Some of the most notable would be Lennie when he was in Weed. As George tells Candy the events of Weed, and being chased out of Weed after Lennie got them in trouble (Steinbeck 41). Here is a time when George and Lennie fall into trouble after a rise, the job in Weed, as Steinbeck make a point that live is full of ups and downs. Next when in the barracks when George plans to buy a land and a house Candy ask if he can get in the plan George is unsure if he should let him, until Candy puts up almost half the cost of the land and house (Stevens). Here George, Lennie, And Candy become close to the goal of buying a house to live the American dream.
Candy lost one of his hands and cannot do the work that the other ranchers do. Candy says, “ I got hurt four years ago…Jus’ as soon as I can’t swamp out no bunk houses they’ll put me on the county” (Steinbeck 60). The ranch has no use for Candy other then the tiny sweeping jobs. The ranchers go out to the field and do work with their hands while Candy stays inside and sweeps. While working on the ranch the men form special bonds with eachother.
Their dreams were American because they all wanted a better life that was not tainted with sorrow, a pure life. In Of Mice and Men, each of their dreams diminished in a chain of events. Curley’s wife died by the arms of Lennie, which led George to show him, which made George’s chances of getting a farm a lot harder because Lennie had the strength George lacked. Even though this story was set in the 1930s during the Great Depression, it is still relatable to today’s society because it is getting more difficult to own property and having career gets set back due to budget cuts in the education
He worries his age will make his useless on the farm. When he hears of George and Lennie’s plan to buy a piece of land he offers his life’s savings if he can join George and Lennie in owning the land. Candy knows he won’t be around much longer, and he just wants to make sure he is safe, and well taken care of. In the book Candy says “a guy needs someone to be near him, a guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, as longs as he’s with you I tell ya.
His dream seems to be of acceptance and freedom. In the novel, Crooks begins to ridicule Lennie about his plans on the farm. Although Crooks becomes bitter, he feels he is realising his dream of being accepted whilst talking to Lennie. However, just like all dreams, his are crushed too, when Curley’s wife enters the scene and reminds him ‘to keep [his] place, Nigger’. Through this, the composer enables the reader to understand how dreams usually do not come true and when they seem so close, they slip away.
Candy listens closely because they talk about owning and working on their own farm and taking orders from non one but themselves. Candy listens closely because he knows he will be of no use without his one hand in a few years, and they will send him on his way. He suggests going in on the farm with them. He will have $350 to put into it. 9.
He becomes intrigued by their dreams of owning a ranch and tries to get himself included. ‘Spose I went in with you guys, I could cook and tend the chickens…’. Candy is so desperate for a friend he tells George and Lennie that if he can share their dream, he will leave everything to them in his will, in case he dies before hand because he has no other family to share it with. ‘I’d make a will and leave my share to you guys in case I kick off, cause I ain’t got no relatives or nothing’. The comparison between George and Lennies relationship to anyone else on the ranch makes it obvious that you can achieve more when you’re not on your own.
In the novel Of Mice and Men there is a character named George. George is a short buff guy that is trying to pursue his dream of getting his own ranch. Ever since he has been on the road looking for jobs after jobs, he’s dreamed of this ranch. He hates taking orders from people on there own ranch. He wants to work on his own ranch and have people working for him.
Utopia “The American Dream…will remain only our dream and never be our destiny” (Williamson1). This proves true in John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men in which the characters George, Lennie, Candy, and Crooks find retreat from their harsh life by the dream that one day they will buy a few acres of land on which they will grow their own food and have their own livestock. This idea completely entices the characters because the possibility of a free, tranquil life brings hope for the future, a light at the end of the long and dark tunnel. Throughout the novel Crooks, George, Lennie, and Candy imagine the farm as a place of freedom and security; however, their dream of utopia proves to be impossible to reach and through these characters, Steinbeck suggests that it is also impossible to reach in reality.
A colored man got to have some rights even if he don't like 'em" (Steinbeck 90). Exclusive of Crooks, Curly’s wife tends to be romping around the farm making everything more difficult for everyone else, as Carl shares, "Maybe you better go along to you own house now. We don’t want no trouble" (Steinbeck, 85). In the end they both have a drive to be accepted and talked to, but just how far they will go to achieve it differs