Comparing The American Dream In Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
In a recent poll conducted by PBS, results showed that nearly half of Americans who once believed in the American dream thought that it didn’t exist anymore. This portrayal that the American dream no longer exists or is not easily attained is shown in the novel “Of Mice and Men,” written by John Steinbeck. The book focuses on a dependent relationship between two characters. George is a very smart man, but struggles with companionship. Whereas Lennie is a very dumb man, that thrives with making friends. These two characters travel to work on a ranch in the hopes that they will make enough money to buy their own ranch. They describe this ranch that they will own and what will be on the ranch as their dream. As the story progresses the author …show more content…
He does this by exaggerated elements of Lennie and george's dream. These overagageratio are shown in this excerpt from the novel, “‘O.K 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 lan’,’ Lennie shouted. ‘An’ have rabbits. Go on, george! 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, and how thick the cream is on the milk like you can hardly cut it. Tell about that, George.’” (Steinbeck 15). In addition to over exaggerating contributing to the unrealistic nature of the dream, the time period that Steinbeck sets the novel in also makes their dreams seem unrealistic. Steinbeck does this by setting the novel during the Great Depression, which was a time where many people were poor because of a massive stock crash where many peoples money was lost. Therefore by stating in their dream that they would own a couple of acres is very unrealistic because they are very poor and it is not likely that they will be able to make enough money to afford their
Comparing The Motifs In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
221 Words | 1 PagesJohn steinbeck touches base on the American Dream when he wrote Of Mice and Men. There are many ways that John Steinbeck demonstrates how both George and Lennie have an American Dream. “With us it ain’t like that. We got a future” is an example of how the boys have that dream of having better things to come for them(Steinbeck 15). Steinbeck also uses motifs to show that the American Dream is within the book.
The American Dream In Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
1116 Words | 5 PagesOf Mice and Men, one of Steinbeck 's classic novellas, is constructed on the strange friendship between George Milton and Lennie Smalls and their journey to achieving the American Dream. On their quest, they arrive at a farm where they meet a nameless farm wife who is simply referred to as Curley 's wife. Throughout the novella she is objectified and isolated which helps develop the theme of loneliness. Because she is a woman, she is deprived of many opportunities to have dreams and goals in her life. Steinbeck crafts Curley’s wife’s character to demonstrate the role of women in the 1930’s, and to prove that women will never be able to achieve the American Dream because of the sexist society present during that time period.
Of Mice And Men American Dream Quotes
491 Words | 2 PagesThe American Dream The American dream is the desire of all most all the characters in the novella Of Mice and Men. This is shown in many ways in many kinds of dreams whether it be becoming Rich and famous or just having the means to survive on their own each character has their own American dream. The first example of the american dream would be George 's dream. George wanted nothing more than to own his own farm and survive off of the land with Lennie which is shown in this quote “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 set around it an’ listen to the rain comin’ down on the roof ...”
American Dream In Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
659 Words | 3 PagesWhat is the “American Dream”? Is it being a billionaire and owning your own mansion? Or is it having a spouse, kids, and a roof to live under? In Steinbeck’s Of Mice & Men, the characters all have a different meaning attached to the words American Dream.
Of Mice And Men American Dream Analysis
1018 Words | 5 PagesThe American Dream “That’s why they call it the American dream because you have to be asleep to believe it” (Colin). Everyone has dream and ideas of what they want to achieve and want to become and they generate hope and promising thoughts that what they dream will become a reality such as people who have the “American Dream”. In Of Mice And Men, the American Dream is prominent throughout the book. It is shown in nearly every chapter from the talks of rabbits and owning their own farm, to not being able to work the jobs that they do. It is a constant reminder of why Lennie and George work and have to do what they do to get by in their times.
Of Mice And Men And The American Dream Analysis
834 Words | 4 PagesEveryone aspires to achieve the American Dream: an opportunity to be successful by working hard. Throughout the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the American Dream brings hope for a better life for those who hold onto it. George Milton and Lennie Smalls, traveling ranch workers called bindle stiffs, dream of owning their own piece of land where they create the rules. They are not the only characters with hopes and dreams. But Steinbeck shows the American Dream is, in fact, sometimes just a dream through the hopes and actions of Lennie, Candy, and Curley’s wife.
