Jul 11, · The ‘American Dream’ is presented as being unattainable in John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men. This is predominantly evident in the case of George, Lennie, Candy, Crooks and Curley’s wife. All of these characters admit to fantasising about the ‘American Dream’; untarnished happiness and the freedom to pursue their dreams It was a dream that characters George Milton, Lennie Small, Old man Candy, and Crook, a Negro bunkhouse worker in John Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice and Men had. It was an American dream all of them could almost touch, taste, and feel. It was only a dream-a dream that due to tragic and sorrowfully circumstances would never come true Apr 28, · The American Dream Of Mice and Men The Great Depression began with the collapse of the New York Stock Exchange in October In the aftermath of this economic downfall many citizens of the United States were [ ]Estimated Reading Time: 10 mins
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American Dream The Great Gatsby. The Great Depression began with the collapse of the New York Stock Exchange in October In the aftermath of this economic downfall many citizens of the United States were left unemployed. In the following years roughly 12 million American men and women would be forced to leave their homes as they had no means to earn a living. Incapable of generating an income many people were unable to buy food, or afford the resources to live. However, various farmers did not feel the full effect of the crash on Wall Street because a lot of them did not invest in stocks as so many others in urban areas did. Also, because many farmers could provide their own food supply, they did not have to worry about food shortages like countless other people in the United States Worster Unbeknownst to the farmers however, there was another crisis looming.
The Dust Bowl. In intense sandstorms would start to blow from the Southern Plains to the East Coast. This would cause what could be described as a large, thick blanket of sand and dirt that would cover most, if not all of the farmlands in the Great Plains region. This layer of grit would make the area virtually uninhabitable Worster The following years would prove to be challenging for many Americans since the Great Depression was coupled with the Dust Bowl. An era when people were ill-treated due to of mice and men american dream essay class, gender or race. One such painful reality was that the American Dream had become more of a nightmare.
Success, of mice and men american dream essay, freedom and the promise of prosperity were not only the ideal dream of many but seemed so far out of reach. This ideal dream was once defined by James Truslow Adams in his writing of The Epic of America, in which he wrote. The American dream is that dream of land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to achieve the fullest stature of which they are capable of, and be recognized by others for what they are regardless of the circumstances of birth of mice and men american dream essay position Adams Aside from just working together.
They are friends. Both having a shared dream to own a piece of land that they can work. The problem with the American dream is the concept that The United States is a classless society. A place that is equal on all fronts. However, America as it turns out is not these things. Not to the extent people think anyways. America has its flaws. The idea that America is a place that an individual wont be judged because of their gender, race, class or religion is not true. Aside from these unfortunate facts there is another problem many people fail to see in their pursuit of their version of the Of mice and men american dream essay dream. The problem is that many people associate the achievement of happiness with prosperity of material goods.
This is exactly what James Truslow Adams was against. He stated in his writing of The Epic of America that men and women would achieve their fullest stature. For some people it meant turning a piece of land into a bountiful farm. For others it could be starting a small one shop business and expanding it. When people did well with these ventures they would invest back into themselves, back into their business, of mice and men american dream essay. There came a time however when the individuals that were working the dream had used their means to purchase things. Others would see how well they were doing because of the things they had, not the work they were doing. These material goods became status symbols.
This disconnect often lead people to lose sight of what Adams had in mind. George would be unable to achieve their version of the American dream without Lennie because the dream was a place where they could both be free. It was also a place where George could let Lennie be himself without fear. He tries to take care of Lennie, a grown man with the mind similar to that of a small child, of mice and men american dream essay. George is regularly cited as keeping Lennie out of trouble. The origins of their friendship began when they were children. They grew up together in the same town. Lennie had an Aunt by the name of Clara. It is presumed that Aunt Clara cared for Lennie, before instructing George to care for him when she passes away. George of mice and men american dream essay noted that he used to make fun of Lennie because he was mentally slow, of mice and men american dream essay.
