Ageism In Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
Another form of discrimination Steinbeck portrays is ageism. Ageism is defined as “...stereotyping and discriminating against individuals or groups on the basis of their age.” (“Ageism”). The main victim of ageism in Of Mice and Men is Candy, the Skinner, who is an elderly man who hurt is hand in an accident and is not fit for most jobs on the ranch. Ageism can affect the youth and the elderly, and anyone in between, but during the Great Depression, it mostly affected the elderly. They were seen as useless and as extra mouths to feed. Candy faces the endless fear that the boss will fire him once he loses his worth on the farm. Candy’s fears are portrayed when Carlson shoots his old dog because the dog is too old to be of use. He tells Lennie …show more content…
It is supposed to be a place where everyone has the same chance at a career or an education. It is supposed to be a place without discrimination or hate and where everyone can accomplish their dream, hence the phrase American Dream. This is not how it is though. Both now and during the Great Depression, when the book Of Mice and Men took place, everyone has trouble reaching their American Dream, but no one like the minorities and the victims of discrimination. The elderly, the women, the people of color. They all face discrimination and it makes a hard task, achieving their American Dream, almost impossible. Curley’s Wife, Candy, and Crooks all have an American Dream, but they never achieve it. They all want a simple life where they are treated with respect and allowed to support themselves. None of them get what they want. Curley’s wife ends up dead and Candy and Crooks end up with nowhere to go but back to the ranch and a life where they are hated and shunned. All because of something they cannot control, their gender, their age, and their race. Everyone deserves an equal chance at their dream, but that is not how life works. Both now and in the 1930’s, the minories face challenges that others do not. Despite knowing that they would probably never reach their dreams, they persevered. The American Dream is something that must be worked for. Some people have to work twice as hard as others, but that does not mean they will never earn what they deserve. Just because the American Dream seems impossible does not mean that it is. Of Mice and Men is a cruel reminder of the fact that the American Dream is a difficult goal, but it also shows readers that they should never stop working toward their goals, no matter what challenges they
Personality In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
1068 Words | 5 PagesIn the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, there are many diverse characters. Every single character portrays a different aspect of the human nature. The naïve, the protector, the calm, the manipulative, the rage filled, the shunned, and the hopeful. Each character is dynamic in their own way. This is a small glimpse into what traits Steinbeck thinks the human race has, embodied into each of his characters’ personalities.
The American Dream In Of Mice And Men
127 Words | 1 PagesWhat is the American Dream? The American Dream can be described by many as their life goals. In John Steinbeck’s book, “Of Mice and Men”, the Great American Dream has a different meaning to everyone as it depends on the person who is dreaming of a life goal. Some ways it is described in Steinbeck’s book is owning a small portion of the United States, or becoming an actress, or even just equality between humans. However, for some people, that is just too much to ask.
Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
616 Words | 3 PagesJohn Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men illustrates the struggles and barriers in humanity. By using characters with their own difficulties including age, race, gender, and intelligence, Steinbeck displays what it’s like to be human and degraded by others. In the end, the different scenarios of being discriminated and isolated symbolize Steinbeck’s perspective of human existence and life’s obstacles. When Candy’s dog died, he had to sacrifice his companion. Candy decided to let Carlson shoot his dog and is shown to be hurt by it when Steinbeck describes Candy to lay on the bunk staring at the ceiling ( ).
Discrimination In John Stienbeck's Of Mice And Men
631 Words | 3 PagesHis disability from his hand and his old age cause him both physically and mentally unstable. Like Crooks, he was secluded from the rest of the people on the ranch. Forced to stay behind after getting his hand caught in a piece of machinery, leaves him he's behind to sweep and clean the ranch. Alongside Candy is his dog, who the other boys don't like. “ … Whyn’t you get Candy to shoot his old dog” ( pg.17 )
Examples Of The American Dream In Of Mice And Men
1801 Words | 8 PagesThe American Dream is only attainable to those who are privileged and considered truly American. Though many immigrants believe that they can grasp the American Dream, it is always out of reach and can never be achieved. The American Dream can never be accomplished through working hard and determination. Often, people chase the American Dream with high expectations for a new life, and they are often disappointed when failure strikes. Because of this, many of the characters in Of Mice and Men struggle to achieve the dreams they’ve been longing for.
