Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck

Introduction:

Of Mice and Men is a novel, which considers really interesting subjects such as dream/reality, innocence, loneliness, authority and violence. I believe these are the main themes the book contains, these are the things that the author wants us, the readers, to find out.

George and Lennie, the main characters, are travelling together looking for work, they both share a dream. This dream is the most important thing they have, it gives them the hope that things in the future would change, that they would have a house "An'live off the fatta the lan".

These two characters are very different; George is "small and quick" and Lennie has the strength of a giant but the mind of a little child. He likes to stoke nice things with his fingers, which he often gets in trouble for. Although all the differences they have, they travel together and share lots of important things.

I think "Of mice and men" is a good book, because every subject involved in the novel is really interesting and has lots to do with life nowadays.

Dream > < reality:

In the beginning of the story George tells Lennie about their dream (Pan, page 18 line 12). That is the first time we meet this dream. The dream is to get a piece of land, with a little house. Lennie is possessed by the thought that he is going to take care of the rabbits on their dream farm. Lennie loves to hear George tell the story about the dream farm, so he keeps asking George to tell it to him. In the beginning the farm is just a dream for Lennie and George. Then they tell Candy about their dream, he says to George and Lennie that he had saved some money and he wants to be a part of the dream. So all the sudden their dream is becoming realistic. Then one day Lennie goes in the barn where crooks are living. They start talking and Lennie tells crooks about George and his dream. Crooks attitude seams very negative. He doesn't believe that their dream is realistic. He says to Lennie that George never are coming back and that George just are using Lennie's money in the town. He says to Lennie that he has seen many people before like them and none of them have succeeded in living out their dream. I think that Crooks has this pessimistic attitude because he isn't able to have any dreams himself. I think that none of his dreams have succeeded. Then Lennie tells Crooks about the money from Candy and suddenly his attitude chance. He realises that the other men's dream is realistic. Now he even wants to be a part of their dream. Then Curleys wife enters the room, and that's when all the magic breaks, he remember his real and normal life.

When I was reading the book I thought that Lennie and George's dream would come true in the end. But when I came closer to the end of the book I sudden realise that something bad was going to happen and the two men never would get their dream farm. In my opinion George does the right thing in letting Lennie die still believing in the dream.

I think that the American Dream of a perfect life is reflected in the novel. George and Lennies dream about owning a little house with rabbits, land etc. is a direct projection of the American Dream. The whole idea about having ones own; freedom, house, car, land, money enough, is the very essence of the American Dream. It is a dream that they have to work hard