George has the dream of owning a ranch with Lennie, and living a life without worry. George first introduces his dream in Chapter One when he and Lennie are sitting by the fire. "Someday- we're gonna get the jack together and we're gonna have a little house and a couple acres an a cow and some pigs" (Steinbeck 14). This dream is emphasized by George several times and it is clear what he wants to do. His dream nears reality but eventually comes to an end when Lennie kills Curley's Wife in Chapter Six. George was tired of running and could no longer put up with Lennie interfering with his dream. "'George.' 'Yeah?' 'I done another bad thing.' 'It don't make no difference'" (Steinbeck 103). It is clear that George has given up on his dream because throughout the story he always tells Lennie not to do bad things, but now he could care less. Now he has given up on his dream. George's dream comes close to a reality, only to be shattered.
Lennie shares the same dream as George but most importantly wants to tend to the rabbits. He can't wait to pet the fluffy rabbits, and that's all he can think about. As Lennie tells George about their dream he says, "An live off the fatta the lan, an have rabbits" (Steinbeck 14). Lennie never loses sight of the soft rabbits and will do anything George tells him to do so he can tend to the rabbits. He gets excited when his dream is close to becoming true, but then he does another bad thing. Lennie kills Curley's Wife and has to run away. George gives up on his dream, so Lennie has to as well. In the last chapter Lennie tells George that he is eager to run away again and pursue his dream, "Le's do it now. Le's get that place now" (Steinbeck 106). George had had enough of running away, so he reluctantly decided to kill Lennie. Lennie always wanted to tend to the rabbits, but in reality he was never in control of his dream. George is in control. As soon as George gives up, Lennie's dreams are crushed.
Curley's Wife's dream has nothing to do with living on a farm. She wants to be an actress and live a glamorous life with nice clothes and fancy hotels. Curley's Wife never shares her dream, and has always kept it within her. She was too scared to share it with anyone. In Chapter Five she can no longer hold it in and decides to tell Lennie, knowing he won't say anything to anyone. Curley's Wife describes her dream, "He says I could go with that show. But my old lady wouldn't let me" (Steinbeck 88). Her first chance at living her dream life was crushed when her mom wouldn't let her leave. She continues to pursue her dream though. Curley's Wife tells Lennie about a man who had offered her a job, "He says he was gonna put me in the movies [...] he was gonna write to me about it [...] I never got that letter [...] so I married Curley" (Steinbeck 88). Her dreams of becoming a movie star are shattered when she marries Curley and leaves for the ranch. On the ranch she has no freedom and gets little attention, which is all she ever wanted. If not for marrying Curley, she could of had a chance of staying in the city and someday becoming an actress.
George, Lennie, and Curley's Wife all want to live the American Dream and live a good life, but bad decisions lead them down the wrong path and their dreams are crushed.. The American Dream was never realistic for the desperate workers and condemned wife. Individually George may still capable and in control of reaching his dream. Dreams are only what you make them. "There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other" (Erasmus).