John Steinbeck teaches us that setting goals in life is important because people never get better in life without a purpose. In the book Of Mice and Men there are many cases of farm workers who plan to work on a farm their entire life, it is different for these two friends that want to make themselves a better life. George and Lennie are always talking about owning their own farm in the future, with this ambition, they both are already ahead of those who do not strive for their dreams or feel that their dreams are not realistic enough. Keeping an optimistic mindset is key in striving for your dreams. Lennie is always asking George to talk about the farm they are going to have even though George has told the story many times. George raises Lennie’s hopes by telling him “‘We’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres’” (Steinbeck 14). Throughout the book, Lennie wants to be continually reminded about this goal to keep his hopes high that eventually one day it might actually come true. Without George as a constant reminder of the farm, Lennie would have no motivation to work towards anything and they would just be mindless farm workers. …show more content…
They would have been stuck on the farm if it was not for Lennie and George to inspire them to join them on their farm. Candy and Crooks only dreamed about their own place but never set a goal to strive for, therefore, they were never close to getting their own farm, even if they had the money to do so. When people aim for their goals, it forces them to always have something on their mind to work towards instead of working with no purpose and always having that negative mindset that prevents them at striving in
This also shows the overpowering control George has over Lennie’s conscience, and the consequence that Lennie can’t remember his own actions, only the stories George repeats. He is never truly angry with Lennie for his petty mistakes, he is simply thinking of the limitations of their dreams because of Lennie’s unpredictable actions. It seems George can only control Lennie by threatening him with the thing he cares about most which is the farm, “But you ain’t gonna get in no trouble, because if you do, I won’t let you tend the rabbits” he threatens, trying to make Lennie remember the importance of his actions (36). George is constantly complaining that he could have a better life and even have a farm without Lennie to look after, but he also wants a companion. Lennie is often simple minded and easily influenced, but intuitive enough to manipulate George’s loneliness, “If you don’t want me George I can go up in that cave over there and leave,” George quickly denies this saying “No, look I was just foolin’ Lennie, ‘cause I want you to stay with me” (20).
“I want you to stay with me, Lennie. Jesus Christ, somebody’d shoot you for a coyote if you was by yourself” (Steinbeck 13). George views his dream of being super practical for the kind of life he lives. Living on his own ranch with Lennie will let him have less of a worry about Lennie making decisions that will put the both of them in jeopardy. Living secluded on their own property will only make life easier.
Lennie and George find themselves becoming more hopeful after Candy successfully manages to turn a dream that was originally meant for two men into a dream for three. He tries to help George and Lennie attain their dream, and convince them that, “S’pose I went in with you guys. Tha’s three hundred an’ fifty bucks I’d put in. I ain’t much good, but I could cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some” (59). He also shows the two friends of the possibility towards failed outcomes- symbolized through Candy’s inability to kill his own dog.
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.” (Steinbeck 14) Lennie, who is a big man; that does not know his own strength, wants to be on a farm with his companion, George. He wants the farm to have different things such as a garden, pigs, cows and most of all rabbits. He likes rabbits because they are soft, so he can pet them, but big enough to not get hurt when he pets them.
But in reality, they are alike because they both want to find a place of their own and are different than everyone on the ranch. In Candy’s case, it is because of his age. Meager janitorial jobs take effort to complete, so he fears he will soon be let go. Holding on to George and Lennie’s dream makes him feel secure because he knows he will have somewhere to go once he becomes too old to help. After his death, he will leave his money to George and Lennie to keep the farm going.
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
In this chapter, the gloom is relieved by the hopeful planning of the three men — George, Lennie, and Candy — toward their dream. For the first time in his life, George believes the dream can come true with Candy's down payment. He knows of a farm they can buy, and the readers' hopes are lifted as well, as the men plan, in detail, how they will buy the ranch and what they will do once it is theirs. But while Steinbeck includes this story of hope, the preponderance of the chapter is dark. Both the shooting of Candy's dog and the smashing of Curley's hand foreshadow that the men will not be able to realize their
Throughout the novel, Lennie and George discuss the luxuries available to them living on their own farm. During their conversations, George imagines and explains, “We'd jus' live there. We'd belong there. There wouldn't be no more runnin' round the country and gettin' fed by a Jap cook. No, sir, we'd have our own place where we belonged and not sleep in no bunk house” (Steinbeck 57).
“No matter how much sometimes you dare to dream, send happy thoughts into the universe, no matter what you do some of your dreams will never come true” (Unknown). In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, at the time of the Great Depression, two men, George and Lennie, venture to California in hopes to find work. Because Lennie is wanted for raping a woman, George and Lennie must escape the “law” by fleeing to the next town. Through the character of Lennie, Steinbeck shows that issues outside the control of an individual often limit the achievement of his dreams. “‘But he never hurt her.
Of 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.
George is a short, smart man. He is a migrant farm worker who has to take care of his best friend Lennie who is cognitively impaired. While they were about to go to sleep near the brush calmly like a bedtime story, George said “ 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 rabbits”(Steinbeck pg 14). This proves that he and Lennie is going
Throughout 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.
Despair Among People During the Great Depression People who face great odds will hang on to hope, however, many will lose it to the cruel reality they live in. This is the story told in the novel, Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck. In this novel, Lennie and George are traveling bindle stiffs who experience the losses that come with the Great Depression, and the hope of others that is dashed by the death of one person. This theme of hope and loss is shown through Curley's wife, Candy, and George.
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... '"
Because....because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that's why" the author want us to know how Lennie and George help each other. They work together they dream together and also they think to have their own farm together this is a good way to let the reader know the good relationship that Lennie and George have. We quickly get sense that George's speech about their little dream farm was not solely for Lennie's benefit. Lennie and George consider as a family only them two is like they only need the farm to be happy and be a family but only them two. According to the text it says, "O.K. Someday-- we're gonna get the jack together and we're gonna have a little house and a couple of