One dream, One Shot in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men

1003 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The american dream in early american literature

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.
George envisions a dream causing Lennie to be manipulated by it. This leads into George believing in the American dream as well. Their dream is to own a farm on a piece of property, own animals, be safe, live in comfort, and find independence. While at the ranch, Lennie explains to George, "An' have rabbits. Go on, George! Tell about what we're gonna have in the garden and about the rabbits in the cages...How I get to tend the rabbits" (14). This quote reveals that Lennie does not see the true American dream, his dream is to simply pet rabbits. While George starts to believe in this dream of theirs, he is not sure how both of them will acquire this American dream. This is why the American dream is put to the test. At...

... middle of paper ...

...ing the farm, comfort, independence, more or less Lennie’s half of the dream. This all changes when George kills Lennie, at this point all hope of their dream is crumbled. Since they live in the time of the Great Depression, everyone lives in poverty. Accomplishing the American dream is nearly impossible as Steinbeck suggests, the author wants the reader to infer that the dream is unattainable, due to the time setting of the story, and the main character’s decisions throughout the novella. This American dream is envisioned into millions of peoples of minds, where they believe that anyone can accomplish a better life through hard labor, and ultimately finding happiness when the dream is fulfilled. Each human-being strives to accomplish and fulfill this American dream of theirs. A dream cannot be achieved by wishful thinking, but with hard work and absolute dedication.

Show More
Related

  • Themes in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men

    1108 Words  | 3 Pages

    A friendship is not all they have together, Lennie and George have dreams. Lennie and George have worked up the idea of owning their own piece of land together. Lennie wants to tend the rabbits (Steinbeck 11) and George just wants to be his own boss (Steinbeck 14). The only problem with their dream is that it is unrealistic. They cannot buy land to tend and just go days without tending it because they do not want to. Like many traveling farm hands during the 1930s, George and Lennie think they could work up enough money to buy their own place and not give a “hoot” about anyone but their selves. Although their dream is unattaina...

    Read More

  • Imagery In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    844 Words  | 2 Pages

    George's dream is to have a ranch of his own and Lennie's dream is to have, as mentioned earlier, a farm filled with rabbits. Lennie's hope for his dream is influenced whenever George starts describing his dream farm in explicit detail, such as how the fields are going to look, what animals they will own, what the daily routine will be etc. This farm symbolizes happiness and salvation, especially for Lennie, since he understands that the farm is his ticket to getting rabbits. In fact, the reason why he forgets George's orders is because he cannot stop thinking about his rabbits. A farm has basically become Lennie's version of heaven. This relates to how people always long for something to the point of where it becomes like heaven, a place where happiness lasts forever. Unfortunately, the rabbits symbolize false hope. For instance, Lennie holds a dead mouse and a dead puppy all for the same reason: he killed them. His love for petting soft creatures only causes trouble for himself. So if he owns a lot of rabbits, it is more than likely that they will all die because of Lennie. The rabbits, to Lennie, are things that seem like they will bring him true happiness, when they only create more sorrow. In other words, the rabbits symbolize sorrow disguised as salvation because in the end, Lennie goes suffers all because of his love for soft things. This is able to teach readers how dreams in the past

    Read More

  • Child's Dream In Of Mice And Men By John Steinbeck

    809 Words  | 2 Pages

    Everyone dreams about something. However, it is important to know when the right time to dream is, and when to wake up. A major theme that Steinbeck conveys in the book Of Mice and Men is the pursuit of the American Dream. The book tells the story of two men trying to earn a better life. Their American Dream was to get their own place somewhere and live together. Although, through the characterization of Lennie, the symbolism of rabbits, and the setting of the book, Steinbeck is trying to convey that people cannot continue to live in a dream.

    Read More

  • Foreshadowing In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    636 Words  | 2 Pages

    Steinbeck uses foreshadowing throughout the story that hints on them not achieving their dream. Crooks one of the workers, predicts that Lennie and George will never get their own farm. Also, George looses hope and stops talking about the dream. As Crooks and Lennie discuss the plan to get a farm, crooks docent think that Georges and Lennies dream will become possible.’‘I seen hundreds of men come by on the road an’ on the ranches, …’em has a little piece of land in his head. An’ never a God damn one of ‘em ever get it…” In other words Crooks has seen many people with the same dream as George and Lennie that haven't come true. Crooks says that none of the peoples dreams come true, this foreshadows that Georges and Lennies may nit come true. As a result, The failure of dreams creates an effect creates an uncertainty that their dream will come true. Not only does Crooks think that their dream will not come true, but George lost hope in their dream too. While George and Lennie are sleeping by the water, George tells Lennie a story about what their farm would be like, but George breaks down and doesn't want to talk about it. While George and Lennie are sleeping by the water, George tells Lennie a story about what their farm would be like, but George breaks down and doesn't want to talk about it. “I aint got time for no more…” in other words, George is tired of having dreams he doesn't think he can

