Explore the diffferent veiws in which miller and stainbecks use dreams Of Mice and Men and the Death of a Salesman have different types of dreams which are incorporated in a variety of different ways. In Death of a Salesman, the dreams held by Willy, Happy and Biff have the same traditional American dream where you can become a wealthy, powerful and respected American. Willy is committed to his dream, as Happy Loman states “it’s the only dream you can have” and to be the “number one man”. In contrast, the characters’ dreams in Of Mice and Men, are extremely humble as George and Lennie only desire to have a 2 acre plot of land and a small home and “live off the fatta the land”. Whilst Lennie’s ambition is to have some rabbits and alfalfa, …show more content…
Both stories present the American dream as having wealth, property, to be respected and have many materialistic belongings. Some argue that the American dream was to only have some land, to be free, happy and to be an American. Willy Loman perceived the dream very differently as his aim was to gain lots of wealth and to have a high social status. This view is complemented by the final words in the play by Linda, the repeats of “we’re free, free”. She implies that they are free because they no longer are in debt or owing money as they have just repaid the mortgage on the house but is also implies that the family live in a free society. This compares to the international political situation at the time Miller was writing, and the play was being performed, was changing. The democratic, capitalist USA was in conflict with the communist, state controlled Soviet Union and relations were strained to the point that the era was called the Cold …show more content…
The American dream was about being self-sufficient, owning private land and given a chance to start a business with no limitations to success as the migrants lived in a prosperous country. In Of Mice and Men and A Death of a Salesman, Steinbeck and Miller explore the principles of what the American dream actually was. In Of Mice and Men, most of the characters, including George Milton and Lennie Small, have the dream of making themselves become something in the “land of opportunity” and “to have a little land”. In my opinion, George and Lennie have the most ordinary, stock American dream which is what many people who travelled to America in the 1920s were dreaming of. Whereas in A Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman has already achieved beyond the ordinary American dream by having a car, house, loving family and a well-respected job with decent wages but he does not believe he has achieved his version of the American dream, that of his two sons to start a great business together, “The Loman Brothers”. However, both Biff and Linda are more realistic and appreciate that that dream is beyond impossible. Whereas Happy has inherited Willy’s attitude and hopes to accomplish his father’s dream. In the requiem, Happy says, “I’m going to beat this racket!” and this shows that he has not realised that the cause of
The theme of the American Dream is presented in Of Mice and Men. The theme is particularly expressed through and around the characters of George and Lennie. Both of these characters have a belief, a dream of owning their own little place to call their own, or as George would say “We’re gonna have a little place and a couple of acres an’ some cows and some pigs...”(Steinbeck,14) This dream is mostly expressed through Lennie but George is the one who supports Lennie. Lennie is the most dedicated to the dream. This dedication is shown when he said “An’ live off the fatta the lan.”(Steinbeck,14) This proven b critics like Kevin Attell who said ”This is the kind of life that George and Lennie dream of living.”(Attell)
The American Dream is a dream that everyone imagines to be picture perfect. The American Dream means having freedom, equality and opportunity’s to achieve the dream that you conceptualize to be right by you. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck did not want to just illustrate the American dream as being easy, but he wanted to point out the American Dream as being difficult too. Steinbeck made a work of art by composing a great novel to make the reader understand that life can be difficult and at times dreams are hard to achieve. Of Mice and Men was written and based on the settings of the Great Depression (Anderson). The Great Depression was a very dire time that left multiple of people despondent and the unavailing to move on with their lives. The Great Depression created a world where everyone had to seek and survive for themselves. In the novel Steinbeck wanted to explore and point out how powerless people where during the time of the Great Depression. Steinbeck purposely incorporated his characters to depict the life struggle of what people go through during grim times. In the novel, Steinbeck illustrated a great set of characters Lennie, George, Candy and Crooks. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck discusses handicaps, hardships, and friendships of the characters.
In Of Mice and Men one of the main themes is the idea of the american dream. This is one of the more important themes in the book because it plays such a big role in how each character pursued life, and their dreams show a different side of who they are and what they want from life. Many of the characters talk about what their version of the american dream is. Curley’s wife talks about how she wanted to be a movie star. Candy and George both want to own their own land. Crooks dream is to work in lennie's garden. However it remains only a dream for them and they are awaken by the fact that they can't have the perfect american dream. Another way that this idea is used in the book and by characters is that Lennie and George keep faithful
... American Dream that was sold in society at the time after World War II can overshadow the actual meaning in real life. The “American Dream” is, in the end, defined as a comfortable living in a happy house. Instead, the materialistic society back then attempted to sell it in terms of appliances and products that were not needed, and unaffordable. They marketed it to the middle-class by attracting them to the aspect of credit, buying it with money that they don’t have. As Willy’s neighbor claimed at his funeral, Willy was merely a victim of his profession, leaving him with an unhealthy obsession with an image that was unrealistic, especially for them. This dissatisfaction with his life, and his misinterpretation of the “American Dream”, led to his downfall as a tragic hero, and a death that went in vain, as his son failed to follow the plan he had laid out for him.
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
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 clouded both Willy and Gatsby’s mind. It changed their personality and changed the way they saw things. They were too set on what their heart wanted. You have to earn it, you can’t just expect to achieve it. Gatsby’s and Willy’s American dream made them clueless. “He presents it in Gatsby as a romantic baptism of desire for a reality that stubbornly remains out of his sight” (Bewley). They both ended without the lives they dreamt of, and without lives at all. The authors of these books are trying to show the American dream is not what its made out to be. It ruined their lives instead of them actually achieving
The American Dream can be defined as the set of ideals that include the freedom to succeed and prosper through hard work. This dream is one that many people dream of achieving and living, including Willy Loman. What Willy Loman does not realize, however, is that he has been living the American Dream all along. Willy had a job as a salesman and got a steady income. He purchased a house and a car and would have paid everything off if he had not committed suicide. And lastly, he had a wife and two sons. Living like this is something many people dream of doing, which is where the name American Dream comes from. Willy’s troubling past is the main cause for him not realizing the blessed life he was living.
