Being on cloud nine is all fun and games until you’ve been hit with reality. Facing reality is a prominent theme in John Steinbeck's novel, Mice and Men. Ecstatic about owning a piece of land, Candy has to face reality that some things are too good to be true. “You God damn right we’re gonna do it. George says we are. We got the money right now” (Steinbeck 75-76). “Candy spoke his greatest fear. Before George answered, Candy dropped his head and looked down at the hay. He knew” (Steinbeck 94). Subsequently hearing George apprise Lennie about getting a piece of land together, Candy inquired George about the cost of the place, then soliciting him to become a part of their group. In view of the fact that Candy has $350 out of the $600 that is essential to acquire the piece of land, George and Lennie welcome him with open …show more content…
After an unforeseen event occurs before retrieving $250, the trio’s dream of getting a piece of land has demolished unspokenly. As George leaves with his solitaire hand, Candy is left to face reality. After the death of Curley’s wife, George faces reality that he and Lennie can’t live the life they dreamed of. “He usta like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would” (Steinbeck 94) “And he tried to reassure himself. ‘Maybe they’ll lock him ‘im up an’ be nice to ‘im” (Steinbeck 94) Inadvertently snapping Curley’s wife’s neck, Lennie panics and flees to the brush where he was instructed to go to by George. Frowning upon the discovery of Curley’s wife dead, George realizes that he can’t untangle Lennie out of the knots he created. He faces reality that he is incapable of being Lennie’s saviour each time he does unintentional harm. As dreams are shattered, George has the knowledge that locking Lennie up will only cause pain thus saving Lennie from himself by ending his life. Deaths threats by Curley’s wife has forced Crooks to face reality that no man of color will have substantial
As we journey through life, we must make difficult decisions, even when few options exist and the situation is grim. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the decision George faces after Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife is complicated, as none of his choices are good. The importance of his relationship with Lennie forces George to look at the big picture and act in Lennie’s best interests, even though the action he must finally take will result in a weight that he will carry forever.
In the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Steinbeck illustrates the dreams of George,Lennie, and other characters and how these dreams are unrealistic and unattainable .Their dreams were the reason that these characters kept moving forward but because of difficult circumstances the dreams of George,Lennie,Candy and Curley's wife are shattered , they knew that their dream was never really attainable but they still had hope but because they were so greatly impacted by Lennies actions their dreams are never accomplished.
Steinbeck describes Candy right after the men hear the shot that kills the dog. Candy's loneliness over the loss of his dog is short lived as he becomes part of George's and Lennie's plan to get their own farm. In fact, Candy makes the dream seem almost possible because he has saved $300 which he will contribute to the price of the property George can buy. The three men believe that one day they will up and leave the ranch and go live on their own "little piece of land." In the end, however, Candy is plunged back into despair and loneliness after he discovers Lennie has killed Curley's wife. The dream is shattered. He poignantly communicates his feelings over the loss at the end of chapter five: “You done it, di’n’t you? I s’pose you’re glad. Ever’body knowed you’d mess things up. You wasn’t no good. You ain’t no good now, you lousy tart.” He sniveled, and his voice shook. “I could of hoed in the garden and washed dishes for them guys.” He paused, and then went on in a singsong. And he repeated the old words: “If they was a circus or a baseball game .
Candy thought "I am not going to no one for help. This ranchers was thrilled to kill Lennie and now they don't even care about George who was caught in their place."
John Steinbeck explores human experience in the novella ‘Of Mice and Men’ in friendship, loneliness and marginalisation. He does this through the characters as explained thought the paragraphs below.
