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Year 11 Revision Schedule Guide
2012
English Literature
Unit 1 Exploring Modern Texts
Section A: Modern Prose or Drama-An Inspector Calls
Section B: Exploring Cultures- Of Mice and Men
All you need to do to work towards top
marks!
Exam date: Tuesday 22nd May 2012
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What will I study?
Two modern texts
What’s it worth?
40 % of your overall grade award
What skills are being assessed?
AO1
respond to texts critically and imaginatively; select and evaluate relevant
textual detail to illustrate and support interpretations
AO2
explain how language, structure and form contribute to writers’ presentation of
ideas, themes and settings
AO4
relate texts to their social, cultural and historical contexts; explain how texts
have
How will you be assessed?
Examination: 1 hour 15 minutes
Section A: Modern Prose or drama
There will be a choice of two questions on the modern drama Text
that we have studied (An Inspector Calls by J B Priestly)
Answer only one question!
Section B: Exploring other cultures
There will be only one question to answer on the text that we have
studied ( Of Mice and Men by J Steinbeck)
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Section A
An Inspector Calls Revision Guide
The characters we see as the curtain rises are not the same as those at the plays
conclusion. The events of the evening change everyone, as well as their expectations of the
future. Inspector Goole is instrumental in disturbing the harmony; a purposeful,
mysterious character who forces the characters to confront each other's social
responsibility, snobbery and guilt. But is the inspector as genuine as he seems? All these
changes take place because of the visit of Inspector Goole. But who is Inspector Goole?
And who is the girl whose suicide he is apparently investigating?
Priestley deliberately set his play in 1912 because the date represented an era when all
was very different from the time he was writing. In 1912, rigid class and gender
boundaries seemed to ensure that nothing would change. Yet by 1945, most of those class
and gender divisions had been breached. Priestley wanted to make the most of these
changes. Through this play, he encourages people to seize the opportunity the end of the
war had given them to build a better, more caring society.
Political views During the 1930's Priestley became very concerned about the consequences of social
inequality in Britain, and in 1942 Priestley and others set up a new political party, the
Common Wealth Party, which argued for public ownership of land, greater democracy, and
a new 'morality' in politics. The party merged with the Labour Party in 1945, but Priestley
was influential in developing the idea of the Welfare State which began to be put into
place at the end of the war. He believed that further world wars could only be avoided
through cooperation and mutual respect between countries, and so became active in the
CONTEXT
To understand the context of the play, it's helpful to know a little
about J B Priestley's life and his political views during the early 20th
century - a time of great global change. He wrote An Inspector Calls
after the Second World War and like much of his work contains
controversial, politically charged messages. Keen to pioneer a new
'morality' in politics, Priestley’s chief concerns involved social
inequality in Britain and the need for nuclear disarmament.
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early movement for a United Nations. And as the nuclear arms race between West and
East began in the 1950s, he helped to found CND, hoping that Britain would set an example
to the world by a moral act of nuclear disarmament.
Play set in 1912 Play written in 1945
The First World
War would start in
two years. Birling's
optimistic view that
there would not be a
war is completely
wrong.
The Second World War
ended on 8 May 1945. People
were recovering from nearly
six years of warfare, danger
and uncertainty.
There were strong
distinctions between
the upper and lower
classes.
Class distinctions had been
greatly reduced as a result
of two world wars.
Women were
subservient to men.
All a well off women
could do was get
married; a poor
woman was seen as
cheap labour.
As a result of the wars,
women had earned a more
valued place in society.
The ruling classes
saw no need to
change the status
quo.
There was a great desire
for social change.
Immediately after The
Second World War, Clement
Attlee's Labour Party won a
landslide victory over
Winston Churchill and the
Conservatives.
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He is described at the start as a "heavy-looking, rather portentous man in his
middle fifties but rather provincial in his speech."
He has worked his way up in the world and is proud of his achievements. He boasts
about having been Mayor and tries (and fails) to impress the Inspector with his
local standing and his influential friends.
However, he is aware of people who are his social superiors, which is why he shows
off about the port to Gerald, "it's exactly the same port your father gets." He is
proud that he is likely to be knighted, as that would move him even higher in social
circles.
He claims the party "is one of the happiest nights of my life." This is not only
because Sheila will be happy, but because a merger with Crofts Limited will be good
for his business.
He is optimistic for the future and confident that there will not be a war. As the
audience knows there will be a war, we begin to doubt Mr Birling's judgment. (If he
is wrong about the war, what else will he be wrong about?)
He is extremely selfish:
He wants to protect himself and his family. He believes that socialist ideas that
stress the importance of the community are "nonsense" and that "a man has to
make his own way."
He wants to protect Birling and Co. He cannot see that he did anything wrong when
he fired Eva Smith - he was just looking after his business interests.
