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

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The American Dream is a hope for success in America by hard work. If someone becomes intrigued by the American Dream, they may have no idea what they are getting themselves into. Craig L. Thomas once said, “You stuff somebody into the American Dream, and it becomes a prison.” This quote relates to the novella, “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck which explains the concept of the American Dream by telling the story of two farmers and their journey to seeking their own farm. The farm reveals that the American Dream is just an illusion of success through hard work however, many times it leads to misguided opportunities and futility. Working towards the American Dream can sometimes lead to misguided opportunities. When George and Lennie discuss…show more content…
When Candy and George find Curley’s wife’s dead body, Candy asks George sulkily, “Then it’s all off?... George said I’ll work my month an’ I’ll take my fifty bucks an’ I’ll stay all night in some lousy cat house. Or I’ll set in some poolroom till ever’body goes home. An’ then I’ll come back an’ work another month an’ I’ll have fifty bucks more.”(Steinbeck sec.5 pg.95). Once George says this, it’s obvious that he has resigned his dream and will no longer sacrifice for it. He has given up, turning over to the feeling of uselessness and lonely misery. It’s ironic because in the beginning of the novella, George states that “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place. They come to a ranch ‘an work up a stake and then they go inta town and blow their stake, and the first thing you know, they're poundin’ their tail on some other ranch. They ain’t got nothin’ to look ahead to...With us, it ain’t like that. We got a future.” (Steinbeck sec.1 pg.13-14) but George ended up becoming lonely and miserable. Once George says this, it’s obvious that he has resigned his dream and will no longer sacrifice for it. He has given up, turning over to the feeling of uselessness and lonely misery. Additionally, George and Lennie’s struggle for
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