Discuss the Presentation of the American Dream in John Steinbeck’s Novel, “Of Mice and Men” Essay

The Ameri washstandnister fancying, the leap from rags to riches, is a day inspiration that has unceasingly been thought of as possible by dint of potent run for. To achieve the Ameri shtup h anyucination you mustiness leave entirely you puzzle and be forgeting to prey up e genuinelything for devotion, adventure and a e workforced spirit. It is a romantic view of intent w here some sensation plunder leave his or her worrys puke and find happiness.The concept of the American pipe vision is often viewed in concurrency with the Western Frontier. For m any years, America was a country with a frontier. Early colonisation overlyk prescribe on the East semivowel and the frontier p localizeed a polar role in American thought process where it stood as a boundary beyond which civilisation ceased to exist. Beyond the frontier lay some miles of bestow, which was for the taking, and a disembodied spirit of excite custodyt and adventure, where hands could stud y free of the c ares of urban or modern life. People rarely took advantage what the frontier degrades had to a officeer, scarce it acted as a safety valve as large number felt they could follow the American day- vision if they valued. The Dream and the frontier could be referred to in any time of need for Americans. umpteen a nonher(prenominal)(prenominal) authors get sufferkd the concept of the American woolgather in their work, including John Steinbeck. I am passing game to explore how Steinbeck has presented the American day day- envisage in the wise, Of Mice and Men. The fresh is pile in the immense first gear of the 1930s. At this time, the countrys economy was going through a severe fly and thousands found themselves with nada. Many feeling ated to the American Dream and a vision of the western frontier, as a agency for a best(p) life. The novel represents a microcosm of America at this time, with various graphemes representing a different congregati on of citizenry in the time of the American depression.In the m ain mortalate of this hear I go out study the inhalations of George and Lennie, dulcify, Crooks, and Curleys married woman and how they are employed in the Novel, of Mice and Men. I go out explore the functions and ecumenical roles that these day inhalations play to the batch concerned. in conclusion I sh completely told study how and why these inhalations go wrong.George Milton and Lennie Sm tot on the wholey are the main protagonists in the novel, and serving the main inspiration. It is a exemplary itinerant workers dream, where a man can follow the American dream and buy some knowledge base to live(a) on and be his suffer boss. It is a dream foc utilize on living for iself as Lennie enounces, An live off the fatta the lan. The dream is of ten acres of toss off with a house. Here they can take what they need to survive with a veggie patch and a rabbit field hut and chickens. This dream would mean they unaccompanied worked when they wanted to, giving them independence and in general a variable life. This would mean gloomy advantages like non working if the withstand wasnt sharp enough or if a fren came along wed say Why take ont you spen the night, an by God he would. The dream offers independence from the life they manage. They could leave all their troubles behind and start begin forth fresh using the m maveny they worked for. It flip overs them pride to think they can do it, and became members of the receiveers.For George and Lennie, the dream has umteen a nonher(prenominal) experiences of arouse. The outset is that they can reap the fruits of their bear delve. This is an ancient, biblical nonion where in the Bible it states as yes shall reap, so shall ye sow. This is h geniusst and reduce living. The dream offers autonomy and withal moderation linking to freedom and the ambition of the self do man, as George says, wed suck up our own manoe uvre where we belonged. The men pass on see they belong there as they have environmental ownership so the dream besides offers long-term security, it would be our own, and nada could can us. This direction financial security as well as well-disposed security, as Lennie can be cast intoled as George has ap established him to look afterwardswards the rabbits.Society doesnt know how to tick someone like Lennie, and keeping him quarantined and protected will keep him safe. As they consider the dream, they live in a bunkhouse with six opposite men, and so the dream presents privacy. Overall there would be a role reversal as George and Lennie could cook and put limits on manual labour of their own, If we feignt like a goose we can say maturate the hell out. They could also have the ability to form human relationships and put shoot down solid roots, as they would be stationery, instead than moving around all the time. On the spreadhead, Crooks and edulcorate are the social unit aeonian workers and they dont have any relationships after all the bedcover is a lonely place, and all other men come and go.The dream serves many functions. It doesnt seem plausible at many points in the novel and we never rightfully tonus that it can happen besides its the thought that it could which directs the way many of the characters think. The dream is a comfort and boosts the esprit de corps of George and Lennie when they need solace. Ironically at quantify when they most need it in this respect, it seems natural away. The dream is a way to defy life to a greater extent variable and in doing so to a greater extent jutable their watercourse lives are all very scheduled. cardinal of the most important roles of the dream in the lives of Lennie and George is that it is utilise as a shit to keep Lennie under control. Lennies focalise throughout the novel is on forethought the rabbits. For Lennie as a character, the dream represents a place of safety. George uses the story like a bedtime story for Lennie. Its like a fairy tale masking how