The American Dream In John Steinbecks Of Mice And Men

Dreams are meant to be dreamt but are never attained. In the riveting novella of Of Mice and Men, two â€Å"bindlestiffs†, George and Lennie (the protagonists), search for a job in Soledad, a small town not too far from Salinas, during the poverty-stricken era of the 1930s. During the 1930s, many â€Å"Okies†, unemployed and impecunious migrants from the Midwest, traveled to California in search of a dwelling and an occupation. All of them aspired to be wealthy and have all the fancy goods and chattels in life, but very few could accomplish such a breathtaking endeavor. Throughout the entire novella of Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck conveys a universal message which states that the American dream is simply unachievable. Lennie and Crooks, people†¦show more content†¦They say I stink. Well, I tell you, you all of you stink to me.† (68) Crooks’s â€Å"American† dream is to be accepted by white people and do activities with them. However, he i s black, so the white ranch workers discriminate him because of their personal assumptions. The others assume that Crooks is awkward, just because of his skin color. Type-casting is a human’s natural instinct, and, most of the time, there is nothing to be done to help one class or group of people being inappropriately classified. Self-absorption is seen throughout Of Mice and Men when people act as crabs in a bucket and try to pull others down to his/her level for emotional gain. For example, Crooks elucidates the vile competition among all of the migrant workers to Lennie, â€Å"I seen hunderds of men come by on the road an’ on the ranches, with their bindles on their back an’ that same damn thing in their heads...Ever’body wants a little piece of lan’...It’s just in their head. They’re all the time talkin’ about it, but it’s jus’ in their head.† (74) Crooks intimidates Lennie by making his dream’s chances of success seem dangerously low. By pulling Lennie down to his level, he acts like a crab in a bucket, even though he is an African American. Crooks takes advantage of Lennie’s mental-illness to make himself feel superior to a white man; if Lennie was not born mentally-ill, then there is little to no chance that Crooks woul d have dared to take advantage of him. Likewise, Curley, a small light-weightShow MoreRelatedThe American Dream In John Steinbecks Of Mice And Men836 Words   |  4 Pagesthat can describe America over 80 years ago. John Steinbeck paints a realistic portrait of America in the 1930’s. In doing so, he discusses the important controversial issues in a prà ©cis 106 pages. Everything has a purpose, and in writing these 106 pages, Steinbeck had a purpose to fulfill. Steinbeck’s purpose in writing Of Mice and Men consisted of many components, but it can be summed up in three main points. This includes portraying the American dream in the 1930’s, giving insight into life duringRead MoreThe American Dream in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men Essay1430 Words   |  6 PagesOf Mice and Men is based on 1930s America during the Great Depression. The American dream was no more, and the land of opportunity had become the land of misfortune. It was during this time that many farmers best hope for a new life lay in California. The American Dream is the idea of an individual overcoming all obstacles and beating all odds to one day be successful. This subject is the predominant theme in John Steinbeck’s novel. This is a novel of defeated hope and the harsh realityRead MoreThe Pursuit of the American Dream in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men1967 Words   |  8 PagesOf 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 toRead MoreThe Importance of the American Dream to John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men2288 Words   |  10 Pagesthe American Dream to John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men The novella, Of Mice and Men was written in 1937 in Salinas, California. It was written by John Steinbeck who himself was born in Salinas in 1902. Adjacent to the Salinas River, much of the towns commerce is centred upon shipping and agriculture and specifically vegetable farming. Early in the century many people were migrating to California, and many were trying to succeed in farming. One of Steinbecks jobsRead MoreThe American Dream In John Steinbecks Of Mice And Men761 Words   |  4 PagesPropaganda filters throughout the world to lean people’s views one way or another. In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, he uses George and Lennie, Crooks, and Curley’s wife to demonstrate the American Dream. This is unattainable but is their motivation to carry on their daily on the ranch lives. George and Lennie’s actions revolve around their American Dream. In a conversation between George and Lennie they discuss their dream, George states â€Å"... We’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a littleRead MoreEssay about The American Dream in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men731 Words   |  3 PagesThe American Dream is a fundamental theme in John Steinbecks novel Of Mice and Men. I will endeavor to examine how the theme is presented in the novel in order to determine why it is so important. Whilst