How Does Lennie and George's Dream Relate to the American Dream

How does Lennie and George’s dream relate to the American Dream?

Traditionally, the American Dream is a national ethos of the United States of America. It is a difficult concept to describe because this dream is different for each person. But basically, it is an idea which suggests that all people can be successful, famous and wealthy through hard work, and that all people have the potential to live a happy life. The American dream may also be different depending on the time period in which the person lives. It dates back to the 1600s, when people created these hopes for the new and largely unexplored country. Back then, many of these dreams were focused on owning land and building successful businesses, which would bring people happiness and fulfilment in their lives, but this would be a different idea than of someone living in the 90s. During the Great Depression (1929-1930), these dreams began to erode, replacing it with the idea of “get rich quick” because they believed that their dreams were now out of reach without the money to create them.

In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, a major theme is the journey to live out the American dream, or rather the impossibility of living out the American dream. Each character has their own unique vision of the American dream. One aspect of each of their dreams remained constant though—they each wished for a bigger and better life than the one they actually lived. The characters of George and Lennie have a dream not much different than the dreams of most American’s in the 1930s. It was to have land of their own without constantly having to work for someone else and not having to save money because they could grow their own food and breed their own animals. Lennie always asks George to tell him this dream because it brings him comfort and security. ‘He laughed delightedly’ at their possible future that both of them would be together and doing what they wanted. The two are best friends, and no matter how contrasting...