The American Dream is a theme within our text. The American dream is unique to each citizen. It is rooted in the idea of freedom and the opportunity for material prosperity. However, there are many layers to the dream. Look at George and Lennie's dream. What does the dream entail? What is it made of? What has to happen in order for it to occur? Who owns the American dream in our text?
I want you to read the lyrics to the two songs below or if you wish to find the songs and listen you may. However you choose, examine the American dream in both pieces. How do they compare? What differences do you see? What is standing in the way of the dream? How are they the same at the core? What symbols do you see within each song?
The two songs come from two very different and talented artists. It is not required that you like the songs and please do not allow your own bias toward song preference to get in your way of analysis. Click the song titles to go to the lyrics. "I Have a Dream" by Common and "Rain on the Scarecrow" by John Mellencamp.
Happy listening!
82 comments:
Lennie and George's dream was to own their own land and call it home. Lennie could meet his desire of tending to the rabbits and George could no longer worry about the actions of Lennie. For them, this was their perfect world. The dream is made of hope, unmatched desire, unbreakable companionship and for Lennie's benefit, repetition through George's words. With these characteristics, the two could have attained their dream; however, they lacked time and Lennie made mistakes. In the story, I believe that no individual reached "the" American Dream, because this dream is personalized for each individual. No two individuals are identical; no two dreams are the same.
THe two songs both talk about dreams and the obstacle that impedes individuals from success. In "I have a Dream", this song depicts the time of Martin Luther King Jr. and times of segregation. For "Rain on the Scarecrow" this song sets itself in the farming crisis of 1980. Laws were passed by Ronald Reagan which endangered farmers. These songs both evince conflict between the dreams of people and the law- the law is the greater authority which attempts to preserve peace in society. In "Rain on a Scarecrow" I see that the words "rain" and "blood" are interchanged. This change in diction shows the difference in perspective. For the government, the law was seen as a benefit, or rain abetting the land; however, to farmers, these laws were blood staining on their dreams, forever changing the "appearance" of their dreams. This can also be related to "I have a Dream" because the segregated laws were seen as creating peace between races;however, it only produced turmoil and conflict. This core idea of both songs is what these songs are trying to present. An individual's dream can be altered through the perspective of others.
The dream entails a big farm, with the regular animlas that are seen on a regular farm. They want animals like dogs, bunnies, cows, pigs, and other animals. Their dream is made of things that make them both happy and make them feel alive. In order for them to have their dream they have to raise enough money to buy the farm that is the perfect size and its big enough to have everything that they want. I think that no one has reached the American dream because
everyone has a different dream and in the book "Of Mice and Men" everyone couldn't reach that dream.
The songs compare because they both have a dream that they want to persue on their own farm, but can't beceause there's something in the way of that dream.
The songs differ because the song "I Have a Dream" is about some guy that has troubles about being a different race and lives on a farm because he is told that he can't do anything.
The song "Rain on the Scarecrow" is about when someone has their home and job taken from right under their feet.
What is standing in the way of the dream in the song "I Have a Dream" is that the person is told that he is nothing and he can't do anyhting because he's a different race and he isn't normal like most people.
What is standing in the way of the dream in the song "Rain on the Scarecrow" is the fact that they couldn't grow enough crops to pay the loans. They couldn't buy more seeds to get the more money that they needed, so the bank forclosed the farm.
I think that some symbols in "I Have a Dream" are walls because it seeme like the person is shut out from the world and has problems that he doesn't use them right.
I think that some symbols in "Rain on the Scarecrow" are blood and the blood represents the government shutting down their farm even more and every time that theres more blood the more that they have to leave their farm.
The last comment was from ~Amanda C. 3*~
Lennie and George's dream is to own a plot of land. Lennie would tend the rabbits, and George would be free of watching over Lennie. In order for this to happen, George and Lennie must save up money they earn from working on various farms around the country.
Both songs are about having a dream, and everything that stands in the way of that deam.
"I Have a Dream" is about Martin Luther King Jr and how he dreams of being free. He lived in a time of segregation in America and he dreams of equality, freedom.
"Rain on the Scarecrow" is about farmers dreaming for rain in the time of crisis on their farms.
~Kayla 2*~
Lennie and George's dream was made of wanting to be something or someone. Lennie wanted to be the perfect friend to George and George just wanted to use Lennie to make himself look good. Common's song "I Have A Dream" this song showed segragation throughout the years from the holocaust to the civil rights movement.This showed the dreams of the Jewish people on how they just wanted to be equal to everyone else in Germany. The Civil Rights Movement should that African Americans wanted to be treated equal to everyone in the U.S.
-Jake B-
Lennie and George dream was to own there own land/farm. Because George had to take care of Lennie he had to tell him something for him to believe in and so because Lennie was mentally retarded he was treated badly and was hit if he did any thing bad.
The American dream in "rain on the scarecrow" was to own a farm but the government is making it impossible for them to own it when they want to make it cheaper, and one by one they are dieing off.
The America dream in "i have a dream" was black rights and martin Luther king Jr. The dream was for freedom and peace.
There is a relationship between Lennie and "i have a dream" were the black community is trying to to have freedom just like Lennie with freedom on the farm, and also rights like black rights and handy cap rights.
from dmytro stasiouk
Lennie and George had a dream to own thier own ranch. They wanted a place that they could call thiers. Lennie had always wanted a place where he could tend to rabbits. the only way to make this haqppen is for them to make qa enough miney to buy thier own land. Since evryone on the farm had different desires none of them had quite reached the American Dream.
The song "I Have a Dream" deals with Martins Luther King Jr.'s era. The song "Rain on the Scarecrow" is about the life of Farmers. They both have to with dtruggles you face with trying to accomplish your dreams. In "I Have Dream" he talks about how he is segragated and doesnt get the same oppurtunities as white people. A symbol is barriers preventing him fro, his dreams. In "Rain on the Scarcrow" there stuggles are not having good crops to sell and make money for. A symbol for that would be the blood represnting hardships.
Lennie and George each had, the idea of the American Dream, to be able to acomplish what your heart really wanted amidst the freedom said about american soil. America was said to be the place where dreams come true, where one could settle down, find a stable genous paying job and live to their hearts content. Not every dream is achieved though. In Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie don't find they farm they want. Money becomes an issue and others comments Led George to believe thathis dream wasnt stable, and couldnt be acomplished. In Rain on the scarecrow, the farmer lost his dream- his home, the legacy for his son, his job, his hobbies and his pride. This was all from laws that were passed from people with a diffrent view and opion. In I have a Dream, the speaker is from the ghetto and wants to make something of himself. That's his dream, but others who discriminate against people whome they have no idea of take away his dreams, all from their outside opions. Each dream that was held close was exposed and faded from outsiders opions.To some it was something they'd been told over again (Of Mice and Men, I have a Dream) , but to others it was a whole new loss, a relization to them of how others ignorance can lead to another's dispar(Rain on the Scarecrow). All three peices of art show loss from outside opions. The money Goerge and Lennie earned would buy their farm, but living requires money, and with them not being rich it was only till an amount of time untill they realized they would not be able to afford the farm. In I have a Dream, the Ghettos and the 'Hood weas the symbol that reminded the artist of his past, one that would barely allow him to persue his dream and in Rain on the Scarecrow the symbol is The rain, which extinguishes the flame tha was his dream(with the author being the scarcrow) and the Blood, which was the opions of others, intrudng on his dream.
Rachael S 5-6
The American Dream could be owning a home and prospering. It is made of hard work and patience. Lennie and George want to own a plot of land and have a little house with a farm. For this to happen George and Lennie have to be patient and work until they have enough money to buy their dream. The American Dream in the text is not owned. Everyone has different dreams.
Both songs are about a dream each individual had. Only in Rain on the Scarecrow the artist lost his dream, pride. The farm he owned was important to him and he didn’t make enough money to keep the land. He had memories on the farm and he is upset that his son will not get it, the end of the legacy. In I Have a Dream the artist explains the dream that he wishes one day to accomplish. The artist is in search of brighter days. In the Rain on the Scarecrow the artist wants to save his dream. In I Have a Dream the artist wants to accomplish his dream.
~Lydia Schroer 2*
The dream of Lennie and George was to own their own ranch and live off of the land. Lennie seemed particularly interested in tending to the rabbits. The dream contained escape from the rest of the world. They wouldn't have to work for anybody. George and Lennie needed enough money to purchase their dream property from the current owners. The old couple physically owns the property that the men want, but George and Lennie spoke of it as though it was theirs.