    Read More

  • Obstacles In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    611 Words  | 2 Pages

    The theme that John Steinbeck amits from the novel Of Mice and Men is not everyone’s american dream can come true because one wants it to. This alludes to a famous poem by Robert Burns called “To a Mouse”. The theme of this poem is the greatest schemes of mice and men often go astray. Meaning that things do not always go as one plans it to. The novel is set in the Great Depression (1929-1939) in Southern California (near Soledad). Characters in the novel such as George and Crooks have obstacles that hold them back from achieving their own american dreams. George is held back from his by having to care of Lennie, who cannot take care of himself. Crooks is held back from his american dream because of his skin color.

    Read More

  • The American Dream in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men

    1167 Words  | 3 Pages

    George and Lennie live in a hopeless present but they somehow try to keep a foot in an idealized future. They dream of one day running their own ranch, safe and answerable to no one. Others such as Curley's wife dreams of being a movie star, Crooks, of hoeing his own patch and Candy's ‘couple of acres'.The dream ends with the death of Lennie.

    Read More

  • The American Dream in Of Mice and Men, The Great Gatsby, Two Kinds, and Sophistication

    1545 Words  | 4 Pages

    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)

    Read More

  • Handicaps, Hardships, and Friendships in Of Mice and Men

    1354 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Of Mice And Men American Dream Theme

    630 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Is The American Dream Even Possible Analysis

    304 Words  | 1 Pages

    The American Dream has been the ideal way of life to every citizen. Equal opportunity to achieve success through hard work and persistence allows people to strive for The American Dream. For others, The Dream might have a different meaning to what the think is achievable. In the essay, “Is the American Dream even possible” John Steinbeck makes accusations about the American Dream and the credibility of it. The American Dream in Steinbeck's perspective is that in reality, The Dream is there to believe but not there to its full potential.

    Read More

  • Of Mice And Men Dreams Come True

    660 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lennie, a main character, had a dream to tend rabbits on a ranch as he had an obsession with soft objects/animals. Lennie tries to achieve his dream by sticking with his friend George, and finding work to save up money. He is not successful, because he is killed at the end of the story, Lennie says, “It ain’t the same if I tell it. Go on...George. How I get to tend the rabbits.”(Steinbeck 14). Lennie is asking George to tell him what the

    Read More

  • Theme Of Illusion In Of Mice And Men

    1018 Words  | 3 Pages

    In conclusion it can be inferred from the novel that the American Dream is simply an illusion. The use of conflict, symbolism, and setting give examples that can relate back to modern day. An example of conflict would George’s issues with Lennie. In modern day, people go around with others that they know will keep them from their dreams but choose to stay by their side anyway. Symbolism relates to modern day as well with the symbols of safety and security. People nowadays still create these symbols of safety and security when in denial of the thought of their dreams failing. Most importantly setting relates with the time period. Even though times have changed, the American Dream will still fail. Thus it is evident that the American Dream is simply an illusion.

    Read More

  • The Theme of Dreams in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men

    977 Words  | 2 Pages

    a better way of life - but something always seems to get in the way of

    Read More

  • The Unattainable American Dream

    750 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Steinbeck illustrates the dreams of George,Lennie, and other characters and how these dreams are unrealistic and unattainable .Their dreams were the reason that these characters kept moving forward but because of difficult circumstances the dreams of George,Lennie,Candy and Curley's wife are shattered , they knew that their dream was never really attainable but they still had hope but because they were so greatly impacted by Lennies actions their dreams are never accomplished.

    Read More

  • Of Mice And Men Foreshadowing

    2278 Words  | 5 Pages

    The American Dream, is the wish to prosper. In John Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men told during the time of hard labor in the 1930’s about two close friends, who are all each other have, but are chasing this American dream, George and Lennie deal with several obstacles and road blocks with each other. Whether it be, hiding Lennie’s mental illness, or trying to keep a job to fulfill their version of the American dream, George will always have a soft spot in his heart for Lennie, and Lennie tries his hardest to please George. Through characterization and foreshadowing readers learn about the deeper meaning and theme to the novella of the American Dream. Although some may say that George and Lennie are

    Read More

More about One dream, One Shot in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men

Open Document