The American achievement is an unfamiliar saying, yet the American dream of fame and fortune has become an adopted slogan of the United States. The American dream means something different for everyone, fame and fortune, the right to a better life, or the freedom to express yourself. Yet the story Of Mice and Men tells of a much simpler American dream. In John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men the American dream is the simplicity of having something to call your own. Lennie and George dream of having their own land. George dreams of being his own boss, living off the fat of the land, and being able to protect Lennie. Liberty and justice are proud motto's of the “all-American” yet we see such justice denied to Lennie at the end of the novel. Justice is defined as the quality of being fair and reasonable, and its is apparent Lennie causes more harm to himself than any other. John Steinbeck also writes of the American dream with Crooks, or the lack of it.
Lennie comes to Crooks room late one night, looking for company. “...You go on get outta my room. I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse, and you ain’t wanted in my room.” Crooks is isolated simply because of his race. “If I say something, why it’s just a nigger sayin’ it.” Crooks has no one to call his friend, or to rely on. The American dream is one of acceptance, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, these freedoms are meant to come with tolerance
Freedom of speech is a constitutional right, yet Curley's wife is as isolated as Crooks. Mistrusted and confused Curley's wife is never named, yet she dreamed of being a movie star. Being admired was all she ever knew. She was admired for her looks, and feared for them as well. Her desperate need to communicate to someone eventually led to her death.
George and Lennie were dreamers till the end, envisioning a small piece of land they could finally call home. The American dream can be something that is often taken for granted. Perhaps it is the American dream because many Americans could not dream of being without it.
“O.K Someday--we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs and--”
“An’ live off the fatta the lan’,”
Their dream is never realized. Lennie never can tend to the rabbits like he dreamed of for so long. That is the cruel reality of the American dream; a dream loses its luster when it has been realized. Reality does not have the poetic quality that dreams do and broken dreams make a better story than a happy ending.
Lennie comes to Crooks room late one night, looking for company. “...You go on get outta my room. I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse, and you ain’t wanted in my room.” Crooks is isolated simply because of his race. “If I say something, why it’s just a nigger sayin’ it.” Crooks has no one to call his friend, or to rely on. The American dream is one of acceptance, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, these freedoms are meant to come with tolerance
Freedom of speech is a constitutional right, yet Curley's wife is as isolated as Crooks. Mistrusted and confused Curley's wife is never named, yet she dreamed of being a movie star. Being admired was all she ever knew. She was admired for her looks, and feared for them as well. Her desperate need to communicate to someone eventually led to her death.
George and Lennie were dreamers till the end, envisioning a small piece of land they could finally call home. The American dream can be something that is often taken for granted. Perhaps it is the American dream because many Americans could not dream of being without it.
“O.K Someday--we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs and--”
“An’ live off the fatta the lan’,”
Their dream is never realized. Lennie never can tend to the rabbits like he dreamed of for so long. That is the cruel reality of the American dream; a dream loses its luster when it has been realized. Reality does not have the poetic quality that dreams do and broken dreams make a better story than a happy ending.