Explore the ways in which John Steinbeck presents and uses setting in his novel Of Mice

and Men.

Year 11Extended Reading Controlled

Assessment

Why is setting so important to a novel?

• It can create atmosphere and a certain tone.

• It can help reinforce some key messages that the author is wanting to get across to the reader.

• It can be symbolic, a metaphor for something.

Key words in the question…

Presents

Does he use particular words?

Does he use any imagery or other techniques?

Is there anything poetic he does?

Key words in the question…

USes

How does his description link to the book’s story?

Is there anything symbolic about this description?

How does the setting help the reader understand the story?

Chapter 1: Steinbeck presents to us a beautiful place, an idyll and a paradise.

A few miles south of Soledad, the Salinas River drops in close to the hillsidebank and runs deep and green. The water is warm too, for it has slippedtwinkling over the yellow sands in the sunlight before reaching the narrow pool.On one side of the river the golden foothill slopes curve up to the strong androcky Gabilan Mountains, but on the valley side the water is lined with trees—willows fresh and green with every spring, carrying in their lower leaf juncturesthe debris of the winter’s flooding; and sycamores with mottled, white,recumbent limbs and branches that arch over the pool. On the sandy bank underthe trees the leaves lie deep and so crisp that a lizard makes a great skittering ifhe runs among them. Rabbits come out of the brush to sit on the sand in theevening, and the damp flats are covered with the night tracks of ‘coons, andwith the spreadpads of dogs from the ranches, and with the split-wedge tracks ofdeer that come to drink in the dark.

Steinbeck creates a soothing and calming setting – is he leading the reader into a false

sense of security?

“The water is warm too.”

This suggests that the place is inviting, restorative(can make you feel better) and is a source of comfort.

It is in contrast to many of the other settings in the book: cold, ruthless and intimidating.

“Green”

Connotations of life, vitality and new growth. This is a place that is alive, a place of hope.

Perhaps these feelings are those of George and Lennie? They hope to start a new life and they desire a better future. The setting could represent the best laid plans of mice and men. Does this change by the end?

“slopes curve up to the strong ”

Even the sounds of the description are soft and soothing: sibilance.

It is a calming place, perhaps contrasting with other settings in the book.

“…slippedtwinkling over the yellow sands in the sunlight before…golden foothills.”• Twinkling is a word that suggests something magical, something

mystical. It is almost a childlike word. Could this suggest that our hopes and dreams are just a mirage and are never going to happen? Could the childish words suggest that thinking dreams will come true is just naivety?

• The colour yellow/gold is vital to this piece. It turns the place into an idyll, a place that is almost heavenly. Gold suggests wealth, something valuable. Is this what G&L are searching for?

• Is Steinbeck suggesting that this place is almost too good to be true? Is he lulling his reader into thinking that all will be well? We know it won’t!

“… winter’s flooding.”

• Steninbeck is suggesting that this place can be dangerous. Things can turn on their heads quickly.

• This links to the lives of George and Lennie – just as their dream seems a reality, it is taken away from them.

“branches that arch over the pool”

• It is almost an image of protection: is Steinbeck suggesting that this place is a sanctuary, a place offering protection? Why do we need protection? Because the world of ranch working and dreams not coming true is harsh and ruthless.

There is a path through the willows and among the sycamores, a path beaten hard by boys coming down from the ranches to swim in the deep pool, and beaten hard by tramps who come wearily down from the highway in the evening to jungle-up near water. In front of the low horizontal limb of a giant sycamore there is an ash pile made by many fires; the limb is worn smooth by men who have sat on it.Evening of a hot day started the little wind to moving among the leaves. Theshade climbed up the hills toward the top. On the sand banks the rabbits sat as quietly as little gray sculptured stones. And then from the direction of the state highway came the sound of footsteps on crisp sycamore leaves. The rabbits hurried noiselessly for cover. A stilted heron labored up into the air and pounded down river. For a moment the place was lifeless, and then two men emerged from the path and came into the opening by the green pool.

“beaten hard by boys”“beaten hard by tramps who come wearily down”

• In contrast to the soothing world of nature, mankind is aggressive and destructive.

