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Essay On Of Mice And Men American Dream

542 Words3 Pages

“The negative side of the American Dream comes when people pursue success at any cost, which in turn destroys the vision and the dream.” ㅡ Azar Nafisi. Many Americans have tried to pursue their dream but have failed in doing so. Of Mice and Men is a book about two people, George and Lennie, trying to pursue their dream in Salinas, California. In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the death of the American Dream is exemplified through George and Lennie’s obliviousness. George and Lennie have complete faith and hope in their American Dream coming true. George described, “ ‘O.K. someday ㅡ 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 and ㅡ’ ‘ An’ live off the fatta the lan’,’ Lennie shouted.” (Steinbeck 14). George is excited to speak about their dream and while reading this the reader can assume that …show more content…

In the heat of the moment George was trying to put Lennie in a happy place as they were having a dialogue: “ ‘But not us,’ Lennie cried happily. “Tell about us now.’ George was quiet for a moment. ‘But not us,’ he said.” (Steinbeck 104). Even though it may seem that George still has belief because he is telling Lennie about it, but George is just trying to put Lennie in a favorable place. The reader notices this because George does not take a pause and just keeps going at the beginning of the book. Instead, he is overly calm and not yelling at Lennie for what he did. Therefore, Lennie is oblivious to death of their dream through George. George stops believing in the dream and Lennie is oblivious to this happening in Of Mice and Men. The American Dream has died in many ways in this story. George starts noticing that the American Dream is a dream and not reality and not achievable. “That’s why they call it the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.” ㅡ George

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