The American Dream
...the existence of
the American Dream. "Of Mice and Men" is set in the Salinas Valley of California in the United States of America during the time of the Depression. During the Depression, businesses and banks closed and money was worthless. Many people became unemployed and suffered poverty; they were hungry with the lack of food, and homeless. It was only the rich, who were able to survive the Depression.
Lennie and George have a dream: "We're gonna have a little house and a
couple of acres an' a cow and some pigs¦ we'll have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and chickens." Throughout the novel Lennie keeps on talking about their dream, and both of them are very anxious to wait for that dream to come true.
In my opinion, I believe Lennie is more excited than George in having
their dream. This is because; very frequently in every chapter Lennie
will continuously ask George to tell him about their dream. Every time George enlightens Lennie with what they hope to come true, the dream improves: "Well it's ten acres, got a little win'mill. Got a little shack on it, an' a chicken run. Got a kitchen, orchard,
cherries, apples, peaches, 'cots, nuts, got a few berries. They's a place for alfalfa and plenty water to flood it. They's a pig-pen, An rabbits." George is trying to make Lennie feel that the dream will come true, as Lennie would be devastated if it did not. The only possible way that the dream will work, is if both Lennie and George work together.
They also talk about how keeping together is very important and lucky
for them: "Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys
in the world." This is an empathetic comment remarking how other ranch workers would feel when they are on their own. However in the end of the story, George is putting Lennie out of his misery, by shooting him, the dream can not work, as George is...
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