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Steinbeck portrays the American dream
Steinbeck portrays the American dream
In of mice and men describe lennie and george
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The Ways in Which Steinbeck Explores the Concept of the American Dream in Of Mice and Men
The American Dream was a dream that nearly everyone had throughout the
twentieth century. It was hope for a better life and people believed
strongly that it would come true. The main characters in 'Of Mice &
Men' have a dream which was to get a plot of land and live on it and
become self-sufficient. The American Dream was not an achievable goal
for many people. Steinbeck shows this failure through the characters
of Lennie & George.
The American dream was a great thing. We first heard about it when
Lennie and George were sitting by the river at the beginning of the
book. The dream was a hope that every rancher had an opportunity for a
better life. Lennie and George, the two main characters, had such a
dream, "Some day were gonna get a little place and a couple of acres".
The idea was to get a piece of land, grow crops and have an improved
life there. They also new exactly what they were aiming for and what
they wanted. They realised that their imagination should not be set
too high for fear of disappointment. The two men also knew that they
should not tell other people about the plot of land in case it was
snatched from under their noses. This frequently happened then, as so
many people were seeking the same desire., "Well it's ten acres said
George. Got a little win mill. Got a little shack on it and a chicken
run. Got a kitchen, orchard, cherries, peaches, cots, nuts, got a few
berries." This shows that Lennie and George had ambition and again,
knew what they wanted. It also shows that there were places where the
dream had a chance of coming ...
... middle of paper ...
... work for nothing, just
his keep, why I'd come an lend a hand". You can see also that people
always put down the achievement of the dream, but they all had a
secret burning ambition to get it if the chance came around.
Through out the book Steinbeck managed to portray the conditions of
the Great Depression in the 1930's. He also gave us a glimpse of The
American Dream that every one pursued and showed us that it was not an
easy achievement. Steinbeck has managed to show the different levels
of hardship and suffering that people faced during that period of time
and also managed to show more hopeless situations of people from a
minority. The concept of the American Dream is at the heart of the
novel 'Of Mice & Men' and therefore allows Steinbeck to make comments
on American Society and the time of the Great Depression.
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.
The theme of the American Dream is presented in Of Mice and Men. The theme is particularly expressed through and around the characters of George and Lennie. Both of these characters have a belief, a dream of owning their own little place to call their own, or as George would say “We’re gonna have a little place and a couple of acres an’ some cows and some pigs...”(Steinbeck,14) This dream is mostly expressed through Lennie but George is the one who supports Lennie. Lennie is the most dedicated to the dream. This dedication is shown when he said “An’ live off the fatta the lan.”(Steinbeck,14) This proven b critics like Kevin Attell who said ”This is the kind of life that George and Lennie dream of living.”(Attell)
The American Dream is a dream that everyone imagines to be picture perfect. The American Dream means having freedom, equality and opportunity’s to achieve the dream that you conceptualize to be right by you. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck did not want to just illustrate the American dream as being easy, but he wanted to point out the American Dream as being difficult too. Steinbeck made a work of art by composing a great novel to make the reader understand that life can be difficult and at times dreams are hard to achieve. Of Mice and Men was written and based on the settings of the Great Depression (Anderson). The Great Depression was a very dire time that left multiple of people despondent and the unavailing to move on with their lives. The Great Depression created a world where everyone had to seek and survive for themselves. In the novel Steinbeck wanted to explore and point out how powerless people where during the time of the Great Depression. Steinbeck purposely incorporated his characters to depict the life struggle of what people go through during grim times. In the novel, Steinbeck illustrated a great set of characters Lennie, George, Candy and Crooks. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck discusses handicaps, hardships, and friendships of the characters.
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
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.
“Ok Someday we're gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow some pigs and”(14). This quote comes from the novel Of Mice and Men, and was written by John Steinbeck. The quote itself relates to the men’s dreams of owning their own land someday. Their goals in the novel was to accomplish this dream which they had high hopes for. Dreams can be denied as proven in this novel, many dreams are lost in some situations and can’t be helped. George,Lennie and Crooks dreams is denied throughout the novel. Dreams don’t always come true in cases, and could be denied.
a better way of life - but something always seems to get in the way of
The American Dream has been the ideal way of life to every citizen. Equal opportunity to achieve success through hard work and persistence allows people to strive for The American Dream. For others, The Dream might have a different meaning to what the think is achievable. In the essay, “Is the American Dream even possible” John Steinbeck makes accusations about the American Dream and the credibility of it. The American Dream in Steinbeck's perspective is that in reality, The Dream is there to believe but not there to its full potential.
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 Of Mice and Men, it seems an incontrovertible law of nature that dreams should go unfulfilled. From George and Lennie’s ranch to Curley’s wife’s stardom, the characters’ most cherished aspirations repeatedly fail to materialize. However, the fact that they do dream—often long after the possibility of realizing those dreams has vanished—suggests that dreaming serves a purpose in their lives. What the characters ultimately fail to see is that, in Steinbeck’s harsh world, dreams are not only a source of happiness but a source of misery as well.
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.
George and Lennie’s struggle for their tiny piece of the American Dream is best summed up by Crooks when he said that he’s “seen hundreds of men come by on the road an’ on the ranches, with their bindles on their back an’ that same damn thing in their hands. Hundreds of them. They come, an’ they quit an’ go on; an’ every damn one of ‘em’s got a little piece of land in his head.
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.