Powerpoint from today's revision session

1. Of Mice and Men Revision
Session
LO
Quotations & context
Answering the 10 mark extract question
Revision of Steinbeck’s style
Dreams
Reminder:
Exam – OMAM and POETRY – TUESDAY am
Revision – OMAM and Poetry – MONDAY after school
Revision – WARM UP from 8.15 on TUESDAY

3. REVISION MAP
• Answer the following questions ON your map

4. Social and historical
context:
On your map write
answers to the
following:
What is happening in
the U.S.A. in the
1930s?
Why has Steinbeck
chosen to set his
novel in California?

5. Social and historical
context:
On your map write
answers to the
following:
What is happening in
the U.S.A. in the
1930s?
Why has Steinbeck
chosen to set his
novel in California?
KEY TERMS:
The Great Depression
The Wall Street Crash
The Dust Bowl
Segregation
Migrant (or itinerant) workers
The Golden State
The American Dream

7. The title of John Steinbeck’s novel
comes from a Robert Burns poem about
the struggle for survival of a field-
mouse:
‘The best laid plans o’ mice and men
Gang aft agley’ which suggests from
the outset that the lives of men and
animals are closely linked in this novel.
At the beginning of the novel not only
do we learn about Lennie’s love of
petting small creatures but we also
learn about the hopes and dreams of
the two characters. The fact that the
poem then goes on to say:
‘An’ lea’e us nought but grief and pain
For promised joy’ is also highly relevant
to the themes of the novel since the
connotations of the title and the link
to the Burns’ poem suggest that their
dreams are doomed from the start.

8. Plot overview
On your map label where and
when the main events in each
chapter take place
Friday Night:
Chapter 1: George and Lennie spend the night by the stream in the brush.
Discuss the dream.
Saturday Morning:
Chapter 2: G&L arrive at the ranch, meet the boss, meet Candy, Curley and CW
Saturday Afternoon:
Chapter 3:Candy’s dog, the fight
Saturday Night:
Chapter 4:The weak ones are left behind – Crooks, Lennie, Candy & CW
Sunday Morning:
Chapter 5: Lennie kills puppy & CW
Sunday Afternoon
Chapter 6: George kills Lennie

9. DRAW A SHAPE IN PENCIL ON YOUR MAP
SHOWING THE STRUCTURE OF THE NOVEL.

10. In which chapter in there also a
cyclical structure?

11. Chapter 4 Crooks
“Now and then he poured a few drops
of the liniment into his
pink-palmed hand and reached up
under his shirt to rub again. He
flexed his muscles against his back and
shivered. “
“the rattle of halter chains”
“…the halter chains rattled.”
“He pulled out his shirt in back,
poured a little liniment in his pink
palm and, reaching around, he
fell slowly to rubbing his back. “

13. QUESTION NUMBER 1: Circles
• Why do you think that Steinbeck uses a
cyclical structure in OMAM? Why does the
novel finish where it starts? (In the brush?)

14. QUESTION NUMBER 2: CONTEXT
• What could this quotation signify and why?
‘On one side of the river the golden foothill
slopes curve up to the strong and rocky Gabilan
Mountains’

15. QUESTION NUMBER 3:
STYLE & SETTING
• What does each chapter begin with and why?
• How would you describe John Steinbeck’s style

16. QUESTION NUMBER 4:
THEMES
• How many themes can you list in your box?
• BE PREPARED TO FEEDBACK
• EXTEND your revision – label the map with the
themes and make notes explaining how the
setting links to each.
Write small!

17. QUESTION NUMBER 5:
HIERARCHY
Draw a triangle
on your map
showing where
each of these
characters
belongs in the
ranch hierarchy.

18. QUESTION NUMBERS 6, 7, 8 & 9:
SYMBOLS
• What do each of the following symbolise - explain
why. Extend – can you think of quotations for each?
RABBITS THE COLOUR RED
CARD GAMES
HALTER CHAINS

19. QUESTION NUMBER 10:
LENNIE – ANIMAL IMAGERY
• Write two quotations where Steinbeck uses
animal imagery to describe Lennie.

