Of Mice and Men. Themes-The American Dream

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Their journey, which awakens George to the impossibility of this dream, sadly proves that the bitter Crooks is right: such paradises of freedom, contentment, and safety are not to be found in this* world.

Slide 14

Is the American dream possible in the historical context of the novel?

Slide 15

Dreams

Dreams are one of the ways in which the characters combat the loneliness and hopelessness of their existence.

The most obvious example is the dream farm, a dream shared at first only by George and Lennie, but which later spreads to include Candy and Crooks.

Crooks reveals that it is the favourite dream of the itinerant ranch hands:

'Seems like ever' guy got land in his head.'

It is a powerful dream, however, and even the cynical Crooks falls under its spell for a short time.

To Lennie, the dream is an antidote to disappointment and loneliness, and he often asks George to recite the description of the farm to him.

Curley's wife is another who has dreams, her fantasies of a part in the movies and a life of luxury. Part of her dissatisfaction with her life is that it can never measure up to her dreams.

Significantly, none of the characters ever achieve their dreams.