Lucy Carroll

Mr. Linker
AS Frosh English 6
9-14-14

The Companionship o a Common !ream


Some"imes # in$ mysel spen$ing a lo" o "ime alone. The soli"u$e o %eing &i"h
onesel can %e 'ery comor"ing an$ rela(ing) %u" # al&ays in$ "ha" &i"hin a e& $ays o
going "hrough "hese mo"ions i" can %ecome "iresome an$ lonely. # %egin "o miss %eing
aroun$ people an$ # long or "he company o o"hers. #n "he %ook Of Mice and Men %y
*ohn S"ein%eck &e are sho&n "ha" all people are looking "o in$ companionship)
&he"her i" %e "hrough a common $ream) a rien$) or simply rom "he company o o"hers.
Lennie an$ +eorge ha'e kno&n companionship since %eore "he %eginning o "he
no'el. ,hen "he o"her men un$ers"an$ "his) a su%conscious nee$ or kinship is
rea&akene$ in "hem. -igh" a&ay "he men on "he ranch all seem suspicious o Lennie
an$ +eorge "ra'eling "oge"her) %u" as "ime &ears on) "he %enei"s o ha'ing "he
company o a rien$ %ecome more apparen"- especially "o Can$y. Can$y is en"ice$ %y
"his rien$ship an$ "he hope i" %rings righ" a&ay- "his is %ecause companionship is
some"hing he is looking or a"er losing his $og. .o& Can$y has %een gi'en a mo"i'e "o
li'e 'ia "he consola"ion o no" only company) %u" a common $ream "o&ar$s &hich "o
&ork. ,hen Can$y hears o "he $ream Lennie an$ +eorge share) he imme$ia"ely
'olun"eers his money an$ "ime "o %ecome a par" o i" - /Tha0s "hree hun$re$ an$ i"y
%ucks #0$ pu" in1 # coul$ cook an$ "en$ "he chickens an$ hoe "he gar$en some2.
3no&ing Can$y) "his is all "ha" he has - an$ he0s &illing "o gi'e i" up or ne& hope in "he
orm o sharing Lennie an$ +eorge0s $ream. 4e o%'iously is mo"i'a"e$ an$ ocuse$
no& "ha" he sees his oppor"uni"y. 4o&e'er) Can$y is no" "he only man &ho sees "he
possi%ili"ies presen" "hemsel'es &hen le" in on "he hope o +eorge an$ Lennie0s
common goal.
,hen Crooks hears o "he $ream rom Lennie) he is au"oma"ically skep"ical) %u"
as "ime &ears on he %egins "o &an" "o %e par" o i". A"er "alking "o Lennie an$ Can$y or
a &hile) Crooks $oes almos" "he same "hing Can$y $i$ 5 oers "o &ork or /no"hing %u"
his keep2. Crooks has no"hing on "he arm le" or him since he is cripple$ an$ es"range$
rom socie"y %ecause o his race. ,hen he sees "he hope o a $ieren") %e""er lie "ha"
seems "o %e more o a reali"y "han "he o"her $reams he has encoun"ere$) he &an"s in.
Crooks is aliena"e$ rom "he res" o "he men on "he arm $aily- /S0pose you coul$n0" go
in"o "he %unk house an$ play rummy 6cause you &as %lack2. This is &hy he is so s"an$
oish "o&ar$s Lennie ini"ially %u" la"er eels a connec"ion "o Lennie &hen he reali7es he
$oesn0" "rea" him any $ieren"ly. 8ecause o "his) Crooks seems more &illing "o 9ump on
"he %an$&agon - no" only $oes he ha'e a $ream "o share &i"h "hese people) %u" may%e
he e'en has a rien$. Crooks has oun$ a ocus an$ mo"i'a"ion "o $o some"hing in "he
hope "ha" he &ill in$ rien$ship in "he $ream "ha" our men no& share.
Through his no'el) Of Mice and Men) S"ein%eck sho&s "ha" men &ill $o any"hing
"o in$ companionship in "his &orl$. Lennie an$ +eorge ha$ "he company o each o"her)
Crooks an$ Can$y ha$ "he company o Lennie an$ +eorge) an$ "hey all ha$ some"hing
"o look or&ar$ "o 5 common $reams an$ "he hope o a %e""er lie. ,he"her you are
cons"an"ly &i"h someone) cons"an"ly "rying "o %e &i"h someone) or looking or someone
"ha" you &an" "o %e &i"h) you are al&ays looking or "he company o o"hers. So in "his
&ay &e are all 9us" "rying "o in$ someone else "o make our lie a li""le less lonely.