• Is Steinbeck suggesting that we are responsible for our own downfall?

• The adverb ‘wearily’ is in contrast to the vitality and energy of nature.

“the limb is worn smooth by men who have sat on it.”

• Steinbeck is suggesting that many men, quite literally, follow the same path – it is fate that they will be here.

• This links to the idea that ranchworkers, whatever their dreams, will be in this position.

“The rabbits hurried noiselessly for cover.”

• As George and Lennie arrive, the previously still rabbits feel the need to get out of danger.

• Is this Steinbeck foreshadowing what is to come?

Chapter 2: The Bunkhouse is a metaphor for the ranch workers’ lives

The bunk house was a long, rectangular building. Inside, the walls were whitewashed and the floor unpainted. In three walls there were small, square windows, and in the fourth, a solid door with a wooden latch. Against the wallswere eight bunks, five of them made up with blankets and the other three showing their burlap ticking. Over each bunk there was nailed an apple box with the opening forward so that it made two shelves for the personalbelongings of the occupant of the bunk. And these shelves were loaded with little articles, soap and talcum powder, razors and those Western magazines ranch men love to read and scoff at and secretly believe. And there weremedicines on the shelves, and little vials, combs; and from nails on the box sides, a few neckties. Near one wall there was a black cast-iron stove, its stovepipe going straight up through the ceiling. In the middle of the room stooda big square table littered with playing cards, and around it were grouped boxes for the players to sit on.At about ten o’clock in the morning the sun threw a bright dust-laden bar through one of the side windows, and in and out of the beam flies shot likerushing stars. The wooden latch raised. The door opened and a tall, stoop-shouldered old man came in. He was dressed in blue jeans and he carried a big push-broom in his left hand. Behind him came George, and behind George, Lennie.

The first line is lacking in colour, description; it is also a mundane, monotonous rhythm.

The first line implies routine and boredom.

“The bunkhouse”

• The very name is simply functional – it is a place where people exist rather than live.

• It shows how unimportant the ranchworkers are – they live in a place that is unimpressive, insignificant and lacking character.

“long, rectangular building”

• The shape that Steinbeck gives us is common. There are no distinguishing or interesting features. Perhaps this represents the lives of the ranchworkers?

• It almost presents an image of a prison – the workers are certainly trapped in their existence.

“Inside, the walls were whitewashed and the floor unpainted.”

• In contrast to the opening of the book, this place is uninviting and cold. Whitewash is a cheap form of paint – it shows that the workers are uncared . The floor unpainted almost suggests that they are like animals, wandering around a barn.

• Steinbeck is shaping the readers’ minds – we do not like the place that George and Lennie have come to.

“In three walls there were small, square windows”

• Steinbeck creates an image of darkness and isolation here.

• Perhaps he is trying to show how cut off from the outside world these workers are. It could also be a metaphor for their dreams – they still have a small piece of hope.

“Against the wallswere eight bunks…”

• Suggests that all workers were the same.

• This is in-keeping with the rest of the novel. Although Lennie and George try to be different from other workers, in the end their dreams are dashed.

“there was nailed an apple box”

• The world ‘nailed’ shows that not much thought has been put into it: it suggests clumsiness and lack of care.

• The only way in which the ranch workers can distinguish themselves from each other is by a mere apple box.

• It is also second-hand! Not particularly homely!

“loaded with little articles”

• The word ‘loaded’ implies that the workers were desperate to try and make themselves unique, to try and turn their mundane, bring existence into something unique.

• Perhaps Steinbeck is highlighting the plight of these men, wanting to get away from this world.

“Western magazines ranch men love to read and scoff at and secretly believe”

• These show how the ranchworkers wanted some escapism.

• Perhaps Steinbeck is highlighting the plight of these men, wanting to get away from this world.

“And there weremedicines on the shelves, and little vials…”

• These show how the workers felt ill and needed some ford of remedy.

• This is highly symbolic. Perhaps Steinbeck is suggesting that life on the ranch is a disease, something that the workers need curing of.

• The word ‘vial’ is highly suggestive: it has connotations with drugs as a form of getting away from the mental torment of the ranch.

