gorgeous Mack

I feel bad for suggesting the CR characters are just messed up people, especially after a section i read today. here's a beautiful part- Mack talking to the man who tried to kick the boys out of frog-catching territory. strangely enough, Mack reminded me of Gatsby in that passage. Fitzgerald wrote something like, "If personality is a series of successful gestures, then there was a sort of gorgeousness [about Gatsby]." and Mack was brilliant. he played the man just right, making conversation, complimenting his dog and being able to treat it, all done with total sincerity, and everyone had a good time.

Erica wrote "humans are simply another animal in nature." the gorgeousness of Steinbeck is his ability create this reality in two directions. in CR, animals are simply more humans in nature. in the scene where the boys capture the frogs, the frogs are discussed as though they were human. they have a prescribed behavior and certain expectations. they even have "a history." it's awesome. i was literally thinking of the frogs as my poor brothers! AND, the death of the frogs reminded me of the two suicides. the frogs operated with a plan. they jumped into the water as always, but they were thrown a new twist in routine. similarly, one of the suicidal guys kept trying to do the things he expected to cheer him up. such and such "would be refreshing" after some ordeal he had. and all the things he tried, even to the end, led to his suicide, when he "knew then he had to do it." the frogs did everything that came naturally, but it all led to disaster for them at one end of the lake..... love this book

bl