Steinbeck shows realism in Of Mice and Men by accentuating the problems in the romanticized American dream. One example of this is when Lennie and George had to leave their last job. George and Lennie had a dream to own a farm and keep bunnies. To make that dream come true, they need money. During the Great Depression, in which the novel is set in, it is hard to come across the money. A problem is that Lennie likes to touch soft things, but he doesn’t know his strength. During their last job in Weed, Lennie touched a girl’s dress because it was soft. He was accused of rape, which forced him and George to flee. Now Lennie and George have no work and no money. It is stated in the novel that “The guys in Weed start a party out to lynch Lennie.” …show more content…
The American Dream has a romanticized idea of equal opportunity. As you can see there is no equal opportunity because the guys of Weed didn’t even bother to check the situation out. They just decided to set up a group and kill Lennie. Another example is when Crooks talked about men coming to the ranch to achieve their American Dream, but they end up not achieving that dream. It is stated in the novel that “I seen hundreds of men come by on the road an' on the ranches, with their bindles on their back an' that same damn thing in their heads. Hundreds of them. Every damn one of 'em's got a little piece of land in his head. They come, an’ they quit an’ go on; an' never a God damn one of 'em ever gets it. Just like heaven. Ever'body wants a little piece of lan'. I read plenty of books out here. Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land.” (Chapter 4, pg. 74-75) This quote shows that it takes so much time just to get the money to achieve the American Dream, that people give up or die without getting their American Dream. Crooks tends to also make a comparison of heaven to the American Dream. Both are romanticized ideas and dreams in the minds of people, but they are