Of Mice and Men

Do you have an unrealistic dream? In the book Of Mice and Men by John
Steinbeck, the main characters in the story each had a dream in which
they were unable to carry out. Taking place during the Great Depression
era in the United States, these individuals struggled to survive. The
theme "It is better not to have big dreams in life because they are too
difficult to attain and you end up bitterly disappointed and
unmotivated" was brought up and proven true by them. Lennie, Candy, and
Curley's wife's dreams, like "the best laid schemes o'mice an' men gang
aft a-gley, had been led astray. Lennie's dream had been shattered
when his craving for soft materials caused him to commit a crime.
Lennie dreamt of owning a farm and a little house with George, and most
of all, tending some rabbits. Seeking employment and asylum at Tyler
Ranch, Lennie longed to have a feel of some soft materials. However,
being a feeble-minded man, and having a childlike understanding of his
enormous strength, the result was tragic when Lennie broke the neck of
Curley's wife while feeling her soft hair. His first thought after the
incidence was that he would no longer be able to tend the rabbits. He
did not realized how serious this mistake of his was. It had cost him
not only his dream, but his life as well. The only piece of land that
Lennie ended up with was his grave. Because of Lennie's fault, Candy's
dream of having a share of George's farm became unrealistic. Candy was
among the ones who could hardly manage the struggle to survive during
the Depression. His age has robbed his usefulness, so he was more than
happy to take part in the plans of George and Lennie. Their dream farm
was always on Candy's mind. He went on to figuring about how they could
earn money off the rabbits, and their lives then. However, he
discovered what Lennie has done, and saw that the farm which has once
seemed so real is now gone. Curley's wife dreamt of being a movie star
and regrets marrying Curley. Having encountered an actor when she was
fifteen, she was told that she was a natural in acting, but her mother
forbade her to pursue her dream. On the same night that she met another
actor, she met Curley. When no letter came from the actor, she marries
Curley. However, she has always wanted to make some achievements and
loved attention. She constantly wandered around looking for trouble.
When she was killed by Lennie, she was not able to go after her dream
anymore. Lennie, Candy, and Curley's wife were not capable of having
their dreams come true, but were full of hope. A problem got into each
of their way, which they have not the power to solve. They have shown
how big dreams often cause tragedies, and are unrealistic.