A number of the characters in the novel have dreams. Thinking about their dreams gives Lennie and George a goal to aim for. The dream is also a form of escape, of avoiding the reality of their lives. They are not happy with their lives.
George and Lennie's dream is that one day they will own their farm with a cow, a pig and some rabbits for Lennie, “we could live off the fatta the lan’… an’ have rabbits!” mentions by Lennie. George says to Lennie that they’ll “have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit-hutch and chickens. And when it rains in winter” they’ll “just say the hell with going to work.” But there is a very little chance to succeed their dream together as Lennie gets caught up in many incidents. One important incident, which ruined Lennie’s chance for achieving his dream, is when he accidentally kills Curley’s wife. Not being aware of his own strength he strangled Curley’s Wife without knowing he is hurting her. When she died and everyone else found out, Curley went after Lennie to kill him. Instead George, Lennie's only companion, shot dead Lennie straight after having another conservation about their dream. Lennie arguably achieves his dream towards the end - mentally. When the others found George and Lennie, Slim says, “come on, George. Me an’ you’ll go in an’ gat a drink.” This shows hope for a new friendship for George and Slim and even higher hopes for achieving his dream. This tells us Steinbeck did not let George’s dream totally fail. George dreamt for independence, security, stability and freedom, which he succeeded when Lennie died.
Curley's wife’s dream was to become an actress. She wanted to be ‘in the pictures’ but thinks her mother stole a letter from a director asking her to come to Hollywood. Instead she married Curley to get back at her mother although she didn’t actually love him. She mentioned in the novel what she wanted, “an’ I coulda sat in them big hotels, an’ had pitchers took of me…an’ all them nice clothes they wear. Because the guy said I was a natural.” She often says the phrases ‘ I coulda’, ‘I woulda’ and ‘I shoulda.’ Steinbeck chooses these words for her as she often thinks it is too late to do or have done something, meaning she has no hope for her dream. Because she married Curley, a controlling man, she ended up with someone she didn’t love and feels lonely and trapped, as she has nobody to talk to about her thoughts and feelings. This is because there are only men on the ranch and Curley would not have allowed it. She also dreams for friendship and not being abandoned. Just before her death she does achieve a glimpse of this part of her dream when she talks to Lennie about her thoughts and feelings. She gets to tell him what she wanted in life and how she feels in her life. Steinbeck does not allow her dream to totally fail, as she is able to talk to someone and does not feel lonely. She also would probably feel happier that she has died, as she does not have to face Curley and his controlling actions anymore, ‘And the meanness and the plannings and the discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face.’
Candy’s dream in the novel is to be wanted and to have friends. He does however foster some friendships with the men on the ranch. Candy thinks he is ‘useless’ because he can’t work anymore like his dog. His only companion was his old dog, but his dog gets shot as he is too old and smelly to live with for the men sharing a room with Candy. This was a very tragic time for him as his dog was the main part of his life. Candy suffers ageism, which drags him down. He constantly tries to make friendships, “s’pose I went in with you guy’s” - “how’d that be?” He also experiences pessimism just like many of the other characters in the novel. Candy wants to be useful and admired. He does not want his age to take over him and wants people to see the inside instead of focusing on the outside of him. Slim says, “… I wisht somebody’d shoot me if get old an’ a cripple” when referring to Candy’s old dog which makes him feel old and useless. He wants his own land but would rather prefer friendship. Steinbeck makes him fail when Lennie dies because Lennie was the strongest friendship he had in the novel. Now Lennie has died Candy’s friendship with him fades out.
Crooks is a character who most likely suffers the most. In Steinbeck’s words he is a ‘Negro’, which is a very difficult position to be because at that time there was a lot of racism towards blacks. His dream is to be treated equally just like the rest of the men in the ranch, to have friends and to be accepted for his color. The ‘stable-buck’s’ dream is very much like Candy’s because they dream for similar things. Steinbeck shows Crooks is not accepted, as he is not allowed into the bunkhouse because of his color. Like Steinbeck he is cynical and knows that his dream is most likely to fail. Crooks has a sarcastic and bitter tone to his voice, “you talk about it a hell of a lot, but you won’t get no land.” He talks like this because he wants other to feel the cruelty he is going through. In the novel there is a point when Crooks feels happier and is a little closer to his dream, ‘Crooks’ face lighted with pleasure in his torture.” This made him feel in control for once. He loses his hope when Curley’s wife drags him back down again; “well you keep your place, then Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so it ain’t even funny!” this brings out a cruel part of Curley’s wife and makes us feel sympathetic for Crooks. This sympathy follows our partial dislike for him after he becomes cruel. He makes fun out of Lennie, “a guy can talk to you an’ be sure you wont go blabbin.” He is tragically well aware of his place on the ranch, “if I say something, why, it’s just a nigger saying it…” Momentarily he believes he will achieve both his dreams – live with the others (George, Lennie and Candy). This is how crooks and candy join Lennie and George’s dream, as they have dreamt they will live with them on their land. Crooks gives up on the dream. Steinbeck has allowed him to fail because Crooks is cynical and knows that achieving the American dream is extremely unlikely to happen in the American society.
In conclusion dreams are important to these characters because it means they have a goal to aim for in their lives. The point Steinbeck is making is that in the realistic world dreams do not always succeed and wanted to show how futile the American dream was. He represents the prejudiced nature of the American society in the novel. He is critical of this because he knows these were the boundaries that stopped Americans from achieving their dream. Readers respected him for his honesty. There is hope offered to the reader for George as Slim offers physical and mental support at the end giving us an idea that a friendship can begin. The title ‘Of Mice and Men’ represents small people (mice) and big people (men) in the terms of status positions. Steinbeck’s purpose for writing the novel was to show the American dream and the reality of it.
