The farm represents a paradise for men who long to be masters of their own lives, to become free, self-reliant men with protection from other cruelties of the world. Steinbeck uses many devices to show that in reality this dream, is only a dream and will never materialise into reality. One of these devices or clues is planted in the name of George Milton. ‘Paradise Lost,’ a famous series of books written by John Milton, shows how Adam and Eve lost their paradise and dream which foreshadows the fate of George and Lennie’s dream. When Crooks mentions the possibility that George could spend the money in a whore house – “…but ever’ time a whore house…took what it takes.” This shows another reality that if George and Lennie don’t save all of their money they won’t be able to afford the farm they dream of. Steinbeck also displays the corrupting power of women to show the reality that the dream George and Lennie have will always fail; as long as Lennie is involved. George says, “Don’t you even look at that bitch.” The immediate friction between Curly is another sign of Lennie’s ‘curse’ – “I don’t want no trouble…”- even if he doesn’t want to cause trouble he always does, this is proved again when he gets into the fight with Curley.
George and Lennie’s dream is developed for the first time when Candy overhears George and Lennie talking about their dream; he is immediately drawn in – “You know where’s a place like that?” After the shooting of his dog, Candy is very upset and in a way lost because his dog was always his companion – “I had ‘im ever since he was a pup.” He sees George and Lennie’s dream as an opportunity to start a new life and tries to buy his way into the dream by offering a considerable amount of money – “S’pose I went in with you guys. Tha’s three hundred an’ fifty bucks I’d put in.” He does this as he is extremely lonely now without his dog and as a marginalized character an opportunity to start a new life is infrequent.
The stable buck, named Crooks because he had previously had an accident with a horse and had been left crippled, also had dreams. Crooks was a well educated man and read frequently, Candy says – “He reads a lot. He got books in his room.” However intelligent Crooks was he would always be low in the social hierarchy of the ranch because he was black. He dreamt of becoming accepted and to moving up the social hierarchy of the ranch – the reality was that as a black person in the 1920s he would always be marginalized due to the lack of black people in that area – “And now there ain’t a coloured man on this ranch an’ there’s jus’ one family in Soledad.”
At one point in the text, Crooks tells Candy and Lennie how improbable it is that the dream will materialise. He says, “You guys is just kiddin’ yourself. You’ll talk about it a hell of a lot, but you won’t get no land. This is the first time in the book that the characters involved in the dream are told how unrealistic the dream is. Crooks is being dismissive towards the dream because he’s used to white people being hostile towards him – he rejects Lennie before Lennie could reject him. After talking to Lennie for reasonably long time Crooks accepts Lennie and is more open to his dream. “...If you… guys would want a hand to work for nothing…” This comment shows us that Crooks sees an opportunity to be finally accepted and have something to live for and he grasps the opportunity as soon as he can. However as soon as Crooks opens up and asks to be involved in the dream Curley’s wife comes into the room. This is another example of the corrupting power of women – she will always be in the way.
Another person who also has a dream is Curley’s wife. She is marginalized in the book because she is the only women in the story – because of this she is low in the social hierarchy on the ranch. She dreams of becoming an actress – “He says he was gonna put me in the movies.” This was very unlikely in reality as very few opportunities came along to become an actress, it was also likely that the man who promised to make her an actress was using her. When she never received a letter from the man that promised to fulfil her dream she married Curley. The dream became virtually impossible after she married Curley; a wife was expected to settle down with their husband.
In Steinbecks ‘Of Mice And Men,’ marginalized characters try to suppress their depressions by dreaming of better lives. Characters like Crooks and Curley’s wife dream of moving up the social hierarchy on the ranch and being accepted, but being the only women and the only black man on the ranch this is impossible, so they chase other dreams. Curley’s wife dreams of living her own life trying to become an actress and Crooks becomes apart of George and Lennie’s dream at the first opportunity. The dream that George and Lennie have is one which opens up the possibility of a new life for not only George and Lennie but Candy and Crooks as well. It is a revelation for several of the marginalised characters who begin to see light at the end of the tunnel. However when these dreams become a possibility they are dashed by silly mistakes. The corrupting power of women is shown, along side the ‘curse that Lennie possesses, to dash the hopes these dreams. The reality that if George and Lennie do not save every penny they have they will never be able to afford the farm is mentioned by Crooks and the killing of Curley’s wife is foreshadowed by the assault on a woman in Weed and the death of Lennie’s dog. The characters are seduced by the chance of living a life of independence and freedom and become blind to the grim reality that it will never materialise.
