Unfortunately this was not really possible in the 1930s, as people were prejudiced against the mentally handicapped, such as Lennie, and the Wall Street Crash, followed by the Great Depression, meant that the characters could suddenly end up unemployed and starving. George had two dreams, one was the stereotypical American Dream: to have his own farm with Lennie (and Candy) and ‘live off the fatta the lan’,’ without a boss to answer to. His other fantasy is of life without Lennie, who often caused him trouble and constantly needed looking after, ’I never get no peace.’ Without Lennie, George could be like any other worker, only looking out for himself and not caring as much about the way he leads his life. However, George needed Lennie for companionship to help make their joint dream vivid and keep them going. This also links to the theme of loneliness and companionship, and shows how two men travelling together was a rare situation.
What is the significance of dreams in “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck The dreams in “Of Mice and Men” are core themes used to display the pinnacle of aspirations for the labouring class recently after the Wall Street Crash of 1929. They also highlight the polarization of society where the poor may only have their dreams to hold on to but the upper echelons of society control the wealth, the jobs and the lives of the working men. This is significant as Steinbeck wrote the book to display the hardship for the working class after the economic collapse and Steinbeck involves the lower Characters that existed in reality in California in the theme of dreams – all of whom were in desperately sad situations. The dream of the two main characters George and Lennie, migrating workers, is the hope of owning their own land and the life on their land would be a meritocracy. In the book George and Lennie work on the “Tyler Ranch” in the Salinas Valley, keeping going through the monotonous life with the old-fashioned and misleading “American Dream”.
It is a tradition in Lithuanian weddings, for the guests to pay for the newly weds wedding. However, this was not the case for Jurgis and Ona. They were married at a church in Chicago; because of the poverty of many of their relatives, the relatives did not pay them. This placed them in an early $300 debt to start their lives. Conditions for the family would only decline.
But his dream came crashing down when he realized his handicaps would alter his future. Of Mice and Men was about fulfilling your dreams in any possible way. In the novel, the ability for Candy to fulfill this dream, relies on him is having someone to share the dream with. Candy has the dream of being able to live on a farm with George and Lennie. He has the money to help support the purchase of the farm.
But, researchers are not shadowing light on why low income people are poor and often stay that way. A healthy, vibrant family man, and a prize winning journalist David K. Shipler seemed concerned about others than about himself. The Working Poor: Invisible in America, tells us that poverty is the fault of society. The poor faces a system that makes it almost impossible for them to rise. The writer, describes the lives of America’s low wage earners and families living in or near poverty line, interviewing many individuals and narrating their stories in great details.
His father, John Dickens, living beyond his means, received imprisonment for debt, along with his wife and most of their children were sent to the Marshalsea in 1824. Dickens at age 12 was removed from school and sent to work at a shoe dye factory, earning six shillings a week to help support his family. Despite his parents’ best efforts, the family remained poor. He felt abandoned and betrayed by the adults who were supposed to take care of him. His childhood poverty and feelings of abandonment, although unknown to his readers until after his death, has a heavy influence on Dickens later views on social reform and the world he would create through his fiction.
It’s a wonder anyone could have survived such a way during this time period in America. The first to happen to this family was little income. They were barely making it through when he lost his job. Several men during this time period became a part of the category, “unemployment.” The unemployment rate increased a lot during the great depression. People who lost their jobs could not feed themselves, pay their rent, and support their family.
Railroad companies that charged four times as much as on the East gave farmers incentive to band together in order to combat outrages rates politically (Document D). Freight rates especially hurt farmers, who were far from both buying and selling markets, a clever extortion trick by the railroad companies to force farmers into paying at every occasion (Document F). With over a twenty percent decline in agriculture economy over fifty years, the farming community grew smaller and less organized by the day – an easy target for abusive
The need for crop production was fueled by the lack of economic prosperity. This occurred right after World War II, which could explain why “more than half the people of the world are living in conditions approaching misery.. Their food is inadequate.” (3) People were faced with little to no food sources and disease. Because of World War II, the lands were fought on and filled with dirt, which was not usable for developing farms. It did not help the prosperity of agriculture in those lands. “The land is tired, worn out, depleted of plant nutrients.”(4) Document 3 is the inaugural address of the US president Harry Truman.
The Swing Riots occurred following a period of depression in Britain, so hunger and oppression was widespread. Fathers could no longer afford to feed their families from the low wages they were paid, and resentment towards employers was high. The Swing Riots presented workers with the opportunity to demand higher wages and many took this opportunity. The industrial revolution was also taking place at this time, and machinery often replaced men on the farms, as it was a more economically efficient way of farming. A government policy of enclosure was implemented, which greatly upset traditional, rural societies.