Research Paper
April 30, 2010
Of Mice and Men
The American Dream is something that many individuals have wanted for countless years.
Although it has evolved during the past couple of years, many individuals still strive to
achieve it. John Steinbeck in his novel “Of Mice and Men”€ illustrates this American
Dream of the 1930s. Steinbeck illustrates this dream as impossible through the failure of
George and Lennies achievement of their dream. To demonstrate the American Dream of
the 1930s in “Of Mice and Men,”€ Steinbeck uses George and Lennies dream as an
example.
In “Of Mice and Men,”€ George and Lennie have the typical 1930s American Dream.
George states in “Of Mice and Men”€, “O.K. Someday”€”we”€™re gonna get the jack
together “€¦ we”€™re gonna have a little house “€¦ an”€™ a couple of acres an”€™ a cow
an”€™ some pigs and “€“”€ (Steinbeck 14). This is the typical American Dream of the
1930s because most people wanted to own their own land and have a house, instead of
having to live in a room full of men and working on a ranch for someone. In “Of Mice and
Men,”€ Crooks exclaims, “I”€tive seen, hundreds of men come by on the road an”€™ on
the ranches with their bindles on their back an”€™ that same damn thing in their heads “€¦
An”€™ never a God damn one of “€em ever gets it”€(Steinbeck 74). Crooks is saying that