“George – why ain’t we goin’ on to the ranch and get some supper? They got supper at the ranch.”
George rolled on his side. “No reason at all for you. I like it here. Tomorra we’re gonna go to work. I seen thrashin’ machines on the way down. That means we’ll be bucking grain bags, bustin’ a gut. Tonight I’m gonna lay right here and look up. I like it.”
– John Steinbeck
Of Mice and Men, Chapter 1. The two friends are lying in a field by the river looking up at the stars. In this serene setting they enjoy freedom and peace, in stark contrast to the brutality of life on the ranch. But this beautiful place is also full of foreshadowing, as the river is where the story will end with the peace being shattered by a gunshot.