Of Mice and Men: Compare ‘The American Dream’ with the real lives of the migrant workers Essay

Of Mice and Men (OMaM) was start publi exuviate in 1937 and is written by John Steinbeck. It is based on America in the 1930s. It is a floor ab step up the extraordinary fri send awayship between two gipsy deviseers in the harsh American depression during the 1930s.The title of the new(a) is named afterwards a poem written by Burns. The title shows how many existent things be often powerless to face greater forces than they are. The title is a constant reminder that failure is often inescapable and ambitions are not fulfiled as we build up our applys so high picturing these and when e in truth(prenominal)thing collapses, we ache nothing to f forever soy last(predicate) back on. This is sh proclaim with George in the novel as, with the death of Lennie, only of his original ideates f each(prenominal) a carriage.The American c erstive of is the notion thatein truthone is created equal, that they are gift by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the seeking of happiness.The novel focuses on two solveers c entirelyed Lennie and George who are looking for work and find it in a typical American gap ripe of fellow itinerant workers. The American Dream is present in the story and at the time, it was felt, and promised by president Hoover, that a man or cleaning lady from anywhere could achieve anything, however, the weaknesses of the dream itself are high take fireed in the novel. Despite this, in that respect was exempt racial segregation in society and this is also show in the story with a causa c altoge in that locationd Crooks. He is insulted constantly and is called nigga with a personal manner by the another(prenominal) people on the ranch.During the Wall passage crash in 1929, the great depression swept all through America and Steinbeck highlights this throughout the novel. The lifestyle of the itinerants is an example of this as they just go to the cathouse and spend all of their earnin gs as soon as they fool it. This symbolizes the lack of hope in the American dream from the ranch workers as, they just carelessly spend their property as soon as they receive this instead of saving it for the future.The novel starts with a detailed verbal description of the surroundings. The writing suggests that Soledad is dream- manage with very(prenominal) dry but lush conditions.the water is lined with trees- leadows fresh and green with every springAlthough this sounds very heavenly, the word Soledad heart aloneness in Spanish however this contrasts with the happiness of family life (a path beaten hard by boys coming down from the ranches to overwhelm in the deep familys) which would be characteristic of the American dream.When Lennie and George enter, it is evident that they are both completely assorted and opposite. The contributor has the photo that Lennie is kind of fleshly- exchangeable as throughout the novel he is described with animal phasesthe way a bea r drags him paws and with clumsy language deal colossal, flung and snorting.Despite this clear contrast, the pair still portion out everything together, bought out two spoons and passed one to Lennie referring to George which highlights the concept of the American dream and the search for happiness.From the beginning, the reader is aware of George and Lennies dream and living off the fatta the lan. For the pair, the dream is still very very much alive and is repeated over and over until, towards the end, it becomes very monotonous and it becomes a burden to George. George has his own dreams but the dream with Lennie is the entirely one which is sincerely idyllic because its impossible.The ranch owners manipulated desperate workers handle George and Lennie so, like George and Lennie, instead a tummy of ranch workers have dreams like glaze over for example Id make a will an leave it with you guys.unalike the other workers, who have got into a routine of earning their capit al then spending it straight away with no hope of achieving anything, Lennie and George dream of a better life as they usurpt motivation to keep working on ranches until they die. It keeps George and Lennie going through the tough quantify and as they tell more than people about it, it affects them and gives them hope glaze and Crooks.At first Crooks rejects the dream and also links it to religion which, like the dream, has no foundation. He has never really experienced true happiness as he has never been shown it so he is unable to truly believe in the dream as it depends on happiness. Although the dream doesnt last very long with him, Crooks shows virtually hope as he offers his services on the farm and says thing dreamily. Although, he returns to existence defensive when the dream is squashed and becomes scornful.Crooks is oppressed, like his feelings. The powerlessness and loneliness of people like Crooks is shown in Chapter four because of their lack of involve custodyt from socialise with the other workers. To him, there is no dream. He has no hope of ever achieving anything as he is badly discriminated against. Like I said above, all the other workers call him nigger quite casually and re kissitively. Crooks lives in a separate com servingment in the barn and is alone. For him, there is no hope of the dream as he is invariably isolated being alone all the time from everyone and also, as he says in the text, there are no black families near. Because of this, when he first meets Lennie he is hostile and torments him because thats how he has always been treated.He starts by calling Lennie nuts and crazy as a wedge but it is only when he begins to create situations with George