Of Mice and Men

Analysis of Detail:

From his first paragraph, John Steinbeck sets the scene in Of Mice and Men through his use of imagery as he describes the natural world as a parallel to later events in the novella. These vivid descriptions can be used to foreshadow future events in the novel and represent characters.

Take the following quote for instance: "the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green." Some words that provoke the senses in that quote are "deep" and "green." Deep arouses thoughts of heaviness, solidity, and strength. These characteristics can be used to describe George. Though he is smaller in size than Lenny, he is definitely Lenny's support. He is solid in mental state where Lenny is weak. The word green can be used to symbolize young, fresh, lively, and natural people and objects. Children often have these traits, and Lenny is very much like a child. His mind is innocent and simple.

Another quote found in the first paragraph is "under the trees the leaves lie deep and so crisp." The deepness of the piles of leaves means that all of the leaves are depending on the others. They are relying on each of the other leaves' strength. It provokes thoughts of dark and cool places. Lenny is like the pile of leaves in that he depends of the strength of George to protect him. His mind could represent that cool and dark place, since he is simply mentally disabled. When leaves fall from the trees and remain on the ground they turn crisp. This shows age, fragility, and brittleness. George can be compared to this. He is not fragile or brittle, but he is weaker than Lenny. His temper can be fragile at times, as he is quite hot-tempered. With age comes wisdom, and George shows this wisdom in the face of troubles.

Steinbeck also writes "the limb is worn smooth by men who have sat on it." Smoothness arouses feelings of welcome. Many smooth objects, such as the branch, have been well used. George could be compared to the branch. He has been used by Lenny for help, and he sometimes even feels a little worn down from this. Despite that, he welcomes Lenny to remain as his traveling partner.

All of these quotes are found in just the first paragraph of Of Mice and Men. By analyzing the words and imagery used, the reader can discover that there is deeper meaning hidden in the sentences of the novel.

Analysis of Point of View:

The third-person objective point of view shows that even though the men live solitary lives, they still yearn for care and love. The men in Of Mice and Men, and most men of that time period, travelled alone. They seemed to try not to make connections, so that their moves where clean breaks. Many may have even tried to put on a mask to hide their true feelings. Despite this, these men really longed for good relationships.

One character in the book has an old, blind dog. His bunk mates try to convince him to kill the poor animal. "Candy threw his legs off the bunk. He scratched the white stubble whiskers on his cheek nervously. 'I'm so used to him,' he said softly. 'I had him from a pup.'" (p. 45) This scene shows how Candy feels about his dog. He really cares about the dog. In fact, he cares enough that he has had the dog for many years. Candy knows that killing his pet would be the best option, but he just does not want to lose the dog. Candy does not want to lose possibly the only real, loving relationship he has. He may seem like a loner, but truthfully, he has a partner in his dog. He yearns for the love and devotion that dog gives him.

Another passage shows the longing for care: "Slim said 'You hadda, George. I swear you hadda. Come on with me.' He led George into the entrance of the trail and up toward the highway." (p. 107) Obviously, George is very upset about the murder he just committed. He lost a friend. He lost a good, strong relationship that he had built. Also, Slim shows genuine care for George. He tries to console George and even leads him up the trial. George seems to give up trying to be a loner, and he takes the care that Slim is giving him.

All of these men may have liked some of their coworkers better than others, but they also tried to make and keep caring relationships. Whether they loved a brother, a friend, or even a dog, they worked hard to show their pal how much they cared.

Analysis of Tone:

The lonely and melancholy tones in Steinbeck's writing reflect the sad lives and conditions of the Great Depression. This is reflected because Of Mice and Men is set in the Great Depression. Many passages in the novel have such tones that have an effect on the reader.

