How might the setting at the beginning of the novel and the setting at the end of the novel be interpreted symbolically as a representation for the cycle that George seems to find himself trapped within?

Of Mice and Men is a frame narrative. This means the beginning and of the story has similar traits to it. George and Lennie camp out at the tranquil pond before they reach the ranch. It is a peaceful place but Steinbeck foreshadows violence to come. In chapter one, George is frustrated with Lennie and his own life. Lennie does something bad in every place they work and they must run. George is trapped in the same cycle. George's argument comes to fruition by the end of the book. George must kill lennie before the other men get to him. Ironically, breaking the cycle means killing Lennie.