The songs are both similar because they both speak of desiring a greater life than the one they have. They are different because Common's life is in the bad parts of town and Mellencamp's is in the country. This shows us that the American dream can be found everywhere. The two songs are alike in that way. A symbol in Common's song is the way he says that he was born on the black list. He was born with prejudice and automatically put on the "list". A symbol in Mellencamp's song is when he says that there will be rain on the scarecrow and blood on the plow to symbolize that the American dream can be rough. -Rachel Javorsky 7*/8*
They compare because both pieces are wanting to escape for freedom and stay away from racism. The differences are the song "i have a dream" is about escaping racism from african americans and "Rain on the Scarecrow" is about the farmers and there freedom. The thing that was standing in the way of the dream was as simple as people. They were causing the people to not reach there dreams. They are the same at the core because both just want to get out and escape racism. They are symbolizing the dreams they have and the way they are feeling.
jake s. 5-6
George and Lennie's dream is all about having the independent freedom to do what they please. They want to earn enough money to buy a house and call it their home. Lennie specifically wants to have a rabbit farm, companions whom he can personally care for, to feel accomplished of himself. George just wants to have a place he can call home, to kick back and enjoy life. Before they can do this however, they need to get enough money working jobs to buy the land and a house. This doesn't happen much because of Lennie's mental disorder. He is curious about something, so before he considers what other people will make of it, or the consequences involved, he does it. This is ruining their dream, and why George gets upset with Lennie. Whoever feels as though they have accomplished their dream the most owns the 'American Dream' in the book. The individual's dream could be working hard for a living on a ranch. This could easily be Slim.
Some of the differences I see between "I have a Dream," and "Rain on the Scarecrow" is the way that "I have a Dream" seems to come back from nothing to achieve their dream. "Rain on the Scarecrow" starts at nothing, talks about it's dream, and ends up at the bottom, just where it started. The 'bottom' is in the form of poverty, very little money. This is the obstacle that they must overcome to achieve their dream. This is how they are the same, how they relate. They are both chasing their dream, the 'American Dream.' One of the symbols that occur in "I have a Dream" are the multiple forms of darkness, poverty, all that represents negative aspects of life. The obvious symbol in "Rain on the Scarecrow" is the scarecrow that is being rained on, which represents the author. It is the obstacle he must overcome to achieve his dream.
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Paul S.
7/8*
Lennie and George have always dreamed about owning their own piece of land that they can work. George does not want to have to work for someone else and not gain anything from the harvest, and Lennie wants to own his own rabbits. Sheer desire is what drives the men to work towards their goal. IN order to achieve their dream Lennie and George need to pull together enough money in order to buy the piece of land George has in mind. Both men have the American dream in mind as well as Candy because they want to own a piece of land.
The two songs compare because they both speak about having a dream, but something is in the way of that dream. Although the songs are about having a dream, the dreams are different in the two songs. In the song, "I Have a Dream", it speaks of a man having a dream to not be looked down on as a black man, but to be seen as an equal to other men. His dream is elminiate segregation all together. The song "Rain on the Scarecrow" is about a family owning a farm, but with the laws and the bad crops, the family could no longer afford the farm, and it had a foreclosure. The dream of the somg is to get the farm back so that the family can continue to plow the land. Both songs speak about getting back what they really deserve - their natural rights in "I Have a Dream", and their farm back in "Rain on the Scarecrow".
In the song, "I Have a Dream", the maze is a symbol of the obstacles that caused segregation in the first place. In "Rain on the Scarecrow", the symbol is the blood on the plow because the government is causing the family pain with them having to give up their farm.
The dream of George and Lennie was to own their own farm and make a home of it. It was their dream because they wouldn't have to worry about a thing. Lennie could tend his rabbits and George would not need to worry about Lennie getting into trouble. This dream they share is made of false hope. Lennie and George keep hoping they will come upon the money to get the property, but Lennie keeps screwing it up when he gets into trouble. If Lennie could stay out of trouble long enough they very well could have reached their dream. I believe no one reached their American Dream, although I am not certain for we only see the narrow range of thoughts of George and Lennie. We do not see the thoughts and dreams of any other character in the book. It is possible one of them could have had his dream by working on this farm.
Both of these songs talk about the dreams of someone and what it was that stopped those people from reaching those dreams. "I Have a Dream" is set around Martin Luther King Jr. and the period of segregation. This song shows the conflict between the dreams of the colored people and the law, the law being the higher power. In the song the "dark clouds" that follow the man represent the segregation laws that follow this man. When he says he is on the "black list" he means he is colored. In the song "Rain on a Scarecrow" the dream of the boy is to tend the land of the farm just like his father and grandfather had done. He never gets the opportunity to because his father has to sell the land. In this song "blood" and "rain" are used interchangably. This shows that to others the sale of this land is just what the people are doing to get by. It is just rain that will wash off with no problem. To the boy this sale is the loss of his dream. It is blood staining his dream permanently.
The core idea of both songs is that dreams are a matter of perspective, and that the difference of perspective from one person to another can alter that dream forever.
Goerge and Lennie's plan is to own land. lennie also want to own some rabbits. Geogre wants to stop watching over Lennie.
Both songs where about someone having a dream.
"Rain on the Scarecrow" is about framing in the 1980's.
'I Have a Dream" it about Martin Luther KIng Jr. and how he had a dream for freedom.
Samantha S.
5/6*
The two songs are very similar in that in both, the characters want to be set free and want bigger, better and happier things. Each character in the lyrics has the role of portraying their dream and representing their will in figurative language.
In "I Have a Dream", the way I interpreted this piece was with a man or woman who struggled with alcoholism or some other addiction that landed he/she in jail with other serious consequences and they just really want to turn their life around. The author says how they have a "boulder on my shoulders" and "they are a colder soldier in the cold war" meaning they have struggles that they are battling with such as war or heavy objects weighing them down. This song also uses archtypes by using the symbolism and repition of dark. Every verse had dark in it but the focal point was their dream and how they are going to achieve it one day.
In the "Rain of the Scarecrow", i interpreted this song as having his close family member die was the "crosses in the field" because the time period the author is writing about is during the depression because crops are not making the high buck and land is a nessicity that seems as though not many can afford. The composer is battling with the want for freedom of the past and his dream is to have a better life for himself.
Michelle 1st period
The differences are that one talks about losing dignity in "Rain on the Scarecrow" and in "I have a dream" it talks about the dream being to be free. The thing that is standing in the way of the dream is the bias towards these people. The other people treat them differently then others. They are the same at the core because it is over all about not fitting in and loosing your dignity and pride. The symbols I see in this song are that the scarecrow in the rain represents the singer in "Rain on the Scarecrow", they both lost their dignity, but through different things. In I have a dream the symbol is that Martin Luther King wanted a dream too. Each singer also wants a bigger and better, happier life.
-Addie Gall
The dream for Lennie and George is to own their own land. This would entitle having a farm and having a lot of rabbits. They would have to save up enough money to be able to purchase the land. The Boss is the only one because he is the only one that we know that owns land.
The two songs are about how there are goals/dreams and the obstacles that need to be gotten through. Such as "I have a dream" the guy wants to own a farm but he can't because of his race. "Rain on the Scarecrow" has a similiar meaning to it because he can't own a farm because it was taken right away from him.
Thomas M. 7°/8°
George and Lennie own the american Dream. The dream is they will buy some land and make a livin off of it.This will fill Lennie's desires because he will get to tend to the rabbits like George promised. George will fill his desires by not having to watch Lennie so closely anymore. What has to happen is they need to get a job and get enough money so they can buy the land.
When I read the two lyrics I found the comparison to be that they both went through struggles to get where they had to be.The differences I see is in I Have A Dream he was fighting for equal rights for black people. In Rain On A Scarecrow he was losing his land and couldnt sell his crops so couldnt pay loans off. The thing standing in ones way(I Have A Dream) is laws and a lot of white discriminating people. The thing stading in the others way(Rain On A Scrarecrow) is not having any crops to make a living. They are at the same core because they are both fighting to get something or get something back. The symbols I see in I Have A Dream is blacks and ghetto and things that represent discrimination and fighting for freedom. The symbols I see in Rain On A Scarecrow is talking about land and feeding a whole nation once and gravestones in the field from all who died from not having enough crops to feed them and pay bills anymore.
They all compare because they all want freedom, for all the people. They don't want judgment, or separate color buildings, or farm for the different people to be on. They all want a change in this country. When it says "They'll be blood on the scarecrow blood on the plow" that showing beating, and torture, which the different people would get for who what they looked like on the outside, it didn't matter if you were a business man, or a homeless man, either way you would be looked at all the same! In 'I have a dream' when it says "Were gonna work it out" There's hope. they are showing that they won't give up, because they are no different. The people standing in the way of these dreams, are the ones who believe in slavery, and cruelty. The ones who believe in difference. In each song i believe in persistence, they booth have so much passion to make a change.
Lennie and George both had a dream, some parts similar while others are different. Lennie could tend the rabbits and cause no issues, while George could do whatever he pleases. This was their perfect world; their dream. Both of the songs talk about dreams and an obstacle towards reaching success. George and Lennie's was obviously Lennie's intelligence, but partly was of George's ignorance in not putting his feet in Lennie's spot. Both of these songs and the book "Of Mice and Men" show how vision of someones dream can be changed by the way people view them.
