Explore some of the ways in which Steinbeck makes the characters’ reactions to the dream of ‘livin off the fatta the lan’ so revealing.
John Steinbeck’s riveting and lachrymose novella, ‘Of Mice and Men,’ was set in the 1930’s, during the Great Depression. ‘Of Mice and Men’ is about two drifters who struggle to find a job where they both can work, together. The only thing that keeps these men going is the hope and the dream of ‘livin off the fatta the lan’. In the midst of the Great Depression, unemployment was very high, and people evolved to live in an atomised society where nobody could care for each other. Steinbeck’s purpose was to prove that dreams, especially the American dream, were futile. Steinbeck crushes the American dream, and …show more content…
Because of the money that Candy has, they think they can get the house and live their dream. There is a turning point in this chapter where “they fell into a silence.” The whole paragraph on this realisation that the dream could become reality is the turning point for George. “They looked at each other amazed.” The pronoun ‘they’ suggests that the ‘amazed’ stares also came from George. The verb ‘amazed’ suggests George’s astonishment and surprise that the dream which he thought they could never achieve was becoming real. This suggests that George is starting believe that the dream will happen. Candy’s money changes his whole perspective of the dream. When George spoke, he spoke ‘reverently’; this adjective shows George’s deep respect for this dream, as if he has had a revelation. It is quite ironic because the nest thing that George says is “Jesus Christ!” which goes against something which is reverent. George “repeated softly”, the repetition of “I bet we could swing her” suggests his sincerity and awe about this dream coming true. The adverb ‘softly’ proposes that George has been influenced by this dream and is coming to a realisation that it will come true. “We could swing her.” The modal verb ‘could’ proves George’s strong inclination to make this dream a reality. But it also can link to Steinbeck’s purpose because ‘could’ could suggest that it is a possibility, but not
John Steinbeck’s riveting and lachrymose novella, ‘Of Mice and Men,’ was set in the 1930’s, during the Great Depression. ‘Of Mice and Men’ is about two drifters who struggle to find a job where they both can work, together. The only thing that keeps these men going is the hope and the dream of ‘livin off the fatta the lan’. In the midst of the Great Depression, unemployment was very high, and people evolved to live in an atomised society where nobody could care for each other. Steinbeck’s purpose was to prove that dreams, especially the American dream, were futile. Steinbeck crushes the American dream, and …show more content…
Because of the money that Candy has, they think they can get the house and live their dream. There is a turning point in this chapter where “they fell into a silence.” The whole paragraph on this realisation that the dream could become reality is the turning point for George. “They looked at each other amazed.” The pronoun ‘they’ suggests that the ‘amazed’ stares also came from George. The verb ‘amazed’ suggests George’s astonishment and surprise that the dream which he thought they could never achieve was becoming real. This suggests that George is starting believe that the dream will happen. Candy’s money changes his whole perspective of the dream. When George spoke, he spoke ‘reverently’; this adjective shows George’s deep respect for this dream, as if he has had a revelation. It is quite ironic because the nest thing that George says is “Jesus Christ!” which goes against something which is reverent. George “repeated softly”, the repetition of “I bet we could swing her” suggests his sincerity and awe about this dream coming true. The adverb ‘softly’ proposes that George has been influenced by this dream and is coming to a realisation that it will come true. “We could swing her.” The modal verb ‘could’ proves George’s strong inclination to make this dream a reality. But it also can link to Steinbeck’s purpose because ‘could’ could suggest that it is a possibility, but not