that Lennie begins to get angry, fearing for Georges safety, that Crooks stops and talks less cynically again. This is also an indication of Lennies strength as, even though Crooks doesnt know him, he stop tormenting him when he began to get angry.Who hurt George? he deman ded. Crooks motto the danger as it approached him. He edged back on his bunk to get out of the way. I was just supposin, he said. George aint hurt. Hes all right. Hell be back all right. Lennie stood over him. What you supposin for? aint nobody goin to suppose no hurt to George. Crooks removed his glaze and wiped his eyes with his fingers. Just set down, he said George aint hurt.Also, the way that all his possessions and where he lives is separate from everyone else, as swell as showing social segregation, shows that he is nothing like the other men. each the other men on the ranch have to fortune rooms and are very close to one and other whereas Crooks has his own room with his own things in it. Although this can be seen to be a good thing, its another dividing barrier between all of the workers and Crooks. Because it is his own, he looks after it and it shows that he is a proud, aloof man whose eyes reckon to glitter with intensity. This signifies that his dreams might be co mpletely different from all the other ranch men because he will not share the same beliefs as the other men.All of his possessions show what type of soulfulness he is practical, active. This is show by rubber boots and big alarm time. In the novel, it says how he has a tattered dictionary and a mauled replica of the Californian Civil Code for 1905. This shows that he reads quite a lot as the books are mauled and tattered which shows that he has a good mind. Also, the item that he has lots of tools shows that hes quite capable with his pass on and that hes very s hideed. For example, when it says about him winning the horseshoe game. The dream for Crooks would therefore be well thought of and maybe slightly more realistic. Since Crooks has been a constant victim of prejudice, he is even more plausibly to realise that the dream will not be fulfilled. Crooks is also turn out in the novel to be a survivor but the point of the matter is that he has no real power on the ranch.Alt hough hope is not truly apparent in the novel, reduce is the closest character who shows that way inclined. In the novel he is suggested to be quite prodigious and quite Godlike. An example of this is the way that he is allowed into the boss shed without having to ask. As the workers there have no real family that they see very often, if at all. dilute is the closest person they have to a family member. He is seen by the ranch members as kind and comforting and is trusted. The way that he had the final say in the decision with glasss leaper is an indication of this. He also seems to be apparent at all of the key moments in the novel. As well as being there for Candys dog, he sorts everything out when Curley has his hand broken and he says that Lennie I guess we gotta get im. His intelligence was also highlighted as he knew about Lennies death and was the only one to comfort him.The way that such a nice person is caught in such a harsh climate is there to highlight the dream and maybe its failure. Unlike all of the other workers, he seems content with his current position in the ranch. It seems like he has taken in his current situation and has realize that fulfilling a dream would be very hard if not impossible. He offers security and kindness in such a harsh depression. tighten symbolises a dream that is different from the American dream he offers a dream not based on basic desire or greed that so many people show.As it states in the text the prince of the ranch. The word prince automatically symbolises someone who has a lot of role and is respected, like Slim. Also, Slim is the only person that Curleys wife addresses by name. This is another indication of respect shown by everyone.Slim is also different from all the other men not only because he believes in a different dream but also because of the way he is. Were told, his slow speech had overtones not of thought, but of understanding beyond thought. No other person in the whole ranch peradventure the boss (but only because he is a position of power) has this type of ascendence and respect shown by all of the other workers on the ranch.There is a lack of hope throughout the whole novel but this is largely identified by the meager surroundings. For instance, the room they stay in is tasteless and quite prison-like.Inside, the walls were white washed and the floor unpainted. In three walls there were dwarfish square windows and in the fourth, a solid door with a wooden latch. Against the walls were eight bunks.A dream incorporates freedom and rights but this doesnt represent freedom. Everything is as cheap as it could be and there is no real individualism. The door is described as solid is symbolic of prison and conditions in captivity. Also, in Chapter 2, it highlights the lack of freedom as there are quite a lot of regulations involved in their work. For example You got your work slips?For George and Lennie, their dream is quite real, especially to Lennie, because they c onstantly repeat it and make it real. They go through it quite often and in great detail. Some day- were gonna get the jack together and were gonna have a weensy house and a couple of acres an a cow and some pigs an live of the fatta the lan. Because of the repetitiveness of their dream, it becomes real in their minds. However, if they were realistic and looked at how much they were earning and where they were, they would be able to see that obtaining this dream would be very