Dreams vs. Reality

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……………….. The American dream is defined as “the traditional social ideals of the US, such as equality, democracy, and material prosperity.” In the story Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, two men named George Milton and Lennie Small travel to a ranch during the time of the depression, looking for work. Throughout the story, George and Lennie keep in mind their dream of owning their own farm. George tries to keep Lennie, who has the mental capacity of a five year old, out of trouble. However, this doesn’t turn out well after Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife; a flirtatious woman who provoked him. In the end, George has to make the HORRIBLE decision to kill Lennie- his best friend. Of Mice and Men uses symbolism to emphasize that the American dream is very delicate, if not unobtainable, which allows it to be easily shattered. George and Lennie’s dream of the farm is destroyed before the story even begins, because George knows it was never meant to be. Shortly after learning of Curley’s wife’s death, George speaks his mind to Candy; “I think I knowed from the very first. I think I knowed we’d never do her. He usta like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would” (Steinbeck 94). In other words, George is admitting that deep down he always knew that they would never get the farm. George simply used the dream to keep Lennie happy. However, because Lennie loved it so much, George began to believe that it could actually happen. Although Candy was very upset about their dream being crushed, George new all along that it could never happen, but it was only brought to reality when Lennie killed Curley’s wife. Alternitively, Lennie’s mental state prevented him from ever realizing that the dream was a bust. George used the ... ... middle of paper ... ... was dragged away from her dream, and could never fulfill it after being killed by Lennie. Curley’s wife only dreamed of being noticed by people, however marrying Curley and the lack of her family’s support ultimately resulted in her broken American dream. Several Symbols in Of Mice and Men help to illustrate that dreams can be broken just as easily as they were created. Lennie’s state of mind reminds us that George and Lennie’s dream of the farm could never happen. Also, the failure of Candy to stand up and kill his dog represents the end of Candy’s dream of the farm. Finally, negative family support represents Curley’s wife’s shattered dream of being an actress. All three emphasize the fragility of the American dream. …….., Steinbeck’s main message portrayed in Of Mice and Men is that one should always have a dream, but needs to be aware of the fragility of them.

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