of mice and men

Steinbeck relies heavily on the stark contrast between reality and fantasy to present the characters' dreams for a better life within of mice and men. Two major themes in Of mice and Men - foreshadowed by the reference to Burns' mouse within the title - are loneliness and dreams. These two conflicting themes interlock: it is apparent that people who are lonely have the greatest need of dreams to help them through. This is particularly evident within the cases of George and Lennie and Curley's wife. Through Steinbeck's use of characterisation, the reader is able to empathise with the characters in their dreams for a better life but still however the realise the futility of these dreams within the harsh society of the 1930s.
A major motif of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is the American Dream and the drive to attain it. This is clearly exemplified within the dream of George and Lennie. 'Someday, we're gonna get the jack together and we're gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an' a cow and some pigs and.."An' live off the fatta the lan'," Lennie shouted.' George and Lennie's stoic attitude towards ranch life is fuelled by their shared dream of independence and prosperity.
George is aware of the despair and grim reality of the lives of itinerant workers like himself and Lennie. George refers to his fellow workers as 'they', 'Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don't belong no place' This clearly highlights George's opposition to become one of 'them guys'. George also feels that himself and Lennie's situation is unique in comparison to other ranch workers as they have each other, 'Because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you.' This shows that George and Lennie share a symbiotic relationship; they depend on each other to provide a sense of hope and escapism in an otherwise bleak life.
Lennie's undoubted faith within the dream also enables a cynical George to imagine