Of Mice and Men ends much the same way it began: with rich, lyrical descriptions of the local geography and landscape. Salinas means "salt marsh" in Spanish. Marshy waters make up much of what Steinbeck describes in the novel. At the end of the book, Lennie and George meet at a watering hole, their secret spot. Here, Lennie sees a heron, a grand, green water bird. Hungry, the heron tries to capture some water snakes slithering around its feet. Although marshy, the surrounding areas are also heavily wooded; the lynch mob arrives through the woods nearby. Moreover, Steinbeck notes that the landscape is rather hilly.
Undoubtedly Weed was far more mountainous than Salinas, however. While Lenny and George do not describe Weed in any detail, it is clear they worked there for a while. In fact, a similar situation occurred in Weed as in Salinas: Lennie got in trouble for flirting with a girl, and his innocent intentions were misunderstood.
In any case, the nature of migrant work makes land take on a mystical meaning for men like Lennie and George. Throughout of Mice and Men, the two friends dream out loud about the future, when they will own a big piece of land together, raise farm animals like the rabbits Lennie loves so dearly, and cultivate crops. However, as migrant workers, Lennie and George cannot become attached to any one area. They are forced to move from place to place depending on where they can find work, or in their case, where Lennie can survive without getting into trouble....
Even if they did become established workers at any one farm, however, it is unlikely that Lennie and George would have been able to save enough money to eventually buy their own land and manifest their dreams.
Geography is important precisely because it enables farmers to cultivate their dreams. Okies came to California from the Dust Bowl because California possessed rich soils and a moderate climate that permitted profitable farming of all types of crops. Around the Gold Rush days, places like Salinas thrived and much of the land was used for cattle ranching. However, around the time of Mice and Men, agriculture became more prevalent, notably the cultivation of wheat and other grains. During the Great Depression, when of Mice and Men takes place, farmers were forced to produce more crops; only a place with the geography and climate of California could sustain such high outputs of agriculture.
Of Mice and Men demonstrates the importance of land on a literal and symbolic level for many Americans during the Great Depression. Focusing on migrant farm culture, Steinbeck's novel demonstrates the frustrated dreams of many agricultural laborers who, forced to be semi-nomadic, could never properly possess any piece of land to call home but who as a result exhibited great respect and love for the regions in which they lived and from which they earned a living.
Works Cited
Brief History of the City of Salinas." City of Salinas. http://www.salinas.com/history/index.html
