Dreaming Through the Hardships During the hard times of the Great Depression, many people were out of work or losing their jobs. Many worked as farm hands on ranches for some extra cash and usually a few free meals. In John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, there are a few men working on a farm in Soledad, California doing just this.
After the Great Depression in 1929, America’s economy was devastated. The increase of farming across the Great Plains states caused the precious soil to erode, turning the once fertile grassland to a desert like Dust Bowl. Hundreds of farmers and workers migrated to California in search of jobs aiming for the American Dream. The American Dream is the hopes and the goals of the characters in which they can obtain a better life through their hard work. In Of Mice and Men, the American Dream is portrayed to be extremely vital for the men as it serves as their motivation, yet ultimately proves to be unattainable through the memorable characters of Lennie, George and Curley’s wife.
In Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, the protagonists, George and Lennie have an ambitious dream that leads them through ups and downs. Of Mice and Men was written from inspiration from a poem by Robert Burns named “To a Mouse” which was about how the best dreams often go wrong. Throughout his novella, Steinbeck attempts to tell readers that the American Dream is impossible to achieve and it is not worth setting their mind solely to that dream, as other people will discourage them and it will fall apart.
Of Mice and Men’s American Dream The ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. Also known as the American Dream, is a hope of many Americans. In the book Of Mice and Men they show their dearest desire to find it. However the struggle of the 30’s, may come as a surprise.
Of mice and men is a prominent book read by most high school students for a long time. Of mice and men is a book written by John Steinbeck. In the book George and Lennie had to run out of weed, so they looked for a ranch to work on. Lennie had issues with liking soft things that lead to him killing Curley's’ Wife and a puppy. To express that the american dream is impossible to achieve Steinbeck uses conversations, conflicts, and events.
For exactly 240 years, America has been dependent upon a single concept that formulates its very foundation: The American Dream. Throughout generations of history, the validity of the American Dream constantly fluctuates, and every single fluctuation drastically affects American citizens, an effect that is crucial to the success of the United States. Without such a foundation, the qualities of America are eventually undermined and the American Dream dissipates for millions of hard workers attempting to earn the right of egalitarianism, such as George and Lennie during the Great Depression. In John Steinbeck's novel "Of Mice and Men", the American Dream is effectively portrayed through dynamic characterization, character relationships, and symbolism.
John Steinbeck, the author of the novella, Of Mice and Men, sets the story in the great depression, where itinerant workers travel to California to find work. Through the use of light imagery and setting the author develops the theme of the American dream. The literary devices also create an unrealistic impression of George and Lennie's dream, giving the reader a sense of pity. The writer's use of light imagery creates a sense of condolence.
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER Of Mice and Men Literary Analysis Essay If you choose this format, the graphic organizer should be completed by Thursday at the beginning of class ***you will have a MINIMUM of 6 quotes for your paper. each of your quotes should use CQA formatting, which is delineated by this graphic organizer PARAGRAPH ONE: Thesis Statement (Remember….you will need an entire introductory paragraph that leads up to your thesis statement.) According to John Steinbeck and the novel of Mice and Men the unattainability of the American Dream is developed through George and Lennie’s dreams PARAGRAPH TWO: First reason your thesis statement is true (Topic Sentence)
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.
John Steinbeck in his novella, Of Mice and Men, utilizes multiple writing strategies to develop his central idea. Numerous different main concepts can be taken from the novella. One that is extremely prominent is the perception of the “american dream,” working diligently to achieve one’s goals and objectives. Steinbeck reinforces this central idea by applying imagery, figurative language, strongly into the entirety of the novella, but especially applying it in the first chapter.
Marco Rubio, a respected politician and the Senator of Florida once said, “The American Dream is a term which is often used but also often misunderstood. It isn’t really about becoming rich or famous. It is about things much simpler and more fundamental than that.” Of Mice and Men revolves around the Great Depression and migrating farmers who are in the search of a better life. Through the use of figurative language, a wide lexical range and varying sentence length, Steinbeck portrays the bunk house as being an allegorical prison and the residents being prisoners because of the harsh realities of the Great Depression and the dying American Dream.
This novel talks about the life in America during those times back in 1937 how many people struggled to live. Many people during those days lost their jobs. There was no welfare state or unemployment benefit. Disabled or old people had to depend on their families or charity and keep working for as long as they could. Everyone was so competitive in order to get a job. Men became ruthless while fighting for the limited jobs and resources. It talks about how a cruel world and work makes men cruel.
The American Dream is in the Declaration of Independence stating that we as individuals have the natural rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that these rights are given to us by God. George and Lennie dream of owning a farm and living off the land. Of Mice and Men shows that poor migrant workers working during the Great Depression can’t make it in America and that the American Dream is only an illusion and nothing else since no one can make it. All the laborers in Of Mice and Men dream of life, liberty, and happiness, but no one ever achieves these. Crooks said that "Nobody ever gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land."
“The negative side of the American Dream comes when people pursue success at any cost, which in turn destroys the vision and the dream.” ㅡ Azar Nafisi. Many Americans have tried to pursue their dream but have failed in doing so. Of Mice and Men is a book about two people, George and Lennie, trying to pursue their dream in Salinas, California. In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the death of the American Dream is exemplified through George and Lennie’s obliviousness.
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.