Setting (OMAM) Flashcards
Where is the novel set and what does this highlight?
Set in Soledad, which means solitude/loneliness in Spanish
A very remote location, a “path beaten hard” and described as a “lonely kind of place” - isolated from the outside world that it is a microcosm for
What quotes show the ranch is isolated?
“path beaten hard”
“a lonely kind of place”
What is the bunkhouse an embodiment of?
The antithesis of George and Lennie’s dream
What is the importance of setting in Of Mice and Men?
The theme of setting is crucial in establishing the tone, themes and symbolic meanings embedded into the novella, with Steinbeck utilising it to reflect the struggles and dreams of the characters
What quote represents how the bunkhouse is the opposite of George and Lennie’s dream
“walls were whitewashed and the floor unpainted”
The bunkhouse is described as having small…?
“small…windows”
What do the “small…windows” of the bunkhouse symbolise?
The lack of light symbolises an absence of hope or freedom
Why is it ironic that the bunkhouse contains “eight bunks” ?
The bunkhouse is cramped and the inhabitants have no privacy whatsoever
Despite the communal environment, most of the characters remain isolated and treat each other with distrust, displaying the hostility of society as those who were open with each other made themselves vulnerable
What is the bleak description of the bunkhouse contrasted with?
The beauty of the nature outside, with the rays of sunlight entering the bunkhouse “like rushing stars”
Why does Steinbeck use highly poetic language to contrast the interior of the bunkhouse with the nature outside?
Symbolises the harsh brutality of the reality that people in 1930s America lived in, contrasted by the freedom and majesty of their dreams (in short, reality vs dreams)
Steinbeck highlighting society’s flaws as the corporate system that has been developed is unnatural and inferior to nature, and that humans retain a primitive, unfulfilled desire to return to it
Where does Crooks reside?
“had his bunk in the harness room”
Crooks sleeps “in the harness room”, unlike any of the characters. What does this reveal about the way in which he is treated?
Crooks is completely isolated, treated as if he were an animal due to his race, segregation, lack of human company fuels his hostility
What does Crooks own?
“more possessions than he could carry”
a “tattered dictionary” and “battered magazines”
What is significant about Crooks owning more personal items than the other workers?
Crooks is not an itinerant worker, so the ranch is his permanent residence and he is able to accumulate possessions without the risk of having to “carry” them elsewhere
The many personal items also act as distractions which allow Crooks to attempt to find solace in a hostile world
Why does Lennie enter Crooks’ room, unlike the other itinerant workers ?
Lennie’s learning disability prevents him from comprehending social beliefs regarding race, disability etc.
In this sense, Steinbeck presents the argument that nobody is born with established prejudices, and that society is to blame for the suffering that exists towards these minorities
Where does the novella begin and end and what message does this provide?
The novella ends in the same setting where it began - the clearing in the Salinas Valley
The cyclical structure of the novella
What are some quotes used to describe the valley at the beginning of the novel?
“Salinas River…runs deep and green”
“water is warm…twinkling”
What does “deep and green” insinuate?
The river symbolises the fluid nature of life and how it will continue to move forwards no matter what
The river provides refuge and peace for visiting itinerant workers, a safe haven from the hostility of society
The adjective “green” emphasises vitality and contrasts with the monotonous settings described on the ranch, like the bunkhouse
What is the significance of the adjectives “warm” and “twinkling”
“warm” and “twinkling” convey a sense of serenity and reinforces the paradisiacal nature of the valley
The valley outside the ranch is symbolic of…?
…The Garden of Eden, a pure, natural paradise which is inevitably unobtainable as humanity falls victim to the original sin
In the same way, the beauty and nature of the Salinas Valley is merely a temporary refuge from the suffering that itinerant workers face as a result of the Great Depression
Similar to the biblical story, the ‘fall’ from paradise is symbolically marked by the death of Curley’s wife, who acts as the figure Eve
Just as humanity was expelled out of Eden, George and Lennie are driven from the metaphorical paradise of their dream by forces beyond their control
What quote shows the sun setting at the end of the novel?
“the sun had left the valley”
What does the sun setting symbolise?
A euphemism that foreshadows the death of Lennie, and the metaphorical death of George and Lennie’s dreams
What animal is present at the beginning of the final chapter?
A water snake which “glided smoothly up the pool”
What happens to the water snake?
A heron “swallowed the little snake”
What happens once the water snake has been eaten by the heron?
“another little water snake swam up the pool”
What does the water snake and heron symbolise?
Foreshadows the death of Lennie
Contrasts the start of the novel where nature was at peace, underlining how death is inevitable
The heron shows no sense of remorse for the snake, reflecting society’s indifference to death and suffering, represents capitalists/the most powerful members of this predatory society
The water snake mirrors Lennie’s childlike obliviousness to the consequences of his actions and the danger he is in, a representation of the weakest members in society
The snake that appears immediately after highlights the replaceability of man, especially in this brutal society where the most vulnerable - or those who had no purpose - were removed
What are the leaves described as?
“brown, dry leaves”
What is the significance of the adjectives “brown” and “dry”
“brown” and “dry” evokes themes of death and fragility, and conveys a lack of purpose as these leaves can no longer perform their function
