The American Dream in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

The American Dream in Of Mice and Men The American dream is the traditional social ideals of the US, such as equality, democracy, and material prosperity. In the Novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck the American Dream plays a huge role in almost every character’s lives, and the different version of the American dream for each individual has affected both their lives and the outcome of this novella. The American dream plays a role that makes each character more hard working and persevered as they try to achieve this goal. The American dream is an idea that every man who is in the United States tries to achieve at some point in his or her life. The dream however differs with each and every person, but they all face a similar road trying to fulfill this almost impossible dream. This road includes hard work, determination and perseverance, and even then it is almost an impossible task to accomplish their dreams. In the novella Of Mice and Men the two main characters, Lennie and George share an American dream, of having their own farm and ranch, and Lennie’s very own dream is to have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and chickens. And when it rains in the winter, well just say the hell with goin to work, and well build up a fire in the stove and set around it an listen to the rain comin down on the roof... They have worked hard for this dream and was almost there as o ne more month of work at a ranch, and they could have the necessary funds to finallyShow MoreRelatedMotivation for the American Dream in Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck783 Words   |  4 Pagesnot trying it achieve something. Motivation can be applied to the American Dream. In the book Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, the levels of motivation are clearly evident, this affects the process of how the characters achieve their dreams. Of Mice and Men is a story of two migrant workers, how they deal with their American Dream, and the troubles of working on a ranch during The Great Depression. The Characters of Of Mice and Men are going through these levels of motivation and achievement. ThroughRead MoreThe American Dream in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Essay531 Words   |  3 PagesWhen we try to chase our dreams, we end up in our own diminutive lonely world. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, has taught readers that the American dream can only ever be accomplished through hard work and determination. More times than others, we are distracted by the dream itself, and don’t chase the reality, which can then lead to high expectations, and without hard determination, that can then failure. In the end, we have been lonely for so long, chasing a dream, that when reality hits usRead MoreEssay on The American Dream in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck1615 Words   |  7 Pages The novel, Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck refers back to The American Dream as heaven. Steinbeck is trying to point out that the American Dream is unrealistic. This novel looks back at the dreams of American individuals in the 1930s. It is set in California at the time of the Great Depression during which the American stock market collapsed leaving the nation in a state of economical disarray. The disease, hunger and poverty in England were highRead MoreThe American Dream in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck710 Words   |  3 PagesThe American Dream is something that many individuals have desired for countless years. Although it has evolved during the past couple of years, many individuals still strive to achieve it. Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men illustrates this American Dream of the 1930’s, which is looked upon as impossible through the failure of George and Lennie’s achievement. â€Å"The story Of Mice and Men and the American Dream is known to be somewhat different; it can define the independence and self-sufficiency forRead MoreThe American Dream in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Essay1098 Words   |  5 Pages Of Mice And Men explores the ways in which both immigrants and Americans tried to conquer and obtain their goal in life, which in this case was to try and attain their own the American Dream. I will also explores ways in how the American Dream is central to the novel and how Steinbeck reflects the society at the time. In the early 1900s the object that determined the wealth of a family, the object that was mentioned in every conversation all over the world andRead MoreThe Grapes Of Wrath And Of Mice And Men1644 Words   |  7 PagesJarvis Johnson Research Paper John Steinbeck is an American author of 27 books, widely known for award winning novels, The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men; Steinbeck is also a Nobel Prize winning of Literature. Steinbeck’s writing expresses realistic and creative thoughts, combining as they do compassionate comedy (through Lennie) and intense social perception with their surrounding national culture. John Steinbeck, â€Å"Of mice and Men†, Printed in 1937, articulating a tale of characters, GeorgeRead MoreJohn Steinbeck: An American Writer During the Great Depression1315 Words   |  6 Pageshistorical time. Because of the difficult situations, American writers turned their focus to social problems and issues. They were motivated to arouse sympathy for the suffering of common people, especially those at the very bottom of the society. (Wang, 2012) John Steinbeck (1902-1968), born in Salinas, California, is one of the most significant and representative American writers in that era. He is the winner of the Noble Prize for Literature in 1962. John Steinbeck’s living experience in California hadRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of John Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men 1406 Words   |  6 PagesRhetorical Analysis Essay John Steinbeck, writer of the novel, Of Mice and Men, uses many different rhetorical