Ethan Engelke 2
George and Lennie’s dream entails a small place of their own where Lennie can tend the rabbits and George doesn’t have to worry about the consequences of Lennie’s actions. It’s made of their hope that one day they can have a place where they say what goes and they can do whatever they want; a place where they can live off the land and raise animals. They dream of a safe haven from the cruel world around them that has no place for a person like Lennie. In order for this to happen they need money and to stay out of trouble, which ultimately led to the failure of their dream. Lennie is always getting in trouble because he doesn’t know any better. So when he killed Curly’s wife on accident, he also killed their dream. I feel that no one on the text owns the American dream, but at the same time everyone owns it. This is because everyone’s idea of the American dream is different from everyone else’s.
The two songs can be compared by the fact that both songs are about a dream. “I Have a Dream” had a dream of freedom and no racism or segregation. “Rain on the Scarecrow” being about the dream of their farm and how he wishes it was the farm it was when his grandfather first built it. Also they both have repetition of specific phrases, such as “rain on the scarecrow, blood on the plow” for the song “Rain on the Scarecrow” and the phrases “I have a dream” and “my dream is to be free” for the song “I Have a Dream”. As for differences one of the main ones is that “Rain on the Scarecrow” the song is about the foreclosure of a farm and “I Have a Dream” is about wanting to be free of racism and segregation. What is standing in the way of the dream in “Rain on the Scarecrow” is the failure of the farm, and what is standing in the way of the dream in “I Have a Dream” is the fact that people were and to an extent still are racist. They are the same at the core because they both have other people getting in the way and smashing their dreams. For symbols in “Rain on the Scarecrow” the farm was his dream and the “blood” I thought was symbolic for death and so I thought the phase “blood on the plow” was a symbolic way of saying his dream was dead. For “I Have A Dream” a symbol was that he mentioned that he was “born on the black list”, which was a symbolic way of saying that he was born into racism and this is actually his dream, that it is not just a song. This is because it isn’t nearly as bad as it was in the past, there are still people that are racist, and this may never change. Also the says “my dream is to be free”, and this is a symbolic phrase because he is not physically imprisoned, but more that he wants to be free of the prejudice and racist views towards him and his culture.
C. Lenhoff- 1.
Lennie and George's dream entail that they want the luxery of being able to own their own farm area and to be their own bosses, to be freed from hard labor and drama. It is made of animals, crops, and living with ease. George and Lennie must get enough money before their dream could ever be accomplished by working hard and not getting in trouble. The boss of the ranch in this story is living George's and Lennie's 'American Dream' because he owns that ranch and doesnt have to do all of the hard work, he can have people do it for him.
The two songs listed both compare that the American dream is hard to come by, or hard to maintain. In "I have a dream" The lyrics show that hope is there and their working towards it fighting the same fight that MLK did. In "rain on a scarecrow" the lyrics show that they had the dream but couldnt keep up with it and it was taken away, or it was all memories now. They are the same on the core because they are both talking about struggling with the American dream and even though it has different ways of struggling it's still a challenge no matter what. In "i have a dream" you see symbols by saying struggles like Martin Luther King, he may not just be talking about racism but could be comparing anything that doesnt seem fair, or the challenge of life itself. In "rain on a scarecrow" You see symbolism in the scarecrow by showing that a deppressing thing is happening to the farm, and that something is going wrong. The scarecrow could be a symbol for any warning side of something going wrong. the land also shows symbolism for any subject going downhill in any case. The land was his legacy and it was taken away. this could be concidered any type of tragity to someone
Sarah P 1*
George and Lennie's dream is to own there own land, with rabbits, and other animals that Lennie could play with a pet all the time. In Lennie's mind it's a perfect world, while in George's mind he just says it to shut Lennie up.
Both songs are about living freeley without rascim. To walk to street's without hearing such horribal names, to be treated the same like everyone else.
"I Have A Dream" is about Martin Luther King mostly, because Martin was very stern on what he said and ment every word that came out of his mouth. That's what the song is saying.
"Rain on the Scarecrow", is about how growing up there wasnt nothing much to do when you were black but own a farm, the cities wouldnt really hire you, so you had to make a living by your own buisness, and how much it could drop within seconds..
George and Lennie's dream consists of owning their own land, house, barn, and animals. Lennie would be able to tend the rabbits which seems to be his motivation throughout the entire book, and George would be able to relax and stop having to take care of Lennie like a child. This dream is made up of George's fantasy and Lennie's hope. The whole time George knows this dream will most likely never happen, but Lennie has faith that they will sometime obtain everything George has promised. In order for this dream to occur they have to keep a job long enough to earn money for the ranch. That also means that Lennie would have to obey all rules and not make any mistakes. In the story the "American dream" can change from character to character. For example George's dream is no own land, but Lennie's is to tend the rabbits. I think every character in the story has a fantasy they like to believe will come true. Therefore they all have a dream but do none own theirs.
"I Have A Dream" and "Rain on the Scarecrow" are both very different but also portray "the American dream". In "I Have a Dream" Martin Luther King is mentioned and the song reflects a time of segregation. The "dream" in this song is the idea of a world where different races and colors can live together in harmony. Standing in the way of the dream is society and the time period. In "Rain on the Scarecrow" the "dream" is about making enough money to run the farm. Standing in the way of this dream is the crops. They didn't produce enough to pay the expenses of the farm so the man is suffering. In "I Have a Dream" the words "blackness" and "Black list" symbolize being colored. The singer can't do anything to the way he was born. In "Rain on the Scarecrow" I think the blood is a symbol of the government taking a part of the writer. His family lived on that farm and it is getting taken from under him, leaving the memories, pain and "blood" in the farm. Both songs have a common dream that cannot be reached because of obstacles standing in the way that are too large for an individual to change.
Lennie and geroges dream was to get their own propriety and have animals. that is like the American dream because you are aloud to get propriety.one of the reasons that geroge and Lenny wanted to get the propriety because Lenny wanted to pet the animals. The two dreams is like the songs because they say that you can do anything. the songs are telling you that you will have success if you have a dram that you want to accomplish. in the song rain on a scarecrow is about farming and that relates to the book of mice and men. i have a dram song talks about how you can fight to become free. the song i have a dream refers to martin Luther king. in of mice and men it relates because they want to be independent and get land for themselves. rain on a scarecrow relates how Lennie and geroge want to farm
Isaac Payne
George and Lennie had a dream to own a ranch and to have a place to call their own with animals and to live in ease. To make this dream come true they got jobs at the ranch and started making money. Both “I Have A Dream” and “Rain On The Scarecrow” relate to their dream. In the song “I Have A Dream”, it was about segregation of races and refers to the time Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was around fighting for freedom and equality. The singer in this song is looking and fighting towards brighter days. In the song “Rain On The Scarecrow”, it was about farmers not making enough crops and money to keep the farm. And all of the hardships-symbolism of “blood on the plow”- they were going through. Both of the songs add into George and Lennie’s dream; they would always talk about it but it didn’t work out in the end because of all of the obstacles faced preventing it to come true.
Olivia W. 2nd
George and Lennie's dream entailed buying a farm house with land, owning rabbits, horses, chickens and working whenever they felt like it, they would live off the fat of the land. Their American dream is to be free, to be their own bosses and work for no one. For this to happen, they must obtain the money to buy the farm house where they will live their dream. Curley owns the American dream in Of Mice and Men. His dad is his “boss” but he does whatever he wants, whenever he wants. He rules the farm and the ranch hands.
The American dream in “I have a dream” is to have freedom. The American dream in “Rain on the scarecrow” is the small-town, out in the country stereotyped “American” dream. They both want their dreams to come true. They are different because in “I have a dream” the singer wants things to change, he wants to be free, but in “Rain on the scarecrow” the singer doesn't want things to change, they want to continue living and working on his farm. Skin color is standing in the way of the dream in “I have a dream” because the singer says “Born on the Black list, told I'm below average”. Money is standing in the way of the dream in “Rain on the scarecrow” because the singer says “The crops we grew last summer weren't enough to pay the loans”. They are the same at the core because they both want their dream to come true. A symbol I see in “I have a dream” is the sun, “I just want some of your sun”, the sun represents the sun and the brighter days when they are free. A symbol I see in “Rain on the scarecrow” is the scarecrow, it represents a scarecrow, and how the singer is losing his American dream due to his financial struggles, “rain on the scarecrow”.
Emily L 7/8*
The dream in the book is for Lennie and George (and eventually Candy)to have their own piece of land and a place to be able to say is completely theirs. All Lennie has wanted to do since the beginning of the story to the moment he died was to tend the rabbits on his and George's farm. The main factor needed for the characters to reach their dream is money. Like all American dreams, the main ingredient is money. In our text, the boss on the farm where they work technically owns the dream, as well as any other employers of their. Without the paycheck from these people, they would never be able to afford the land in the first place. Another person that the dream is reliant on is Candy. He has controlling interest in the money needed to purchase the farm and was the reason that they were able to buy it earlier anyways.
