Of Mice And Men Wake Up And Smell The Roses Analysis

Wake up and smell the roses; they’re as dead as every dream. As shown in the book Of Mice And Men, dreams are weak, and will never be enough to “weather through the storm.” Dreams are not enough to survive off of, and this is made clear by Steinbeck as he presents each character’s dream, allowing the reader to become emotionally invested, and then heartbroken upon showing that none of the characters got what they wanted. Despite happy endings are regularly written, the realistic view of life that Steinbeck provides is refreshing, because of how true it is. Lennie’s dream of being able to have something he can pet and take care of affects three characters: George because he ends up having to shoot Lennie, Candy, because he loses the opportunity

Candy expresses how bad he wants to live off the land and have a house: “Candy cried, “Sure, they all want it. Everybody wants a little bit of land, not much. Jus’ somethin’ that was his. Somethin’ he could live on and there couldn’t nobody throw him off of it. I never had none. I planted crops for damn near ever’body in this state, but they wasn’t my crops, and when I harvested ‘em, it wasn’t none of my harvest. But we gonna do it now, and don’t make no mistake about that’” (Steinbeck 76). Candy wanted to get land because he was old and would eventually be fired because of his age and disability. Candy also doesn’t like the lack of control he has on the ranch: “He said miserably, ‘You seen what they done to my dog tonight? They says he wasn't no good to himself nor nobody else. When they can me here I wisht somebody'd shoot me. But they won't do nothing like that. I won't have no place to go, an' I can't get no more jobs. I'll have thirty dollars more comin', time you guys is ready to quit’” (Steinbeck 60). Candy also wanted the freedom of owning his own land. He would have been able to do what he wanted, without anyone making decisions for him. He also won’t have to do strenuous labor in his old age.Candy still expresses his dreams even after they’ve become unaccomplishable: “Now Candy spoke his greatest fear. ‘You an’ me can get that little place,

Lennie and George had plans for the future and what they wanted to do in their lives: “‘O.K. Someday- 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-’ ‘An live off the fatta the lan’,’ Lennie shouted” (Steinbeck 14). George can never reach his dream of living with Lennie on a couple of acres and have the stability their lives need. George will be completely alone, and left with no real relationships. George acted like a parent to Lennie, and deeply cared about him: “‘If I get in any trouble, you ain’t gonna let me tend to the rabbits’” (Steinbeck 30). It is likely that the unique relationship they share will cause George suffer, even if the choice made was the best possible one. He may feel intense regret or guilt as he attempts to adjust to life without Lennie. George has always serviced Lennie’s needs and made sure he was comfortable, like the moments before his painless death was delivered: “Lennie said, ‘Tell how it’s gonna be.’ George had been listening to the distant sounds. For a moment he was business-like. ‘Look acrost the river, Lennie, an’ I’ll tell you so you can almost see it’” (Steinbeck 105). Despite his mental issues, Lennie’s dreams are ultimately selfish, as he is unable to think for anyone but