Themes - OMAM Flashcards
Dreams - OMAN theme
The American Dream - Despite many people wanting to come to America due to what it supposedly offers, the people living there are clearly struggling. The dream is fake, as seen by Lennie’s and Curley’s wives deaths.
Lennie George and Candy dream of owning a ranch.
Curley’s wife used to dream of being in Hollywood
Loneliness - OMAM theme
Soledad (the town the book is set in) means solitude (loneliness) in Spanish.
Crooks is lonely, as he’s black and is separated from the other workers, leeching him of human interaction
Curley’s wife is lonely, as seen by her talking to many men, as her husband isn’t a true friend to her, and he’s too controlling, this loneliness ironically leads to her death.
Candy- Candy is lonely because he’s the oldest man there and is disabled. Everyone discards him and he feels disposable, just as his dog was. This is why he latches onto George and Lennie.
Friendship - OMAM theme
George and Lennie have an unlikely friendship, causing people to think they’re gay as it wasn’t normal for men to travel together at the time. Their bond is also quite close, almost like mother and son. They stand out as there’s no other meaningful relationships in the book.
