How important is the idea of a dream (ambition, hope of a better future) in

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Jamie Bromfield                28th November

How important is the idea of a dream (ambition, hope of a better future) in “Of Mice and Men”

One of the major themes in ‘Of Mice and Men’ is ‘dreams’. The dreams are hopes for the future that the characters are so obsessed with that they base their lives around them taking place, indulging themselves in them, and craving for them.

        George is a clever character who spends his time looking after his companions Lennie. George has a dream that he and Lennie shall make some money on the ranch and will then go away and buy a small plot of land, with a house, and farm it. George just wants to lead a quite life with Lennie and be happy and away from people who could get them into trouble. They simply want a place to call their own, “We’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres” (2.16). George winds his life around this dream taking place and so, when the dream breaks into pieces, he is then distraught. The sad thing is that when George first talks about the dream he does not believe that it will ever happen but the more he tells Lennie about it on demand the more he believes it himself. George gets irritated with Lennie even when things aren’t his fault and one of the reasons for this is that Lennie’s life is completely controlled by George and George gets no thanks for helping Lennie through life. Lennie also does not realise how difficult it will be to fulfil their dream and get a place of their own, he just thinks that they work on the ranch and get some money and go away and buy the farm as his brain only works things out simply

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        Lennie’s dream is a very simplified version of George’s. Lennie, who loves animals and small soft things, just wants to go with George and tend the animals on the farm that he and George are going to buy. As Lennie believes everything that George tells him, it’s simply a matter of time, not “if”, till they get the farm, “George, how long’s it gonna be till we get that little place an’ live on the fatta lan’- an’ rabbits” (2.15)? This way Steinbeck really makes his readers appreciate how hard life was for George especially, as he had to watch over ...

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