With that said, George reminisced that Lennie started following him to work. Lennie has been with George ever since, with their relationship changing from acquaintances to friends. Often times leading to George and Lennie having to find work elsewhere. This behavior demonstrated by George could be characterized as co-dependency. George is in a dysfunctional one-sided relationship, where Lennie relies on him for nearly all of his emotional and self-esteem needs. This relationship enables George to develop a sense of reward and satisfaction from being needed by Lennie. This lack of understanding by people at this time in history is what scares George.
George wants to help Lennie so much that he does so to the point of giving up who he is. According to Darlene Lancer, a Mental Health Therapist, it is natural for people to feel empathy for someone, but individuals who are co-dependent put others needs well before their own. The individuals who dominated the relationship, in this instance George, would suffer from resentment toward his companion and guilt for feeling angered toward him. Which is exactly what George does with Lennie. In Michael J. Such impositions anger George, and he is constantly contemplating how comfortable he would be if he did not have to worry about Lennie. Meyer This evidence supports the theory that George and Lennie are co-dependent.
However, it is evident that George and Lennie do care deeply for each other. Their relationship being described as complicated at best. This dysfunctional relationship paired with the devastation of the Dust Bowl and Great Depression would prove difficult for the friends as they pursue their dream. As stated previously, George and Lennie had a shared dream. A dream that had developed over their time together. At times Lennie would pressure George to tell him the story of their ranch. The ranch they were working toward purchasing.
George would of mice and men american dream essay the land has lush, with crops they can tend to. As well as having rabbits for Lennie to tend to because Lennie has a penchant for soft things. The importance of this dream is the driving force that keeps them going in a time in history when all anyone wanted to do was give up. Most importantly, the story and its details have important meaning for the pair. The land represents freedom. Freedom from having a boss, freedom from the brutalities of the world and its people. It offers a sustainable resource for food and shelter, if Lennie were to cause trouble there, they wouldnt have to leave.
They could handle it internally, since they would become their own boss. However, purchasing land during this point in America history was almost impossible with the lack of of mice and men american dream essay opportunity as previously mentioned. With the Great Depression the deck was stacked against George and Lennie. Everyone was looking for work. Everyone wanted the same comforts as George and Lennie. The few people that could afford to hire workers paid meager wages. The situation left George and Lennie making attempts to save their earnings. However, there were times that George would spend of mice and men american dream essay savings on creature comforts. He would go out and drink or spend their savings on other frivolous things.
He spent it because in the back of his mind he knew that it was only a dream. It wasnt going to come true. The idea of actually saving enough money to purchase the land lead him to the fear that they could fail. For George it was better to keep it a dream. It was easier to say that they werent making enough, or to blame Lennie for his incompetence when they had to move on. It was easier because it kept them from failing, of mice and men american dream essay. Keeping it as a dream offered George a respite from all the ugliness the world had to offer at that of mice and men american dream essay. As much as the story was used to sooth Lennie, it also soothed George.
This is where the hopes of both men become entwined. When the two get to their next work site they find comradery with the existing ranch hands. Most of them face the same issues as George and Lennie. All wanting a safe place. All wanting freedom and an opportunity to prosper.
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Aug 26, · The American dream is a motivation for many characters in Of Mice and Men but through a series of events, not all their dreams remain the same by the end of the novel. George and Lennie’s dream was their ambition, their reason to keep persevering. They always had it as their ideal, their goal to strive for Jul 11, · The ‘American Dream’ is presented as being unattainable in John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men. This is predominantly evident in the case of George, Lennie, Candy, Crooks and Curley’s wife. All of these characters admit to fantasising about the ‘American Dream’; untarnished happiness and the freedom to pursue their dreams Essay Of Mice And Men American Dream Words | 3 Pages. novel “Of Mice and Men” is highly based upon the idea of an American dream. In the quote “An’ it’d be our own, an’ nobody could can us. If we don’t like a guy, we can say, ‘Get the
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