People living during the great depression had dreams but on seemed to be the most popular but with their own twist to their dream. The American dream is in the Declaration of Independence stating “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”. This dream is called the American Dream. The American dream is a set of standards in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success that can be achieved through hard work and determination. Steinbeck uses the American dream to give each character a goal to work toward to. Each character had their own American Dream. Owning some land so you could live independently, to tend the rabbits or to be playing cards with the other guys.
To begin with is George. George had a pretty nice sounding
…show more content…
Crooks the stable hand at the ranch that George and Lennie come to work at. Crooks has an American Dream just like George and Lennie. Crooks is African American so during this time period some people at the ranch are discriminating against him because of his race. “I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny” (p.81). Even though Crooks supposed to be free from all discrimination people still haven’t changed. Crooks someday dreams of playing cards with the other fellows at the ranch but mostly he wants to be equal. “S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunkhouse and play rummy ‘cause you was black...A guy needs somebody-to be near him” (p.72). Crooks wants to be treated just like the other people on the ranch. He’s not allowed in the bunkhouse because of his race. Crooks has been forced to sleep alone, away from the other workers on the ranch who sleep and play cards together in the bunkhouse. “‘Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black” (p.68). The dream of all becoming equal is very common with many African Americans during this time period. Curley’s Wife also discriminating Crooks. “You know what I could do to you if you open up your trap” (p.80). Every time Crooks stands up for himself he just gets pushed over and never really acknowledged. Crooks also threatened by Curley's wife. She’s nearly at the bottom of the pile in the leadership of the ranch, but she still has power over Crooks. Crooks dreams that there will be a place and time where people won’t judge people by the color of their skin. Even though Crooks has a great American dream in mind he’s likely to not complete his dream. The Boss and Curley have shown that they do not trust Crooks at
If there was a favorable circumstance under which one could endeavour all their hopes and visions, wouldn’t one pursue it? The American Dream was introduced as an interpretation to cause the people of America in the early twentieth century to work tougher. The American Dream is the opportunity to reach the goals one sets for themselves. It is about having your dream job and life one has always fantasized about. The dream is also about having freedom and equality. In the novel, “Of Mice & Men”, John Steinbeck uses symbols and motifs such as the vicious slaughtering of virtuous animals, Crooks’ rubbish bunkhouse and Lennie and George’s deception of an ideal farm to exhibit the perception that materialistic success results in happiness is a major flaw in our thinking about the American dream, and it is this thinking which makes the dream unattainable for many.
Crooks, the African American stable hand of the Tyler ranch, was discriminated for his skin color and could not imagine his dreams would ever to come true because of it. Crooks grew up on his father’s ranch with his brothers and they were happy. He worked hard for his American Dream of eventually living off the ‘fat of the land’ with George and Lennie. Crooks' home is, a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn “This suggests that he is isolated from the other men and treated like the animals he cares for and as such is made to live with them” (“Effects of Segregation and Racism in Of Mice and Men Chapter 4”). He came to the quick realization that it is impossible to go along with George and Lennie and he does not see any dream with white men possible.
A twenty-five percent unemployment rate. People desperate for lodging and food. Families stretching every penny to support themselves. Government trying to solve these problems through reforms and programs. This is what the world in the 1930s was like for Lennie and George, two migrant workers traveling across California, earnestly trying to achieve the American Dream. Even though these dreams seem impossible to accomplish, during the Great Depression a dream was a reason to get out of bed.
In the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the American Dream is to work hard and get money even though the Great Depression is happening, and to do your own thing without anyone holding you back. Two characters who are hoping to achieve their dream but cannot are George and Curley’s wife. They are analogous because they both have someone holding them back from achieving their dream. George has Lennie holding him back, and Curley’s wife has Curley holding her back. Because of this, both of them do not have the power of achieving the American Dream.
The novel, 'Of Mice and Men' written by John Steinbeck refers back to The American Dream as 'heaven'. Steinbeck is trying to point out that the American Dream is unrealistic. This novel looks back at the dreams of American individuals in the 1930's. It is set in California at the time of the Great Depression during which the American stock market collapsed leaving the nation in a state of economical disarray.
As America was formed, so was the American Dream. People from all over migrated to America in search of this dream. In the novella, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, many different characters have a glimpse of the American Dream. However, as in real life, these dreams do not always come true. Steinbeck illustrates the improbable chance of the American Dream coming true through the hopelessness of the characters’ conversations.
The most important dream in this novel is that of the two main characters Lennie and George. They
For years upon years, we have heard the concept of an “American Dream” repeatedly. In school, at home, and there’s probably several who have mused about it on their own during their time by themselves. It seems that, also, several have concluded that the Dream is dead: gone, disappeared, poof into thin air. Some argue that it’s nothing but a pack of lies our predecessors were fed to believe that perhaps America had a better future lingering just around the corner, or that it’s changed much from what it was ‘back in the day’. The American Dream has remained unchanged since the Great Depression, but the nation we are today may slowly be killing it. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the Dream is to have that equal opportunity for success, the same as in Bobby Jindal’s and Ellen Powell’s articles, but it seems that inequality may be killing the American Dream.
