What Is John Steinbeck's Opinion On Achieving The American Dream
Through the characters of the famous novel, Of Mice and Men, author John Steinbeck expresses his opinion on achieving the American Dream. The American Dream is commonly known as the ideal that anyone in America can achieve success through hard work and determination. For example, Andrew Carnegie, who moved to America young, began as a poor boy working in a factory. Through hard work and smart investments, he started a successful business, called the Carnegie Steel Company, and transformed the US steel production industry. However, he did not have disadvantages such as race, mental or physical disabilities, or the Great Depression to prevent him from reaching success. On the other hand, Steinbeck’s characters had at least one major factor holding
them down. By writing his characters to fall short of their dreams despite their great efforts, Steinbeck expresses his disbelief in the American dream. He believes the American Dream is highly unachievable because society discriminates against certain factors, such as gender, race, or disabilities.
Steinbeck's characters have characteristics that should help them succeed, however, their disadvantages seem to overpower their privileges. A prime example of this is one of the main characters, Lennie. Despite being a large, strong man, Lennie’s mental disability made him oblivious and child-like, extinguishing any chance for him to attain his goal of tending his own rabbits. Lennie’s single-mindedness continuously led him into trouble, and eventually walked him down a one-way road to death. Even as he murdered Curly’s wife, Lennie was only concerned about losing his privilege to tend the rabbits, which only made his dream more unreachable than if he had let go when she screamed. Another character who lost their dreams, is Curly’s wife. In the barn with Lennie, she confides in him how unhappy she is at the ranch with Curly and that she “coulda been in the movies, an' had nice clothes- all them nice clothes like they wear” (Steinbeck 89). Curly’s wife wanted to have a life where she could buy all the fancy clothes and materials she wanted, without relying on an ill-tempered man like Curly for money, and because of the gender inequality of the 1930s, being a movie star seemed like the perfect way to live that life. She never had the opportunity to become a movie star, despite being told she could, and was forced into a dead-end life of isolation on the ranch, relying on a man who only sees her as a trophy. Through the portrayal of these characters’ failed dreams, Steinbeck expresses his pessimism about the reality of the American Dream.
As presented in the previous paragraph, Lennie and Curly’s wife both lost their dream to society’s inability to accommodate women or neurodivergent people. Steinbeck also included another major character with inability to reach their dream: Candy. When talking to George and Lennie about the ranch they want to get, Candy mentions that without his hand he is not much help, but would contribute in any way he could. Candy knows that on the ranch, he could never get the belonging and stability that he desired because of his old age and missing hand. The other men on the ranch saw Candy as useless as his old dog, and without his hand, Candy is unable to prove himself worthy. To sum it all up, the tragic failures of Steinbeck's characters prove his pessimism surrounding the famous scam, known as the American Dream.
them down. By writing his characters to fall short of their dreams despite their great efforts, Steinbeck expresses his disbelief in the American dream. He believes the American Dream is highly unachievable because society discriminates against certain factors, such as gender, race, or disabilities.
Steinbeck's characters have characteristics that should help them succeed, however, their disadvantages seem to overpower their privileges. A prime example of this is one of the main characters, Lennie. Despite being a large, strong man, Lennie’s mental disability made him oblivious and child-like, extinguishing any chance for him to attain his goal of tending his own rabbits. Lennie’s single-mindedness continuously led him into trouble, and eventually walked him down a one-way road to death. Even as he murdered Curly’s wife, Lennie was only concerned about losing his privilege to tend the rabbits, which only made his dream more unreachable than if he had let go when she screamed. Another character who lost their dreams, is Curly’s wife. In the barn with Lennie, she confides in him how unhappy she is at the ranch with Curly and that she “coulda been in the movies, an' had nice clothes- all them nice clothes like they wear” (Steinbeck 89). Curly’s wife wanted to have a life where she could buy all the fancy clothes and materials she wanted, without relying on an ill-tempered man like Curly for money, and because of the gender inequality of the 1930s, being a movie star seemed like the perfect way to live that life. She never had the opportunity to become a movie star, despite being told she could, and was forced into a dead-end life of isolation on the ranch, relying on a man who only sees her as a trophy. Through the portrayal of these characters’ failed dreams, Steinbeck expresses his pessimism about the reality of the American Dream.
As presented in the previous paragraph, Lennie and Curly’s wife both lost their dream to society’s inability to accommodate women or neurodivergent people. Steinbeck also included another major character with inability to reach their dream: Candy. When talking to George and Lennie about the ranch they want to get, Candy mentions that without his hand he is not much help, but would contribute in any way he could. Candy knows that on the ranch, he could never get the belonging and stability that he desired because of his old age and missing hand. The other men on the ranch saw Candy as useless as his old dog, and without his hand, Candy is unable to prove himself worthy. To sum it all up, the tragic failures of Steinbeck's characters prove his pessimism surrounding the famous scam, known as the American Dream.