He wants to protect his reputation. As the Inspector's investigations continue,
his selfishness gets the better of him: he is worried about how the press will view
the story in Act II, and accuses Sheila of disloyalty at the start of Act III. He
wants to hide the fact that Eric stole money: "I've got to cover this up as soon as I
can."
At the end of the play, he knows he has lost the chance of his knighthood, his
reputation in Brumley and the chance of Birling and Co. merging with their rivals.
Yet he hasn't learnt the lesson of the play: he is unable to admit his
responsibility for his part in Eva's death.
Arthur Birling
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She is described at the start as "about fifty, a rather cold woman and her husband's
social superior."
o She is a snob, very aware of the differences between social classes. She is
irritated when Mr Birling makes the social gaffe of praising the cook in
front of Gerald and later is very dismissive of Eva, saying "Girls of that
class."
o She has the least respect for the Inspector of all the characters. She tries
- unsuccessfully - to intimidate him and force him to leave, then lies to him
when she claims that she does not recognize the photograph that he shows
her.
o She sees Sheila and Eric still as "children" and speaks patronisingly to them.
o She tries to deny things that she doesn't want to believe: Eric's drinking,
Gerald's affair with Eva, and the fact that a working class girl would refuse
money even if it was stolen, claiming "She was giving herself ridiculous airs."
o She admits she was "prejudiced" against the girl who applied to her
committee for help and saw it as her "duty" to refuse to help her. Her
narrow sense of morality dictates that the father of a child should be
responsible for its welfare, regardless of circumstances.
o At the end of the play, she has had to come to terms that her son is a heavy
drinker who got a girl pregnant and stole money to support her, her
daughter will not marry a good social 'catch' and that her own reputation
within the town will be sullied. Yet, like her husband, she refuses to believe
that she did anything wrong and doesn't accept responsibility for her part
in Eva's death.
Mrs Sybil Birling
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She is described at the start as "a pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life
and rather excited."
o Even though she seems very playful at the opening, we know that she has had
suspicions about Gerald when she mentions "last summer, when you never
came near me." Does this suggest that she is not as naive and shallow as she
first appears?
o Although she has probably never in her life before considered the conditions
of the workers, she shows her compassion immediately she hears of her
father's treatment of Eva Smith: "But these girls aren't cheap labour -
they're people." Already, she is starting to change.
o She is horrified by her own part in Eva's story. She feels full of guilt for
her jealous actions and blames herself as "really responsible."
o She is very perceptive: she realises that Gerald knew Daisy Renton from his
reaction, the moment the Inspector mentioned her name. At the end of Act
II, she is the first to realise Eric's part in the story. Significantly, she is
the first to wonder who the Inspector really is, saying to him, 'wonderingly',
"I don't understand about you." She warns the others "he's giving us the
rope - so that we'll hang ourselves" (Act II) and, near the end, is the first
to consider whether the Inspector may not be real.
o She is curious. She genuinely wants to know about Gerald's part in the story.
It's interesting that she is not angry with him when she hears about the
affair: she says that she respects his honesty. She is becoming more
mature.
o She is angry with her parents in Act 3 for trying to "pretend that nothing
much has happened." Sheila says "It frightens me the way you talk:" she
cannot understand how they cannot have learnt from the evening in the same
way that she has. She is seeing her parents in a new, unfavourable light.
o At the end of the play, Sheila is much wiser. She can now judge her
parents and Gerald from a new perspective, but the greatest change has
been in herself: her social conscience has been awakened and she is aware of
Miss Sheila Birling
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her responsibilities. The Sheila who had a girl dismissed from her job for a
trivial reason has vanished forever.
He is described at the start as "in his early twenties, not quite at ease, half
shy, half assertive."
o Eric seems embarrassed and awkward right from the start. The fist
mention of him in the script is "Eric suddenly guffaws," and then he is unable
to explain his laughter, as if he is nervous about something. (It is not until
the final act that we realise this must be because of his having stolen some
money.) There is another awkward moment when Gerald, Birling and Eric are
chatting about women's love of clothes before the Inspector arrives.
o Do you feel that there is tension in Eric's relationship with his father? o It soon becomes clear to us (although it takes his parents longer) that he is
a hardened drinker. Gerald admits, "I have gathered that he does drink
pretty hard."
o When he hears how his father sacked Eva Smith, he supports the worker's
cause, like Sheila. "Why shouldn't they try for higher wages?"
o He feels guilt and frustration with himself over his relationship with the
girl. He cries, "Oh - my God! - how stupid it all is!" as he tells his story. He is
horrified that his thoughtless actions had such consequences.
o He had some innate sense of responsibility, though, because although he
got a woman pregnant, he was concerned enough to give her money. He was
obviously less worried about stealing (or 'borrowing' from his father's
office) than he was about the girl's future.
o So, was Eric, initially, the most socially aware member of the Birling family? o He is appalled by his parents' inability to admit their own responsibility. He
tells them forcefully, "I'm ashamed of you." When Birling tries to threaten
him in Act III, Eric is aggressive in return: "I don't give a damn now."
o Do you think Eric has ever stood up to his father in this way before?
o At the end of the play, like Sheila, he is fully aware of his social
responsibility. He is not interested in his parents' efforts to cover
everything up: as far as he is concerned, the important thing is that a girl is
dead. "We did her in all right."
