人鼠之间

    “老鼠与人”的名字取自英国诗人鹏斯的一行诗：“老鼠与人的最好打算常常落空”。
    兰妮，一个有无穷力气的痴呆。乔治，一个头脑清楚，为人机智的小个子。两个人有着同一个愿望：有朝一日，能有一所自己小房子，几亩地，一头牛，还可以养兔子。这样的愿望介乎于现实和幻想之间，似乎可以实现又似乎离现实太远。兰妮和乔治这个奇怪的组合，为了他们的梦想不停的奋斗下去，但是，事实总与愿违。
    兰妮的思维是与正常人不一样的，他喜欢触摸自己喜欢的东西，去无法支配自己那大得惊人的力气。兰妮喜欢老鼠，却总把老鼠捏死。他喜欢女孩儿的红裙子，却竟然会死死的抓住裙子不放，以至于吓到了女孩儿，也引起了众怒。兰妮无意中惹下的种种麻烦，使得乔治和兰妮只好不停的更换工作地点。然而，在新的工作环境下，由于一个完全不是自己的错误，兰妮捏死了农场小老板顾利的妻子。而乔治，为了不让兰妮死于顾利那痛苦的死刑，只好自己将兰妮打死。
    兰妮这样一个到处惹事的麻烦虫，乔治为什么要和他在一起，并且照顾他、帮他躲避罪名？乔治抱怨过，认为兰妮阻碍了他去寻找幸福。但是乔治离不开兰妮，因为他寂寞，他在这个世界上没有亲人，没有朋友，只有兰妮。兰妮是他的老鼠，只要和他在一起，心灵便会得到些许的满足至少，这个世界上，还有人陪伴在你左右。所以说，兰妮对于乔治的意义，远比乔治对于兰妮的意义要大得多。一个痴呆儿对他人的依赖是无意识的，而一个正常人对于他人的依赖却是有意识的。乔治清楚什么叫寂寞，他离不开兰妮，就像那个老工人离不开自己的老狗。纷繁防备的人群中人们寻找着自己熟悉的目光，需要有人跟他说：我不想离开你，我们永远在一起。如果乔治没有了兰妮，即便他得到了自己想要的生活，没有人和他一起分享，他仍然是不幸福的。寂寞是人类最大的恐惧，请原谅一个没有人世经历的小人物关于人类致命缺点的小小判断。最后乔治用枪打死了兰妮，也打死了乔治的未来。乔治将浑浑噩噩地渡过自己的后半生，也许不再需要四处漂泊，但是心灵的孤独，将永远折磨他疲惫的灵魂。
    兰妮是一个弱者吗？兰妮似乎是一个弱者，他白痴，需要人照顾。我们谁也不能将没有独立生活能力的兰妮看作一个强者，但每一个正常人都会因为兰妮的存在而发现自己是多么的可怜。因为兰妮不会觉得孤独。他可以把任何东西当作他的同伴，老鼠、兔子、狗、乔治。兰妮的思想简单到了让人羡慕的地步，他在关怀与被关怀中享受着作为一个人最单纯的精神需求，兰妮是上帝的婴儿时代。
    我们此时可以大概总结《人鼠之间》的主题：梦、友谊、寂寞。电影中的芸芸众生，都在这三个词汇里，无助挣扎。但是电影仅仅向我们诉说了这些吗？斯坦贝克因为这部小说获得了诺贝尔奖，而不是著名的《愤怒的葡萄》。我一直在考虑它与《愤怒的葡萄》的区别。《愤怒的葡萄》控诉的是制度和命运，但人们心里充满希望。而《老鼠与人》控诉的是人性中的致命弱点，并且充满着无望。
    《老鼠与人》里的所有人物，他们的悲剧都源于他们的孤独感。
    老甘德在自己的老狗身上看到了自己的命运，他知道自己很快便会成为一个一无是处的老废物，到那个时候，农场的主人便会赶走他。他害怕离开农场，因为他没有其他的地方可以去。老甘德唯一的精神支柱那只老狗也被别人强行打死了，他决定倾其所有帮助乔治买下那块地，为的是他会有一个家，一个可以依靠的地方。老甘德是兰妮的补充，他们一个没有行动能力，一个没有思维能力，他们映照着其他健康人的人生，却也预示着这个不健康的社会的命运。
    马厩工库克鲁斯是个黑人，他有着黑人惯有的自卑，非常自觉地离开人群，自己独住。他装作不需要别人的样子，可是他的坚强因为兰妮的探访而破碎，他有些残忍地问兰妮：你有乔治，但如果你没有他呢？乔治吓坏了，他单纯的大脑无法想象没有乔治的后果。兰妮在库克鲁斯的质问下第一次体会到什么是孤独，他无法接受这种孤独。或许在这个时候，兰妮已经能够理解库克鲁斯最后说的那句话：“一个人太孤独了，他会生病的！”
    顾利的妻子，本来可以成为电影明星的，却嫁给了一个令人厌恶的小人。她的弄骚并不显得让人恶心却着实让人心感悲凉。她只是想给自己的生活添加一点色彩，她的生活太无味，而她又是个躁动不安的女人。她就像“捕鼠器上的一块臭肉”，寂寞地炫耀着自己对于老鼠的诱惑。于是，说她死于风骚，不如说她死于寂寞。
    有个哲学家说人类的寂寞感源于地球的孤独。然而，却没有人给寂寞的人们找到排解的答案。斯坦贝克也没有找到，他甚至陷入了无处追寻因果的绝望中。对人性的绝望、对人群的绝望，有些悲情无关命运却仍然痛彻心肺。
    诺贝尔作为一项国际大奖，对于人性的关注远远超过对某个国家制度的关注，《老鼠与人》中广泛的人文关怀，成就了这本好书，也成就了这部好电影。

