isn't Crook's choice, but the people's criteria of Crook. Crook is black, so is called a "nigger" on the ranch. In my opinion, I believe that people are not actually an "outsider," a "freak," or a "misfit." Every individual has their own assumptions on different ideas and people. If a group of people says someone is an "outsider" because of the color of their skin, then that is what this specific person is going to be known as for a long period of time. Therefore, I think that we as people should be responsible for fixing this problem because we caused the start of this riot in the first place. So, if we all stop labeling each other and treat everyone equally, then this problem will eventually come to an end.

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  41. I believe that the first person who is an "outsider" in "Of Mice and Men" is probably Crooks, because of the color of his skin. Ranchers use very derogatory names towards Crooks and its mostly because they believe he doesn't belong. I think that it is not at all Crooks fault that he is considered an "outsider" because there is not really much he can do. It is the responsibility of the other men who are considered"non- outsiders" to accept Crooks for who he is, and not judge him by the color of his skin.

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  42. In the movie, Robots, A boss (forgot his name) takes over and starts producing new upgrades. Robots with old parts are considered misfits and outsiders, in fact they are considered to be such big freaks that the boss has machines come and kill them and then he reuses the metal to build upgrades. The boss makes them to be outcasts. It is not the outcasts fault because the people who consider them strange are not looking at them fully.

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  43. It isn't the misfits fault that they dont "fit in" with the invisable mold that everyone is supposed to be like. Whats considered "in" is just discriminations made by society that you must be wealthy, attractive, smart, or stroung. Who really decided what is socially acceptable? People are bron the way they are and some strive their whole life to achieve that image of perfection, but mankind wasn't made to be all the same, everyones unique. Greedy people just lable them selves as the best and anyone who isn't like them is a misfit. The non outsiders responsibilities to include outsiders is to drop the frame they want filled. Forget there "bad" qualities and see them for who they truley are.In the movie "The Ugly Truth" the girl changes everything about her so that a guy will go out with her. She wears her hair differently, changes her personality, and pursues new hobbies that would portray her as the perfect girl. She molds herself into what society has admired, till finally she realizes that the guy isn' right for her and that the real her had someone who knew her for herself and he had been by her side all along.

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  44. It’s not a misfits fault that they don’t fit in. Society has overtime made an invisible mold to what they believe is fitting in. These are just greedy people making discriminations on people that are different than them. They pick out their flaws and label them as a misfit. People have portrayed that wealthy, attractive, strong and smart are what they consider socially acceptable. People are born the way they are and some people strive there whole life to become what is considered perfect but mankind wasn’t made to be like that, everyone is unique and selfish people just think of themselves as better and call anyone who is not like them weird. The non outsiders responsibility is to stop judging, and just learn to cooperate with one another for what’s on their inside .In the movie "The Ugly Truth" the girl changes everything about her so that a guy will go out with her. She wears her hair differently, changes her personality, and pursues new hobbies that would portray her as the perfect girl. She molds herself into what society has admired.

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  45. It is usually impossible to blame a person for someone being a misfit because most of the time, the person's eccentric personality is what makes them a misfit. The only way someone can "fix" a misfit is by adapting. People have to learn to adapt to the misfit and accept them. Mr. John Keating from "Dead Poets Society" is a prime example. When he arrives at Welton Academy, his teaching styles seem completely unorthodox compared to the other teachers(ripping out pages from books and standing on desks). This causes his students and co-workers to view him as odd. However after time his students begin to respect him and his way of teaching. They adapt to his style and integrate him into their lives by revitalizing an old club that Keating was part of: The Dead Poets Society.

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  46. It's obvious Crooks is the "outsider" in the book. He is not wanted by the ranchers so he lives alone as an outcast of the group. He is colored so he's always hated against.He isn't allowed to be in the bunkhouse with the rest of the ranchers. He was also threaten by Curley's wife when he talked back. I don't think it's his fault. It isn't his fault that he was born colored. It isn't his fault he is hunched back. It also isn't his fault that he's an "outsider." It is societies' fault he's an "outsider." People tend to leave out people who are different or ugly in their perspective. That's how people get separated into "insiders" and "outsiders."