Does Steinbeck Present The Theme Of The American Dream In Of Mice And Men
684 Words | 3 PagesSteinbeck uses the character George to illustrate the struggle of the American Dream, he suggests that when you work hard and are determined, it is very hard to achieve. George tells Lennie his romanticized notion of the American Dream, which involves owning their own land and not having to work for anybody else when they both begin working at the ranch. "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" (13). George's dream symbolizes the core of the American Dream.
The American Dream In Of Mice And Men By John Steinbeck
807 Words | 4 Pages(Steinbeck 57).When Geoerge says this portrays that he just wants a place where Lennie and him both belong. His dream is all about how Lennie and him a have a place where they belong. Overall Lennie and George’s are spitting the image of the American
Why Are Dreams Important In Of Mice And Men
505 Words | 3 PagesOf Mice and Men Dreams help motivate people to keep moving forward with a goal in their life. In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, George and Lennie travel together as migrant workers through California looking for a job. Their dream is to own their own ranch after finding a job that pays well. But impossible from the challenges that they gain along the way. The dreams in the novel affects the characters lives on how they feel towards one another, and themselves.
Theme Of The Unrealized Dream In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
1110 Words | 5 PagesThroughout the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the theme of the unrealized dream is displayed through characters such as Lennie, George, Candy, and Curley’s wife. The unrealized dream, also known as the American Dream, is portrayed differently for a few different characters in the book. Best friends George and Lennie have a shared dream which is to have a serene farm ranch, even if it is small, with a mediocre house, a rabbit pen, and a garden where they can grow their own vegetables and herbs. They long to live independently away from rude bosses and harsh ranches. This is seen differently for a character such as Candy who only wants to keep his job even though he is disabled.
Comparing The American Dream In Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
1091 Words | 5 PagesBoth Lennie and George have a similar idea of what they want for their American dream and that is to someday owning a farm. If they achieve this it would offer protection and financial care. Crooks tells them that they won’t be able to achieve their American dream and this ends up being true for them. Lennie explains their dream and says " 'Well, ' said George, '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 going ' to work, and we 'll build up a fire in the stove and set around it an ' listen to the rain coming ' down on the roof... '"
Theme Of Reality In John Steinbeck's Of Mice Of Men
898 Words | 4 Pages“If you can dream it, you can do it,” Walt Disney. In Of Mice of Men, written by John Steinbeck, characters: Curley's Wife, Crooks, George and Lennie believed in this quote. They all had dreams and hoped for them to seize accomplishment(to get accomplished). That’s when reality took them by surprise, which made their dreams vanish into thin air. An important theme conveyed in this book is that it showed how people have dreams but get confined by reality causing their dreams to not happen.
How Does Steinbeck Present The American Dream In Of Mice And Men
1723 Words | 7 PagesSince 1931 when James Truslow Adams first created the phrase “the American Dream”, people believed that America continuously offered everyone an equal opportunity to be successful. John Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men, was set during the Great Depression. Farms were struck hard during the Depression, and the two main characters George and Lennie were farm hands during this time. They had experienced the misunderstandings of other farm hands in terms of Lennie’s mental disability, but they were trying to earn enough money to buy their own farm. The idea of this farm drove Lennie and George to keep working, and like many others during this time they hoped to achieve this dream.
Essay On The American Dream In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
843 Words | 4 PagesThe American Dream is different for everyone. For some people it may just be financial stability. In the event of failing to achieve a sought after American Dream people become desperate to succeed. In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck it is based on the time period surrounding The Great Depression when it was much harder for people to achieve the American Dream. The american Dream acts as a temptress toward each character.
Of Mice And Men Curley's Wife Character Analysis
799 Words | 4 PagesThe characters in Of Mice and Men all have original and unique characteristics inside of them, but no matter how different, they all have the same reactions of giving up when thinking about dreams. The main characters George and Lennie, recently unemployed migrant workers, move to a new ranch for work. Thrown into a cruel, misshapen life that doesn’t end well for the majority of characters, George and Lennie find themselves in a dilemma that seems all too familiar. John Steinbeck uses the characters in Of Mice and Men to show that dreams are fragile and they need friends to support them.
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