An Analysis Of John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Another time a minor character shows Steinbeck’s beliefs about the American Dream is when Crooks and Lennie talk about the farm where Lennie wants to live on with George. Crooks says, “you’re nuts. I’ve seen hundreds of men come by on the roads an’ on the ranches with their bindles on their backs an’ the same damn thing in their heads” (72). In that line, Steinbeck basically condenses all of his beliefs into one phrase. He states that the American Dream is just a dream, and that those who believe otherwise are deluding themselves.

Do opposites really attract? Can two people, with no similarities, share a close bond? It proves to be so in the novel Of Mice and Men , written by John Steinbeck. A novel which tells the story of two men, George and Lennie, and their journey of a new job working on a ranch. A novel with a different but interesting style of writing. A novel where John Steinbeck utilizes how powerful George is over Lennie, to signify how people believe they are dominant over others, because of their greater intelligence, social standards, or wealth.

Have you ever dreamed of becoming someone important or doing something exciting and memorable? Would you give up or refuse to let go of your dream until you achieve it? Has that obsessive under-minded your success? Many people have dreams that they want to accomplish, but there are obstacles individuals have to cross over in order to achieve their goals, such as facing reality. In the book of Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, the story is a tale of two drifters working from farm to farm, trying to make a living, and save some money to have their own place someday, which is their dream during the Great Depression. The characters face the hardships

John Steinbeck’s simple-minded, static character Lennie is apposite to the universal theme of the American dream. He has merely one desire; the desire to tend to rabbits on the homestead he independently owns with George. Throughout the novel, he repeatedly expresses this fervid aspiration. For instance, as George discusses his respective dream, Lennie enthusiastically interjects with, “An’ live of the fatta the lan’...An’ have rabbits. Go on, George! Tell about what we’re gonna have in the garden and about the rabbits in the cages (Steinbeck 46).” Although this single anecdote effectively represents Lennie’s eagerness to achieve his dream, the reiteration of this desire causes it to gain greater intensity. This is shown upon Lennie’s first dinner at the ranch, when he inquires, “George, how long’s it gonna be till we get that little place an’ live on the fatta the lan’—an’ rabbits? (93)” This quote exemplifies Lennie’s manifestation of his hope and desperation in relation to achieving his dreams. However, Lennie’s dream remains unfulfilled because of the conflicting reality present that results from the occurrence of the Great Depression. Specifically, the emplacement of great economical strains upon workers hinders his ability to own and maintain homesteads due to the lack of money. The premise of a better life keeps him hopeful throughout the novel.

“All men dream, but not equally” -T.E. Lawrence. In the story Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie are two migrant workers who travel and work on farms together. Lennie clearly has a mental disability and George has had to look out for him for a long time. While at their most recent ranch, the two men realize that their dream of owning a piece of land together is easier to achieve than it seems. Or is it? In John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, George influences others such as Candy, Lennie, and himself through his dream

The American dream is the main Idea In John Steinbeck book Of mice and men. The idea of the American dream is that is suppose to be attainable by anyone regardless of race,wealth,religion, or just any other factors. In the book the two Friends George in Lennie dream about owning their own ranch and living off the “fatta of the land” and to just enjoy life basically,Living off the “fatta the land” is the parallel to the American dream, but as the poem “To a mouse” that the book is named after states “The best-laid schemes o' mice an 'men Gang aft agley, An'lea'e us nought but grief an' pain, For promis'd joy!”

I can tell that George and Lennie like to argue a whole lot, the reason that i can see they like arguing a lot is because in paragraph 34 it states "You can jus' as well go away, to hell," that makes me think that they don't get along to well. Both Lennie and George could have really good lives, but I think that if it was good that they stuck together, i also like how they have big dreams for they're futures. Even though they were probably going through a rough time because of the great depression, it would have been really hard for them to find a job. Some of the benefits that they could of have is that George already had things planned for him and Lennie, in the future, "a little house and a couple of acres, a cow, and some pigs. " I got that textual evidence from paragraph 9.

