The American Dream: Possessed by Many, Attained by Few

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摘要：Most of the characters in Of Mice and Men admit, at one point or another, to dreaming of a different life. George and Lennie’s dream of owning a farm, which successively attracts Candy and Crooks, is the central one. Yet，their dreams are proved to be impossible at last.

关键词：dream; land; George; Lennie

1. Introduction

The american dream ideally constitutes life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as stated by America’s forefathers in the Declaration of Independence. Of Mice and Men is a novel which portrays a class of ranch workers in California whose plight had been previously ignored in the early decades of the twentieth century. In this novel, the main characters’ dreams make them one of the themes in this novel. George and Lennie dreamt of their “little house and a couple of acres”. The growing popularity of cinema was the last American Dream for many, Curley’s wife was one: “Coulda been in the movies, an’ had nice clothes.”

John Steinbeck, the writer of this novel, is a famous American writer from the early twentieth century. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck uses his characters, locations, animal imagery, and a simple game of cards to demonstrate to his readers that most people dream about lives of great significance. Those dreams carry the characters through circumstances of injustice and loneliness. But in reality, most humans’ limitations keep these dreams from coming true, and in the long run, they are destined to experience common lives.

2. Dreaming of a Piece of Land

George and Lennie, two ranch hands on the farm, are the two main characters in the novel. A little bit of land, their own crops and animals-this is all they want. This piece of land represents a world in which the two men can live together just as they are, without dangers and without apologies. To George, this dream of having their own place also means independence, security, being their own boss, and, most importantly, being “somebody.” To Lennie, the dream is like the soft animals he pets: It means security, the responsibility of tending to the rabbits, and a sanctuary where he won’t have to be afraid. This perfect world is one of independence. They want to be self-reliant. Although the relentless situation often make futility of their dream, their wishful thinking still keep going without exception.

When Candy, the lonely old man who lost one of his hands in an accident, overhears George and Lennie discussing their plans, he seems pitifully eager to join in this paradise. At that time, he is deeply lost in the sadness of losing his company, the dog. So when George and Lennie finally finish talking about the farm, he asks eagerly where the place is. In Candy’s eyes, the farm they dreamed is the Garden of Eden. From the death of his dog, he realizes that the same fate will happen to him. Since he is old and crippled, he worries that the ranch will let him go soon. He clutches at George’s dream as the only escape from his fate. Candy offers to contribute his life’s savings, $350, for a down payment on the property, and asks them to allow him to live there too. He even explains that he was not so crippled that he can work hard if he wanted to.