Dreams Essay- of Mice and Men

556 Words3 Pages
What is the significance of “dreams” in the novel? Hopes and dreams are a key and central theme to ‘Of Mice and Men’. George and Lennie share a dream of independence, owning their own land and working for themselves, which Candy and Crooks are quickly drawn into. Curley’s wife also has a dream of being a movie star in Hollywood, as well as the underlying ‘American Dream’ which forms the base of all the character’s separate ambitions as well as many thousands of other people of the time. Firstly, dreams serve as a vital escape mechanism for the characters, to help them cope whilst living through the American Depression, where life is lonely and difficult. They are the foundations of what makes life worth living. George and Lennie’s dream means different things to both of them.; Lennie is mainly concentrated on his childlike aspiration to ‘tend the rabbits’ due to his love of petting soft things, while the crux of the dream for George is to have ‘our own place where we belonged’ because he is desperate to work for himself and have people around him to which he belongs. George tells Lennie ‘You know all of it’, which shows the huge importance of their dream, that even forgetful Lennie has memorised it - they use their dreams as an escape from the harsh reality of life on the ranch. Their dream is one shared by thousands of other itinerant ranch-hands, as we know from Crooks’ mention of seeing ‘too many guys with land in their head’. It is infectious in this society, so Candy and even the cynical Crooks are quickly drawn in, showing the extent of their desperation to escape their current lifestyle. The word ‘dream’ is never mentioned in the novel. This is because, to the characters, they are not dreams at all, but are in fact achievable plans which they feel capable of reaching which is what makes them such powerful antidotes to their difficult lives. When Lennie
Open Document