One passage that has a lonely tone is on page 39: "You know how the hands are, they just come in and get their bunk and work a month, then they quit and go out alone. Never seem to give a [care] about nobody." This passage speaks of the solitary lives that the workers live. They do not seem to care about anyone or travel with anyone. Their lives can be lonely since they try to simply work instead of making friends. This lonely tone carries on into the entire book, and almost every character ends up experiencing loneliness.

The passage, "He reached into his side pocket and brought out Carlson's Luger; he snapped off the safety and the gun lay on the ground behind Lennie's back. He looked at the back of Lennie's head, at the place where the spine and skull were joined." (p. 105) has a very melancholy tone. This passage provokes great sadness and a feeling of despair. George, the character whom the passage is about, loves Lennie immensely, yet here he is, about to kill Lennie. The whole situation is devestatilgly sad. In the wording of the passage, George seems to be pretty emotionless despite what he is about to do. Multiple passages provoked feelings of melancholy, but this was the worst.

All in all, Of Mice and Men was a sad book. This sadness is due partly to the story, but the tone that Steinbeck uses also has a huge impact on the reader's feelings. The book leaves readers feeling like the characters and the tone: lonely and melancholy.

Analysis of Theme:

All throughout Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck and his characters explore the question, "Am I my brother's keeper?" In the novel, George asks as Lennie's "keeper." Even when Lennie offers to leave because he is such a nusiance, George says "I want you to stay with me, Lennie...No, you stay with me. Your Aunt Clara wouldn't like you running off by yourself, even it she is dead." (p. 13) Of Mice and Men shows that humans are their "brother's keeper." The novel shows the bond between humans and how they take care of each other in times of trouble. Sometimes, this relationship only helps the party in need, such as Lennie. George, however, lets Slim in on the benefits he gets.

"'I ain't got no people,' George said. 'I seen the guys that go around on the ranches alone. That ain't no good. They don't have no fun. After a long time they get mean. They get wantin' to fight all the time.'"
"'Yeah, they get mean,' Slim agreed. 'They get so they don't want to talk to nobody.'"
"'Course Lennie's a nuisance most of the time,' said George. 'But you get used to goin' around with a guy an you can't get rid of him.'" (p. 41)

George obviously cares about Lennie and likes the company he gives. Plus, Slim seems to understand the desire to help. All people rely on other people at some point in their lives. Therefore, we should all look out for our fellow humans if we expect as much in return.

"Migrant Mother"

The photos entitled "Migrant Mother" envoke many feelings. After seeing these photos, I felt sorry for those in the pictures. I was also reminded that there are many, many more people who live in similar situations. Some people face horrible challenges and conditions, yet they still show courage. I feel like the mother in these photos showed courage. Maybe she needed to be there for her children. Maybe she needed the courage to continue. Maybe she just needed the courage for herself. She seemed to be taking care of her children as best she could in her conditions.

I am also reminded to be thankful for what I have. I am lucky that I do not have to live in situations such as those shown in the photos. I could just as easily been in that place. We should all be greatful for what we have, and these photos remind us just how awesome our lives are.

The Giver

What would be necessary in a utopia? Would there be no sickness? No grief? What about no color, no love, and no sense of family? How could someone think that such a society was perfect? This is the question that comes to mind when reading Lois Lowery's The Giver. This book had me reading enthusiastically from cover to cover until I was done.

The Giver tells the story of a boy named Jonas who lives in a seemingly perfect society. His life gets turned upside down when he turns twelve. In his society, all children are considered adults once they turn twelve. They receive their job and become functioning members of society. Most children get assigned to be judges, teachers, or care givers, but Jonas is chosen to be the new Receiver. This means that everyday he will go to the current Giver to receive the memories that were taken away when this utopian society was formed. As Jonas begins to receive these memories, he realizes that his society is not so perfect after all. An internal struggle begins to take place inside Jonas. He questions what is truly best for people and community. How does Jonas take all of the changes that he can now see in his life?