看完书看的电影，拍的中规中矩，几乎每一幕和每一句话都能在书中找到原文，没什么自己的创新，更没什么亮点。

Lennie演的很精彩，但是捏碎Curley的右手和因为小狗死掉而愤怒的那两段拍的太露骨直接了，实在的让人不寒而栗。血腥暴力却没有自我意识的状态才最可怕啦。就算他“像个大婴儿一样”，我也绝对、绝对不会愿意接近那样的人。电影强化了大家的特征，比如Crooks的驼背、Curley妻子的未经教育，Lennie的暴力愚昧。

George的演员很好看（¯﹃¯），Slim更是，很有气质的感觉。小说结尾那里Slim对George表现出了理解那一段我很喜欢，自认为Steinbeck是在暗示生活的希望：George不一定就会孤单堕落，茫茫人海中或许还有其他的朋友；又也许他只是想通过这样的细节来说明，明天太阳照常升起吧。结果电影里面没了啊，搞的就像Lennie一死一切都结束了一样，导演自己把整个电影能表达的内涵的水准降下来了，变成单纯讲述友情的片子了。

Crooks的过度敏感让人看的很难受很难受，那个年代的苦难我真的没有办法体会。但是【孤独】和【梦想】都表现的不足啊，我还以为它们才是作品的主题啊......

背景音乐配的一塌糊涂，在气氛渲染上好像只能起到反作用。Lennie杀了Curley的妻子之后有一个高镜头很好看，结果也就只有那一次，原来是无心之举？我还期待了会有一幕Candy躺在马房的草垛里面，因为梦想的破灭而绝望，也为Lennie和George感到悲伤，阳光一缕一缕地洒在他身上。

.....其实这个作品真的很温暖啊！！！！只感觉到苦难才是不对的吧！男人间有友情，有信任，虽然弱小却试着一起面对，Dirty Thirty那种年代中的一道光啊有没有，Candy说“Sure, George.”的时候我都感动死了。

但是有些梦想终究只能是梦想————

The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!

