Dreams In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Everyone has a dream, whether it is getting into a great college or traveling the world. These dreams keep people going and get one through the day just by the belief that their ambitions may come true. Dreams either come true or die off leaving people with two options: make a new dream to strive for or feel sorry for themselves and let their lives go into a downward spiral. In Steinbeck's, Of Mice and Men, Curley’s wife has her dream crushed as a teenager and never truly bounces back from that moment. She never makes a new goal and turns to bringing down others. Curley’s wife exemplifies the bitterness and destruction that results from a broken dream. The start of Curley’s wife’s demise was when as a girl, her mother denied her the opportunity

She met one of the actors and became close friends with him during his stay in her hometown. He told his mother that she “was a natural” in acting and could have adapted to the lifestyle (Steinbeck 88). Her “ol’ lady” denies her this life changing opportunity with a simple reason that she “was on’y fifteen” at the time (88). Another instance like this occurs later in her life with another man that promised her glory and fame in Hollywood. This time though the man did not follow through on his promise to Curley’s wife, but she said she believed that her mother just hid his letter from her. Curley’s wife explains this story to Lennie and at the end she begins to break down and name of all the great novelties that she could have had; such as better clothing and better living conditions. From this

Curley’s wife begins to warm up at the end of the novella and starts to talk to Lennie as a mom would to a young child. She tells him her life story and Lennie is half listening the whole time. She uses Lennie as a coping mechanism and realization tool of what her life has become and how easily she could have prevented it from going the way it did. As she wraps up her autobiography, Curley’s wife questions Lennie on why he can only talk about rabbits, and Lennie responds that he likes feeling soft objects. She then allows him to stroke her soft hair, which he enjoys, but sadly Lennie’s disability leads to not him not being able to let go, and he accidentally broke Curley’s wife’s neck. Her “pretty and simple” lifeless body gave readers insight on her true personality (Steinbeck 93). This description relates back to Curley’s wife’s teenage year where she was still young and free. Her death rides her of all stereotypes and assumptions created about her over the time on the ranch. Curley’s wife’s body now resembles her when she was “sweet and young” (93). Her side of this novella comes full circle and takes her back to the time before her dream was crushed. She still has potential in life and has not made any rash decisions. Curley’s wife’s life is free of Curley’s physical abuse along with not having to deal with the ranchers’ verbal abuse. Curley’s