20. QUESTION NUMBER 11:
LENNIE – STRENGTH &
FORESHADOWING
• Write three quotations showing the strength
of Lennie

21. QUESTION NUMBER 12:
DREAMS: George and Lennie
• Write two quotations about George and
Lennie’s hopes and dreams

22. QUESTION NUMBER 13:
RELATIONSHIPS: George and Lennie
• Write two quotations about George and
Lennie’s relationship
• What makes them unusual in terms of Migrant
workers?

23. QUESTION NUMBER 14:
CURLEY’S WIFE: Appearance
• Write two quotations about Curley’s Wife’s
appearance in chapter two
• Then write two quotations about Curley’s wife
after she has been killed in chapter 5

24. QUESTION NUMBER 15:
CURLEY’S WIFE: Dreams
• What were Curley’s Wife’s dreams? Can you
write a quotation to support this?

25. QUESTION NUMBER 17:
What does message about the
American Dream does Steinbeck
convey through Crooks?
• Extend: try to think of two quotations to
support this

26. QUESTION NUMBER 18:
CROOKS: Loneliness & Isolation
• Write three quotations that show Crooks’
loneliness and isolation.
• Try to link one of these quotations to the
social and historical context.

27. QUESTION NUMBER 19:
Why does George kill Lennie?
• What does he say to him just
before he shoots him? What is
the significance of this?
Extend: Can you link to the
social and historical context?

28. QUESTION NUMBER 20:
Animals and Nature
• Write a quotation from the final description in
the novel.

29. Quick Recap on Context
• You must mention context in your 20 mark
question.
• You have to demonstrate to your examiner that:
A) You know when the novella was set and what
was happening at the time
B) You can link the real life context of the novella
to the characters and themes presented.
YOU WILL LOSE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF MARKS IF YOU DO
NOT MAKE ANY REFERENCE TO CONTEXT IN YOUR 20 MARK
QUESTION

30. Context Hats On!
• 1937 – publication of the novella
• 1929 – Wall Street Crash - New York stock market crashed, resulting in a prolonged
period of economic depression until WW2 in 1939.
• Many migrant workers (G&L) would travel America looking for work. Work was
scarce, resulting in many migrant workers working for a small wage and bed & board.
• Droughts, crop failures and the ‘dust bowls’ also added to the woes of farm workers.
• George and Lennie PERSONIFY the common place dream of a migrant worker.
They want their own bit of land and to settle in ‘the promised land’ which California
represented.
• In OMAM, Steinbeck represents the hopelessness and dreams of those at the
bottom of American society: the old (Candy/Candy’s dog), ethnic minorities
(Crooks), Women (Curley’s Wife), the disabled (Candy/Lennie/Candy’s dog), and
the migrant workers (George/Lennie). This is contrast with the novella’s villain,
Curley who is higher in social status at this time.
• The hierarchy on the ranch is representative of social status in America at the time.
Steinbeck has presented the ranch as a microcosm of American society in the late
1930s. A place of hopelessness, loneliness and dreams.
Key words: ECONOMIC DEPRESSION, MICROCOSM, HIERARCHY,
HOPELESSNESS, DREAMS, PERSONIFY, DUST BOWLS
WANT MORE> Revision guide on the VLE, and a number of video links on the VLE
specifically on context. Failing that, search OMAM context in google for TONS of
stuff.

31. The American Dream
• In America people had always
believed that if they worked hard
enough they could be successful –
anybody could ‘make’ it, if they tried
hard enough. This idea was known
as the ‘American Dream’.
• In the 1930s, the myth of the
American Dream was put to the test.
Many individuals lost all they
owned. They felt that they had no
hope of making a decent life for
themselves and lost all self‐respect
and faith in their society.
• Some still clung desperately to the
dream of success and
opportunity, despite all evidence
that it was unattainable.