devices and appeals to unravel the essence and truth of the American Dream, while revolving around the world of these characters, George and Lennie. Written during the great depression, the novel itself shares the lives of many different people during that time period. It explored how everyone was treated through that time due to skin color, disabilities, and gender. Life during thisRead MoreCultures in ‘Of Mice and Men’ by John Steinbeck Essay1491 Words   |  6 PagesJohn Steinbeck (1902 – 1968) was born in Salinas, California, which was also were the book ‘Of Mice and Men’ was set. At the time John Steinbeck introduced the book ‘Of Mice and Men’, money was a really big issue. This time was known as the ‘Great Slump’, also known as, the Great Depression. John Steinbeck had experience of life, as a farm labourer and could be why he chooses to tell the story about George Milton and Lennie Smalls, two ranchmen in Americas South West The story opens with RanchmenRead MoreThe American Dream758 Words   |  4 PagesThe American Dream is the idea of the United States having an endless opportunity for anyone, regardless of their past, race, beliefs, and their economic life now. In the novel Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck, each character was driven to something that they enjoyed or wanted; something they had to work hard for and strive to have it. In the book, many of these objectives were connected to achieve The American Dream. Lennie and Georges American Dream is to pursue their ideal life by owning

The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien Essay - 1759 Words

â€Å"The Things They Carried† by Tim O’Brien may seem like a classic narrative story that is composed of numerous lists, outlining what each soldier carried during the Vietnam war. But this is merely a surface level interpretation and there is more to the story than just lists. Once the reader deciphers what is being said between the text and carefully analyzes the short story on a deeper level, it reveals how the many parts of the Vietnam war have had a lasting and extensive impact on the soldiers. The story emphasizes the idea of how the items they carry exemplify a greater significance than simply their physical characteristics, such as a gun used to kill the enemy. The items hold an emotional and psychological connection with every veteran as each object is unique to the individual. The symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) reflect how it contributes to the structure of the short story. The sudden shifts and constant altering of going back and forth fro m events echo key symptoms that veterans experience subsequently after a war. Even though there is a distinct correlation between the physical objects that the soldiers carry, it is unequivocally evident that the intangible â€Å"things they carry† have a greater implication on their personal life. These objects provide the reader with a valuable insight into the true struggles the veterans faced during the war and after as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder. In formatting this short story, O’BrienShow MoreRelatedThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien892 Words   |  4 PagesThe Vietnam War was a long, exhausting, and traumatic experience for all of the soldiers and those who came with them. The Things They Carried, by Tim O Brien illustrates the different affects the war had on a variety of people: Jacqueline Navarra Rhoads, a former nurse during the Vietnam war, demonstrates these effects within her own memoir in the book, The Forgotten Veterans. Both sources exemplify many tribulations, while sharing a common thread of suffering from mental unpredictability. DesensitizationRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien1377 Words   |  6 Pageslove to have it as good as we do. Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried discusses many veterans who experience the burden of shame and guilt daily due to their heroic actions taken during the Vietnam War. The book shows you how such a war can change a man before, during, and after it’s over.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As I reflect on the many conflicts America has been a part of, none can compare to the tragedies that occurred in The Vietnam war. As told in The Things They Carried (O’Brien), characters such as NormanRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien1457 Words   |  6 Pagesthe theme pertains to everyone regardless of their background. It conveys the same ideas to people from all across our society. Lastly, a classic is timeless, which means it has transcended the time in which it was written. In Tim O’Brien’s novel, The Things They Carried, he offers a new, intriguing way to view war or just life in general and also meets all of the crucial requirements mentioned above to qualify it as a book of literary canon. Though this book is technically a war novel, many peopleRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien1242 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Tim O’Brien is obsessed with telling a true war story. O Brien s fiction about the Vietnam experience suggest, lies not in realistic depictions or definitive accounts. As O’Brien argues, absolute occurrence is irrelevant because a true war story does not depend upon that kind of truth. Mary Ann’s induction into genuine experience is clearly destructive as well as empowering† (p.12) Tim O’s text, The Things they Carried, details his uses of word choice to portray his tone and bias. Tim O’BrienRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien1169 Words   |  5 Pagesbut are set in the past and borrows things from that time period. A story that fits this genre of literature is The Things They Carried. The story is about Tim O Brien, a Vietnam veteran from the Unite States, who tells stories about what had happ ened when he and his team were stationed in Vietnam. He also talks about what he felt about the war when he was drafted and what he tried to do to avoid going to fight in Vietnam. The Things They Carried by Tim O Brien