Throughout our lives, we have been planted with a saying that nothing is impossible and we are often told to dream big. On the contrary, what we are really supposed to do is dream big and realistically, as dreaming big alone may not lead our dreams to come true. John Steinback raises this phenomenon in his Great Depression era novel. Set in the 1930s, Of Mice and Men is a tale about two men, George and Lennie who are work immigrants in California. They flee from one ranch to another, trying to make their dream of having a farm of their own come true yet have it shattered in the end. In the novel, Steinback illustrates several characters who dream of another life beyond their current ones only to have them stay as a dream until the end.
The dream of owning a farm to himself with his friend Lennie, who particularly gets to tend the rabbits is what makes George live through every day. The dream is illustrated as:
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—” “An’ live off the fatta the
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Old Candy overhears George and Lennie’s conversation about their dreamland farm and asks to join them. George finally lets Candy join in on their dream of living off the fatta land after Candy offers to contribute his savings. Now also becoming Candy’s dream, Candy is deeply disappointed when he learns that the dream will forever be a dream after Lennie killed Curley’s wife. Unable to accept the reality, Candy expresses his disappointment by blaming Curley’s wife. He lets out his anger as he says, ““you God damn tramp”…“You done it, di’n’t you? I s’pose you’re glad. Ever’body knowed you’d mess things up. … “I could of hoed in the garden and washed dishes for them guys.” (47). On the other hand, Candy is not the only character that has to painfully deal with the failure of attaining their
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.
Do you still remember why does Lennie wants George to talk about the farm the first time? George first introduce that fine-nice farm to us was mainly because Lennie's really want George to quote “Tell about what we're gonna have in the garden and about the rabbits in the cages and about the rain in the winter and the stove” unquote. For George and other workers like the old Candy, as I mentioned, the farm mainly symbolized as a chance of freedom, but for Lennie, since he is not smart enough, it is just as simple as the soft things that he enjoys feeling over the course of the years. However, as the old saying says “Every coin has two sides.” , behind the symbol of nice and lovely rabbits, we also know that Lennie always hurts whatever he pets.
Owning a farm where you can “live offa the fatta the lan’” is George and Lennie’s dream (57). Where they can have crops,“a little house. . . a room to ourself[themselves]”,and of course animals especially rabbits (58). The farm for George will be a place he can be independent while still taking care of Lennie, he can be his own boss in a place of security and comfort. The farm for Lennie would be a sanctuary from a world that does not understand him. There would be a responsibility for him to tend the rabbits, the attribute of the farm that excites him most,while still being with George.
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.
Have you ever had a dream that you have been really committed to? Has something or someone ever stopped you short of that or any dream of yours? These questions are quite relevant to the main characters in the selections Of Mice and Men and “Only Daughter”. Of Mice and Men is a well-known story by John Steinbeck that tells the tale of two travel companions, George Milton and Lennie Small, as they dream and work hard to gain a small piece of land for themselves during The Great Depression, a harsh financial time. “Only Daughter” is an autobiographical essay by Sandra Cisneros about her struggles on trying to bond with her father while being impeded by her six brothers. The two selections’ main dreams are both corresponding and distinct in various ways. The dreams are also very substantial to the one who holds it. George and Lennie’s dream, in Of Mice and Men, influenced their lifestyle, behavior, and relationship between them. Sandra Cisneros’s dream, from “Only Daughter”, had an impact on the topic of her writing, her writing style, and her relationship with her father, who she has been trying to gain the approval for her writing career for many years.
He gets his freedom, and he gets to ruin himself, and own a few acers. Lastly, to Candy, the dream is for him to be able to work the garden, and to live in a relaxed environment because he thinks that soon, the boss will let him go. A quote from the story to show how much Lenny likes hearing their American Dream is , and to show how important the American Dream means to him is “’Tell me like you done before.’ ‘Tell you what?’ ‘About the Rabbits’ George snapped ‘You ain’t gonna put nothing over me.’ Lennie pleaded ‘Come on George. Tell me. Please George. Like you done before’” (pg 13). This quote from the story shows how much Lennie believed in the dream. His mental disability made him act a lot younger than his actual age, he dreams a lot and can easily be tricked by what people say. He is very fragile and short tempered, like a young child can be. But also like a child, he believes in dreams, he still has the innocence and pureness, which causes him to have faith, and trust in the dream. A quote that shows that George is believes in the American Dream is “Maybe you’re gettin’ better. When we get a coupla acres I
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
The most important dream in this novel is that of the two main characters Lennie and George. They
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.
George and Lennie's dream of owning land is unattainable, due to Lennie's lack of understanding of his own strength. This is proven when George finds out that Lennie has killed Curley's wife by snapping her neck accidentally,"-I think I knowed from the very first. I think I knowed we'd never do her. He us like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would" (107). This portrays George thinking and contemplating about his dream and making the conclusion that he will never own a piece of land. Lennie's careless actions causes george to shoot Lennie ultimately destroying their dream.Candy doesn't want to be lonely his whole life, so when he hears about the plan that George and Lennie are going to try to do he gets excited. But, the plans are ultimately destroyed by George shooting Lennie.. Candy believed that he was so close to getting the ‘American Dream’. However, all hope was lost after George killed Lennie. This is evident when candy asks George "Then-it's all off?" Candy asked sulkily. George didn't answer his ... question. George said, "I'll work my month an' I'll take my fifty bucks and' I'll stay all night in some lousy cat house. Or I'll
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
George is the second main character and one of the protagonist after Lennie in Of Mice and Men. When Lennie gets into trouble, He always helps him find a solution or get away, though Lennie’s size combined with his mental handicap caused problems frequently. He is also a planner, telling Lennie where he should go if there is trouble on the ranch. To make the dream which is owing a ten-acre farm becomes a reality, He’s competent to work hard. Unlike the other ranch hands that squander their money on women and drink, George refuses to spend a dime in vain, saving everything to make the dream happen. He wants to buy the farm so that he and Lennie can live there, free from problems and constraints
A Dream can be defined in as an ideal. The American dream is to be
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.
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