“the sun threw a bright dust-laden bar through one of the side windows”

• This image seems to stand out from all of the other pieces of description. It is a real contrast.

• Perhaps it is a classic metaphor: darkness is overpowering light; evil is overpowering good.

• However, even the one piece of beauty is being tainted with dust and becoming overpowered.

Chapter 4: Crooks’ room is symbolic of his life.

Crooks, the Negro stable buck, had his bunk in the harness room; a little shedthat leaned off the wall of the barn. On one side of the little room there was asquare four-paned window, and on the other, a narrow plank door leading intothe barn. Crooks’ bunk was a long box filled with straw, on which his blanketswere flung. On the wall by the window there were pegs on which hung brokenharness in process of being mended; strips of new leather; and under thewindow itself a little bench for leather-working tools, curved knives and needlesand balls of linen thread, and a small hand riveter. On pegs were also pieces ofharness, a split collar with the horsehair stuffing sticking out, a broken hame,and a trace chain with its leather covering split. Crooks had his apple box overhis bunk, and in it a range of medicine bottles, both for himself and for thehorses. There were cans of saddle soap and a drippy can of tar with its paintbrush sticking over the edge. And scattered about the floor were a number ofpersonal possessions; for, being alone, Crooks could leave his things about, andbeing a stable buck and a cripple, he was more permanent than the other men,and he had accumulated more possessions than he could carry on his back.

“…had his bunk in the harness room.”

• Contrast to the main bunkhouse where there were eight together.

• Steinbeck is making it very clear to the reader that he is on his own, isolated and separated from the main body of men.

“a little shedthat leaned off the wall of the barn.”

• The word ‘leaned’ has all sorts of implications. It suggests that Crooks is something of an afterthought and annoying addition.

• ‘Leaned’ also suggests insecurity, instability. Is this a metaphor for his state of mind?

• Leaning off the wall of the barn almost implies that the animals have better accommodation than him. Is Steinbeck using this to show hierarchy and that a black such as Crooks has such a low status in society.

“Crooks’ bunk was a long box filled with straw, on which his blanketswere flung.”

• Steinbeck suggests that it wasn’t a bunk at all – this is almost a metaphor! Once more, it extends the idea that he is treated like an animal. IMAGERY.

• The word ‘flung’ is vital here. It suggests that Crooks has a lack of care: perhaps Steinbeck is implying that this man has been so treated, victimised and bullied that he has little aptitude for life.

“On the wall by the window there were pegs on which hung broken harness in process of being mended; strips of new leather; and under the window itself a little bench for leather-working tools, curved knives and needles and balls of linen thread, and a small hand riveter.”

• It seems that Crooks sleeps where he works – there is a lack of distinction between the two places.

• This is a very long list of tools here. Does this represent the hard, unrelenting work that he has to do?

• This perhaps shows that Crooks is defined by his work not by his character. This reinforces the idea that many refer to him as ‘stable buck’ and not by his name.

“…it a range of medicine bottles, both for himself and for thehorses.”

• Once more, Steinbeck suggests that Crooks’ health is no more important that the horses’.

• Perhaps the medicine is a metaphor: does Crooks need curing from the illness of the world.

• In both this setting and the bunkhouse, Steinbeck draws our attentions to the medicines. This follows his idea of mans’ illness – unable to fulfil dreams.

“There were cans of saddle soap and a drippy can of tar with its paintbrush sticking over the edge.”

• Steinbeck provides us with some disgusting images here, accompanied by some foul sensory description.

• The word ‘drippy’ suggests ugliness and tar is a strong, overpowering smell.

• Steinbeck, through his sensory description, is providing us with a setting that is unpleasant and nothing short of undesirable.

“And scattered about the floor were a number of personal possessions; for, being alone, Crooks could leave his things about, and being a stable buck and a cripple, he was more permanent than the other men,and he had accumulated more possessions than he could carry on his back.”

• The word ‘scattered’ once more suggests that he lacks care or, to some degree, self-respect.

• ‘For being alone’ – Steinbeck uses the subordinate clause to remind the reader that Crooks is lonely.