was precise with its portrayal of settingRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien1004 Words   |  5 Pages Tim O’Brien is a veteran from of the Vietnam War, and after coming home from his duty he decided to be a writer. His work â€Å"The Things They Carried† is about a group of soldiers that are fighting in the Vietnam War. The first part of the story talks mostly about physical items that each soldier carries, and also mentions the weight of the items as well. Though, there is one exception to the list of physical things. Lieutenant Cross is a character of the story, and Tim O’ Brien quickly states theRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien896 Words   |  4 PagesTrouble without a doubt is what First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross c arried around his shoulders because he was out in war, where mistakes happen. Lost and unknown of his surroundings he had to lead his men into safety, while destroying anything they found. First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross only holds onto one thing for hope and that is Martha, the woman who he hopes is a virgin to come back to. Tim O’ Brien introduces symbolism by adding a character that has a meaning of purity and a pebble, which symbolizesRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien Essay832 Words   |  4 PagesSummary: â€Å"By and large they carried these things inside, maintaining the masks of composure† (21). In Tim O’brien’s The Things They Carried, the American soldiers of the Vietnam War carry much more than the weight of their equipment, much more than souvenirs or good-luck charms or letters from home. They carried within themselves the intransitive burdens—of fear, of cowardice, of love, of loneliness, of anger, of confusion. Most of all, they carry the truth of what happened to them in the war—aRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien1369 Words   |  6 PagesMany authors use storytelling as a vehicle to convey the immortality of past selves and those who have passed to not only in their piece of literature but in their life as an author. In Tim O’Brien’s work of fiction The Things They Carried, through his final chapter â€Å"The Lives of the Dead,† O Brien conveys that writing is a matter of survival since, the powers of s torytelling can ensure the immortality of all those who were significant in his life. Through their immortality, O’Brien has the abilityRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien1407 Words   |  6 Pages       Our introduction stated that in â€Å"The Things They Carried,† author Tim O’Brien tells us not directly of the soldiers of Vietnam, or the situations they find themselves in, but about the things they carry on their shoulders and in their pockets. These â€Å"things† identify the characters and bring them to life.   I find that to be true as the author unfolds the stories about war and the uncommon things one carries in to war both inadvertently and on purpose.  Ã‚  Ã‚  As it was noted: Stories about war –

Semco Transformational Plan

Question: Discuss about theSemcofor Transformational Plan. Answer: Introduction The purpose of this report if to identify the leadership and management styles adopted by Ricardo Semler and their effects on the tactical choices of Semco. It will also discover various risks taken in executing the new regime at Semco and the possible causes of imbalance generated by the styles of administration and leadership plus their collective applicability and the effects caused by the organization. Semco is an equipment manufacturing company that was established by Antonio Semler in 1912 and is found in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The company was taken over by Ricardo Semler year 1980 after his father resigned from being the COO of the company. He afterward established a management system that allowed employees to have power and was employee friendly. It has come to design a worker empowerment pattern that is free of any political discourse which was common during the 19th century in the industry of economy. The sales have grown at a 24% annual rate since he assumed the role as the pr esident of the firm. (Semler, 2009) Semcos Implementation of the Transformational Plan Is the transformational plan implemented at Semco Universally applicable? Yes, the transformational plan implemented at Semco is universally applicable. Transformational leadership is a style by which the organizational manager or the overall leader works with the juniors to ascertain any change that needs to be implemented, generates a vision to chaperon through inspiration and put forth change in line with dedicated team members. Richard Semler as a transformational leader had the aspiration, resolution, and expertise to execute the necessary changes and recognise the basics of his leadership. With this, he accomplished the degree of change needed in the dynamic environment and was able to handle crisis critically. The type of transformational plan that Richard employed started off with an idea, he put all his enthusiasm and energy into the idea with an outlook of the expectations that will motivate probable followers and later adapt to it. Initially, Semco had set rules and regulations that controlled every aspect of activities assumed in the company. H owever, Richard Semler after taking over the company embarked on transforming the firm to address the consistently poor performance experienced from the past. He started by dismissing all the top management and dismantling the existing management layers in the company. He eliminated all the job titles but the COO, which was made to be rotated among workers after every six months. This type of leadership style serves the purpose of enhancing the confidence of followers together with their job performance and motivation to execute their various duties. Semler aimed at addressing employee motivation through means that will encourage them to make the organisational goals their first priorities before their own goals. He managed to be successful because by doing the