Importance of Hopes and Dreams - 1404 Words

The Importance of Hopes and Dreams in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a touching story of an unusual friendship between two men, George and Lennie. George is a responsible man and has travelled with Lennie for many years, despite the troubles that Lennie gets them both in. George and Lennie’s dream is to be the owners of a little farm. This is the their goal and this is in my opinion, the whole meaning of the story. There are frequent sections in the book where George starts their story of how they plan to live on the farm and Lennie finishes George’s sentences. â€Å"One day – we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs.† To†¦show more content†¦Each desires the comfort of a friend, but will settle for the attentive ear of a stranger. They admit to complete strangers their fear of being cast off which shows their desperation. The characters George, Lennie, Crooks, and Curley’s wife are rendered helpless by their isolation, and yet, even at their weakest, they seek to destroy those who are even weaker than they. Perhaps the most powerful example of this cruel tendency is when Crooks criticizes Lennie’s dream of the farm and his dependence on George. Having just admitted his own vulnerabilities – he is a black man with a crooked back who longs for companionship. Steinbeck explores different types of strength and weakness throughout the novel. Great physical strength is valuable to men in George and Lennie’s circumstances. Lennie’s has strength beyond his control –like when he killed the mice. Curley too, he is the symbol of authority on the ranch and a champion boxer, who intimidates men and his wife. But even the most visible strength – used to oppress others- is itself born of weakness. Much of the novel is about dreams and we can relate this story to the poem called â€Å"To a Mouse† by Robert Burns that assumed that the dreams aren’t always achievable just like the American Dream. Most of the characters in Of Mice and Men admit, at one point or another, to dreaming of a different life. Curley’s wife confessed her wish to become a movie star, just before her death. Crooks, harsh as heShow MoreRelatedOf Mice and Men and American Beauty Essay1435 Words   |  6 Pagesinto the American Dream are offered through the novella Of Mice and Men and the film American Beauty? In your essay you must consider the influences of context and the importance of techniques in shaping meaning. Of Mice and Men, a 1937 novella by John Steinbeck and American Beauty, a 1999 film directed by Sam Mendes, offer various insights into the American Dream and are both contextually driven. Both texts present the possibility of different pursuits of the American Dream and portray a multiplicityRead MoreMice and Men Essay1035 Words   |  5 Pagesfulfilment of one’s life, and their pursuit of happiness, hinge upon friendship, dreams, and one’s attitude towards life and happiness in general. Steinbeck’s 1937 novella Of Mice And Men illustrates the importance of friendship and dreams in a context of hardship and economic downturn. This is done by using George and Lennie and their dream of landownership and material possession to demonstrate how dreams give people the hope required to drive themselves, and how friendship offers them the ability toRead MoreSpreading Hope, Friendship, and Determination in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men625 Words   |  3 PagesMen  i s that having a dream spreads  hope, friendship, and determination, which  helps  to strive onward in life.  Ã‚  Three major examples inside the novel show this idea.  Ã‚  The first example is Candy’s loss of his dog and following  George and Lennie’s dream of owning land.  Ã‚  A second example is Crook’s memory of his father’s chicken ranch.  Ã‚  Anothert example is  Georges and Lennie’s dream of having their own place.  Ã‚  These three examples show  the theme that having high aspirations breed hope, friendship, and determinationRead Moreof mice and men908 Words   |  4 Pageshaving a dream creates hope, friendship, and determination, enabling one to strive onward in life with a sense of importance. Three major examples show this idea. The first example is Candy’s loss of his dog and his joining George and Lennie s dream of owning land. A second example is Crook’s memory of his father’s chicken ranch. A third significant example is George and Lennie s dream of having their own place. These three examples display the theme that having high aspirations breed hope, friendshipRead MoreOf Mice and Men by John Steinbeck652 Words   |  3 Pagesis that having a dream spreads hope, friendship, and determination, which helps to strive onward in life. Three major examples inside the novel show this idea. The first example is Candy’s loss of his dog and following George and Lennie’s dream of owning land. A second example is Crook’s memory of his father’s chicken ranch. Anothert example is Georges and Lennie’s dream of having their own place. 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Scott Fitzgerald, in The Great Gatsby, reveals wealth, hope, and the demise of the American dream as major themes of his novel. Fitzgerald, interestingly enough, brings the importance of money into this novel early and refocuses on it often. Nick starts off the novel saying, Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,’ he told meRead MoreThe Little Glass Slipper By Charles Perrault925 Words   |  4 Pageslater rescued by a prince, â€Å"The Girl with No Hands† is also about a young girl who is tormented by the devil and gets her hands cut off. A consistent message that is presented to children through these fairy-tales, both old and modern, is to never lose hope no matter how horrible the situation as good will always prevail and evil will perish â€Å"The Little Glass Slipper† by Perrault is old tale which features a girl by the name of Cinderella who is in an abusive home where she is neglected and verballyRead MoreOf Mice And Men By John Steinbeck989 Words   |  4 Pageshaunted the minds of men and made them evil and twisted. Dreams were the only source of comfort after a day’s work in the ranch as seen in Lennie and George’s dream of buying their own ranch and â€Å" livin’ fatta’ of the land’ †To achieve their dream now was harder than ever due to depletion in money during the Great Depression. After George kills Lennie, he realizes that by killing Lennie, the dream got killed too. Steinbeck shows that dreams amount to nothing unless you have someone to share themRead MoreEssay1073 Words   |  5 PagesEssay Question: The fulfillment of Vincent’s dream at the conclusion of the film provides the only hope in an otherwise bleak world. Discuss with specific refere nces to elements of film. The film Gattaca is a dystopian film directed by Andrew Niccol which is released in 1997. The movie portrays a society not far from now where people have lost the hopes and believes on their own human fate and will. In this society, most people are the products of genetic engineering and their worth is measured