Explore the relationship between man and the natural world in the opening two Chapters of John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’
In the opening of John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’. This is focussed on the two random migrant workers, George and Lennie. There goal is to achieve the American dream, they want to get a house, with a few animals. It deals with the plight of migrant labour workers in California during the Great Depression. The themes in the book deal with loneliness isolation, aspiration and escape. One of the themes in the book is the relationship between man and nature, they were forced to their agonised lives by inhospitable nature in the dustbowl, and whilst they are simultaneously reliant upon the land for the pittance they do mange to earn. The land keeps them both servile and alive. Nature is an integral part of the novel. In this essay I will be looking at its roles in the first two chapters.
In the opening sequence of the book Steinbeck uses descriptive of the Harmony at night and the language. Words are used like ‘Soledad’ which means peace. When ‘deep and green’ is used it is a sense of peacefulness and calmness in the background. Animal represent the harmony as well like “Rabbits come out of the brush to sit on the sand in the evening” this shows that they have come out to relax and that they are free from man. Nature provided a sanctuary for George and Lennie and they are happy now, but later on they are not happy together so this is the only time that they are happy because something is always happening to one of them. “Hide in the brush till I come for you.” George tells this to Lennie to return there and hide if he gets into trouble. This is a place for protection, because it is somewhere for him to hide were know one know apart from George. It can be tranquil and peaceful throughout Chapter 1 but at night, but sometimes it is not peaceful they day dream and talk to each other about it. The nature is full of strange movements at night this might be because know one else is out, so the animals come out from hiding because know one else will disturb them at night. For example the reeds “jerked slightly” when water snakes swim past. Then men soon come to disturb nature and leave his marks from when they are “coming down from the ranches to swim in the deep pool”. Throughout Chapter 1 there are descriptions of the evening settling in “the shade climbed up the hills” and “a little wind that dies immediately” this creates a sense of something passing or something this going to end forever, this symbolises their dreams and friendship that are about to end.
