Hopes and dreams are important in "Of Mice and Men." Discuss.

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Of Mice and Men.

Hopes and dreams are important in “Of Mice and Men.” Discuss.

John Ernst Steinbeck – the author of the novella “Of Mice and Men” – was born in 1902, in Salinas, California. Steinbeck based his stories on his past experiences, childhood memories and the world around him. “Of Mice of Men,” one of his most poignant books followed a series of many other successful books and short stories.  It was finally published in 1937.

  The theme for Steinbeck’s novella was influenced greatly by the collapse of the New York stock market.  This meant the United States entered a prolonged period of economic depression, which became to be known as the American Depression.  The Depression brought harsh poverty and long-term unemployment through every failing businesses.  Subsequently hoards of Migrant workers came to the west coast of America in search of work.  It was mainly men, travelling alone, who migrated from ranch to ranch.  They were poorly paid and living and working conditions were often horrendous.  

  Steinbeck’s novella was also influenced by the poem “To A Mouse” – by Robert Burns.

The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men

Gan aft agley,

An’ lea’e us nought but grief

An’ pain

For promised joy.”

This tells of how even the best of dreams, which promise happiness and joy can end in failure, and leave us with nothing but upset and pain.  This is one of the main themes Steinbeck wrote about.  His novella tells the story of two migrant workers (suffering from the Depression) who had one dream – The American Dream.  This dream was shared by many workers, all wanting a small plot of land, where they can work for themselves and have something of their own.  Unfortunately for the characters in Steinbeck’s novella their dream ended in grief, as told of in the poem.  

  George and Lennie (the tow main characters) were just like any other workers migrant workers. They travelled, throughout California, moving from ranch to ranch in search of work, and they had a dream.  A dream that one day they could get a little farm with “ten acres of land” where they could harvest crops and farm animals.  It would have a windmill where they could grind their own grain, also it would have a “little shack an’ a chicken run, a kitchen, an orchard, cherries, apples, peaches, apricots nuts and a few berries.”  George and Lennie clung to this dream, it was immensely important, because they believed it could be a reality. The dream was significant because it showed just how much people longed for independence.  Having a windmill where they could grind their own grain was important because they would do things for themselves, and would not have to worry what other people wanted.  Having a little shack meant they had privacy and were not cooped up in a “bunk house” with other workers.  The whole dream is a symbol of freedom, and having something that was worth having, something that could be their own.  

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  George and Lennie had something the majority of the other migrant workers lacked: they travelled together.  Other workers travelled alone, however George and Lennie had each other.  The always had, and always would. Steinbeck stressed this point throughout his novella, usually in dialogue between George and Lennie; where George would tell Lennie dream of how their lives were going to be.

  “Guys like us that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world.  They got no family.  They don’t belong no place.  They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to.  With us it ain’t like ...

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