The ‘American Dream ‘ is presented as being unachievable in John Steinbeck ‘s novel, Of Mice and Men. This is preponderantly apparent in the instance of George, Lennie, Candy, Crooks and Curley ‘s married woman. All of these characters admit to fantasying about the ‘American Dream ‘ ; stainless felicity and the freedom to prosecute their dreams.
George and Lennie ‘s dream of having land is unachievable as a consequence of Lennie ‘s careless actions caused by his ignorance of his physical strength. George invariably cautions Lennie non to revenge if harassed. However, George knew it was inevitable that Lennie would move heedlessly, therefore endanger their dream. This is apparent when George realises that Lennie has murdered Curley ‘s married woman: “ -I think I knowed from the really first. I think I knowed we ‘d ne’er make her. He usta like to hear about it so much I got to believing possibly we would ” ( Steinbeck, 2006, p.107 ) . This portrays the uncertainty and uncertainness George had sing his dream and the fact that he would ne’er be successful in having land. The ‘American Dream ‘ , for George and Lennie, was unachievable due to Lennie ‘s careless actions that caused George to slay Lennie and, accordingly eradicated their dream.
Candy ‘s dream of having land with comrades to avoid going lone, with the aid of George and Lennie, was shattered when George murdered Lennie. Unlike George, Candy believed that the ‘American Dream ‘ was within his range from the induction of the program. However, after George murdered Lennie, all hope was lost. This is apparent when Candy skeptically asked George if he still has the purpose to buy the land after butchering Lennie:
“ Then-it ‘s all off? ” Candy asked sulkily. George did n’t reply his… inquiry. George said, “ I ‘ll work my month an ‘ I ‘ll take my 50 bucks an ‘ I ‘ll remain all dark in some icky cat house. Or I ‘ll put in some poolroom til ever’body goes home. An ‘ so I ‘ll come back an ‘ work another month an ‘ I ‘ll hold 50 vaulting horses more. ” ( Steinbeck, 2006, p.107 ) .
George ‘s response to Candy ‘s inquiry indirectly implies that George has resigned his. George has given up, doing him and Candy no different to those people who waste their clip and money in whorehouses for ineffectual amusements as a consequence of alone wretchedness.
Crooks ‘ positions the ‘American Dream ‘ as an unattainable aim. The visual image of having land and going self-sufficient was a modest ask, nevertheless, for many this was impossible because of the depression that occurred in 1937. Crooks ‘ provinces that he has heard legion people have the same dream, nevertheless, ne’er get a piece of land. For illustration, when Crooks strongly opposes the thought of Lennie and George making their dream, having land:
“ You ‘re nuts. ” Crooks was contemptuous. “ I seen hunderds of work forces… come by on the route an ‘ on the spreads, with their bindles on their back an ‘ that same damn thing in their caputs. Hunderds of them. They come, an ‘ they quit an ‘ go on ; an ‘ every darn one of ’em ‘s got a small piece of land in his caput. An ‘ ne’er a God damn one of ’em of all time gets it. Just like heaven. Ever’body wants a small piece of local area network ‘ . I read plentifulness of books out here. Cipher ne’er gets to heaven, and cipher gets no land. It ‘s merely in their caput. They ‘re all the clip talkin ‘ about it, but it ‘s jus ‘ in their caput. ” ( Steinbeck, 2006, p.83-84 ) .
This is one of the most powerful messages in the novel illustrating that the American Dream is unachievable. George and Lennie were ne’er entirely in the sense that every American has the dream of land in their heads, and every individual individual will ensue like every other, as they are all destined to neglect. Crooks ‘ statement has reinforced Steinbeck ‘s purpose on demoing that the ‘American Dream ‘ is unattainable.
Curley ‘s married woman dream of going an actress in Hollywood is impracticable for the ground that she has resigned herself to an unfulfilling matrimony. She imagines how great it would be to remain in fancy hotels, ain several elegant frocks and have people desiring to take her exposure. She desires friendly relationship, celebrity and fiscal security though her dream differs from the dream of the work forces. Her matrimony with Curley has restricted her from interacting with work forces and most significantly, carry throughing her dreams: “ [ aˆ¦ ] I ca n’t speak to cipher but Curley [ aˆ¦ ] I coulda made somethin ‘ of myself [ aˆ¦ ] [ Curley ‘s married woman ] does n’t wish Curley [ aˆ¦ ] Coulda been in the films, an ‘ had nice clothes-all them nice apparels like they wear. An ‘ I coulda sat in them large hotels, an ‘ had hurlers took of me. ” ( Steinbeck, 2006, p.98-100 ) . From this it can be deduced that her matrimonial relationship with Curley has made her alone because she can non interact with the spread custodies, merely with Curley who is ever working and, her criterions of life would hold improved if she had pursued her dream of going an actress. The ‘American Dream ‘ of the freedom to prosecute 1s dreams is made unapproachable for Curley ‘s married woman because she has married Curley striping her of freedom to make so.
In John Steinbeck ‘s novel, Of Mice and Men, the ‘American Dream ‘ is presented as being unachievable for a figure of characters. The dreams of the characters have been hindered by many factors that have made them unattainable. In George ‘s, Lennie ‘s, Candy ‘s instance the ‘American Dream ‘ was non possible as a consequence of Lennie ‘s ignorance and foolhardiness. Crooks views that the dream of having land to be self-sufficing is the typical dream of an American worker, nevertheless, having the land is impossible. Steinbeck is purpose on demoing that the ‘American Dream ‘ is unachievable by supplying the message that those who have the dream of stainless felicity and the freedom to prosecute their dreams will neglect in brotherhood of despair and letdown.
