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American Dreaming In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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American Dreaming Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” In the 1930s dreams were hard to achieve because of the depression. In the novella Of Men and Men written by John Steinbeck, the main characters are George and Lennie. George and Lennie are both middled aged men, but the difference is Lennie has a mental disability. They are very close because Lennie's aunt Clara told George to look after him before she died. After their journey in Weed went inadequate George went to look for jobs, but in the time of The Great Depression it was very hard to find anything. Since Lennie has his disability he can't do much without George by his side all the time, or he could do something traumatic. …show more content…

Crooks is a old black guy who takes care of horses. He lives in a small area in the barn it's very dingy and he has few possessions. “...he had books, too; a tattered dictionary and a mauled copy of the California civil code for 1905. There were battered magazines and a few dirty books on a special shelf over his bunk” (pg.67). The majority of the things he has are books, in the era men of color didn't have much literacy which leads the reader to think he wants more for himself. He could become an author or maybe a teacher, considering he has a special shelf just for books. Crooks gets no respect from anyone, he constantly lowers his self esteem because they treat him differently. “Crooks had reduced himself to nothing. There was no personality, no ego-nothing to arouse either like or dislike” (pg.81). The reader can predict that in the time period of of the 1930s white men thought black men's lives meant nothing. They restrained him to doing anything other then watch the horses and they won't even let him go near them. They didn't know his name he was referred to as a “negro”, when they entered his room he was treated with disrespect although it was his room. This justifies that Crooks had dreams like any other person and because he was a colored man in the 1930s he was limited to any dream he

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521 Words | 3 Pages

Crooks is constantly being discriminated against which is the effect of being colored at this time. During the book talks to Crooks about the farm he desires, Crook says to Lennie, “S'pose you couldn't go into the bunkhouse and play rummy 'cause you was black. How'd you like that?” () Crook is at the bottom of the social hierarchy because of his race. This inequality is the barrier to his dreams of being

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1073 Words | 5 Pages

Crooks (named crooks after being kicked in the back by a horse) is a very controversial character as he is the only black member of the farm and doesn’t actually feature to much in the book. When he is in it though most of what we find out is when Lenny walks into his room. From the start its clear that crooks is a very abused and defensive because he says “You got no right to come in my room” as soon as he notices Lennie stood in his room even though Lennie doesn’t really see any difference between skin colour and doesn’t understand why this is happening. Most of what can be known about Crooks is from the items in his room. His room is actually connected to the barn showing they do not value him as a person but only as a stable buck.

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584 Words | 3 Pages

He has this big dream of living at a ranch, with his own family, and what a typical ranch has. Unfortunately, he cannot pursue his dream. Crooks is African American. The setting of the novel is during the 1930s which is America's time of the Great Depression. Therefore racial equality by law has a long way to go.

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503 Words | 3 Pages

Crooks is subjected to living amongst animals, meaning that his entire space is shared from the building that he sleeps in to his possessions, “His apple box…in it a range of medicines both for himself and for the horses” (66). Having Crooks live among the animals is something that stands out, symbolizing his value as a black man in that day and age, however, this is further exacerbated by the verity of his having to share everything with the animals. Being a black person during this time period means that he “kept his distance” from the other men, while also keeping his own area “swept and fairly neat” (67). Since he is banned from the bunk house where the men all sleep, Crooks is forced to keep his own area as nice as possible so that he can be content with his space. This may seem like a healthy alternative to being among the other men, although the reality is that a clean and neat space is still empty without company.

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479 Words | 2 Pages

Crooks was friendless and had no one to talk to. He has his own bunk in a separate room away from the bunk house where the others lived and by being alone he could leave things anywhere he wanted. Crooks is suffering from racial discrimination because he is the only black man on the ranch and is not allowed in the bunkhouse with the other men because of his color. The author also uses Candy to show loneliness in the novel. Candy becomes lonely after his old dog that he loved very much was shot because he was old.

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729 Words | 3 Pages

According to the text “All the time he coulda had such a good time if it wasn’t for you. he woulda took his pay and raised hell in the whore house, and he coulda set in a pool room an’ played snooker, but he gotta take care of you” (Page#101, Steinbeck). This basically proves and enforces the reality that Lennie influences almost every part of Georges life. This also shows that George could have had a good life, even a better life if his dream of being able to take care of Lennie did not become a burden upon himself and influenced his life so greatly. Everything that George did or tried to do was always influenced by Lennie’s wellbeing.

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778 Words | 4 Pages

As people tried to carry out the American Dream, different people just like George and Lennie, imagined their life filled with power and money. Throughout the book, described how a new beginning will assist them towards their dream. Unfortunately, many conflicts between Lennie and George caused delayed events. Lennie is a caring soul, but unknowledgeable of his own strength and his mental differences compared to George. On the other hand, George is a more knowledgeable person, with the exception of an inpatient personality.

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745 Words | 3 Pages

Crooks is an African American farm worker that works with horses on the land. Being a colored person in this era was harsh, and the color of your skin automatically determined the amount of power you would have, so African Americans did not have power compared to everyone else in society. “Lennie watched her, his mouth half open. Crooks had retired into the terrible protective dignity of the negro.” (79;ch.4).

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492 Words | 2 Pages

J.M.W. Turner's painting "The Slave Ship" illustrates the inhumane conditions of the transatlantic slave trade, a significant factor in historical globalisation. English romantic artist, painter, and water colorist Joseph Mallory Turner is renowned for his expressive coloring, imaginative landscapes, and tempestuous. He was a white guy who drew inspiration from Italianate landscapes by Claude and Richard Willson as well as 17th-century Dutch artists like Willem van der Vlade. A scene from the slave trades is depicted in the 1840 painting by J.M.W. Turner in which the crew of a slave ship dumps sick and dying slaves overboard in order to collect insurance money. Because of that the original name for this artwork was throwing overboard the dead and dying.

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561 Words | 3 Pages

Crook’s character is being discriminated due to his skin color which soon caused him to be disregarded. Although at a certain point, Crooks stood up but no good has come to him. Challenging discrimination is strenuous, however it is necessary in order for an individual to advance. One of the most lousy assumption made during the novel’s time period is the hierarchy between the color of men.

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610 Words | 3 Pages

In conclusion, to express that the american dream is impossible Steinbeck used conversation, conflicts, and events. Throughout of mice and men George and Lennie got into many situations where they felt scared , worried, and angry. Together the plan was to get the money to live in a small place, tend to the rabbits and alpha so they are happy. But things happen such as George killing Lennie that make the american dream impossible to achieve.

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698 Words | 3 Pages

Crooks is a black man who isn’t allowed to be in the house with all the men. The men won’t allow him to come in because of his color. Crooks is lonely and he doesn’t bother the men. One night Lennie came in and was talking to Crooks and telling them about the farm that they were going to get. For once Crooks thought well maybe I won’t be lonely I could go with them and don’t have worry about none of them.

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1110 Words | 5 Pages

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.

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282 Words | 2 Pages

Crooks is a black man who has been given the nickname because of his crooked back. He is another character in the novel that is discriminated against. Similarly, as Lennie and Candy are discriminated because of their weakness, Crooks is discriminated because of his race. For example, he says how he “ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse… can’t play [cards] because I’m black” (68). His race causes him to be separated from everyone else and be isolated in his own room.

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513 Words | 3 Pages

They say I stink. Well I tell you all of you stink to me.” ” (65) Crooks was shunned because his physical appearance and wasn’t treated the same as the rest of the men. This makes Crooks a key character that informs us of the social injustices that where prominent during the time period of the novel.

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