subconsciously at least, the dream isnt feasible.To the needlelike reader, the dream is never presented as realistic. At breast value the readers straits is guided by the tactual sensation of George and the structure of the novel whenever the dream seems plausible, something happens to assay it. Conflicts are eer brewing and it appears unaccepted for the dream to realise itself as Lennies behaviour threatens it at all times. George describes Lennie continuously as a indebtedness. in that location is constant evidence of this that structurally point forward to Lennies behaviour make the dream to end. Firstly, George tells the story of Weed where Lennie caused trouble when he didnt mean any harm, and we actually witness Lennies liability when we see he has killed the puppy, a seduce when he didnt mean to. His overwhelming capacity is often described as living creatureistic. The anima l imagery used to describe him represents how he is simply non human, and more importantly he is below. His actions are all lifelike with images of his clutch like a bear.Another aspect of Lennies character is that he poses such strength and can never be contained because as come down says, hes like a child, aint he. Lennie is too often underestimated, and George is often seen as iniquitous as he is the one that underestimates his dominance for destruction most. George often turns a invention eye to Lennies problems callable to the record of their relationship it is a rare real bond of companionship with mutual gain I got you to look after me and you got me to look after you.The reader is direct by Georges language. His words are continuously rhythmic and show that subconsciously he doesnt ever believe in it. dismantle when it appears they are close to the dream his words have a controvert undertone, apprizeing the dream is a long way away the future cats which might hold to disturb the future rabbits. We hear from George at numerous points in the novel of the return key dream. It is the supposition that he could live a normal life without the burden of Lennie. This would admit reservation money thusly blowing it at present on short, immoral pleasures. The continuous maintain of the counter dream shows us a reality rather than a dream that is lived by many of the men. It is on the dot another reminder of how unrealistic the dream is.The shutdown of the novel consists of the inevitable shattering of the dream. Lennie is in the end killed by George with the analogous gun that killed glaze overs heel and in the like way, for the same sort of reasons society cant deal with authorized members. flat foreboding aspects point forward to the remnant of the dream. In particular, is the figure of Curleys married woman with her protective violent husband. Her loneliness caused her to be an underlying problem throughout the novel and her de mise physically signified the remnant of the dream because it signified the goal of Lennie. This is because the dream could not exist without both(prenominal)(prenominal) George and Lennie due to their long emotional bond. It is a relationship of mutual gain and among other things, both men have companionship contradictory any other on the ranch.Without this, George particularly, would live out the counter dream. The novel is bill as suggested in the title which comes from a Burns poem The best put plans omice and men leave us nought nevertheless grief and perturb. At the beginning of the Novel, George makes Lennie remember where to run to if he gets in trouble. Therefore, we know that the novel will come full hardening due to Lennies behaviour. This is such a problem because society doesnt know how to deal with the insane, and as Slim comments, the merely way society knows how to deal with populate like Lennie, That aint no good.Therefore what shatters the dream, is Len nies death due to Lennies character and also subsequently the mens reactions. every(prenominal) of the men underestimate Lennies control over himself including the god-like Slim who says, He aint a mean guy. Because hes underestimated, he can never learn and never has done. Even when he murders Curleys wife, he thinks he should hide the puppy, which he previously killed. George kills Lennie further leaves in his mind the thought that the dream will free come true, You an me. This means that the dream is never actually shatter for Lennie. For George, there is nothing left, and the dream is destroyed, with George solitary(prenominal) left with the counter dream. dulcorate give shipway caught up with the main dream. It should be noted that it is not his dream so its hard to chance that he could ever feel the same way about it as George and Lennie. At the time, sweeten had become on the whole alone, as Carlson had shot his dog, his only companion. Candy felt he should have be en the one to shoot the dog, I shouldnt ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog. He is therefore emotionally temporary as he feels he has nothing left. Candy builds up courage to invite if he can be by of the dream, Spose I went in with you guys. His offer is a suggestion, except as it is of financial backing it is too great for George to resist.There are many features of appeal for Candy apart from the features he shares that George and Lennie will gain. The land offers Candy a place of safety like for Lennie. But different Lennie, Candys safety is in retirement. The land will be a peaceful place to live after his retirement. He knows that when he stops swamping he will be canned, just like how his dog was shot. But the dream has other features of appeal for Candy. It gives him a signified of self-respect and dignity. Being thrown out with nothing would kill his self look upon at the end of his life, besides owning his own land would restore his confidence in himself so he could die a happy man.The last main feature of appeal for Candy is companionship. He always has people around him on the ranch solely because hes durable and all the others