Defeated Hope in Of Mice and Men
When discussing the thematics of Steinbeck's novel, we would do well to first examine the title, which is an allusion to a line of Robert Burns, a Scottish poet: "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft aglay." Translated into modern English, the verse reads: "The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry." This cynical statement is at the heart of the novel's action and serves as a foreshadowing prophecy of all that is to come. For, indeed, the novels two main characters do have a scheme, a specific dream of changing their current way of life in order to have their own place and work only for themselves. The tragedy, of course, lies in the fact that no matter how elaborately our heroes plan, regardless of how intensely they hope and dream, their plan does not find fulfillment.
This is a novel of defeated hope and the harsh reality of the American Dream. George and Lennie are poor homeless migrant workers, doomed to a life of wandering and toil in which they are never able to reap the fruits of their labor. Their desires may not seem so unfamiliar to any other American: a place of their own, the opportunity to work for themselves and harvest what they sow with no one to take anything from them or give them orders. George and Lennie desperately cling to the notion that they are different from other workers who drift from ranch to ranch because, unlike the others, they have a future and each other. But characters like Crooks and Curley's wife serve as reminders that George and Lennie are no different from anyone who wants something of his or her own.
All the characters (all the ones that Steinbeck has developed, at least) wish to change their lives in some fashion, but none are capable of doing so; they all have dreams, and it is only the dream that varies from person to person. Curley's wife has already had her dream of being an actress pass her by and now must live a life of empty hope. Crooks' situation hints at a much deeper oppression than that of the white worker in America-the oppression of the black people. Through Crooks, Steinbeck exposes the bitterness, the anger, and the helplessness of the black American who struggles to be recognized as a human being, let alone have a place of his own.
One week after Lennie's death, George sits in the dark corner of a bar. The room is all but empty and dead silent. All the windows are shut, through the small openings come beams of dull light that barely illuminate the room. George stares at his glass with an expressionless face, but a heavy sadness in his eyes. The bartender comes towards him and asks if he would like something else to drink.
Today’s young girls cannot escape the culture of thinness and the white image. They feel pressured to conform to the ideal image: thin and white. As a result they suffer from mental and physical issues, and undermine the forms of capital not represented by mainstream media: emotional capital, ethnic capital, and symbolic capital.
Dreams and hope are all worth while but in the book it shows how hard it is to get your dreams. In the book Of Mice and Men the first scene is of them fleeing from their job. The job was contributing to the dream but since there was conflict they had to run otherwise there would be no dream. When they get to there new job a worker over hears their dream and wants to get in on it. “you know a place like that?” said candy. Said on page 29 on the ipad. So they agree and they're way closer to their dream then they ever thought they would be. “George spat on the floor disgustedly. “We got ten bucks between us.” Then he said thoughtfully, “look, if me an’ lennie work a month an’ don’t spen’ nothing, we’ll have a hundred bucks. That’d be four fifty. I bet we could swing her for that. Then you an’ lennie could go get her started an’ i’d get a job an’ make up the res’, an’ you could sell eggs an’ stuff like
Dreams give people motivation and a sense of hope to not give up when life's hard conditions get in the way of success. In the novella, Of Mice and Men, George Milton has his own “American Dream” where he will live in a house, that he bought with his hard earned money, with Lennie. They will grow their own crops and own farm animals to feed themselves. This dream keeps George motivated to find new jobs when Lennie gets them into trouble. George does not want to give up on working hard and making money on ranches.
The book shows how different characters are striving for their version of the American Dream and have natural obstacles in their way that they have to overcome to achieve their dreams. Three main characters that have American Dreams, but do not achieve them do to obstacles are Lennie, Curley’s wife, and Candy. All three of these characters worked super hard and did their best, but sometimes the best dreams lead to
The characteristics of bipolar disorder are significant shifts in mood that go from manic episodes to deep depressive episodes in a up and down trip that seemingly never ends. There are actually three types of bipolar disorder. In bipolar III disorder there is a family history of mania or hypomania in addition to the client experiencing depressive episodes. This category is not highly used but is worth noting. Bipolar II disorder is marked by hypomanic episodes that have not required hospitalization. Bipolar I disorder is the full-blown illness and is defined by the presence of manic episodes which require treatment, and usually hospitalization (Wilner 44).
