The novel is set at the time of the economic depression following the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The novel revolves around two mismatched people who defy the odds by staying united through many hardships in which most friendships would've crumbled.
The novel appears to be based around the life of John Ernst Steinbeck (the author). He worked on a ranch in his life and also lived in the Salinas valley, California, the setting of the story. This particular novel was published in 1937 and was chosen by the Book Of The Month Club. Within the same year he rewrote the story, this time adapting it for a performance at Broadway, New York. It collected the Drama Critics Circle Award for 1937.
Also within the novel it appears he expresses his personal feelings about incidents as he has Lennie kill a puppy. At first view this may seem to be merely emphasising just how little he realises his own strength, though it is also possible there is a much more apparent motive, such as the fact that the family puppy had shredded his original Of Mice And Men manuscript, which had taken two months to write, reducing it to confetti.
Lennie and George are used to convey the idea that regardless of how much thought is devoted to a plan, the probability of perfect execution are slim and none.
The Dream within the story was a means for Lennie and George to escape from the harsh reality they were living. It provided them with the motivation they needed to progress and escape their pointless existence, to make something of their lives. Earning money on a ranch, squandering it away on nothings and then returning to a ranch to repeat the process evades my perception of logic. Existence as such does not qualify as living in my eyes. “We’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an a cow and some pigs...”, “big vegetable patch, and a rabbit-hutch and chickens.” Goals of this nature gave their life meaning and aspirations.
The Dream consists of George and Lennie owning their own land, with their own farm. They would have their own animals such as rabbits and alfalfa patches and suchlike. Then they wouldn’t have to work like slaves day in day out for a minimal wage. It offered them freedom- a promising prospect when in comparison to practically ‘slavery‘.
Other workers also became consumed by the Dream too. Candy in particular became excessively enthusiastic about it. He saw it as a way to avoid retirement and instead of residing alone he could then live with Lennie and George, helping them to run the ranch. Evidently he became dependant on the Dream as his fear and desperation were prevalent in lines such as “you an’ me can go there an’ live nice, can’t we; George? Can’t we?”.
Crooks also, although he attempts to conceal his attraction, is significantly interested to the whole idea. He opens up to Lennie about it, but then instantly withdraws when Candy interrupts. “Ever’body wants a little piece of lan’”.
George and Lennie’s Dream is based on the belief that if you work hard and make personal sacrifices you will achieve success. They believed that if they worked hard everyday, come rain and wind, and saved all their wages, that one day in the future their dream could become a reality. The American Dream is the idea that hard work results in success.
Other characters within the story have dreams too. Curley’s wife dreams of becoming famous as an actress, however when it came down to it she just didn’t have the necessary qualities. Because of this she resorts to blatant flirtatious behaviour in order to feel noticed and needed. This is a sharp contrast.
Deep within her heart she truly believes she had what it takes to become an actress, though this is solely due to her gullibility and naivety. At an earlier point in her life a sleazy man had employed underhand tactics in his bid to lure her to bed and told her “You a natural”. Curley’s wife had taken this to heart and truly believed that she was a natural, however she surrendered her dream when she settled down with Curley.
Other men, according to Crooks dreamt of owning their own ranches too. Deep insight into his mentality was provided when he said “Every damn one of ‘em’s got a little piece of land in his head... none of them ever get it though...” Such opinions suggest that Crooks is very negative and judges people based on their appearance and morals. It implied that Crooks had already made his judgement on the likelihood of Lennie and George’s Dream succeeding. As with all the others they would never make it. It was doomed to always remain a dream.
I suppose from the outset there is always that hope that they make it, though following the Weed incident doubt begins to emerge from the shadows. You can’t help but empathise with them, feel the pain and anxiety they feel. The doubt only escalates following the death of the puppy, and even more dramatically following the death of Curley’s wife. From the second Lennie accidentally kills the puppy there is a sour taste of certainty that the dream will fail- the death of Curley’s wife only confirms this suspicion.
Steinbeck hints in the title “Of Mice And Men” that the dream is destined to remain entirely unachievable. The title “Of Mice And Men” was employed to replace the original title of “Something That Happened”. A Robert Burns’ poem is responsible for the title change, due to the line, “the best laid schemes o’ mice and men gang aft a-gley”, meaning that even the most thought-out plans often go astray. Unfortunately this is often due to uncontrollable external factors, in this case Lennie’s mental disability. By titling the book “Of Mice And Men” he is making a direct link between the moral of the story and the relevant line in the Robert Burns’ poem.
If you were to take a moment to reflect on your life you would realise it is built on a foundation of dreams. In school you dream of independence and supporting your own well being. As a youth you dream of purchasing a new house, or a car, what you want to do with your life and perhaps even your ideal partner. When you reach the later stages of life you dream of seeing your offspring grow strong and healthy and find their own way along life’s path. I believe that if you have no dreams and just drift through life with no hope or aspirations then you are as good as dead. With nothing to look forward to there is nothing to live for.
So based on that principle I suppose that yes I do believe that hopes and dreams are important in helping people to survive. However, whether or not they come true often depends on your attitude and dedication to them and what they consist of. Deep down in my soul I believe that the ends always justify the means, and that if you put in 110% anything is achievable.
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