Of Mice and Men is a short novel about the story of two migrant workers who are best friends during the Great Depression (Goldhurst 49). The setting is the Salinas Valley in California, and the majority of the characters are unskilled migratory workers who do what their name implies. They travel from towns and ranches and farms looking for work and eventually move on to find another job. John Steinbeck puts the spotlight on two migratory workers who dream to finally settle down by saving money to buy their own land. One of the main characters is George Milton, a smart, small, sensitive, and kindhearted man, who is the leader of the duo. The other main character is Lennie Small, who is oversized, mentally challenged, physically powerful, and inclined to getting into serious trouble. Towards the beginning of the story the twosome’s dream seems were distant, but as the story goes on they meet people who make the likelihood of their success within their reach. With the help of their new friends they plan to quit the ranch where they are currently working and move to their own land. Steinbeck refers to this place as a place of abundance and a refuge from the hardships of life. Overall this story is about the nature of man’s fate in a fallen world. John Steinbeck’s use of diction, dialect, and characterization in Of Mice and Men shows how the different themes of the story shape a person’s life. One of the most common themes throughout the novel is the pursuit of the American Dream. Of Mice and Men is a novel of defeated hope and the harsh reality of the American Dream (Van Kirk 1). The American Dream is to have a place of your own, the opportunity to work for yourself, to reach your full potential, and to be recognized in a good way ... ... middle of paper ... ...own for the setting of the story to be Loneliness or Soledad is Spanish. He did not necessarily make the main characters lonely until the end of the story, but most of the loneliness came from the characters with minor roles. He made loneliness common among workers to show often there was no one to be friends with. So that made the main characters seem fortunate. The last theme that is talked about is the theme of the carelessness of the people. Almost all the characters were careless like when George talks about Lennie, when Curly gets in a fight with Lennie, and when Curley’s wife puts herself in the position to be killed. But the most careless and dangerous person was Lennie. He did almost everything without thought and that lead to his demise. So these things do shape a persons life because without these things a person would not function properly or be normal.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a novel about loneliness and the American Dream. This book takes place during the Great Depression. It was very difficult for people to survive during this time period. A lot of people hardly survived let alone had the necessities they needed to keep relationships healthy. Of Mice of Men has a common theme of disappointment. All the characters struggle with their unaccomplished dreams. The migrant workers, stable buck, swamper, and the other men on the ranch had an unsettled disappointment of where they were at in their lives. George and Lennie, two newcomers to the ranch, aren’t like the other guys. They have each other and they are the not loneliest people in the world. Lennie has a dream though he wants to own a farm with plenty of crops and animals one day. The only problem is his blind curiosity of people and things around him. George wasn’t justified for killing Lennie because Lennie was innocent and never got the chance to find out what he did wrong.
John Steinbeck, an American novelist, is well-known for his familiar themes of depression and loneliness. He uses these themes throughout a majority of his novels. These themes come from his childhood and growing up during the stock market crash. A reader can see his depiction of his childhood era. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck shows the prominent themes of loneliness, the need for relationships, and the loss of dreams in the 1930s through the novels’ character.
In Of Mice and Men, one of the main themes is the idea of the American dream. This is one of the more important themes in the book because it plays such a big role in how each character pursues life, and their dreams show a different side of who they are and what they want from life. Many of the characters talk about what their version of the American dream is. Curley’s wife talks about how she wanted to be a movie star. Candy and George both want to own their own land.
The American Dream is what everyone so desperately desired for in the 1930’s. Many come to America for the American Dream, to be successful, have freedom, and support their families by the better opportunities given. In Of Mice and Men the movie the setting sets in the 1930’s where Lennie and George become farm workers for Curley’s dad. Working in these conditions in the 1930’s must of been difficult as shown in the movie when Lennie and George face problems in their journey together. What’s your American Dream?
Thomas Hobbes in his Leviathan states that, "in the state of nature mans life is nasty, brutish and short". In depression era America, no greater truth could be said. There were millions unemployed, largely unskilled and living on the margins of society. The lowest of the low were the migrant labourers travelling from place to place trying to scratch a living. They often had to travel illegally by freight car with all its consequent dangers. Their life expectancy was low, crime was rampant and despair was a fellow traveller. This is the setting of John Steinbeck's, 'Of Mice and Men'.
