Abstract

Of Mice and Men is a novella spanning only three days during the Great Depression-the worst time in America. The American Dream and Loneliness are both the prominent themes in Of Mice and Men. This thesis aims to explore the connection between disillusionment of American Dream and loneliness in this novel by analyzing five main characters’ discourses especially. 

The American Dream and Loneliness are both the prominent themes in Of Mice and Men. This thesis aims to explore the connection between disillusionment of American Dream and loneliness in this novel by analyzing five main characters’ discourses especially. Through language, action, and symbols of which Steinbeck makes use as recurring motifs, the clues that the loneliness does harmful to American dream can be found. 

This thesis is composed of three chapters, plus the introduction. Many researches have indicated that the disillusionment of American Dream results in people’s loneliness. From another perspective, does the loneliness have the adverse effect on achieving the American Dream? However, previous studies don’t pay much attention to the effect that loneliness has on the American Dream. 

Introduction gives a brief review of different perspectives on American Dream and loneliness of previous researchers. 

Chapter one focuses on the overall presentation of the American Dream and loneliness in the novel.

Chapter two concentrates on the connection between the American Dream and loneliness through analyzing characters’ discourses. This chapter includes five parts according to five characters. Every part states and investigates one major character’s American Dream and loneliness separately and then digs deep to find the clue that the loneliness leads to the disillusionment of American Dream. 

Chapter three is the conclusion. Conclusion conveys the idea that the loneliness becomes a handicap in the road of pursuing dreams.

Keyword: Of Mice and Men; disillusionment of Ameircan Dream; Loneliness