Describe the atmosphere that is created by the imagery in the first two paragraphs of Of Mice and Men.

The first two paragraphs are very interesting in relation
to the rest of the story, because they actually create a kind of peaceful, reflective
atmosphere with the description of the physical beauty of nature. Consider the following
quotes:

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. Rabbits come out of the brush to sit on the sand
in the evening, and the damp flats are covered with the night tracks of 'coons, and with
the spread pads of dogs from the ranches, and with the split-wedge tracks of deer that
come to drink
in the dark.

Here we are
presented with a scene of almost unspoilt nature as animals carry on with their natural
activities and the lake serves as a source of refreshment for all animals in the
vicinity.

The only mention of man is the path that is
well-beaten through the location. It appears that this place of natural beauty is a
source of comfort not just for animals but for man as
well:

In front
of the low horizontal limb of a giant sycamore there is an ash pile made by many fires;
the limb is worn smooth by men who have sat on
it.

So many men have come to
this location for relief and rest and reflection from their lives that the trunk has
become smooth by all the men that have sat there.

Thus the
first two paragraphs, by presenting us with a scene of unsullied natural beauty which is
a source of refreshment for both man and beast, starts off in a very peaceful
mood.