Importance Of The American Dream In John Steinbeck's Of Mice Of Men

In John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice of Men, Crooks, a minority states, “I seen hundreds of men come by on the road an’ that same damn thing in their heads… They come, an’ they quit an’ go on; an every one of ‘em’s got a little piece of land in his head. An’ never a God damn one of ‘em ever gets it” (Steinbeck 74). He makes his point that men, especially minorities, will never achieve their American Dream. No matter how diligent they are with their work, the men in the story will never acquire the American Dream. Along with their work, the men are handicapped from accomplishing their goals due to their disadvantages. Though, the men tried to achieve it, no one successfully fulfilled their American Dream. In his novel, John Steinbeck conveys the idea …show more content…
Since Candy is reaching his endpoint of work and labor, he cannot accomplish much without the assistance of others which conflicts with attaining the American Dream of independence. Candy admitted that he cannot prosper by stating, “They’ll can me purty soon. Jus’ as soon as I can’t swamp out no bunkhouse they’ll put me on the county” (Steinbeck 60). Due to his aging and his injuries (referring to his lost hand), Candy can no longer work as arduously as before. Candy’s age and deteriorating body gives him a disadvantage with job opportunities as he cannot accomplish better and more strenuous jobs, which strays him from his American Dream. Though Candy desperately tries to find job opportunities, he can only do certain tasks which also delays his American Dream. Candy stated that, “Maybe if I give you guys my money, you’ll let me hoe in the garden even after I ain’t no good at it” (Steinbeck 60). Candy cannot properly accomplish his job and he admits that he isn’t adept at hoeing gardens and and can only do simple jobs such as sweeping floors. His only alternative to acquire his American Dream is to make a deal with George and Lennie. Since Candy cannot work as diligently as George and Lennie he made a deal with them saying, “S’pose I went in with you guys… I ain’t much good, but I could cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some. How’d that be?” (Steinbeck 59). He …show more content…
Being a black man during the time period of “Of Mice and Men” [Great Depression] was detrimental to achieving the American Dream. Crooks was prone to being constantly discriminated because of his race. While Crooks is speaking to Lennie, he [Crooks] stated that, “They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, all of you stink to me” (Steinbeck 68). Crooks was excluded from playing cards with the other men because he is black and smells appalling. Though the men criticise Crooks due to his odor and heritage, according to Crooks, all of the men have poignant aromas as well regardless of race. The majorities will discriminate Crooks whether they are ethical or not which in result lowers Crooks’s chance of attaining his American Dream. Crooks’s lifestyle and freedom foreshadows his chance of achieving his American Dream. Steinbeck describes Crooks’s living space as, “And scattered about the floor were a number of personal possessions; for, being alone, Crooks could leave his things about, and being a stable buck and a cripple, he was more permanent than the other men, and he had accumulated more possessions than he could carry on his back.” (Steinbeck 67) Steinbeck purposely portrays Crooks as distant from the other people due to his heritage. Along with this idea, he is forced to live in a harness room with a box filled with straw and