Catcher in the Rye and Of Mice and Men: Go West Young Man For centuries, Americans have gone west in search of what is called “The American Dream”. And still, writers try to portray the American dream in their work. In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, George and Lennie, two Californian ranch laborers, are in search of their dream which is to own a piece of land. In JD Salinger’s novel, Catcher In The Rye, Holden Caulfield is also in search of his dream which is to be the “catcher in the rye”. Holden, George, and Lennie all have dreams and none of them ever come