1. The American dream
Of Mice and Men

2. American Dream in Of Mice and Men
Steinbeck wanted to explore the themes of power, ownership and control and their effect upon ordinary people.
Those people strived for a better life, and had hopes and dreams
Lennie and George’s dream is significant because it tells us something about the culture that has created them.

3. What is the American Dream?
America has always been seen as the Land of Opportunity, partly because immigrants from Europe saw it as a place of freedom, a place to begin a new life, a place for real possibilities and wealth for all.
This belief in America as a country where ordinary people could create a better life for themselves is often referred to as The American Dream

4. From the 17th century, where the 1st settlers arrived, immigrants dreamed of a better life in America
People went there to escape from persecution, to make a new life for themselves and their families.
For many the dream became a nightmare.
The horrors of slavery, of the American Civil War, the growth of slums and the corruption of the government led to many shattered hopes
For many the dream ended with the Wall Street crash in 1929.

5. This was the start of the Great Depression that would affect the whole world during the 1930’s.
The dream did survive for individuals.
1000’s made their way west to California to escape farmlands of the mid-west.
George and Lennie dreamed of their “Little house and a couple of acres”.
The growing popularity of the cinema was the last American Dream for many.