Of Mice And Men American Dream Analysis

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Alex Ching English 9 Chasing After Nothing People always have had dreams and desires in their lives that fuel their motivation through each day, however, if they want to achieve them, they have to face reality in which their dreams and desires don’t play out well. In the book, “Of Mice and Men,” John Steinbeck depicts a cataclysmic tragedy referring to the American Dream as an unrealistic illusion. Through every trial of this impending misfortune, George, Lennie, and Curley’s Wife act towards the idle desperation for independence in a certain way. With every mistake caused by Lennie’s feebleness of wanting to touch soft things, George is forced to reconsider their approach to having their own farm. While they search for their aims through…show more content…
As the American Dream is essentially an aspiration for improved financial and social status, George and Lennie’s vision of having a farm is a model to it due to the wish to rise in the social ladder to a position where they uphold the idea of self-government. They share a mutual respect towards this dream, which connects their bond together as their current state as ranch laborers strengthens their vision of land ownership, but also harms their bond through harsh obstacles. Although George and Lennie conceived a thriving calculated vision, they are unable to fulfill it due to their personal and social limitations. In addition to their incapability, the problematic obstacles known as Curley and his wife also challenge George and Lennie’s insufficient merits. As they prey on the weak that is Lennie, George’s attitude becomes harsh as his commands to Lennie backfire mistakenly which becomes a partial reason for their demise as he realizes the illusion that held the idea for social and economic protection. Therefore, the predatory nature of the farmer’s society proves itself to George that their dream of their own farm is unobtainable which is furthermore evidence that the American Dream is a sham to naïve and desperate believers. When Curley invites Lennie to fight back, George provokes Lennie which starts a chain of disasters, Curley starts the fight by saying, “Come on, ya big…show more content…
Like many people, George and Lennie exemplify this by their own American Dream. Their ideal aim of having their farm signifies their desperate needs of independence and prosperity. However, from their tough labor achieved on the farm, they acknowledge the despair and grim reality of their situation, which is not achieving their wish. Steinbeck starts the downward path of failure starting with the fight of Curley and Lennie. His acceptance towards the catastrophe is fueled towards the desperate actions taken to achieve the illusional vision. George says, “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world.” This clearly highlights his repulsion of becoming one of them. Furthermore, Curley’s wife’s alternative “American Dream” of being social with the ranchers blackens the opportunity of George and Lennie’s dream. Their undoubted trust becomes strained as Lennie’s forgetfulness and Curley’s wife’s harmful charisma obliterates their companionship. Her destructive tendency worsens the state of their bond as her husband also blocks them from achieving their goal. Steinbeck uses foreshadow commonly to hint of an unidentified tragedy, for example, Crooks, the lonely black man, is proof of the cruelness in their society. He also suggests of an incoming end when he speaks with Lennie reflecting on his own problems as he shows Lennie the reality of a doomed fantasy. Therefore, from the cruel nature

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