The book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is about a pair of men who travel together, always looking for work, never able to make enough money to realize their shared dream of settling down and having enough mondy to buy land for a ranch. Lennie, a huge man who is mentally retarded, is the one reason why George, his protector of sorts, cares to dream at all. However, Lennie is the one obstacle that prevents them from being able to reach their goal. Lennie, a strong man with a child's mind works well if directed by George and constantly reminded of the rules. He is also fond of petting soft things such as mice and rabbits, but unaware of his own strength, ends up killing them. George and Lennie's dream of having a ranch mean different things for each of them, but they both do what they can to achieve it.
For Lennie, living on a ranch with George would give him a sense of security that he doesn't have in a working environment. It would give him a chance to be more independent in a place where if he messed up he would still be safe. However, at the moment he has to rely on George for everything, and knows that without George he would never be able to get along in the world. "'George gonna come back,' Lennie reassured himself in a frightened voice. 'Maybe George come back already. Maybe I better go see.'" (73). Lennie is aware that he is a burden, and that George can just leave him at any time. Having a ranch would mean that he was protected from the world without George having to watch him every step of the way and that he could live in a place where he felt safe.
For George, having a ranch would mean having a livelihood that he could control, being the boss instead of always having to work for others. For example, when he and Lennie are close to a new town where they could find work, he decides to stop in the woods for the night, instead of continuing on. He says, "'I like it here. Tomorra we're gonna go to work. I seen thrashin' machines on the way down. That means we'll be bucking grain bags, bustin' a gut. Tonight I'm gonna lay right here and look up. I like it." (8). Although he knows he needs to make money to take care of himself and Lennie, George likes the freedom he has when he's not working. When it's just him and Lennie he gets to call the shots, and doesn't have to answer to anyone else. "'We got a future," he says, "We don't have to sit in no bar room blowin' in our jack jus' because we got no place else to go." (14). Having this dream gives him more confidence in what he can achieve, and keeps him motivated because he believes that even with minimal pay and Lennie causing trouble everywhere they go, they can still beat the odds.
Of Mice and Men tells the story of two men struggling to make a living, always striving to realize their dream of having a ranch. However, in the end, they are stuck in a cycle, always a few month's pay away from having enough money until Lennie "does something bad" and they have to start all over again in a new town. Both try as hard as they can to make their dream come true. Having a ranch would mean that George is in charge, not just a nobody anymore, and that Lennie can finally feel safe.
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