Discuss the social and historical implications of the dreams of American migrant workers in the 1930s and compare the ways these are expressed through the media of Steinbeck's novel, cinema, stage and contemporary country music.

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Andrew Evans 11O set 1

Media Assignment

Discuss the social and historical implications of the dreams of American migrant workers in the 1930s and compare the ways these are expressed through the media of Steinbeck’s novel, cinema, stage and contemporary country music

In the 1930s, a Great Depression spread across America, dominating the political landscape.  Thousands of Americans lost their jobs as banks collapsed and industries closed.  Many men turned to, what the critic Morseburger calls, “Jeffersonian agrarianism”; they roved west, seeking jobs on farms.  Jefferson was an American President who believed that many opportunities were to be taken in the West.  These were known as the migrant farm workers.  Many families and friends were pulled apart, rendering many people lonely and cynical about success and dreams.  However, many people shared a dream: the American Dream – the dream of getting your own land and living happily and comfortably on your own ranch.

        In Steinbeck’s novel, two main characters share this dream – Lennie and George.  Lennie and George are different from most migrant farm workers in that they travel together, almost as brothers, and protect each other.  They plan to “get the jack together” and “have a little house and a couple of acres”.  The most dramatically significant part of their dream is Lennie’s wish to “tend the rabbits”.  Steinbeck energises this semantic field around animals throughout the novel to create a sense of fate and tragedy.  Lennie’s dream is very childlike, but it also has tragic undertones.

        During the course of the novel, we meet a character called Candy, a “tall, stoop-shouldered old man”.  Steinbeck immediately makes a point of that he is old and disabled, telling us that American society discriminates against the elderly – “I got hurt four year ago.  They’ll can me purty soon.”  The dog he owns is also old and “useless”.  The other workers decide to shoot the dog in the back of the head, simply because he “stinks” and is not helpful in work.  Candy’s dog was his only friend, and Steinbeck is telling us how profoundly cruel American society is.  Candy turns to Lennie, another victim of society, for companionship.  Lennie is described as an animal, “a bear” that “drags his paws”, and this may be the reason why Candy feels close to him; he can relate Lennie back to his dog.  

Candy, like many migrant farm workers, shares the American Dream and wishes to join Lennie and George in theirs.  His offer of money makes the dream seem realistic for a brief period, as it is physically possible to buy the land they are after.  However, the dream runs deeper than the physical world.  If Candy did achieve his dream, questions would be raised such as, ‘has he truly escaped discrimination in American society?’ and ‘what will he live for now?’  Steinbeck clearly does not believe that the poor and dispossessed can ever share the American dream, and he is almost speaking of the dream as though it is a tragedy in itself.  Very few people achieve and live the Dream to its full, and minority groups certainly do not.

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Another character in the novel is tempted to join in with Lennie, George and Candy’s dream, but he realises that he’ll never achieve it to it’s full.  The character, Crooks, is discriminated against in society because he is black and disabled – “the stable buck’s a nigger”.  Initially, Crooks is very sceptical of the dream.  He says it’s “Just like heaven.  Ever’body wants a little piece of lan’”.  Steinbeck is saying that many people don’t ever achieve the Dream.  Steinbeck clearly did not hold conventional religious beliefs, as he is saying that the Dream does not exist… just like Heaven. ...

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