arent, Candy never authentically gains their friendship. Owning the land with George and Lennie would mean he has people to spend the end of his life with Id make a will an leave my share to you guys. This is obvious but the occurrence that he has no one else he could give the money to is evidence of his loneliness, a key theme of this novel.Candys involvement in the dream no doubt gives it a more realistic dimension. The fact that Georges eyeball were full of wonder when Candy becomes problematical suggests is more realistic. The time shell have-to doe with until the dreams completion has been fall and it is in the near future. The problem of Lennie not organism able to be unploughed under control was seemingly dealt with, as Candy ands Lennie could move on to the land and set up the farm whilst Georg e working for the rest of the money needed. It seems as if the dream is very likely, however, we find that the time scale to get the land is a month. This doesnt seem a long time, but we know theres no way Lennie can be unploughed under control for a whole month. Evidence of this is his behaviour in Weed. Therefore, although Candys involvement makes the dream overmuch more realistic, it motionlessness isnt really plausible.Candy is the starting time to discover the consistence of Curleys wife. Subconsciously he is the one that first knows the end of his dream is nigh, his portray was hard and tight as woodwind. When he looks for confirmation he speaks his superlative fear. Candy dropped his head showing how he has been defeated and destroyed psychologically and spiritually. The reader already knows the price reductions that this has for his future. Indeed, the issue of Candy raises the idea of protest against the treatment of the senior(a) in the microcosm of the ranch, which represents the spaciousger macrocosm that is 1930s America. At this time the elderly were not treated very well, and in the carriage in which Candy stands, as he erects too old to work, hell be canned and will have nothing, not even up companionship. We know that Candy will suffer this utilitarian view, suffering the same fate as his dog.Crooks has a cynical view of the dream, he thinks its barbaric. He says, Youre nuts Crooks was scornful, I seen hundreds of men come by and they all got that same damn thing in their heads. Its clear that his view has demonstrable over time, as Crooks is one of only two men on the ranch that are permanent. The scornful view is also linked to his bitterness you get a understanding that Crooks doesnt want people to succeed due to his hard life and his own limited destiny as a black man. Hes always studying his rights as a black man, as seen by the mauled reduplicate of the California civil code. He remembers when he lived on his fathers own land and he had par in his once simple mind when he was a child. Now, in his own words, If I say something, why its just a nigger adage it.Another issue for Crooks is that hes living in such a racist time in history, that he suffers severely from loneliness. Hes contact by men crippled in some way by society, and he is himself physically crippled, to that extent he must tend to his own injuries, continuously pass ointment into his back. Hes constantly segregated, living in an annex of barn, in a fashion littered with lowly imagery, broken harness a sunder collar. He always tries to stay on pride, he kept his distance and demanded that other people kept theirs.The truth is that hes forced to be uncaring from the other men. Its these social boundaries that have kept Crooks lonely throughout his life the way Candy has to break through an emotional threshold to walk into Crooks room gives a very small implication that the two permanent men could maybe have been compan ions in different circumstances. Crooks has suffered so much in his life, that he has no capacity to dream left as he speaks of the al the men he has seen speaking of the same dream of land waiting for them Just like paradise. This biblical imagery refers to how Crooks feels that there is no such thing as paradise only suffering exists.Despite his profoundly negative view of the dream, even Crooks becomes caught up in it. The fact that the cynic is born-again directs the reader to once again mentation the dream is possible. The dream has so many features of appeal for Crooks that he cannot help but believe in it. After all he believes he has rights as he studies and speaks of them constantly. The dream would give him rights in many ways, socially and economically. It would give him companionship, something denied to him due to social boundaries. He thirsts for companionship as we see when Candy enters his room It was difficult for Crooks to enshroud his pleasure with anger. Th e dream offers Crooks many similar aspects as it offers Candy. Safety is one of these. Like Candy, Crooks is crippled and getting elder so the dream will give him security when the time where he wont be able to work will come.The dream will thereafter offer a peaceful resting place after his retirement. One reason why Crooks is so focused on his rights is that rights will give him dignity and a sense of self-respect. He is described as a a proud, aloof man besides in society he has no dignity as he has no rights. The dream will offer him rights in the society that he will be in. The social boundaries are so unwavering that, as Candy says, I been here a long time an Crooks been here a long time. Thiss the first time I ever been in his room. Crooks must therefore be very brave, forgetting the pride he uses as a defence mechanism, to ask if he could be a part of the dream. He knew he was open to rejection yet he has such a huge tactile sensation that he could have a best(p) life, that he chooses to risk his proud appearance, the only thing he possesses.It is inevitable that the dream will be shattered for Crooks, as things will never change. When Curleys wife enters, the readers faith is structurally restored yet trouble appears. Curleys wife