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The second part of her dream parallels the men's desire for their own land.<br />
She wanted to be an actress in Hollywood. She imagines how great it would<br />
be to stay in nice hotels, own lots of beautiful clothes, and have people want<br />
to take her photograph. Both attention and financial security would have been<br />
hers. Like the men she desires friendship, and also material comforts, though<br />
the specifics of her dream differ from theirs.<br />
Dreams 6: When Ge<strong>org</strong>e tells Lennie to look across the river and imagine<br />
their farm, he lets Lennie die with the hope that they will attain their dream,<br />
and attain it soon. Ge<strong>org</strong>e, who must kill Lennie, is not allowed such comfort.<br />
He must go on living knowing the failure of their dream, as well as deal with<br />
the guilt of having killed his best friend.<br />
Topic Tracking: Friendship<br />
Friendship 1: Despite Ge<strong>org</strong>e's impatience and annoyance with Lennie, and<br />
his remarks about how easy his life would be without him, he still believes that:<br />
"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They<br />
got no family. They don't belong no place....With us it ain't like that. We got a<br />
future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us." Chapter 1, pg.<br />
13-14.<br />
And Lennie finishes:<br />
"An' why? Because...because I got you to look after me, and you got me to<br />
look after you, and that's why." Chapter 1, pg. 14.<br />
The kind of life these men lead, moving all over the country, never knowing<br />
anyone very long, and having very little to call their own, is intensely lonely.<br />
Even if Lennie is not very bright, he still listens to Ge<strong>org</strong>e, and he remains the<br />
one constant in Ge<strong>org</strong>e's transient life. For this Ge<strong>org</strong>e is grateful.<br />
Friendship 2: Slim comes across very differently than the other men. Friendly<br />
and understanding, he invites Ge<strong>org</strong>e into conversation. When discussing<br />
how Ge<strong>org</strong>e and Lennie travel together, Slim remarks:<br />
"'Ain't many guys travel around together,' he mused. 'I don't know why. Maybe<br />
ever'body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.'" Chapter 2, pg. 35.<br />
Slim is much more open than most of the men on the ranch, and a marked<br />
contrast to Curley, whose can only communicate with fighting. Curley will<br />
push his wife away, choosing to go visit prostitutes rather than work on their<br />
marriage, whereas Slim attempts to construct a relationship with Ge<strong>org</strong>e the<br />
first chance he gets. The men have a deep respect for Slim, and his opinion is<br />
the final word on any subject.
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