Where and when does “of mice and men” take place?

takes place during the Great Depression

Explanation:

This answer was provided by Google. I do not claim ownership for the explanation below.

Explanation:

The novel, which takes place during the Great Depression, begins beside the Salinas River near Soledad, California, where two migrant workers, Lennie Small and George Milton, are walking on their way to a nearby ranch.

i believe their role is to instruct certain sections on when they are to join and when they are to stop