The American Dream In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

The Power of The American Dream “Remember: above the clouds, the sun still shines,” an American once wrote, during the times of the dark ages. On Tuesday, October 28, 1929, the stock market fatally crashed, leaving thousands of people without jobs, without money, without homes. If this was not bad enough, little rain fell during the year, causing horrific dust storms. Unfortunately, they were massive and rapid, earning the name “The Dust Bowl.” Positivity was the only thing that kept people going. Knowing that with President, Franklin Roosevelt's help, Americans could get through this dark age. John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men takes place during this time period in California. Although George shows derision towards Lennie, “He ain’t

Their dream influences how they are seen by other characters and how the Steinbeck portrays them throughout the novel to the reader. George and Lennie both share the same dream of “livin’ off the fatta the lan’” (14). To them, this means having their own place where they do not have to rely on anyone else to provide for them. This is where they can have a farm with their own house to live in. To Lennie, most importantly, this is where he can tend to his rabbits; he gets highly crestfallen when George tells Lennie that he will not be able to tend those rabbits if he commits any belligerent actions. Both George and Lennie are portrayed as out of the ordinary when they arrive at the ranch: “Well I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy. I just like to know what your interest is (22).” But they are not the only ones who are seen out of the ordinary because of their American Dream. Curley's wife is seen as “tart” to the other men. Although this seems to be an accurate adjective to describe her, it is not until she sits down with Lennie and explains to him her American Dream, does he realize that she just wants unwanted attention: “I don’t know why I can’t talk to you. I ain’t doin’ no harm to you (88).” Her American Dream was an utter failure causing her to beg for notice making the men completely aloof towards her and her actions. Not only do George and Lennie

The only thing keeping George and Lennie going through the Great Depression is their dream. Such a dream so powerful that they both constantly fathom over the idea of having their own land and their own rabbits. Such a dream so powerful that the men are willing to search for a job and work hard for many years just to achieve a dream they know that will not happen. George and Lennie’s dream appears to be impossible because Lennie is shot and George reveals that he knows it would never actually happen, it just gave Lennie a point in life: “We gotta future George (14).” Similarly, Curley’s wife’s dream of becoming a Hollywood star highly explains the impossibility of the American Dream. Curley’s wife is being told that she will get a letter in the mail inviting her to Hollywood. It devastates her when she realizes the inevitable failure of her dream. Despite this, the power of Curley's wife’s dream allows her to continually believe that some day she might still get her shot at Hollywood. Alike, Crooks dream of having total equality among all is so powerful that he turns away from other human contact. When Lennie innocently comes into Crooks’ room, Crooks harshly tells him to get out. Also, when Curley’s wife comes into Crooks room, she tells him that he better shut up or she will have him hung. This proves to Crooks that his dream is impossible. Throughout