ipl-logo

Comparing The American Dream In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

1161 Words5 Pages

The American Dream was very popular around the great depression, about the time this novel was written. The American Dream is saying that if people try hard enough, they will be free, they will have money, a job, and other luxuries. In the book, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck portrays the american dream as an unattainable, exhausting dream to maintain. It could be argued that all the characters in the novel wanted it at one point or another, but ultimately never achieved it. However, the characters having the idea of the American Dream, shows it is a possibility. The first example of how Steinbeck portrays the American Dream in the book is when George and Lennie are in the clearing describing their dream, a dream of independence and freedom. …show more content…

He is very lonely because no one will talk to him. When Lennie is in the barn talking to Crooks, Crooks says, "'Cause I'm black. They play cards in there, but I can't play because I'm black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, you all of you stink to me" (Steinbeck 34). Crooks could not do anything with the other ranchmen. He could not even walk into the bunk house. This shows how segregated things were during the great depression. Crooks also says to Lennie, "I seen hunderds of men come by on the road an' on the ranches, with their bindles on their back an'...every damn one of 'em's got a little piece of land in his head. An' never a God damn one of 'em ever gets it. Just like heaven. Ever'body wants a little piece of lan'....Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land. They're all the time talkin' about it, but it's jus' in their head" (Steinbeck 36). This is a perfect example of how Steinbeck portrays the American Dream because everybody has their dream in their head but they never get it. At one point Crooks wants to join in on their dream but eventually says, "Well, jus' forget it …. I didn' mean it. Jus' foolin'. I wouldn' want to go no place like that" (Steinbeck 41). This shows that Crooks has his own dream but quickly realizes it will not become true and changes his mind on the idea of

Show More
Related

Analysis Of Mental Impairment In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

561 Words | 3 Pages

Crooks isn’t allowed to sleep in the bunkhouse or play cards with the white men. He gets lonely and resentful from having to stay in the barn all the time. When he is talking to Lennie, he says, “‘S’pose you didn’t have nobody. S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunkhouse or play rummy

Read More

What Is Steinbeck's Proof Of The American Dream

143 Words | 1 Pages

Steinbeck thinks that the American dream is continuing moving to somewhere else. Steinbeck realizes that Americans have had a hunger to go somewhere else for millions of years. From the beginning of his journey, Steinbeck is proof of this -- he always wants to keep going and see more of the United States, instead of staying at home and enjoying the life he has. He also says that roots have become meaningless to Americans, because of the urge to move to other places. For example, when Steinbeck is parked in the mobile home neighborhood, the people living around him say that they would rather live in a mobile home than have roots because it is more convenient and they are able to visit more locations.

Read More

How Does Steinbeck Present Crooks Treatment Of Migrant Workers

1547 Words | 7 Pages

This is my room’” (Steinbeck 64). Crooks acted uninviting at first because he is so used to being left alone and having the label of being rude and cold to others. In reality, he is cold because of the way the others treat him and look at him. He opens up to Lennie about his life before this when they are both left behind by the group.

Read More

The Great Gatsby Comparison Between Of Mice And Men

282 Words | 2 Pages

In The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men, the American dream was unattainable. Both authors Fitzgerald and Steinbeck convey this idea. Both authors use the harsh reality of each decade and a sense of false hope to suggest the American dream is out of reach. Steinbeck’s view of the harsh reality in the 1930s was shown throughout Of Mice and Men, For example, George and Lenny both dream of owning their own farm with cows, pigs, rabbits, and many other things. “Someday 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.

Read More

How Does Steinbeck Present The Delusions In Of Mice And Men

905 Words | 4 Pages

Each of their dreams are revealed as simply being delusions and the characters who counted on them the most are the ones left the most devastated. George and Lennie’s belief that they have something to look forward to exemplifies the delusion of the American dream. The American Dream is portrayed in George and Lennie’s aspirations of having their own land and then ultimately being able to gain full control over their lives. The dream is constantly repeated throughout the novella and is described in the quote, “we'll have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and chickens.