The song "I Have a Dream" is about trying to break out of a rut and create a brighter future and overcome obstacles. The obstacle in this song is circumstance and the person in the song is trying to get away from that situation and better himself. He says "Funny, I just want some of your sun; Dark clouds seem to follow me" and that tell that he just wants to create a better future for himself and not have to deal with the problems that were pre-existing in his life.
In the song "Rain on the Scarecrow" the character has what he considers the American dream, and it is taken away from him. Reoccurring in this theme is money. He lost his farm and his livelihood because of money but also because of circumstance. He lost the money because of the weather, something he had no control over, like in "I Have a Dream". However he directly lost the farm because of lack of money, like in 'Of Mice and Men". Saying that there is blood on the scarecrow is symbolic of what he is losing and that he not only put himself into the land, but that it is being ripped away from him.
All three of these stories are about loss, and of losing that dream.
- Angela G. 2*
George and Lennie's dream consisted of them owning a farm together where Lennie could tend the rabbits and George didn't have to worry about watching over Lennie all the time. In order for this dream to become a reality, George and Lennie must work hard at the ranch to gain the money to buy the land. Both the songs "I Have A Dream" and "Rain On The Scarecrow" are about the difficulties Common and John Mellencamp must face. These difficulties include racial segregation and financial problems. Some differences are that "I Have A Dream" has to do with a topic that has been going on for ages, while "Rain On The Scarecrow" is about a financial problem that was relatively short compared to racism. The objects standing in front of the dreams is unfairness, there is no equality. The banks are not treating people with dignity in "Rain On The Scarecrow" and neither are prejudice people "I Have A Dream". Both of the songs have the same moral or teaching, because the government mistreating the farmers is similar to others mistreating those with a different skin color. In "I Have A Dream", the mention of a black list, blackness, and dark clouds over his head refer to the racism he is receiving; dark and unwanted. In "Rain On The Scarecrow" when Mellencamp says "rain on the scarecrow, blood on the plow" I believe that the rain is fertility to the land, but the blood on the plow is the bank foreclosing farms in a murderous, inhumane way.
^
Ryan Kordahi 2nd
Lennie and George's dream entitled having a place for themselves, a place where Lennie could tend the rabbits. In the songs "Rain On The Scarecrow" and "I Have A Dream", there is a similarity between them. The both share the common goal of change, equality,and fairness. They are different by the way the writer of the song portrays their goals. In "I Have A Dream" the goal is to make so that all races are treated equally. In the song "Rain On the Scarecrow" the goal of the song is to be able to thrive and live the American dream without any worries. IN this song, the writer seems to have to worry about his Grandpa losing his money because he could not grow enough crops. This is basically reality today for alot of people. People are getting laid off from their jobs and are in serious trouble financially. What holds the person back in "I Have A Dream" is the fact that they are black and get ridiculed for it. "Born on the Black list, told I'm below average"This quote shows that the color of his skin was holding him back from achieving his goal, which is to make everything equal for all races. Symbols that I see throughout "I Have A Dream" is dark clouds and gunshots which represent the pain in watching segregation in the world. In "Rain On The Scarecrow" the symbols are the land-represented the writers childhood,rain- the writers granpa losing his money, not able to farm anymore.
-Amanda C. 7/8*
Lennie and George wanted a place to call their own where they could be comfortable. That was the goodlife that George promised. The two major issues were their own biological clocks and Lennie's behavior. Nobody reached the "American dream" because even the slightest mistake turns catastrophic.
"I have a dream" This brings up the controversial times when MLK was around along with racial problems and segregation
"Rain on the Scarecrow" This song represents the farming catastrophe in 1980. Ronald Reagan passed laws that presented danger to many farmers.
The government is perceived differently in both songs. With "I have a dream" the government created laws that helped with the racial issues. In the other song the president is needing up things for a lot of people.
American dream can be transferred by influence, values, and government.
Jazlyn r. 7/8
George and Lennie's dream entails owning their own piece of land, where they can farm it together while Lennie tends the rabbits and they work for themselves, and George can focus on just his land, and not the problems Lennie could be responsible for. In order for it to happen, Lennie must stay out of trouble long enough for the two of them to save up enough money from their new job to be able to purchase the land along with other supplies and their animals.
I don't believe anyone owns the American Dream in the text. George and Lennie are never able to reach it after the tragic ending.
The two songs compare to each other because they both revolve around having a dream, or a hope that they can't achieve for reasons they can't control.
The difference in the two is that "I have a dream" speaks about trying to achieve equality, specifically racial equality. The writer is only seen a certain way and wants to go beyond that, and "be free". While, "Rain on the scarecrow" speaks about how a generation of a farmer's land is lost and how he won't be able to grow up like his father, and grandfather.
For, "I have a dream" prejudice people are standing in the way of his dream, as well as the color of his skin. For, "Rain on the scarecrow" money, unpaid loans, changing times are standing in the way of being able to keep farming the family land. They are the same at the core because they both have a longing for change that is not in their power and they can't reach it.
In "I have a dream" some of the symbols could be "born on the blacklist" which is basically saying how because he was born black, he was born into the racism and wants to be free of the negativity associated with it. In "Rain on the scarecrow" the symbol could be the... "rain on the scarecrow" the rain symbolizes having something put you down, and destroy you, and the scarecrow is the farmer who stands there and has to take it and not be able to get back up.
- Maddy G. 1st period
Lennie and George's dream was to own their own property and have no one to answer to, to be responsible for themselves and be their own masters. They dreamed of a life of freedom. Their dream was made of great hope and longing, the pure desire of having just themselves. In order for their dream to occur, they just had to save up a month's worth of pay and buy and fix up an old house. They were right on their way to achieving it when Lennie made an enormous mistake that he could not run away from, and George knew that they could never reach their dream any longer. In the book, no one necessarily has the ideal "American Dream". Curly almost had it, what with his father owning the land and a beautiful wife, but he had an insecurity about his height which enabled him from achieving the ideal dream. In all reality, it is extremely unlikely for anyone to obtain "The American Dream", but to have their own unique dreams that they are able to reach.
I think that these songs compare in the fact that they were written because these people wanted to have a dream, they wanted to have something to be proud of. The differences are that "I Have a Dream" speaks of rising up out of the ghettos and trying to create a better life for yourself, and "Rain on the Scarecrow" is about someone who grew up having an american dream but then lost that dream and that pride when their land was taken. All that is standing in the way of their dreams is an incredible amount of hard work and blood and sweat. If not for basically the primary lack of enough money to change their situation, they would be able to have their dreams. At the core, these songs are the same because they are so close to having an american dream, but it is waiting just out of reach. In "I Have a Dream", rising up from the ghettos is a symbol that stands for the ability to become something from nothing, and potentially creating a good life for oneself. In "Rain on the Scarecrow", the scarecrow itself is a symbol for the sacrifice that people make to achieve their dreams, but sometimes, unfortunately, it is all for nothing.
~Katie D. 7/8°
The dreams that are shown in the book and these 2 songs are all similar. Each one of them shows their own idea of what the "American Dream" is and how it will be achieved. All three of them give an idea of what each thinks would be a perfect life for them. What gets in the way however is reality. Almost no one will be able to live out their dream of a perfect life. In each of these 3 examples they all have something in the way. From the way each is written it seems like they are in different time periods. This shows that no matter who, or where you are you may never get a chance to live out your dream. In all of these their is something in the way and while it might seem like they are being targeted, its actually just reality getting in the way of their dreams.
-Alan McIntosh 5/6th
The dream that Lennie and George had was to raise enough money to buy their own farm with animals, which rabbits were Lennie's favorite.
In the song "I Have A Dream", his dream is to have every race get along without racism. He says that racism is the reason all people don't get along. That people can't put aside color and race to live in a community where EVERYONE gets along. He uses the Martin Luther King Jr's speech as a symbol.
The song, "Rain On the Scarecrow", his dream is to have the farm he grew up on for his son to experience. What's standing in the way is that they couldn't produce enough crops to keep the farm running, which put it in foreclosure. He uses the scarecrow as a symbol.
The two songs are different because they both want different things as their dreams. They are also similar because they both want something better for others, instead of being selfish.
The American Dream is a very common theme in "Of Mice and Men." Each character has a dream unique to his or her own personality. However, the dreams of Lennie and George are the same- to one day own their own home in the country. Lennie dreams of tending to the rabbits, while George dreams of a life free of work. Neither of them want to have to report to somebody when they work, they want to be free to do what they want. In order for their dream to occur, a few things must happen. First, and the most important obstacle to overcome is financing. They need to find a way to gather all of the funds necessary to purchase a house. This challenge become less difficult when Candy agrees to help the pair pay for the home. Another challenge that they are constantly fac ing is behavior. Lennie needs to constantly be making sure that he is making the correct decisions. When he fears that he has messed up, he immediately turns to George for forgiveness.
I believe that in "I have a Dream," the American dream trying to be reached is equality and freedom. Not only does the song say this exactly, but he talks about being equal among all people throughout the world. The words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Also help to reiterate the dream. The song talks about race, and alcohol and drug addictions hindering the fulfillment of his dream. There are many color archetypes in the song, comparing bark clouds to bad times in his life.