exploiting the theme it will be imperative to consider the characters that hold this dream, I will focus on George and Lennie, the two central characters. In addition I will acknowledge the social and economic situation of the time, the Great Depression. The American Dream is an idealRead MoreThe Unattainable American Dream in John Steinbeck’s Novel Of Mice and Men756 Words   |  4 Pagesinclination of all men and women to dream. In John Steinbeck’s novel â€Å"Of Mice and Men,† the American dream is sought after by many different characters. However, the main theme in the story is how these dreams are unattainable, and how because of the Great Depression, all American dreams were dead. But what is the American dream? A unitary definition does not exist, however, the meaning of living the American dream is something that differs for everyone. For some people, the American dream might be acceptanceRead MoreThe Failure Of The American Dream In John Steinbecks Of Mice And Men829 Words   |  4 PagesOf Mice and Men The novella, Of Mice and Men takes place in the Salinas River Valley, California during the Great Depression. It was written by John Steinbeck, who grew up near the Salinas River Valley in the 1900s. During the Great Depression, stock markets crashed, and people went poor overnight. Some men would travel from farm to farm just to get enough food to feed themselves. They didn’t have homes, everything they owned could fit in a backpack. In his novella, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck usesRead MoreJohn Steinbeck: An American Writer During the Great Depression1315 Words   |  6 Pagestime. Because of the difficult situations, American writers turned their focus to social problems and issues. They were motivated to arouse sympathy for the suffering of common people, especially those at the very bottom of the society. (Wang, 2012) John Steinbeck (1902-1968), born in Salinas, California, is one of the most significant and representative American writers in that era. He is the winner of the Noble Prize for Literature in 1962. John Steinbeck’s living experience in California had a greatRead MoreAmerica Is Home To Many Great Writers Whom Come Different1709 Words   |  7 PagesAmerica is home to many great writers whom come different backgrounds. American authors like John Steinbeck who add biographical elements into their pieces of writing. John Steinbeck, one of the most honorable authors of time, is known for receiving Nobel Prize, California commonwealth club medal, Pulitzer Prize, and other great accomplishments towards publishing sixteen novels. Steinbeck’s realist style of writing and life experiences impacting his life show the reader he’s been through a lot in The American Dream In John Steinbecks Of Mice And Men Propaganda filters throughout the world to lean people’s views one way or another. In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, he uses George and Lennie, Crooks, and Curley’s wife to demonstrate the American Dream. This is unattainable but is their motivation to carry on their daily on the ranch lives. George and Lennie’s actions revolve around their American Dream. In a conversation between George and Lennie they discuss their dream, George states â€Å"... We’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres, an’ a cow and some pigs† (Steinbeck, 14). George says this to Lennie to motivate him to keep quiet and out of trouble so they can eventually reach these dreams. The American Dream can be defined as people†¦show more content†¦He doubted Lennie because of his incapability to keep his head down and do what he’s told. Lennie constantly asked George to reassure him of these dreams to comfort and motivate him. Crooks, the African American stable hand of the Tyler ranch, was discriminated for his skin color and could not imagine his dreams would ever to come true because of it. Crooks grew up on his father’s ranch with his brothers and they were happy. He worked hard for his American Dream of eventually living off the ‘fat of the land’ with George and Lennie. Crooks home is, a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn â€Å"This suggests that he is isolated from the other men and treated like the animals he cares for and as such is made to live with them† (â€Å"Effects of Segregation and Racism in Of Mice and Men Chapter 4†). He came to the quick realization that it is impossible to go along with George and Lennie and he does not see any dream with white men possible. Curley’s wife was known as a tart and was avoided by the men on the ranch. At first the reader could assume her dream was to be noticed and talked to but her dream was to Ã¢â‚¬Ë œbe in the pictures’. A professional man had promised to make her famous and she waited for a letter that ensured this. She never received the letter and that’s where the decline of her dreams happened. Shortly after, her dreams started failing she married Curley who controlled her.Show MoreRelatedThe American Dream In John Steinbecks Of Mice And Men836 Words   |  4 Pagesthat can describe America over 80 years ago. John Steinbeck paints a realistic portrait of America in the 1930’s. In doing so, he discusses the important controversial issues in a prà ©cis 106 pages. Everything has a purpose, and in writing these 106 