The Frailty of Dreams in Of Mice and Men

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You're still young, so we're sure you still have plenty of dreams. That's not to say that we, your elders (hey - some of us are barely thirty!) have lost the ability to dream or no longer have any good ones. It's just that, after you've lived a number of years out there in the real world, you're certain to experience a good deal of disappointment. Even if some of our dreams have come true, others have idled or fallen by the wayside.

In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck shares the story of a couple of dreamers. George and Lennie start out with the highest hopes - they are on their way to find work and easy money in the land of opportunity (California, not Vegas - you're thinking of the land of opportunists). Although poor and just starting out, they haven't a care in the world and have not yet let the possibility of failure enter their minds. To be fair, Lennie doesn't let much of anything enter his mind.

Lennie is the epitome of hopefulness. For starters, he's a little, er, well... he's not at the top of his AP English Language class, we'll put it that way. Okay, so he's a little slow. But his dreams don't suffer for it. He has grand designs for a boatload full of puppies and rabbits, and for owning a ranch on which he can live and take care of all of them. George's dreams, on the other hand, revolve mostly around Lennie. Although he can sometimes act harshly toward him, all George really wants is to see his best bud happy. He is envious of his friend's childlike, boundless optimism, and it inspires him. George, too, longs for that ranch, but he almost wants it more for Lennie than he does for himself.

However, one thing after another goes wrong (like in that recurring dream you have in which you're taking the PSAT and you suddenly develop a case of bubble-filler's elbow, then pass out from heat exhaustion) and that ranch starts to seem further and further away.

Although they (well, George at least) start to realize that their dreams are steering dangerously off path, they stubbornly hold onto whatever thin sliver of hope they can muster. Even to the bitter end, Lennie is still looking off into the distance, envisioning all of his dreams coming true, even as an angry mob closes in on them.

So as you read this, O blissful dreamer, dream well and dream hard, but don't be afraid to let your dreams morph gradually into something different than what you initially expected as you go through your life. Because you don't want to be blindsided when your best friend fires a Luger into the back of your head.

Paul Thomson is an avid reader of English Literature. His areas of expertise include Of Mice and Men, AP English Language, and PSAT. In his spare time, he loves to participate in online literature forums and promote reading for youth.

BOOK REVIEW: THE PEARL by John Steinbeck

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John Steinbeck (1902-1968) is one of America's greatest writers and is a Nobel Prize winner for Literature in 1962. I must confess, though, that this is the first time I read a book by him, all thanks to a fellow book lover and book blogger who kept on raving about how wonderful a writer John Steinbeck is. I bought my copy of this book for only Php17.00 from Booksale, but certainly this book is worth a thousand more than its price.

I did a little bit of research about John Steinbeck and learned that this author is known for the social criticisms inherent in most of his works, and was even branded to be subversive. These social criticisms are likewise central in The Pearl, where Steinbeck tells the story of a pearl diver named Kino and how his life is affected after finding the greatest pearl of all time. Reading The Pearl gives out a feeling of reading a parable or a fable, though I must say that the story is more than just a fable. It is a social commentary on the great chasm that divides the rich from the poor and the evils of greed. It portrays a touching story of how riches can change a man and how it can give and destroy peace. It tells about the true value of riches and where they can be found.

Kino, a pearl diver, is in constant search for that great pearl that can bring him, his wife and his little child the wealth that can save them from abject poverty. This great search was even more fired when Kino's baby who was bit by a scorpion was refused medical aid by known healers because they cannot pay the medical fees. When Kino finally found the Pearl, his life changed drastically and it seems that wealth and comfort are now within his reach. However, his life was also caught in line because more and more people have become interested in acquiring for themselves the Pearl. Add to that the very low valuation given by money changers on the pearl, because they wanted to short change and trick the seemingly naive young pearl diver. Kino and his family are then forced by circumstances to escape their place and go to the hinterlands in order to look for the best price for the Pearl.

What I love most about The Pearl are the various symbolisms and interpretations it connotes. It is a story worth discussing. The ending may not have surprised me that much, but I love how such conclusion affected the whole direction of the story. I love how The Pearl has made me think. After all, this is what good literature is all about - to make you think.

4 stars.