In "Rain on the Scarecrow," the speaker faces many financial troubles. He tells his son that he has nothing left to give him, that the crops were not enough the year before and the bank foreclosed the farm. In the song, the predominant theme is losing farms due to foreclosure. This is similar to the first song in a couple of ways. They both talk about how the dreams were hindered, weather through financial struggles of an alcohol addiction. However, "Rain on the Scarecrow" focuses more on a father telling his son a story of his dream and how it is crushed.
~Ryan M 2
Lennie and george had the typical american dream, to buy some land and make it on their own. They wanted to buy a house and live off the land. Their dream was made of hope and longing. In order for their dream to happen they have to work together for a long time. They have to save up money and not spend it. In the text, the ranch owner owns the dream and shares it with his son Curly.
In Rain on the scarecrow, it is very similar because he is talking about how he lost almost everything and is struggling to pay for the farms. He is living a "paycheck to paycheck" lifestyle.
In I have a dream, he is talking about trying to reach a goal someday. How right now might not be the greatest time but it'll improve when he reaches his goal.
In both pieces they are trying the american dream. in rain on the scarecrow, he is losing everything. In I have a dream he is working towards it. In the way of the dream is lack of money and faith. They are the same at the core because they both have a dream they are trying to fulfill. There are a lot of symbols of darkness like "the blackbird in the barn" and "shots in the darkness"
Hannah M 1
Lennie and George's dream was to be able to earn some money then to find their own little place to call home. Lennie dreams of tending the rabbits and george wouldnt have to worry about watching over him every 2 minutes. This dream is made up of hope, individuality and belief that they could make it there on their own. In the story i dont think any one character reached the American Dream because the dream was made different for each individual, even though they had the same goal, they had different ways to make it there.
Both songs are about the dream that they wish would come true but all the struggles that get in the way that try to stop you from moving foward.
"I Have a Dream" is about being free, becoming equal to everyone else, where no ones differences push them away from the world and that segregation no longer exsisted.
"Rain on the Scarecrow" is about the stuggles they face of having no crops to help them make money and be able to get through in life. Their farm was their job and what they lived off of and it was taken away from then because there wasnt any rain. A symbol for this song would be blood representing the hardships they went through.
-Sarah W. 7/8*
THe main owners of the American dream in Of MIce and Men areGeorge and Lennie. It is made up of their own ranch, their own home, and a place where they own everything. However for it to happen they need to make all the money they need, and to getr a job done. They need to work for their dream. The two songs both include parts about dreams and the difficulties that makes it hard for the individuals to achieve success. THere is a change in diction between the two therefore making their perspective different, but keeping the main meaning. THe two songs have totally different situations but have the same meaning in the end. THe main theme is that you always have to work to get what you want but that does not gaurentee you will get it, also it means that you still may fail. SOme symbols in "I Have a Dream" are the walls. They represent what is blocking the dreams from coming true. Some symbols in "Rain on the Scarcrow" is the blood, which represents that the more blood they have, the more they have to leave.
George and Lennie's dream was to have their own farm to call their home. Lennie wanted rabbits to tend and George wanted Lennie to be safe and happy. They are working on a farm to gain the money to purchase their own land, in order for their dream to come true. They want freedom from restriction and others. They want a place of their own. In the song "I Have a Dream" describes the time of Martin Luther King and how the African American culture was discriminated. They were hurt, rideculed and just looked down on because of the color of their skin. Martin Luther King, along with the rest of his race just wanted freedom from segregation and all the pain. In the song "Rain on the Scarecrow" the man lost his land and legacy due to financial problems. It brought sorrow among his family and surroundings. He wanted freedom from the pain of loss. So in the end, we all want freedom.
^^ Lydia Stephens 2nd period
In Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie’s dream consists of the idea of grabbing hold of a piece of land and having the freedom and independence to claim it as their own. This piece of land is very importance for both George and Lennie. For instance, George sees it as freedom, a way to break away from working for someone else and becoming independent. As for Lennie it as seen as a place in which he can have any animal he wants and take care of the soft things that he was never allowed before. However, their dreams don’t come to them as easily as they may hope. In order to obtain their dream, both George and Lennie have to earn months worth of money and have to perform treacherous work, in the hopes to get enough to move on. However, no matter who works harder and how much many each of them earn, the dream belongs to George. George has the control to destroy Lennie’s dreams and George has the power to wipe away any hope or dream that Lennie may have.
Both the songs “I Have a Dream” and “Rain on a Scarecrow” consist of the idea of people wanting and desiring to have freedom. For instance, in I Have a Dream the idea of overpowering oppression and rising above the horror that has helped to shape one’s life becomes prevalent. In addition, the song Rain on a Scarecrow presents this similar idea of one wanting to be free and having to rise above the horror in their life. However, these songs are very different as well. For instance, I Have a Dream is written to display the ideas of overcoming oppression and rising above the cruelty and indifference in life. As where, Rain on a Scarecrow deals more with the idea of living in a world without foreclosures and hardships, and living harmoniously within our culture created in life. In both songs we see the idea of how people and the numerous hardships in other’s lives, accumulate and stand in the way between happiness and freedom. Overall, in both songs the symbolism behind people overcoming their hardships, their oppression and hoping to become free is seen.
In George and Lennie's dream, they dreamed they would move into their own ranch where they could do as they please. They would have a ton of animals and well and Lennie could pet the rabbits as he pleased. In order for this dream to occur, George and Lennie has to obtain enough money to pay for the land. In our text, George and Lennie owns the American dream.
Both songs are similar because they both describe dreams of the various individuals and the various obstacles they held the individuals from reaching their dream. They are different because in "I Have a Dream," they talk about how segregation and racism affects others and holds people of various races from obtaining the American dream. In "Rain on the Scarecrow," they talk about how they had the American dream but, how it was slowly taken away from them. In "I Have a Dream," the obstacle is racism. In "Rain on the Scarecrow," the obstacle is money because the people that lived on the farm didn't make enough money and they had to give away their farm as a result. Both songsa re the same at the core because they both wish they could go to a better time when everything was good and for the benefit of all. The symbolism of being a cold war soldier in "I Have a Dream" shows that the people who the racism is being reflected on, just try to brace and be strong as a cold war soldier would be. The symbolism in "Rain on the Scarecrow" is the blood which shows the work and hardships that the farmers endured.
George and Lennie's dream is that one day they would own a farm, with enough that they could "live off the land."
Both of the songs "I Have a Dream," and "Rain on the Scarecrow," show the American dream, which is one day living safely, happily, and successfully. Both songs show that to have the American dream you must endure struggles. "I Have a Dream," shows the struggles of segregation and "Rain on the Scarecrow," is about growing crops on American soil and praying for rain.
-Jacki K. 1*
In Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" each character has a dream of their own. In the case of Lennie and George they want to free themselves of the burdens of doing other people's work and own a farm of their own. These wishes are indicated when George says, "There wouldn't be no more runnin' round the country and gettin' fed by a Jap cook" (Steinbeck 57) and when he states, "An' when we put in a crop, why, we'd be there to take the crop up. We'd know what come of our planting" (Steinbeck 58). Both quotes explain the desire they have to be on their own and to reap the full benefits of their work. In order for George and Lennie to be able to achieve this dream they need to raise the money. This is why they continue to hop from job to job.
In both songs the artist speaks of their dream and the way the past has influenced it. In "I Have a Dream" it is mentioned that he was: "Born on the Black list, I’m below average.” This, along with the other references of his father’s drinking and where he’s from show some of the challenges he has face throughout his life. In “Rain on the Scarecrow” he speaks of the unfortunate events that have involved his family losing their farm , which in turn leaves him with nothing. A difference between the two dream is that the dream in “Rain on the Scarecrow” stems from something that had already been in existence in the dreamer’s life. His family had already owned a farm and made a name for themselves and now he wants to regain his dignity. He implies that he wants to regain dignity when he state: “When you take away a man’s dignity he can’t work his fields and cows.” This can be interpreted as needing to regain dignity in order to continue the work required to reach the achievement of the “American Dream.” In “I Have a Dream” he wants to build a life for himself that is separate from what he grow up with; separate from segregation, danger, and fear. For both dreams the world is standing the way of achievement. In “I Have a Dream” the views and stereotypes people have stand in the way of him reaching his dream. In “Rain on the Scarecrow” the economy is keeping him from progressing with his dream. The core idea of both dreams is that they want to move past the difficulties they have faced in their llives and make something of themselves. In “I Have a Dream” Martin Luther King Jr. is a symbol of the hardships and racism faced by the dreamer. In the “Rain on the Scarecrow” the scarecrow is a symbol of the dreamer. All he could do was sit and feel the wrath of the cold rain of hardships come down upon him.
Leah W. 1
Lennie and George's verison of the American Dream was to own a piece of property and to live on it, and to not have anybody else on it that can boss them around or that can kick them out. They want to have their own lives. The dream cannot happen for them, because Lennie is standing in the way for his and George's dream to actually happen.
