In The Tales of Mice and Men, Steinbeck explores dreams and how they always lead to sacrifice and suffering. George and Lennie have such a dream, they want to own a ranch and live off the fat of the land. Many people on the ranch also share this dream, but tragedy strikes when Lennie kills curley's wife ultimately leading to George having to make a difficult decision. This highlights the danger of believing in these dreams without a grasp on reality. While having dreams and goals is important, it is vital to have a plan so things don't go south. Through examining the beginning and end of the story we can see dreams shaping the characters decision and behavior and see how it ultimately led to the final outcome of the story through Steinbeck and Robert Burns diction and his foreshadowing to the end of the book. …show more content…
This is shown through his diction in stanza 5 “The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men, Gang aft agley, An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain, For promised joy!” This stanza captures the essence of the issues that might arise “The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men, Gang aft agley” this means that no matter how well someone prepares plans will often go awry. This quote underscores how the story went for George and Lennie. The line, “An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain, For promised joy!” reflects the book even further, conveying the point that we all have hopes and dreams but life can often present us with challenges, disappointment, and setbacks