George and Lennie dream of owning their own farm, where they have control over what grows and when they leave. Lennie will tend the rabbits, and they will live off of the land. George realizes that this dream is impossible and will never be realized. Throughout this book, the impossibility of the American Dream is a recurring theme. Curley's wife dreamed of life as a movie star, while Candy and Crooks latched onto to Lennie and George's dream. After finding Curley's dead wife, George admits that he knew they would never realize their dream: "I think I knowed we'd never do her" (Steinbeck 94). All dreams in the book are shattered and the American Dream is not realized.

Theme: The American Dream