Consistently throughout the story George and Lennie were there for each other; in fact towards the very beginning Lennie and George discussed how they were better off than most guys because they had each other (14). When George killed Lennie a part of him died too, George knew murdering Lennie would hurt him mentally and emotionally. However he did it because he wanted what was best for his friend no matter the cost. His actions were altruistic and that made his decision the more favorable one. Another instance when George was selfless was when he gave up his dream. Throughout the story George and Lennie dreamed of and worked towards owning their own piece of land together. However, after discovering Curley’s wife dead, George returned to reality and informed Candy that they would, “never do her” (94). After losing his friend George understood the impossibility of achieving the American Dream. Beforehand George knew he would not want to live out his dream without Lennie, so by protecting Lennie and giving up on his own dream he put Lennie above himself. Conversely, someone may believe that George's actions were selfish and that he benefits himself by killing Lennie. After George comes after Lennie, the dim-witted man asks if George was going to yell at him. Reluctantly George told him “If I was alone, I could live so easy,” (103). Although George said
Listen to the guys yell out there. They got four dollars bet in that tenement. None of them ain’t gonna leave till it’s over.” “If George sees me talkin’ to you he’ll give me hell,” Lennie said cautiously.” (Steinbeck, 85)
Also, the theme of the American Dream is presented in Of Mice and Men through the character of Candy. Candy is an old farm hand who is becoming of not much use around the farm anymore. Candy knows that desperate times call for desperate measures so he goes in on George and Lennie’s plan to buy a little farm. This is shown when candy says “It’ll be our own place.”(Steinbeck,60) Candy shows great spirit throughout the book and really shows off the good aspects of the American Dream. It is only until the end of the book until the plan to go away starts to be questioned. He starts saying questions like ”You an’ me can get that little place cant we, George?”(Steinbeck,94) This denial was once again recognized my Kevin Attell, who said “George and Lennie’s dream is specifically necessitated by and responds to the limitations played on their lives.”(Attell) By using Candy as a character striving for the American Dream, the fact that the dream is attainable to all is presente...
Although George is angry with Lennie, he reassures Lennie all is well and retells him the story of their farm. George relinquishes the American dream of owning a farm and the chance of a better life with Lennie. He is now fully aware that all of his plans and dreams amount to nothing. George also realizes he is just a lowly migrant worker with no future; he will never own a little piece of land to call home sweet home. Lennie gives George a sense of meaning and purpose in life. The death of Lennie gives way to the death of their American dream
George and Lennie have to continue to move around the country looking for work until Lennie screws up again. The instability of work only makes it that much harder for them to complete their dream of a farm of their own. Candy’s participation in the dream of the farm upgrades the dream into a possible reality. As the tending of rabbits comes closer to happening fate curses them with the accidental death of Curley’s wife. The end of their wishful thinking is summed up by Candy’s question on page 104, “Then-it’s all off?”
George is almost certain is will happen, as he wishes for 'a little house' with a 'few acres' of land to grow their own food. This is also important as it shows that in 1930s America, the main goal was to achieve stability, to be able to rely on yourself and not be worried about getting 'canned' everyday and to live, not only survive on the bare minimum. However, even George's simple dreams seem incredibly unrealistic and Crooks sums this up the best as he says 'nobody never gets to heaven and nobody never gets no land' which shows how many people attempted to acheive the same thing, to achieve stability, however no one ever did. At the end of the novel, George's dream comes to an abrupt stop as he has to kill Lennie. These final moments show how short life in 1930s America was, and how unfair situations were. Even though Candy still offered to give George his savings, George chose the solitude life of a ranch worker as Lennie was part of his dream, and how he couldn't even seem to reconsider living the American dream without him shows the reader how much Lennie meant to him.
John Steinbeck highlights the theme of hope in his novel Of Mice and Men to show how difficult it was to keep hope during the Great Depression. This is shown through four characters, Lennie, George, Crooks and Candy. During most of the book, George and Lennie have hope for getting some land. Lennie always wants to talk about it, always trying to squeeze it into conversation. He is always making George tell the story, always making George repeat himself. “We gonna get a little place. We’ll have a cow an’ we’ll have maybe a pig and chickens...an’ down the flat we’ll have a little piece of alfalfa…” (Steinbeck, 1937, p. 105). He is constantly cheering on himself and George about getting that plot of land, making sure they both keep hope through the tough times.
Candy was old and had little left to live for, but buying the farm with George and Lennie kept him motivated. “You an’ me can get that little place, can’t
The theme that John Steinbeck amits from the novel Of Mice and Men is not everyone’s american dream can come true because one wants it to. This alludes to a famous poem by Robert Burns called “To a Mouse”. The theme of this poem is the greatest schemes of mice and men often go astray. Meaning that things do not always go as one plans it to. The novel is set in the Great Depression (1929-1939) in Southern California (near Soledad). Characters in the novel such as George and Crooks have obstacles that hold them back from achieving their own american dreams. George is held back from his by having to care of Lennie, who cannot take care of himself. Crooks is held back from his american dream because of his skin color.
John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men conveys the theme of the “American Dream” and explores it’s plausibility for the beaten, downtrodden members of society. The novel’s theme of the “American Dream” is conveyed through Gorge and Lennie’s constant pursuit of “the farm” and a stabile life. The companionship between Gorge and Lennie is symbolic of hope and belief in the “American Dream”. Steinbeck portrays to American dream as being on the verge of fruition, but just out of reach due to factors beyond their control. John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is symbolic of the American Dream and the pursuit of security.