The ending results of having aspirations and imagination are either happiness and success or failure and frustration. John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men sets in Salinas, California during the 1930s and centers around two men, George, the leader and Lennie, the follower with a mental disability. George and Lennie are on a mission to accomplish their dream which is to own a ranch. When pursuing their dream, they encounter conflicts along the way. The theme of one of the presented topics is hopes and dreams because, hopes and dreams can be in a cycle if the same action occurs again, there is a positive outlook, and a negative outlook. To begin, hopes and dreams is the idea of one of the given topics because, hopes and dreams can be in a cycle …show more content…
For example, when George was speaking to Lennie at the river, George states, “‘…we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres…’” (Steinbeck 14). In other words, George states that when he buys a ranch, the ranch will have a few acres of land with a house. Furthermore, the implication of this dialogue is how the discourse shows George looking forward to the ranch which stimulates George’s motivation, thus making George looking forward to the ranch being consider a positive perspective. Moreover, when Candy enters Crooks’ room in order to speak to Lennie, Candy says, “‘Tell ya what, Lennie I been figuring about them rabbits’” (Steinbeck 74). In other words, Candy is stating how he’s been thinking about the rabbits. Furthermore, the importance of this discourse is how Candy is bonding with Lennie by assisting Lennie on his dream which is a decisive perspective. Therefore, with a positive outlook, hopes and dreams is the subject of one of the presented …show more content…
For example, when Curley’s wife is telling Lennie about her dream at the barn, Curley’s wife says, “‘Coulda been in the movie, an’ had nice clothes…’” (Steinbeck 89). In other words, Curley’s wife mentions how she could be in the movies with good clothes. Furthermore, the significance of this dialogue is how it demonstrates Curley’s wife selfishness since she isn’t appreciating what she has since her dream didn’t happen. Therefore, the reason for Curley’s wife selfishness is consider an unfavorable outlook on aspirations and imagination. In addition, when George and Lennie were at the river, Steinbeck narrates, “And George raised the gun…to the back of Lennie’s head…He pulled the trigger” (106). In other words, George aims a gun at the back of Lennie’s head and shoots Lennie. Furthermore, the importance of this narration is how George sacrifices Lennie in order to move on with his dream and sacrificing someone is acknowledge as a pessimistic viewpoint. Therefore, aspirations and imagination is the theme of one of the given topics due to hopes and dreams having an adverse
Ever since humanity has come into existence, the world has allowed dreams to blossom into beautiful flowers or be rejected and die like a fly swatted in a household. Each dream may end in a success or a tragedy, but it is up to the discretion of the cruel, but rewarding world humans inhabit. In the novel of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, a myriad of characters all have dreams that they passionately want to fulfill. Curley’s wife, who remains unnamed in the book, has a dream of becoming Hollywood’s biggest star. Crooks, the black stable-hand only dreams of being able to have friends and be seen as an equal to others. Lennie and George are a pair of migrant workers who want to live the American dream and have their own ranch. Each of these characters’ dreams were all torn down by the world, illustrated by Steinbeck as a cruel place where dreams cannot come true, no matter how passionate a person may be.
Very often, people leave behind their dreams for more practical solutions to dismal situations. In Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men, dreams often serve the purpose of giving characters new opportunities. Dreams are also typically unattainable, yet characters in the novel spend much of their time trying to achieve them. Because the Depression era was so destitute, Lennie and George’s dream is a positive distraction from their seemingly hopeless situation. These reasons expose a deeper, more tragic truth of the era. Lennie and George's dream affirms that dreams are often unattainable distractions from real life.
Hopes and dreams can be very important for peoples’ needs and survival. In Steinbeck’s story, Of Mice and Men, each of the main characters is driven by their hopes and dreams; it provides a sense of motivation and animation to each of their being. From Lennie and George being driven by their hopes and dreams of owning a farm, to Curley’s wife’s dreams of becoming an actress, having dreams plays an essential role in giving hope to the characters of Steinbeck’s story. Although dreams and hopes are essential themes in Steinbeck’s story, in a sense, Steinbeck does seem to emphasize that dreams are not meant to be achieved, and that there are other factors that are essential for survival. I believe Steinbeck included their dreams to give
Like how Crooks was telling Lennie about how he has seen tons of men wanting the dream that every man wants but he has never seen anyone do it. With Curley’s wife, she wanted to be an actress and said that she had the opportunity but it was her mom that was holding her back. Yet she was “discovered” at a dancing club which did not seem to give her the clue that it was not for real. This comes to show how today, everyone wants to be famous, actor, singer, internet star, but it is just the real world and not everyone gets to be or gets what they want. Then how Lennie is always in the way of the american dream for him and George. Steinbeck just shows how complicated it is to achieve the american dream and shows how it may not be possible for
One of the major themes of John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men is that having a dream creates hope, friendship, and determination, enabling one to strive onward in life with a sense of importance. Three major examples show this idea. The first example is Candy’s loss of his dog and his joining George and Lennie 's dream of owning land. A second example is Crook’s memory of his father’s
Everyone has dreams, big and small. When one dreams, there is a scent of whimsical hope in the air mixed with the powerful drive for success to obtain their luminous goals. But, many times these luscious dreams end up in grief and pain instead of a promised joy due to the hurdles in life, such as the certain circumstances that society professes or the flaws in a person that restrains them from their aspirations. The writer, John Steinbeck, incorporates this ideology in his novella, Of Mice and Men by creating three pivotal characters. Lennie, Crooks, and George all have schemes that go wrong, and yet hope to illustrate their desires of fulfilling their American Dream and to be prosperous for their own independent purposes.
