Of Mice And Men American Dream Failure

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.

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.

Lennie’s dream is why Curley’s wife dies, because of his strange obsession with petting soft objects, he accidentally kills her.

In John Steinbeck's novella Of Mice and Men, the reader feels more sympathy towards George, rather than Lennie or Curley's Wife. Steinbeck depicts an authentic representation of the Great Depression's challenging times and how they impact people like George. The hardships he experienced surpassed those of Lennie and Curley's wife. George had Lennie, a responsibility which caused him unnecessary trouble. He ended Lennie's life and thus lived with it on his conscience.

George and Lennie have complete faith and hope in their American Dream coming true. George described, “ ‘O.K. someday ㅡ 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 ㅡ’ ‘ An’ live off the fatta the lan’,’ Lennie shouted.” (Steinbeck 14). George is excited to speak about their dream and while reading this the reader can assume that

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.

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). They dream of this because they are tired of living the nomad life, barely earning enough, and not belonging anywhere. They want something more for themselves because they deserve to feel the sense of belonging and living a happy and full life. Lennie and George do not want to tell many people about this dream because they know it is ridiculous, but when Candy discovers their plan, he wants to join. He exchanges a secret with them too. Candy informed them that he has three hundred and fifty dollars saved that he could contribute to the farm, and he would leave a will with his share of the land to both George and Lennie. After discussion, the men realized the dream was possible. Steinbeck described their reaction as the following, “They fell into a silence. They looked at one another amazed. This thing they had never really believed was coming true” (Steinbeck 60). At this time, George, Lennie, and Candy believed the American Dream was possible, but not all dreams can come true. Lennie was destined for trouble, but the

The American Dream has been a great motivator for many. Lennie and George 's version of the American Dream keeps them going while at the same time, it keeps them as friends.

Although Steinbeck shows sympathy for his characters, it doesn’t compel him to give the story a “happily ever after” ending. For example, George is a farmer with a good heart, but in the end he ends up shooting his best friend Lennie out of mercy. Steinbeck also contradicts poverty and minimal resources with friendship and dreams of having a better life. George and Lennie are traveling farmers searching for work, they don’t have a permanent home. However, they have a dream of owning their own farm and Lennie gets to tame the rabbits. This contradiction was an honest way that Steinbeck informed his readers that the American Dream was just a dream that never ended up coming true for some people during the Great Depression.

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.

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... '" (Steinbeck 15). Lennie and George have very little to give. They have no family, money or home. As Lennie and George describe the life they want they soon remember their childhood and how they the things they had in their childhood to be on their farm. Unfortunately for Lennie and George they don 't reach their dream either. George ends up killing Lennie and doesn 't live on to succeed with living on the

In Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, there are many encounters of discrimination. Discrimination is unfair treatment of a person based on who they are, a group of similar people, class or category. The characters whose discrimination stands out the most are Lennie Small, Crooks, and Curley’s Wife. Readers will find that their discrimination is based on race, the mentally handicap, and gender (a woman’s way of social interaction with men). Discrimination makes the book and those are just a few out of the many others that the audience will come across throughout the book.

Does John Steinbeck show that dreams are futile in the novel Of Mice and Men? Of mice and men is a novel set in the 1930’s it showed how people lived during The Great Depression, It published in 1937 by John Steinbeck an American born author. The American dream is a concept that shows everybody has a chance.

Steinbeck uses symbolism to portray how people find hope in the direst situations. Although George and Lennie

George and Lennie just started working at the ranch, so they get a warning. “ Guys like us that work on ranches are the loneliest guys in the world”(13). Why would being lonely ever be something you would want? George and Lennie had a plan to live together. Once again Lennie is getting picked on by Curly. “Curley stared levally at him.’Well next time you answer when spoken to”(26). Lennie and Curley seem to always be getting into fights or arguments. Lennie just wants to live the dream with his soft things. Steinbeck uses events to express that the american dream is impossible.