Well, once you start thinking about the novel in these terms, there are dreams all over the place--poor Candy's dream of being cared for, being independent, and not just being a burden on the ranch; his dream of his dog living on and on; Crooks's very quickly stifled dream of belonging; George's dream of being free of Lennie (which so tragically comes true); even Curley's dream of being something other than he is--a little bully. Isn't there a poignancy in the fact that his wife doesn't love him, and people don't really respect him? His father also, with those tragic 'higheeled boots' to show that he isn't an ordinary 'labouring man'. Everywhere you look you see people putting on faces to impress other people, or hiding secret yearnings--apart from Slim, of course, who doesn't seem to do this.
So dreams connect immediately to loneliness--because having a dream, in the novel at least, seems to imply that you are not happy with your life as it is. Isolation in the novel is such a central theme, partly because people don't share their dreams. Crooks barely dares to admit his, has to pretend he doesn't want company in case he's rejected; Candy can't admit his real feelings about his dog and stand up to Carlson. Imagine how different the novel would be if Curley's wife had confided in Curley rather than in Lennie.... Or perhaps it wouldn't be so different. People's dreams are not always crushed because they don't share them, after all, but sometimes because they do.
Interesting, though, what an enlivening thing George and Lennie's dream is... it enriches people's lives, it draws them into warmth and friendship. Curley's dream of being the best boxer doesn't exactly do that, does it?
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