Setting Symbolism In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Understanding Steinbeck’s Setting Symbolisms
John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men documents man’s struggles during the Great Depression. The characters George and Lennie, both homeless men who move to a farm, struggle to gain work, leaving them in moments of darkness and isolation. Further, Steinbeck also describes man’s dull life of typical ranch workers, and racism towards blacks. As a result, Steinbeck’s usage of setting description symbolizes important details about the hardships in one’s life, giving the reader an understanding of the American Struggle during the Great Depression. Steinbeck shows so when showing the dullness of the ranch workers, how George and Lennie remain in a lonely environment, and the oppression towards African-Americans such as Crooks.
John Steinbeck uses setting in order to describe the monotonous lives of the ranch workers. He does so when describing the shape of the Bunkhouse as a “long, rectangular building” (). Given that the shape is common with no distinguishing features, Steinbeck metaphorically compared the dull-shaped Bunkhouse to the daily lives boring lives of the ranch workers, as if living in a prison. Furthermore, Steinbeck creates a sense of depression, amongst farmers during the time period when the men tried to become different but failed to do so. Steinbeck does so when describing the men “loaded with little articles” (). Steinbeck’s usage of the word “loaded” implies that the workers are anguished to try to make themselves unique, therefore, suggesting that they are all the same. It also represents escapism, and the desire of these men to get away from the miserable time period and location. As a result, Steinbeck successfully shows the men’s dullness, and escapism, through his usage of setting