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

In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the American Dream has a lasting impact on the lives of the workers living on the ranch near Soledad, California. Written during the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression, the novel focuses on the lives of migrant workers in California. This novel describes how the ranch hands interact with each other, becoming friends or enemies, also showing how one action can change the course of life. The elusive and virtually impossible American Dream represents a state of financial security and a worry free life. The men working at the ranch are not financially secure; instead, they work for the financially secure characters (Curley’s father-- the boss). No matter how happy, strong, courageous, or tough the
He had told her that she was a natural, and that he would write to her as soon as he got back to Hollywood, but the letter never came. After recognizing that her dream would never come true, she settled for a lower status in life by marrying Curley. As Curley’s wife states, “‘I tell you I ain't used to livin' like this. I coulda made somethin' of myself.’ She said darkly, ‘Maybe I will yet.’ And then her words tumbled out in a passion of communication, as though she hurried before her listener could be taken away. ‘I lived right in Salinas,’ she said. ‘Come there when I was a kid. Well, a show come through, an' I met one of the actors. He says I could go with that show. But my ol' lady wouldn't let me. She says because I was on'y fifteen. But the guy says I coulda. If I'd went, I wouldn't be livin' like this, you bet.’” (Steinbeck ) This shows her regret of not being able to follow the show, because becoming an actor would be achieving the American Dream for her. Another point in life that Curley’s wife is that she wants to talk to people. She is very lonely in the story, running around the ranch to see if anyone had seen Curley anywhere, letting her have a conversation with some of the ranch hands. Also, the American Dream is hard for her to achieve compared to others because she is a woman. Women during this time were
Curley’s wife does not have the opportunity to become an actress and a model in Hollywood. She had access to a power-- a reporter in Hollywood-- but the letter he promised her never came, so she had to settle for a low marriage with Curley. Curley’s wife also was discriminated by gender, meaning she did not have the same opportunities as men during this time. George and Lennie had all the resources to buy the ranch they wanted-- money from Candy, their $50 payment at the end of each month, and the land they had picked out-- but they did not have any influence or power. Instead of powerlessness disheartening them, George and Lennie use that as a driving force to keep them alive and going. The story that George tells keeps their hopes up lets them dream about the ranch that they could buy, but the dream dies when Lennie kills Curley’s wife, and George is forced to shoot Lennie. Finally, Crooks is racially discriminated, showing how he is not allowed to sleep in the same room as the white men and tries to keep white men away from his room in the barn. Although he was born into a family of landowners and he had white friends, there was discrimination as he grew up, and ended up working for white people. Although Crooks wishes to be free, there is an unovercomeable barrier that the white workers have over him--race. Crooks does not have any access to power because he is black, meaning that he would not