The setting of The Giver is different from any other book that I have read. In the community in the novel, everything is the same and no one can see colors because they do not have the memories of them. I had great difficulty imagining the setting because The Giver is set in a place that is very different from our own. Lowery did not provide a whole lot of description of the setting. However, this did not prove to be too important in the understanding of the story.

The characters in the novel were very well developed. I grew attached to Jonas and began to feel his pain. I felt sorry for characters such as Fiona who did not know what great things they were missing out on. I worried for the outcome of the questionable Gabe. Each character had his or her own struggles and triumphs. Lowery did a wonderful job in the creation of her characters.

Overall, I enjoyed The Giver very much. I would recommend this book to anyone. The Giver was easy to read and interesting.

Animal Farm

George Orwell's Animal Farm shows the progression of a utopia. This utopia starts as a wonderful place for all of the animals of the farm. However, as time wears on corruption sets in and the utopia soon turns into a distopia. Orwell obviously does not believe that utopias can exist.

Characters are important in the formation of a story and a theme. Orwell chose to use animals as his main characters. This classifies Animal Farm as a fable, but this novel is far from a child's story. Animal Farm shows how corruption can ruin a society. This is a very human idea, yet Orwell used animals to convey this viewpoint.

Many authors could not have pulled this off, but Orwell's use of animals was very effective. The animals had human characteristics, and they acted very similar to people would when put in such situations. I even often forgot that the book's characters were animal and not human. Orwell managed to use farm animals to show how utopias often end up, and with the use of animals, a humorous aspect was added.

Animal Farm used a "fairy tale-esque" style to convey a very deep theme. By using animals as his main characters, Orwell created a perfect balance between a fun storybook and a thought provoking political essay.

Cross-Examined!

I am pretty much a good girl. Despite this, my parents cross-examine me quite often. Sometimes, they can get pretty cop-like.

Generally, they do the interrogations before I go somewhere such as to a friend's house or to a movie. My parents always want to know every single detail.

"Who's going to be there?"

"How are you going to get there? How are you going to get home?"

"How much money do you plan to spend?"

"Are you lying to us? Are you really going to ditch the movie and run off to do something else?"

You get the picture. Sometimes, they can really get on my nerves. However, I know they are just trying to proctect me because they love me and all of that. But, do they really think I am going to run off?

Hope

I get hope from the
sunrise

When nighttime turns to
daytime

I get hope from the
colors

How the blackness turns to
beauty

Celebrate!

My favorite celebration is the celebration of a birthday. April is a big month for my group of friends because four people have birthdays in this month. I love to help people celebrate their birthday with well wishes, gifts, parties, and cake.

Birthdays are very important to me, especially since I am so (relatively) young. They act as a way to tell someone how much they mean to you. Think about what a birthday celebrates. Basically, when celebrating a birthday, you are saying "Hey! I am so glad that you were born 'x' years ago! I think you are awesome, so we should celebrate your birth and having you here!" Who does not want a day all about celebrating them?

I am very excited to help my "April Baby" friends celebrate their big days. And just think, after April comes May. With May comes my birthday! I think that is good cause to celebrate!

I Wear the Mask

I Wear the Mask

My life is a lie.
No, it's not that extreme.
My life is a fib,
And my emotions are unseen.

They say the eyes
Are a portal to the heart,
But mine hide the truth.
My inside and outside are apart.

Outside is ecstasy
With a little anger in my mind.
My mask hides the inside
Making it hard to find.

Under the mask,
I have a different side.
My emotions can be scary,
So the mask helps them hide.

St. Patrick's Day

"Oh my name is Bishop Patrick. I sailed across the sea to teach the Irish folk about the Blessed Trinity."

This is a song that I taught to the kids at vacation bible school a few years ago. That year, the theme was the story of Saint Patrick of Ireland. For me, St. Patrick's Day is not about luck, leprechauns, or pinching people. Instead, I look at St. Patrick's Day as a day to honor the Catholic saint the day is named for.

