Azar Nafisi, a distinguished Iranian writer, and professor once wrote, “The negative side of the American Dream comes when people pursue success at any cost, which in turn destroys the vision and the dream.” The American dream is a national ethos for the United States, it is the set of ideas that this country upholds. Immigrants and citizens from countries all over the world come to the United States to start over, or to achieve true independence; to get a chance at their American dream. However, the normalized notion about the American Dream used to be surrounding achievement and was an exodus of the suburban lifestyle. It was known to most as the white picket fence dream, with gender roles set in stone and was simply the ideal American life. …show more content…
Most people in this era were focused on working their way to achieving “life, liberty, and freedom.”This is seen with George and Lennie’s dream in the novella. Their idea of working their way to obtain and maintain their own farm was the epitome of the American dream throughout this time. However, this was not the case for them, nor was it the case for other people with the same dreams. The preconceived notion of the American dream is indeed unattainable is a major theme seen in Of Mice and Men, with the far-fetched shared dream of George and Lennie, regretted decisions from multiple characters, and the way characters Candy and Crooks latched themselves onto George and Lennie’s own
b) The impossibility of the American dream The majority of characters from Of Mice and Men at one point during the story, dreamt of a better life. For Crooks, it was in the barn when he imagined himself hoeing on George and Lennie's farm. For Curley’s wife, it was to become a hollywood movie star. George, Lennie and Candy all fantasized a farm. What makes these dreams American is that they wished for unconditional happiness and freedom.
A dream is an ambition or aspiration for the future. In the novel Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck the theme of Dreams runs throughout the novel, many characters have different dreams but the main focus seems to be on the shared dream of George and Lennie. Many of the characters’ dreams are a microcosm of the American Dream which claims that great personal success can be gained by hard work and personal sacrifice. In the novel most of the characters have a dream. Each of the characters seem to have a sense of loneliness in each of their lives and their dreams are the things that keep them hoping for something better than their lives on the ranch.
Pursuing the Unattainable ¨Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.¨ An unalienable right, provided by the Constitutions Declaration of Independence, a right in which our government is expected to secure. The idea of a ¨happiness¨ that could be, allows us to hope, hope for a better and more fulfilling life. Something that we can not only reach for and attain but maintain as well. The life we fantasize about, our ¨white picket fence,” and American Dream.
“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.
Hard Work Will Pay Off The American Dream is the dream to be rich and wealthy. Jeff Bezos is one example of a person living the American dream with his ownership of amazon. People pursue the American Dream because they have to go all or nothing. People might also pursue the American Dream because they have a sense of urgency to try and never give up. Lennie, Curley’s wife, and Crooks are characters from John Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice and Men whose struggles with mental disability, rough childhood, and racial discrimination lead to broken dreams that negatively impacted their lives.
In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, throughout the book, there is a recurring theme of characters having their “American Dreams” crushed. The book is set on a ranch in the 1930s, which is the time period of the Great Depression. During these hard times, many people had their dreams crushed and lost almost all progress. In Of Mice and Men, we see that the main characters - Lennie and George - both have an “American Dream”. As the story progresses, we meet more characters that also have dreams.
The 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 ...”
The American Dream is the belief that any person regardless of background is open to equal opportunities which allows to them to attain all aspirations and their definition of success. George and Lennie both want to own their own farm. The farm will be 10 acres with a windmill, a small shack and their own house. They will grow fruit trees, tend their vegetable patches and raise their own livestock. This will allow them to ‘live offa the fat of the lan’’ Lennie’s ultimate and persistent dream is that on the plot they can build a rabbit hutch where Lennie can tend to them.
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.
On the other hand, some people say that achieving their American dream from hard work and dedication is still impossible. This point of view makes sense because, in the 20th century America, life as an individual was a struggle, with or without a clear goal to strive for in mind. Many people lived paycheck to paycheck, hoping for a liberation from their monotonous lifestyle. In that era, the American dream was hardly possible due to the strict confines of the system; a mere pipe dream was all the people had. John Steinbeck portrayed the same state of harshness in Of Mice and Men.
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. The American Dream, many people chased it... but what actually was The American Dream?
No matter who you are or where you have come from, you have undoubtedly heard of the American Dream. The idea that no matter who you are or where you have come from, you can do whatever it is you desire in America. What was once one the main driving forces for immigrants to flock to the new world, has slowly changed over the years, but still holds its value in the eyes of those who are looking for a promising new place to live. The American dream might not hold the same awe inspiring sound that it once did, but for many generations before ours it was a beacon of hope that helped build the foundation that the United States was built on. And, still, today the American dream might not be as achievable as it once was, but it is still an important
American Dream American Dream has many different definitions in this day and age. For some it 's starting from little and making their way up to a successful prosperous life. For others it 's reaching happiness and a family. And for some the American dream is freedom but however the American dream is portrayed they all have something in common and that is happiness.
The American Dream has the nationality ethos of the United States. It is a collection of goals that everyone born in America has freedom, equal opportunity for prosperity and upward social mobility. They can achieve through hard work in a society with few obstacles. However, the fact is cruel. Nowadays, America’s economic inequality is growing.
The Problem with the American Dream According to the history books, the widely-known expression “the American Dream” was originally coined by James Truslow Adams in 1931. It was first described in Adams’s book “The Epic of America” as “...not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain the fullest stature of which they are innately capable.” Over the years, America has become more egalitarian, but much must be done until there is true equality. Although the concept of the American Dream has always been believed to be open to everyone, throughout American history it has only been continuously accessible to the upper-class majority.