Byes, Paula K, and Suzanne M Bourgion. ECYCLOPEDIA OF WORLD BIOGRAPHY SECOND EDITION. 2nd. 8.
Bipolar disorder can be conceptualized as parallel dysfunction in emotion-processing and emotion-regulation circuits, together with an “overactive” reward-processing circuitry, resulting in characteristic behavioral abnormalities associated with bipolar disorder: emotional lability, emotional dysregulation, and heightened reward sensitivity (Bressert, 2006). According to DSM-IV and ICD-10, divides bipolar disorder into at least two subtypes. Bipolar type I disorder, the most classical form, is characterized by a succession of manic or mixed states with depressive episodes. The course of bipolar type II disorder is similar but more unstable in course, where depression alternates with hypomania (Burke, 2012, 159-166).
There are two types of BD: Bipolar I and Bipolar II. “Bipolar I disorder is defined as being present if the person experiences one or more lifetime episodes of mania and usually episodes of depression. The severity and duration of episodes are often severe and may result in hospitalization.” (Black dog institute) “Bipolar II disorder is defined as being present if the person experiences episodes of both hypomania and depression but no manic episodes. The severity of the highs does not lead to hospitalization.” (Black dog institute)
The bipolar disorder has often been classified and defined by many different terms. Its been also known a manic depressive illness, characterized by extreme and disabling highs, considered to be mania, and low points, known as depression. It effects a considerable amount of Americans, which usually begins in adolescence or young adulthood and continues through life. Its been proved that many individuals who have this disorder experience multiple manic episodes, and even end their lives in suicide.
Bipolar Disorder is a complex psychological disorder, a mental illness also known as manic depression. In Margarita Tartakovsky’s article “Bipolar Disorder Fact Sheet” she states “Approximately 2.6 percent of American adults have bipolar disorder.” People who are affected by this condition experience brutal mood swings that could impair their daily activities and have a negative effect on their lives and relationships. It can cause the individuals to make very poor decisions and even lead to drug and alcohol abuse. They experience high and low mood changes which can be very exhausting not only to the person with the condition, but there family and loved ones as well. When one is experiencing a “high” in mood, they can feel like they are invincible. They become very self-confident and feel like they can do anything, which can lead to overspending, reckless thinking, and bad decision making. When experiencing a “low,” the individual becomes very depressed, sad, and even feels hopeless. According to Tartakovsky, “suicide attempts are very common in bipolar disorder, especially during depressive episodes.” There are several types of bipolar disorders, but the two main types are Bipolar I and Bipolar II. Bipolar I is the definitive type of the bipolar disorder, and the person will constantly go through both the manic and depressive stages of the condition. The length of these episodes will differ from time to time. In Bipolar II, the manic stages are not as severe as Bipolar I; nevertheless, the depressive stages are quite similar (bipolar). But what causes this life altering mental illness? Several factors contribute to the cause of bipolar disorder such as genetics, biology, and environment.
globally spread. The symptoms of this illness are quite defined and are very recognizable. Cause
Poirier, P.. "Obesity And Cardiovascular Disease: Pathophysiology, Evaluation, And Effect Of Weight Loss: An Update Of The 1997 American Heart Association Scientific Statement On Obesity And Heart Disease From The Obesity Committee Of The Council On Nutrition, Physical." Circulation 113.6 (2006): 898-918. AHAJournals. Web. 16 Mar. 2014.
Bipolar disorder is the condition in which one’s mood switches from periods of extreme highs known as manias to periods of extreme lows known as depression. The name bipolar comes from the root words bi (meaning two) and polar (meaning opposite) (Peacock, 2000). Though often bipolar disorder is developed in a person’s late teens to early adulthood; bipolar disorder’s early symptoms can sometimes be found in young children or may develop later on in life (National Institutes of, 2008). Bipolar disorder has been found to affect both men and women equally. Currently the exact cause of bipolar disorder is not yet known, however it has been found to occur most often in the relatives of people diagnosed with bipolar disorder (National Center for, 2010).
and popular music, and rock and roll was among the popular music of the time (McGuigan,