Steinbeck’s use of setting adds to my understanding of the story ‘Of Mice and Men’ in a number of ways. He uses the setting of Crooks room to portray various themes and ideas which relate to the characters in the novel. The writer expresses these themes through the use of techniques such as adjectives and listing. Themes such as loneliness and hope are given across in the description of Crooks room.
In chapter 4 in the description of Crooks room we are told that his bunk is placed ‘in the harness room’ which tells us that he is segregated from the rest of the ranch workers as he is the only black man on the ranch. This explains why Crooks is always seen as a lonely and miserable character in the novel because he has no company. This highlights the theme of loneliness which consistent throughout the novel. The other men at the ranch treat him like one of the animals at the ranch evidence of this in the text is when it says that Crooks bunk is 'a little shed that leans off the wall of the barn' this shows that the owner has made him live with the animals because he is black. In the 1930s black people were prejudiced a lot and were seen as inferior which is what Steinbeck is trying to show in the novel.
Another way that Steinbeck’s use of setting adds to my understanding is when he shows that Crooks possessions are scattered across the room. This implies Crooks treats his possessions how the way others treat him, which also suggests that crooks is an angry character. However it could be interpreted as Crooks being isolated character who doesn’t expect people to go into his room. The writer has described Crooks as having ‘more possessions’ than the other ranch workers as he has a more sophisticated job on the ranch. This shows that he’s more likely to stay longer than the others which