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  47. You can not blame a misfit for things that they do. Misfits are born a certain way and cannot over come genetics from thousands of years. In the United States of America, we have misfits who are socially unacceptable to most kids in their respective class. Is it really their fault for having problems making friends, or doing things. Take a person with a mental disability like Raymond in "Rain Man". Raymond has problem understanding what other people want him to do and frequently defers to using quotes from other people he's heard before. He would be considered a misfit solely on his problem. It is the responsibility of the Charlie, his brother, who people would consider normal, to include him in situations he would not normally be in. One time, Charlie took him to a casino and found out that he was very good at black jack. By including Raymond in his life, Charlie actually benefitted. It is for this reason that misfits need to be included by "normals" in activities that they could not participate in by themselves.

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  48. I agree with Marques about Crooks. What I have to add is that I believe it is the responsibility of the other ranchers to help Crooks out in difficult situations like he was in with Curley's wife. As Crooks has absolutely no control over his future if he upsets a white person, other white people, who by being white in this time aren't the misfits, have to step in to his aid and back him up. If Candy and all the other ranchers, who were unfortunately not there at the time, had told Curley's wife that he would they would testify against her, she would have had less control over Crooks then she did.

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  49. I think that it is the "non-outsiders" fault that the mis-fits don't fit in because the "mis-fits" or "outsiders" shouldn't have to change themselves so that they will be accepted, the "non-outsiders" should be the one that accept the person. People should learn to adpat to mis-fits or people that are different than them because everyone is different. Overall, its all up to the "non-outsiders" whether or not the mis-fits are accepted, it all depends if they choose to adapt to or reject the mis-fit. Like in the book "Of Mice and Men" George adapts and accepts Lennie's flaws, he knows that Lennie can't do anything to change it. George doesn't complain about Lennies flaws, he accepts them and learns to deal with them, he doesn't reject them.

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  50. In the book Of Mice and Men, I believe Crooks is a perfect example of a misfit. The other men on the ranch do not like him only because of the color of his skin. There is nothing Crooks can do to persuade or show the other ranchers that he is just a man just like them. He is only considered an "outsider" because the other men on the ranch only consider a certain type of man normal which includes having white skin. It takes a lot for a person to prove themselves, but it would be a lot easier if people were more willing to accept them for who they are.

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  51. The fault lies with a society for a misfit. After all, it is the society who places them in there. We can not help but to develop an opinion or judgment of someone when we see them. The only way to change that opinion is by adjusting and getting used to who the person is. Lennie from Of Mice and Men is viewed as an "outcast". He is described as really big, tall, strong, and extremely dumb. Most people will only see those qualities in him and base a judgment on him from that. But as George gets to know him he realizes what Lennie loves to do and begins to discover different parts of Lennie's traits.

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  52. Of mice and men is definitely a "outsiders" book, because in her there's a little bit of racism because the owners of the place are calling the African Americans words that they're not supposed to be calling them, but instead of retaliating, all the African Americans have to do is just to simply don't say a word back or do anything, because if they do, they can lose their job thus having nowhere else to go. it's also a misfit because some people think Lennie doesn't fit in since he's not a very bright guy he has the body of a man and the mind of a little kid.

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  53. i believe that the fault should be split up 50-50. on one hand, if the "outsider" wanted to be more social, they should become more social. The more people you talk to, the more of a posiblility that someone will talk back. but on the other hand, i don't think americans are very accepting of people in general. if someone is comsidered a "freak" or an "outsider" or has some weird quirk that some would find anoying, then most people would not want to talk to them and risk their own social level. and if that happenes, if a person is deemed a "Freak", then there is a very small chance someone would speak to them anyway. so it is the peoples job to accept that everyone is different and to not judge to quickly, saying they are unfit to talk to or be with, and it is the "outsiders" job to put thtemselves out there, even though a good amount of people don't want them to.

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  54. In the movie My Sister's Keeper, the main character Kate has severe cancer. While receiving kemotherapy Kate looses all of her hair and has to wear a scarf on her head to cover her bald head form getting cold. Kate's job is to fit in with all her friends at school and her family while her face is turning a bluish/ purplish color and loosing her hair. In a lot of ways it is Kate's responsibilty to fit in with others because the more she tries to be accepted the more she will be. Also, if Kate engages with more people, others will start realizing that Kate is just a normal human-being and is not just a a girl with cancer walking down the street with a scarf wrapped around her head. But on the other hand, the "non-outsiders" have to be accepting and respectful to other people otherwise it is the "non-outsiders" fault for not involving the "outsider" in social situations.

