The American Dream is a fundamental theme in John Steinbeck's novel
'Of Mice and Men'. I will endeavor to examine how the theme is
presented in the novel in order to determine why it is so important.
Whilst exploiting the theme it will be imperative to consider the
characters that hold this dream, I will focus on George and Lennie,
the two central characters. In addition I will acknowledge the social
and economic situation of the time, the Great Depression.
The American Dream is an ideal, a hope that has been central to
American culture since the formation of the country. When America was
colonized by England the main reason for people wanting to immigrate
there was land. And land is the key idea in the American Dream. To own
your own piece of land and be your own boss is a hope shared by almost
everyone, a hope that became especially important in America.
Obviously The Great Depression in America stole the dream from many
people, this is why the idea of owning your own land became so
important to the workers on the ranch, like George and Lennie, as it
was their onl...
Thomas Hobbes in his Leviathan states that, "in the state of nature mans life is nasty, brutish and short". In depression era America, no greater truth could be said. There were millions unemployed, largely unskilled and living on the margins of society. The lowest of the low were the migrant labourers travelling from place to place trying to scratch a living. They often had to travel illegally by freight car with all its consequent dangers. Their life expectancy was low, crime was rampant and despair was a fellow traveller. This is the setting of John Steinbeck's, 'Of Mice and Men'.
When Lennie and George encounter Slim, another ranch hand, they automatically respect him and react positively towards him. “This was Slim, the jerkline skinner. His hatchet face was ageless. He might have been thirty-five or fifty. His ear heard more than was said to him, and his slow speech had overtones not of thought, but of understanding beyond thought. His hands, large and lean, were as delicate in their action as those of a temple dancer.” (Steinbeck, 33-34) Slim is the noblest of the ranch as the only character who seems to be at peace with his circumstances and his life. The other characters view slim as wise and respectable man and often go to him for guidance, as the only person who has achieved what he wants in life.
Everyone has a dream they hope to achieve, but dreams are not always possible to attain. In John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, two ranch hands, George and Lennie, find work in Salinas Valley. Lennie, constantly getting into trouble, inadvertently causes the two of them to be run out of town and thus have to find new work regularly. George and Lennie's search for work in the hope of accomplishing their dream of a small farm of their own displays how futile realizing dreams can be.
It is the natural inclination of all men and women to dream. In John Steinbeck’s novel “Of Mice and Men,” the American dream is sought after by many different characters. However, the main theme in the story is how these dreams are unattainable, and how because of the Great Depression, all American dreams were dead. But what is the American dream? A unitary definition does not exist, however, the meaning of living the American dream is something that differs for everyone. For some people, the American dream might be acceptance and equality. On the other hand, for others, it might mean fame and fortune. In the short story called “Of Mice and Men” the American dream seems unreachable for a number of characters, such as George, Lennie, Curlie’s Wife, Crooks, and Candy. Although the characters dreams seem eclectic, they all aspire to grasp the same thing: the fulfillment of life. George and Lennie’s dream of owning their own land and to live independently crumbles because of Lennie’s stupidity and strength, which he knows not of. In contrast, Curley's wife dreams of becoming an actress l...
Every person has an American dream, no matter how big or small, everyone has one. Their dreams however, vary from person to person, based on past experiences. While some people will chose to try to own a small farm in California, others will want to go to Hollywood and become an actress. Though American dreams are commonly found in living people they are also able to be within fictional characters as well; such as in Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. Only American dreams can go astray due to problems that were not foreseen. In Of Mice and y Men, Lennie was the unforeseen problem with George, Candy, and his American dream because of his ableism. His mental ableism made him love to touch soft things such as hair, even though he could end
Of Mice and Men is a story set during the 1930's America, this was a
The American Dream is a thought that everyone has at some point. Some are bigger than others and some are harder than others, but everyone hopes to accomplish their American Dream. In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck shows that the American Dream is a myth, not a reality. John Steinbeck shows the American Dream being a myth through a few of the characters in Of Mice and Men. For example, Lennie, Curley’s Wife, and Candy all have American Dreams, but they also have some obstacles that stop them from completing their American Dream.
The American dream ideally constitutes life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as stated by America's forefathers in the Declaration of Independence. This vision has been extremely warped in the 20th century to fit the new breed of Americans, which are greedy and self-centered. The main characters opinions in the novel Of Mice and Men of The American Dream substantially differs from each other, and from today's society.
Throughout different era’s and periods of time the American dream has slightly varied, but the ultimate end goal remains the same; based on independence, a need for freedom, and the ability and desire to achieve greatness in one’s lifetime
The theme in the book “Of Mice and Men” is “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them”. Steinbeck shows us this throughout the story of George and Lennie dreaming and how they pursue them. The story shows how some characters have dreams that they look forward to in the long days on the ranch. Dreams have the power to change lives and give hope.
American Dream: “The ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative” (dictionary.com). In Steinbeck's book “Of Mice and Men” Steinbeck uses the literary devices such as allusion, archetype, and foreshadowing to strengthen the logic and persuasiveness of his argument; how the Great Depression affected individuals and their own American Dreams.
“Ok Someday we're gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow some pigs and”(14). This quote comes from the novel Of Mice and Men, and was written by John Steinbeck. The quote itself relates to the men’s dreams of owning their own land someday. Their goals in the novel was to accomplish this dream which they had high hopes for. Dreams can be denied as proven in this novel, many dreams are lost in some situations and can’t be helped. George,Lennie and Crooks dreams is denied throughout the novel. Dreams don’t always come true in cases, and could be denied.
Americans live in constant pursuit of what they want more than anything, the American Dream. The perception of the American Dream varies from person to person, depending on what they hope to accomplish. In The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men the American Dream manifests in various extravagant and corrupt forms. The lives of these characters revolve around achieving their version of the American Dream.
a better way of life - but something always seems to get in the way of
John Steinbeck, in his essay America and Americans, uses many contradictions to explain his views on the American Dream. I have witnessed and experienced many of these contradictions in my life. Through my experiences, I have learned to believe that the American dream is no more than just a dream.