George and Lennie’s dream was a very common dream for migrant workers; this was due to them all being in the same or similar situations such as having to move from ranch to ranch and not having a permanent home. George and Lennie dreamt of their “little house” and a “couple of acres” to call their own, and being able to “live off the fatta the lan’ ” ; Lennie especially wants to ‘have rabbits’ .Although the reader is shown that this dream is unrealistic and dubious from the first chapter when George says to Lennie that he can have ‘Red and blue and green rabbits’, which is not practical and is the first sign that their dream is not nearly as feasible as Lennie believes .The reader also realises that George doesn’t believe in the dream possibility as much as he once did . However Lennie does still believe in the dream so George pretends he still believes in order to keep Lennie content. This gives the idea to the reader that the dream is not possible. The reader is given hope that the dream is possible when Candy says he could give them a large sum of money so they could afford to buy the little place of their own. Lennie in his childlike nature believes all that George tells him. Lennie’s childlike nature is just one of his disabilities along with his susceptibility to accept orders from George and his poor mental aptitude.
At the time in which the novel is set it would appear that there was little understanding of this type of disability so people in this condition would often be mistreated with little time taken to understand their needs .The assumption that they were simply stupid was often made .in addition to this people were often suspicious of them, as at this time there was very little trust.
An example of this situation is when George and Lennie first meet the Boss at the ranch and the boss thought that George was “takin’ his pay away from him” because George answered for Lennie saying “he can do anything you tell him”. The boss suspected at first that Lennie was a trouble maker but this is not the case, Lennie is just unaware of rights and wrongs.
Soon after in the novel George and Lennie meet Curley’s wife her dreams to be “in the movies” and to have “nice clothes” and to speak “in the radio”, were familiar to women in the 1930s because show business was getting bigger and better paid and more glamorous. At that time women were a subordinate class than men and were not properly educated as Curley’s wife, who is not even given a real name throughout the novel, which was shown through her childlike grammar along with her need for attention. Curley’s wife’s
dreams are already tarnished as she is married to Curley and a wife was expected to stay at home look after the home, have children and to look pretty. She is not fulfilled with this and says she “don’t like Curley”, but she married him on the realization that her dreams
would not come true. She makes her own decision to get married, but ironically this puts an end to her dreams.
Another character in ‘Of Mice and Men’ who admits to having a dream is Candy. He has worked at the ranch for a long time. While working there he was injured and will soon be of no use to the ranch and will be told to leave. This is an example of what could happen, at that time, if you did not have any stability and can not work you would be left on the street. It is just when they’ve killed Candy’s old smelly dog (which foreshadows George killing Lennie) for its own good because it is causing more trouble than it is worth and is in great pain that Candy over hears George and Lennie talking about their dream of the “little place” that they can buy that has “a kitchen, orchard”, no place for “rabbits” but George can build one and space for “alfalfa” to feed “to the rabbits”. Candy says he would like to be a part of the dream and would help them pay for the “little place”. At this point the reader feels
An additional character who wishes to share George and Lennie’s dream is Crooks who is the black stable buck he has a crooked back due to being kicked in the back by a horse. Crooks often rubs liniment on his back this is an example of symbolism as he does it when he feels lonely or worthless, the reader is shown this in the beginning and end of chapter 4 He is the only black man in the novel and we learn of how black people in America were treated and the attitudes towards them through how he is treated. He is treated as an outcast by having to live alone in his own room in the barn. He is constantly degraded by the other workers (they often call him “nigger”). As many other workers in the 1930s he is lonely and is jealous of George and Lennie’s friendship and teases Lennie asking him “what’ll” he do if “George don’t come back no more”. Crooks wanted to be part of George and Lennie’s dream but Curley’s Wife’s crude remarks such as “listen, Nigger”, “keep your place” and “I could get you strung up on a tree” put an end to his fantasy of joining them and made him feel worthless. This may be suggesting how white people shattered black people’s dreams of justice and equality.
Slim is first described as a “big tall skinner” and at this point the reader doesn’t know what to think of him. Later on in the novel he
is called a “tall man” and by the way he is described he seems to be a good man. Nearing the end of chapter two he is described with words such as “majesty”, ”royalty”, “master craftsmen” which shows that he is greatly respected by most at the ranch. He seems not to have any dreams and to be happy enough except that of having a woman, the reader finds that out by the way he acts when with Curley's wife.
Curley has what many men merely dreamt of yet he is till unhappy and doesn’t appreciate having a home to stay in 1 place, instead he busies himself with making mischief with men that are bigger than him such as Lennie who is harmless if you know how to be around him but Curley provoked and confused Lennie and ended up getting hurt.
In conclusion it would appear that one of the main ideas running through the novel is that the dreams depict the characters hopes and aspirations for their future; for instance the “Great American Dream”. However what is clearly shown is that the moral of the novel is that dreams are often hoped for but seldom achieved. For throuout the novel there is a strong sense of pessimism.