The American Dream In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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

In the novella Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, the struggle to achieve the American Dream; sucess, happiness and ownership of land weaves into the life of Crooks, an African American, disabled character who labors in the rural Californian ranch environment of the 1930’s. Throughout the story, Crooks struggles with the constant physical pain from his back, and emotional pain from the prevailing racism of this time period that isolates him from others. Due to his disability and race, Crooks is lonely, isolated and depressed, making it nearly impossible for him to achieve his dream.

A twenty-five percent unemployment rate. People desperate for lodging and food. Families stretching every penny to support themselves. Government trying to solve these problems through reforms and programs. This is what the world in the 1930s was like for Lennie and George, two migrant workers traveling across California, earnestly trying to achieve the American Dream. Even though these dreams seem impossible to accomplish, during the Great Depression a dream was a reason to get out of bed.

If there was a favorable circumstance under which one could endeavour all their hopes and visions, wouldn’t one pursue it? The American Dream was introduced as an interpretation to cause the people of America in the early twentieth century to work tougher. The American Dream is the opportunity to reach the goals one sets for themselves. It is about having your dream job and life one has always fantasized about. The dream is also about having freedom and equality. In the novel, “Of Mice & Men”, John Steinbeck uses symbols and motifs such as the vicious slaughtering of virtuous animals, Crooks’ rubbish bunkhouse and Lennie and George’s deception of an ideal farm to exhibit the perception that materialistic success results in happiness is a major flaw in our thinking about the American dream, and it is this thinking which makes the dream unattainable for many.

People living during the great depression had dreams but on seemed to be the most popular but with their own twist to their dream. The American dream is in the Declaration of Independence stating “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”. This dream is called the American Dream. The American dream is a set of standards in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success that can be achieved through hard work and determination. Steinbeck uses the American dream to give each character a goal to work toward to. Each character had their own American Dream. Owning some land so you could live independently, to tend the rabbits or to be playing cards with the other guys.

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

For years upon years, we have heard the concept of an “American Dream” repeatedly. In school, at home, and there’s probably several who have mused about it on their own during their time by themselves. It seems that, also, several have concluded that the Dream is dead: gone, disappeared, poof into thin air. Some argue that it’s nothing but a pack of lies our predecessors were fed to believe that perhaps America had a better future lingering just around the corner, or that it’s changed much from what it was ‘back in the day’. The American Dream has remained unchanged since the Great Depression, but the nation we are today may slowly be killing it. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the Dream is to have that equal opportunity for success, the same as in Bobby Jindal’s and Ellen Powell’s articles, but it seems that inequality may be killing the American Dream.

He kept a mouse inside his pocket and when he took it out dead he couldn’t comprehend it. At the barn he got the puppy and he tried to sneak it into his bunk but got caught by George. Lennie knows he shouldn’t be doing that because George gets mad but he does it any way. Then later in the barn when Lennie is playing with the puppy and it died then Lennie said “Why do you got to get killed?”(pg.85)Lennie doesn’t understand he is bringing harm and actually killing these animals. As the novel goes on the things he is killing just get bigger and bigger. Lennie doesn’t understand the strength he has. He broke Curley’s hand just by blocking it. Lennie went to touch Curley’s wife's hair and he snapped her neck and die instantly. He doesn’t realize what he can do and when he did these things he never meant to harm anyone so he is a danger and has to have eyes on him at all

In today’s society, many dream of becoming rich and successful, similar to many people during the Great Depression. The American Dream is the idea that every individual can receive wealth and prosperity due to their hard work and determination. In the novel, Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck, George and Lennie are best friends, facing the challenges of the Great Depression by working on a ranch in the Salinas Valley. As Lennie copes with the struggles of the era, he stays focused on his dreams and constantly has a positive mindset, which shows the American Dream can give hope even in the hardest times.

In addition to George always picking on Lennie, George was the only person who vowed to take care of Lennie when his great aunt Clara became ill. “I told his old lady i’d take care of him” (Steinbeck 22). Given by that, Lennie could not function alone and by himself, even though he was a grown man he just had some major difficulties. At one time he relied on his Aunt Clara, but now since George has betrayed his promise he had made to take care of

Is the American Dream, just a dream or reality? In the story, Of Mice and Men the american dream is just a dream. The american dream is what the characters in of Mice and Men dream of and get so close to achieving but getting sidetracked ruins it. Dreams affect the characters in of Mice and Men by George being distracted by the dream, Crooks realizing that his dream will never come true and Curley’s wife feeling desperate because her dream didn’t come true.

John Steinbeck is a famous american author. He wrote many books that takes place in the Salinas River valley during the Great Depression. His most famous book, of mice and men talks about the failure of the american dream. John Steinbeck uses George, Candy, and Curley’s wife to show the failure of the American Dream. First, John Steinbeck uses George to show the failure of the American Dreams.

Lennie is portrayed as a lovable character who really means no harm, but continually finds himself in compromising situations. The dream started and ended with Lennie. George also admits to knowing this. He confesses to Candy that, “—I think I knowed from the very first. I think I knowed we’d never do her.

In Of Mice and Men one large theme that is conveyed throughout is the American dream, which is a phrase people use to describe the perfect life in America. However, even though many people go to achieve it, rarely is it accomplished. Since the novel was placed around the time of great depression, the phrase was used to give everyone hope. Steinbeck seems to know how rare the dream actually is and portrays this through characters in the text. The classic book shows and brings up many political and capitalistic views.

In this case, George learned this the hard way. Once Lennie did the last bad thing he could do, George knew that he had to decide whether he wanted to struggle or survive, the American dream was no longer an option for them, at least not together. Was George finds Lennie, Lennie says, “you ain’t gonna leave me, are ya, George? I know you aint.”(Page.103 line 2-3) This quote proves how even Lennie knows that George has been held back by him. That day, after Lennie killed their boss’s wife, he knows that he can’t continue on with him.