Setting In Of Mice And Men
Animals by pool in Chapter 1
-"sit", "if" -"rabbits sat as quiet as little grey sculptured stones"
Chapter 6 description of brush by river
-Narrative symmetry -Parallel/ sense of circularity (fate) -Same time of day "late afternoon"
Chapter 4 quote describing Crooks' room
"a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn"
Chapter 1 Quote about migrant workers relating to setting
"a path beaten hard by boys coming down from ranches"
Chapter 1 Quote describing Salinas River
"deep" and "green"
Chapter 1 Quote describing the brush by the river
"fresh and green" "slipped twinkling' "yellow" "golden" and "warm"
Chapter 5 quote describing barn
"piled high with new hay" "feeding racks where visible"
Chapter 6 quote describing brush by the river
"sun had left the valley" "a pleasant shade had fallen"
Chapter 4 quote describing Crooks' bed
'"Crooks' bunk was a long box filled with straw"
Animals by pool in Chapter 6
-"a water snake...twisting its periscope" -"little snake...tail waved frantically" -"beak lanced down"
The Bunk House Description
-All the ranch workers with the exception of Crooks live here. -They attempt to create some sort of home life and bonding with one another. - Serves as a symbol of elite masculinity is the text as outsiders such as the feminine Curley's wife and the African-American Crooks are usually barred entry
Symbolism of animals by pool in Chapter 6
-Changed from passive to active -"periscope" imagery of snake sticking its head out similar to submarine checking for danger -Semantic field of weaponry used to kill (image of death) -"lanced" compared to lance of a knight -"little snake" shows snake as Lennie as his surname is "Small"
Symbolism of animals by pool in Chapter 1
-Conditional shows animals to be present but not taking part in any activity (lifeless) -Passive observers -Animals almost like pieces of art
Connotations of "yellow" and "golden"
-Golden connotes value -Yellow as a colour motif is bright and colourful, re-inforces rural idyll
The Barn Description
-Lennie accidentally kills Curley's wife in the barn at the end of the story.
Analysis of symbolism of animals by pool in Chapter 6
-Link between animals and death show sense of survival of the fittest -An animal which may be regarded as quite threatening is being consumed by something greater than itself -American society consuming/killing weaker individuals inside of it
Pool by Salinas River Description
-Story begins and ends here. -Readers first introduced to the Lennie & George's dream here. It represents the hope in the American dream then. -George forebodingly instructs Lennie too return back here when trouble arises. -When Lennie is shot by George it represents the shattering of that hope
Symbolism of The barn
-The barn is representative of a supposedly safe place where animals can find shelter and warmth. -It is a man-made place where humans take care of animals, which is symbolically ironic because it is where Lennie kills his puppy and Curley's wife.
Symbolism of Bunkhouse
-The bunkhouse represents the spot where conflict is most evident. -Cruelty, violence, jealousy, and suspicion all arise here.
Symbolism of Pool By Salinas river
-The pool by the river is the place where Lennie and George's story begins and ends. -It is a safe sanctuary to meet and a place free from society, where Lennie and George can be themselves. - Described as Pastoral idyll - This is where the story is born and where the dream farm and Lennie meet their end.
Setting & Timeline
-The setting is almost as small and confined as the plot -Events occurs over a period of three days in four specific locations -A wooded area next to the Salinas River, a bunkhouse on the ranch, the stable hand's room on the ranch, and the main barn on the ranch
Historical context
-Wall street crash in 1929 (Black Tuesday) -Great Depression in 1930's -Dust Bowl
What does 'slipped twinkling' suggest?
-ease of movement -Positive, childlike connotations e.g stars
Crooks' room By the Barn Description
-seclusion in a small, isolated room -dark and foreboding place as life is lonely here -Crooks confinement to the barn with the animals shows society's view of African-Americans as subhuman, more fit to dwell with the animals in the barn than in the bunk house with men during the time period.
Symbolism of the dream farm
-symbolic of Lennie and George's friendship. - It is the thing that ties them together and keeps them working, even when times are hard. -It is also their personal form of religion, with the re-telling of the dream serving as a form of litany or catechism. - It is, ultimately, their version of heaven, so that when Lennie kills a human being, their chances of going there are forever ruined.
South of Soledad, California Description
Majority of story takes place on a ranch here.
Soledad
Spanish word for solitude
Time period of novella
The 1930's
Symbolism of Crooks' room
The fact that Crooks' accommodation is "the harness" room marginalises and dehumanises him
What does colour green suggest?
Verdant and suggests new life. Positive term to use
