How does Steinbeck show the power of dreams and dreaming in of mice and men
Draft
“I see hundreds of men come by on the road an’ on the ranches, with their bindles on their back an’ that same damn thing in their heads. They come an’ they quit an’ go on; an’ every damn one of em’s got a little piece of land in his head. An’ never a god damn on’ of em’ ever get’s it. Just like heaven.”
This is the quote from Crooks and it summarises what most of the book is about, everyone wants that little bit of land to call their own. Hardly any of them ever get it. Just like heaven, which is referred to at the end of the book when Lennie is shot and he sees paradise; “look down there across the river like you can almost see the place.” But sometimes people do get their dreams. Lennie will get his when he gets to heaven.
One of the few people in the book who does achieve his dream is the boss. “On his head was a solid brown Stetson hat, and he wore high heeled boots and spurs to show prove that he was not a labouring man.” He is a bit like a cowboy, which is what a lot of the other men aspire to be. The boots and the spurs show that he doesn’t work and men recognise this and respect him because of his clothes. He also smokes a cigar, which is a symbol of success, as his dream has become a reality.
Most men aspire to be like the boss but few people realise that this is not achievable but Whit is one of the few men who does realise it. “And these shelves were loaded with those western magazines ranch men loved to read and scoff at and secretly believe.” A lot of men want to be a like the characters in these magazines that are a bit like the boss but obviously they can’t be because cowboys were so long ago in history.
Whit shows Slim a letter written by the former ranch hand, Bill Tenner. The letter is to a cowboy magazine about cowboy stories. He is delighted that Bill’s letter is in print. The author says “ but he did not surrender his hold on the letter.” This suggests that Whit has great admiration for his friend Bill and that his own
“I see hundreds of men come by on the road an’ on the ranches, with their bindles on their back an’ that same damn thing in their heads. They come an’ they quit an’ go on; an’ every damn one of em’s got a little piece of land in his head. An’ never a god damn on’ of em’ ever get’s it. Just like heaven.”
This is the quote from Crooks and it summarises what most of the book is about, everyone wants that little bit of land to call their own. Hardly any of them ever get it. Just like heaven, which is referred to at the end of the book when Lennie is shot and he sees paradise; “look down there across the river like you can almost see the place.” But sometimes people do get their dreams. Lennie will get his when he gets to heaven.
One of the few people in the book who does achieve his dream is the boss. “On his head was a solid brown Stetson hat, and he wore high heeled boots and spurs to show prove that he was not a labouring man.” He is a bit like a cowboy, which is what a lot of the other men aspire to be. The boots and the spurs show that he doesn’t work and men recognise this and respect him because of his clothes. He also smokes a cigar, which is a symbol of success, as his dream has become a reality.
Most men aspire to be like the boss but few people realise that this is not achievable but Whit is one of the few men who does realise it. “And these shelves were loaded with those western magazines ranch men loved to read and scoff at and secretly believe.” A lot of men want to be a like the characters in these magazines that are a bit like the boss but obviously they can’t be because cowboys were so long ago in history.
Whit shows Slim a letter written by the former ranch hand, Bill Tenner. The letter is to a cowboy magazine about cowboy stories. He is delighted that Bill’s letter is in print. The author says “ but he did not surrender his hold on the letter.” This suggests that Whit has great admiration for his friend Bill and that his own