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

1325 Words6 Pages
The American Dream was a key motivator for men and women during the Great Depression. John Steinbeck portrays this through all of his characters in Of Mice and Men. The theme of dreams is carried throughout the book in many different ways. For example, Bo Grimes states, “He portrays it by letting the dream come within the men’s grasp and then it gets destroyed” (3). John Steinbeck has a specific type of character he depicts in his writing. George and Lennie in Of Mice and Men are a perfect example of this type of character. They are outcasts and do not live in high society which affects their ability to reach their dream. The American dream plays a key role for all the characters in Of Mice and Men; each of the characters has a specific dream; however, this causes some of them to be brought together and others torn apart. George has the biggest dream of all the characters in the book, and even though he is stuck with Lennie, he does not doubt that one day he will reach his dream.He is skeptical of the world. He does not trust it, nor does he trust the people in it. MichealZeitler writes, “More than a dream of land or property or riches even a house of one’s own, George’s vision encompasses a broader range of values—freedom , abundance, fairness, nature, and companionship” (1). George moves from town to town to keep work and save up the money he needs to pursue his dream. He includes Lennie in the vision of his dream because he promises Lennie’s aunt he will take care of
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