Of Mice and Men--themes

In John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, setting plays an essential role in establishing the major themes of this work. The major setting in the novel is the Salinas River. The major themes of the novel are commitment, irony, and friendship. At least one example of each theme in Of Mice and Men is portrayed at the Salinas River. The first theme, commitment, is established mainly by the Salinas River. George says several …

…river, he is protecting Lennie’s dignity because Lennie would have surely suffered a horrific death if it was left to Curly and Carlson. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses setting to establish and portray the major themes of this work: commitment, irony, and violence. If the setting had not been used in such as effective way, the themes of the novel would not have been established and portrayed as well.