Universal Theme:

Sometimes you have to take a risk to show thaT what seems too Crazy to come true can happen.

"Of mice and men"

"Everybody wants a little bit of land, not much. Jus' som'thin' that was his. Somethin' he could live on and there couldn't nobody throw him off of it. I never had none. I planted crops for damn neAr ever'body iN this state, but they wasn't my crops, and when I harvested 'em, it wasn't none of my harvest. But we gonna do it now, and don't make no mistake about that." (PG 78)

This explanation from Candy shows that there may be several men with the same dream as George and Lennie, but no one is as committed to pursuing it as they are. The dream requires risks and patience, and it is evident that Candy, George and Lennie are dedicated to making it happen. Steinbeck is illustrating an example to show that what you want, does not always come easy. He also uses examples of doubt and discouragement to demonstrate that George, Lennie and Candy continued to follow their dream despite others demoralizing their aspiration. He indicates that in spite of disheartening doubts sent your way, it's up to you to take risks and continue following your dreams.

"The Scarlet Ibis"

DoOdle was five years old when I turned 13. I was embaRrassed at having a brother of that age who COULDN'T walk, so i set out to teach him." (pg 1)

Although done for selfish reasons, the narrator dreamed of his little brother, who suffered a disability, to walk and was determined to make it happen. While pursuing this dream, Doodle suffered from sickness and a weakened body. However, with Doodle's flexibility and the narrator's adamant personality, they were able to achieve what both boys were convinced Doodle was capable of. The risk in this story was that even though Doodle was already suffering from his disability, he and his brother took the chance of trying to train him to walk and play so that he could resemble all the other kids. This risk may have not turned out well in the end, being that Doodle concluded to be dead, but the author still showed that their hard work and dedication enabled Doodle to walk.

"Cinderella"

"No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, tHe dreams that you wish will come true"

The plot of Cinderella revolves around a mistreated girl who is used only as a maid and servant after being taken under the wing of her widowed step-mom. She dreams of going to a royal ball and finding true love, but has no chance of attending due to her step-mother enslaving her. Yet, Cinderella still dreamed of being present at the royal ball. She took a risk by sneaking out of her home and was able to fulfill her aspirations. I think that Charles Perrault was implying you should always do the best you can to make yourself happy in bad situations, and take risks to make your dreams come true.

So what? ImpaCt

Dreams and aspirations are apart of every individual's life. Motivation and a purpose are huge parts of what you plan on doing in your future. We can all relate to this subject in a personal way, whether it be a career you aspire to pursue in the future or something extraordinary you'd like to become famous for. By identifying the dreams of different characters and individuals throughout society, we can infer that dreams play a large role in people's lives. I feel that it is important to express your aspirations openly and show how significant making them come true is in your life. Everyone shares different desires, for all different reasons, but we all have the same determination to make those particular impulses happen. We all have the ability to visualize our goals in life, but it's up to you to actually make it a reality. Some require risks and exposure to things you've never experienced before. Though if you want it bad enough, you will do whatever it takes to prove not only to yourself, but to others that it was completely possible.