ipl-logo

The American Dream In Of Mice And Men

1674 Words7 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Of mice and men setting analyse essay

Delaney Petka
Mrs. Eno
Honors English 10
1 February 2023
John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men takes place in a cruel world where the American dream seems obtainable to all characters but none are able to reach it (Abdullah,6). The loss of each one's dreams affected each character differently but negatively. Once the realization of death of their dream sets in, reality gets much worse. The experiences faced in Of Mice and Men take a toll on the charcters and emotionally destroy them (Abdullah,3). John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men portrays the characters Curley's Wife, George, and Lennie struggling with reality and are negatively affected by the downfall of their dreams.
Curley's wife is a promiscuous lady with a failed dream that lead her to a horrible …show more content…

Although, it is not only Clara that keeps them together. Their dream keeps them united, providing hope that they will remain so (Meyer,126). As Lennie's protector, he has always put his efforts into keeping him safe but still faced challenges, sometimes life-threatening ones (Saleh,3). Firstly George was forced out of Weed because he had to run away and take care of Lennie after the incident with the lady and the soft dress even though he had nothing to do with the situation at hand (Steinbeck). Ever since this situation George has held grudges against women and believes they are liars and manipulators (Meyer,128). This book shows that even with innocence comes responsibility and hardships (Kholidi,9).
The American dream is the belief that one can achieve success and virtue by working hard but in Of Mice and Men the American dream never perspires (Hochschild). Geroge has a dream to own a house and some land and settle down with Lennie and live a peaceful life never on the run (Steinbeck). George shows anxiety in fulfilling this dream continuously by acting defensively and protecting his job strongly (Kholidi,12). Sadly this dream never becomes obtainable and the consequences of realizing this dream were over were …show more content…

It seems that he is not only lying to Lennie but also to himself. He knows he is about to kill the friend he has stayed by and protected but he treats him as if nothing is going to happen and they are going to live their lives as they have done (Steinbeck). He truly loves Lennie and was forced to kill him because he was to be killed by others anyway. In a way, he spared Lennie from a gruesome hateful death (Saleh,3). Once George realized this imaginary dream is over, he took Lennie's life (Steinbeck). The reality American dream in John Steinbeck's of Mice and Men is incredibly destructive and dangerous and for the characters in this book, the American dream created events that changed their life (Kholidi,9). Lennie and George shared many endangering events together since they had not left each other's side since the death of Aunt Clara

Show More
Related

How Does Steinbeck Present Hope In Of Mice And Men

984 Words | 4 Pages

Unfulfilled Dreams Hope is one of the key motivations towards a better future. It continually pushes people towards their goals, no matter how unattainable those goals may seem. This is exemplified within the book Of Mice and Men when the readers see how men like Candy, Lennie, Crooks and George get through the hard times with hope of what they’ll become later on in life. As well as the significance of the damaging effect of Curley’s Wife being robbed of her dreams. This novel demonstrates through it’s characters, that the hope the dream brings can be more important than the dream itself.

Read More

How Does Steinbeck Prove The American Dream In Of Mice And Men

635 Words | 3 Pages

John Steinbeck wrote a novella called Of Mice and Men that was published during the year 1937 of the Great Depression. The novella is about two best friends named George and Lennie who is sick of not having their own things like a house, a bed, food etc… So they come up with the idea of saving up their money and buying their own home. But things drastically changes when lennie who is cognitively impaired kills Curley’s wife and George the caretaker and best friend of Lennie’s kills him to protect him. In Of Mice and Men Steinbeck uses the characters Curley’s wife, Candy, and Crooks to display no matter how hard you work you WILL NEVER achieve your dreams. First, Steinbeck uses the character Curley’s Wife to prove the failure of the American Dream.

Read More

Why Are Dreams Important In Of Mice And Men

505 Words | 3 Pages

Of Mice and Men Dreams help motivate people to keep moving forward with a goal in their life. In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, George and Lennie travel together as migrant workers through California looking for a job. Their dream is to own their own ranch after finding a job that pays well. But impossible from the challenges that they gain along the way. The dreams in the novel affects the characters lives on how they feel towards one another, and themselves.

Read More

Of Mice And Men Quote Analysis

1818 Words | 8 Pages

Of Mice and Men is an exciting book written by John Steinbeck, first published in 1937. The story is set during the Great Depression and follows two migrant workers, George and Lennie, as they travel through California in search of work. John Steinbeck utilizes symbolism, imagery, foreshadowing, and repetition to compare how Lennie and George are motivated by their dreams to show how powerful a dream can be even if the dream is unattainable. Steinbeck uses symbolism to show just how powerful having a goal can be in a character's life. Throughout the novel, Steinbeck utilizes Lennie and George’s dream of owning a farm to represent how a goal can impact a group of people.

Read More

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

617 Words | 3 Pages

George is a friend of Lennie’s. George did not have too help Lennie, but he did it out of loneliness for a friend as a supporter for Lennie ” I love you, you were there for me, you protected me, and most of all, you loved me. We’d fight, scream, and argue, but, under it all, is a love. That only exists, in a brother, and a sister.” This quote I found was very similar to “Of Mice and Men.”