The classic novel, Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck was made into a Hollywood Blockbuster in 1992. Directed and acted by Gary Sinise and John Malkovich, Hollywood took a stab at trying to recreate this literary success. The novel, which takes place in the 1930’s, follows the lives of two men, George and Lennie, as they try to attain their dream of owning a farm. George is a smart man who always seems to have things figured out. Lennie is massive, but has the mind of a young child. George looks after him, but it is not easy since Lennie always seems to get himself in some kind of trouble. As they struggle towards their dreams, George and Lennie face obstacles that test their friendship. In the end, with Lennie dead, George finds out that dreams aren’t worth striving for, and eventually, loneliness overcomes everything. The movie, running almost two hours, stays very true to the book, although some things are removed or added. While the movie differs from the book in a few ways, it still gives its audience the same message.
... he loses himself along the way. Tom and Daisy Buchanan protected their reputations in order to keep their American Dream alive. In the Death of A Salesman, Willy and Happy Loman do not realize that their dreams are wrong, and they are delusional about their status in society. All of these characters portray different types of people in the 1920’s, but they are connected because they all believe that they are owed the American Dream and they tried very hard to achieve it. Some resorted to crime and some dishonesty. Anyone who believes in the romantic version of the American Dream cannot fulfill it, and all of their superficial American Dreams would never occur. The real American Dream is being happy with what you have, and to chase your dreams to an extent. Dreams are essential, however theses characters show that dreams should not be the foundations of our lives.
In the play Death of a Salesman Willy’s life is kind of a picture of the American Dream. He has a good job until the end of the play but he owns a home and a car has a nice family with two healthy boys. To many people the American Dream is happy but in this play for the most part is not happy between the family members. For most of the time Linda is just sticking up for Willy because she was to worried about herself and Willy than to listen to her own sons that kind of ruins the whole view of the American dream. To have the true American dream your family has to get along so that is one way that this play kind of contradicts itself. Part of the American dream is good economy without good economy you cannot have good steady jobs so therefor it would be hard to own a house and a car and be able to feed and supply for your family. In the play Death of a Salesman the setting is set after the war so the economy is not too good yet. So it is tough for people to get good jobs or keep jobs that they already had and provide for their families. In the play Glengarry Glenn Ross is a good example of the American Dream even though it does not talk about what houses or cars that the characters have but it talks about how they are fighting for their jobs and to do good at their jobs. The characters have a sit which is when they have to close on three real estate properties or they will get fired. The characters in the play
An American dream is a dream that can only be achieved by passion and hard work towards your goals. People are chasing their dreams of better future for themselves and their children. The author Arthur Miller in Death of a Salesman has displayed a struggle of a common man to achieve the American dream. Willy Loman the protagonist of the play has spent his whole life in chasing the American dream. He was a successful salesman who has got old and unable to travel for his work, and no one at work gives him importance anymore. He is unhappy with his sons Happy and Biff because both of them are not successful in their lives. Moreover, Biff and Happy are also not happy with their father Willy because they don’t want to live a life that Willy wants them to live. The heated discussions of Willy and his older son Biff affect the family and the family starts to fall apart. However, Willy is unable to achieve the American dream and does not want to face the reality that his decisions for himself and his family have lead him to be a failure in the society. In the play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, the protagonist Willy Loman spends his whole life to achieve the American Dream by his own perception and denies facing the reality, just like nowadays people are selling themselves and attempting to find success in life.
The American dream has different interpretations depending on one's experiences, race, gender, ethnicity, religion, etc. John Steinbeck, a pessimist, wanted to demonstrate the harsh realities of adversity that settlers in America faced while attempting to achieve their American dream. Whereas Martin Luther King, Jr., an optimist, wanted to achieve equality and unity between people from all walks of life.
What is the "American Dream"? The "American Dream" cannot be defined. I know that my "American Dream" consists of a Porsche, a large house, and a happy family. Willy Loman's definition does not differ greatly from mine although while trying to pursue this dream, Willy's mind slowly drifted further and further away from reality. The "American Dream" is the idea that any man or woman can make his or her own fortune, despite his or her past. Willy is trying to achieve success through this thought, believing that being "well liked" and working hard will be enough to ensue his success. Willy was wrong.
In today’s society the term “American Dream” is perceived as being successful and usually that’s associated with being rich or financially sound. People follow this idea their entire life and usually never stop to think if they are happy on this road to success. Most will live through thick and thin with this idealization of the “American Dream” usually leading to unhappiness, depression and even suicide. The individual is confused by society’s portrayal of the individuals who have supposedly reached the nirvana of the “American Dream”. In the play “Death of a Salesman” Willy thinks that if a person has the right personality and he is well liked it’s easy to achieve success rather than hard work and innovation. This is seen when Willy is only concerned how Biff’s class mates reacted to his joke of the teachers lisp. Willy’s dream of success for his son Biff who was very well liked in High School never actually became anything. Biff turned into a drifter and a ranch worker. In the play “Seize the Day” Tommy who is financially unstable also pursues the idea of getting to the “American Dream” and becoming wealthy. He foolishly invests his last seven hundred dollars and eventually loses it leaving him broke and out of work. In both plays following the American Dream is followed in different characters and in both the characters are far away from it leaving them broke and forgotten by almost everyone.