above he connected the teams feeling of identity and sense of character to a mission and the shared distinctiveness of the company. Richards leadership style is a rare one that succeeded in reforming the organisation continually to win in the world of the future generation. (Semler,2009) An organisation needs a skilled transformational leader as Richard Semler for it to be transformed that faster and prepared for future success. An organisations future depend on how many transformational leaders it has, it can be one or all of them. In this case, every team member at Semco learned to be an effective le ader in one way or the other the reason as to why they prove to be very substantial in cases of any changes and crisis management in the organisation. The transformational plan implemented is universally applicable because of the following reasons: As a result of the plan, there was improved transparency in salaries as workers were empowered in setting their working hours. The companys implementation of the reward strategy set to meet the targets set by the same team members resulted in an immediate decrease in costs, the rise in productivity and the lost profit. (Semler, 2009) Workers were motivated by the profit sharing system where the profits made were divided among workers according to what the elected committee decided. Decisions were now made after detailed discussion and debate unlike through a set of procedures as it was done in the past. As a result of its success that the company gave a group of Engineers the power to a group that had the mandate to act in any necessary way to advance innovation in technology at the plant. Changes That Improved Worker Motivation and the main changes at Semco that improved the motivation of workers. Motivation is the psychological process that stimulates people therefore guiding them towards specific goals. It inspires people to intentional engage with definite activities to keep on with them and eventually try to find benefits from doing these activities. After the retention of the COO title, the job position was made to rotate among workers every six months. This greatly improved their motivation as each strived to work harder and increase their productivity just to be selected as the next COO of the firm. The establishment of teams of workers that were self-managed also improved the motivation of workers. They were given the responsibilities of being fully in control of their production remit, which included controlling the budget and setting targets. They worked harder to achieve their targets because of the motivational aspect of the technique. This is a type of content theory of motivation defined by Herzberg, motivation factors like giving employees things like a sense of recognition, achievement or responsibility can increase job satisfaction. (Semler, 2009) The reward structure was later designed so that it could match the targets set by the teams. This is the greatest form of motivation, as each team would put in their best to reach their targets and be rewarded in return. Due to improved motivation, the firm got to gain back the lost profits and increase productivity. (Senge, 2014) Profit sharing was another new change that improved workers motivation. All the profit made was summed up and each division pf the business was given around 25% of the net profits then it was divided among workers as per the decision of a democratically elected committee. The equity theory of motivation was employed through the assessing of the team members levels of effort and then rewarding them for it. The profit sharing was the goal of the managers recognizing the need for employees to be seen being rewarded on a fair and equitable basis and adjusting any form of inequities. (Semler, 2009) The empowerment plan motivated workers to accept more responsibility given to them for managing multiple duties and putting in action their knowledge to generate new and innovative ideas on how to keep reducing costs and improving quality. The workers were given the power to hire or fire some people they deemed incompetent after a democratic vote from everyone. They were motivated to find ways in which they could tackle the challenges they faced in the company by organizing themselves. Workers who know and approve to the ideologies of their organization will organize themselves into teams needed to get the most out of their chances of accomplishing the teams desired goals. When workers have more control over their tasks, they will be motivated to become more productive and consequently more relaxed and, happy at the work site. David McClellands need theory is established in this context. It holds a great significance in understanding motivations. The need for power which is the desir e for control over others and yourself was promoted by the empowerment plan. (Semler, 2009) The manuals that used to define the factory life in the previous regime were disposed of, and a new system was adopted, decisions were made after a debate and a discussion rather than through a set of procedures as before. Payment is made by the sales percentage, this way, workers, were motivated to work hard to get the most sales to increase their payment. Possible Sources of Tension within the Existing Structure at Semco The Organisational Structure When Semler took over the company and started initiating his radical plan of running the business. He recognized that the firms highly turbulent markets needed a different organization structure to stay successful for a longer term. He reduced the size of Semcos administrative organizations by assigning its functions to the operative units. The organizations structure was redefined moving from hierarchical to business unit approach that put the team to the core. This caused a lot of tension, and as a result, Semco has no centralized data processing, there are no training departments, no rules, and no audits anymore. Because of the organizational structure changes implemented, the firm does not use a formal organization chart but rather sketch the structure of the company in