Setting Flashcards
What is the symbolic significance of the Gabilan Mountains in the novella?
- Represent hope, prosperity, and new beginnings for itinerant workers arriving in California.
- Symbolise the American Dream as an ideal, contrasted with the harsh reality of unemployment and competition.
- The “golden foothill slopes” juxtapose natural beauty with foreboding, reflecting unattainable aspirations and inevitable failure.
How does Steinbeck use the sunset imagery in Chapter 1 to hint at the novella’s darker themes?
- “Red light” suggests warning or danger; red connotes violence and bloodshed.
- “Slopes” evoke ideas of descent and failure, foreshadowing the collapse of dreams.
- Despite the beauty, there’s a subtle undercurrent of hopelessness tied to the American Dream.
How does Steinbeck use the “path beaten hard” as a metaphor?
- Symbolises the repetitive and futile pursuit of dreams by itinerant workers like George and Lennie.
- Suggests how their dream has been chased by many before them but always remains out of reach.
- Candy’s outburst at the end reinforces the crushed hopes and the bitter reality.
How is Crooks’ isolation emphasised through his living quarters?
- Crooks lives in “a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn”, physically and socially segregated.
- Reflects the systemic racism of the era, enforced by Jim Crow laws, reducing his social status.
- His proximity to animals highlights how he’s dehumanised, treated as little more than livestock.
What does Crooks’ living space reveal about his place in ranch society?
- The shed’s location and condition imply he’s an afterthought, neglected and isolated.
- Crooks expresses loneliness poignantly: “S’pose you had to sit out here an’ read books.”
- Separation from the bunkhouse reflects his exclusion from companionship and community.
How does the bunkhouse setting reflect the lives of the ranch workers?
- Described as “whitewashed” – cheap, basic, and sterile, indicating poverty and neglect.
- Minimal comfort shows the boss’s indifference to their well-being, despite superficial gestures like Christmas drinks.
- The “solid door” symbolises confinement, trapping them in their harsh, repetitive existence.
What is the significance of solitaire and card games in the bunkhouse?
- Solitaire (a one-player game) symbolises the inherent loneliness of migrant workers.
- Attempts at group games (like rummy) are interrupted by events (e.g., Candy’s dog’s death), showing fragile connections.
- Reinforces Steinbeck’s message: in a Darwinist society, friendship is fleeting and ultimately temporary.
How does Steinbeck symbolise Curley’s Wife’s death with the pigeon?
- The pigeon, a symbol of freedom, suggests death as her only escape from patriarchy and oppression.
- Her unfulfilled dream of becoming a movie star reflects her dependence on men and societal limitations for women.
- The pigeon’s fleeting presence mirrors how her life and dreams are dismissed and disregarded.
How does the description of the barn during Curley’s Wife’s death reinforce Steinbeck’s themes?
- The barn becomes “dusky”, creating a sinister, oppressive atmosphere symbolic of societal violence.
- Her shattered dreams parallel George and Lennie’s, both crushed by the cruel, Darwinist world of the 1930s.
- The structural placement of her death highlights her tragedy as a victim of societal exploitation.
How does the change in the Salinas River’s description in Chapter 6 reflect the novella’s cyclical structure?
- Shifts from “runs deep and green” (Chapter 1) to “deep green pool… was still” (Chapter 6), suggesting death of hope with Lennie’s death.
- Creates a cyclical narrative, symbolising entrapment and the futility of dreams for society’s weakest members.
- Reflects the idea that in a Darwinian world, one’s fall simply makes room for another to take their place, as shown by the water snake’s death.
How does Steinbeck use setting to reflect the harshness of reality in Of Mice and Men?
- Despite descriptions of natural beauty (e.g., Salinas River), Steinbeck introduces death early: the dead mouse Lennie carries foreshadows violence.
- The peaceful setting contrasts with human brutality, creating a sense of inevitable doom.
- Highlights the theme of semblance vs. reality; nature appears idyllic but can’t mask society’s cruelty.
How does the cyclical structure of the setting contribute to Steinbeck’s message?
- The novella begins and ends at the same Salinas River location, forming a cycle.
- Reflects the inescapable trap faced by itinerant workers—no progress, just repetition.
- Suggests that dreams (like George and Lennie’s) are doomed to fail in a world governed by social Darwinism.
What does the Salinas River represent in both the opening and closing chapters?
- In Chapter 1: peaceful, promising, “golden foothill slopes” suggest hope and freedom.
- In Chapter 6: stillness and death—nature is indifferent as George kills Lennie.
- Reinforces nature’s uncaring role in human suffering; it’s beautiful but offers no salvation.
How does Steinbeck contrast freedom vs. confinement through setting?
- The open spaces around the river contrast with the confined bunkhouse and Crooks’ isolated room.
- Ranch workers are physically free to move but are trapped by economic hardship and societal barriers.
- Crooks’ small room, segregated from others, symbolises racial isolation and social confinement.
In what ways does the barn serve as a significant setting in the novella?
- Site of key events: death of Curley’s wife, Lennie’s puppy, and Crooks’ conversation.
- Symbolises death of dreams—Curley’s wife’s ambition dies there, along with Lennie’s hope for the farm.
- A claustrophobic and dark space; contrasts the dreamy openness of the riverbank setting.
How does Steinbeck use weather and light to symbolise fate and foreshadow events?
- “Golden” sunlight suggests fleeting hope, while red light and darkness foreshadow violence and death.
- The progression from day to dusk mirrors the collapse of the American Dream.
- Light in the barn fades after Curley’s wife dies; symbolises loss of life and hope.
What is the significance of the water snake in Chapter 6?
- Its death by a heron illustrates nature’s predatory cycle, mirroring the novella’s Darwinian social environment.
- Represents how the weak are inevitably destroyed by the strong—Lennie’s fate.
- Reinforces the idea that nature and society are both indifferent to individual suffering.
How does Steinbeck use animals and nature imagery to enhance the setting’s meaning?
- Animals (mouse, puppy, snake, heron) symbolise innocence destroyed by natural or social forces.
- The farm animals Crooks tends show he’s treated more like property than a person.
- The “path beaten hard” suggests the repetitive, hopeless struggle of the workers.
How does Crooks’ room reflect the theme of segregation and loneliness?
- He’s forced to live “off the wall of the barn”—a physical separation from the white workers.
- His room is full of books, symbolising forced solitude and a mental escape from loneliness.
- Treated like livestock; his room’s proximity to animals dehumanises him.
How does the setting reinforce the novella’s critique of the American Dream?
- The contrast between natural beauty and human suffering reflects the false promise of California as “The Golden State.”
- Workers arrive with hope but find exploitation and disappointment instead.
- The harsh, utilitarian bunkhouse shows their basic, transient existence, far from the stability they long for.
Why is the cyclical ending important to Steinbeck’s message?
- George returns to the riverbank to kill Lennie, bringing the story full circle.
- Emphasises inevitability—no escape from society’s harsh rules or fate.
- Suggests that dreams die, and life continues in a repetitive, uncaring cycle.
