《人鼠之间》美国梦破灭与孤独之联系(2)

菜单

2.4 CURLEY’S WIFE 10

3.CONCLUSION 12

Introduction

Of Mice and Men is a representative work by John Steinbeck which sets during the Great Depression in California. There is one theme that is present from the beginning to end of this novel; that is the American Dream. The theme of loneliness is manifested many times in the work and is also the dominant theme. The American Dream, the loneliness and the relationship of these two are the most often discussed by many scholars. Moreover, there are many perspectives to look into the American Dream and the loneliness in the novel.

America is a country full of opportunities and dreams. However, the idea of the American dream is older than the establishment of this country, dating to the 1600s, when people began to have all sorts of hopes and aspirations for their dreams of democracy, freedom and equality in a new and largely unexplored American continent. The American Dream is the idea that by working hard, every person, regardless of race, religion, social class, etc., can lead a happy, successful life. During the Great Depression in the 1930’s, many people traveled westwards to California due to dust storms and bank foreclosures. They were looking for a better life than the one they had in their home states. A lot of Americans were homeless since they had lost their money and their jobs when the stock market crashed in 1929. At the mention of the American Dream, most people hold the opinion that the American Dream is only for America. In On Human Dignity, Jürgen Moltmann has an essay called “America as Dream”, where he states: “Before there was the American dream, there was America as dream.” In other words, what we today call “the American dream” was a human dream long before it was identified with a certain place. It may be identified particularly with the United States as an important experiment and expression, but its aims are for everyone. During the Great Depression, as many as 15 million people were unemployed and almost half of all banks closed. Many believed that it is the American Dream that unites Americans and helps them start anew when they encounter obstacles. The American Dream is an everlasting theme of the American literature, which prevailed in many writers’ works during the Great Depression of the 1930s. John Steinbeck is one of them.源^自·优尔|文\论]文'网[www.youerw.com

Of Mice and Men is a non-teleological novella, and its title was “Something That Happened ” indicating that the events of the novel are neither typical nor commonplace and that nobody can be really blamed for the tragedy in the story. However, the final title is taken from Robert Burn’s poem “To a Mouse”, which reads: “The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry. ” As Peter Lisca puts it “Burns extends the mouse’s experience to include mankind; in Of Mice and Men Steinbeck extends the experience of two migrant workers to the human condition” . It reflects that the story which happens to these two workers will possibly happen to every single man. “After completing Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck himself in a letter to his agents, said that Lennie represents ‘the inarticulate and powerful yearning of all men’, and referred to its scene as a microcosm, making it plain that this novel was meant to express the inevitable defeat and futility of all men’s plans.” In Of Mice and Men, all men’s plans refer to plans which are carefully prepared to achieve dreams. Lennie and George prepare to save their wages to buy a piece of land. However, when confronting the destiny, not only Lennie and George are as vulnerable as small animals, but also the entire human race, having nothing to do. This title foreshadows the final ending of this book: the disillusion of American dreams.