Discuss the ways in which Steinbeck explores the concept of the American Dream is central to the novel Essay Example for Free

Discuss the ways in which Steinbeck explores the concept of the American Dream is central to the novel Essay The American Dream was a dream that nearly everyone had throughout the twentieth century. It was hope for a better life and people believed strongly that it would come true. The main characters in Of Mice Men have a dream which was to get a plot of land and live on it and become self-sufficient. The American Dream was not an achievable goal for many people. Steinbeck shows this failure through the characters of Lennie George. The American dream was a great thing. We first heard about it when Lennie and George were sitting by the river at the beginning of the book. The dream was a hope that every rancher had an opportunity for a better life. Lennie and George, the two main characters, had such a dream, Some day were gonna get a little place and a couple of acres. The idea was to get a piece of land, grow crops and have an improved life there. They also new exactly what they were aiming for and what they wanted. They realised that their imagination should not be set too high for fear of disappointment. The two men also knew that they should not tell other people about the plot of land in case it was snatched from under their noses. This frequently happened then, as so many people were seeking the same desire., Well its ten acres said George. Got a little win mill. Got a little shack on it and a chicken run. Got a kitchen, orchard, cherries, peaches, cots, nuts, got a few berries. This shows that Lennie and George had ambition and again, knew what they wanted. It also shows that there were places where the dream had a chance of coming true, and that affordable land was for sale. Lennie and George intended to get the land by working extremely hard for a couple of months. They would earn standard migrant labour workers wages which was of course not very much, as the great depression was around at the time the book was set. The men hoped to save money and put it towards the plot of land, Look, if me an Lennie work a month an dont spen nothing well have a hundred bucks. Sooner or later people started to realise that the American Dream was turning into a nightmare. This is shown in the book by all the travelling and unemployment. Steinbeck shows that people were determined to get a job and willing to travel around to find one, he reinforces this through Lennie and George. At the start of the novel Steinbeck told us that they were walking, so we obviously know that they have had a nomadic life. During their rest they have a conversation about their travels The first thing you know is that they are pounding away at some other ranch. This backs up the fact that people travel around for jobs. We know how Lennie and George frequently lose their jobs, this is due to Lennie constantly getting the pair of them into trouble which jeopardises their current job. Because of this they have to travel from one ranch to another in search of another job. Also you can corroborate the fact that people travelled by George quoting, The hell with what I says. You remember about us going into Murray and Readys and they give us work cards and bus tickets. Murray and Ready are a typical work agency that sprung up in America during the Great Depression. In the 1930s the Great Depression spoilt the American Dream, it damaged everything that had a promising future, from buying food to making investments in the stock market. Through out the novel we do not see this very much. It is shown only as a high unemployment rate. George is very passionate about work as he wants to achieve his dream. As you read on through the book George comments on other people in his situation, They aint got nothing to look ahead to. Implying that George is fed up of losing his job to other people. He now knows you should not think about looking ahead to long term ambitions as anything can happen. The rate of unemployment was a serious issue at the time of the book, as the economy was decreasing rapidly. It is shown through various characters such as Carlson, Slim, Lennie, George and many more. We know that they all have been travelling from ranch to ranch in search of jobs during this time, they have started to feel like they do not have a home and dont belong anywhere. Guys like us, they got no family and dont belong no place. They come to a ranch an work up a stake then they go into town and blow their stake. This was quite normal for young and old men in their quest, not just for the dream, but for survival. Because of that, it made it hard for people to keep a job as other people who were as desperate, came along and accepted less pay to work at the same job, just so they could get some money. The idea of the American Dream was to be happy but just as well as the Great depression, racism also crippled the illusion. The dream was merely for the whites, as many of the blacks were unlawfully discarded from the opportunity or status to achieve it. Steinbeck shows this in the book through a character called Crooks, who was a crippled Negro stable buck and had suffered years of abuse in his life. Although Crooks could read and write, he was very lonely and because he was black, he could not join in with the usual endeavours of other men on the ranch. Suppose you had to sit out here and read books. Sure you could play horseshoes till it gets dark, but then you got to read books. This shows he only had books for company. It was still very racist in the 1930s so there was not much chance of Crooks achieving the dream by himself and certainly no one at that time would try to help. In the course of the book Crooks also tells us about his life in the past, how his father did actually achieve the dream, and how his family was the only coloured family in Soledad, which is where the book was set. There wasnt another coloured family for miles around. And now there aint no coloured man on this ranch. Crooks felt strongly about this, he was neglected by everyone and still felt as if he was being treated as an unequal by every other man. He wanted so much to be included in the games that everyone participated in. Suppose you couldnt go into the bunk house and play rummy cause you was black. Because Crooks was being denied these privileges he turned into a bitter man who was equally as malicious as the offenders. This portrays the dream in a bad way, which is unusual as the dream is usually portrayed as being happy and being the provider when it actually created tensions between different races and cultures and caused many tribulations between people. Although Crooks is abused by many people on the ranch there is one person in the book who does not discriminate him because he is black, that person is Lennie. Lennie does not understand or see the racism in the world and he sees everyone as being the same. Crooks feels he can talk to Lennie about many things, A guy can talk to you an be sure you wont go blabbin. Because of this it reassures Crooks and makes him feel better as he knows he can talk to some one instead of read books At first there was a chance of the dream coming true. One reason was because of Candy, willing to give his life savings so he would know that he had somewhere to go after he was incapable of working on the ranch, Tell you what suppose I went in with you guys thas three hundred and fifty bucks Id put in. This endorses the fact that he was willing to put every last coinage that he had, to assist him to have a happy finale to his life. Also Crooks, the negro stable buck, offers to help, If you guys would want a hand in work for nothing just his keep. He did this just so he could have a friendship with someone and feel liked. In addition no one else knew about this certain plot of land, which made it a secret of the group and easy to obtain. We know that the owners needed to get the money fast, The ol people that owns it is flat bust an the ol lady needs an operation. Because of all this Lennie, George and Candy stood a very good chance of achieving this reverie. The American dream ended due to a series of unfortunate events. Steinbeck shows this through Lennie and George not getting the land. They did not get it because of many things. The main reason for them failing was Lennie. He spoilt the dream for George, as he was constantly getting into trouble and destroying any chance that he had to achieve the dream. After a while other men on the ranch begin to question their past, for example, Slim, What happened in Weed. We know that they have been travelling around and losing jobs, but it was not just because of other men stealing their jobs only to get paid less, it was also Lennie destructively destroying their chances, because of this they, had to move on to another ranch. In the end they had no hope what so ever, of the dream coming true because of Lennie, once again, getting George into trouble, as he was responsible for Lennie, when he unintentionally killed Curlys wife. If given the chance most men on the farm would attempt the dream even if they thought it was impossible. A good example is Crooks, at one point in the story, he was putting down the fact of any one achieving their goal, Jesus I seen it too many time. Too many guys with land in their head. They never get none under their hand. When Crooks found out that there was a chance of it happening, he decided on trying to get in on it, If you guys would want a hand to work for nothing, just his keep, why Id come an lend a hand. You can see also that people always put down the achievement of the dream, but they all had a secret burning ambition to get it if the chance came around. Through out the book Steinbeck managed to portray the conditions of the Great Depression in the 1930s. He also gave us a glimpse of The American Dream that every one pursued and showed us that it was not an easy achievement. Steinbeck has managed to show the different levels of hardship and suffering that people faced during that period of time and also managed to show more hopeless situations of people from a minority. The concept of the American Dream is at the heart of the novel Of Mice Men and therefore allows Steinbeck to make comments on American Society and the time of the Great Depression.