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  55. In the movie My Sister's Keeper, the main character Kate has severe cancer. While recieving kemotherapy Kate looses all of her hair and has to wear a scarf wrapped around her head to cover her bald head from getting cold. While Kate's face is turning a bluish/purplish color and loosing all of her hair she has to learn to fit in with her friends at school and her family. In a lot of ways it is Kate's responsibilty she fit in with others. The more Kate tries to be accepted the more she will be. Also, the more Kate engages with other people the more others will realize that Kate is not just a girl with cancer walking down the street with a scarf wrapped around her head but a normal human being. On the other hand, the "non-outsider" has to be accepting and respectful for them to realize what strong of a person Kate really is. It is also the "non-outsiders" responsibilty to involve the "outsiders" in social events and situations.

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  56. I agree with John Hudson about Micahel from the series, "the Office." I agree with John because it is completely Micahel's fault for not fitting in because he could have done something to fit in with the other employees. In this situtaion it is not the "non-outsiders" fault for not being accepting because if the "outsider" is being awkward and not showing any type of personality, people will not want to hang out with them or carry on a conversation.

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  57. What is it that makes someone different, or an outsider? Well the person who’s judging ideas and ideals. This happens to Merlin from the NBC television series all the time. Merlin is well, Merlin. He is a magician born in a time where magic was not accepted. Merlin can't help that he has power, he was born with it. He can't change who he is. The person who should change so that an outsider is not an outsider is the one who labeled them as one. In Merlin’s case, King Luther, Prince Arthur's Father. Though Merlin saves the Kingdome many times, he can never take the credit or the magic would be traced back to him and he would be beheaded. Everyone is different. Who sets the standards for normal? You, me, society? Well we are all different, we are all abnormal, and we are all outsiders. Let's not treat our comrades as lepers, but treat them as they are one of us.

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  58. In Of MIce and Men, I believe that Crooks is a good example of an outsider because he isolates himself from everyone on the barn and does not like visitors. An example of this is when Lennie walks in and Crooks immediately glares at him and tells him to get out, stationg that colored men have rights to themselves. Also, once Curly's wife calls him many harsh things, he isolates himself from the conversation, just blending in to the backround with monotonous responses telling all of them to leave him alone. So while we may have our faults, we must realize that many of us in our times of isolation are like Crooks, and his everlasting battle to get peace.

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  59. I believe that the fault for misfits and outcasts is on the hands of the "normal" people. People don't decide to be different all the time, sometimes they just are. People are different because other people say that they are.

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  60. The outsider in the book Of Mice and Men is without a doubt would be crook. Crook is a considered to be an outsider because he is black. He has been discriminated so much that he wants to move out of the white people’s room and decides to lives by himself. When Lennie felt so lonely, he went to Crook’s house and wanted to talk to him. But crooks automatic response was to shove him out just because he was black and Lennie was white. What really makes Crook and outsider was when Curly’s wife came and started to threaten him by lynching him. That made Curly feel so alone and unwanted. In the book Eldest, Eragon was shoved out by all of the elves just because they were elves and he wasn’t. Once he turned into an elf, they started to accept him more warmly.

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  61. The outsider in the book Of Mice and Men is without a doubt would be crook. Crook is a considered to be an outsider because he is black. He has been discriminated so much that he wants to move out of the white people’s room and decides to lives by himself. When Lennie felt so lonely, he went to Crook’s house and wanted to talk to him. But crooks automatic response was to shove him out just because he was black and Lennie was white. What really makes Crook and outsider was when Curly’s wife came and started to threaten him by lynching him. That made Curly feel so alone and unwanted. In the book Eldest, Eragon was shoved out by all of the elves just because they were elves and he wasn’t. Once he turned into an elf, they started to accept him more warmly.

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  62. The outsider in the book Of Mice and Men can be Curley. Curley Is considered the outsider because he treats no one with respect. On the ranch the only character that likes Curley is the boss because he has to give respect to the boss. No one like Curley, not even his wife. His wife made a comitment to love him, and she doesnt even like him. That is why Curley is the outsider.

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  63. An example of someone who does not fit in is Harry Potter. He is a wizard living in a world with non-magic people. It's not Harry's fault that he doesnt fit in, its the people not willing to accept him. Everyone is different and it's the job of the people around to learn to like the differences of people. If everyone was the same no one would like each other, it is the differences of people that we are attracted to.

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  64. Ricky...you're a little late

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  65. in the book i think lennie could be considered a misfit because his personality is very different from everybody else. the only person who truly understands him is Geroge. the other guys on the ranch like Curley view him as different and they think he is crazy. i do not think people who are misfitss have any control over that and it is not their fault. the reason they are a misfit is because people judge them that way and you cant change the way people think

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