Of Mice and Men: Setting

Annotations:

• The Bunk House

1. The bunkhouse
   1. "the walls were whitewashed, the floor unpainted"
      1. The bare and sparsely decorated room reminds the reader of a prison, as though the ranch workers were held there against their will. As migrant workers were poor, nomadic and looking for work, they would take whatever job they could get, even if they didn't like it. The workers were of low status, and thought of as not deserving of a proper room, as Curley and the boss undoubtedly have.
   2. "Over each bunk there was a nailed apple box with the opening forward so it made two shelves.."
      1. The resourcefulness of the workers suggests that they are used to having little material possessions, and having to use what resources they can get. The Great Depression meant that many people lost jobs and homes, forcing them to become resourceful and use any materials they could find in order for them and their families to survive
   3. "out of the beam flies shot like rushing stars"
      1. 'Rushing stars' suggests that the flies are beautiful, something usually not associated with an insect. This suggests that the ranch workers, working in dust-filled Calafornia, are not used to the sight of something beautiful, since the drought stole away the land.
2. Crooks' Room
   1. "a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn"
      1. During the 1930's, discrimination was common and segregation meant that white and black people were kept seperate from each other, according to a set of laws.
   2. "on pegs there were pieces of harness,a split collar with horse hair stuffing sticking out"
      1. Crooks had to share a room with the horse and the other animals, suggesting that the ranch workers believe that he is no more than an animal, and should be hidden away and seperated from the rest of the workers. The equipment for the animals is kept in Crooks' room, and he is forced to sleep in a 'long box filled with straw'. Even the bunk house seems preferable to Crooks' room
3. The Clearing
   1. "strong and rocky Galiban mountains"
      1. The unforgiving country side made it even more difficult for migrant workers to find a job as they had to walk for miles through the tough countryside, in the midst of a drought
   2. "a path beaten hard by boys...and beaten hard by tramps"
      1. The country path is worn down by the migrant workers looking for work during the era of the Great Depression, and worn down by those out of work, looking for water and shelter.
   3. "Evening of a hot day"
      1. The ten year drought that hit South America caused a huge disruption tot he crops as the 'Dust Bowl' hit the farms that many families had invested their lives into.The endlessly hot days made it hard for people to get water for themselves and their crops, meaning that many plants did not grow.