I thought that this book had many aspects that could help us understand a variety of concepts, especially the American Dream. All the characters and quotes really helped me understand what if would truly be like to live in that time period and try to survive and thrive off of what little I would have. I think that the variety of characters helped me realize the variety of perspectives there were in that time. Your role in society and the American Dream really influenced who you were and how much you impacted people.
I think one of the most prominent examples of what it took to be successful was George. He could’ve had almost anything he wanted, but he chose to stay with Lennie. I think this represents the American Dream very well. The Dream is more likely to be achieved if you have someone with you, someone to help you.
Another character that represents the American Dream well is Lennie. I think that the way he does this is that he never stops dreaming. He is always talking about what he wants to do with his life, and even if George says it’s not going to happen, he never gives up on the Dream.
For me personally, the ending of the book was surprising yet predictable. I knew from the beginning of the book that Lennie was probably going to die or get very hurt, I just wasn’t sure how. When John Steinbeck made George’s character kill off Lennie’s, I was surprised. I was also kind of confused. How could someone go from spending years with his best friend, looking out for each other, to killing him just because of one incident. I know that even if my friend did something like that, I would be unable to hurt them.