Salinas is located in central California in Monterey County, in the southern part of the Bay Area, in the central part of the state. It is described as a rural, farming area, with a demand for migrant workers. Though the economic conditions are tough for people in the Great Depression when the story is set, Steinbeck describes the natural scenery as beautiful. For example, in the opening chapter of the novel, Lennie and George share a can of beans while lounging beside an idyllic pool formed by the Salinas River as they prepare to go to a ranch seeking work. The setting is lovely. Willows and sycamore line the banks of the pool, rabbits sit in the sand by the pool, and golden mountain foothills line the horizon. This scenery feeds George's dreams of achieving independence through owning his own small farm with Lennie. It is not the natural world but the brutal world of capitalism that spoils lives, according to Steinbeck.
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