Immigration and Immigrants in America Essay -- American History

Immigration and Immigrants in America Most Americans place their pride in being apart of a country where a man can start at the bottom and work his way to the top. We also stress the fact that we are â€Å"all created equal† with â€Å"certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.† (Jefferson 45) During the early 1900s white Americans picked and chose who they saw fit to live in America and become an American. â€Å"Those that separate the desirable from the undesirable citizen or neighbor are individual rather than race.† (Abbott 307) In the 1900s the desired immigrant was one who spoke English and practiced customs who were similar to ours. Whereas an undesirable was one whose â€Å"customs he (Americans) understood, whose language is quite unrelated to English, the American finds â€Å"strange† and even â€Å"suspicious†.† (Abbott 307) The biggest debate today would be what could the individual/race can contribute to the American economy. â€Å"The American is a new man, who acts upon new principles; he must therefore entertain new ideas and form new opinions.† (Crevecoeur 26) With Crevecoeur’s definition anyone with half of a brain could be an American. This statement is basically contradicted by everything that is American. American society only wants people that can contribute to our economy. For decades people in America were sure of two things concerning immigrants. They came for the opportunity to build a better life for their families and they would not seek nor would they accept a handout. The drive and attitude of immigrants who came to America during the nineteen twenties through the nineteen sixties built strong work ethics that created our now famous American melting pot. But for the past thir... ...d to the building of America; Therefore other races can only but add on to the good things that are happening in America. Works Cited Abbot, Grace. â€Å"The Immigrants Place in a Social Program.† Primis. Michigan: McGraw-Hill, 1997. 304-309 Crevecoeur, Hector St. Jean De. â€Å"What is an American?† Primis. Michigan: McGraw-Hill, 1992. 23-40 Hall, Prescott F. â€Å"The Future of American Ideals† Primis. Michigan: McGraw-Hill. 300-303 Thompson, Ginger. â€Å"U.S. and Mexico to Open Talks on Freer Migration for Workers.† Handout from newspaper. **no date or name on handout*** Ward, Robert De Courcey. â€Å"Race Betterment and Our Immigration Law.† Proceedings of the First National Conference on Race Betterment, January 8,9,10,11,12,Battle Creek, Michigan. Battle Creek: Gage, 1914. 543-544, 545 CD-ROM. American Identity Explorer Immigration and Migration. McGraw-Hill, 2000.