Time for a little history lesson:
St. Patrick was born in 385 in Scotland. When he was about fourteen, he was captured in a raid and taken to Ireland as a slave. He remained a slave until he was about twenty when he escaped. After that, legend says that St. Patrick had a dream in which the Irish people were calling out to him for help. Because of this, he returned to Ireland, studied to be a priest, and eventually became the Bishop of Ireland. He went all around Ireland teaching the people about Christianity. His main teaching was that of the Holy Trinity. (I am not going to even attempt to explain that here. You can ask me later if you are really that interested.) He used the three leaves of the shamrock to help explain this abstract idea. One legend says that he drove the snakes out of Ireland. Personally, I have no idea if there are snakes in Ireland today, so I just believe the stories.

I chuckle a little when I see people getting all geared up for St. Patrick's Day. I feel that way about St. Valentine's Day, too. Most people have no idea what this day is about. Good thing you all have me to tell you, right?

The Call of the Wild Review

Imagine living a happy, comfortable life. Then, imagine being taken from that life and thrown into the complete opposite: a life of hard work and struggle. This is the beginning of the story of Buck in The Call of the Wild by Jack London. The Call of the Wild proved to be an exciting and interesting book.

The Call of the Wild is about a dog named Buck during the time of the gold rush in Alaska. Prospectors began to race to Alaska to find gold, but in order to get there, they needed sled dogs. Since sled dogs were very expensive, a black market took form. Buck gets sold into the black market and soon discovers just how difficult his life will be. This is the story of Buck's survival in the tough conditions, his fight to be top dog, and his road to answering the "call of the wild."

The characters in this book are very interesting. The entire book is written from the point of view of a dog, so this provides unique insight into the mind of an animal. Each other dog on the sled team is thoroughly described, and I found myself thinking that they were real people. Each dog had his own personality and traits. There are people mentioned in the book, but they stay in the background because the story is about Buck.

The setting that Jack London created in The Call of the Wild was interesting. He described the many places that Buck had to go to including the Alaskan and Canadian wilderness. Each scene was not perfectly clear in my mind, but since there were so many different scenes, that would have been very difficult for London. With that much extra description, The Call of the Wild would have been an extremely long book.

The Call of the Wild illustrates a theme of survival of the fittest. In order to survive, Buck and the other dogs had to push themselves to the limits. Many dogs died because they simply were not fit to work. The book shows what great lengths Buck will go to in order to survive and proper.

The Call of the Wild provided interesting insight into the world of a character who would normally not be brought into light. I would recommend this book to anyone of any age.

Writer's Notebook: Persuasion

Persuasion is used all of the time. Everywhere I look, someone is trying to persuade me into doing or buying something. Often times, I do not even notice the persuasive techniques being used on me.

I would like to think that I am pretty good at persuading people. Feel free to argue. Most of the time, I am persuading people to trust my answers for assignments. That is about all of the persuasion that I use, so I mostly use the technique of logos. I always try to have a reason for the answers I put down, and I rarely just guess. However, I often find that when I am trying to persuade someone, I talk about my subject so much that I begin to doubt myself. Persuasion can sometimes influence my decisions because I value other's opinions.

Persuasion is used on television every time a commercial plays. The whole purpose of a commercial is to get consumers to buy a product. Many different techniques are used in commercials.

Writer's Notebook: Winning

Winning and losing is part of everyone's life. Sometimes, we are on the winning side. Other times, we are the losers.

Being a winner does not always mean receiving a reward. Instead, being a winner means achieving the goals set for you or receiving an honor. In the game of winning and losing, there are not always losers. For example, one person may receive an award. That person is a winner. Are the rest of the people losers? Since the rest may not have been striving for the award, they are not losers.

I am most proud of the awards the 2008-2009 junior high quizbowl team won last year. We won by teamwork and "brainpower." That means more to me that winning any athletic event by skill or strength. We worked hard to develop our knowledge, and all of those days payed off.

