The American dream is something that we all strive for in one way or another. Whether it’s being equal to the people around you, or having freedom to be successful in whatever you want in life. But for the characters in Of Mice and Men it is the dream of owning land and being independent from everyone else. But the American Dream is not something that is given to you, it includes work ethic, knowing that the dream may be impossible and the sacrifice that may have to be made. These are all things that George and Lennie and other characters in the book have to do to eventually reach the American dream.
The work ethic that both George and Lennie have is enough for them to eventually achieve their dream of a little farm house with rabbits, but not all of the work they do is on the ranch. George and
…show more content…
We have all had to sacrifice something to get to what we want, wether it was a good night sleep, a night with friends, or an actual friend. We have all experienced it in one way or another, but George made a sacrifice that cost him a lot. It cost him a friend, and someone else life. When he shot Lennie in the back of the head, George was sacrificing his only friend, and that friends life. He knew that Lennie would never be able to survive with the guys on the ranch chasing him and wanting to kill him. George sacrificed the dream of the farm and his only friend so that he could die knowing that George was not mad at him. When striving for the American dream, there are many things that must be sacrificed along the way. Many things that must be understood, one of them being the fact that the dream could very well be impossible, and the work ethic that must be used to reach the dream. These are things that all of the characters in Of Mice and Men have to go through, along with every single one of
George reassure Lennie that they are only focus on making money at their job. George Hilton and Lennie are working very hard and are determined to get their own piece of land to get out of the ranch. Throughout the book george and Lennie dream about living off the land. Living off the land is both of their dreams. Another quote from mice and men state's “ Guys like us that work on ranches are the loneliest guys in the world.
Another reason is the ranchers would’ve killed him no matter what so this way George ensured it was fast and painless. On the other hand, this was condemned because George had been saying how his life would be so much better without Lennie and this allowed him to be able to live that life. George's decision to kill Lennie was justified because Lennie was going to be killed no matter what. After all of the ranchers find out that Lennie killed Curley’s wife, Curley states that he is going to kill Lennie, "I'm gonna get him.
Although it doesn’t sound like a sacrifice, it is. George had to kill Lennie to avoid being confronted by Curley and Carlson, who were both set on killing Lennie themselves. George knows that when he kills Lennie that he and Lennie will finally be at peace, when he quotes on page 106, “No Lennie, look down there acrost the river, like you can almost see the place.” This shows how George knows that when Lennie dies, he will live on in the peaceful place that he and George had imagined. George had to sacrifice Lennie for his own well being, and it was definitely not an easy thing to do, especially considering everything they had been through.
The Failure of Dreams in Of Mice and Men In the novel, Of Mice and Men, the author, John Steinbeck argues that dreams are a foolish hope that cannot be achieved through how George and Lennie’s dream, Curley’s wife’s dream, and Crooks’ deepest desire all fail. John Steinbeck grew up and lived during the Great Depression, where he saw a lot of fragile dreams shatter and never come true. Naturally, this gave him a rather pessimistic view on dreams, so many of the characters have hopes that are never reached. George and Lennie, Curley’s wife, and Crooks all suffer the same fate, and never reach their ambitions.
The main reason George killed Lennie is because Lennie would have killed somebody again. And the evidence is clearly there, the pet mice that he killed, the poor puppy that he accidently hit to hard, and especially Curley’s wife. He almost killed the girl in weed if he had gone any further. The sad thing is is that he doesn't know how strong he really is, nor does he know what he’s done wrong in the first place.
In conclusion, to express that the american dream is impossible Steinbeck used conversation, conflicts, and events. Throughout of mice and men George and Lennie got into many situations where they felt scared , worried, and angry. Together the plan was to get the money to live in a small place, tend to the rabbits and alpha so they are happy. But things happen such as George killing Lennie that make the american dream impossible to achieve.
The American Dream is a concept that we have created which illustrates a perfect life. Growing up, we are taught that we can be anything we dream of as long as we put our mind to it. We view ourselves and our country as the best, since we believe that we can achieve any goal with effort and perseverance. As stated in John Steinbeck’s “Paradox and Dream,” we are strong believers of our beliefs and “seem to be in a state of turmoil all the time, both physically and mentally”. We have made it appear as if the American Dream can be achieved as we are diligent, well inherited individuals that could make anything possible as long as we have the mentality and commitment to accomplish it.
Despite being itinerant workers during the Great Depression and facing numerous obstacles, George and Lennie never give up on their dream of owning a farm. This is implied in the following quote: "Well, look. Lennie—if you jus’ happen to get in trouble like you always done before, I want you to come right here an’ hide in the brush." (Steinbeck, 15) Through this quote, George highlights the importance of
In Of Mice and Men, George demonstrates that you can be friends with who ever you want which can make unique friendship and being open minded, because he has a friend that has trouble controlling himself, but George still continued to help him and stay beside him. The story takes back in the day during the American great depression and people struggles to live in America. The two main characters in the story are George who is the sharp eyed hard worker and Lennie who is handicapped and has bad control of himself. George and Lennie are searching for work and Lennie who happens to cause trouble for George which gets in George’s way a lot and because of Lennie they had to leave the town, because they were interviewing job with the manager
Moreover, the men living on the ranch share mutual dreams: To George, this dream of having their own place means independence, security, working for themselves, and, above all, being "somebody." To Lennie, the dream resembles the delicate creatures he pets: It means to him security, the duty of keeping an eye on the rabbits, and a place where he won't need to be scared. To Candy, it means security for seniority and a home where he will fit in. For Crooks, where he
“An’ we’ll have maybe a pig an’ chickens… and down the flat we’ll have a… little piece of alfalfa--”.’ (pg. #). George is giving Lennie one last chance of hope for the ranch and for his rabbits. George has to later shoot Lennie and that is when it really hits him that their aspirations will never become a reality. George will always be working for someone else, on their land, under their rules.
The idea of the American Dream is indicated through out the novel, especially through the characters Lennie and George. They talk about their dream so much that it becomes a ritual between them and often they can finish each other’s thoughts and sentences. This is quite amazing, because Lennie is mentally challenged and has trouble thinking for himself. The dream gives both men purpose in a time when life is harsh and cruel.
Both 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... '"
George's justification for shooting Lennie is to keep him from experiencing the pain that will follow the consequences of his actions. Lennie will be probably be beaten and then killed when he is caught. George also knows that even if they were to escape, it would be
The American Dream The American dream can be interpreted in multiple ways. I believe that the American Dream can be viewed as the belief that anyone, through hard work and dedication, could achieve their goal of wealth and happiness. Everyone chases the American dream as it catches everybody 's eye, but very few can actually achieve it. In the novel, The Great Gatsby, several characters are trying to reach the so called American dream.