Of Mice and Man Essay

Dan Ibrahim
Ms. Drude
American Lit, period 7
September 28, 2014

“The American dream is still alive out there, and hard work will get you there. You don’t necessarily need to have an Ivy League education or to have millions of dollars startup money. It can be done with an idea, hard work and determination.” Bill Rancic, a businessman, made these statements through the lessons he faced in his lifetime. This is also believed by many Americans, who work toward the American dream. In the famous book Of Mice and Men, written by Nobel Prize winning author John Steinbeck, ambition and curiosity are demonstrated through his characters, who are fighting for the American dream. In Of Mice and Man Steinbeck believes that the American dream exist to provide hope to the characters that believe in it.
The American dream provide hope, as shown in Of Mice and Men. Their desire was carved from a source. Steinbeck introduces the setting of the bunkhouse with lot of details. Steinbeck describes by saying, “And these shelves were loaded with little articles, soap and talcum powder, razors and those Western magazines ranch men love to read and scoff at and secretly believe”(Steinbeck 17). These Western magazines give ranch workers the satisfaction. They know that one day; they don’t have to be ranch workers their whole life. These people in the community want to enjoy themselves even though they are living the tough life of a ranch worker. Equally important, is personal freedom. Lennie excitedly asked George about the place they were going to get. George answered the question by saying, “well, it’s ten acres. Got a little win’mill. Got a little shack on it, an’a chicken run. Got a Kitchen, orchard, cherries, apples, peaches, ‘cots, got a few berries. They’s a place for alfalfa and plenty water to flood it” (57). George continues with a growing warmer voice, “An’ we could have a few pigs. I could build a smoke house like the one gran’pa had, an’ when we kill a pig we can smoke the bacon and the hams, and make sausage an’ all like that” (57). George does not only want the place, but he is willing to build on it. He wants the place to be his own and have the ability to do whatever he wants on it.
Furthermore, the American dream exists because it is believed by many in Of Mice and Men. The American dream is a national ethos in the novel. Toward the end of Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck introduces Crook. He was found gathering some items, “And he had books, too; a tattered dictionary and

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