Write about the Importance of Different Places in 'Of Mice and Men'

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Write about the Importance of Different Places in ‘Of Mice and Men’

Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’ contains many different places, some real some imaginary. These places are important as without them there would be nothing to the novella but dialogue.

There are the real places, where the characters live and work, such as the ranch and Soledad. These places are described well by Steinbeck, using descriptive language, possibly because the novella is semi-autobiographical, with Steinbeck basing the characters and places on his own experiences.

The ranch is where the majority of the story takes place, consisting of the bunkhouse, Crooks’ room, the barn and the Boss’ room, these are the places where all of the characters live and work. Crooks’ room is particularly important to the novella. It is highly ironic that Crooks has his own room when he is the only worker who does not crave privacy, it is Crooks who wants to interact and socialise with others. Crooks’ room symbolises the feelings in America at the time. Soledad is in South Carolina, where the Klu Klux Klan originated and in the 1930s, there was a lot of racial tension. You could also say that Crooks’ home is an important place. It is not mentioned much, but Crooks brings it up when he is talking to Lennie. “I was born right here in California…white kids come to play…some of them was pretty nice.” It appears to be both a real and an imaginary place: it is real because it was where Crooks lived and was brought up but it is an imaginary place because it s a place where Crooks wants to be, safe and free.

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Although Crooks’ room is not featured much in the novella, some important scenes happen there. In part four the marginalized characters are in Crooks’ room together. With a woman, a black crippled man, an old man and a stupid man it is a microcosm of life. Others repress those four characters. When they are all together they have a chance to say what they want as no one will stop them or speak over them.

Imaginary places feature greatly in this novella with almost all of the characters having some kind of dream. George, Lennie, and later, Candy ...

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