Read More

How Does Steinbeck Present The Delusions In Of Mice And Men

905 Words | 4 Pages

The delusion of the American dream is a major theme explored throughout the novella, ‘Of Mice and Men’, written by John Steinbeck in 1938. In the novel, the American Dream is a belief that nearly every character has which embodies everything great in life. It means hope that happiness and security are truly possible. George and Lennie have a dream to one day have their own land. Curley’s wife has a dream of being an actress and Crooks wishes he could be treated as an equal.

Read More

How Does Steinbeck Present The American Dream In Of Mice And Men

783 Words | 4 Pages

Though it gives him hope initially, George's belief in the American Dream, represented by the dream ranch, leads him to self-destruction. By looking at Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the character of Crooks, and Curley’s wife reveals that the American dream is often a myth because of their race and gender. This does not apply to modern-day because equality has changed a lot since the 1930s, all races are treated equally, and women are not genderized as much. Looking back at Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses the characters of Crooks and Curley's wife to show how the American dream is often a myth because people are judged on by race and gender. Curley's wife highlights the two main themes in the novel dreams and loneliness.

Read More

Examples Of The American Dream In Of Mice And Men

1801 Words | 8 Pages

The initial paragraphs of John Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice and Men introduces Lennie and George, two men living on the road, in search of a job. Both men have dreams of their own and depend on each other in order to achieve them. George takes care of Lennie, who is mentally incapable, while Lennie provides company to George. These men wander around hoping to achieve the American Dream. They continue to go after it, without realizing that they will never be able to obtain it.

Read More

Of Mice And Men American Dream Essay

586 Words | 3 Pages

During the Great Depression, many unemployed workers moved to California to look for work on the ranches. This was because they had a dream to become successful, which is also called “the American dream”. In John Steinbeck’s book Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie, the two main protagonists, worked on a ranch chasing the american dream just like many other americans who dreamt of becoming successful. They tried to save money to buy their own land and live a life where they were successful. However, they never accomplished that, and like many others, did not realize they would never accomplish it.

Read More

Impossibility Of The American Dream In 'Of Mice And Men'

935 Words | 4 Pages

This novel was written during the Great Depression and served to be a reminder that the American Dream is not obtainable in a capitalist society. In his novel, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck shows this theme of the impossibility of the American Dream through the characters of George, Curley, and Curley’s wife. To begin, Steinbeck uses George, arguably the story's main character, to show that the American Dream is not obtainable. George takes responsibility for his mentally impaired friend Lenny, once his Aunt Clara dies. George’s American dream is to have his own land and work for no one

Read More

How Does Steinbeck Present The American Dream In Of Mice And Men

1723 Words | 7 Pages

Since 1931 when James Truslow Adams first created the phrase “the American Dream”, people believed that America continuously offered everyone an equal opportunity to be successful. John Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men, was set during the Great Depression. Farms were struck hard during the Depression, and the two main characters George and Lennie were farm hands during this time. They had experienced the misunderstandings of other farm hands in terms of Lennie’s mental disability, but they were trying to earn enough money to buy their own farm. The idea of this farm drove Lennie and George to keep working, and like many others during this time they hoped to achieve this dream.

Read More

Of Mice And Men And The American Dream Analysis

834 Words | 4 Pages

Everyone aspires to achieve the American Dream: an opportunity to be successful by working hard. Throughout the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the American Dream brings hope for a better life for those who hold onto it. George Milton and Lennie Smalls, traveling ranch workers called bindle stiffs, dream of owning their own piece of land where they create the rules. They are not the only characters with hopes and dreams. But Steinbeck shows the American Dream is, in fact, sometimes just a dream through the hopes and actions of Lennie, Candy, and Curley’s wife.

Read More

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

610 Words | 3 Pages

In conclusion, to express that the american dream is impossible Steinbeck used conversation, conflicts, and events. Throughout of mice and men George and Lennie got into many situations where they felt scared , worried, and angry. Together the plan was to get the money to live in a small place, tend to the rabbits and alpha so they are happy. But things happen such as George killing Lennie that make the american dream impossible to achieve.

Read More

Of Mice And Men American Dream Quotes

491 Words | 2 Pages

The American Dream The American dream is the desire of all most all the characters in the novella Of Mice and Men. This is shown in many ways in many kinds of dreams whether it be becoming Rich and famous or just having the means to survive on their own each character has their own American dream. The first example of the american dream would be George 's dream. George wanted nothing more than to own his own farm and survive off of the land with Lennie which is shown in this quote “we’ll have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and chickens. And when it rains in the winter, we’ll just say the hell with goin’ to work, and we’ll build up a fire in the stove and set around it an’ listen to the rain comin’ down on the roof ...”

Read More

Theme Of The Unrealized Dream In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

1110 Words | 5 Pages

Throughout the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the theme of the unrealized dream is displayed through characters such as Lennie, George, Candy, and Curley’s wife. The unrealized dream, also known as the American Dream, is portrayed differently for a few different characters in the book. Best friends George and Lennie have a shared dream which is to have a serene farm ranch, even if it is small, with a mediocre house, a rabbit pen, and a garden where they can grow their own vegetables and herbs. They long to live independently away from rude bosses and harsh ranches. This is seen differently for a character such as Candy who only wants to keep his job even though he is disabled.

Read More

More about The American Dream In Of Mice And Men

Related Topics

Open Document