Of Mice And Men American Dream Essay

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

The American dream is the idea that success is available to all regardless of family background or social status. It is achieved through hard work, talent, and ambition. However, in The Mice of Men, the American dream is not possible. Steinbeck shows this through the actions of Curley’s wife as she represents women of that time. Curley’s wife is a very lonely person and not very hard working. She even antagonizes the men on the ranch because she thinks she can get away with it, which shows just how weak she is. According to Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, the American dream is not possible and this is demonstrated through his use of the character Curley’s wife.

Many years ago today, the United States of America was the prime example of prosperity and opportunity. It established America with the idea that its citizens would be guaranteed life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Today, it is true that people have liberties and are free to pursue happiness. However, in recent years, in the worst recession since the Great Depression. Unemployment, growing economy inequality, and medical care have skyrocketed. Despite the odds, the American Dream is still a goal that many people strive for and hope to reach. In fact, an essay written by Brandon King, The American Dream: Dead, Alive or on Hold? He says, “the American dream is a dream in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with the opportunity for each according to his/her ability and achievement…” (King 610-611). Therefore, the problem with the American Dream lies not within the dream itself, but within the means people pursue to attain this dream.

Of Mice and Men is a story set during the 1930's America, this was a

Of Mice and Men has many recurring themes throughout. One of the main themes is the impossibility of the american dream. There are many characters that showed the theme. The main characters George and Lennie showed it. Also Candy and Crooks shared a similar dream.

The American dream is dead! I have reached this conclusion for a very simple reason: It’s true. The key elements of the American dream is a living wage, retirement security, the opportunity for one's children to get ahead in life are now unreachable for all but the wealthiest among us. And it’s getting worse. As inequality increases, the fundamental elements of the American dream are becoming increasingly unaffordable for the majority of its United States citizens.

John Steinbeck describes a world where the American Dream was a wonderful dream to live but very difficult to live because of the challenges. In the 1930s, the Great Depression was occurring and it was horrible. During this time it was very disturbing how many people were living because they could not afford anything. The American dream was honesty not very achievable during this time period. Many people John Steinbeck reveals the reality of the 1930s in his novel. Steinbeck’s purpose in writing Of Mice of Men was to criticize racism, disability, and woman respect.

America does not provide access to the American dream to the citizens of America and immigrants because there is not many opportunities left in America due to the large economic collapse and the huge population growth. America can no longer provide the American dream to citizens because of the job competition and the economic collapse. America is overpopulated and is destroying the land, more people are surviving sicknesses. This all leads to say that the American dream is dead, and can no longer support the notion of the American dream.

John Steinbeck wrote ‘Of Mice and Men’ to show how hard life was for migrant ranch workers during the time of the Great Depression and how they were often exploited by their employers. In showing how George and Lennie’s dream of owning their own piece of land did not come true, Steinbeck explores a wider theme, criticising the idea of the American Dream. The American Dream tells people that there is ‘opportunity for each... regardless of the fortuitous circumstance of birth and position. Steinbeck criticises this as these ranch workers were given few opportunities. Settings play a very important part in the novel as they pinpoint clear times and places giving a sense of realism to the story, but they are also used to create atmosphere.

Your greatest temptation will be from your exuberance at joining the Ancient Society. You will want to scream to the world of your happiness, but it's wiser to control your happiness and keep the new, powerful you a secret.

The American classic, Of Mice and Men is a novella written and published by John Steinbeck in 1937. In being labelled as a “must-read” by the New York Times, it has notoriously received a Nobel Price for Literature. Set in the dusty town of Soledad, California, the story follows a vagabond pair of friends in search of work. The life of George and his handicapped friend, Lennie, have little connection or worth, despite being driven by the hope of owning their dream farm. The importance of the “American Dream” is highlighted as a key theme in Of Mice in Men, however through the central characters in the novella, Steinbeck positions his audience to respond to the idea that achieving this dream is impossible. Among most characters in of Mice and Men, some form of dream or ambition is mentioned, George and Lennie's being the most central, naturally. However, the desires of other characters like Curley’s wife and Crooks’ also come into light. As it’s revealed that none of these dreams are ever achieved, inevitably the depressing message that “dreams are meant to be dreamt, not fulfilled” is conveyed to the audience.

In the 1920’s, America’s economy was the worst it's ever been. The rich became poor overnight as the stock markets crashed. People wanted their money from banks but bank accounts were erased. This period of time is known as “The Great Depression”. At the beginning of The Great Depression, something called “The Dust Bowl” swept through flatlands. It did not rain for a long time so the land was dry and crops were not able to be planted. Dust tornadoes that were strong enough to suffocate you blew through these areas, too. The dust bowl caused farmers to move to wherever they could find work, creating the name “migrant farm workers”. These farm workers were men who would travel from farm to farm and did just enough work to provide food for themselves. They were basically homeless, everything they owned could fit in a small bag. Of Mice and Men, written by American author John Steinbeck, follows the story of two farm-working men during The Great Depression. Just as the people's dreams to stay at in a stable financial state failed, this book shows examples of many dreams coming to an end. In his novella, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck uses Lennie, Curley’s Wife, and Candy to prove that the American dream will always fail.

Everyone in life has their own version of an American Dream and people will often do anything they can to attain it, even if it is impossible. In the oppressive world of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice & Men, no one can seem to achieve their version of the American Dream, but are still relentlessly motivated by it throughout the entire story. This tale follows two earnest ranch workers, George and Lennie, who are always on the hunt for a job. These men make a very hardworking team, who somehow remain motivated by their seemingly unattainable dream of owning a stake “an’ liv[ing] off the fatta the lan,” as the rather mentally vacant Lennie puts it (14). Quickly, the pair is on their way to a new job where they encounter a slew of characters, each with their own unattainable American Dream. Most importantly are Curly’s wife, who has a dream of being a prominent Hollywood actress, and the one handed bunkhouse cleaner, Candy, who has the simple dream of being taken care of once he gets too old to do his job. Each of these dreams mean something different to each character and motivates them all in vastly different ways. Despite these simple ideas, to show what the American Dream is as a whole takes a bit more explaining.

“With us it ain't like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. We don't have to sit in no bar room blowin’ in our jack jus’ because we got no place else to go” (Steinback 14). John Steinbeck, the author of Of Mice and Men, makes sure that dreams play a big part in the story. Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902, in Salinas, California, forward thirty fives years later and Steinback would be in the process of publishing Of Mice and Men during the heart of The Great Depression. The Great Depression occurred right after the stock market crashed and caused many to go unemployed. In fact, “By 1933, when the Great Depression reached its lowest point, some 15 million Americans were unemployed and nearly half the country’s banks had failed” (The Great Depression). Themes from the story, including the American Dream, can be seen in the great depression too, as many people wished for a better life. Although all of the workers on the ranch have a dream, it can be concluded that fulfilling them is not possible due to limitations in their life.

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 thing the excites him most,while still being with George.