‘Of Mice and Men’ by John Steinbeck
The theme of Dreams
Dreams are one of the ways in which the characters combat the loneliness and the hopelessness of their existence. The most obvious example is the
‘dream farm’; a dream shared at first only be George and Lennie, but which later spreads to include Candy and Crooks.
The dream farm centres upon George and Lennie; it is mentioned at three different times within the novel; each time there is a different mood / feeling.
Dream 1 – at the beginning of the novel when George and Lennie spend the night in the valley, PAGES 31 - 35
Dream 2 – takes place when George and Lennie are alone in the bunkhouse with Candy, PAGES 83 - 89
Dream 3 – is told just before George shoots Lennie. PAGES 144 - 147
1.
Carefully look through your texts and select 4 quotations that are associated with George and Lennie’s dream farm.
2.
There are many characters within this text who have ‘dreams’.
List each character who has a dream and explain (with the use of two quotations) exactly what their dream is.
3.
Answer the following essay question. You must have an introduction, three / four main paragraphs and a conclusion.
Remember that it is essential for you to include quotations that have been explained using the
P E E technique.
Point Evidence Explain
(Quote)
George, Crooks, Candy, Curley’s wife and Lennie all have their dreams.
Write about the dreams of two of these characters.
Explain why, in each case, the dream does not come true.
KLCampbell