Writer's Notebook: Commitment

Olympic athletes make extreme commitments in order to compete and train. They commit to their sport, their team, and their training. All of these aspects come together to make a well trained, successful athlete who can lead his or her country to victory.

Although I have not made commitments as extreme as the ones made my Olympians, I have made a serious commitment to my dance studio. I have been taking dance classes for over eleven years, but I have really committed to the studio over the past two. I am at the studio, Batesville Ballet Etc., dancing for about ten hours a week. Three of those hours are on Saturday mornings. I have given up so much time to teach and learn the art of dance. Unlike most kids my age, I do not have many extracurricular activities, but the ones I do have, mainly ballet, take up most of my free time. I have suffered pain and stress, but the outcome is worth the price. Performing is amazingly fun, and ballet has helped me in more than just my fitness. Dancers at Batesville Ballet are not required to be as committed as I, but I would not hesitate to step in when needed. My commitment has hopefully made a difference for others.

How to Pick a Confirmation Name

Do you know how to pick a confirmation name? Seriously, I need some help.

This July, I'm going to get confirmed in my church. Confirmation is a rite of passage that shows that a person has decided to be fully Catholic. It is a huge deal. I have to take classes until July and the bishop, a man named Anthony Taylor, is coming to Batesville to confirm us. One part of the process is choosing a name. A candidate for confirmation gets to pick a saint's name to take as part of their name. No, this will not be part of my legal name, but in the church records, I will have an extra name. This is all very exciting, but I am finding choosing a name to be extremely difficult. I have gone through numerous books and I have been reading tons of articles on websites such as this site and this site. If you decide to look at these websites, you can see that there are thousands of saints for me to choose. This is narrowed down a little because I do not really want to take a male name. Even after eliminating the male names, there are still tons of choices. How am I supposed to choose?

This has been on my mind since they told us to start looking at names. I cannot chose a saint that is boring or that does not "speak to me." I have a few that I am leaning towards, but I just cannot choose!

I have been thinking that maybe I should be glad that I did not have to choose my own legal name. Maybe I should thank my parents for that. Having a pretty awesome name, I have reason to thank them. If I would have had to choose my own name, I am sure that I would still be picking. For now, I only have to worry about my confirmation name. At least I have a deadline.

Taking a Stand by Others

(Please note that this post is about taking a stand against abortion. I am only providing an example of a group taking a stand. I do not want to start any ethical discussions.)

Many groups are formed just for the purpose of taking a stand. Take, for instance, PETA. PETA just stands up for the ethical treatment of animals as the name suggests. Other groups will take a stand for something they believe in, even if people do not expect anything. This happened about a year ago in my church.

I go to St. Mary's, a Catholic church. As a fundamental Catholic teaching, we believe that abortion is wrong. Anyway, last year, Congress was debating on some Pro-Choice legislation. Honestly, I do not remember exactly what it was, but I am pretty sure it was mainly about whether or not health care programs should cover abortion costs. My church, and many other Catholic churches in our diocese, decided to take a stand. Leaders in my church such as council members, our deacon, and our priest urged us to write letters to our representatives in Congress. They said that if we did so, they would mail all of the letters to Congress. After about two weeks, almost every family had a letter to send in. I was very proud of our congregation when the stamps went on the envelopes and the letters went on their way.

Our letters probably did not do much. I do not really know the outcome of that particular debate. However, I still felt accomplished. At least our view was made known. We stood up for what we believed in. Sometimes, taking a stand does not do much good. We keep taking a stand simply because we are waiting for that chance that it will make a difference for someone.

When I Took a Stand

On most days, I have to ride a bus home. Until this year, my brother Anthony and his friend Jimmy rode the bus too. For some reason, they decided this year that they should start walking home from school even though the bus passes right by them. Unfortunately for them, we can see them walking down the sidewalk on many occasions from the bus. Again, for some reason, they decided that they should start to break out into a run every time we pass. From the point of view of the sister, they do look a little silly running down the street with all of their bags in tow. But, if they want to walk home everyday, that's their prerogative.

