How Does Steinbeck Use Setting to Present Key Ideas in ‘of Mice and Men’?

1. World War I was a military conflict that lasted from 1914 to 1918. It was a modern war with airplanes, machine guns, and tanks.. They would march their troops across open land into the face of machine guns and often slaughter. As a result of this action, a tactic known as trench warfare was implemented. Many viewed trench warfare to be an effective tactic against enemy advancement. In September 1914, the German commander, General Erich von Falkenhayn ordered his troops to dig trenched that would provide protection from the enemy troops. When the enemy reached the trench, they soon realized that they could not break through the line that the trench provided. They also realized that the trench provided the Germans with shelter from their fire. Soon after, the allies began to dig their own trenches and, therefore, trench warfare began. Not very long after the first trenches of the war were dug, a network of trenches came up. This network spread across France and Belgium for many miles. Within the network, there were three different types of trenches: front line trenches, support trenches, and reserve trenches. The first line of trenches was called front line trenches. These were usually two meters deep and had a zigzag pattern to prevent enemy fire from sweeping the entire length of the trench. In order to prevent the trench form caving in, sandbags were stacked against the trench walls. Between the trenches of opposing forces laid no man's land. This area between the opposing front line trenches was filled with barbwire and mines to prevent enemy crossing. If a soldier was ever injured in no man's land, he usually was killed because of his vulnerability to enemy fire. The second and third types of trenches were the support and reserve trenches, respectively. These trenches were constructed to easily move supplies and troops to the front trenches. All of the trenches were linked to each other by other trenches, underground tunnels, or telephone communications networks. Barbwire was also stretched across the line to protect from enemy attack. While the design of the trenches and the network of trenches seemed like a great tactic, the reality of the life in the trenches was a different story. Life in the trenches took its toll on the soldiers involved in the war.

2. Trenches were built by the soldiers who had to fight in them. They had to dig these out with spades and other equipment. There was a very clever layout for the trenches. They were built in zigzags to prevent major loss of soldiers if enemy forces breached the trench, also if they were bombed this would prevent lots of loss of life. v