Most of us live in a narrow world limited by our experiences and outlook on life, but by reading these great books, we are taken to totally different worlds where we can explore different lives and social mores and in so doing, expand our horizons. Classic literature must be passed down from generation to generation as the greatest treasure of human wisdom and intelligence.
One such classic novel is Of Mice and Men, written by an outstanding American novelist, John Steinbeck.
Set in the 1930s during the great depression era of America, the novel tells a tragic story of dreams, friendship, loneliness and power. Although it was banned when first released due to offensive language, its excellence and values were soon discovered.
As a prominent work in American classic literature, it promotes several important social and moral values that are still relevant in modern society. The novella attracts millions of readers by providing insights into human experience through engaging characterisation as well as use of aesthetic language.
The importance of dreams is one of the most significant themes throughout the whole story. A dream provides the motivation and a goal for people to strive for, just as Victor Hugo once said: “Nothing’s better than a dream to create a future”. In Of Mice and Men, everyone has a dream. Lennie and George dream of possessing their own house and a couple of acres to ‘live off the fatta’ of the land’. Although this is not ever realised, it is what keeps them moving on and wandering the country in search of job opportunities under those unimaginably harsh conditions. The farm they envision represents the possibility of freedom, self-reliance and protection from the cruelties of the world.
 Other ranch men also have their dreams which resemble that of Lennie and George, where they can be independent and live a secure life. Even Curley’s wife, who’s despised by everyone, possesses a dream of running away to be a movie star. Idealistic? Yes. Regrettably, it seems that most of the characters surrendered their dreams in order to survive. Yet having these dreams is one of the ways they combat loneliness and distract themselves from the hopeless reality of their daily lives.
The dreams possessed by all characters shared a common central idea: the chance of a better life, which is deeply rooted in the prototypical American dream: life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Nowadays, there are still countless people like George and Lennie, from different social classes and different places all over the world, who come to the United States with the dream of obtaining a fulfilled life.
In the grim world in Of Mice and Men, friendship and loneliness are accentuated. It is obvious that every character suffers from loneliness. The old Crooks, is discriminated by the colour of his skin and therefore is forced to live on the periphery of the ranch world. The only way he fights his solitude is by reading and hard work. The old and infirm Candy leads an immensely forlorn life especially after his long-time companion, his old dog dies. Curley’s wife acts as a coquette as a way of relieving herself from the boredom of the unsatisfactory marriage. Even though George and Lennie have each other to count on, George is still lonely because he doesn’t have a family while Lennie is disempowered by his mental disability and thus is isolated from the normal world.
Indubitably, everyone needs a friend who is always by their side, supporting and encouraging them in life. In this story, every single character yearns for genuine friendship. Nevertheless, even this simple request is a luxury in this unfriendly world depicted by Steinbeck. George and Lennie’s precious and enduring friendship has overcome countless obstacles by giving them will to move on. Just like they often said: “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. With us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. We don’t have to sit in no bar room blowin’ in our jack jus’ because we got no place else to go. If them other guys gets in jail they can rot for all anybody gives a damn. But not us.”
In this novella, Steinbeck also explores the different aspects of power and strength. In this predatory world, the rule of survival is laid bare, the strong ones prey on weak ones and touthe weak ones prey on weaker ones. Just like the name of the novel implies, ‘mice’ symbolizes vulnerability whereas ‘men’ represents power and strength.
The arrogant and ferocious Curley, as the symbol of power and authority easily poses a fatal threat to the weaker ones, represented by Lennie, Curley’s wife and those little animals. Similarly, old Candy and his dog, who are sadly crippled by their debilitating age, act as a harsh reminder of the miserable future of those who have outlived their usefulness. This cruel rule also applies to modern society where power, authority and strength cripple the weak ones and survival is sustained by cutthroat competition between people.
One of the most attractive features of this gripping novella is its exceptional characterisation. Lennie Small is often regarded as the most captivating one, whose naïve and childish character is in stark contrast to the other selfish and conceited characters. The descriptions of Lennie give the readers a sense of gratification as his blissful ignorance and pure innocence seem to remove him from the stir of society.
Another key character, George is a loving and devoted friend who never strays from the purpose of protecting Lennie, although he is sometimes short-tempered and impatient. In a sense, Lennie is more fortunate than George, since Lennie dies with their dream painlessly while George not only has to face the devastating fact that his dream no longer exists, but also has to bear the agony of losing his soul mate. Slim, as one of the most appealing characters, shows outstanding wisdom and sophistication compared to other characters. After witnessing Lennie’s demise, he is the only person who commiserates with Lennie for his loss, knowing how precious their friendship is, while other ignorant ranchmen ask: “what’s eatin’ them two guys?”
The use of simple language and writing style makes the novel very accessible. The scenes portrayed by the author are vivid and easily reconstructed in the reader’s mind. The story begins with: “A few miles south of Soledad, the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green”. This scene is full of hope and peace. Ironically, the story ends in exactly the same location, which has a strong emotional impact on the readers. Furthermore, the use of the authentic diction in the dialogue is quite representative of the labouring class in United States in the 1930s. In short, Steinbeck’s language is straightforward, concise and powerful.
Overall, in the inhospitable world portrayed by Steinbeck where people are incapable of compassion and sympathy, the unfailing friendship between George and Lennie shines and is deeply etched in the readers’ mind. Dreams, though a motivating factor, appear to be a luxury in the characters’ lives. We also accept the dismal fact that a lot of people like the characters in the novel are ruthlessly stripped of their dreams by reality and find their reverie and endeavours are nothing but a mirage. Friendship, loneliness, power, dreams and despair are fully expressed and interpreted in this masterpiece of John Steinbeck.

