What is the American Dream? According to James Trollop’s book, The Epic of America (ironically written in the sass), the American Dream is “that dream of a land In which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. ” (Torturous). In the 20th century, we have significantly warped that dream to suit a more selfish type of person. Citizens base the American Dream on something much more different then what it originally meant. Today, many Americans believe to achieve the American Dream means to be ICC and famous or have a successful business.
People get caught up In this “American Dream”, that they forget the true meaning set by our Founding Fathers. Abraham Lincoln stated, “You can have anything you want – If you want It badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, do anything you set out to accomplish if you hold to that desire with singleness of purpose. “, agreeing with Mr.. Torturous. Despite this, society became so distorted when discrimination played a role. Obviously, the Founding Father’s didn’t take the future’s problems into consideration when making the ideal dream for Americans.
They were unaware of the hardships the discriminated would face, which made It hard to make the American dream more than just a dream. In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck shows the death of the American Dream and why it was unattainable by many. The sass’s was considered one of the toughest times in the history of the united States. Americans felt hopeless, saddened, and depressed. After the Wall Street crashed, the economy became complete chaos and a great downfall after a already being In a steep hole. In result of the World War II.
Close to 10 percent of the population were unemployed. The country soon became filled with jobless citizens, wanderers, and migrant workers. Owning a house was becoming something that was very rarely heard of. During this time, we see how humans struggled to survive. Not having a roof over your head seems bad enough, but Imagine sleeping hungry, night after night. All the success, hopes, and dreams were lost and went down the drain. As people continued to suffer daily, they’re pursuit of happiness seemed farther and farther away from the grasp of their palm.
However, this all has to do with the equal opportunity that everyone should have to fulfill this dream. Some could not achieve the American dream because of a disadvantage pertaining to that person. Because of this, the dream Isn’t fully obtainable to all of those who wish to fulfill it. The Land of Opportunity was well on its way to being the Land of Misfortune. In Of Mice and Men, to show ageism during this time, the author includes Candy In his novella. Candy dreams to own his own piece of land.
It Initially starts when Candy hears about George and Lien’s dream to “live off the fate the contribute to the investment of the property. Describing the dream land to Candy, George says, “Expose they was a carnival or a circus come to town, or a ball game, or any damn thing. We’d Just go to her. We wouldn’t ask nobody if we could. Jus’ say, We’ll go to her,’ an’ we would. Jus’ milk the cow and sling some grain to the chickens an’ go to her. ” (Steinbeck, peg. 57). The idea of this land is their motivation to keep working hard, hoping to one day be able to own land. “You God damn tramp.
You done it, didn’t you? I expose you’re glad. Everybody endowed you’d mess things up. You wasn’t no good. You anti no good now, you lousy tart. “, Candy says viciously to the corpse (Steinbeck, peg. 95). Here, Candy’s voice shakes from expressing his true feelings. He blames Curler’s wife for ruining his dream since Lien’s share of the money is gone. Candy told George and Leonie the possible dangers of Curler’s wife, but Leonie Just didn’t know any better. Steinbeck depicts how the aged could not attain this dream of having land and being pertinent to a society where everyone was equal.
Throughout the novella, Steinbeck depicts how the disabled could not fulfill their dream because they were discriminated against and treated differently. One would think that the mentally handicapped got special treatment, but that was not he case. During the Great Depression, everyone received equal treatment. Some were institutionalized. Other times, some couldn’t stand in line for rations due to their liability, which left them hungry and helpless, since everyone else already had someone to care for, whether it was for themselves or for their family.
In the story, Steinbeck uses Leonie to publicize that the mentally handicapped could also dream like the rest. Lien’s dream is to own land, but for one thing only; to tend rabbits. “The hell with the rabbits. That’s all you can ever remember is them rabbits. “, George says as he explains the dream land to Leonie and all he hears out of it is the rabbits (Steinbeck, peg. 4-5). Even though Lien’s dream is to tend rabbits, George also has a dream and Leonie slows the process down greatly. “God mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy.
I could go get a Job an’ work, an’ no trouble. No mess at all. An’ what I got. I got you! You can’t keep a Job and you lose me ever’ Job I get. Jus’ keep me shoving’ all over the country all the time. “, George complains furiously (Steinbeck, peg. 11). After fleeing Weed (because of Leonie touching a girl’s dress), he says if it isn’t for him, his life would be so much better. Later in the story, Leonie kills Curler’s wife by accident. “l done another bad thing”, Leonie tells George, Just as he is getting ready to kill Leonie.
After George kills Leonie, Slim states, “You Haddam, George. I swear, way Haddam. ” (Steinbeck, peg. 107). This quote illustrates the hard choice that George had to make. Even if George had not killed Leonie, Curler would have, along with George’s American Dream. Their goals because they issued less rights than men. To show this in the book, the author exploits Curler’s wife. She states, “Everybody! An’ what am I doing’? Standing’ here talking’ to a bunch of bindle stiffs?a Niger an’ a dumb-dumb and a lousy 01′ sheep ?an’ liking’ it because they anti nobody else. (Steinbeck, peg. 79). This quote demonstrates how Curler’s wife’s right were constricted; even more than the ranches. She can’t even have fun or do anything without Curler, which goes to show why her name isn’t even said. She Curler’s belonging. However, before Curler, there was some hope in her life. “l tell you I anti used to living’ like this. I could made something’ of myself. Come there when I was a kid. Well, a show come through, an’ I et one of the actors. He says I could go with that show. But my 01′ lady would’ let me. She says because I was noon fifteen.
But the guy says I could. If I’d went, I wouldn’t be living’ like this, you bet. ” , she explains (Steinbeck, peg. 88). Curler’s wife had a chance to become a star, but her mother ruined it. She killed her dream by keeping her from being in the pictures since she was too young. If it wasn’t for her “01′ lady” she would’ve been living her dream. From beginning to end of the novella, John Steinbeck exudes how African Americans during this time also had an American Dream, but could not make it a laity because of segregation. Crooks was the only African American on the ranch.
Therefore, he was separated and put in a bunk next to the horses. Crooks dream was to be accepted and for everyone to be equal. “l tell way a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick. “, exclaims Crooks to Leonie to try and explain to him his loneliness. Steinbeck shows how Crooks has his dream snatched away from him through racism. Even though the reader may see that the American Dream for these characters is way beyond reach and Just an illusion, I don’t think it’s clear if they see that. However, when Crooks states, “Nobody ever gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land. It’s Just in their head. , he is facing the harsh, bitter reality (Steinbeck, peg. 74). Crooks knows that such comfort and happiness are not to be formed in that ambiance. In Of Mice and Men, an American Dream was evident for all characters, but they were beyond the bounds of possibility because of their skin color, gender, disability, age, or even a friend. Everyone was getting treated the same and prejudices during this time. Very little Justice lingered in the air.