Another way, Steinbeck shows How Gorge is a true friend to lennie is through how reliable he is to Lennie. An example of this is Lennie was left alone with Curley's wife in the barn and accidently killed her, by him doing this it made all the workers want to kill him. But instead of them killing Lennie George went off and “pulled the trigger. The crash of the shot rolled up the hills and rolled down again, Lennie jarred, and then settled slowly forward to the sand and lay without Quivering,” (106) This quote shows how Gorge is a true reliable friend because A true friend will do whatever they think is good for you. Just like how George went off and killed lennie, so that way he didn’t have to go through even more hell. This shows readers that

In the 1930s, a variety of different events has transpired, including a detrimental downfall in the American economy known as The Great Depression. During this time, many people suffered the wrath of poverty and unemployment, which ravaged through this epoch. Furthermore, American citizens were forced to be parsimonious, pitching every penny that came their way. While the value of the stock market plummeted, the American perspective on life swelled, creating what many saw as “The American Dream.” The dream that Americans, no matter the position, heritage, or gender, has an equal opportunity for a better life. In John Steinbeck 's “Of Mice and Men,” two migrant workers have a dream of, one day, achieving prosperity through obtaining a ranch of their own. Throughout their endeavor, however, it is shown that their ambitions are torn down, never to be accomplished. As discerned throughout this novella, it is probable that through George, Lennie, and even Curley’s wife that Steinbeck is trying to send the reader a message about the actuality of the American Dream.” Steinbeck exemplifies through this message that the American Dream is conceptual, yet unattainable because of the grim face of reality.

America is always been known as a land of opportunity. Migrants move to America, passing down to generation after generation, hard work will end up in the American Dream. Like the fore fathers express, America is also the land of equality, therefore making it possible for anyone to get rich as long as they were willing to work hard for it. Still, many American writers illustrate that in the harsh realities of life there is no society where only a handful of people become rich. In a miserable 1930’s California, most people have very little money and no opportunities to become successful economically. However, the belief that the American dream and opportunities existed still created an incredible feat to which people can look forward too. In the novella, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck depicts the lives of migrant workers in California during the 1930’s. George, an everyday worker, has an idealistic view of what is to come in the future. He dreams, Lennie, his lifelong friend, and him can buy a piece of land, which they could call their own. Curley’s Wife, the ranch owners, daughter in law, dreams to become an actress. Lastly, Crooks, the “Stable Buck” dreams to have a purpose in life. The American Dream is a common goal between the characters in the novella. Throughout the novel, John Steinbeck cleverly shows the proximity between the principles of the American dream and the harsh reality of boundless poverty. In Of Mice and Men, the author, John Steinbeck uses the characters of

Dreams are meant to be dreamt but are never attained. In the riveting novella of Of Mice and Men, two “bindlestiffs”, George and Lennie (the protagonists), search for a job in Soledad, a small town not too far from Salinas, during the poverty-stricken era of the 1930s. During the 1930s, many “Okies”, unemployed and impecunious migrants from the Midwest, traveled to California in search of a dwelling and an occupation. All of them aspired to be wealthy and have all the fancy goods and chattels in life, but very few could accomplish such a breathtaking endeavor. Throughout the entire novella of Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck conveys a universal message which states that the American dream is simply unachievable. Lennie and Crooks, people

Lennie paced around the room, pounding his fists on any wall he could find. With a sour face, he checked every nook and cranny between the page and the text for something taking on the form of a door. A way to escape.

Toward the end of the novella Lennie fears he’s “done a bad thing.” After accidentally killing Curley’s wife, Lennie hides by the stream that George foreshadows as a meeting place, in case something bad was to happen. Knowing that Lennie can never be accepted by society, George makes the decision to take Lennie’s life in order to save him from the cruelty of society. Steinbeck writes, George “pulled the trigger. The crash of the shot rolled up the hills and rolled down again.” (106) Steinbeck uses this tragic moment to make apparent that George and Lennie’s dream has to die with

Dreams are very important in people’s lives affecting them greatly. The migrant ranch dream motivates George and Lennie to obtain a place where they would belong therefore obtaining independence. The two would often talk about the fact that they’d “have [their] own place”, which shows their extreme desire for their dream ranch (Steinbeck 57). The idea of obtaining it is always on their minds and causes them to work harder to obtain it. They also value it as a chance to be independent. Lennie and George think of it as a place where they will be able to act against people they don’t like by saying “get the hell out” (Steinbeck 58). The people would have to do what they say because George and Lennie wouldn’t be working for them. They would be able to voice their own opinions and not have to suffer the consequences of doing so. They could also choose when they want to work and how long. They would be able to say “ the hell with goin’ to work, and …build up a fire in the stove and set around it an’ listen to the rain comin’ down on the roof “when the weather is really bad(Steinbeck 14-15). They would not have to deal with the harsh conditions and can relax.

Before returning to school, you will need to read Of Mice and Men. The following questions will guide your reading and prepare you for the quiz, discussions and related assignments. You may use this packet for the quiz. A TYPED PAPER COPY of this packet must be turned in to your teacher on the first day of school.