Every person has an American dream, no matter how big or small, everyone has one. Their dreams however, vary from person to person, based on past experiences. While some people will chose to try to own a small farm in California, others will want to go to Hollywood and become an actress. Though American dreams are commonly found in living people they are also able to be within fictional characters as well; such as in Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. Only American dreams can go astray due to problems that were not foreseen. In Of Mice and y Men, Lennie was the unforeseen problem with George, Candy, and his American dream because of his ableism. His mental ableism made him love to touch soft things such as hair, even though he could end
Of Mice and Men is a story set during the 1930's America, this was a
The American Dream is a thought that everyone has at some point. Some are bigger than others and some are harder than others, but everyone hopes to accomplish their American Dream. In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck shows that the American Dream is a myth, not a reality. John Steinbeck shows the American Dream being a myth through a few of the characters in Of Mice and Men. For example, Lennie, Curley’s Wife, and Candy all have American Dreams, but they also have some obstacles that stop them from completing their American Dream.
The book, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck may have many themes present in the book. However, I think that there is only two. Those two themes are friendship and human nature. These two subjects play a recurring role throughout the whole book to make it what it really is.
As the story, Of Mice and Men, ends, it it easy to realize how important the theme, characters, and symbols are and how they reflect ordinary life. The theme proves that no one can stay lonely forever, and everyone needs someone to be there for them. Many people could see themselves in the characters as they figure out who they really need. Lastly, as we hold onto our youth we also hold onto unrealistic dreams just like George. Before he can let go of the dreams, he must mature and get rid of the part that is holding him back,
The daily struggle of the working class, fear of loneliness and the reality of putting all your energy into plans that fail are the different themes relating to John Steinbeck's novel, "Of Mice and Men". The characters depicted by the author are individuals who are constantly facing one obstacle after another. The book illustrates different conflicts such as man versus society, man versus man, man versus himself and idealism versus reality. The book's backdrop is set in the Salinas, California during the depression. The two main characters include two men, George and Lennie. Supportive characters include a few ranch hands, Candy, Crooks, Curly, Slim and Carlson.
At one point or another, most of the characters in Of Mice and Men admit to dreaming of a different life. Before his death, Lennie hopes to someday tend to the rabbits on George’s dream farm. Curley's’ wife confesses her desire to become a movie star, Crooks allows himself the fantasy of hoeing a patch of land on Lennie’s farm, and Candy latches onto George’s vision of one day owning a couple of acres. All of these dreams could be considered a part of the American dream, for the American dream is the ideal that every American should be able to achieve success and prosperity through determination and hard work. However, none of these dreams ever come true.
Everyone dreams about something. However, it is important to know when the right time to dream is, and when to wake up. A major theme that Steinbeck conveys in the book Of Mice and Men is the pursuit of the American Dream. The book tells the story of two men trying to earn a better life. Their American Dream was to get their own place somewhere and live together. Although, through the characterization of Lennie, the symbolism of rabbits, and the setting of the book, Steinbeck is trying to convey that people cannot continue to live in a dream.
In the late 1920’s, the stock market dropped, leaving thousands of Americans jobless. Many men left their homes and families in search of employment. Two farm workers in California, Lennie Small and George Milton, travel from ranch to ranch searching for work to get them by. In John Steinbeck’s story Of Mice And Men, George and Lennie go through the journey of finding a new job to “get the jack together” and “live off the fatta the lan’.” In with this journey comes obstacles that they may or may not be able to pass through. In Of Mice And Men Steinbeck uses characterization, conflict, and dramatic irony to show how Lennie and George learn to cope with obstacles caused by Lennie’s disability.
John Steinbeck, in his essay America and Americans, uses many contradictions to explain his views on the American Dream. I have witnessed and experienced many of these contradictions in my life. Through my experiences, I have learned to believe that the American dream is no more than just a dream.