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John Steinbeck doesn’t believe in the American dream as there is a multitude of people who have unfair disadvantages that make the dream unattainable and prevent them from being successful.

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Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men in order to illustrate the illusion of the American dream. Many of Steinbeck’s novels have explored the differences between the privileged and the poor. John Steinbeck emphasized that there are groups of people including women and people of color that are limited in achieving the American Dream. The American Dream, "was almost always the image of a man,"(Bryce, 1:09). In Of Mice and Men, George and his cousin Lennie are living in the era of the great depression. They have a dream of one day being able to own their own farm. Lennie, has a mental disability and is unable to recognize his own physical strength because of it. He unintentionally kills somebody and in retaliation, was killed himself extinguishing him and George’s dream. The shared dream of owning a farm represents the American dream and the death of Lennie as well as his disability depict that the dream is not attainable to everyone. If you are not in the rich elite the dream is nothing more than an illusion.

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The American Dream

In the 1920s and 1930s, John Steinbeck traveled the United States, using journalistic techniques to investigate the lives of America's forgotten people, particularly the working class and the poor. Steinbeck translates these experiences into some of the most iconic works of American realist literature, including Of Mice and Men.

Steinbeck's novels explore the wide and ever-increasing gulf between the privileged and the destitute in twentieth century America. His novels interrogate the American Dream, the idea that in America, your hard work can achieve your every heart's desire.

This is especially true of Of Mice and Men. Published in 1937, at the height of The Great Depression, it is the story of two itinerant, or wandering, farm workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, as they roam Depression-era California looking for steady work.

A Plot of Land

Since the very founding of the nation, the great hope and promise for prosperity in America has been in its land, the idea that any man (and the image was almost always the image of a man) could wrest endless riches from his land, if only he was willing to work for it: to sweat and bleed for the land that was his. This is America, the land of opportunity in its most literal sense.

But in Of Mice and Men,George and Lennie have no land. As itinerant workers, they have no stability whatsoever. Theirs is a nomadic existence. They follow the work and rumors of work, struggling simply to find food and shelter adequate enough to stay alive.

Because their need drives them restlessly from place-to-place, they lose their independence, the autonomy and self-sufficiency that is in itself a part of the American Dream. In the novella, the image of the ideal American, of the hope and greatness of America itself, is above all the image of independence, of one who thinks, acts, and does for himself. Lennie and George do not have this luxury. They are uprooted and unmoored, chasing work and chasing home.

Lennie and George's ultimate goal is to buy a plot of land to farm, one on which to settle down and build a home and family - and in the process buy back something of their freedom.

Family

Owning land may be the foundation of the American Dream, but family completes that dream. During the Great Depression, many families were torn apart. Husbands deserted families because they could not bear to read in their children's starving faces their own feelings of failure. Siblings were separated, farmed out to caregivers who might be able to handle the burden of one additional mouth, but not three.

It was a lonely, fractured existence. But George and Lennie cling to something that the other workers don't have: each other. Together, George and Lennie have formed a protective brotherhood. George is small and wise. Lennie is large but has the mind of a child. George guides and protects Lennie from the many things Lennie cannot understand. And Lennie loves George, looks up to him, and uses his vast physical strength to work harder than any of the men on the farm - all to bring them closer to their dream of buying some land and making a home. They are companions in a shared dream when all that unites the other men is their loneliness.

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the american dream in of mice and men - video & lesson transcript | study.com

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The American Dream in Of Mice and Men - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

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In the 1920s and 1930s, John Steinbeck traveled the United States, using journalistic techniques to investigate the lives of America's forgotten people, particularly the working class and the poor. Steinbeck translates these experiences into some of the most iconic works of American realist literature, including Of Mice and Men.

