English 2

Name:
Instructor:
Course:
Date:
The imagery in the “Of Mice and Men.”
There is a path through the willows and among the sycamores, a path beaten hard by boys coming down from the ranches to swim in the deep pool, and beaten hard by tramps who come wearily down from the highway in the evening to jungle-up near water.
On the sandy bank under the trees, the leaves lie deep and so crisp that a lizard makes a great skittering if he runs among them.
In front of the low horizontal limb of a giant sycamore, there is an ash pile made of many fires; the limb is worn smooth by men who have sat on it.
The shade climbed up the hills toward the top
On the sand banks, the rabbits sat as quietly as little gray sculptured stones.
The rabbits hurried noiselessly for cover
For a moment the place was lifeless, and then two men emerged from the path and came into the opening by the green pool
The first man was small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features. Every part of him was defined: small, strong hands slender arms, a thin and bony nose.
Behind him walked his opposite, a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, and wide, sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. His arms did not swing at his sides but hung loosely.
His huge companion dropped his blankets and flung himself down and drank from the surface of the green pool; drank with long gulps, snorting into the water.
The author describes the path between the willows and among the sycamores as one that was “beaten hard by boys” to support the idea that the boys forced a path through which they could access the river so that they can enjoy their activities at the river.

A path that was later used by two men to access the river.
The author also describes one of the men that he was “dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags its claws” to indicate that the man was hurt. “His arms did not swing at his sides, but hang loosely” meaning that the man had also broken his arms.