One day, I forgot to bring my mp3 player onto the bus. I was already pretty steamed because without my music, it is impossible for me to just close my eyes and pretend I'm somewhere else. Anyway, we were going home, and the bus passed Jimmy and Anthony. They started running. The guys who sit behind me started to laugh and prodeded to call Jimmy and Anthony names. They made fun of them, and I just did not think it was appropriate. I turned around and said

"That's my brother and his friend, and you need to just stop."

Lucky for me, those guys did not get violent. They simply sat down, and turned their attention elsewhere. I did not do much, but I still felt accomplished.

Sure, standing up for Anthony and Jimmy was not really nesseccary. After all, they could not hear the things being said about them. All that taking a stand did was make those guys behind me think that I was a crazy, annoying girl. Still, I feel like I did something that day for those who could not help themselves. Let's just overlook the fact that they did not know help was needed.

The Count of Monte Cristo Review

Historical fiction novels can reside on opposite ends of the spectrum of good books. They can either be exciting and possibly even educational, or they can be terribly boring. At a staggering 591 pages, Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo took determination and time for me to get through.

This book was published sometime between 1844-1846, so the language used in it was hard for me to follow. Along with that, Alexandre Dumas applied a style in which the story was told by a different character in each chapter. Generally, this style adds to the story because the reader can understand what each character is feeling. In this book, however, there are many, many characters, so switching around is just confusing.

The Count of Monte Cristo tells the story of Edmond Dantes. Edmond gets wrongly arrested on the eve of his wedding. Once in jail, he meets a man who is willing to help Edmond escape. Escape may not be the best plan for Edmond since he has been in jail for fourteen years. How does one piece his life back together after so long?

This book is set in France around the early 1800s. In my opinion, the author did not do a good job of describing the setting. I have no idea what France looked like during that time, so there is no background information to help me. Plus, the setting is constantly changing with the change of characters.

The theme "Taking a Stand" fits nicely into this novel. The Count of Monte Cristo is very rich, but he does not only use those riches to help himself. He also helps those in need of money, such as the young girl who has no money for her dowry. All through the book, the Count makes many friends with those that he helps. He takes a stand against their poverty.

Truthfully, I did not like this book at all. I was not interested in the subject, and there was hardly any action. It was also very difficult to read and hard to get through. I would not recommend it to anyone.
591 Pages

Julius Caesar

Many people think that dramas written by William Shakespeare are dull and boring. This is not the case with Julius Caesar. I loved the historical action that Julius Caesar provided.

Julius Caesar tells the story of the demise of Julius Caesar and the consequences of his death. In an act for the common good, Marcus Brutus plots with a group of patricians to kill Caesar. They believe that with his death, a tyranny will be ended. Their plan begins to backfire when Mark Antony, a friend of Caesar's, turns the people of Rome against them.

The main characters in this drama, such as Caesar, Brutus, and Mark Antony, are real people. They all lived way before my time, so there is no way I could know how they felt or thought. Julius Caesar provides an insight to historical events through these characters. Although Shakespeare could not have know how they felt either, it is interesting to see how he interpreted their feelings.

The setting of the drama is ancient Rome. As with the characters, ancient Rome was a real place, but it thrived before my time. I have seen pictures of ruins and drawings of what it may have looked like, but never have I been able to envision how people interacted in the city. This drama provides that look into the lives of those of ancient Rome. However, by simply reading the play, I cannot vividly see what the town looked like. The only descriptions I get are from the characters.

The style of Shakespeare is widely recognized. He usually writes in iambic pentameter. Iambic pentameter is characterized by ten syllables in each line. Since he lived in old England, he also uses old English language in Julius Caesar. Sometimes, this language can be hard to understand, but the version of the drama I read provided explanations on the side to aid in comprehension. All in all, the language Shakespeare uses adds to the overall effect of Julius Caesar.

