John Steinbeck of Mice and Men Essay
Steinbeck’s Portrayal of the American Dream in the Novel: ‘Of Mice and Men’
I n his novel: ‘Of Mice and Men’ John Steinbeck creates the two characters George and Lenny, who are migrant workers who pursue The American Dream to make enough money to own a house and “live offa the fatta the land”. This essay will be discussing Steinbeck’s portrayal of the American Dream, and in what light he presents it to us.
The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States in which freedom is a promise of success and prosperity. This idea was first expressed by James Adams, who stated:
‘Life should be richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement’. The American Dream is deeply rooted in ‘The Declaration of Independence’, which expresses the idea that "all men are created equal" and that they are "endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights" including "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." What this boils down to is that we should all be able to follow our dreams no matter what age, race or gender we are.
Steinbeck uses to the characters of George and Lennie to demonstrate the stereotypical American Dream and what it stands for. They have a plan to work hard and gathering enough money to buy a patch of land, a house, animals and crops. “Some day we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a coupla acres an’ a cow and some pigs and live offa the fatta the lan’. “An’ it’d be our own, an’ nobody could can us” This is a representation of the American Dream, as it is often associated with material possessions such as a house and a car. If they achieved this then they would have security, and they opportunity to be their own masters. They would have a place to call their own and somewhere to belong. This is the Stereotypical dream of security and following one’s desires.
The characterisation of the character of Crooks the stable Buck shows us how the
I n his novel: ‘Of Mice and Men’ John Steinbeck creates the two characters George and Lenny, who are migrant workers who pursue The American Dream to make enough money to own a house and “live offa the fatta the land”. This essay will be discussing Steinbeck’s portrayal of the American Dream, and in what light he presents it to us.
The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States in which freedom is a promise of success and prosperity. This idea was first expressed by James Adams, who stated:
‘Life should be richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement’. The American Dream is deeply rooted in ‘The Declaration of Independence’, which expresses the idea that "all men are created equal" and that they are "endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights" including "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." What this boils down to is that we should all be able to follow our dreams no matter what age, race or gender we are.
Steinbeck uses to the characters of George and Lennie to demonstrate the stereotypical American Dream and what it stands for. They have a plan to work hard and gathering enough money to buy a patch of land, a house, animals and crops. “Some day we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a coupla acres an’ a cow and some pigs and live offa the fatta the lan’. “An’ it’d be our own, an’ nobody could can us” This is a representation of the American Dream, as it is often associated with material possessions such as a house and a car. If they achieved this then they would have security, and they opportunity to be their own masters. They would have a place to call their own and somewhere to belong. This is the Stereotypical dream of security and following one’s desires.
The characterisation of the character of Crooks the stable Buck shows us how the