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Impossibility Of Ambition In Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

778 Words4 Pages

Since the establishment of America, its citizens have longed for success. Individuals around the country have perpetually focused on the promise of high achievement, often called “the American Dream.” This highly-sought vision for American life serves as the motivating factor for many American interests such as financial stability or profitable business. However, the impulsive ambition of some individuals elicits significant difficulties on their path to prosperity. The overconfident and impetuous nature of those seeking the American dream not only reduces their chances of success, but also brings a greater degree of hardship. The authors of Of Mice and Men, A Raisin in the Sun, and The Great Gatsby emphasize how an individual’s impulsive ambition …show more content…

Lennie and George, two ranch workers during the Great Depression, express their ambitious goal of building a small farm and “[living] off the fatta lan’” (Steinbeck (-- removed HTML --) PDF). Lennie consistently asks George to “tell [him] about the rabbits” to retain his confidence of one day achieving his American dream (Steinbeck (-- removed HTML --) PDF). Lennie and George plan to escape their impoverished condition, similar to the plans of other ranch workers. However, Lennie’s impulsive predisposition prevents their success. After Curley’s wife beings to draw attention to Lennie’s unknowking abuse, Lennie exclaims, “George gonna say I done a bad thing. He ain’t gonna let me tend no rabbits.” (Steinbeck (-- removed HTML --) PDF). To secure his American dream of tending rabbits, he takes violent action that leads to the death of Curley’s wife. This morbid mistake removes all possibility of their American dream and eventually leads to Lennie’s euthanasia. Through the incautious actions of Lennie, Steinbeck highlights how impulsive ambition leads to the failure of the American …show more content…

In the exigence of the play, Water expresses his interest in a morally-questionable investment opportunity. Walter “[wants] so many things that they are driving [him] kind of crazy,” and his dedication to success is built on unyielding ambition (Hansberry (-- removed HTML --) PDF). Being born into a low socioeconomic status, Walter believes that he should strive for success. Because of the racial discrimination of the time, opportunities for African Americans were limited, preventing Walter from achieveing his American dream. However, his impetuous nature proved to be detrimental on the path to acheiving his dream. After receiving news that his investment was swindled, Walter exclaims, “That money was made out of my father’s flesh!” (Hansberry 85). Although Walter’s commitment to success is admirable, his impulsive investment caused further strife to his family. Through Walter’s actions, Hansberry highlights how impulsive ambition leads to the unsuccessful fulfillment of the American dream and worsened conditions for

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