...“With us in ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us.” (Steinbeck 14). In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck two men have a dream. George and Lennie believe they have a future. They believe that they are special, they are different from the other men on the ranch. George describes a dream farm, which I believe is his and Lennie’s American dream. The dream farm symbolizes the quote “The best laid schemes Of Mice and Men often go wrong and leave us nought but grief and pain for promised joy.” As you can see the dream farm plays a major role in the story. In the story Of Mice and Men the dream farm is a huge symbol of the American dream during the great depression. Off of prior knowledge I know that the American dream during the great depression was to own land. George and Lennie’s American dream is to own their own ranch. The dream farm shows their American dream compared to others on the ranch. “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place. They come to a ranch an’ work up a stake and the first thing you know they’re poundin their tail on some other ranch. They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to.” (13) George...
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...In Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck shows that on oneself’s way to the American Dream there will be distractions and ourselves can easily be derailed. For my song, I chose MKTO-American Dream.This social issue is shown in Of Mice And Men heavily throughout the book it seems as if John Steinbeck does not believe In the American dream. The social issue of the American dream is shown in the book Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck. The evidence provided very early on in the beginning of the book. “There is a path through the willows and among the sycamores, a path beaten hard by boys coming down from the ranches to swim in the deep pool, and beaten hard by tramps who come wearily down from the highway in the evening to jungle-up near water” as you read the quote you are thinking about the American Dream. As the men went down to the river, they each had some sort of “American Dream”. We each have had dreams about the future of what we want to make of ourselves. I feel as if he said that relationships are distractions unless the said persons in a relationship with is helping Themselves achieve Thou goal/dream. Another quote to support this idea is, “Lennie watched him with wide eyes, and old Candy watched him too. Lennie said softly, "We could live offa the fatta the lan'." "Sure,"...
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...Of Mice and Men “The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” This quote from James Truslow Adams “The epic of America”, states one of the themes in the novella Of Mice and Men. John Steinbeck, the author of Of Mice and Men, deals with the topic of living through the great depression, as the readers follow the story of two migrants workers and their wish to fulfil their American Dream. Steinbeck’s inspiration for his novella can be linked back to his own life, as he was both born and raised in Salinas Valley, the most productive agricultural region in California. This essay will cover Of Mice and Men’s setting, the characterisation of major characters and the key themes identified within the novella. Two protagonists, Lennie and George, travel around together to obtain work. Within the novella, Steinbeck has presented two obvious settings, and focused on the contrast between them. Nearing the beginning of the book, the two men spend a night in a small, secluded glade near the river. The description of the nature area could be compared to heaven, just a beautiful place as described in this quote: “On one side of the river, the golden foothill slopes curve up to the strong and rocky Galiban mountains” (page 1, line 5), where the nature is described as majestic, strong and even golden. However a contrast is formed with the two men entering the setting...
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...major themes in the novel, “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck. Themes such as the condition of the working class and friendship. The biggest theme, however, is the American Dream. Steinbeck portrays the theme of the great American dream throughout the book with characters. Characters such as Lennie, George, Curley's wife, and Crooks. The characters of the book represent different styles of dreams. Steinbeck is showing the readers that the American dream is overrated, along with creating unrealistic goals for people. The biggest dream in the novel is the one that is shared between two men, Lennie and George. Their dream is the classic dream of freedom. They want to “live off the fatta the lan’” (page 14), meaning they want their own ranch and animals, along with no rules. However, the dream is very unrealistic for these two specific men. George and Lennie are an odd pair. George is small in size, but not in attitude, with slight anger issues. Lennie is giant-like yet sweet. He is also mentally challenged. So for these pals, their dream is hard to achieve. The reasoning for that is because Lennie usually gets into some sort of trouble, due to the fact that he doesn’t know any better, and making the men leave work. Which means not making money. While George...
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...Of Mice and Men Theme Essay For many it is hard to live life without a dream or goal to work towards. For George and Lennie, two characters in Of Mice and Men,by John Steinbeck, the friendship and dream shared between them is crucial to their survival. Without each other they would be lost in a cruel world. In Of Mice and Men, a historical fiction novel by John Steinbeck, the theme, everybody needs something to believe in, is supported by Steinbeck's use of writing structure. At the beginning of every chapter, Steinbeck describes the surroundings in immense detail. This structural aspect of the book remains constant throughout the novel. The description of the outside world helps readers understand why George and Lennie need something to hold onto, such as George and Lennie’s dream of surviving on their own and not having to depend on someone else to give them money. In the beginning of chapter one, the surroundings are described as “... beaten hard by tramps who come wearily down from the highway in the evening to jungle- up near water.”(pg 2) This quote shows that Lennie and George are walking down the same trodden path that many others have...
