In John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie are traveling to a ranch in California. Their journey is motivated by the desire to find work during the Great Depression and to pursue their shared dream of owning a piece of land someday.
Initially, George and Lennie are fleeing from their previous job in Weed, where an incident involving Lennie’s misunderstanding of a situation led to trouble. They hope that by moving to a new place, they can leave their past behind and start anew. George, who often looks out for Lennie, often describes their dream of owning a small farm, where they can live independently and be free from the harsh realities of itinerant work life. This journey symbolizes their struggle and the elusive nature of the American Dream.