How is the American Dream is portrayed in different scenarios and centuries? The American Dream is accomplished by sacrifice, working hard, and taking risks, and not by luck. My dream is similar to the American Dream because I believe I can be successful if I put a lot of effort into achieving my goals. George and Lennie understand that if they work hard, they can live an independent, successful life and settle down, without having to worry about money and poverty. The American Dream is the idea that anyone, regardless of where they were born or what 'social group' they were born in, can achieve prosperity and victory.
In Steinbeck’s novella, ‘Of Mice and Men’, the author conveys the idea that George and Lennie’s dream of owning a farm, which would allow them to sustain themselves, represents the idea of the American Dream. “‘Sure’, said George. ‘All kin’s a vegetables in the garden, and if we want a little whisky we can sell a few eggs or something, or some milk. We’d jus’ live there. We’d belong there. There wouldn’t be no more runnin’ round the country and gettin’ fed by a Jap cook. No, sir, we’d have our own place where we belonged and not sleep in no bunkhouse’” (Steinbeck, 57). In this instance, Steinbeck draws a comparison between George and Lennie’s idea of an ideal life and the American Dream itself. This is the idea that in America, it is plausible for anyone to succeed and improve their lives by working hard. The attribute that makes most of their dreams typically American is that George and Lennie wish for pure happiness and for the liberty to pursue their own desires. Their dreams are really important because they represent freedom and having control over their lives, which they do not have since they are constantly moving around looking for work. All George and Lennie dream of is outlined in the quote: a site where they feel they belong and do not have to leave. These are the elements that are missing from their lives, indicating that the purpose they need the dream is to have hope that their lives may be better someday. However, at the end of the book, when Lennie dies, the dream of farm in which George, Lennie, and Candy hope to go to and 'live a good life' dies with him.
Everyone has a dream. Even when I was little, my dream was to achieve something and be someone important. I have always had big plans for the future and, nowadays, my biggest dream is to be a surgeon. In order to achieve my dreams, I have set many goals. Currently, I am a freshman in high school, and college will be the first step to achieve my dreams. Getting accepted into a medical program is not simple. That is why I am working hard and trying my best to get good grades and participate in as many extracurricular activities as possible. My parents demand a lot of me, and I have done a great job so far. I am focusing on doing everything I need to do to get into a good college. I have been working hard for a long time to improve my knowledge and keep myself informed about all I need to do to accomplish my goals. An example of my hard work is that every Saturday, from 2 pm - 6 pm, I go to smaller and underprivileged communities with a group of doctors from UnB (University of Brasilia) to take care of the families that live in these areas. In addition to that, most of the people in my family are doctors so I have been surrounded by people in the medical field my entire life. Something that has just been reinforced since the beginning of my visits with the UnB’s doctors is that I don’t aspire to be a doctor who just operates for payment. I want to support others who can’t afford treatments and help them. I am sure that the smile that appears on someone's face if I help them will be the greatest award I will ever get. My dream is to become a doctor who is known for being kind, helpful and who, most of all, loves the job.
The main difference between my dream and the American Dream is that my dream is not to settle down but to live an adventurous life. One of the ways to make this difference clearer is to define the American Dream. The American Dream is the idea that anyone, regardless of where they were born or what 'social group' they were born in, can achieve prosperity and victory. The American Dream is accomplished by sacrifice, working hard, and taking risks, and not by luck. My dream is very similar to all that represents the American Dream. I believe I can be someone great and achieve prosperity. As for George and Lennie's dream, the reader can recognize an extreme similarity between the ideology of the American and their dream. “‘Well’, said George, ‘we'll have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and chickens. And when it rains in the winter, we'll just say the hell with goin' to work, and we'll build up a fire in the stove and set around it an' listen to the rain comin' down on the roof’” (Steinbeck, 14). In this instance, Steinbeck draws a comparison between the life the characters would like to live and the concept of the American Dream. The use of this technique reinforces the idea that George and Lennie understand that, regardless of their 'social group', they can still live an independent, successful life so they can settle down.
In conclusion, the American Dream is achieved when someone works hard work and takes opportunities, not by accident. My ideal is comparable to the American Dream because I think I can be prosperous if I put a lot of energy into reaching my goals. The American Dream is the belief that anyone, despite the place they were born or which 'economic status' they were born in, can reach success and accomplishment.