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...“Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.” This quote by Martin Luther King Jr means that when you are going through dark times, everything will get better. Although you are struggling, you’ll reach a figurative light at the end of the tunnel. Two books that apply to this quote are Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, and Ragtime by E.L Doctorow. Of Mice and Men is a book full of struggles. It starts out with two main characters, George and Lenny. Lenny is mentally challenged making it hard for both of them to find and maintain jobs. The setting plays a huge role in the novel. It takes place in California during the 1930’s. This is when the infamous Dust Bowl was going on. There was a seven year drought, and the once fertile land became desert like. So many migrant farmers traveled around to find jobs. Lenny keeps making mistakes with woman, unintentionally, while George is just trying to make ends meet. They constantly have the American dream in mind wishing to save money and buy their own farm. Ultimately George must make a huge sacrifice and kill Lenny, since he was bound to die eventually anyway. Even though both characters struggled mightily, Lenny died peacefully, and George could finally maintain a job. So after all He’s been through George finally found his figurative light at at the end of the tunnel. Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow is another book that clearly relates to the quote. Tateh is a character that highlights finding the figurative “Light at the end of...
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...“The best laid schemes Of Mice and Men often go askew.” is a great quote that sums up Of Mice and Men and is from the poem, To A Mouse. The story, Of Mice and Men takes place in California during the great depression. George and Lennie are farm laborers who are searching for work. The have one dream that propels them forward is to own a house and live off the fatta’ the land. John Steinbeck used many sneaky ways at hinting about future events. He used foreshadowing when the farm dream was dead, when Curley’s wife died and when Lennie died. One way Steinbeck used foreshadowing was with the farm dream being dead, an example of this is when George stops his fantasy. The author states, in doc C, “ Listen to the rain commin’ down on the roof… Nuts! I ain’t got no time for more.” This explains that George...
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...There are many acts of friendship and sacrifice displayed throughout the book Of Mice Men. The author, John Steinbeck, demonstrates friendship between two migrant workers, Lennie and George. Lennie and George are different from most migrant workers because they travel together not alone. Of Mice and Men, shadows the lives of George and Lennie as try to achieve the american dream of owning their own land and livestock. George and Lennie work to achieve their dream by working successfully on a ranch in California until Lennie kills Curley’s wife accidentally. Sacrifice and friendship is exhibited when George kills Lennie at the end of the book. George gives Lennie a more peaceful death, but in return he has to live in isolation without his best friend. The previous statements are justification for, in fact George is right to have killed Lennie. Readers are prepared for the killing of Lennie by George when Candy decides to let Carlson shoot his dog. Candy later reveals his regret by stating, “‘I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn’t ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog.’”(61). If George left Lennie’s killing up to the other men that worked on the ranch, Lennie would have likely had a more gruesome death. If George had made decided not to take responsibility and shoot Lennie, he...
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...story Of Mice and Men. Firstly, she feels very lonely. She feels lonely, because no one is willing to talk to her. Of Mice and Men states, “Curley’s wife came around the end of the last stall. She came very quietly, so that Lennie didn’t see her” (86). Although she was able to get Lennie to talk to her, she was so desperate and lonely that she had to sneak up on him just so that she could even have a conversation with him. Also, people are scared to be around Curley’s Wife. People are scared to be around her, because of Curley. Curley is her husband and the son of the ranch owner, so he tries to start fights...
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...and Of Mice and Men are known for his use of realistic dialogue to convey his thoughts on the Great Depression. This dialogue indicates that the author believes, no matter how hard they try, members of the proletarian class could not achieve their American Dream. During the novel The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck uses his characters to show that the Great Depression was filled with hardships for the proletarians consequently limiting their ability to prosper. One example is when, in chapter one, an unnamed man trying to knock down a house says “There is nothing I can do. I’ll lose my job if I don’t do it” (The Grapes of Wrath 45). If this man chooses to destroy a house, he is destroying a family’s dream, but if he does not, his own children may starve. By destroying another man’s hopes and dreams, he is preserving his own. Another example of this is when Tom, regarding Uncle John’s small home, says “He only has one room and a cookin leanto” (The Grapes of Wrath 87). This is a blunt description of life in the Great Depression for the proletarian class. Many people were reduced to living in cramped, one room homes. These quotes show that the characters, due to their low wages and unfair treatment,...
