The Improbability of the American Dream In 1931 James Truslow Adams created the term “American Dream” in his book The Epic of American. He defines it as “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.” At the time America was in the Great Depression where unemployment, poverty, debt, hunger, and homelessness was the normal. The American Dream gave people hope for a future where hard work and sacrifice would result in the realization of their dream. In John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, set in the 1930’s, we witness the struggles, disappointments and hopelessness of his characters in their search for their dreams. Steinbeck reminds
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Steinbeck foreshadows in the beginning when George and Lennie are run out of Weed because he touched a girl. Curley’s, the boss, wife comes to see Lennie when he was sitting in the barn alone with the dead puppy he killed. By comforting him, she lets Lennie touch her hair because it is soft, but it starts trouble when his hand gets entangled in her hair. “ ‘Don’t you go yellin’, he said, and he shook her; and her body flopped like a fish. And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck” (Steinbeck 91). Now that Lennie has killed Curley’s wife, he knows he did something dreadful and that George will not let him tend to the rabbits. When George finds Curley’s wife’s body, after Lennie fled the scene, he knew he has to kill Lennie before Curley go to him. It was probably a hard thing for George to kill the only person he had in his life. “The hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied He pulled the trigger” (Steinbeck 106). George had to let Lennie go. He needed to kill Lennie after the accident happened because if he did not, Curley and the others could have beat him and killed him brutally. Whereas when George killed him, Lennie was happy and in peace. After Lennie dies, Candy still has hope for the land. “ ‘You an’ me can get that little place, can’t we, George? You an’ me can go there an’ live nice, can’t we,
Steinbeck foreshadows in the beginning when George and Lennie are run out of Weed because he touched a girl. Curley’s, the boss, wife comes to see Lennie when he was sitting in the barn alone with the dead puppy he killed. By comforting him, she lets Lennie touch her hair because it is soft, but it starts trouble when his hand gets entangled in her hair. “ ‘Don’t you go yellin’, he said, and he shook her; and her body flopped like a fish. And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck” (Steinbeck 91). Now that Lennie has killed Curley’s wife, he knows he did something dreadful and that George will not let him tend to the rabbits. When George finds Curley’s wife’s body, after Lennie fled the scene, he knew he has to kill Lennie before Curley go to him. It was probably a hard thing for George to kill the only person he had in his life. “The hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied He pulled the trigger” (Steinbeck 106). George had to let Lennie go. He needed to kill Lennie after the accident happened because if he did not, Curley and the others could have beat him and killed him brutally. Whereas when George killed him, Lennie was happy and in peace. After Lennie dies, Candy still has hope for the land. “ ‘You an’ me can get that little place, can’t we, George? You an’ me can go there an’ live nice, can’t we,