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The American dream was not only limited to the poor, but to African Americans as well. A specific character that faced racial discrimination was Crooks. He was not allowed in the bunkhouse because he is black. “They play cards in there, but I can't play because I'm black,” (Steinbeck 68). If the color of his skin is preventing him from entering another room, how is he supposed to be able to fulfill his greatest desires and reach his full potential? This reinforces the fact that the American dream is not accessible to everyone. Whenever the American dream is talked about, it is always depicted by a white, rich man. Many African Americans have felt that the dream has never applied to them.

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Title: Of Mice and Men (Novel)

Occupation: American writer

Other Names Used: Steinbeck, John Ernst, Jr.; Glasscock, Amnesia;

Of Mice and Men is a book written by John Steinbeck (1902-1968) in 1937. Specifically the book is a novella, or a short novel. Like many of Steinbeck's books, Of Mice and Men is set in California during the Great Depression. The book tells the story of itinerant workers, or workers who travel from place to place. Hopes and dreams, isolation, friendship, and innocence are major themes found in the book. Of Mice and Men is often part of high school curricula.

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Critical Thinking Questions

Why does Lennie run away?

What are the main themes of the book?

What lie does George tell the angry mob after they discover he has shot Lennie?

Author

Born on February 27, 1902, in Salinas, California, Steinbeck developed writing skills at an early age. He attended Stanford University, majoring in English, but never graduated. After living in New York City for a short time, Steinbeck returned to California. In 1929, he completed his first novel, Cup of Gold. Although the novel was a failure, he continued to write. Tortilla Flat, published in 1935, was his first successful book. He followed that up with several other books, including In Dubious Battle (1936), Of Mice and Men (1937), and The Grapes of Wrath (1939). During World War II (1939-1945), Steinbeck served as a war correspondent for the New York Herald Tribune. His experiences as a correspondent were later published in Once There Was a War (1958). Following his stint as a war correspondent, Steinbeck returned to New York City, where he wrote several more novels, including Cannery Row (1945), East of Eden (1952), and The Winter of Our Discontent (1961). In 1962, Steinbeck won the Nobel Prize in Literature, and in 1964, he won the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Steinbeck died on December 20, 1968, in New York City.

Summary

George Milton and Lennie Small have dreams of owning a farm; however, both men are faced with challenges. They have little money and are resigned to working on ranches in northern California. Lennie, who is a large, strong man, has a mental disability, and George faithfully cares for him. Lennie's habits include an affection for touching soft things, such as animal fur and hair. The duo lost their last job after Lennie touched a woman's soft dress and would not let go.

The two men find work on a ranch near Soledad. They meet several coworkers, including an elderly farmhand named Candy and an African American stable worker named Crooks. Both men share George and Lennie's dream of owning a farm. Among the other farmhands is Curley, an angry, confrontational man who is also the son of the ranch owner. His new wife scorns and demeans the ranch workers but likes to draw attention to herself. She enjoys flirting and being admired. One day Lennie is in a barn petting a dead puppy when Curley's wife enters. They begin talking, and Curley's wife tells Lennie to stroke her pretty hair. As he does so, Curley's wife gets upset, fearing Lennie will mess up her hair. Lennie panics and accidently breaks her neck, killing her. He runs away in fear.

After discovering the body, Curley and the other ranch hands realize who killed her and set out to murder Lennie. Knowing that Lennie will be brutally killed by the mob, George finds his friend first. George soothes Lennie with talk of their dream, asking him to imagine the farm they will own someday. As he comforts Lennie, George shoots him in the head. When they are discovered, George tells the other ranch hands Lennie died in a struggle for the gun.

Scene from Of Mice and Men

Major Themes

Many different themes run throughout Of Mice and Men. Having hopes and dreams is a central theme of the novella. George and Lennie have hopes of one day owning a farm, despite the obstacles in their way. Isolation is another theme found in the book. The itinerant workers frequently feel lonely and isolated. Another recurring theme in Of Mice and Men is friendship, something in which George and Lennie find strength. Innocence is yet another theme in the novella. Due to his mental disability, Lennie has a childlike innocence and does not understand his own strength.

