In the short story "Of Mice and Men" Steinbeck uses setting through many processes. The story has four main settings: the poolside, the castle, the thieves' room and the barn. Steinbeck uses certain techniques in these four settings to show how he uses each setting to establish atmosphere, convey and highlight key themes: The novella is based on “Soledad” which means solitude in Spanish, which is a key theme in the book. It is also used to introduce and accentuate the intentions of the characters, portray the social and historical environment of the 1930s, and, above all, to develop the plot. The setting that the reader first encounters is the poolside, which is one of the most important settings. This scene conveys moods and themes through animal imagery and drawing parallels to characters and animals in the initial description of nature. A snake's head is 'raised' like a 'periscope', this shows a parallel to Lennie and George as it symbolizes the couple looking into the future with hopes and dreams. This movement of the periscope foreshadows Lennie and George's dream of owning their own ranch. Furthermore, the same snake scene is repeated towards the end of the story. Although this time the snake is violently "thrown" by a "heron". The similarities between the two descriptions highlight the cyclical structure of nature as the serpent is still there. However, the juxtaposition shows that the second time the snake is killed, it did not choose to be killed but was killed by accident. Furthermore, Steinbeck uses a pathetic fallacy to create different moods. The natural environment is "deep green". This has many connotations as “green” can be symbolized as a peaceful and quiet color. This could be perceived as preparation for the violent and horrific events to come. However,…middle of the paper…how he uses a pathetic mistake to speed up the tempo and tension as George hears the men approaching. Lennie sees the "darkening slope" of the Mountains. This contrasts with the previous blue scene and foreshadows death as death is associated with "black". When Lennie notices this, it could show that Lennie is aware of what is coming. In conclusion, Steinbeck uses setting to explain the isolation the characters often feel and the hopes and dreams they have. The story is set during the Great Depression of the 1930s and shows the lives of itinerant migrant workers. The setting creates the mood and environment and influences the main themes and character. Steinbeck uses the setting including a range of techniques. The pathetic fallacy and animal imagery are often used as Steinbeck was a naturalist and determinism is used. This shows that the setting plays an important role in the book.