In Of Mice and Men, it seems to be an indisputable law of nature that dreams should not come true. From George and Lennie's ranch to Curley's wife's fame, the characters' fondest aspirations repeatedly fail to materialize. However, the fact that they dream – often long after the possibility of realizing those dreams has passed – suggests that dreaming has a purpose in their lives. What the characters ultimately fail to understand is that, in Steinbeck's difficult world, dreams are not only a source of happiness but also a source of unhappiness. For the characters in Of Mice and Men, dreams are useful because they map out the possibilities of human happiness. Just as a map helps a traveler locate themselves on the road, dreams help Lennie, George, and the others understand where they are and where they are going. Many of the dreams in the work have a physical dimension: they are not just wishes to be fulfilled, they are places to be reached. The fact that George's ranch, the central dream of the book, is a real place as opposed to a person or thing underlines this geographical element. Dreams are transformed...