Read More

How Does Steinbeck Show Loneliness In Of Mice And Men

1143 Words | 5 Pages

Crooks feels isolated because he cannot socialize with the white males and lives by himself in the barn. While most of the workers are off in town the outliers are left behind. Lennie, being a member of the unfavorable bunch, stumbles into Crooks room as he waits for George’s return. Lennie becomes very anxious about George's return as Crooks is giving him the worst-case scenarios that could happen to George. Once Crooks notices Lennie's companionship with George he feels sad.

Read More

Loneliness And Isolation In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

880 Words | 4 Pages

Steinbeck displays through the dialogue and characterizations that these characters experience isolation because of both social barriers and personal choice. Crooks being an African-American on the ranch, full of whites, struggles racially which causes his withdrawal from the society. Crooks explains to Lennie his when he’s accompanied by him “ A guy goes nuts if he ain 't got nobody. Don 't make no difference who the guy is long’s

Read More

Pursuing The American Dream In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

1793 Words | 8 Pages

George and Lennie 's farm and ¨fatta lan¨ (fat of land) (Steinbeck 3) symbolizes this dream because their farm would enable them to take care of themselves, and not have to worry about the ruthless outside world disturbing them. They would provide for themselves and take care of only themselves, with the exception of Candy. This dream is accompanied by the phrase that “we are all created equal” and should be treated equally. But this indeed

Read More

A Character Analysis Of Crooks In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

597 Words | 3 Pages

Steinbeck immediately makes it clear that Crooks has grown spiteful of his isolation from the other men. Very soon after introducing Crooks, the author directly characterizes him as a man who “kept his distance and demanded others to keep theirs” (Steinbeck, 67). In this quote Steinbeck hints that Crooks might be resentful of how the other men are treating him, and he retaliates with hostility towards them as well by insisting people keep away from him. Crooks’ hostile attitude is displayed again when upon being visited Lennie in his segregated living quarters he responds with “I ain’t wanted in the bunk house… you ain’t wanted

Read More

Idealism In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

400 Words | 2 Pages

Contrasting Crooks’ somber attitude with Lennie's undying innocence makes it clear where Steinbeck stands on the matter. For example, Crooks is temporarily seduced by the idea of Lennie and George’s farm, but is almost immediately brought down by reality, and Curley’s wife. She brings him back to the reality of a black man at the time, saying: "Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain't even funny" (39). After this event occurs, Crooks disregards his rare idealism, saying that he “wouldn’ want to go no place like that” (41).

Read More

The American Dream In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

1114 Words | 5 Pages

We're gonna do it. Gonna get a little place an' live on the fatta the lan'." (Steinbeck) is the sum of his own dream with George but if you look at Crooks’ dream which is vaguely described by this quote “He can't turn to some other guy and ask him if he sees it too. He can't tell. He got nothing to measure by.

Read More

The American Dream In Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

1121 Words | 5 Pages

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.

Read More

Theme Of Isolation In Of Mice And Men

796 Words | 4 Pages

They say I stink. Well, I tell you, all of you stink to me” (68). As blacks were no longer enslaved, they were still an outcast in America at the time during the Great Depression. Treated unequally they couldn’t get the same jobs as what most white men could get but, if they do they were separated. As Crooks was working at the ranch just like the other men, he was living separately from the other men making him isolated.

Read More

The Myth Of The American Dream In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

956 Words | 4 Pages

The Myth of the American Dream Success is a fantasy for many people in life. Success is frequently represented in the American Dream. In the book Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, many of the characters believe in the myth of the American Dream. There are many characters in Of Mice and Men that portray that the American Dream is a myth, but the characters that best depict this struggle for success are George, Curley’s wife, and Candy.

Read More

How Does Crooks Suffer The Most In Of Mice And Men

764 Words | 4 Pages

The isolated conditions aren’t ideal and are much worse than those of the rest of the workers. Being physically disabled and racially different, Crooks has to cope with the harsh realities of the time period, causing the most suffering on his side of the story. His room in the barn was purposely placed to show the effects of his discrimination throughout the job, as well as the lack of communication it causes. Crooks doesn’t have any say in the situation and lacks power in the hierarchy of the ranch, causing him to suffer the most through the reality of

Read More

More about Comparing The American Dream In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Related Topics

Open Document