Friday, February 28, 2014

What was Curley’s wife dream? What does her dream have in common with George and Lennie’s? Was either attainable?

One of the main themes in this novel is The American Dream and the ability to attain it. Curley's wife wanted to become a famous actress in movies, or pictures. She wanted to be able to provide for herself and become rich and famous.
George and Lennie had a dream of owning a farm, where they too, could provide for themselves and not rely on anyone else.
Both of their dreams were their"American Dream" and they both wanted to be self-sufficient and not worry about making ends meet. Part of the American Dream is doing what makes you happy. Curley's wife thought that being famous would make her happy, while George and Lennie thought that running their own small farm would make them happy.
Now were both of these dreams attainable? Of course, but based on some life choices, their dreams became unattainable. Curley's wife decided she would be better off getting married and quickly regretted her choice. George and Lennie were on the right path to achieve their dream, but things took a wrong turn when Lennie killed Curley's wife. One could argue that George could continue on with achieving the dream of the farm, but he might feel like he is missing a part of himself after losing Lennie.


Like just about everyone else on the ranch, Curley's wife has her dreams. In her case, it's to make it big in the movies. Years before, a traveling show came to her hometown and one of the performers told her that she ought to come with them. Unfortunately for Curley's wife, her mother prevented her from going, and so that was the end of that. But from that day on, she's spent a lot of time brooding on what might have been.
As to the question of whether her dream is realistic, she certainly seems to look the part of a Hollywood star—glamorous, sexy, and with a magnetic personality. In that sense, one could that her dreams are more realistic than those of George and Lennie. They have their dreams all right, but they don't have anything that might help them make those dreams come true. George is a poor, itinerant farm worker, and Lennie has the mental age of a child.
In this society, hard work and dreams count for little; more often than not it's luck that helps you to get on in life. As Curley's wife has been blessed with the gift of good looks, it's fair to say that her dreams of Hollywood stardom, though something of a long short, are more attainable than George and Lennie's fantasy of having a ranch of their own.

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