The American Dream in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Essay

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.

In the beginning of the book, George is impatient and angry with Lennie. George and Lennie stop on the side of the road to rest, after a long journey. They make a fire and stay the night. Lennie is anxious for George to tell him about their American dream. George talks about the plans of their dream. He exclaims, “So

Do dreams come true if you work effortful for it? If you said yes think again because Steinbeck’s theme of the ‘American Dream’ in Of Mice and Men displays the real truth. Immigrants and Americans alike assume in American that if you work hard enough you will be rewarded. If you’re lucky then you might get the dream, on the other hand not so much for others. Almost every character has a dream or wish they yearn, but never achieved it for various of obstacles in their path. In other words: George, Lennie, and Curley’s wife form perfect examples of the ‘American Dream’.

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.

The American Dream is not something you get, but it’s something you have to work hard for, this is what George Milton believes the American Dream to be. Whilst George and Lennie often speak about their dream of getting a farm and working hard to get it, George always looks towards the work involved in getting it. As George states in the novel, “We gotta keep it till we get a stake. We can’t help it, Lennie. We’ll get out jus’ as soon as we can. I don’t like it no better than you do.” Through this quote, Steinbeck is revealing that for the men to get their American Dream, they must go through troubling,

The two gentlemen alway had a big dream through the entire novel. Their American Dream was definitely alive. In the novel, there was a lot of talk about George and Lennie having a ranch of their own. Them living in luxury; to them anyway. "An' live off the fatta the lan'," Lennie shouted. (Steinbeck 14). As this conversation continues, George replies, " we'll have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and chickens. And when it rains in the winter, we'll just say the hell with goin' to work, and we'll build up a fire in the stove and sat around it an' listen to the rain comin' down on the roof." (Steinbeck 14-15). This quote demonstrates the imagination and the dedication to this dream that they had about getting their own little piece of land. Towards the end of the novel George is stirred up and he left the impression that the only reason this dream came about was because Lennie loved hearing about it, it was the only thing that made him happy. So I think that George's American Dream was dead before he even started. He was just trying to make Lennie

"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.

George could have had a life if it weren’t for Lennie, and that was what he sacrificed. At the end of the book, George makes the decision to

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.

Dreams coming true and people living happily ever after is what we see in tv shows and read in books. In reality dreams are very slim to becoming true. Steinbeck uses foreshadowing and conflict to emphasize that “The American Dream” is just a dream. George and Lennie dream about having land with animals and are trying to reach their goal. Many problem come their way to their journey to achieving “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. 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.

Even if he never outwardly says it, George loves Lennie like his own family. The closest he ever comes to admitting this fact is right before he shoots Lennie and he consoles him by saying, “I ain’t mad. I never been mad, an’ I ain’t now. That’s a thing I want ya to know” (117). And despite his seeming ignorance toward the subject, it’s clear that Lennie understands George loves him as much as he has always loved George.

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). This shows that Lennie’s dream got George thinking too much that they would actually get what they wanted. This impacts George in a negative way and now he has to face reality and what has to happen now.

When Americans Dream “The American Dream, the idea of the happy ending, is an avoidance of responsibility and commitment.” (Jill Robinson, 1). The novel, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck is a story set in the 1930’s about two men named George and Lennie. George and Lennie continually find work in an attempt to raise money as they wish to buy a farm that they can live on.

It’s not only then when he mentions it but in the back of his mind he knows Lennie will end up getting in trouble again, so George holds off on his dreams for Lennie. Lennie is more than worried when he knows he’s done something wrong and his first question for George is to make sure