How does the opening scene prepare the reader for the rest of the novel? Essay

In chess opening passage of Of Mice and custody it seems as though Steinbeck takes great pains to familiarize us with the setting, and the commentarys of nature that he customs though-out , atomic number 18 very poetic and stand apart from the rest of the novel, which is sedate primarily of dialogue. An event Evening of a hot day started the runty wind to moving among the leaves. The shade climbed up the hills toward the top. On the sand hopes the rabbits sit as quietly as little gray, sculptured st sensations.(2) Steinbeck how ever n geniusffervescent uses simple descriptions of the landscape a secluded river taking refuge in a valley. To forehadow to the contributor future events.This is apparent though his carefully elect language, imagery, symbolism, character description and narration all of which forebodes the reader for many of the themes they leave encounter in the novel friendship, dreams, loneliness, and despair to tragedy. The panorama opens with a vivid and evocative description of the landscape and natural beauty of the Salinas River a a couple of(prenominal) moles from Soledad. Steinbeck goes on to describe the sometimes harsh, sometimes caring physical and aroused landscape all an element of life that is already witnessed.The evocative description begins by highlighting a theme that is present thought-out the novel. On one side of the river the golden foothill slopes curve to the strong and rock Gambian mountains This inverted comma identifies a occupation and the first half of the quote totally counteracts the champion half. The first half allows the consultation to envisage a desert like setting with a hot climate twinkling over the color sands in the sunlight. Yet the second half allows the reader to envisage a forest like setting with a tropic climate, the water is lined with trees- entrustows fresh and green with every spring. There are many new(prenominal) contrasts in spite of expression the first scene, on the sandy bank under the trees the leaves lie deep and so crisp that a lounge lounge lizard makes a great skittering Rabbits come out of the brush to sit on the sand Once over again these both quotes contrast each other immensely, as Lizards are thought of as predators that hunt, and rabbits are thought as innocent herbivores.These to creatures lead the reader to picture a division within there habitat one being so vicious and unkind the other being soft and kind hearted. The use of this contrast is master(prenominal) as its similar to the two main characters. The modify by the river could be contrasted with the ranch one is a place of relaxation, safety and stay the other is a work place where George warns Lennie he will defend to be careful what he says and does. The ranch is harsh and cruel for example men only have a box for their possessions, and living is wakeless and com caressitive. The two main charactersLennie and George are contrasted strongly in their physical appea rance and the way they behave Lennie is tall, bulky and shambling he is innocent and gentle, impenetrable (in every sense of the word) and in need of reassurance and guidance George is small, sharp-featured, street-wise and brisk. Of which both characters consort back to the earlier contrast between the lizard and rabbit, the lizard being George and the rabbit being similar to Lennie.Although the contrasts in the opening sequence are to do with nature or animals, and the ones throughout the novel are to do with characters and humans links they still have the same effect. A bulk of the contrasts are based solely on Strength vs. Weakness. some other contrast on the ranch is between the people with power Slim who is respect for his wisdom and competence Curley who has power, but only because he has inherited it from his gravel who owns the ranch and employs the men. This agrees with the detail that the majority of contrast consist of Strength vs. Weakness.The invention of calm and disorder in the opening scene mirrors the pattern of events in the novel as a whole. in the first paragraph in which Steinbeck uses evocative and vivid language, a sense of calm and undisturbed shut away is felt, this mirrors the root word of Lennie and Georges adventures when they rest in a campsite for the night. Steinbeck then describes a slight mental disturbance, the leaves lie deep and so crisp that a lizard makes a great skittering. This also mirrors the situation further on in the novel when George and Lennie about constantly asking for ketchup, and George finally losing his temper I got you You cant keep a job and you lose me ever job I get. However this could also mirror when Carlson tries to eliminate Lennies dog.The slight disturbance is bemused again and the calm is bear upond again as the rabbits brush to sit on the sand this reflects the fact that George and Lennie restore quiesce and stop arguing because Lennie is warned not to say anything by George. The silence is lost once again as a slight disturbance that slowly builds little wind moving trees this is mirrored by the fact that Curleys wife makes frequent visits to the ranch, or this could mirror the fact that Lennie kills his puppy. Steinbeck then goes on to describe loud footsteps break silence in the beginning sequence which is mirrored by Lennie killing Curleys wife. Steinbeck describes what seems like a final rupture when he describes humans arrive in the clearing the sense of calm and tranquillity is lost which mirrors the main event in the novel. When Lennie is shot by George, inevitably putting an end to their friendship and dreams.Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men about where he was born Salinas, California.During the Great Depression of the 1930s. His books often dealt with the lives and problems of works people. Many of the characters he included were immigrants looking for work or a better life. He narrowed his focus when composing Of Mice and Men (1937), creating an inside portrait of two men facing a world pronounced by petty tyranny, misunderstanding, jealousy, and callousness. But though the scope is narrow, the theme is planetary a friendship and a shared dream that makes an individuals existence meaningful. Steinbeck based his book around the following Migrant rear Workers this is evident within the first chapter as their physical descriptions Both polished in denim trousers and in denim coats with brass buttons. Also Lennie and George were two of many migrant farmers tying to find work in the countryside.Another event in the text that allows the audition to understand Lennie and Georges compete is, during the 1930s, when there was very bad unemployment in the United States, agencies were set up under the New Deal to send farmworkers to where they were needed. George and Lennie got their work cards from Murray and Rodys, one of these agencies. We hear of this in the text when Lennie tells George he lost it George..I aint got mine. I m usta lost it.The opening sequence also indicates that it was based on the American Dream, because immigrants ideate of a better life in America. People went there to shunning from persecution or poverty, and to make a new life for themselves, precisely why Lennie and George remaining Weed to go there.Another way that the opening scene of the story prepares the reader for the events of the rest of the story is through the subtle, yet hearty introduction to the main characters George and Lennie. Within the first paragraph we learn of Lennies fascination with animals I remember about the rabbits, George. We also learn that they left Weed to escape prosecution, as previously through Georges anger, the audience learns that one of the bad things occurred at their last job, in Weed, when Lennie wanted to pet a womens dress. We learn a great deal of screen background information through the first sequence subtly yet detailed.The opening sequence prepares the reader for future events in many different ways. The use of language, imagery, symbolism, character description and narration all of which forebodes the reader for many of the themes they will encounter in the novel friendship, dreams, loneliness, and despair to tragedy. All of these techniques foreshadow events and help the audience understand the characters, their environment and era they lived in without experiencing it themselves. So a combination of historical and social facts, with a range of contrasts help the audience understand and sympathise with the assorted chara