Significance

Of Mice and Men is a good example of modernism, a literary movement characterized by a departure from traditional religious, political, and social beliefs and a move toward portraying real people. The book touches upon racism and sexism, which point to modernism. Because of its controversial topics, Of Mice and Men has sometimes been banned in schools. Nevertheless, it has been a staple of high school curricula for decades. The characters have appeared in numerous books, songs, movies, and television shows, and the novella has been adapted for film several times.

Critical Reception

Steinbeck had become a well-known author after the success of Tortilla Flat. By 1937, Of Mice and Men was so highly anticipated that it sold 117,000 advance copies before it was published. Literary critics praised the work, commenting on its simple, yet powerful story and its imaginative writing that opened a window on human nature. The novella also drew immediate interest from film and theater producers who wanted to adapt it for the big screen and stage. When Steinbeck won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962, the Nobel committee called Of Mice and Men a "little masterpiece."

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Fast Facts

The title of the novella was taken from a Scottish-language poem written in 1785 by Robert Burns (1759-1796). The English translation of the poem, "To a Mouse, on Turning Her Up in Her Nest with the Plough," contains the line, "The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men go often awry."

Steinbeck's original title for the novel was Something That Happened.

A 1939 film version of the novella starred Lon Chaney Jr. (1906-1973) and Burgess Meredith (1907-1997). It was nominated for four Academy Awards, including best picture.

References to Of Mice and Men often turned up in other forms of popular culture. Among the most common were several recurring references in 1940s and 1950s Looney Tunes cartoons featuring Bugs Bunny.

The character of Lennie was based on a real person Steinbeck met while working on a ranch.

Source Citation

Gale Document Number: GALE|KLPFZJ648743867

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Title: Of Mice and Men (Novel) Occupation: American writer Other Names Used: Steinbeck, John Ernst, Jr.; Glasscock, Amnesia; Of Mice and Men is a book written by John Steinbeck (1902-1968) in 1937. Specifically the book is a novella, or a short novel.

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The American Dream in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men

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The American Dream in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men

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Those who are disabled are also limited to the American Dream according to Steinbeck. Lennie was mentally handicapped but still had the dream of one day owning a farm with George. On top of being disabled, Lennie and hs cousin George were, "outcasts and [did] not live in high society which affect[ed] their ability to reach their dream,". (9-10). Due to Lennie's disability, he didn’t realize how much physical power he had and took somebody’s life. George knew that once everyone found out, they were going to send a mob to go and harshly kill Lennie. George decided to take matters into his own hands and kill Lennie himself painlessly with one bullet. If Lennie wasn’t disabled, he wouldn’t have ended up dying. He did not have the right support or people around him to help him while he struggled with his disability. It was unfair he didn’t get to live out his dream because of a disability.

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The American Dream was a key motivator for men and women during the Great Depression. John Steinbeck portrays this through all of his characters in Of Mice and Men. The theme of dreams is carried throughout the book in many different ways. For example, Bo Grimes states, "He portrays it by letting the dream come within the men's grasp and then it gets destroyed" (3). John Steinbeck has a specific type of character he depicts in his writing. George and Lennie in Of Mice and Men are a perfect example of this type of character. They are outcasts and do not live in high society which affects their ability to reach their dream. The American dream plays a key role for all the characters in Of Mice and Men; each of the characters has a specific dream; however, this causes some of them to be brought together and others torn apart. George has the biggest dream of all the characters in the book, and even though he is stuck with Lennie, he does not doubt that one day he will reach his dream.He is skeptical of the world. He does not trust it, nor does he trust the people in it. MichealZeitler writes, "More than a dream of land or property or riches even a house of one's own, George's vision encompasses a broader range of values-freedom , abundance, fairness, nature, and companionship" (1). George moves from town to town to keep work and save up the money he needs to pursue his dream. He includes Lennie in the vision of his dream because he promises Lennie's aunt he will take care of

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The American Dream In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice And Men | ipl.org

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The American Dream was a key motivator for men and women during the Great Depression. John Steinbeck portrays this through all of his characters in Of Mice...