32. What do the characters dream of?
George – dreams of owning his own land, ranch and ‘settling’
Lennie – dreams of tending the rabbits
Crooks – dreams of acceptance for his colour
Candy – dreams of friendship, acceptance for his age and working on
George’s ranch
Curley’s Wife – dreams of being in the movies, acceptance for her gender
and companionship
REVISION ACTIVITY: YOU NEED TO FIND QUOTATIONS AND
EVIDENCE FOR THESE IDEAS FROM THE TEXT.
Make mind-maps or flashcards on each character’s dream. Support
with quotations and comments about context.

33. Race
• Crooks is the only black character in Of Mice and Men.
He’s the only black man on the ranch. Through Crooks,
Steinbeck tries to explore what it was like to be black in
America in the Depression years.
• In the Depression black people suffered as badly as white
people, and in most cases, a great deal worse. They left
the Southern states in great numbers, hoping to find work
in the large industrial cities of the north, like Chicago,
Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburg and New York. They found
no work there either and still experienced racism, even if it
was less obvious than in the deep south. Living conditions
in the cities were worse than those they had left behind
and large ‘ghettos’ of poor housing came to be occupied
exclusively by black people.
• Many black men joined the group of white unemployed
men, travelling the country as migrant workers, or ‘hobos’
as they were called, looking for work.

34. Women
• The portrayal of women in Of Mice and Men is limited and unflattering.
We learn early on that Lennie and George are on the run from the previous
ranch where they worked, due to encountering trouble there with a
woman. Misunderstanding Lennie’s love of soft things, a woman accused
him of rape for touching her dress. George berates Lennie for his behaviour,
but is convinced that women are always the cause of such trouble. Their
enticing sexuality, he believes, tempts men to behave in ways they would
otherwise not.
• A visit to the “cathouse” (a cheap hotel, or brothel) is enough of women for
George, and he has no desire for a female companion or wife. Curley’s wife,
the only woman to appear in Of Mice and Men, seems initially to support
George’s view of marriage. Dissatisfied with her marriage to a brutish man
and bored with life on the ranch, she is constantly looking for excitement or
trouble. In one of her more revealing moments, she threatens to have the
black stable‐hand lynched if he complains about her to the boss.
• Her insistence on flirting with Lennie seals her unfortunate fate. Although
Steinbeck does, finally, offer a sympathetic view of Curley’s wife by
allowing her to voice her unhappiness and her own dream for a better life,
women have no place in the author’s idealized vision of a world structured
around the brotherly bonds of men.

35. EXAM TECHNIQUE – THE
EXTRACT QUESTION
This is exactly the same for all three extract questions.
LEARN IT. 30 MARKS come from this across both your lit papers.
That’s 30 out of 110 mark across your Lit exams.
20 MINUTES
THREE IDEAS
CLOSE REFERENCE TO THE TEXT
WRITER’S IDEAS/PURPOSE/VIEWPOINT

36. STEP 1 - INTRODUCTION
• To begin your answer – you MUST write a couple of
sentences about the SIGNIFICANCE of the extract.
• You must also show you examiner that you understand
WHERE in the text this extract appears.
• You should also show your examiner that you
understand the OVERVIEW of the extract.
Example:
This extract appears early on in the novella, when George and Lennie first arrive at
the ranch. Here Candy, is describing the character of Curley’s Wife to George and
Lennie. Importantly, Candy prepares the reader for the arrival of Curley’s Wife by
predisposing the reader to think negatively of her through his dialogue.
Example:
This extract appears in the middle of the novella, when the ranch workers are in
the bunk house. In this extract Carlson is complaining about the smell of Candy’s
dog and attempts to persuade Candy to shoot the dog. Candy is reluctant but
Carlson suggests it is the kindest thing to do. One way this extract is significant is
because it foreshadows the end of the novella, where George reluctantly shoots
Lennie in order to rescue him from Curley’s wrath.

37. STEP 2 – THREE POINTS
• The rest of your essay will include of analysis of
three ways the writer creates either the character
or the mood/atmosphere. You should identify more than
three pieces of evidence - but many words/devices may contribute
to an overall idea all the way through text.
• Avoid feature spotting – do not look for features
– look for quotations that exemplify the character
or the mood/atmosphere.
• Unpick the evidence to discuss the EFFECT of the
words – always linking back to the question.
• Track through the text – ensuring you take
quotations from the entire text.
Want more> type in WJEC A/A* extract into youtube for a 15 minute video on
getting top marks in this question.

