Shadows



Going through the depression times are hard for everyone, especially George. Having just had to shoot his best and longest friend Lenny because he was a danger to society and because of the lesson he learned from Candy. Art is a visual way to share feelings and during the 1930's there were a lot of emotions going on.. The man in Brodsky's painting is alone, just as George is along, the tone of the painting is black contrasted with white outlining the other key features of the painting. There also grey's, the color in between the dark and the light. The black can represent the unexplored or the future, the area that no one can truly know what will happen. The white is the opposite of the black, not being the past necessarily but being the areas of a persons life that is steady, that they fall back on because they know what to expect. The white is the farm life for George, he has been there and done all that can be done in the industry, and Lenny the man that keeps him down to earth and never lets him forget where he is. The grey can be what is forecasted. The parts of life that someone wants to happen and sometimes can even see happening, but can still go wrong. This grey part is like George's dream, having his own land and not having to rely on someone else for his own up keeping. Just looking at the painting it makes you feel depressed, feel sad for the man who has to stand out in the rain at night by himself. Austin Pinter



In the !930's many people were experiencing a lot of effects from the great depression. This is what a lot of the art portrayed at that time. Many artists used their paintings and drawings to show how the people were feeling and what they were experiencing. The drawing above is an example of a painting that was common to see in the 1930s. It has many dark shades that portray the dark times that was happening during the depression. Like the depression, Candy has a similar experience in the book of when his dog was called worthless and taken out to be shot. This was a dark time in his life because he lost his old friend that had herd sheep with him along time ago. The painting above is a good representation of Candy. Candy is the man that is sitting on the bench with his head down. He is sad and is mourning over the loss of his dog. All the dark areas around the man on the bench represent the dark and sad feeling of losing his dog. it also shows the realization that the ranch could do the same thing to him as they did his dog because he is getting old and useless around the ranch. The one light post and all the light it gives off is the new idea of him being able to go with George and Lennie to their ranch and live on their own. its one good thought that sheds light on all the bad a depressing things that are happening in is life at that moment. Bruce Lester