American Dream
The American Dream vanished during the Great Depression, and the land of opportunity became the land of misfortune. The American Dream is the idea of overcoming all obstacles and beating the odds to one day become successful. The American Dream was and still is unattainable for many people. Although characters in the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck have dreams for a better future, their hopes are soon destroyed by the harsh reality of the American Dream.
One of the characters in the novella is Candy, and he has spent the golden years of his life working on a farm for someone else only to have little money and no accomplishments. Before he lost his hand, Candy was a sheep herder, and now his work is tending the chickens. Candy realized that his boss won’t treat him any better than his dog once he becomes obsolete. Strangely enough, Candy hears about George and Lennie’s dream of getting a farm, and he quickly hops on the bandwagon offering up his whole life’s savings to help pay for the farm, and he said “I ain’t much good, but I could cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some” (Steinbeck). Candy has already contributed his whole life’s savings showing the importance of the farm to him, and unlike his job at the ranch, he would have job insurance opposed to the ranch where he will be fired once he is no longer of any use. The security and freedom of the farm are Candy’s American Dream. However, he soon realizes his dream is destroyed after Lennie killed Curley’s wife. Candy is now left to live out the rest of his days at the ranch nowhere near closer to his American Dream.
The original dreamers for the farm were George and Lennie, but due to foreseen
obstacles, Lennie and George’s American Dream was unattainable. The Duo’s dream was to live out on the farm and be their own bosses, and George constantly told Lennie to not react if he is harassed because he knew that Lennie could do some serious damage and get in a lot of trouble. George knew that Lennis would jeopardize their dream. He knew it was inevitable that Lennie would behave carelessly, and he does so when he kills Curley’s Wife. The reader can hear the doubt about the dream in George’s voice when George says “I think I knowed from the very first. I think I knowed we’d never do her. He Usta like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would” (Steinbeck). George clearly acknowledges the end of his and Lennie's dream. The reader can infer that he never actually believed it could happen even though the idea of using Candy's money made it seem plausible for a minute. George knew that the twosome would never succeed in their American Dream of owning land due to foreseen obstacles. Lennie and George both had high hopes to achieve their American Dream, but by the in the novella, they were in the same position as when they started.
Another character in novella who hoped to achieve their