Jarrod Cook

Block 1

Hopes and Dreams of Mice and Men

Mrs. Rifenberick

January 12, 2003

The hopes and dreams of the men in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck give them a reason to keep on living. The men have no large importance in society. They exist only to provide help around the farm. They go through life day in and day out completing the same tasks each day. Their lives are down to a routine and all they have is their dreams. Dreams are what keep them motivated. Dreams are the reason the men get out of bed each day. They awake with the hope that all the work they put into this farm will pay off and get them what they deserve. These dreams may never come true for these men but without them, what else do they have?

“Tell me – like you done before,” Lennie often insists (14). George then proceeds to tell Lennie about what their future will be like. Lennie’s dreams are simple but they take control of his whole being. Lennie’s dream is to, “…tend the rabbits,” and he will do anything it takes to do it (72). It can easily be seen that this dream gives Lennie hope. When he does something that he knows he should not do, he immediately breaks down thinking he will be unable to tend to the rabbits. As soon as Lennie is told he can still tend the rabbits, he instantly becomes happy again. Lennie is motivated to work because he knows if he works he will get money. If Lennie gets enough money, he and George can purchase a farm and he can live his dream of tending to the rabbits.

George and Candy go through day after day of grueling labor on only the hopes that they will one day accomplish their dream. “With us it isn’t like that. We got a future,” is how George’s story begins. George works on everyday only on the hopes of one day accomplishing this dream. It is on his mind so constantly that he has even developed it into a story for Lennie, but more for himself. Candy, the swamper, is motivated by George to pick up this same dream for himself and join George and Lennie in their quest to own a farm of their own. George says that he already has some land and money in the bank to start this farm and that he soon will. Candy also sits for hours figuring out costs for everything they will require. They act like they will one day own this farm although in the back of their minds resides the thought that tells them they never will. This thought never takes control until the day Lennie has to be shot, and they are happy with just the thought of owning a farm even if it is only a dream.

Crooks does not want much out of life, all he asks for are a couple friends, and working on a ranch is what he thinks will be the best way to find some. “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, he’s with you. I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick”(80). This statement by Crooks shows that he has plenty of time to experience the situation for himself. Being black during this time period he does not have friends, especially since white people have surrounded him all his life. Crooks is given his own room and spends most of his time by himself, usually reading. An intrusion by Lennie is one of the few times someone enters his room. Although Crooks acts like he is mad about the invasion of privacy it is one of the happiest moments in his life. When a couple minutes later Candy enters, it makes Crooks even happier inside. Has he finally gained friendship? Crooks is the closest to achieving his dream. Even if it is only for a short while, it is enough to last him a lifetime.

The men in this novel are fueled by dreams and hopes whether they are plausible or not. If a person has no dreams, then what else does he have? This is especially true for these farm hands who live a routine everyday of their life. They may know their dreams will never come true but it keeps them happy. For Crooks this dream does come true and makes him happier than he has ever been before.