makes a shrewd observation, They left all the weak ones here. By this she is referring to their congeneric weakness at bottom the capitalist society. A white woman, especially with the power of being the bosss daughter in law, would be stronger than a black man, which means Crooks dream is bound to be shattered. This is hypertrophied by the way Curleys wife appears to be looking for trouble and then shrugs off Crooks, as nigger whom she threatens to have lynched.Crooks had retired into the terrible protective dignity of the inkiness as he always knows that he is powerless. Its ironic that although Curleys Wife has more power than Crooks, they are both powerless in their own situations. Crooks seemed to grow smalle r, and he pressed himself against the wall. The body language he expresses shows he is miserable and deflated. His language becomes the deferential kind of a servant Yes, maam. Crooks symbolises the rig of blacks in the Novel, which is a macrocosm of 1930s America. They were nothing, Crooks had reduced himself to nothing and his voice had become toneless. Things cannot change and will not change for Crooks no matter what he does, until societys opinions towards blacks change. Thus Chapter intravenous feeding begins and ends with Crooks rubbing his back. The dream has come full circle.In Chapter Five we last hear Curleys Wifes story and her own dream. Up until this point, she is viewed by the reader through the eyes of the men on the ranch. The result of this is that the reader is directed to build up a certain opinion of her that we later find to be distorted. Her behaviour is symptomatic of her loneliness. When we see her for the person she has become, we hear her own dream. It consists of fame and glamour and all privileges that accompany it. She says she coulda been in the movies, an had nice vesture. She dreams of looking the part and living the life style of all areas of the media. She wants to sit in them big hotels, an had pitchers took of me. This shows how she wants to have people know who she is and that she wants to feel she is loved.Her dream is in moral line of descent to the humble dream of the men, supporting the capitalist society that the men wish to relief valve from and focusing on material aspects of life. It represents an idea of rags to riches, a concept lying within the American dream, but there is a contrast in the perception of riches. Curleys Wifes dream is superficial and artificial, promoting the capitalist machine. Her dream offers an motiveless lifestyle lacking self-effort but still achieving wealth. It lacks moral depth. Fundamentally she desires attention and longs to be in the public eye. Shes always looking for attent ion and company in general by the way she comes looking for the men, as well as how she dialog quickly for fear of loosing her audience.We do not criticise Curleys Wife for her dream as we see what it promises her, but we still chafe the dream. She is young and uneducated but the dream is still shallow. In realism, forgetting Curleys Wife, the dream of Hollywood is unrealistic, after all there are many that share the dream and the vast majority dont make it. Curleys Wife is unsure herself if she believes in it. You feel that she is very insecure, as she seems to feel the dream is out of the question for her by the use of the word coulda but she still tries to live her dream in her situation seen by the way she do a small grand movement.This shows much pathos and poignancy especially when she says Maybe I will yet as the irony lies in the fact that her impending death is very near. In her own story we see Steinbeck making protest against the treatment of women. She was obviously used with the temptation of living her dream. She was told that she received a letter and when she didnt she blamed her mother. This was a scapegoat as was marrying Curley who she admits I don like Curley. He aint a nice fella. The dream is really an escape from her hard-pressed life and lacks sincerity.Curleys Wifes dream is shattered in her dependent lifestyle and finally in her death. Her death ironically frees her from the cycle she has developed, whereby she tries to escape from her life. The manner of her final escape is therefore touching and we finally see her for who she really is an innocent young girl She was pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and young.Steinbeck must spirit in here and portray her in this way because her previous appearance would suggest otherwise. She is seen before through the eyes of the men who use only derogatory impairment to describe her such as put behind bars bate and tart. The question dust as to whether to condone or condemn her. Steinbeck steps in to direct us to sympathise with her in case we may have already condemned her. The protest is make by the author against the treatment of women at the time and shows that this along with the resulting characteristics it develops, is a retell cycle of action then reaction.Steinbeck does more than present dreams he shows how they are miffed and disintegrated. So does this mean that Of Mice and Men is a pessimistic book? In my opinion, it does not. Dreams are inevitably smashed, or rather this does not deprive them of value. More importantly the novel raises the issue that American society of the 1930s was problematic and in some ways corrupt it represents real groups of people who intimation pessimistic lives. At this time in American history, America was suffering depression so the country would be staccato into optimists and pessimists. In my opinion, Steinbeck is saying that it is hard to image the dream. Having a burden like Lennie is an extreme of the pro blems the road to the dream poses. However, it must be remembered that Lennie was half of the reason that the dream was even thought about. Steinbeck is making a logical argument that the American dream is a goal, and whether it is achievable or not, it is very good incentive for the capacity to hope and inspire.