当乔治开枪击毙蓝尼的那一刻，梦想就已经破碎。
蓝尼，天生智障。乔治，一个机灵勤快的青年，在某一个时刻两个人成了彼此的伙伴和亲人，一路辗转，为了一个共同的梦想打拼着一份坎坷的生活。

这是一个关于梦想、希望、孤独和绝望的故事，理想和现实的距离，就像古今历史一样那么近那么远。电影里的每一个人物都有梦想，科里，梦想成为一个拳击手，科里的妻子，梦想去好莱坞成为一个电影明星，乔治和蓝尼，梦想有一处自己的农场。但是在现实中，他们却过着跟自己梦想完全不同的生活，梦想一次次的破碎，在生活中他们愤懑孤独。人的梦想可以经历几次破碎，每个人都有梦想，每一个人都在生活中寻找希望，而每一个人的绝望都在希望后迸发！乔治在蓝尼憧憬着美好生活时候开枪结束了他的生命，也许在希望中离开这个不堪的现实对蓝尼来说也是好的，乔治很清楚，他们梦想中的未来再也来不了了，因为蓝尼错了，这次的蓝尼大错特错了。

电影中，Carlson老人的狗因为老病被人嫌弃，最后被强迫着把自己的狗交给别人去射杀，所有的人都只是安静的接受这种情况，残酷又凄凉，老人后来说，本应该由他来射杀的，而不应该交给陌生人。如果改变不了命运，至少在最后一程，还是应该由最亲的人来执行，那最后时刻还能有一丝的温情和眷恋可以留在死者心头。现实就是如此，人老了，狗老了，不中用了，就要被抛弃，流离失所。老人清楚这一切，他哭了，不仅仅是为了自己的老伙伴，也是为了自己那跟狗一样的命运。乔治静静的看着这一幕，每个人都静静的接受这样的结果。

蓝尼对乔治是信任的，他是一个好伙伴，因为他忠诚、听话，但是他不是一个好人，因为他的智商无法适应人类社会，这注定了他与这个社会的格格不入，也注定了他的悲剧，也许他的单纯让他无法意识到他的悲剧，如果是这样，那该感谢上帝对他的些许温纯。nice fellow,bad people.乔治为他做了选择，也是为自己做了选择，与其让他人伤害你，我更愿意你的最后一刻没有屈辱。

人生是孤独的，没有人陪伴的人生是痛苦的，也许会崩溃，也许会疯癫，人类就是这样一种奇怪的生物，蓝尼对乔治无所质疑的信任和无法割舍的牵绊是一种纯粹的感情，就像是动物对主人的眷恋，这份单纯难能可贵，但是在社会中，这份单纯却会伤害他人，却会破坏生活。逃亡已无处可去，梦想已碎裂分散，蓝尼是乔治最好的伙伴，只是生活已无法承受。老伙伴，也许分离是必然的命运，蓝尼和乔治，在现实面前分崩离析，蓝尼是乔治的梦想和伙伴，是纯粹的信任和绝对的服从。曾经是蓝尼乔治和梦想，现在，只有乔治和生活。

每个人都是被命运和现实所碾压的对象，人们试图逃脱，却无处可逃，哪里都一样，哪里都只是命运的轮回。