Theme Of Dreams In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
The quote “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” by Eleanor Roosevelt emphasizes the importance of one’s life goals. John Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice and Men focuses on the significance of dreams as well as the problems with solitariness and helplessness. Lennie and George, the two main characters of the book, are migrant workers who recently arrive at a ranch in Soledad, California to work. Their experiences at the ranch show how hard it is to live in 1930’s society, and how they are different from the other migrant workers. Loneliness, powerlessness, and the nature of dreams are major themes in Of Mice and Men.
Loneliness is a big theme in the novel, and helps shape how some of the characters are or act. …show more content…
When Lennie and George first arrive at the ranch, George does all the speaking for the both of them. He wants to make sure that Lennie does not say anything that could make them lose the job, since he can be childish a lot. The boss, checking them in, gets mad at George for not letting Lennie speak. George insists “I ain’t saying he’s bright. He ain’t. But I say he’s a damn good worker” (Steinbeck 22). This shows that Lennie is powerless; although he is big and strong, he is very behind in his mental abilities because of how his brain is. Lennie can not usually be trusted by himself because he has very childlike urges, and does not understand how strong he can sometimes be. He kills small mice and his puppy because he gets mad at them easily, and he is accidentally too rough with them. He also can say silly things at the wrong times, and others interpret as something else. Because of this, he must rely on George to say and remember that right things around others. Later, after Candy gets mad at Curley’s wife for coming into Crooks’ room, Crooks starts yelling at her and telling her she has no right to be in his room, and stands up for himself. However, Curley’s wife is not scared of Crooks and reminds him that she can have him hung very quickly. Crooks backs away and “reduced himself to nothing. There was no personality, …show more content…
At the beginning of the book, George is re-explaining to Lennie their dream to calm him down, as if it is a bedtime story. Lennie always insists George to tell the story whenever he is feeling anxious or guilty, and truly believes in it George says, “ ‘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’ have rabbits’ ” (Steinbeck 14). Because Lennie truly believes in the dream, George begins saving his money. George would enjoy having their own plot of land and animals, but he knows it is a long time away. He wants to make Lennie happy, so he always agree to tell the story and starts to believe in it too. It is also the reason why George never gives up on Lennie or gives up on losing jobs. He makes sure that they always find new jobs to do so that they can earn money to save up for the little farm. Lennie, on the other hand, cares more importantly about the rabbits. Lennie has a fascination for rabbits, and is his symbol for freedom and peace. He always reminds George that he is going to be the one to tend to the rabbits and pet them if he needs to calm down. This dream gives George and Lennie something to look forward to, even if it seems unrealistic at the others. They also stand up about it if others tell them that they are being ridiculous and that
Loneliness is a big theme in the novel, and helps shape how some of the characters are or act. …show more content…
When Lennie and George first arrive at the ranch, George does all the speaking for the both of them. He wants to make sure that Lennie does not say anything that could make them lose the job, since he can be childish a lot. The boss, checking them in, gets mad at George for not letting Lennie speak. George insists “I ain’t saying he’s bright. He ain’t. But I say he’s a damn good worker” (Steinbeck 22). This shows that Lennie is powerless; although he is big and strong, he is very behind in his mental abilities because of how his brain is. Lennie can not usually be trusted by himself because he has very childlike urges, and does not understand how strong he can sometimes be. He kills small mice and his puppy because he gets mad at them easily, and he is accidentally too rough with them. He also can say silly things at the wrong times, and others interpret as something else. Because of this, he must rely on George to say and remember that right things around others. Later, after Candy gets mad at Curley’s wife for coming into Crooks’ room, Crooks starts yelling at her and telling her she has no right to be in his room, and stands up for himself. However, Curley’s wife is not scared of Crooks and reminds him that she can have him hung very quickly. Crooks backs away and “reduced himself to nothing. There was no personality, …show more content…
At the beginning of the book, George is re-explaining to Lennie their dream to calm him down, as if it is a bedtime story. Lennie always insists George to tell the story whenever he is feeling anxious or guilty, and truly believes in it George says, “ ‘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’ have rabbits’ ” (Steinbeck 14). Because Lennie truly believes in the dream, George begins saving his money. George would enjoy having their own plot of land and animals, but he knows it is a long time away. He wants to make Lennie happy, so he always agree to tell the story and starts to believe in it too. It is also the reason why George never gives up on Lennie or gives up on losing jobs. He makes sure that they always find new jobs to do so that they can earn money to save up for the little farm. Lennie, on the other hand, cares more importantly about the rabbits. Lennie has a fascination for rabbits, and is his symbol for freedom and peace. He always reminds George that he is going to be the one to tend to the rabbits and pet them if he needs to calm down. This dream gives George and Lennie something to look forward to, even if it seems unrealistic at the others. They also stand up about it if others tell them that they are being ridiculous and that