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History of america in american literature
Steinbeck and his views of the american dream
Steinbeck and his views of the american dream
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John Steinbeck’s describes a world where the American Dream is harsh. Steinbeck paints a disturbing portrait of American in the 1930’s. Steinbeck reveals the truth of the American Dream. Steinbeck published a book “Of Mice and Men”, it was published in 1937 and it is still relevant today. His book is all about dreams, friendships, loneliness and more. It has really sensitive topics that can be disturbing but it has a good outcome and can teach you a lot. All the characters have something unique about them and they all have a problem, nobody is actually happy with what they have. Many characters seem to have different relationships, but George and Lennie seem to have the most true/virtues friendship. George and Lennie have always travel together
and have always been by each other. In the 1930’s rarely any men travel together and actually stood by each other. Steinbeck notes, “Slim looked through George and beyond him. “Ain’t many guys travel around together,” he mused. “I don’t know why. Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.”(Steinbeck, pg. 35) George and Lennie aren’t like others, Lennie needs George. Others wouldn’t care and just leave but no, George makes sure that he stays with Lennie so nothing would happen to him. Also, George and Lennie protect each other and try to keep them safe. If Lennie ever made a mistake George would try and help him out and try to get him out of his problems. Even though Lennie was “slow” he cared so much about George and didn’t want anything to happen to him. Steinbeck writes, “ Suddenly Lennie’s eyes centered and grew quiet, and mad. He stood up and walked dangerously toward Crooks. “Who hurt George?” he demanded.” (Steinbeck, pg 72) Crooks just telling Lennie that something could happen to George.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a novel about loneliness and the American Dream. This book takes place during the Great Depression. It was very difficult for people to survive during this time period. A lot of people hardly survived let alone had the necessities they needed to keep relationships healthy. Of Mice of Men has a common theme of disappointment. All the characters struggle with their unaccomplished dreams. The migrant workers, stable buck, swamper, and the other men on the ranch had an unsettled disappointment of where they were at in their lives. George and Lennie, two newcomers to the ranch, aren’t like the other guys. They have each other and they are the not loneliest people in the world. Lennie has a dream though he wants to own a farm with plenty of crops and animals one day. The only problem is his blind curiosity of people and things around him. George wasn’t justified for killing Lennie because Lennie was innocent and never got the chance to find out what he did wrong.
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.
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'.
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.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a fiction novel. This novel is about two best friends who work as farm hands. Both men dream of owning a farm together one day. On the way to that dream the men face some struggles and that is what most of the novel is about. The novel goes into detail about how they overcome their struggle.
Through characterization, both authors illustrate their view on the American Dream. Using George as a catalyst in Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck shows how the working class of the United States strives for something better and works hard to attain their dream. “O.K. Someday – we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs and-…” (14) George’s conversations with Lennie involving the farm that they are trying to buy show that George will not give up his pursuit of a better life, no matter what obstacles slow him down. Steinbeck also shows how friendship is part of the American Dream through George always sticking by Lennie, despite...
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Hopes and Dreams Help People to Survive, Even if they can Never. Become Real How is this true for George and Lennie/ the characters in ‘Of Mice and the.. Men’. An important theme in ‘Of Mice and Men’ is that of hope and dreams. The main dream is that of George and Lennie to own a smallholding and work self-sufficiently.
John Steinbeck’s portrayal of George and Lennie serve to describe and criticize the misjudgment and mistrust of the rejects of society. Understanding builds trust, a fundamental component of a harmonious society. In this global age, trusts and judgments are more important than ever. Steinbeck’s timeless message made Of Mice and Men a true classical novella.
In the novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck brings out the themes of Lonliness and companionship, and strengths and weaknesses through the actions, and quotations of the characters. Irony and foreshadowing play a large roll on how the story ends. Lennie and his habit of killing things not on purpose, but he is a victim of his own strength. George trying to pretend that his feelings for Lennie mean nothing. The entire novel is repetitive in themes and expressed views.
The daily struggle of the working class, fear of loneliness and the reality of putting all your energy into plans that fail are the different themes relating to John Steinbeck's novel, "Of Mice and Men". The characters depicted by the author are individuals who are constantly facing one obstacle after another. The book illustrates different conflicts such as man versus society, man versus man, man versus himself and idealism versus reality. The book's backdrop is set in the Salinas, California during the depression. The two main characters include two men, George and Lennie. Supportive characters include a few ranch hands, Candy, Crooks, Curly, Slim and Carlson.
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.
little house and a couple of acres . . . 'An' live off the fatta the
Throughout the novel “Of Mice and Men” the author, John Steinbeck, alludes the impossibility of the American Dream through the unaccomplished dreams of most of the characters had such as George, Lennie, Curley’s wife, Candy, and Crooks. Along with the broken dreams, there are many obstacles that could prevent the dream to come true and many omens that there will not be a happy ending for the characters.
voice is its voice. In him we can see the moods, if not the actual events of his time, most clearly
John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, expresses many real-life themes. The most distinguished theme is definitely the American dream. Steinbeck exploited that everyone has a dream, but he makes the American dream an impossibility, which is the malicious reality of life. Steinbeck uses many examples and personalities of his characters to effectively exhibit this theme. The American dream is the belief that, if you are an American citizen, you should have an equal opportunity to achieve their ambitious dreams and success if you work hard, have initiative, and stay determined.