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In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, George and Lennie have a dream. Their dream is to have a place of their own. My dream is like that in a way. I am looking at the bigger picture. My dream includes having a house and a great job.
The “American Dream” is usually thought of as aspiring to change one's life for the better and materially better their situation. We think of it today as going to college and getting a cushy job, but for many in our American history it was much more simple. Many asserted their American dream by declaring their independence. The main similarity was that each had an audacious goal to improve their own life and the lives of some of those around them. Their pursuits of liberty were intimately entwined within the dramatic upheavals taking place in the land recently named America.
In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, George and lennie have a dream, That dream is to own an acer of land and live of the fatta tha lan . In the third chapter Candy a swamper who was eais dropping hears in on their dream , Cady offers to help with their dream because he has half the money that they need george and lennie agree to this and the begin working so they they can each put in 50 dollars to buy the property. But as lennie is mourning the loss of his puppy Curley 's wife wanders in and starts talking to lennie. Lennie , white petting Curley 's wife 's hair Accidently breaks her neck running and chance that they will have at a normal life. Although it may appear that curley 's wife is to blame.
While many have dreams to be rich, healthy, and hardworking, America is special because it is the only country to have a national dream. All Americans and immigrants pursue, if not acknowledge the concept of The American Dream. From the founding fathers of our country to the present day, there has been stories and concepts of The American Dream. Although the term has existed since 1931, the content and to whom it applies has varied from the late 1700s to now. Seen in American Literature from Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac and autobiography to the late 1930s Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, the American Dream has undergone many revisions.
The United States of America is a big, powerful and wealthy country in the world. The division of class, individuality, religion, and race are but a few of the embellishments within the society. The blend of these numerous diversities is the crucial ingredient to the modern nation. America has been formed upon them, with that said the “average American”- have a single means in common; a single concept; a single goal; the American Dream. The Dream consists of a seemingly simple theory; success.
The Dream caused people in dark times to be hopeful. The book, Of Mice And Men, had two characters, George and Lennie who were working together in the Great Depression, had a dream to own their own ranch. Mathilde, a character in The Necklace, faced poverty/middle class when she dreamed of becoming rich and having everything she ever wanted. Mathilde was forced into this poverty because she married a clerk. Dreams and Aspirations can positively and negatively affect people’s lives like George, Lennie, and Mathilde.
The Impossible Dream Dreams are what keep people motivated to move with a sense of purpose. If people didn’t dream, they wouldn’t know what would happen next in their lives. Above all, a person who doesn't dream wont have anything to look forward to. In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck two characters named Lennie and George have a dream that is impossible to attain. They want to get their own farm where they don’t have to work for anyone and have a sense of freedom.
The amount of work one is willing to put in to make something of themselves contradicts Steinbeck’s perspective completely. With this being said, big dreams, or one’s idea of the American Dream, are not illusions, but rather a pot of gold at the end of a long
The American Dream really impacted the civilian life as many changed their roles and hoped for reaching success. This eventually lead to many outcomes of today’s Americans who thrive the cities of the land of the free. In today’s society there are still levels of class in any country. Because of the high population, there might be no chance to whenever one could succeed in achieving their dreams unless they were born in that social
In the 1930s, The Great Depression was a leading cause of Americans losing their jobs and homes. Citizens were forced to start over, leaving very little opportunity for citizens to achieve their American Dream. In Of Mice of Men, John Steinbeck believes the cycle of poverty denies citizens from obtaining their “American Dream”, his ideals about the cycle still apply today. The “American Dream” is the belief that anyone can create a better quality of life for themselves. Steinbeck uses situational irony to enforce the idea of generational poverty causing the “American Dream” to not become a reality for the majority of Citizens.
Impossible Dreams The meaning of the American Dream can be seen as ”A uniquely American vision of the country consisting of three central ideas. The American dream consists of a belief in America as the new Eden- a land of beauty, bounty, and unlimited promise; a feeling of optimism, created by ever expanding opportunity; and a confidence in the triumph of the individual.” Using this definition of the so called “American dream”, it seems to be a great representation of it at first, until you realize it includes everyone as the individual. From the beginning of the Civil war to the end of the War to End All Wars, the American Dream wasn’t possible due to the treatment of the Native Americans, the inequality between women and men, and the false promises given to the immigrants coming to our country in their time of need.
To most achieving the American Dream is obtaining success and economic stability. To some obtaining the American Dream is making more money than their parents. According to David Leonhardts’ article “The American Dream, Quantified at Last”, New York Times (8 Dec. 2016) provides statistics that show 50 to 60 years ago an individual was able to drastically exceed the amount of money their parents earned. Thanks to rapid, widely shared
America is known as “The Land of Opportunity” and it established the concept of the American Dream in the 1900’s. The fight for this dream was prevalent even before it was given a name in 1930. The founding fathers wrote this belief into the constitution with the words “All Americans are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights. Among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” .Some Americans believe that the American Dream can still be obtained in the 21st Century with hard work and perservance ; however, a majority of the American population among race gender and class has a different point of view on what America still provides to their citizens because economic insta8bility and lack of equal opportunity.
The picture perfect life that the American Dream promotes is unrealistic and superficial because money is unable to fill the void of happiness or love. Contrary to earlier days, we now life in a time when even a strong work-ethic does not guarantee money, success or opportunities. While many are so ensorcelled by the illusions of the American Dream, we often fail to realize its falsity and constraints. Whether financially or socially, the society coaxes in the unsuspecting American dreamer, only to then spit them out in a wave of despair, failure and hopelessness. As demonstrated by numerous non-conformist individuals, the Dream lies not in the realm of materialism but rather in that of the intangible; often requiring an extreme leap of faith
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