Crooks possessed several pairs of shoes, a pair of rubber boots, a big alarmclock and a single-barreled shotgun. And he had books, too; a tattereddictionary and a mauled copy of the California civil code for 1905. There werebattered magazines and a few dirty books on a special shelf over his bunk. Apair of large gold-rimmed spectacles hung from a nail on the wall above his bed.This room was swept and fairly neat, for Crooks was a proud, aloof man. Hekept his distance and demanded that other people keep theirs. His body was bentover to the left by his crooked spine, and his eyes lay deep in his head, andbecause of their depth seemed to glitter with intensity. His lean face was linedwith deep black wrinkles, and he had thin, pain-tightened lips which werelighter than his face.It was Saturday night. Through the open door that led into the barn came thesound of moving horses, of feet stirring, of teeth champing on hay, of the rattleof halter chains. In the stable buck’s room a small electric globe threw a meageryellow light.

“Crooks possessed several pairs of shoes, a pair of rubber boots, a big alarmclock and a single-barreled shotgun.”

• Steinbeck provides us with an interesting list of his possessions: ‘rubber boots’ suggests that he is protecting himself from something: horse manure? Does he have a lowly job?

• ‘Alarm clock’ suggests that he is a man of routine: we know that he should be scared of the boss if he is late – he would be beaten.

• The shotgun suggests that he, perhaps, has reason to be scared of something – is this preparing us for the later threat from Curley’s wife?

“mauled copy of the California civil code for 1905.”

• The word ‘mauled’ here is key. Is the suggestion that he has attacked this book in a fit of anger? It could show a bitter hatred against the way that negroes are treated.

“gold-rimmed spectacles”

• We usually associate glasses with intelligence and wisdom. The word ‘gold’ seems to reinforce this fact: he is clearly a wise man.

• Steinbeck is possibly preparing the reader to take note of what he says: especially his view on ranch workers and their dreams.

Chapter 6: The End

The deep green pool of the Salinas River was still in the late afternoon.Already the sun had left the valley to go climbing up the slopes of the GabilanMountains, and the hilltops were rosy in the sun. But by the pool among themottled sycamores, a pleasant shade had fallen.A water snake glided smoothly up the pool, twisting its periscope head fromside to side; and it swam the length of the pool and came to the legs of amotionless heron that stood in the shallows. A silent head and beak lanceddown and plucked it out by the head, and the beak swallowed the little snakewhile its tail waved frantically.A far rush of wind sounded and a gust drove through the tops of the trees likea wave. The sycamore leaves turned up their silver sides, the brown, dry leaveson the ground scudded a few feet. And row on row of tiny wind waves flowedup the pool’s green surface.As quickly as it had come, the wind died, and the clearing was quiet again.The heron stood in the shallows, motionless and waiting. Another little watersnake swam up the pool, turning its periscope head from side to side.

“twisting its periscope head ”

• The word ‘periscope’ is from the semantic-field of war and the military.

• Steinbeck is presenting a very different world from the secure sanctuary at the start.

• This is a world of danger and insecurity.

“Already the sun had left the valley”“ShadE”

• Symbolic of death – life leaving the valley. Moving towards darkness?

• Is this foreshadowing the death of Lennie?

“A silent head and beak lanceddown and plucked it out by the head”

• Steinbeck creates a ruthless image with the heron. There is something very sinister about the word ‘silent’.

• The word ‘lanced’ is another military word symbolising death and an aggressive one at that.

• The word ‘plucked’ creates some rather harsh sounds – it is onomatopoeia. Totally contrasting tone and atmosphere to the start.

“ its tail waved frantically.”

• The adverb ‘frantically’ suggests that the snake is desperate to escape its doom.

• Perhaps this is a metaphor for all the ranch workers: they try to escape their fate and it doesn’t work.

“Another little watersnake swam up the pool, turning its periscope head from side to side.”

• This suggests that history is repeating itself.

• Steinbeck uses this as a metaphor for the ranch workers. They all come along the same path with their hopes, dreams and aspirations.

• It represents the whole aspect of the novel: the best laid plans of mice and men often go wrong.