Literature Revision – Of Mice and Men

LO: to understand what you are being assessed on.

First of all…

• In your mock you are only sitting Unit 1 (Paper 1)

• This paper covers Of Mice and Men and Unseen Poetry.

• For now, you will only be assessed on OMAM.

• LO: to understand what you are being assessed on.

To succeed

•You need to know the story•You need to know main points about the main characters•You need to know about the themes•You need to have a really good understanding of the context.

• LO: to understand what you are being assessed on.

Let’s look at a paper

• Some of you doing Foundation, some Higher.

• Questions are the same, but on the foundation you get some prods in the right direction!

• Let’s look at the markscheme

• LO: to understand what you are being assessed on.

Of Mice and Men context quiz:

Who said what…? Can you relate it to the context and any themes within the book?

“ The ranch we’re goin’ to is right down there about a quarter mile. We’re gonna go in an’ see the boss.”

George- he highlights that migrant workers move around all the time looking for new jobs; they don’t stay in the same job for a long period of time before moving on.

• LO: to understand what you are being assessed on.

“Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place.”George- What themes does this highlight and how can you relate it to the context?

• LO: to understand what you are being assessed on.

“An’ live off the fatta the lan”. Lennie and his dream- Innocence and the ‘American Dream’

• LO: to understand what you are being assessed on.

“Well, I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy”

The Boss- Friendship and loneliness: Migrant workers travel around on their own from job to job and are away from family. Lennie and George’s friendship is unusual in the boss’ eyes because migrant workers would normally work for the good of themselves.

• LO: to understand what you are being assessed on.

“Hardly none of the guys ever travel together. I hardly never seen two guys travel together. You know how the hands are, they just come in and get their bunk and work a month, and then they quit and go out alone”

Slim- Themes of friendship and loneliness of migrant workers during the 1930’s. Great depression

• LO: to understand what you are being assessed on.

“If I was bright, if I was even a little bit smart, I’d have my own little place, an’ I’d be bringin’ in my own crops”

George- Dreams

• LO: to understand what you are being assessed on.

“He stinks to beat hell. Tell you what. I’ll shoot him for you. Then it won’t be you that does it.”

Carlson about Candy’s dogRepresenting the older generation in society: useless once they get to a certain age, ageism

“ She got the eye goin’ all the time on everybody. I bet she even gives the stable buck the eye.”

Whit- Curley’s wife and CrooksContext: Role of women, treatment of women- association with women as being promiscuous and flirtatious Racism- even a black person could attract this woman (she must be desperate to look at a black man)- segregation/inequality

• LO: to understand what you are being assessed on.

“We go in to old Susy’s place. Hell of a nice place. Old Susy’s a laugh- always crackin’ jokes”.

Whit- Migrant workers went to whore- houses to entertain themselves and relieve themselves after a hard day’s work.

• LO: to understand what you are being assessed on.

What does the following quote tell us about the relationship between Curley and his wife?

“He spends half his time lookin’ for her, and the rest of the time she’s lookin’ for him.”

Perhaps they don’t communicate and men and women had little to do with each other? OrCould it show that both characters are lonely because they didn’t achieve their dreams?Or….?

• LO: to understand what you are being assessed on.

“George, how long’s it gonna be till we get that little place an’ live on the fatta the lan’-an’ rabbits?”

Lennie- he has a dream and that keeps him going throughout the novel; he asks George to keep confirming their dream to him so he is reassured. This could highlight the theme of innocence on Lennie’s behalf (he believes in his dream- the American dream, but reality knows different), and dreams.

• LO: to understand what you are being assessed on.

“I ain’t much good, but I could cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some. How’d that be?”

Candy- He is latching on to Lennie and George’s dream to give him something to aim for. Why do you think the characters in this story have dreams? What is the significance of having a dream?

• LO: to understand what you are being assessed on.

“There were battered magazines and a few dirty books on a special shelf over his bunk”

Explain how this quote demonstrates the theme of racism.

• LO: to understand what you are being assessed on.

“Long as you won’t get out and leave me alone.”

Crooks- What does this quote tell us about his character? (themes)Identify the effect on the audience!

“If I say something, why it’s just a nigger saying it.”

Who is saying this?

What is the significance of the word ‘just’?

• LO: to understand what you are being assessed on.

“I seen hundreds of men come by on the road an’ on the ranches… hundreds of them. They come, an’ they quit an’ go on;…”

Crooks- what is he trying to say here?How can you link it to the context from what you already know?

• LO: to understand what you are being assessed on.

“Her face was heavily made up. Her lips were slightly parted. She breathed strongly, as though she had been running.”

How far do you agree that:Curley’s wife displays herself in this way because she is lonely.

• LO: to understand what you are being assessed on.

“ The discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face. She was very pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and young.”

Do you pity her?

• LO: to understand what you are being assessed on.

Discuss:

How far does George believe in his and Lennie’s dream?- Is it just to keep Lennie out of trouble?-Does he do it to keep his own spirit alive?

• LO: to understand what you are being assessed on.