Jung Kim 11/5/14 Lit & Comp Period 1 The American Dream The American Dream is a goal most people strive for. The goal is a way to live the good life, to have more money than we need, and to able to live comfortably in the land of freedom. However, most people work hard and yet don’t succeed.The setting of the novel, Of Mice and Men, reflects the improbability of anyone reaching the American Dream because it takes place during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. This was a time when America was in massive economic decline and was suffering from terrible agricultural devastation. Many people looking to become rich were forced to move away from their land. Farmers also had an arduous time, because of the severe drought from 1932-1935 …show more content…
“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-” “An’ live off the fatta the lan,” Lennie shouted. “An’ have rabbits. Go on, George! Tell about what we’re gonna have in the garden and about the rabbits in the cages…”(14). This quote shows the details of their particular dream. George and Lennie both want a farm that they can live on while Lennie tends the rabbits. Yet this goal is never achieved. There were constants threats by Curley and Curley’s wife that prevented them from getting their own farm. Curley always had his hatred towards Lennie because Curley didn’t like people bigger in size than him. Also, he was angered when Lennie broke his hand. Curley’s wife was a constant source of temptation for Lennie and George.When she let Lennie touch her hair, he clutched hard, unknowingly. Lennie was startled when she screamed and ended up breaking her neck. Due to the death of Curley’s wife, the men went out to kill Lennie and George ended up shooting Lennie in the back of the head. It was a hard decision for George to make, but he knew he had to do it because it was an act of kindness towards Lennie. George and Lennie’s dream was never accomplished due to all the complications in their live’s which ultimately resulted in Lennie’s death. Crooks and Candy were both dreaming to join George and Lennie if they had bought a farm. Candy
The character in Of Mice and Men that is most similar to Tom Buchanan in The Great Gatsby is Curley. Curley and Tom Buchanan have many similarities throughout both books. These shared characteristics stem from one thing both men have an abundance of: privilege. Curley and Tom are easily two characters with the least amount of struggle in The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men.
John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. was an American author wrote many novels including one of his most famous, Of Mice and Men. Of Mice and Men teaches many lessons about the nature of human existence. Each relationship grows throughout this short story and end with a dramatic experience. All of the characters, including Lennie, George, Crooks, and Curley’s wife, admit, at one time or another, to having a profound sense of isolation, seclusion and loneliness.
Lennie has his mind set on one thing. That is getting out of the barn and getting his own piece of land with George. This dream motivates Lennie to always listen and follow what George says. There he can finally tend the rabbits he has always wanted. Lennie loves petting things such as small animals and dresses which usually leads him to trouble.
It is the natural inclination of all men and women to dream. In John Steinbeck’s novel “Of Mice and Men,” the American dream is sought after by many different characters. However, the main theme in the story is how these dreams are unattainable, and how because of the Great Depression, all American dreams were dead. But what is the American dream? A unitary definition does not exist, however, the meaning of living the American dream is something that differs for everyone. For some people, the American dream might be acceptance and equality. On the other hand, for others, it might mean fame and fortune. In the short story called “Of Mice and Men” the American dream seems unreachable for a number of characters, such as George, Lennie,
Lennie and George’s dream is to own a piece of land to work and live where they can have cows, pigs, chicken a vegetable patch with alfalfa and rabbits. “O.K Someday – we’re going
This line of the poem specifically connects to Lennie who reacts violently towards Curley’s wife when his dream is threatened. Although Lennie loves, the idea of a house where he can live off the “fatta the lan’”, he mostly cares about raising the rabbits. When Curley’s wife starts screaming because Lennie will not stop petting her hair, Lennie grabs her and shakes her. Fearing Curley’s wife’s screams will get him in trouble with George,
On the night of when they were sleeping near the pond, George and Lennie had a conversation about their new home. George started the topic by saying “O.K. Someday--we are going to receive the jack together and we are going to have a little house and a couple of acres and a cow and some pigs and---- “And live off the fat of the land,” Lennie shouted. “And have rabbits. Go on, George! Tell about what we are going to have in the garden and about
The American Dream can be defined as the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. Lots of people during the Great Depression had an American Dream. The problem was, was that the American Dream was never attained because of the somber time period that these poor people were going through. Back then and still today, people say to one another to chase their American dream or never give up, but when faced with difficulties or obstacles, it is hard to overcome the American dream. In the novel, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck all of the characters had some sort of American Dream whether it was big or small during the Depression time period that they wanted to be reached. But none of their American Dreams were attained because Steinbeck’s message was that dreams are supposed to be imagined and not achieved. Although people will argue that the American Dream was achievable during the Great Depression, it actually was not because of people’s disabilities, tough job competition, and the harsh discrimination toward those who were different.
The "American Dream" is marked as unattainable in John Steinbeck's novella Of Mice and Men. This is mostly shown in the case of George, Lennie, Candy, Crooks, and Curley's wife. These characters all have admitted to thinking about the "American dream" concept, and the freedom to pursue happiness and their dreams.
Their dream also sets George apart from the others because it means he and Lennie have a future and something to anticipate. Unlike Lennie, George does not see their dream in terms of rabbits; instead, he sees it in a practical way. Their farm will be one where they can be independent and safe and where he will not have to worry about keeping track of Lennie 's mistakes. They can be secure and in charge of their own lives. However, Lennie is the one who adds the enthusiasm because George never really believed they could swing this farm of their own. He mostly uses the story to give Lennie something to believe in for their future. Only when Candy offers
Lennie always dreamed about going to tend the rabbits and and having a nice amount of land where no one would tell them what to do and they would just living off the fatta' the land which would make it a complete utopia. One time Candy heard them talk about the land so he wanted to be involved with them. The Land is the whole reason for the death of Curley's wife because he only killed her to make sure he didn't get in any trouble with George and they still get the land. Lennie's disability prevented him from knowing
George knows a ranch of this stature is unachievable and is only a fragment of their imagination. George’s stance helps to predict the potential future of this dream after the death of the dream’s main advocate. At one moment George spoke to Crooks in Crooks’s room about his aspirations to tend to a life of on the farm, while George is out with the other guys and making connections. Lennie says, “The rabbits we’re gonna get, and I get to tend ‘em, cut grass an’ give ‘em water, an’ like that”(69).
George, Lennie and Candy have slightly different dreams but they all dream of a better life. George is a caring person who looks after Lennie due to Lennie's medical
The friendship between Lennie and George went beyond what was unambiguous, they shared a common dream, and they never stopped trying to acheive their dream. They dream of a peice of land of their own. Independence. A couple of acres, a cow, some pigs, and rabbits that Lennie dreams of tending to. Their dream will later be shattered by fate.
“We gonna have a little place,... a garden and a place for alfalfa, an’ that alfalfa is for the rabbits.” (89) Lennie has this dream that one day him and