of mice and men

One of the major themes of John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men is that having a dream creates hope, friendship, and determination, enabling one to strive onward in life with a sense of importance. Three major examples show this idea. The first example is Candy’s loss of his dog and his joining George and Lennie 's dream of owning land. A second example is Crook’s memory of his father’s chicken ranch. A third significant example is George and Lennie 's dream of having their own place. These three examples display the theme that having high aspirations breed hope, friendship, and determination, enabling one to strive onward with a sense of self-worth or importance. Candy’s loss of his dog and his joining George and Lennie 's dream of owning land displays how a shared dream can give hope and friendship. After the death of his dog,
Candy experiences a deep sense of loss. He is empty. When Candy overhears George and
Lennie talking about owning a piece of land, Candy’s emptiness begins to fill with the dream
George and Lennie share. Candy tells George, “Tell you what-. . .Spose I went in with you guys.
Tha’s three hundred an’ fifty bucks I put in” (p.33). George and Lennie allow Candy to share their dream, and this quickly gives Candy hope, as we find out a little later when Candy is constantly “figurin’ and figurin’” because of his excitement about the “ranch.” But even more importantly, Candy develops a friendship with George and Lennie which is evidenced later in the story when Candy confides in
George, “I ought to of shot that dog myself. . .I shouldn’t ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog” (p.39). Candy confides in George about his inner feelings regarding his dog, showing the beginnings of a friendship. Candy’s actions are proof that dreams truly do help find hope.
A second example is Crook’s memory of his father’s chicken ranch. While Candy, Lennie, and George all look to their future for their dream, Crooks looks into his past,