At the start of the first section, Steinbeck describes the area. He mentions how the idyllic settings have been disturbed by human intervention, “a path beaten hard by boys”. Steinbeck portrays through his description the idea that within nature, peace and violence are combined together. The dream world, imagined by both George and Lennie, of them owning a ranch will be ruined by human beings, for example, Lennie’s inability to control his strength.
“A path beaten hard by boys coming down...there is an ash pile made by many fires”, people have come and gone but without success. This suggests pessimism and the subsequent failure of George and Lennie in pursuing the Great American Dream. “Beaten” and “ash” are both harsh words to show the destruction caused by human beings.
The evening light described by Steinbeck represents hope. “Only the tops of the Gabilan Mountains flamed with the light of the sun that had gone from the valley.” Steinbeck uses light to represent hope and the theme of receding light is represented throughout the novella. This is foreshadowed, as here there is peace and contentment.
Lennie’s obsession with rabbits helps to prepare the reader for the rest of the novella. The mention of rabbits is repeated numerous times throughout the novella. This foreshadows the dream world of George and Lennie, in which Lennie hopes to be able to tend to the rabbits when they live on their ‘imaginary’ ranch. However, it is ominous when it says, “the rabbits hurried noiselessly for cover”. The verb “hurried” is used as rapid depreciation of George and Lennie’s luck.
The mention of the heron, “a stilted heron laboured up into the air and pounded down river”, mirrors the end of the novella, when a heron kills and eats the water snake which signalled the near death of Lennie. “A silent head and beak lanced down and plucked it out by the head.”Steinbeck uses this image to warn us that nature combines peace and violence, with sudden swings from one to the other. This is another way in which Steinbeck prepares the reader for the end of the novella.
Lennie constantly follows George. “They had walked in single file down the path, and even in the open, one stayed behind the other.” Thus suggests Lennie’s limitations and that he is both mentally and physically reliant on George. George is always the leader, Lennie follows and obeys. This prepares us for the end of the novella when George runs to find Lennie. If Lennie is ahead of George, something must be wrong.
Using animal imagery is another way the reader is prepared for the end of the novella. Lennie is described as walking “heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws.” Comparing Lennie to a bear reflects his incompetence. Animals have an inability to think, they act on impulse; the same can be said about Lennie. “Heavily” and “dragging, both words of distress, are ominous. Lennie’s “snorting into the water like a horse” suggests his simple mind and animalistic features.
Lennie’s complete and utter incompetence and clumsiness foreshadows what will occur in the rest of the novella. “The first man stopped short in the clearing, and the follower nearly ran over him”. This hints at the relationship of the two men, and Lennie’s inability to be remotely independent.
Lennie’s crude behaviour can foreshadow later events. “Flung himself down and drank from the surface of the green pool.” The green suggests impure water, which hints at potential danger and harm to Lennie later on in the novella.
“The small man stepped nervously beside him”. This mirrors the end of the novella when George is nervously beside Lennie before shooting him. The adverb “nervously” is ominous. The reader should be feeling nervous whilst anticipating what will happen.
All the above are ways in which Steinbeck prepares the reader for what will happen throughout the rest of the novella. He very cleverly hints and foreshadows various events throughout this opening section, which all have some deeper meaning into the plot.
