The Great Depression caused hardships for people around the world. The once optimistic mood during the Roaring 20’s turned to pain after the Great Depression occurred. The American Dream, where people sought their unique idea of success, was truly reduced to a dream. The dire economic situation caused Americans to return to holding past social stigmas. Certain groups of people were looked down upon and seen as inferior or useless. Steinbeck observed these changes in social behavior and witnessed the plight of many Americans during the Great Depression. Steinbeck demonstrates in Of Mice and Men through the trapped characters that the American Dream was discriminatory because of common perceptions during that period.
One character in the story …show more content…
Crooks’ personal dream is similar to the others on the ranch - to settle down and live peacefully on a farm. However, this dream is hindered because of race discrimination. He is forced to sleep by himself in the barn and is prohibited by some activities with the white men. The other men look down on him and give him unwanted work, like scooping horse waste. Crooks explains to Lennie, “ ‘Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink...If I say something, why it’s just a nigger saying it.” (68-70) Because of his race, Crooks is dismissed by the others and his words have less power. His race also leads him to become isolated. He says, “There wasn’t another colored family for miles around. And now there ain’t a colored man on this ranch an’ there’s jus’ one family in Soledad.” (70) Similarly to how his family was isolated when there wasn’t a colored family nearby, Crooks is now isolated because he has no one to support him on the farm. Similarly, Candy is isolated because of his age and physical disability. Although he is hardworking, his usefulness is slowly decreasing in the eyes of the other ranch workers. He says, “You seen what they done to my dog tonight? They says he wasn’t no good to himself nor nobody else… I won’t have no place to go, an’ I can’t get no more jobs.” (60) The combination of his injury, age, and the economic situation at …show more content…
His portrayal of the characters’ experiences displays their frustration at others’ perceptions at them and the contempt held by society. The workers on the ranch and Curley’s wife did have chances at success, but their environment ultimately resulted in their failure. The American Dream was ultimately discriminatory against those who did not have easy means to succeed, such as women, colored people, or the elderly. By writing Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck was able to highlight the imperfect view of the American
One character in the story …show more content…
Crooks’ personal dream is similar to the others on the ranch - to settle down and live peacefully on a farm. However, this dream is hindered because of race discrimination. He is forced to sleep by himself in the barn and is prohibited by some activities with the white men. The other men look down on him and give him unwanted work, like scooping horse waste. Crooks explains to Lennie, “ ‘Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink...If I say something, why it’s just a nigger saying it.” (68-70) Because of his race, Crooks is dismissed by the others and his words have less power. His race also leads him to become isolated. He says, “There wasn’t another colored family for miles around. And now there ain’t a colored man on this ranch an’ there’s jus’ one family in Soledad.” (70) Similarly to how his family was isolated when there wasn’t a colored family nearby, Crooks is now isolated because he has no one to support him on the farm. Similarly, Candy is isolated because of his age and physical disability. Although he is hardworking, his usefulness is slowly decreasing in the eyes of the other ranch workers. He says, “You seen what they done to my dog tonight? They says he wasn’t no good to himself nor nobody else… I won’t have no place to go, an’ I can’t get no more jobs.” (60) The combination of his injury, age, and the economic situation at …show more content…
His portrayal of the characters’ experiences displays their frustration at others’ perceptions at them and the contempt held by society. The workers on the ranch and Curley’s wife did have chances at success, but their environment ultimately resulted in their failure. The American Dream was ultimately discriminatory against those who did not have easy means to succeed, such as women, colored people, or the elderly. By writing Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck was able to highlight the imperfect view of the American