The American Dream that is most important to Lennie is having rabbits and feeding the rabbits with alfalfa, but he also says that he wants the Classic American Dream, but he actually doesn’t, which is the author’s style of using pathos. All he wants is to, “Live the FATTA the land…an’ have rabbits,” because the only way to do that is for George to get the money for the land, so he follows him, and agrees with everything George says, which shows his child like nature.
George and Lennie both have a dream but are not necessarily the same. Steinbeck represents this by describing in such detail what they want together. “We could live the FATTA the land”. The irony is about the countryside they are in, it is rich. They are living of the bounty of nature. Money and family are not mentioned in the dream. It provides them with everything they need. “We could have a few pigs. When the fruit come in we could can it. Every Sunday we’d kill a chicken or a rabbit”. Steinbeck uses “we” a lot in the dream. It shows that the dream is shared between Lennie and George. The repetition emphasises this.
Steinbeck creates the dream mainly by using intra – dialogic technique. By having George and Lennie discuss their dream together allows the reader to have a sense that they have been planning this dream together and not alone. George and Lennie’s interpretation of the dream is slightly different. Lennie wants to “tend the rabbits” as he likes feeling soft things. George also has a dream of his own. He could “get a job, eat at any place he likes, stay in a hotel, and get a gallon of whisky.” However Lennie is stopping him from doing all of this. George needs Lennie and Lennie needs George. All George wants is love and affection and he knows he can’t get that, because after everything that has gone on, it is hard.
Another way that Steinbeck represents the American Dream is how Candy lost his companion. Candy had a lot of dreams when his dog was alive. This is because the dog had been through everything with him, but now that he and his dog were getting old, and Carlson suggested in shooting the dog, “The way I’d shoot him, he wouldn’t feel nothing”, this shows that Carlson also doesn’t want to hurt Candy’s feelings. However, Candy’s dream is still being killed. The second that bullet hit that dog, Candy’s dreams were shattered. His dog was a part of Candy’s dreams. A dream could be in the in the past or the future. In Candy’s case it was all in the past. His dog had been through everything with him. This is a similarity between George and Lennie who have also been through everything with each other.
Candy knows that nobody could ever replace his dog. Slim offers him “any of the pups” but Candy just remained silent. Candy feels that he can’t achieve anything without his dog anymore. That is why he “he lays in his bed silent for a long time”. He treats the dog like a human, as part of his family, someone really close. That is what makes Candy become so silent for a long period of time.
As Candy lays there silent on his bed he overhears George and Lennie talking about their dream. Again Steinbeck reveals the dream by dialogue. They talk about how one day they are going to get out of the ranch and “live the FATTA the land”. As Candy listens to their dream in such detail he asks if he can be a part of it. An old dream has ended but a new one is just beginning.
Dreams are pacific to an individual however sometimes a dream could be in a group. This is exactly what Candy wants to do with George and Lennie. He wants to share their dream and be a part of it. After all shared dreams are much stronger than individual ones.
In the 1930s Americans were against anyone who was coloured. These people would not get treated fairly and would usually get beaten up just for the colour of their skin. Crooks’ father did not want him socialising with white people because he knew that they will abuse him. The American Dream is about equality of all men. This is where Crooks rights come in. The irony here is that segregation leads to a better life.
A very unusual thing about Crooks is that he is the only one who can read; hence conveying that he is very well educated. We know that Crooks has already had his dream just by the way in which he speaks to Lennie. Crooks and Lennie both have a disability. Although he feels appreciated that Lennie is around him, Crooks speaks in a very negative manner about Lennie’s dream. “An’ never a God damn one of ‘em ever gets it”. Crooks is contradicting to Lennie that dreams can never be achieved. However if you don’t try to achieve your dream, it will never come true. Crooks suddenly changes his mind about the dream and hesitates as he asks Lennie if he could be a part of the dream too.
Crooks’ dream is about having those long dark nights alone changed by having people talk to him and communicate with him. His dream is all about regaining sense of belonging with others. Crooks’ heart wants the dream but his mind is not allowing him achieve it because his background has knocked his courage. We know from the American Dream, his experiences in the past have made him so brittle and angry. However Crooks can be very venerable to people that are more powerful than him, such as Curley’s wife.
Curley’s wife’s dream was to be an actress, but it was crushed by her very own mother. Now her dream is to be more of a mature adult. She dresses like an adult with “make-up, her hair done up and a stylish dress”. However she is still described by Steinbeck as a girl. “A girl was standing there”. She wants to be respected from the men all around her. Being the only woman in the ranch can be intimidating. In the 1930s woman were less valued than men. They had fewer rights.
The death of Curley’s wife is very significant of Steinbeck’s treatment of the theme of the American Dream. We as the reader know this because Lennie’s dreams were going to come to an end, but we didn’t know how. That is how Steinbeck creates the atmosphere which makes the reader want to carry on reading.
When Lennie dies, the whole dream dies. His death is a complete comparison of how Candy’s dog died. George keeps the American Dream alive so it is the last thing that Lennie remembers. Steinbeck describes the dream in such detail so we can actually picture it ourselves. Lennie remembers that one day they could “live the FATTA the land”.
Steinbeck builds up suspense of how George gradually kills Lennie. George describes how they are going own “pigs and chickens”. This is typical of the American Dream, a chance to get rich and have land. However that dream was collapsing all around them as they live in a poor barn house where all the men share the same room.
Lennie’s death symbolises the suffering and desperations many people had to go through during the great depression. His death represents dreams being shattered. We get an idea that Lennie is going to die, “The valley was blue and soft”, this gives us an idea and symbolises heaven and tranquillity. When Lennie says” Ain’t you gunna giv me hell”, it symbolises Lennie’s death.
I feel that Lennie’s dream is much more significant. Not only has he broken his dream, he has also turned his own dream into an unforgivable nightmare. Lennie was the heart of the dream and without the heart, the dream is not alive.