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John Steinbeck's work reveal the harsh realities of the complexity and challenges individuals face when pursuing the American Dream by critically examining the broader societal issues that can hinder the fulfillment of individual dreams.

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John Steinbeck used this his book “The Grapes of Wrath” to reveal the harsh reality of individual’s challenges when pursuing The American Dream when Ma and Pa’s family struggle for a better life. In “The Grapes of Wrath,” the Joad family were among the thousands of migrant workers who fled from Oklahoma and move to California, looking for job opportunities. However, they found that California is “not the "land of milk and honey," as they'd dreamed.” In reality, “the farms are controlled by property owners who destroy crops to drive prices up and who pit the itinerant workers against one another to avoid paying decent wages.” Despite hard work, they continue to face the threat of unemployment and starvation. The novel explores the challenges Joad and other migrant families experience. It shows how natural disasters and social inequalities can make The American Dream difficult to achieve. By sharing the experiences of migrant workers who struggled to survive during the economic hardships, John Steinbeck emphasizes the importance of working and helping each other when pursuing The American Dream. Overall, John Steinbeck’s novel “The Grapes of Wrath” presents a deep understanding of an individual’s challenges when pursuing The American Dream.

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One of John Steinbeck’s greatest works, “Of Mice and Men,” explores multiple themes, such as Idealism vs. Reality and Class Conflict, to reveal the challenges Lennie and George faced when pursuing the American Dream. In the novel, Lennie is a mentally ill man and George is his friend and caretaker. They dream to own a farm. However, their dream eventually fails. The author of the article mentions that “their dream of contentment in the modern world is impractical and does not accurately reflect the human condition.” Crooks, one of the characters in “Of Mice and Men,” is a black stableman who expresses doubts about the dream. The author states, "Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land. It's just in their head. They're all the time talkie' about it, but it's jus' in their head." However, the author also admits that dreaming “is humanity's only defense against an indifferent world.” In addition to the themes of idealism vs. reality, the author of the article also explores the themes of alienation, loneliness, class conflicts, race and racism, friendship, etc. The article also discusses the construction of the novel. John Steinbeck’s novel “Of Mice and Men” explored the American Dream in a more critical perspective. George and Lennie’s dream of sharing a piece of land is a symbol of hope. Although their dream is unrealistic due to societal and economic challenges during the Great Depression, it’s their only way to survive in an indifferent world. Steinbeck acknowledged that the dream is a motivating factor for his characters Lennie and George. John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” emphasizes the challenges that individuals like George and Lennie face when pursuing their dreams during the Great Depression and explores important themes like Idealism vs. Reality and Class Conflict.

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In a 1952 interview by “Voice of America,” John Steinbeck discusses the changes he saw in the Dust Bowl affected areas and emphasized the positive effects of establishment of governments agencies and facilities in the areas. During the interview, Steinbeck admitted that there were many changes in the Dust Bowl affected areas. According to him, “there is no facility to take care of such a tragedy” during the Great Depression. Many farmers from Oklahoma moved to California because the Dust Bowl destroyed their fields. Steinbeck also mentioned that when he researched the area in preparation for the novel, he can feel “certain anger because everyone was caught in the same trap. The anger makes people do injustice things to others.” In response, the government gradually established agencies and facilities to assist these farmers to reclaim their land and make them productive. John Steinbeck emphasized the importance of government assistance of individuals during economic hardships. Individuals are vulnerable to natural disasters and inequalities in society. Despite continued hardships, people can work together to pursue the American Dream. Overall, John Steinbeck emphasized the changes following the Dust Bowl and the importance of government assistance.

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California Revealed is supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this collection do not necessarily reflect those of the funder.