"Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck.

Essay by MaletorJunior High, 9th gradeA, December 2003

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Ironic, isn't it?

Everyone does not always have the same idea of a utopia in the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, but everyone sure does seem to have a good idea about what they like and dislike. The two main characters are dreamers from the start when Lennie, a mentally impaired person, wants ketchup for his beans. Lennie is also really intent on feeding the rabbits, which he loves because of their furry texture, and would sacrifice nothing for it. George wants to live "off the fatta of the land". George and Lennie along with their fellow employees at the farm are very different from each other, but share one common characteristic. They all have contradictory dreams and fears, especially Crooks, a black man who lives in the stable. It is ironic that one persons dream would be another person's nightmare in the book Of Mice and Men.

People usually look up to others because they have what others don't. For example Curly, the smallest of the employees working on the field, wants to be the biggest and the best. He wants this because he desires to see things from a new perspective. People are constantly looking for a new form of satisfaction because that is what makes them happy. Curly's dreams are poignant because Lennie has just the opposite dream. This is ironic because Curly is nothing like Lennie and is almost the opposite of him. Lennie does not want to hurt things, though he may do it, it isn't on purpose. This is why Curly might want something that others have.

Curly's wife is another instance of the irony that one man's dream is another man's nightmare. She wants to be a movie star and get as far away from the...