Of Mice And Men American Dream Essay

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Awakening out of the American Dream Our lives are rooted deep within the promise of the American Dream, but for many people, this dream never achieves reality. The current trend in economic recession and enormous unemployment rate parallel those of the Great Depression of the 1930s when the lack of available jobs forced a large population of workers out on the street. Despite the economic woes, many people still find themselves holding on to the basic hope of the American Dream and continue to fight for what they believe in. The characters George and Lennie in John Steinbeck’s novel “Of Mice and Men” epitomize this human struggle to hold on to the American Dream while they face the reality of life. Due to Lennie’s mental problem, both he and…show more content…
However, Steinbeck quickly follows this image with the description of the “sandy bank under the trees the leaves lie deep and so crisp that a lizard makes a great skittering if he runs among them.” (1) The image of the trees in Autumn that can drop thousands of leaves where they can crumple up and died out symbolizes how our dreams will eventually die out once we face reality. Additionally, the portrayal of the lizard running over the leaves symbolizes the hope and dreams that eventually get trampled over by the ugly reality. Therefore, Steinbeck uses the description of the sceneries to visualize the promise of the American Dream, but that dream should remain only dream as it eventually will die out. Furthermore, Steinbeck uses the bunkhouse on the ranch to symbolize the difficult struggle to try to achieve the American Dream while facing the cold harsh reality of life. From the description, the bunkhouse “was a long, rectangular building. Inside, the walls were whitewashed and the floor unpainted. In three walls there were small, squared windows, and in the fourth, a solid door with a wooden latch.” (17) The small windows on three of the walls suggest the lack of light, thus portraying a dark and cold room where the men live. The dark and coldness of the bunkhouse symbolizes the cold harsh reality that these men face every day while trying to survive. However, George and Lennie refuse to renege on their dreams to own a ranch. Here, Steinbeck indicates to

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