The American Dream in the song 'I have a Dream' By Common is not materialistic like the one showed in Of Mice and Men, but it's about finding hope in one and other and to stop all hatred and prejudice. What is Standing in the way of acheiving this american dream is everybody else's hate and lack of courage to look deep down into themselves to find the solution to life's problems.
The American Dream in Rain on the scarecrow is, to keep something that they loved. and It's a struggle through out this song because the farm is obviously not going to be around anymore and John, or the son doesn't just want the memories, he wants the farm. He wants a job that he can wake up in the morning and not dread upcoming day. Like Most americans want. This american dream is materialistic, unlike I have a Dream. All of the American Dreams are the same at the core because they both strive for some sense of security with their dreams.
Jennifer W. 7/8~
George and Lennie's dream consists of owning their own land, house, barn, and animals. Lennie would be able to tend the rabbits which seems to be his motivation throughout the entire book, and George would be able to relax and stop having to take care of Lennie like a child. This dream is made up of George's fantasy and Lennie's hope. The whole time George knows this dream will most likely never happen, but Lennie has faith that they will sometime obtain everything George has promised. In order for this dream to occur they have to keep a job long enough to earn money for the ranch. That also means that Lennie would have to obey all rules and not make any mistakes. In the story the "American dream" can change from character to character. For example George's dream is no own land, but Lennie's is to tend the rabbits. I think every character in the story has a fantasy they like to believe will come true. Therefore they all have a dream but do none own theirs.
The song, "Rain On the Scarecrow", his dream is to have the farm he grew up on for his son to experience. What's standing in the way is that they couldn't produce enough crops to keep the farm running, which put it in foreclosure. He uses the scarecrow as a symbol.
The two songs are different because they both want different things as their dreams. They are also similar because they both want something better for others, instead of being selfish.
Kayla 5/6
Kayla Cameron 5/6
lennie and georges dream is to own their own land and lennie can take care of the rabbits and george can make money ans not have to worry about lennie getting in trouble. the songs are both about having dreams. i have a dream is about segregation and rain on the scarecrow is abou the family giving up their farm.
ellen 1
Lennie and George's dream was to buy their own farm and make their own living. Lennie wants to raise the rabbits and George wants to tend the crops and the rest of the farm. In order for their dream to occur Lennie and George have to last at the farm they are working ar for a month and get their pay. Also the family that owns the farm has to acept the offer that George is making. The boss and Curly own the American dream in their text.
The song "I Have a Dream" deals with Martins Luther King Jr.'s era. The song "Rain on the Scarecrow" is about the life of Farmers. Both of the songs have to do with the difficulties you hace to go through when you're trying to acomplish something.In "I Have Dream" he talks about how he is segragated and doesnt get the same oppurtunities as white people. A symbol is barriers preventing him from his dreams. In "Rain on the Scarcrow" there stuggles are not having good crops to sell and make money for. A symbol for that would be the blood represnting hardships.
Olivia Y
second period
Gearge and Lennie's dream is to have their own land to themselves. In this dream they have animals and crops that the two of them would take care of. For the two of them to make the dream a reality they would need money which means they had to work. Lennie would also have to not cause any trouble so that he could keep a job. I do not think that anyone had truely reached their American dream in the text because some people would speak about their unique dream and how it never happened.
In the two songs the meanings they have are similar. They are both about not having the perfect dream or perfect situation because there are many obstacles.
In "I Have a Dream" there is an allusion to Martin Luther King Jr. who was a man who spoke out against segragation. The overall dream that this song is about is for people to have a better life and be "free." What is standing in the way of that dream is people that create chaos in life, for example people who support segregation because of racism. The symbolism in the song saying how he wanted "A life with no cabage" as well as saying "I just want some of your sun" is representing all of the bad lives that people have and how he wants them to be better.
In "Rain on the Scarecrow" the government and money are standing in the way of the dream of owning a prosperous farm that could have been in a family for generations. The "blood on the plow" is a symbol for the loss of their farms and land.
~Alex H. 2~
George and Lennie's great American dream is to buy their own property together and finally be able to stop working on other peoples land. They want to be free to do as they please and be the boss of themselves instead of listening to others. Lennie's dream is to own his own rabbits. In the first song Martin Luther King dreams of being free and having rights. The government stands in the way of King's dreams to be free of prejudice and racism. The second song is about a farmer's dreams for their son to break away from farming and get away from the lives with scarecrows. He wants his son to be able to make a living for himself, but the continuing legacy of farming runs in his family and stands in his way. These two songs are different because Martin Luther King's dream is for everyone of his race to be free and have rights but in "Rain on the Scarecrow" he just dreams to become free from farming in his own life.
Lennie and George's dream is to own a plot of land. Lennie would tend the rabbits, and George would be free of watching over Lennie. In order for this to happen, George and Lennie must save up money they earn from working on various farms around the country.
Both songs are about having a dream, and everything that stands in the way of that deam.
"I Have a Dream" is about Martin Luther King Jr and how he dreams of being free. He lived in a time of segregation in America and he dreams of equality, freedom.
Dominic Bosko 1
The last comment was from Jacqueline K. 7/8th period
The dream for Lennie and George is to own their own land. They would have to save up enough money to be able to purchase the land.
The two songs are about how there are goals/dreams and the obstacles that need to be gone through. the song "I have a dream" the guy wants to own a farm but he can't because of his race. The song "Rain on the Scarecrow" has a similiar meaning to it because he can't own a farm because it was taken right away from him.
George and Lennie's dream is to own a farm of their own where they could live. Lennie was to care for his rabbits and feed to them alfalfa, the two friends were to grow crops, and the friends could safely live happily. They were to own sheep and other animals to sell wool and other animal products to maintain an income of money. they were to live forever in a small patch of heaven, a place they could call home where no one else could tell them what to do. The two friend's dream was in their grasp during "Of Mice and Men". But to obtain their goal they had to reach $500 to buy their land and farm, but the only way to do that was keep a job. So Lennie and George were going to work hard for their dream to come true, the American dream, a place where one can call home.
In the two songs, both the singers have a dream. One from "I have a Dream" where the singer dreams of freedom from discrimination based off of the Jewish and Black predujice. The other, "Rain on the Scarecrow" speaks of a faimine and the dream to own what made them proud, their farm, yet bankrupcy and the lack of money cused the singer to lose what he loved. In "Rain on the Scarecrow" the dream of the writer had already been demolished by the modern world, but in "I have a Dream" the writer still has hope that their dream could still come true and look upon the futrue for his dream to come true. Their dreams at the core are the same, each one longing to have their dream come true, yet a challenge lies in their way to re atain their goal. Their problems each are being affected by a historical event that affected many other people and each of the two writers hoping that the dream would overcome the challenge and have the freedom to own thier own farm once more or become free from predjudice come true. "Rain on a Scaircrow" used rain in the song to symbolize the falling of the writers dream of keeping their farm and the scarecrow symoblizing the farm itself, slowly, being drenched in the waters of hopelessness. The cells of the concentration camps and the imprisoment of the slaves to show the dream of freedom either from predjudice as many Jews and African American people were attacked with or another form ofentrapment the writer is faced with.
Colton K.~1st period
Lennie and George's dream entails peaceful, uninterrupted living. Lennie wants to have soft things, such as rabbits, and a garden to tend to. George wants the ability to live somewhere alone with Lennie without worry that Lennie might get hurt of in trouble. They both wanted a true life of freedom. Both characters strive to earn money on the ranch to pay for a piece of land and their own home. I believe that no one in this book holds the "American dream."
Both songs have lyrics pertaining to struggles in the nation that hold back the "American Dream." "I have a dream" depicts the hardships during the civil rights movement. "Rain on the scarecrow" is about the farming crisis during the 80's. Even though they are both about the American dream, the first is about inequality and social troubles, while the second song is about the economy. Symbols like blood intertwined with rain are in "Rain on the Scarecrow." "I have a dream" uses the symbol of eyes and sight to express how he sees the world, and how the world saw Africans during the civil movement.
-Hannah 2nd-
George and Lennie's dream is a simplistic one; to find a small piece of land and start a happy life void of the chaos of society. For George, this presents the idea of finally finding peace with himself and also creating a stable enviroment for Lennie. In Lennie's case it presents the oppurtunity to escape a world that does not accomodate nor understand his disability. This dream is impeded by the economic downturn in the deppression era and the trouble caused by Lennie. This dream is only kept alive by the sweat off their backs and the unbreakable bond between them.
The American dream is not one singular idea set in stone. It is ever changing and it is custom fitted to every individual. In both songs, the american dream is inadvertedly addressed. In "I have a Dream" it discusses the survival of the dream in an underpriveledged individual that is plagued with obstacles such as money, hatred, and racism. In "Rain on a Scarecrow" a man tells of the loss of his farm and his dignity. He could not afford to keep his land and he feels as though he has failed his family and his legacy. He suggests that the American dream is lost to him in a sense that farming his grandfather's land was his dream and now it is lost to him.
