The American Dream In Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

The idea that anybody can achieve their definition of success in a society where everyone has the opportunity to grow, regardless of where they were born or what class they belonged to, is known as the American dream. The books Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, along with The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson narrate tales about the pursuit of the American Dream which is still relevant today. To begin, in the book, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck speaks about what it's like to long for the American Dream. According to the author, “‘Just like heaven. Everybody wants a little piece of lan’. I read plenty of books out here. Nobody ever gets to heaven, and nobody gets to land. It’s just in their head.

The quote says that the American Dream is something everybody wants but nobody gets, and they even go as far as to compare it to heaven. This point is important because it highlights the dedication necessary to make the American Dream come true, and it reflects on today's society because even today, many people go around with their American Dream in mind, but many don’t pursue that dream and leave it as just a dream. Additionally, in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book, The Great Gatsby, he wrote about the American Dream in a way that changes your perception of what the American Dream means. “But I didn’t call him, for he gave a sudden intimation that he was content to be alone—he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward—and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock” (Fitzgerald 17). The quote suggests that the American Dream can mean many different things to different people. In this case, the light is on the American Dream being out of Gatsby’s

Gatsby’s dream is to become rich, to be the type of man Daisy would want to be with so that his American Dream can come true. This shows us that The American Dream is connected to today’s society because it is expected that the man be stable enough to support the woman in the relationship. Similarly, in a book by Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods, he speaks on how the American Dream can be different to many people. “All over America today people would be dragging themselves to work, stuck in traffic jams, wreathed in exhaust smoke. I was going for a walk in the woods” (Bryson 35). In this quote, the quote proposes the idea that the American dream is just a way to say, do what you want to do in life. This directly connects to the current day, because many people today follow social norms. They go to work a 9-5 job, go home, eat, sleep, wake up, and repeat the same steps, 6 days a week. The American Dream is supposed to encourage people to go outside those social boundaries and do what they want to do with their lives. Instead of working a 9-5, start your own business and work when you want to work. Build a house in the country and start a