Comparing The American Dream In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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Traditionally, the American Dream is the idea that freedom includes the opportunity to pursue success. For many, this means upward social mobility and direct monetary results from hard work. In Of Mice and Men, that is not the only type of success the character’s have in mind. Though they aspire for freedom, equality, and riches, they also long for success in companionship. Through the creation of oppressed and isolated characters, Steinbeck paints the American Dream as a yearning for community, and a powerful and necessary agent in mankind’s ability to thrive and survive. Without this hope, the men and women of the working class will perish in their isolation and oppression The story opens up on the banks of the Salinas River, “a few miles…show more content…
Each of his characters finds themselves separated from one another by physical and mental differences but they are all alike in their desperation and longing for a sense of community. These infatuations with human attachment are due to the fact that “Nearly all of the characters… suffer from an isolation that renders them powerless and vulnerable” (Zeitler, Isolation). Candy, Crooks, Lennie, and Curley’s wife are all ostracized in one way or another so that they lack companionship and dream of a better life. Though it is not directly stated in the story, mostly likely due to the lack of psychological studies during the time of this novel, it can be assumed that Lennie has some type of mental disability. This makes him a hazard to both himself and those around him because he is unable to discern between right and wrong or control his impulses. Lennie also struggles to make meaningful conversation, which further separates him from connecting with others,; with the exception of his caretaker, George. Lennie’s desire to find comfort from this isolation…show more content…
They share their grievances of their loneliness they share and their longing for a community. Crooks explains how “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody” and that if ”a guy gets too lonely... he gets sick.” (Steinbeck 72-73). Candy and Lennie come in looking for companionship. Lennie sparks the idea of a better life in the future. The other characters, plagued by their unsatisfying lives, slowly begin to latch on to the idea. In their dream, they will have a land of their own, where the work is shared and their oppression is eradicated. It is clear that the men care more about creating a camaraderie than they are concerned with riches because “For George and Slim, individual success at the expense of others is neither possible nor desirable” (Zeitler, The American Dream). Candy is able to offer money to start up the bunny farm, Lennie is to be the one who will tend to the rabbits, and Crooks will be around to do the handy work. This dream serves less as an example of success and more of an idea of community. Steinbeck’s redefinition of the “American Dream” in this novella is longing for togetherness. Curley’s wife is a pariah, even amongst the outcasts, and does not take part in the dream,; instead, she “threatens the dream by bringing with her the harsh realities of the outside world.” (Lisca). Curley’s Wife’s dreams cannot become reality anymore, so she is an example of a dream turned
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