38. ACTUAL A/A* ANALYSIS OF CW

39. FULL MARKS: Success Criteria
 Speculate – this could mean this… this might mean this… this might link to…
 Evaluate – the writer has done this to.. the writer may want us to think about…
 Focus on key words and link back to overview of extract – the word ___ suggests…
the lexical choice creates the idea…
 Comment on how language, form and structure works together to achieve an
overall effect. Don’t see each word/phrase as separate. This is reinforced later in
the text when… furthermore in the extract…
 Be confident with your handling of language, structure and form. (see below)
 Plan – annotate & highlight/underline key words, or bullet point ideas. (Spend no
more than 5 minutes on this)
•Analyse the language and narrative or dramatic techniques:
•Choice of words
•Imagery
•Sentence length/structure/sentence types (questions/imperatives/lists)
•Dialogue
•Narrative
USE THE WRITER’S NAME OR PLAYWRIGHT/AUTHOR
MAKE LINKS TO THE REST OF THE TEXT.

40. Concluding Sentence
• To end your 10 mark extract you need to
offer some kind of personal response. For
example;
1. Which word or phrase do you think is most
interesting or effective at presenting a
character or mood or atmosphere?
2. How does this extract prepare the reader for
events later on in the novel? How does it
link?
3. How do you feel/How have you engaged
with this extract?

41. A girl was standing there looking in. She had full, rouged lips and wide-
spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails were red. Her hair hung
in little rolled clusters, like sausages. She wore a cotton house dress
and red mules, on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red
ostrich feathers. ‘I’m lookin’ for Curley,’ she said. Her voice had a
nasal, brittle quality.
George looked away from her and then back. ‘He was here a minute
ago, but he went.’
‘Oh!’ She put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door
frame so that her body was thrown forward. ‘You’re the new fellas
that just come, ain’t ya?’
‘Yeah.’
Lennie’s eyes moved down her body, and though she did not seem to be
looking at Lennie she bridled a little. She looked at her fingernails.
‘Sometimes Curley’s in here,’ she explained.
George said brusquely, ‘Well, he ain’t now.’
‘If he ain’t, I guess I better look some place else,’ she said playfully.
Lennie watched her, fascinated. George said, ‘If I see him, I’ll pass the
word you was looking for him.’
She smiled archly and twitched her body. ‘Nobody can’t blame a person
for lookin’,’ she said. There were footsteps behind her, going by. She
turned her head. ‘Hi, Slim,’ she said.
Extract 2
1. Where does this extract appear in
the novel? Why is it significant?
2. First quotation
Effect/meaning
Device (if appropriate)/key word
2. Second quotation
Effect/meaning
Device (if appropriate)/key word
3. Third quotation
Effect/meaning
Device (if appropriate)/key word
4. Conclude with a sentence that makes links with the rest of the book.

42. EXPLODE THIS QUOTATION IN
AS MANY WAYS AS YOU CAN:
F.L.I.P. – M.M.M

44. A* Response

45. A* Response: Making comparisons

47. A* Response: Making comparisons

48. Use the mat to help you to annotate
the two poems – EXPLODE!

49. Use the method to write an introduction:
EXTEND – write a timed response at home!

50. Watch a video explaining the method
here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8T
aHoA3JPc

51. FOR LINKS TO DOWNLOADABLE PAST
PAPERS CLICK HERE:
http://www.wjec.co.uk/uploads/publications/8323.pdf
PLEASE NOTE YOU WILL HAVE TO SCROLL THROUGH TO FIND
EXAMPLES
Or here – please scroll down for literature links (please note
there are plenty of good language links here too!)
http://www.theenglishzone.org.uk/page_2415645.html
LOTS OF USEFUL VIDEOS AND AUDIO MATERIAL AVAILABLE
HERE:
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgTyeLknQgWTWNImGo
1FwcA
ELECTRONIC QUOTATION FLASHCARDS HERE
http://quizlet.com/atkiteach