John Steinbeck uses his way with words to descriptively show the importance of the setting in his novel. For example, in the sentence " the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green," the adjectives "deep" and "green" symbolize a sort of calmness. The green hills show the soothing peace of the setting. Also, the "strong and rocky Gablian Mountains" emphasize the strength and power.
Another example of Steinbeck's use of detailed writing is in the sentence, "Although there was evening brightness showing through the windows of the bunkhouse, inside it was dusk. Through the door came the thuds and occasional clangs of a horseshoe game, and now and then the sound of voices raised in approval or derision." When looking at this sentence by itself, I analyze that the overall symbolic meaning is content. It could also possibly mean the unveiling of something important when it shows the change from "dusk", to "evening brightness."
Point of View
The third -person objective point of view solidifies the solitary lives that men lead. "George shivered and looked at the gun, he then through it from him, back up on the bank, near the pile of old ashes. He glanced at Lennie lying in the sand." The overall opinion of this passage is that George is sad, and scared. He doesn't want to kill his friend, but he knows that its the right thing to do. Though he must end is life, he knew that in the end him going peacefully is much better then the wrath of Curly.
Another quote that is a good example of third-person is "Lennie removed his hat dutifully and laid it on the ground in front of him...he turned his head and thought of the little place." This part of the passage shows a whole different side of the story. Lennie is under the impression that he will be with George forever. They will one day own their own farm, however he is unaware that people are after him and that George must end his life.
The first-person point of view reinforces the drama and tension in the scene. For example, Lennie said "Please don't..Oh, please don't do that! George'll be mad...You gonna get me in trouble jus' like George says you will." This quote specifically describes the very intense scene that was occurring. Lennie is worried that George won't let him "tend to no rabbits", and he then becomes at the woman and accidentally kills her. Lennie's point of view in this scene is a good example how he sees the situation in a panicky sort of mind-set.
Analysis of Tone
Stienbeck's tone in the novel, Of Mice and Men, slowly changes throughout the book. The tone words "tranquil" and "anxious" describe the drastic change in setting that occurs throughout the novel.
"It was a Sunday Afternoon. The resting horses nibbled the remaining wisps of hay, and they stamped their feet and they bit the wood of the managers and rattled the halter chains. The afternoon sun sliced in through the cracks of the barn walls and lay in bright lines on the hay." Throughout this passage, Steinbeck establishes a setting that intensifies the sudden calmness and serenity of the novel. This tranquil, silence in the barn shows that there is no stress or drama occurring and it gives the readers a break from all the action to fully grasp the concept and story that is being written.
"It was very quiet in the barn, and the quiet of the afternoon was on the ranch. Even the clang of the pitched shoes, even the voices of the men in the game seemed to grow more quiet." Even though this may seem calm, there is an essence of tension that looms over it. In this passage, Steinbeck is expressing the intensity that forms when an important event occurs. How the setting changes drastically from the "tranquil" perspective to a more "anxious" perspective is also shown in this quote.