The American Dream Dying
603 Words | 3 PagesAmerican Dream Dying Everybody has the absolute, ultimate goal of succeeding. Most people who leave everything behind and come to America come for that exact reason; they want to follow the American Dream. For Lennie and George from Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the American Dream seemed very distant and hard to reach for them but, they wouldn’t give up hope. Both characters show how the American Dream slowly came to an end through their actions.
Comparing The American Dream In The Great Gatsby And Their Eyes Were Watching God
881 Words | 4 PagesAlthough we have the freedom to access the American Dream most people have challenges of achieving it. In the novels, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, we see each protagonist struggling ,but at the same time a strong aspiration in obtaining their American Dream. For example, Jay Gatsby, he was the definition of the American Dream,he builds his social status from becoming a farm boy to one of the world's top millionaire but his dream wasn't complete without the love of Daisy. Unfortunately Janie Crawford in Their Eyes Were Watching God
Examples Of Archetypes In Of Mice And Men
840 Words | 4 PagesArchetypes are a manifestation of how our minds envision the roles of characters, these characters come in the form of the hero, villain, temptress, damsel, monster, and mentor. In the book Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, we follow the story of two men who struggle to pull through to survive horrible times, on their journey they come across other characters that fulfill the roles of the archetypes. The archetype in discussion is the villain archetype which is the evildoer of a story usually a person who commits a crime against society or against a couple of people. One character in particular that fills the archetype of the villain is Curley, he has an aura of evil that resonates from his attitude and his actions, which triggers people
The American Dream In John Steinbeck's Life
1613 Words | 7 PagesOn 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.
Of Mice And Men: The American Dream
1271 Words | 6 PagesAfter 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.
Examples Of Sexism In Of Mice And Men
1644 Words | 7 PagesAforementioned, Curley 's wife represents discrimination towards women, she is constantly looked down upon and isn 't treated with respect. However, when she is talking to Crooks, “‘Well, you keep your place then, n*****. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain 't even funny,’”(OMAM 81). Crooks and Curley 's wife go through something similar. They are both discriminated based on a difference that the other men on the farm don’t have.
Gatsby's Self Conception
777 Words | 4 PagesThe American Dream is the belief that anyone, regardless of race, class, gender, or nationality, can be successful in America if they just work hard enough. The American Dream presents a view of the American society in which ignores racism problems, income inequality, etc. In the 1920’s, it was a very difficult and resulting time for the American Dream. Due to increased immigration, changing women’s roles, and a extraordinary income inequality. The country was also in the midst of an economic boom, which fueled the belief that anyone could “strike it rich”.
Human Condition In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
573 Words | 3 PagesThe book Of Mice and Men is full of puzzling examples of the human condition, from Lennie and his mental disability to Curley only caring about his social appearance. With characters like these two, the book exploits the human condition that concerns circumstances life has given you. John Steinbeck brings to life what being a laborer in the American depression meant to the men and one woman who had enough personality to stand out. Steinbeck shows the human condition of men while they survive in the American depression.
Of Mice And Men Dream Analysis
1699 Words | 7 PagesDreams are hard to attain without discrimination, but with discrimination it is even harder to do, for this reason women had a hard time of achieving their dream, “While some women surely found some satisfaction in their domestic roles and knew their work to be both hard and necessary, many were aware that domestic labor was not only undervalued by their fellow Americans but also would never lead to success and stature”(Loranger). This quote proves that with discrimination against gender it was hard to attain the American Dream because even while doing work
How Does Steinbeck Present Candy In Of Mice And Men
782 Words | 4 PagesFirst of all, Candy, a swamper on the ranch, was only kept on the property because he lost his hand in a ranch accident. His only real companion was his dog. His dog was just as old and crippled as he was. After
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