pencil when it is only necessary and then dispense with it as soon as they are done. However, as a result, the ideas of self-governance and self-management were promoted, and responsibility into the overall strate gy of the organization was incorporated among the employees. (Semler, 2009) The management When he took over the firm, his first move was to dismiss all top management personnel and dismantle the existing layers of management, therefore, reducing the hierarchy from seven to three. The managers get to run their units with so much freedom from top management. This created tension in the firm, and as a result, almost an entire layer of middle managers left the business after almost a year because they felt that the newly empowered subordinates had undermined their authority.As it is well known by most scholars, the management of any initiativeneeds that someone exert control over the idea, the process, and the factors of construction in order for an economically possible product or service to materialise. Semler set up a new leadership system, the managers would put forth their plans to other members of the leadership team to get their opinion on the matter for approval. This was something that only the prerogative team used to do in the past regime. The system made leaders s how exactly how they added significance to the process because the leadership teams new roles encompassed setting budgets and therefore the management roles that were deliberated as being ineffective would be disregarded of. (Senge,2014) The Corporate Culture Semlers first moves included abolishing all the norms, manuals, rules and regulations. This caused tension because it can be very hard running an organisation without any rules and regulations. However most organisations have sets or rules and regulations that rarely solve problems. Richard expected that the workers would develop a sense of responsibility enough to take them use their common sense in every aspect.Semcos corporate culture is based on employee participation in management decisions, companywide profit sharing, and an open information culture. Semco managers and workers together make decisions The role of manager was changed and instead of the manager making all the decisions, he would have to ask the right questions for the support of the team members, this then formed a basis for decision-making in the firm. The new change in culture brought about tension, however, it brought about a competitive position build around the corporate culture that resulted in a creative RD process and a highly efficient manufacturing system. Changes in the corporate culture ensured that Semco employees were assured of representation through a democratically elected factory committee of each business unit. The workers were given the right to vote, choose and contribute to the decision making processThey were supposed to read the charter, take part, and ensure that their committee defended their interest effectively. These interests at times would not correspond to Semcos interests, therefore, bringing about a necessary and healthy conflict.(Senge, 2014) The Biggest Risks Taken By Richard Semler in Implementing the New Regime at Semco. One of the biggest risks taken by Richard Semler in implementing the new regime at Semco was starting by dismissing all the top management and dismantling all the existing layers of management for the reason of diversification. He dismissed almost every employee that had worked for the firm for a longer period and therefore had a better understanding of the business more than any new employees. It was a huge risk to take although it led to positive results. (Senge, 2014) The second risk he took was the transparency in salaries; this was something that was not common in the normal business practices. All financial information were discussed openly and freely and displayed for every person to see. Every person was able to know just how much the other is earning. He also took the risk of placing all the responsibility of overseeing processes, managing output and securing quality to the workers and later on extended it to managing salary levels, bonuses, decision-making processes. It was a huge risk to undertake in a business of such size. (Senge, 2014) He took the risk of empowering his employees by establishing self-managed teams of up to eight production workers to be fully in control over their production remit that included complete control over budgets and setting targets. (Semler, 2009) Semler took the risk of changing the work environment day by day , to some other people this will present itself as a risk towards job security, however, through these changes , he had gave all the workers, from top management to lower opportunities making every one of them do their work more sincerely. They all knew the importance of their work and therefore made wise decisions for other demographic factors, furthermore, the changes ensured that employees could not be dismissed without the proper procedure being adhered to.(Senge, 2014) Conclusion Semco is an unusual kind of organization because of its structure and the way things are done there. It managed to safely traverse through the challenging economic environment without incurring major organizational damages. It is very different from other traditional organized firms because of its open policies towards information sharing. Compared to other international companies, it is a small firm and it is not quite clear yet if the organizational principles employed by Semco and made it successful can be applied to other companies and gets the same results. It is unclear as to what the management principles at Semco cold do to a much larger organization, and it is, therefore, unclear as to whether the system could work in a highly competitive international economy due to the relatively young age of Semcos structure of an organisation. Reference Semler, R. (2009). The Seven-Day Weekend: Changing the Way Work Works. New York: Warner Books. Senge, P. A (2014). The Fifth Discipline Field book. New York: Currency Doubleday.