This map plots the settings and references in Of Mice and Men
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Of Mice and Men is set near Soledad, California, in the Salinas Valley. The Salinas River flows through the valley, and the Gabilan Mountains rise above it.
Soledad is a city in California, located in fertile farmland and grape-growing country. It has a warm climate that is ideal for growing crops year-round.
The Salinas River flows for 170 miles north-northwest, cutting through the California Coast Ranges. The river is now a ‘wildlife corridor’, connecting many forms of wildlife that have been separated by human building projects and roads. The river also provides irrigation for many farms and vineyards in the Salinas Valley.
‘Soledad’ means ‘solitude’ in Spanish, an appropriate name given that loneliness is one of the main themes of this story.
Find out more about Soledad from the town’s official website.
The Gabilan Mountain Range lies between the Salinas Valley and the Diablo Range on California’s Central Coast. The mountain range holds two national parks, Fremont Peak and the Pinnacles National Park.
‘Gabilan’ means ‘sparrow hawk’ in Spanish.
Sacramento is the capital city of California. It is situated in the north of California’s Central Valley. Sacramento became a major distribution centre and the terminus for the Pony Express during the California Gold Rush.
Lynching is an act of execution carried out by a mob of people outside of the usual process of law. The most common method is hanging, but shooting or burning at the stake also occur.
Lynching of African Americans was common during the period following the abolition of slavery, when legal segregation of black people was still widespread. Lynching occurs more during times of political or economic stress, such as during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
More about the history of lynching. Warning: graphic and upsetting images.
Weed is a town in the northernmost part of California, at the time best known for its lumber mill.