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How Does Steinbeck Use Dreams In Of Mice And Men

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Dreams play a significant role in life by shaping our experiences and who we are. Having dreams can give people a sense of purpose and can make them want to work hard to achieve that dream. Not only can dreams help people envision a better future, they can also be used as an escape from reality. This idea is strongly portrayed in John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” through the characters on the ranch. George and Lennie, Crooks, and Curley’s wife are characters who use dreams as an escape from their harsh lives. Especially in the 1930s during the great depression, these characters needed a purpose to keep them going, and their dreams gave them this.
George uses the dream of owning a farm to distract Lennie when he is upset and to remind him …show more content…

He repeated his words rhythmically as though he had said them many times before.” After George tells Lennie the story of the ranch, Steinbeck includes “Lennie was delighted” and “Lennie broke in…He laughed delightedly.” Steinbeck says that George “repeated his words rhythmically” to tell the readers that George has told Lennie this story many times before. This tells the reader that George tells Lennie this story repeatedly to calm him down. Throughout the novel, George keeps telling the story, and Lennie gets excited about it every time. Lennie has a mental disability, so he doesn’t understand the importance of having a purpose at the ranch. He constantly gets in trouble and scolded by George, but he doesn't understand why. His dream of taking care of bunnies gives him an escape. After meeting Curley’s wife for the first time, he is allured to her, but George yells at him immediately to leave her alone. Afterwards, Lennie says “I don’t like this place, George. This ain’t no good place. I wanna get outta here.” This shows how …show more content…

Throughout the book, there was constant discrimination from the workers. Candy is very similar to Crooks because he was also an outcast. He isn’t as useful as the rest of the workers since he only has one arm. Both Candy and Crooks have these things that are stopping them from being happy and successful. This is why they both wanted to get in with George and Lennie’s plan of opening a farm. On page 60, it says “They fell into a silence. They looked at one another amazed. This thing they never really believed in was coming true. George said reverently, ‘Jesus Christ Christ!’ I bet we could swing her.’ His eyes were full of wonder.” In this moment, Steinbeck describes the newfound hope the men have found with this dream. The author also makes the readers have a sense of hope by saying the men “fell into silence” and “looked at one another amazed.” Even though the dream does not end up being successful, it represents freedom and control for the men. Candy and Crooks want to escape the discrimination and isolation they face, and the dream gives them hope of this. However, the dream does not come true, which proves how it is a fantasy and just gives people false

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 Grief and disappointment began to settle into George’s dream, but this is a habit Of Mice and Men and how it seems to build upon loneliness and in a sense, defeat.  Consequently, dreams sew together the misery and imagination that John Steinbeck designed, in order to convey his ideas about the human nature and its tendency to dream.  Perhaps George knew his dream was going to permanently reside as a dream, and he couldn’t undo what human nature has proven, that dreaming is

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This also shows the overpowering control George has over Lennie’s conscience, and the consequence that Lennie can’t remember his own actions, only the stories George repeats. He is never truly angry with Lennie for his petty mistakes, he is simply thinking of the limitations of their dreams because of Lennie’s unpredictable actions. It seems George can only control Lennie by threatening him with the thing he cares about most which is the farm, “But you ain’t gonna get in no trouble, because if you do, I won’t let you tend the rabbits” he threatens, trying to make Lennie remember the importance of his actions (36). George is constantly complaining that he could have a better life and even have a farm without Lennie to look after, but he also wants a companion. Lennie is often simple minded and easily influenced, but intuitive enough to manipulate George’s loneliness, “If you don’t want me George I can go up in that cave over there and leave,” George quickly denies this saying “No, look I was just foolin’ Lennie, ‘cause I want you to stay with me” (20).

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This is another example of George helping Lennie not get into too much trouble. George knows that if something happens to Curley's wife, Curley will kill that person and kick them off the

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How does Steinbeck show the failing dreams of all the main characters, and how easy their goals are shattered throughout the book? Throughout the book, Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie, two labor workers that are run out of their previous employment in Weed, find a ranch to work on in Salinas Valley California to fulfill their dreams of being rich and having their own farm. Salinas Valley is where they plan to stay until they have saved enough money to have their own ranch and move on. Besides the dreams George and Lennie have, many other people on the ranch have ones as well. While Steinbeck illustrates the journey the characters go through to achieve their dreams, their failed attempt occurs for numerous reasons.

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In the novella Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses symbolism to emphasize the importance of dreams and how George and Lennie’s dream provides the motivation for everything that happens in the story. This is evident in the passage that begins with “Lennie spoke craftily, ‘Tell me’” and ends with “to the rain comin’ down on the roof” (Steinbeck 13-15). During this part of the novella, Lennie asks George to repeat the dream that they have together, and George does, giving numerous details about their future farm. Everybody needs a goal in life, even if it seems unachievable, because it gives them something to work for. When George is talking to Lennie about other, he conveys them as “They come to a ranch an’ work up a stake

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Dreamer All people in this world have a dream. Some dreams are more realistic than others. Some people's dreams drive them to the lows of the lows, yet a dream is not one to be given up on. In the book Of Mice and Men Lennie and George have a dream of one day owning their own farm. Through the use of Foreshadowing, Imagery, and Tension John Steinbeck reveals the theme that one's dreams will direct your actions, mindset, and attitude.

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”(72) he can’t believe that something like that would happen to George that will leave him alone. After George had scolded him had replies ”If you don 't want me I can go off an’ find a cave. I can go away any time”(13). He requests that it would better off for George and everyone else if he is alone, even though he wants someone to talk to and be with. None of the other people really like Lennie on the farm and especially when the climax of the story happened he was dreadfully hated.

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All people have goals, but some have no chance of achieving them. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, Candy, Crooks and Lennie all live on the same farm, but are faced with different circumstances holding them back from achieving what they desire. Through the characters of Candy, Crooks, and Lennie, Steinbeck shows that issues outside the control of an individual often limit the achievement of an individual’s dream. Throughout the novel, Lennie is faced with obstacles that are in the way of him attaining his ultimate goal.

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Dreams are an essential of life, dreams give you hope for something you love to do. In Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck, dreams are used throughout the whole novel. It is shown how dreams keep friendships together and happy through life, like George and Lennie. Dreams give hope to the characters that try to get out of working. They push people to do what they love and to get out of the ranch.

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