John Steinback’s Of Mice and Men is a book that describes the chase of the American Dream. Although achieving the American Dream is a great desire for all, seldom does it actually come true. George and Lennie, the two main characters in the book, have a goal of pursuing their version of the American Dream, as do many other characters. However, due to relationships and other conflicts, that dream is not achieved.
In Of Mice and Men, the hopes and dreams of the men on the ranch are a continuous focus and theme throughout the novel. John Steinbeck portrays the effects that dreams, or lack of them, have on the lives of the characters and the outcome of the novel. Steinbeck uses the concept of dreams at once to show hope and aspiration, as they invoke companionship with united determination for a better future, and to illustrate the difficulties of survival, with unrealised dreams illuminating the dark despair of society at that time.
In a different, yet similar way, Steinbeck also uses irony to illustrate the American Dream. He too shows the problems of the Dream with his use of the literary device. “Before George answered, Candy dropped his head and looked down at the hay. He knew. George said softly, “- I think I knowed from the very first. I think I knowed we’d never do her. He usta like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would.” (Steinbeck, 94) After so much work and pain, George and Candy realize that their dream has been a lost cause. While kind, Lennie’s mistakes have ended their goal of purchasing their own land and having a better life. George still has a chance of attaining his goal, but it has been severely injured. In the honest efforts of George, Lennie, and Candy, Steinbeck presents some form of flaw in the American Dream with his use of the brutal irony that is the downfall of the trio’s dream. Both authors have an apparent detestation towards what the American Dream has become in their time, and irony proves to be an outstanding apparatus to capture their thoughts.
Many people in today’s society believe that the perfect American dream is comprised of a house on a tree lined street and 2.5 children. People during the Great Depression era had similar dreams, however most of them never came true. The novel, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, is about two vagrants named George and Lennie, based in the 1930’s. The boys travel from town to town in search for work and ultimately, circumstances lead to Lennie’s death. The characters in the novel all have dreams, many of which come to sad ends. Curley’s wife, did not marry her husband for his looks and love, but instead to try and accomplish her dream of fame, instead she was branded as property and her dreams were never fulfilled. The dead worker, Lennie, dreams of working on the farm with his friend George, his life ending too soon before his dream took flight. Finally, an old man by the name of Candy, dreams of not dying alone, hopes to be with his friends at the time of his passing. Sadly, his dream also, ended. This fact does not only stain the era of the Great Depression, but also for today’s times, for many people’s dreams will never come true. For Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men characters, the American dream is unattainable.
Steinbeck appears to be discussing the roles of dreams in the character’s lives, I consider the roles to be more of a motivation. For instance, George discusses his future with Lennie and Candy and how they will own ten acres of land that has “’a little win'mill. Got a little shack on it, an' a chicken run. Got a kitchen, orchard, cherries, apples, peaches, 'cots, nuts, got a few berries. They's a place for alfalfa and plenty water to flood it’”
Steinbeck uses foreshadowing to remind the reader that Lennie and George’s dream of having their own farm will never be realized. He constantly talks about the failure of the dreams of others on the ranch they work on. One example is when Crooks wants to get in on the farm with George and Lennie. When he first heard about the farm, he was all for it, but once Curley’s wife came in and he was reminded of his harsh reality, he told Candy, “ ‘'Member what I said about hoein' and doin' odd jobs?... Well, jus' forget it’ ” (83). The farm is a place where nobody has ever seen their or anyone else’s dreams completed and this lets the reader know not to expect this to happen to Lennie and George. Another example of this is when Curley’s wife tells Lennie that she, “ ‘Coulda been in the movies, an'’ ” (88). In the end, she ends up marrying Curley and ending up on the farm where she’ll never be known for more than his
(steinbeck 39) George has dreams about having his own place and doing things for himself being his own boss and not having someone telling him what to do constantly without objection for fear of consequences. But his obstacles are that he isn't smart. But he’s put that behind him and continued to try and make a living with his hopes in his mind ready to embrace it.Another example of dreams is when Curley’s wife was talking to lennie about how she wasn't ready to live this life on a ranch.”If I’d went I wouldn't be living like this you bet.” She wanted to be in the show business so badly because she was approached by an agent that was interested in her but she wouldn't be able to go because of her mother. She eventually got married to Curley although she never planned on marrying him and felt as though she was trapped and she would never go anywhere. Additionally the quote that leads to my topic sentence. “He usta like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would .” (steinbeck, 94) They dream of being landowners and having people work for them and bringing in their own
The importance of dreams in Of Mice and Men is without their dreams they wouldn't have any reason to keep pushing towards achieving their dreams. If everybody didn't have their personal dreams that pushed them, then we would get nowhere in technology and society and our growth would decay away instead of increasing. Some people use dreams as their reason to live and others as a bonus to their current lifestyle. Some people set their goals too high for them to reach and grow, but not where they wanted to see themselves and then become depressed and don't make high goals. The dream in Of Mice and Men that they mainly emphasized was Lennie and Georges.
The novel ‘Of Mice and Men’, written by John Steinbeck is a truly fascinating novel based upon the theme of dreams. This novel was published in 1937, which was towards the end of ‘The Great Depression’ that hit the United States. The novel was set in Soledad, California, during the same time period as published. This was an era in which the economy collapsed; many Americans lost their jobs, therefore leading into a lot of poverty and despair. Although many people were depressed, this was also the era of dreams. This is what Steinbeck’s novel is all about, dreams