Of Mice And Men And The American Dream Theme

Propaganda filters throughout the world to lean people’s views one way or another. In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, he uses George and Lennie, Crooks, and Curley’s wife to demonstrate the American Dream. This is unattainable but is their motivation to carry on their daily on the ranch lives. George and Lennie’s actions revolve around their American Dream. In a conversation between George and Lennie they discuss their dream, George states “... 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” (Steinbeck, 14). George says this to Lennie to motivate him to keep quiet and out of trouble so they can eventually reach these dreams. The American Dream can be defined as people

The American Dream started off as propaganda in order to make the American people of the early twentieth century work harder to build a successful economy. The idea of the American Dream is that every American citizen has an equal opportunity of making money along with owning a large house, some land, and having a family with kids. In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck illustrates that the American Dream, no matter how simple is impossible to achieve. As everyone has their own interpretation of the American Dream, Steinbeck uses George and Lennie, Crooks, and Curley’s Wife to demonstrate how the American Dream is impossible to achieve and how important the dream was for people so they could carry on with their lives.

George and Lennie believe they can achieve their American dream because “‘I [George] got you [Lennie] to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why.’” (Steinbeck 14). They feel like they can rely on each other and their friendship and loyalty prevent them from isolating themselves. Their presence on that ranch even changed the people around them because they were accepting of the outcasts. Crooks, Candy, and Curley’s wife all open up to them about the isolation and loneliness they feel. Candy asks George if he can join them on their dream of owning their own property. George says he will consider it but eventually denies the offer when the body of Curley's wife is found, because he realizes the dream of owning a farm with Lennie is dead. As Peter Lisca states in his article, “On Of Mice and Men” from The American Dream, “The dream of the farm originates with Lennie and it is only through Lennie, who also makes the dream impossible, that the dream has any meaning for George.” While it is clear that Lennie needs George, George needs Lennie too. Without Lennie, George loses his sense of purpose and is likely to isolate himself like all the other ranchers. The strong bond between the two of them serve to contrast the economic and social conditions at the

A great mark is when Candy offers to help him out on a house as long as he can live with George. Candy joining in on George shows that the American Dream is a great desire for a lot of people and is a very strong emotion shared by many. Candy states ‘“Suppose I went in with you Tha’s three hundred and fifty buck I’d put in. I ain't much good, but I could cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some’”(Steinbeck 59). Candy here is offering to join in on the idea of Georges American Dream and living off the land. Georges idea of the American Dream seems closer with the help of Candy pitching in a great sum of

John Stienbeck’s novel “Of Mice and Men” is about the death of the American dream. George, Lennie and Candy’s dream is to own their own piece of land to work and live independently on. This dream is destroyed by Lennie’s ignorance and Lennie’s strength, which he cannot control. Curley’s wife’s dream is to be a famous Hollywood actress. Her dream is destroyed by her marriage to Curley and the Hollywood director who promised to contact her about her acting career but never has. Crook’s dream is for equality. Racism and the attitudes of others destroy this dream.

American journalist David Grann once said, “You want the story to be about something, have some deeper meaning, but there is also an emotional, almost instinctual element, which is, does this story seize some part of you and compel you to get to the bottom of it?” Every piece of text has a meaning that goes deeper than the page it is printed on. Of Mice and Men is an example of this. Of Mice and Men was written by John Steinbeck in 1937. The story takes place in California during the Great Depression, a time where it was laborious to be anything close to successful. Everyone believed that with a minimal amount of hard work and money saved up, the American Dream could be at their fingertips. The two main characters George and Lennie struggle to get land to call their own. Lennie is driven by his dream of tending rabbits, but he makes it challenging when he is the main reason of their setbacks and complications as they move from job to job. Fortunately, George is always there to clean up the mess. Of Mice and Men is studied as an allegory because the characters symbolize problems more substantial than the ones Steinbeck clearly writes about. John Steinbeck zooms in on other problems that America struggles with besides the enticing desire for just materialistic things. Steinbeck criticizes racism, the mistreatment of those who are disabled, and the disrespect of women.

The author continually exemplifies the negative effects of dreams and hopes, specifically the “American Dream” throughout the book. This dream can also be explained by an individual overcoming all obstacles and beating all odds to one day be successful. However, in the setting of Of Mice and Men, it interprets more commonly in relation to owning land, leading a better and richer life, and living an independent lifestyle. Steinbeck uses Of Mice and Men to show how although the

In this novel, George and Lennie have the dream to purchase a small farm and farm the land themselves. In contrast to most dreams, their dream is very modest and achievable. Their dream is realistic because their friendship has been established through years of togetherness and the basic needs of both the characters (Scott, 1985, p. 39). George and Lennie are dependant on each other. Through Lennie, George can feel superior and justify his own failures. Through George, Lennie is provided with direction in life. Lennie is protected from himself by George. But, the most prominent reason their dream is realistic is that the farm is in actual existence and George has a vivid picture of it in his mind (Scott, 1985, p. 43). Sadly, regardless of the realism of their goal, inevitable destruction must occur. Although it is beyond his control, Lennie’s circumstances are what destroys the dream. Steinbeck creates Lennie to exist in a society where he is rejected because of his constant conflict with others. According to Brenda Foster Scott in John Steinbeck's Concept of the Individualistic Survival of the American Dream, “such characters are destined for failure not only because of a non-teleological view which pits them against a world which lies beyond any distinctions of that which is moral or immoral, but also against a society which cannot tolerate their inabilities to

The most important dream in this novel is that of the two main characters Lennie and George. They

"The American Dream is that any man or woman, despite of his or her background, can change their circumstances and rise as high as they are willing to work” (Fabrizio Moreira). For many years, men and women struggled to achieve the idealistic life of living on independent terms. Many characters in Of Mice and Men work in order to pursue and achieve the American Dream that consisted of having their own house and income. Characters in the book may use that dream to help the overcome their life struggles and personal problems. Of Mice and Men tells the story of two friends, George and Lennie, who find themselves on a ranch in pursuit of their dreams. Unfortunately for them, circumstances beyond their control cost Lennie and George their dream and much more. In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Steinbeck portrays how dreams create a false sense of hope in order to cover up the realities of life through George, Curley’s wife, and Candy.

As America was formed, so was the American Dream. People from all over migrated to America in search of this dream. In the novella, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, many different characters have a glimpse of the American Dream. However, as in real life, these dreams do not always come true. Steinbeck illustrates the improbable chance of the American Dream coming true through the hopelessness of the characters’ conversations.

The American Dream comes to mind to many people that want to achieve their dreams, find freedom, and also to be faced with the struggles the world put out at them. In the book, Of Mice and Men, we see how George and Lennie face the American Dream. The American Dream comes to mind to many people that want to achieve their dreams, find freedom, and also to be faced with the struggles the world put out at them. In the book, Of Mice and Men, we see how George and Lennie face the American Dream.

After saving up enough money, they wanted to buy a house and live off their land in peace, with rabbits, Lennie’s symbol of comfort. Their hope of this “American Dream” was why they worked to the fullest, and they were very protective of this dream. When Candy found out about what they were planning, he wanted to be a part of it, but the two were unsure. Their uncertainty easily showed how important this was to them, and how much they wanted it, at the end of the novella, George had killed Lennie in order to protect him from the rest of the workers, essentially crushing their hope at the same time. Their dream was gone, and with that, so was the hope, it was supposed to be for the both of them, not just George, and Lennie’s death prevented this, so the illusion of hope was over.

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

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.