George and Lennie's dream entails them owning their own farm and making a living for themselves while Lennie tends to the rabbits. It is made of hope, persistence, and hard work. For the dream to come true, the two men have to be dedicated to it and willing to save up their money for it. In my opinion, they are the two people who own the American dream because of their willingness to work hard to achieve their goals.
The two songs compare because they are both trying to overcome a greater power, but they contrast because in the 'I Have a Dream', there is hope to prevail while in 'Rain on the Scarecrow', the man loses his property (and his dignity) because he can't pay the bills. At the core, they are the same because they are both about wanting to achieve a dream or in the case of 'Rain on the Scarecrow', trying to preserve a dream and keep it alive. One symbol that I see in I Have a Dream is "No apology, I walk with a boulder on my shoulder". I think this is symbolic for the setback of being black and that he carries a burden he shouldn't have to and no one apologizes to him for it.
George and Lennie's dream was to have their own place to call home. Lennie could take care of his rabbits and George wouldn't have to worry about Lennie making him lose another job. The dream entails hope and a dream of getting this land. In order for this to occur they need to earn money from the ranch they are working at. I believe that no one reached the American Dream in this book. No one was able to succeed in their dreams.
The two songs "I have a Dream" and "Rain on the Scarecrow" compare because they both involve a dream that they both cannot go through with. Something is stopping them.
They differ because the song "I have a Dream" is about segregation and how he is seperated from everyone else because he is black. "Rain on the Scarecrow" is about the farm life and how he won't make money from his crops.
George and Lennie's dream was simply to own land, and do what each made them happiest. Lennie wanted to tend to the rabbits, and George wanted to do basically anything else. The lyrics in both pieces compare by, in "I Have a Dream", the piece just says how there's a dream, and that the artist wants to do anything to achieve that dream, that he's going to work it out, work out his problems, and anything in the way of that dream, which was basically what Lennie and George tried to do throughout the book. In "Rain on the Scarecrow", it talks about a farm, where George and Lennie wanted to be in their dream.
Kaylee Lhotsky, 7/8
The difference between the two is simple; "Rain On The Scarecrow" is about a life being lived past the time of hope whereas "I Have a Dream" is about a time when there is still hope for a better future, unlike in " Rain On The Scarecrow", where all hope is gone and good times do not lay ahead.
Lennie and George dream of a a better future, of light work and easy living, at least in the first part of the book. That part of the book is much like "I Have a Dream", there is hope even though the topics covered are completely different, they both have a common sense of better days ahead.
"Rain on the Scarecrow" coincides with the second part of the book when Lennie kills Curly's wife. As soon as that happens George knows that the dreams of a better life are gone, and I get the same feeling of crushed dreams from "Rain on The Scarecrow". Basically, the good times are gone.
In George and Lennie's case, their dream was able to be reached. It was not going to be easy, but it was possible.
In the 1st song, it talks about how he has a dream to be free and he seems very confident that he can achieve that goal.
In the 2nd song though, he says how horrible his life is but he does have slight confidence that he can achieve his goal of escaping.
People in thier lives seem to be standing in the way of thier freedom and peace. A friend, family member or someone else in their life is holding them back from reaching their goal.
Their cores are very similar to the fact that they want something and intend to get it one way or another. They set a goal and they get the goal.
George and Lennie's dream was to be able to own land that they could call their own. It's made of struggle, determination, and hope. Lennie would be able to tend the rabbits and George would reap the benefits of the land. In order for this to be possible, they would have to save their money and keep a job in order to have a stable cash flow. I believe that no one has reached the American Dream in the story. I think this because everyone has their own type of dream and that no two people will have the same type.
The two songs can be compared by both being about dreams and the challenges that arise to keep them from succeeding. They differ by how in the song "I Have a Dream", the person hasn't given up hope and stills aim to attain his dream. The obstacles in his path were of the color of his skin which was judged at the time. By being 'Black' he was prevented toward reaching his goal; his dream. While in "Rain on The Scarecrow", the person has already been defeated before he had a chance to do anything about it just like all the other farmers who were just like him. The person had given up and just wanted the suffering to go away even though he tried his best to achieve his goal. The reason for this was that the farmers weren't able to raise enough crop to pay the loan so they had to let go of their dream. Some symbols that can be seen in the songs are the dedicated work, sweat, and blood on the plow in "Rain on The Scarecrow" and the rain on the scarecrow to wash away the farmers pain. Other symbols in "I Have a Dream" are the barriers and cages that prevented those of a certain race to achieve their goals.
-Kyle C. 7/8period
George and Lennie’s dream was to own a house and be happy in it. Their dream causes Lennie to be worried about tending the rabbits every second of the day. He worries that George might not let him tend them if he does something bad. Their dream is made up of fantasies, because in the end of the book, it never actually comes true. In order for the dream to occur, Lennie has to behave and George has to raise enough money to but the house.
In both of the songs, there is a dream. In one song, there is a dream of the future. There is a dream that is filled with hope. In the other song, there is a broken dream. A dream that is filled with sorrow. In one song, there is segregation standing in the way. In the other, there is money standing in the way. At the core, they are the same because they both mention a dream-whether broken or desired to be fulfilled.
The dream of Lennie and George is to own their own land and create a farm on it. This shows the ultimate goal I most Americans during that time period of the Great Depression. The American dream is shown through those dreams and goals of Lennie and George.
In the song," I Have a Dream", the famous events the time of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement are depicted. In,"Rain on the Scarecrow," times of people having dreams of farms and more issues with laws and American law enforcement officials. In," I Have a Dream," racism and change is the main topic. The point is to decrease racial violence and help establish world peace between all races. In," Rain on the Scarecrow," dreams of owning land and a farm are sung about. Political powers are discussed as holding back the people from what they want. The main difference between the two is the topic of racism and the topic of unfair land owning policies. In the way of both goals are prejudice people who only see one way of living and refuse to aw knowledge others and government laws that were made to restrict the purchase of land and owning farms. These dreams are the same because they both show how people struggled to get to where they are today and how despite others efforts to repress their full potential, they continued to try to rise above. These songs stand for doing what you believe in despite others efforts to tear you down and keep you from reaching your dreams.
Lennie and George's dream was to own their own farm and land. Particularly with 'the rabbit's' for lennie to stroke insteadof the dead mice he would carry in his pocket.
I think that lennies and Georgie's dream could be loosely connected to the song "rain on the scarecrow" because they both intale the story of a boy alwho grow up on a farm and off of the land with the struggles they encountered I.e. the boy from the song mentioned how one year of crops wasn't enough to support his family. With lennie and George their main proboey was holding a steady job and basically finding a place to start.
With the two song's one was about a country boy and how he grew up with his close knit family and how his grandpa held his hand while walking across the fence. In the other song, it's leanness nt more towards the 'gangster' or the child who grew up in the city or hood. It gave me the impression that the the story of 'I have a dream's could be seen as a boy comijg from the wrong side of town, finding hope and turning into a hardworking. Man for his family.
The dream that George and Lennie hold is simple, yet difficult for them to achieve. It was to buy their own farm. In order for this dream to become reality, they have to work on a farm long enough to earn at least the first down payment of the farm. In out text, I feel as if all of the ranch hands hold an American dream. They all wish to own their own land and be free.
The two songs that I read had similarities and differences. They are similar because both families in the songs hold dreams. Dreams that would make their life so much better. Yet, dreams that today, we see as ordinary life. In the song, "I Have a Dream" the artist has a dream of one day being free and segregated with the white Americans.
In "Rain on the Scarecrow" the artists occupation is taken away from them out of nowhere because of the government. They both have symbols of the American dream. Like a symbol of intuition and the sense of pride.
The dream for Lennie and George is to own their own land. This would entitle having a farm and having a lot of rabbits. They would have to save up enough money to be able to purchase the land. The Boss is the only one who owns the American dream because he is the only one that we know owns land.
Both songs are about living freely without prejudice. To walk to street's without hearing such horrible names, to be treated with the same respect as everyone else.
"I Have a Dream," is about Martin Luther King mostly because Martin was very stern on what he said and meant every word that came out of his mouth. That is what the song is saying.
"Rain on the Scarecrow", is about how growing up there was nothing much to do when you were black but own a farm, the cities would not hire you, so you had to make a living by your own business, and how much it could drop within seconds.
Both songs are about having a dream, and all of the things that stand in the way of that dream.
The American Dream is found within the text from Of Mice and Men. The dream that Lennie and George pursues is that they can live a successful life on their own without having to hide anything and not having anything to worry about. The dream is made of continuous hope repeated throughout the book. The hope for petting rabbits and being in an overall better place where Lennie and George do not have to hide who they are. In our text the owners of the American dream are George and Lennie. George, who just wants to be somebody successful in the world, and Lennie who really just wants comfort of tending rabbits that he can pet. Crooks also has a similar dream to George, but more in depth of being an accepted person in society based on the segregation readers see throughout the book. The differences between the two songs compare by the first one focusing in a little more socially by the lyrics, "It's a Cold War - I'm a colder soldier, Hold the same fight that made Martin Luther the King" from "I Have a Dream" show a little bit more on the stand of Crook's segregation standpoint. and "Rain on the Scarecrow" has more of a depression feel to it really capturing the setting of the story, during the Great Depression.
