Major Themes In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men tells the story of two friends, George Milton and Lennie Small and their struggle as migrant workers in California during the great depression and dustbowl era. The pair had escaped from an incident in Weed, California where Lennie, a mentally handicapped but gentle man, was wrongly accused of rape when he touched a woman’s dress because of his obsession with petting soft objects. One of the major themes from the novel is that having a dream brings friendship, hope, and determination, inspiring one to venture onward in life with a feeling of significance. There are three main instances that portray this idea. The first instance is the memory that Crook has of his father’s chicken ranch. Next, the second instance is the death of Candy’s dog and joining George and Lennie’s dream of owning land. Finally, the third significant instance is George and Lennie’s dream of having their own farm. These three instances display the theme that having high aspirations breed hope, friendship, and determination, enabling one to strive onward with a sense of self-worth or importance. Candy’s loss of his dog …show more content…

Another example is Crooks‟ memory of his father’s chicken ranch. A third example is George and Lennie’s dream of having their own place. Steinbeck obviously meant to impress upon his readers the idea that dreaming is an important part of every person’s life. When one dreams, he hopes, develops friendships, and shows determination, and as a result, he feels a strong sense of value. He learns to value himself more. Just as Martin Luther King Jr. realized, so too Steinbeck understood that to dream is a fundamental need of all people. Without dreaming nothing great is ever accomplished. But even more importantly, sharing a dream with others reaps not only rewards for an individual, but also rewards for all those involved and ultimately all of

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