‘Of Mice and Men’ is about hopes and dreams. How far do you agree with this statement?

By Alban and James

Intro

Hopes and Dreams is a key theme the novel Of Mice and Men. Many characters in the novel use their hopes and dreams as an escape of their lives on the ranch and the great depression. Steinbeck also presents certain characters with hopes and dreams in order to add depth to the character. This allows the reader to empathise with the characters and helps the reader understand the characters motives and actions. The theme of hopes and dreams can be seen in characters such as Curley’s Wife and Candy.

Agree

- “why I'd come and lend a hand”- Crooks, chapter 4

- “This thing they had never really believed in was coming true”- Candy, George, Lennie, chapter 3

- “When Candy spoke they both jumped as though they had been caught doing something reprehensible”- Geroge, Lennie chapter 3

Disagree ● There are many other themes in the essay such as loneliness. This is

seen and is equally as prevalent as hopes and dreams. (Place is called soledad, play solitaire, George is friends with Lennie to escape loneliness) “A few miles south of soledad” first thing said in the novel. P18

● We only find out about Curley’s Wife hopes and dreams just before she dies and in the second last chapter when she says “Coulda been in the movies, an’ had nice clothes” P125 Despite this quote giving the character depth she was still an important character in of mice and men without saying she has hopes and dreams.

● Candy is also a character that doesn’t have hopes or dreams until he finds out about George and Lennie’s farm. “S’pose I went with you guys”

Our personal interpretation you can make a case for george and lennie in that their lives and decisions throughout the novel are dictated by their passionate dream they share and their unfathomable craving to achieve this dream which they seemingly in the novel come so close to. Despite this dream leading them across the country and to the ranch where the companionship of the charters eventually ends to the readers despair. However as well as avoiding the punishments of lennies “crime” from the previous town the dream does keep the two protagonists going in a time of utter dejection when it would be much easier for a guy like george to drop the arguably dead weight of lennie and give up, settle for something average. “an live off a fatta of lan, and have rabbits” This passage is repeated a couple times throughout the novel and just highlights the effect their dream has on themselves each time it is said with the confidence and ambition it brings to them immediately. George and lennie embody the theme of hopes and dreams and wear it so much other characters during the novel pick up on it and also start to believe in their own hopes and dreams further presenting the reader the reader the events to give them and interpretation that of mice of men is about hopes and dreams.