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Of Mice and Men

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Introduction

Of Mice and Men In this essay I will be discussing how dreams are important in Of Mice and Men and I will be exploring the meaning of these dreams to the individual characters that have them and how the dreams relate to the historical and social context of the novel. The ideal objective of most ranch workers is to gather together a large fortune and eventually purchase a small farm, and "live offa the fatta the lan'." Lennie is driven to reach this objective by the prospect of "tending the rabbits". However, this goal appears to be nothing more than a distant dream until Candy, another worker on the ranch, offers to contribute his savings for a place on the future ranch. While subjected to the loneliness and poorness of the life they presently lead, George and Lennie's prospect of their own ranch attracts yet another hopeful, Crooks, the African-American stable buck, and Candy, the ranch's swamper. Curley's wife had a dream of becoming a Hollywood actress and starring in films, "Coulda been in the movies, an' had nice clothes". She is one of the characters in the book that are lonely and isolated and she craves for attention. ...read more.

Middle

fatta the lan'" but then Candy joins in with their dream and offers to help them on their future ranch "I ain't much good with o'ny one hand. I give me a job swampin'." This dream originates from the American Dream of living a fulfilling life. George thinks that by owning land they will become free from the insecurity of going from ranch to ranch that men had to go through at the time. George feels responsible for Lennie and wants him to feel safe. He also doesn't want to be bossed around by anyone and this offers him personal freedom. There is a difference between George's dream and Lennie's dream; George's dream is rational and he always thinks how he is going to achieve it whereas Lennie's dream is the vision which are the rabbits in his case which makes it childish. Crooks has a dream of being equal with all of the white people and not be treated like an animal. In the novel Crooks is treated very badly by the boss and some of the other people on the ranch. ...read more.

Conclusion

the sole motivation which led the country out of poverty and to a place of envy for the rest of the world. Dreams, historically, prove to be the catalyst between what is apparent and the unseen so the dream that all the characters have may have an outcome. In the novel the main protagonist do not achieve their dream as planned; the scheme was for both George and Lennie to have a place however at Lennie's death, George might have second thoughts about pursuing the dream hence it signifies the death of their dream. Curley's wife does not achieve her dream and neither does Crooks. Steinbeck does not let any of the dreams materialise in the apparent. Steinbeck's title Of Mice and Men comes from "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men/gang afta agley" and so best plans may go astray however America did regain her position of power; women did achieve equality with men and the civil rights movement brought an end to the isolation of Crooks as a 'negro'. The American dream is still alive today with many migrants still flocking for a share of the 'dream'. Although "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men/gang afta agley". ...read more.

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