The differences I see are the ones I just described as differentiating the mood and tone in the diction of the lyrics used. What is standing in the way of the dream, one could argue as it to being the people actually not letting themselves accomplish their own dream. Lack on integrity. The songs are same at the core by showing and exemplifying the great need for hope in the world for things to get better and to hope and reach for your dreams. The symbols I see within each song are potential to fulfill your dream. You can only accomplish something if you set your mind to it with hard work, integrity, patience, and hope.
Lennie and George's American Dream had them living in their own home, with many animals including Lennie's favorite, the bunnies. They were to live off of the "fatta the lan'" and no longer have to work. They could forget their past, and all of the struggles they went through to reach their goal. George and Lennie would no longer have to keep moving, they could stay in their home and finally be happy. Their dream is make of their wants, the want to stop moving, their want to no longer work, their want to live a simpler life where Lennie can live out of danger. In order for them to achieve their dream, they would have to make enough money, several hundred dollars, to buy the house.
When comparing 'Of Mice and Men' to the song 'I Have a Dream' I noticed similarities early on into the song. the lyric 'I have a dream that we can work it out' is the unspoken goal that George has made for himself. Although each dream is very different, each dream can be considered an 'American' dream. There is no rule to what the American dream is, but usually, it involves changing your life. In 'I Have a Dream' Martin Luther King Jr. is shown saying 'I have a dream' and his American dream was to gain civil rights for him and other colored Americans. George's American Dream was to find a home for him and Lennie, where they can live peacefully and happily, where they would no longer be bothered with moving because Lennie made a mistake. Both men are trying to work it out, and create a simpler, better life for them and their friends.
When I compared OM&M to John Mellencamp's 'Rain on the Scarecrow' I didn't think it mirrored George and Lennie's story as much as Crooks'. The lyric
'This land fed a nation this land made me so proud
And son I’m just sorry they’re just memories for you now' reminds me of how Crooks' father once owned land, but now Crook's is out working and is being discriminated against. His dream is just to be left alone, in peace. His life is much harder than everyone else's, because he can be killed in minutes if somebody accuses him of something he didn't do. He has to work so hard for nothing, which is what 'Rain on the Scarecrow' is saying. Crooks' old life is just a memory, along with his family. Now it is just Crooks, working until he can life peacefully, which is what the farmers are doing in Mellencamp's song.
Natalie S. 1*
George and Lennie's dream is to have there own farm/ranch in which they can call home. Here. George just wants to work and make a living without worrying about Lennie and Lennie wants to have his own Rabbit pen because they are soft. To meet that dream, they most save up money and buy a clear spot for them to settle upon. Based on the text, no body actually reached their dream quite yet, as for everyone's is different. Take a look at Curley's wife. She wanted to go make it big in hollywood but she didn't. She was stuck at a smelly ranch.
The first song is about being born in a bad neighbor, in the time of segregation. Although hes working hard, the things he cannot control are holding him back.
In the second song, this also describes a similar problem, in different areas. He is also working hard, trying to make up for what he cannot control, but in the end, he ultimately fails.
The core of both songs are things they cannot control such as the economy, and peoples view on things, holding them down from propering.
Lennie and George's dream was to always be together and to have home for themselves. Their dream is just made up of dreams meaning maybe not going to happen. Lennie would have to stop hurting any animal he touches.
The songs both compare because they both talk about their dreams. The first one "i have a dream" was talking the times when blacks and whites never spoke and the blacks would get spit on with shame! The other song was talking about how he wished that farming laws would pass and dreams will be answered.
Both songs are comparing having aspirations, dreams that they can accomplish. Literally though they are very different because "I Have A Dream" racial equality and being free. The song "Rain On The Scaircrow" is about trying to be free but free of his old home the way of life that people used to spend their lives, on a farm plowing. The timing standing in the way is a man's father for the rain song and all the racist peoria stand in the way for the dream song. The core message though is to be free not to have to worry about all happening around one. In the dream song the cloud is a symbol for all people whom still don't give equality to all. The cloud is hatred the thought of people in one's environment always putting them down. I think the scarecrow represents the person who couldn't he away from the farm that was sold away. They couldn't do anything for the self they were put somewhere and expected to say there.
Lennie and georges dream is to own a ranch with a picket fence, alot of land, and a rabbit pen. George wants to be able to stop worrying about lennie and lennie wants his rabbits to pet because of their softness. They must keep a job so they can save up money to get the ranch. In the text, the Boss and Curley own the American dream because both has everything they want. The songs compare because each talks about dreams that cannot be obtained because of an outside force. They are different because one is about segregation in the 60's and the other is about the farm crisis of the 80's. An unjust government stands in the way of both. The core of each song is to find and achieve your dreams and to not let anything stop you. The rain symbolizes the tremendous amount of obstacles that face the farmers in their persuit to achieve their dream. Walls symbolize being shut out, as what happens when one is segregated.
Lennie & George's dream is to go to a ranch, away from people, work on their own, be free. Their dream includes them being happy and independent. To make their dream come true they must work to get money to buy a house and rabbits and crops in order to live. Lennie & George own the American dream in our text because they have to do the work to make it come true, they have to work hard for what they want.
I have a Dream talks about the authors dream and how he has to work to make it happen. Rain on the Scarecrow talks about how independence makes them feel free, and they have to work to become free. These songs are alike because both their ideas is to make a dream come true. I Have a Dream is more about being hard working & being rewarded for it. Rain on the Scarecrow is more about staying positive and thinking of when times were easier and they were free.
Paige S 1st
Lennie's dream was to "live of the meat of the land", and George just wanted to look good by sticking with Lennie. Lennie had the ideal American Dream, which was success. Lennie just wanted to work hard and end up with somewhere he could work for himself and take care of rabbits.
The songs are similiar becuase they both speak of wanting a greater life for themselves. Neither one was asking for something huge or impossible, instead they only asked for what everyone else seemed to have. People that face the worst hardships tend to wish for less, because they have themselves, they are alive and have their family and friends. Life had successfully taught them a lesson, and they are not greedy.
megan zajkowski 7/8
These songs show very different pictures of the dreams that America holds, and both of these are very different from the dream that is pictured in "Of Mice and Men".
The first main similarity of the songs is nature of the dreams that they have. The song by Common is depicting a dream for the bettering of the condition of his living, as the singer tries to "make it from a gangster to a godlier role". He tries to overcome the racial and social burdens that he was born with. In the song "Rain on the Scarecrow", the singer expresses a dream for the change of conditions as well. He is losing the farm that has been his family's for generations because of his financial state and wishes that the money issues would go away so that his son could have the same joy from the farm that he had.
The main difference in the dreams is the experience of the dreamer. in the song about the farmers, the dream is to move back to what was before, something that was already experienced. While in both the "I Have a Dream" song and "Of Mice and Men" the dream is to move forward into something new and that is imagined to be great.
Anna J. 7-8 period
George and Lennie wish to have a little home for themselves where they can live off the land. They want to be able to grow and tend their own crops so they dont have to listen to a boss. At their own place Lennie will not be able to get into a lot of trouble causing George stress. In the time period in the book they are in a depression. During the depression people strived for food. George and Lennie being able to provide themselves with food was their "American Dream"
In both songs, the artist wishes to be looked at at a higher level In "I Have a Dream" by Common, the artist is African American, because of this he is looked down upon. In "Rain On The Scarecrow" by John Mellencamp, he cant afford to pay for his farm. In both pieces they are losing/lost things that they love. In "I Have a Dream" he is losing his dignity and pride. I think he feels like he is disappointing his community. In "Rain On The Scarecrow" he is losing his family farm.I think he feels like he is disappointing his family.
These pieces relate to George and Lennie's Dream because they all just want to be happy, and they alll want something they dont have.
-Haley Y. 1st
Lennie and George have a dream to one day own a farm with lots of animals and plants, and Lennie is going to take care of the rabbits. It shows that they have perseverance, and that their dream means more to them than most people can understand. In order for them to fulfill their dream, they must earn enough money to buy the farm they are looking at. The person who owns the American dream in the text is actually Lennie, because he wants it more than George does, mostly so he can tend the rabbits but whenever Lennie and George talk about it, Lennie gets more excited.
Both songs talk about how hard it is to fulfill the American dream. The difference is, in "I Have a Dream," the subject's dream is fulfilled through hardship, while in "Rain on the Scarecrow," the subject's dream is denied by the interference of others. Both songs talk about people standing in the way of the dream, whether it is the subject's father in "I Have a Dream" or the government in "Rain on the Scarecrow." Both songs have the symbolism of a father failing to do the job he gave himself through his child, and because of that denying the child a chance at success. At the core, both songs talk about how hard it is to reach the American dream, and how much it can be worth to succeed.
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