In the beginning of Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice and Men we are presented with the natural and beautiful setting of the brush. The brush is presented as an idyllic setting that serves as a paradise and as a sanctuary from the harsh reality and problems of the 1930s in rural America. We see the brush as an escape from reality, this is shown in the description: “The water is warm too, for it has slipped twinkling over the yellow sands”.
Steinbeck describes the water as warm to highlight the welcoming setting. By describing the setting like this, it serves as a contrast to the other settings in the book and so reiterates its purpose of a being a sanctuary from the problems of the 1930s. The phrase ‘slipped twinkling,’ helps to emphasize the relaxed …show more content…
This is best shown when George goes to his …show more content…
. This is shown best when we are told he has “his bunk in the harness room.” Contrasting to the main bunkhouse where there are eight men positioned together, Steinbeck is making it very clear to the reader that he is on his own. As he is isolated and separated from the main body of men it highlights how in 1930s America black people were still marginalised by society and segregated. As well as this we learn that the harness room is “A little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn.” The word ‘leaned’ has lots of implications. It suggests that Crooks is an afterthought as the shed is an extension of the brush. Leaning off the wall of the barn suggests that the animals have better accommodation than him. Steinbeck uses this to show Crooks’ position in this social hierarchy and that black people have such a low status in society; even lower than the itinerant workers. Also we learn Crooks possesses “a tattered dictionary and mauled copy of the California civil code for 1905”. This shows that Crooks has an understanding of the civil code and he learns his place in society. The word “mauled” suggests that the “civil code” has been read many times by Crooks and he uses it as a defence mechanism against the other people infringing on him as it displays his preoccupation with learning his rights. The “tattered
Steinbeck describes the water as warm to highlight the welcoming setting. By describing the setting like this, it serves as a contrast to the other settings in the book and so reiterates its purpose of a being a sanctuary from the problems of the 1930s. The phrase ‘slipped twinkling,’ helps to emphasize the relaxed …show more content…
This is best shown when George goes to his …show more content…
. This is shown best when we are told he has “his bunk in the harness room.” Contrasting to the main bunkhouse where there are eight men positioned together, Steinbeck is making it very clear to the reader that he is on his own. As he is isolated and separated from the main body of men it highlights how in 1930s America black people were still marginalised by society and segregated. As well as this we learn that the harness room is “A little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn.” The word ‘leaned’ has lots of implications. It suggests that Crooks is an afterthought as the shed is an extension of the brush. Leaning off the wall of the barn suggests that the animals have better accommodation than him. Steinbeck uses this to show Crooks’ position in this social hierarchy and that black people have such a low status in society; even lower than the itinerant workers. Also we learn Crooks possesses “a tattered dictionary and mauled copy of the California civil code for 1905”. This shows that Crooks has an understanding of the civil code and he learns his place in society. The word “mauled” suggests that the “civil code” has been read many times by Crooks and he uses it as a defence mechanism against the other people infringing on him as it displays his preoccupation with learning his rights. The “tattered