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Analysis of American Dream (150 words)
Analysis of American Dream (150 words)
American dream essay introduction
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As the country built on values of independence, freedom, and Christianity, America conveys the possibility to achieve anything, a land of opportunity. Throughout its recent history, America’s inhabitants adopted this concept, and dreamed the American Dream. However, many Modernist authors, such as John Steinbeck, questioned the reality of the American Dream. A life where a man born at the bottom can work hard enough to make it to the top? A land where anyone can achieve anything? When the Great Depression hit America, many people needed something to cling to, and that was the American Dream, and their religion. Steinbeck cleverly weaves these two concepts into his novel, Of Mice and Men, to illustrate his idea about the ignorance of Americans …show more content…
Many Americans during the Great Depression needed to believe in something greater. They began to believe in the American Dream. Steinbeck develops characters and situations that exemplify the ideal American Dream through biblical allusions. One of the symbolic characters, Slim the jerkline skinner, receives respect from the moment he walks into the bunk house. He emits a strong air of nobility and power, moving with “majesty,” and as the the jerkline skinner possessing the title “prince of the ranch” (33).The unparalleled awe and pure honor that the other men show to Slim prove that they look up to him as a their goal. Even amongst their complaining and chatter, “all talk stopped when he spoke” because they highly valued his opinions and comments. Repeatedly, the men wait to make a decision to check with Slim. To the men, Slim plays the role of their moral compass. Not just one to talk, he also gains esteem because he “heard more than what was said to him” and his speech conveyed his “understanding beyond thought” (33). These impossible characteristics allude to the concept of Slim as a God-like character. He understands and hears more profoundly than others and his “authority was so
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.
The American Dream is what everyone so desperately desired for in the 1930’s. Many come to America for the American Dream, to be successful, have freedom, and support their families by the better opportunities given. In Of Mice and Men the movie the setting sets in the 1930’s where Lennie and George become farm workers for Curley’s dad. Working in these conditions in the 1930’s must of been difficult as shown in the movie when Lennie and George face problems in their journey together. What’s your American Dream?
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'.
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.
Everyone has an American dream, a belief that represents anyone can carry out a higher quality life through hard labor, and finding happiness at the end. These people work their lives to fulfill a dream that seems impossible, but in the end they either succeed or fail. Despite the odds, people still dive into this idea not knowing how it will end. By taking risks in life, they have a higher chance of achieving this dream of theirs. It ultimately shapes their character and spirit. Stopping at no extent, they make sacrifices to meet their main goal. This dream is put to the test in Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men, which takes place during the Great Depression causing George and Lennie, mentally disabled friend, to have a hopeless American dream. Their dream ultimately shapes their character and spirit, inspiring them to achieving this dream, but others dreams are crushed due to the Great Depression; similarly Steinbeck suggests that the American dream is unattainable due to the time setting, Great Depression.
In an American society, many people settle in the United States of America in hopes of seeking the American Dream, which is the freedom of life, equality, and the aspiration to accomplish individual goals in life. Any person that has lived through the great depression has had their life drastically changed by many hard obstacles that had to be fought in order to sustain an excellent life. Some of the crucial themes of the novel Of Mice and Men is that having your own dream attains ambition, companionship, and assurance, allowing one to succeed in life with meaning and importance. Three major examples show this idea. John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men divulges the longing for friendship, the desperation for the American Dream, and the cruelty
Each character in the novel has their own interpretation of the ‘American Dream – the pursuit of happiness’ as they all lack happiness due to the careless nature of American society during the Jazz Age. The American Dreams seems almost non-existent to those whom haven’t already achieved it.
Americans strive to obtain the American dream, but they fail to realize that it is our own dissatisfaction and anger that get in our way of keeping the American dream alive. John Steinbeck’s, “Paradox and Dream”, describes these paradoxes that linger in almost all Americans lives. Steinbeck shows how Americans believe in these things, but they contradict them by the actions they take or the words we say. He describes how Americans are dissatisfied, angry and intemperate. John Steinbeck portrayed a negative attitude towards Americans and their ideals by displaying how most are dissatisfied and angry, intemperate and opinionated, and believe in these certain things about ourselves that are not always true.
The American Dream is still alive and attainable to the American people despite its numerous paradox Steinbeck's claims in “The American Dream”. He went on to say many complaints to argue the Dream but still
The American dream is the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. Even though the dream does not discriminate, people during the 1930s did. During this time period multiple groups of individuals were excluded from this iconic dream. In John Steinbeck's novella Of Mice and Men he exposes the ageism, sexism, racism, and ableism in the 1930s. Steinbeck’s use of allusion, metaphor, symbolism, and juxtaposition create archetypes of the most commonly discriminated against people during the 1930s.
During the eighteenth century, America had transformed from a simple homestead into an ornate country. Within the bustling empire, the wealthy were able to live lavish lifestyle that inspired the idea of the “American Dream.” The “American Dream” was a common belief that the poorest person in the United States could achieve success. With the circulation of this ideal there was a boom of immigration within America. People from all over the world traveled to America with the belief that they would be guaranteed freedom, safety, and prosperity. Unfortunately for many, The “American Dream” was an elusive lifestyle that was a complete contradiction to the realties that existed within the country. Life in America was harsh. There was little opportunity for advancement for most people, especially the lower class workers. Unemployment was steadily rising and working conditions were best described as atrocious.
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.