I enjoyed reading Julius Caesar. Everyone should be required to read at least one of Shakespeare's dramas, and Julius Caesar makes a very good choice.

209 Pages

An Ode to Leaders

Almost every major group has a leader. Without one, anarchy often occurs. Groups can only hope that the leaders that come to power are good and successful. With that said, what is it that makes a good and successful leader?

A leader should always be concerned for the common good of his or her people. Good leaders have many positive attributes such as honesty, loyalty, and integrity. Leaders are not working for themselves. Instead, they want to help their people and their group or country achieve all that they possibly can. They can help others through tough times. Leaders should be inspirational. I want to listen to a leader and feel the need to work for his or her cause. For this, good speech skills can help a leader. It is not always possible for someone to make the right decisions all of the time, but good leaders can accept their mistakes, apologize, and fix them. Good leaders are very important because a good leader makes a good group.

Below I have compiled a list of excellent leaders.

1. John F. Kennedy- He was very good for our country and its people.
2. Queen Elizabeth I
3. Pope John Paul II- This pope was excellent at reforming some of the teachings of the Church to improve it.
4. Fred Jones (From Scooby Doo)
5. Pope Benedict XVI- As the current pope, Benedict has worked hard to make good speeches and appear public ally to restore respect for the Catholic Church.
6. Martin Luther King Jr.
7. Optimus Prime- Optimus is in charge of protecting the people of Earth from Decepticons. He is very inspiring to both humans and Autobots.
8. Jesus
9. Aragorn (From The Lord of the Rings)- Aragorn is the king of Gondor. He was successful in leading an army and defeating the army of Mordor. He lead men, elves, dwarfs, and even some dead people. That is not an easy task especially since elves and dwarfs usually cannot stand each other.
10. Abraham Lincoln

My Christmas Playlist (Plus Commentary)

I love Christmas music. I start listening to my CDs and records the day after Thanksgiving. Below is a list of my favorite songs with added commentary. (Note: I am not actually including ALL of my favorites. My Christmas playlist actually contains many, many songs, so I figured that would be way too boring. Enjoy!)

1. "Blue Christmas" Elvis Presley- This is a classic song. It's original and has that Elvis flair. I really enjoy Christmas music even more when Elvis sings it anyway. His version of "Here Comes Santa Claus" is a must hear.

2. "Little Saint Nick" The Beach Boys- The Beach Boys really know how to harmonize. This song is just really cute.

3. "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" Brenda Lee- I cannot help but laugh when I hear this song thanks to a certain Weygandt and her misinterpretation of the words.

4. "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" Bruce Springsteen- "Everybody been good out there? Ah, that's not many, not many. Ya'll are in trouble."

5. "Opera of the Bells" Destiny's Child- This version of the classic song is just beautiful.

6. "Jingle Bells" Frank Sinatra- Frank Sinatra's voice makes me feel like I am living in the 1940s sitting back laughing at some sort of cocktail party. Jingle all the way, you guys.

7. "Up on the Housetop" The Jackson Five- I love how the lyrics to this song have been changed so that they talk about the Jackson kids.

8. "A Wonderful Christmas Time" Paul McCartney- This song just makes me happy. It makes me want to sway from side to side and make a cute face or something.

9. "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" Thurl Ravenscroft- How the Grinch Stole Christmas is definitely my favorite Christmas book and half-hour special. The song for the special fits so perfectly. It has crazy lyrics and Tony the Tiger makes this song amazing. (Did you know the guy who sings this song is Tony the Tiger? You do now.)

10. "Christmas Wrapping" The Waitresses- This song is so cute. It makes me want to bob my head. I cannot get it out of my head despite the fact that I only know the first two lines. This is one of the best modern Christmas songs in my opinion.