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The Impossibility of the American Dream - Most of the characters in Of Mice and Men admit, at one point or another, to dreaming of a different life. ... It seduces not only the other characters but also the reader, who, like the men, wants to believe in the possibility of the free, idyllic life it promises. ... A paradise for men who want to be masters of their own lives, the farm represents the possibility of freedom, self-reliance, and protection from the cruelties of the world.
The Dream in Of Mice and Men
TOPIC: "Were gonna have green corn . ... But that possibility only heightens the loneliness that the shared dream of their companionship replaces Discuss how sharing the dream acts as a central theme in Of Mice and Men.
Sample Response
The Dream unifies all other themes in Of Mice and Men. ...
Sharing the dream then acts as a central theme in Of Mice and Men by recurring as a motif of their companionship, as the engine of the plot, as a counterpoint to the misery of loneliness and a symbol of their exclusion from Americas return to prosperity. ... The only result is that the men regard her as a slut, and Curley becomes even more intensely jealous. ...
Nature
Steinbeck shows the world of nature to be a beautiful and peaceful one, but threatened by the actions of men. ...
The ranch and its buildings, being created by men, are in contrast with the natural world. ... Maybe this would be the only way in which the natural world of Lennie would not come into conflict with the world of men.
Back to Table of Contents
The Predatory Nature of Human Existence - Of Mice and Men teaches a grim lesson about the nature of human existence. ... Crooks has witnessed countless men fall under the same silly spell, and still he cannot help but ask Lennie if he can have a patch of garden to hoe there. The men in Of Mice and Men desire to come together in a way that would allow them to be like brothers to one another. ... Given the harsh, lonely conditions under which these men live, it should come as no surprise that they idealize friendships between men in such a way. ...
The Impossibility of the American Dream - Most of the characters in Of Mice and Men admit, at one point or another, to dreaming of a different life. ...
The Corrupting Power of Women - The portrayal of women in Of Mice and Men is limited and unflattering. ... Their enticing sexuality, he believes, tempts men to behave in ways they would otherwise not. ... Curleys wife, the only woman to appear in Of Mice and Men, seems initially to support Georges view of marriage. ... Although Steinbeck does, finally, offer a sympathetic view of Curleys wife by allowing her to voice her unhappiness and her own dream for a better life, women have no place in the authors idealized vision of a world structured around the brotherly bonds of men. ... Men like George who migrate from farm to farm rarely have anyone to look to for companionship and protection. ... As the novel opens, Steinbeck shows how Lennie possesses physical strength beyond his control, as when he cannot help killing the mice. Great physical strength is, like money, quite valuable to men in George and Lennies circumstances. Curley, as a symbol of authority on the ranch and a champion boxer, makes this clear immediately by using his brutish strength and violent temper to intimidate the men and his wife.
Physical strength is not the only force that oppresses the men in the novel. ... It seduces not only the other characters but also the reader, who, like the men, wants to believe in the possibility of the free, idyllic life it promises. ... A paradise for men who want to be masters of their own lives, the farm represents the possibility of freedom, self-reliance, and protection from the cruelties of the world. ... Lennie kills the puppy accidentally, as he has killed many mice before, by virtue of his failure to recognize his own strength. ...
Candys Dog - In the world Of Mice and Men describes, Candys dog represents the fate awaiting anyone who has outlived his or her purpose.
Approximate Word count = 3974
Approximate Pages = 15.9
(250 words per page double spaced)
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