In today’s society, many dream of becoming rich and successful, similar to many people during the Great Depression. The American Dream is the idea that every individual can receive wealth and prosperity due to their hard work and determination. In the novel, Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck, George and Lennie are best friends, facing the challenges of the Great Depression by working on a ranch in the Salinas Valley. As Lennie copes with the struggles of the era, he stays focused on his dreams and constantly has a positive mindset, which shows the American Dream can give hope even in the hardest times.
What does it mean to achieve the American Dream? To most people, the American Dream is about freedom and making your own choices. This could include making the most profit and doing the least amount of labor, or having the largest home or fastest car. On the other hand, the American Dream can just be to others about finding happiness and joy in life, or finding love and living simple, fulfilling lives. A number of American authors use the American dream as a common theme in their novels because it is such an ambitious and relatable theme to readers. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, the theme of the American Dream is exemplified by the character symbols George and Lennie, Curley’s Wife, and Candy.
When we try to chase our dreams, we end up in our own diminutive lonely world. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, has taught readers that the American dream can only ever be accomplished through hard work and determination. More times than others, we are distracted by the dream itself, and don’t chase the reality, which can then lead to high expectations, and without hard determination, that can then failure. In the end, we have been lonely for so long, chasing a dream, that when reality hits us, we become isolated and lonely. For George and Lennie, they have each other, until the American dream seemed too hard to chase.
One night when George goes out with the other men he leaves Lennie alone to play with his pup when he wanders into Crook’s room. Even though the majority of the time Crooks plays mind games with Lennie he ends up expressing his dream of equality. At this time period black people are still heavily discriminated against which effects how others treat him and how he accepts others. "'Cause I'm black. They play cards in there, but I can't play because I'm black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, you all of you stink to me." (Steinbeck ___). Even though Crooks is just like all the other men on the farm he is still viewed in a negative way because of his skin colour. Afterwards, Crooks begins to describe his child hood discrimination does not exist and giving him a sense of
In the story Of Mice and Men the concept of the American Dream is used constantly throughout the book. The American Dream is something that we as the people fantasize about, we want a better future for ourselves and we want more opportunities. That is the way it has always been, the American Dream has existed through many generations and has changed very much over time. Back when The Great Depression occurred, the American Dream was all that people had to give them hope and aspiration. For some people, the American Dream might actually feel like a dream, they feel like it is something they cannot achieve. The American Dream has gotten so complex over time, that people today are struggling to achieve their American Dream. People set too high of expectations for themselves, and in the end, it is
Crooks has the dream of having a friend and being treated as an equal. Being black, Crooks was born with a disadvantage in achieving the American Dream. Crooks race makes him oppressed, he’s seen as inferior to the white race. “‘If I say something, why it’s just a nigger sayin’ it […] This is just a nigger talkin’, an’ a busted-back nigger. So it don’t mean nothing, see?’” (70/71). Crooks is clearly bitter about the fact that he doesn’t have basic human rights like the other white men on the farm, simply because he’s black. Secondly, because of his skin color, he’s isolated to his barn with no one to talk to. “‘A guy sets alone out here at night, maybe readin’ or thinkin’, an’ he got nothing to tell him what’s so an’ what ain’t so. Maybe if he sees somethin’, he don’t know whether it’s right or not. He can’t turn to some other guy and last him if he sees it too. He can’t tell. He got nothing to measure by. I seen things out here. I wasn’t drunk. I don't know if I was asleep. If some guy was with me, he could tell me I was asleep, an’ then it would be all right. But i jus’ don’t know.’” (73). Crooks longs to have someone be by his side, so he doesn’t have to keep imagining things. Finally, Crooks has a bad back, which makes working thoroughly and affectively much
Everyone has a dream. Whether it is something small and achievable or something extravagant that won’t happen. Having ambition grants us a goal to work towards and give our actions justification and purpose. The ‘American Dream’ is an ideology that everyone in the U.S can achieve what they desire to, providing equal opportunities to the population.The characters from Of Mice and Men are written realistically by the author John Steinbeck, which includes giving them goals that someone who lived in the 1920s would have. Characters such as Curley’s wife, Lennie and George had goals they unfortunately never were able to accomplish due to people or events interfering. The only character living the familiar American Dream, Curley, could be considered as already living the American dream. His lived off his father’s land and was married. However, it didn’t make him content, he was aggressive and lonely. From these characters experiences with having aspirations, it’s simple to presume that having an American dream didn’t benefit them. It caused them to feel anguish and despair rather than giving them motivation.