pages, Steinbeck had a purpose to fulfill. Steinbeck’s purpose in writing Of Mice and Men consisted of many components, but it can be summed up in three main points. This includes portraying the American dream in the 1930’s, giving insight into life duringRead MoreThe American Dream in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men Essay1430 Wor ds   |  6 PagesOf Mice and Men is based on 1930s America during the Great Depression. The American dream was no more, and the land of opportunity had become the land of misfortune. It was during this time that many farmers best hope for a new life lay in California. The American Dream is the idea of an individual overcoming all obstacles and beating all odds to one day be successful. This subject is the predominant theme in John Steinbeck’s novel. This is a novel of defeated hope and the harsh realityRead MoreThe Pursuit of the American Dream in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men1967 Words   |  8 PagesOf 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 toRead MoreThe Importance of the American Dream to John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men2288 Words   |  10 Pagesthe American Dream to John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men The novella, Of Mice and Men was written in 1937 in Salinas, California. It was written by John Steinbeck who himself was born in Salinas in 1902. Adjacent to the Salinas River, much of the towns commerce is centred upon shipping and agriculture and specifically vegetable farming. Early in the century many people were migrating to California, and many were trying to succeed in farming. One of Steinbecks jobsRead MoreThe American Dream In John Steinbecks Of Mice And Men804 Words   |  4 PagesDreams are meant to be dreamt but are never attained. In the riveting novella of Of Mice and Men, two â€Å"bindlestiffs†, George and Lennie (the protagonists), search for a job in Soledad, a small town not too far from Salinas, during the poverty-stricken era of the 1930s. During the 1930s, many â€Å"Okies†, unemployed and impecunious migrants from the Midwest, traveled to California in search of a dwelling and an occupation. All of them aspired to be wealthy and have all the fancy goods and chattels inRead MoreEssay about The American Dream in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men731 Words   |  3 PagesThe American Dream is a fundamental theme in John Steinbecks novel Of Mice and Men. I will endeavor to examine how the theme is presented in the novel in order to determine why it is so important. Whilst exploiting the theme it will be imperative to consider the characters that hold this dream, I will focus on George and Lennie, the two central characters. In addition I will acknowledge the social and economic situation of the time, the Great Depression. The American Dream is an idealRead MoreThe Unattainable American Dream in John Steinbeck’s Novel Of Mice and Men756 Words   |  4 Pagesinclination of all men and women to dream. In John Steinbeck’s novel â€Å"Of Mice and Men,† the American dream is sought after by many different characters. However, the main theme in the story is how these dreams are unattainable, and how because of the Great Depression, all American dreams were dead. But what is the American dream? A unitary definition does not exist, however, the meaning of living the American dream is something that differs for everyone. For some people, the American dream might be acceptanceRead MoreThe Failure Of The American Dream In John Steinbecks Of Mice And Men829 Words   |  4 PagesOf Mice and Men The novella, Of Mice and Men takes place in the Salinas River Valley, California during the Great Depression. It was written by John Steinbeck, who grew up near the Salinas River Valley in the 1900s. During the Great Depression, stock markets crashed, and people went poor overnight. Some men would travel from farm to farm just to get enough food to feed themselves. They didn’t have homes, everything they owned could fit in a backpack. In his novella, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck usesRead MoreJohn Steinbeck: An American Writer During the Great Depression1315 Words   |  6 Pagestime. Because of the difficult situations, American writers turned their focus to social problems and issues. They were motivated to arouse sympathy for the suffering of common people, especially those at the very bottom of the society. (Wang, 2012) John Steinbeck (1902-1968), born in Salinas, California, is one of the most significant and representative American writers in that era. He is the winner of the Noble Prize for Literature in 1962. John Steinbeck’s living experience in California had a greatRead MoreAmerica Is Home To Many Great Writers Whom Come Different1709 Words   |  7 PagesAmerica is home to many great writers whom come different backgrounds. American authors like John Steinbeck who add biographical elements into their pieces of writing. John Steinbeck, one of the most honorable authors of time, is known for receiving Nobel Prize, California commonwealth club medal, Pulitzer Prize, and other great accomplishments towards publishing sixteen novels. Steinbeck’s realist style of writing and life experiences impacting his life show the reader he’s been through a lot in