History Special Needs Essay

The history of education for children with special educational needs in Ireland has been one of neglect and exclusion. However the past three decades have seen a shift in attitude and policy. A shift which, Professor Desmond Swan has described as a progression in three phases: the era of neglect and denial; the era of the special school; and the era of integration or inclusion . The right to education is recognised in Ireland under Article 42 of the Constitution. However, in 1993 The Special Education Review Committee (SERC) reported: â€Å"Ireland has a conspicuous lack of legislation governing much of education but particularly covering educational provision for students with special needs † During the 1990’s litigation in the sphere of education emerged as an important agent for change in special education. Since the landmark O’Donoghue judgement of1993, parents have sought the protection of the courts to give practical effect to a constitutional right to an education for their children with special educational needs and forced Government to give legislative effect to this right. Over the past ten years there have been a number of key legislative developments in education for people with special educational needs. A stated objective of the 1998 Education Act is â€Å"to give practical effect to the constitutional rights of children, including children who have a disability†. The Equal Status Act 2000 refers to education in relation to the policies of establishment regarding admissions, access to courses, access to any facility or benefit provided or any other condition of participation in the establishment. In suspected cases of discrimination recourse can be sought through the Office of Equality Investigations. The Education (Welfare) Act 2000 is to ensure school attendance. It provided for the establishment of a National Education Welfare Board. The objective of the Board is to ensure that all children attend a recognised school or otherwise receive a certain minimum education. It is Government policy to encourage the integration of pupils with disabilities into the mainstream education system. In a speech in the Dà ¡il in October 2003, Noel Dempsey, Minister for Education and Science signalled that the â€Å"education of children with special educational needs alongside those who do not have such needs has long been Government policy† . The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 refers to inclusion rather than integration, and notes that â€Å"A child with special educational needs shall be educated in an inclusive environment with children who do not have such needs†¦ † The Act is specifically concerned with children who have special educational needs. It aims to enhance the rights of children with disabilities to avail of, and benefit from, an appropriate education. The Act sets up the National Council for Special Education and outlines the responsibilities of Special Education Needs Organisers. The Act also provides for a range of services which must be provided within a certain timeframe and in constant consultation with the parents / guardians of the student, including assessments, individual education plans and support services as well as providing for a process of mediation and appeals where needs are not met. Such developments might seem to suggest that the concept of inclusion has become embedded in legislation and in Irish Schools but there is still considerable confusion as to what constitutes government policy in relation to children with special needs. Education continues to be provided on a continuum that ranges from separate special schools for children with severe, moderate or mild intellectual disability to special classes within mainstream schools to inclusion within mainstream classes with appropriate support. The National Council for Special Education itself is charged with ensuring that â€Å"a continuum of special education provision is available as required in relation to each type of disability† Section 20(g)5. The debate on inclusion for children with disability has just begun in this country and there is still a very long way to go. The rapid pace of development and change in special education has been problematic. Students with special educational needs may not necessarily have their needs met by appropriately qualified staff. Resource teaching time may not be sufficient, new curricula need to be developed and the physical environment of the school may present a barrier to access.

Who Is Roger Williams University - 1196 Words

Brian and Gloria are students at Roger Williams University who share different views on a touchy subject. Brian, a freshman, reached out to Gloria, a senior and chair of CEN, wishing to invite Milo Yiannopoulos to speak at our campus. After doing research on Yiannopoulos, Gloria believes he is â€Å"racist and sexist† and goes against everything Roger Williams University stands for. Gloria feels Yiannopoulos would offend many students on campus, possibly leading to violence. She thinks Roger Williams would not allow Yiannopoulos to speak at our campus, so we shouldn’t allow him to either. However, Brian believes Roger Williams University is an â€Å"inclusive† campus and we welcome and value all expressions of diversity and identity. Brian says Roger Williams was probably the first American to â€Å"challenge societal norms†, and we should follow in his footsteps. Brian feels Gloria is being narrow-minded and he is being denied his right to free speech and peaceful assembly. 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