Hopes and Dreams in Of Mice and Men (Book Analysis)

📌Category: Books, Of Mice and Men
📌Words: 663
📌Pages: 3
📌Published: 16 February 2022

The hopes and dreams essay of Mice and Men keeps the characters alive throughout the story. George and candy’s hope of getting a place to themselves and getting freedom give them something to look forward to and to work towards.  Having something to work towards and having hope that they won’t be working for someone else on a ranch their whole life keeps them motivated. Therefore, George and Candy would like to have a place for themselves and it is more realistic than what they thought. They wanted to get a place for themselves and live their American dream rather than be trapped in the cycle of working for someone else. Candy says “Maybe if I give you guys my money, you’ll let me hoe in the garden even after I ain’t no good at it. An’ I’ll wash dishes an’ little chicken stuff like that. But I’ll be on our own place, an’ I’ll be let to work on our own place.”  Candy knows his worth and that he doesn't have much time. He is old and has had an American dream of not working for someone else on a ranch. Once Candy saw the opportunity for his dreams to come true he offered up his money so that he could be a part of it. Steinback shows this by saying “They all sat still, all bemused by the beauty of the thing, each mind was popped into the future when this lovely thing should come about.” This shows how the hopes of their dreams keep them working hard. 

Lennies hope of tending the rabbits keeps him on better behavior and gives George power over Lennie. By telling Lennie that he would be able to tend the rabbits keeps him on better behavior because Lennie doesn't want those privileges removed. Whenever Lennie makes a mistake the first thing he thinks about is if he can still tend the rabbits. As soon as he makes a mistake Steinbeck writes and makes sure to include the rabbits. "George?"  "What you want?" "I can still tend the rabbits, George?" "Sure. You ain't done nothing wrong." "I di'n't mean no harm, George." "Well, get the hell out and wash your face."  

After Lennie kills Curley's wife he doesn't care that he just killed someone he just is worried about being able to tend the rabbits. After every bad thing he does, he always thinks about the rabbits. Although Lennie has done bad things, the dream of him tending the rabbits kept him on better behavior. 

Crooks’ dream was to be somewhere where he is wanted and belongs. Crooks feels like he doesn't belong and he is very lonely. He’s not allowed in the clubhouse and he doesn't want anyone to go into his room either. He wishes he can be treated like everyone else and be equal. Steinback says “S’pose you didn’t have nobody. S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunk house and play rummy ’cause you was black. How’d you like that? S’pose you had to sit out here an’ read books. Sure you could play horseshoes till it got dark, but then you got to read books. Books ain’t no good. A guy needs somebody – to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you. I tell ya, I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick.” 

Crooks was finally expressing how he felt to Lennie because he knew Lennie wouldn't say anything. Crooks has no one to talk to or no one to express his feelings to and he is just stuck with reading books inside. Crooks said that eventually a man needs someone to talk to and you can’t read forever. Crooks’ dream is just to be somewhere where he is wanted and is equal and doesn't have to be alone the whole time. This keeps him alive he hopes maybe one day it will get better and that is what he hopes for. 

This is why I believe that the hopes and dreams keep them alive and keep them moving each day. If you live life with no dreams you are not going to live a better life.

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