difficult.When Candy over-hears their plans for the farm he wants to be included in the dream and offers his money and his services to help them achieve the dream. This is probably the most optimistic part of the book and the idea becomes more real as they agree to pervert the farm when they have George and Lennies wages at the end of the month. All of them believe its a good idea and perhaps for the first time, George truly believes it as he can see a way out its not just for Lennie.In the text Lennie is des cribed as being like a bear he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. Lennie can also identify with animals as he seems to befriend them before humans. He also loves cuddly animals to pet in his pocket. Therefore, the dream for Lennie will be animal based and quite simple, like his sentiment, hence, the rabbits. Slim calls him cukoo and crazy as well as Curleys wife calling him a dum-dum. Because of this, he wouldnt last a week by himself without George and is reliant on him.Lennie is very kind and doesnt want to hurt anyone. Even after his fight with Curley he says that he didnt wanta hurt him. This shows that although he is the most destructive person in the novel, he doesnt mean it. Despite this, Lennie is still a orca and can be very violent and dangerous. In the novel, he attacks Curley, Culeys wife, kills mice and throws his dead puppy onto the barn floor in anger. However, he doesnt do it maliciously but like George said he dont know no r ules. He doesnt want to kill Curleys wife, he was trying to get her to be quiet. In his dream, he wants to look after the rabbits and keep them safe which indicates his kindness but he probably wouldnt be able to behave like that.When Lennie goes into Crooks room, the light that he sees could be a glimmer of hope for the future however, when Curleys wife appears, the hope is extinguished. Curleys wife is the only woman on the ranch and because of this, Lennie is dazzled by her glamour and beauty. She also says that she knows about men (mutts) and she knows all about their need for dreams.Lennie is also quite childlike and is very innocent. He asks quite a few innocent questions and even Slim can tell he aint mean. He takes orders from George like a child but he also obeys Slim as well. This shows that he doesnt want to disobey anyone or do anything wrong. For Lennie the dream is very real and all the way through the novel it stays like that as when he is shot, he is looking into the withdrawnness and comes closer than anyone to obtaining the dream because he is truly happy.Owing to overall circle of events in the novel, the dream never seems likely as life does not move on it just repeats itself. For example, there is the death of the mouse, then the pup and finally Curleys wife. This is partly because of Lennie and his obsession with petting and stroking, the death of Candys dog because of its age and the pain it was in and at the end of the novel, the death of Lennie also a mercy killing. At the beginning of the novel, we saw a water ophidian and at the end this is repeated however, at the end, a heron swallowed the little snake while its tail waved insanely. This shows a cycle with beginning and an end the death of the snake representing an end.In George and Lennies relationship, George is very much in control. If Lennie wasnt there, he would have few problems and he has no other ties, except for Lennie. It states that he is small, quick and dark of fa ce, with restless eyes, and sharp, strong features and has small strong manpower and slender arms. The fact that he is still with Lennie shows he is very loyal to Aunt Clara and has obviously developed a friendship with Lennie foreign any other. However, George also has quite strong mood swings. At the beginning, he was quite unhappy as he and Lennie had jus fled from Weed but once they sat down and he could go to sleep, he could relax and perhaps dream. Like Georges moods, his dreams will change as well.When George says I got to thinking that maybe we would would it shows that by killing Lennie, he extinguished all hopes of ever achieving the dream. Therefore, by killing Lennie, he commits himself to living the life of a wiz man and perhaps never being truly happy. The dream does this to quite a lot of people and as they begin to take in the circumstances and realise the truth, the dream disappears.In conclusion, it is clear that Steinbeck was very attentive in writing the nove l and he brings into question the foundations of the American society, including the American dream and how if affected itinerant workers like George and Lennie. In the novel, nature is do to appear idyllic and beautiful. This is represented in the beginning of the book as where Lennie and George are staying there is no bunkhouse, no work, no decisions and no problems. The water is said to be twinkling over the yellow sands in the sunlight. This sounds wonderful however, George warns Lennie that the water is scummy. Also, the way the water snake is eaten by the heron, shows survival of the fittest. Also, Lennie says he will live in a cave however, he probably couldnt survive in the barbarian if he was given the chance.Nature both starts and ends the novel it starts by the pool with life and dreams and ends, by the pool, but with death and the collapse of dreams. The language in the novel isnt very complicated however it shows how itinerant workers may sound dumb but they are actua lly quite clever. For example, Crooks reads a lawyer book but his language includes I aint so crippled I cant work like a son-of-a-bitch if I want to. Like the novel, there is a scene message that isnt apparent without cross-examintaion.