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...Companionship is an interesting phenomenon that exists throughout species, from lions hunting in packs to a hippo befriending a tortoise. The pull of companionship affects humans just like other animals, and this longing to be anything but alone is the subject of many literary works. In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck portrays the need for companionship using character interactions, characters, and the setting. First, using character interactions, John Steinbeck expertly displays the need for companionship in his novel Of Mice and Men. One way Steinbeck does this is through character dialogue. Early in the story, George refuses Lennie's proposal to abandon George and "go off in the hills an' find a cave" (Steinbeck 12). This passage suggests...
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...Of Mice and Men Kiescha Giles Of mice and men is a novel written by author John Steinbeck, published in 1937. It’s about George Milton and lennie small, two displaced workers. Who move from place to place in California in search for new job opportunities during the great depression in United States of America? John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is a fable about what it means to be human. Steinbeck's story of George and Lennie's ambition of owning their own ranch, and the obstacles that stand in the way of that ambition, reveal the nature of dreams, dignity, loneliness, and sacrifice. Ultimately, Lennie, the mentally handicapped giant who makes George's dream of owning his own ranch worthwhile, ironically becomes the greatest obstacle to achieving...
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...English 11 In The Histories of Herodotus, Herodotus states that “…men are at the mercy of events and cannot control them.” There are two novels that I have read that this quote applies to. The novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is about two migrant farm workers, George and Lenny, who get into trouble due to the fact that Lenny is slow minded and huge in physical stature. The other novel that comes to mind is Night by Elieser Wiesel. In this novel, Elie is part of the deportation to Nazi concentration camps during World War II. In the novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses characterization to portray the characters and help the reader get to know them. In this book, Lenny is a very large man but is mentally handicapped. George, his friend since childhood, takes Lenny under his wing and tries to keep him out of trouble while still saving up money for their dream. The two men’s dream consist of buying a little farm house far away from everybody while having animals and “living off the land.” This dream is almost within reach until Lenny makes a life changing mistake and accidentally kills his boss’s daughter in-law by strangling her trying to keep her quiet. Then, all of the farm hands are sent out in a search party to find Lenny. George finds Lenny first and ends up shooting him in the back of the head while Lenny is in the middle of a day dream so that way the other men could not torture him and he died while being happy. George had no control of...
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...Josh McClain Mrs. Neely English III 7 April 2012 American Dream In the novel, Of Mice and Men, the major theme is to live out the American Dream. According to James Truslow Adams, who was and American writer and historian in the early 1900s, the definition of the American Dream is that “life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement (Adams). “But the American Dream is a tough concept to understand because the dream could be different for different people, such as Lennie and George who have two different dreams. Also the American Dream during the 1930s was tremendously difficult to accomplish. For instance someone living in the 1930s, like Lennie and George, had to work very hard for their American Dream to come true. But although the American Dream is different for everyone, Lennie and George struggled to try to accomplish their American Dream. In Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie had two different dreams that gave them enough strength to never give up. Lennie’s dream was he wanted a life that was more simple and easy going. Lennie seemed to be more excited about the dream than George was because whenever Lennie would start talking about tending the rabbits on the farm George would sometimes get aggravated and yell at Lennie. For example in the novel Lennie said, “I remember about the rabbits, George.” Then George says, “The hell with the rabbits. That’s all you can ever remember is them rabbits...
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...There are a lot of conflicts in the novels The House On Mango Street and Of Mice And Men. From people stealing a car to killing your own best friend. These conflicts can bring even more struggles, such as not being able to make your dreams come to life. People would do a lot to make their lives happier and easier but to do that you might have to go through a lot of problems that get in your way. Just like Esperanza and George. These two characters go through a lot of problems to make their lives better and achieve their dreams. Getting raped, killing your own best friend and living in poverty are three events that are good examples of struggles hindering them form achieving their dreams. Getting raped is something nobody should have to go through. It’s sad that some people have to go through...
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