Most important American book
ever written?
Though I disagree with Rheta Johnson that John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” is “the most important American book ever written” (“Rereading “Of Mice and Men,” Dec. 7, 2014), she is entitled to her opinion. From my vantage point, it is a book worth reading. However, the serious problems associated with Ferguson, Missouri, have in no way “made me need to read it again right now.” It is not at all clear why Ms. Johnson felt such a need or why she seems so disturbed by the many defects she sees in human nature.
She abruptly moves to the new album of the talented Lucinda Williams and then to the “precious things” for which Ms. Johnson is so grateful. She thanks a friend for taking a photograph of a “mama dog … draped across the bare legs of the little boy” and asks why we can’t “maintain in our lives a child’s guileless stance.”
“Why must we learn to hate,” she asks. What about learning to judge, to understand, and to respect differences of opinion?
Tolerance is a complex quality and requires a broad understanding of humanity and of human nature. Good, well-meaning people like Ms. Johnson often see only one side of a person or an issue. She sees Steinbeck’s character, Lennie Small, as someone “who just wanted to pet the pups.” She seems to overlook the fact that Lennie’s strength is his undoing; his well-meant petting always leads to the death of the animals he pets. Even love can lead to tragedy if it is not given, received and nurtured in proper fashion.
Ben C. Toledano
Columbus
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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