Eric Birling
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He is described as "an attractive chap about thirty, rather too manly to be a
dandy but very much the easy well-bred man-about-town."
o He is an aristocrat - the son of Lord and Lady Croft. We realise that they
are not over-impressed by Gerald's engagement to Sheila because they
declined the invitation to the dinner.
o He is not as willing as Sheila to admit his part in the girl's death to the
Inspector and initially pretends that he never knew her.
o Is he a bit like Mr Birling, wanting to protect his own interests? o He did have some genuine feeling for Daisy Renton, however: he is very
moved when he hears of her death. He tells Inspector Goole that he
arranged for her to live in his friend's flat "because I was sorry for her;"
she became his mistress because "She was young and pretty and
warmhearted - and intensely grateful."
o Despite this, in Act 3 he tries to come up with as much evidence as possible
to prove that the Inspector is a fake - because that would get him off the
hook. It is Gerald who confirms that the local force has no officer by the
name of Goole, he who realises it may not have been the same girl and he who
finds out from the infirmary that there has not been a suicide case in
months. He seems to throw his energies into "protecting" himself rather
than "changing" himself (unlike Sheila).
o At the end of the play, he has not changed. He has not gained a new
sense of social responsibility, which is why Sheila (who has) is unsure
whether to take back the engagement ring.
George Croft
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He is described on his entrance as creating "an impression of massiveness, solidity and
purposefulness. He is a man in his fifties, dressed in a plain darkish suit. He speaks carefully,
weightily, and has a disconcerting habit of looking hard at the person he addresses before
actually speaking. "
o He works very systematically; he likes to deal with "one person and one line of
enquiry at a time." His method is to confront a suspect with a piece of information
and then make them talk - or, as Sheila puts it, "he's giving us the rope - so that
we'll hang ourselves."
o He is a figure of authority. He deals with each member of the family very firmly
and several times we see him "massively taking charge as disputes erupt between
them." He is not impressed when he hears about Mr Birling's influential friends and
he cuts through Mrs Birling's obstructiveness.
o He seems to know and understand an extraordinary amount:
o He knows the history of Eva Smith and the Birlings' involvement in it, even though
she died only hours ago. Sheila tells Gerald, "Of course he knows."
o He knows things are going to happen - He says "I'm waiting...To do my duty" just
before Eric's return, as if he expected Eric to reappear at exactly that moment
o He is obviously in a great hurry towards the end of the play: he stresses "I haven't
much time." Does he know that the real inspector is shortly going to arrive?
o His final speech is like a sermon or a politician's. He leaves the family with the
message "We are responsible for each other" and warns them of the "fire and blood
and anguish" that will result if they do not pay attention to what he has taught
them.
o All this mystery suggests that the Inspector is not a 'real' person.
o So, what is he? o Is he a ghost? Goole reminds us of 'ghoul'.
o Is he the voice of Priestley?
o Is he the voice of God?
o Is he the voice of all our consciences?
o Do you have any other suggestions?
Inspector Goole
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Of course, we never see Eva Smith on stage in the play: we only have the
evidence that the Inspector and the Birlings give us.
o The Inspector, Sheila Gerald and Eric all say that she was "pretty." Gerald
describes her as "very pretty - soft brown hair and big dark eyes."
o Her parents were dead.
o She came from outside Brumley: Mr Birling speaks of her being
"countrybred."
o She was working class.
o The Inspector says that she had kept a sort of diary, which helped him piece
together the last two years of her life:
o However, in Act 3 we begin to wonder whether Eva ever really existed. -
Gerald says, "We've no proof it was the same photograph and therefore no
proof it was the same girl." - Birling adds, "There wasn't the slightest proof
that this Daisy Renton really was Eva Smith." Yet the final phone call,
announcing that a police inspector is shortly to arrive at the Birlings' house
to investigate the suicide of a young girl, makes us realise that maybe Eva
Smith did exist after all. What do you think? o Think about Eva's name. Eva is similar to Eve, the first woman created by
God in the Bible. Smith is the most common English surname. So, Eva Smith could represent every woman of her class
Eva Smith/ Daisy Renton
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STAGE DIRECTIONS In the course of An Inspector Calls the Birling family and Gerald Croft change from a
state of great self-satisfaction to a state of extreme self-doubt. The play is in 'real time'
- in other words, the story lasts exactly as long as the play is on the stage.
So, what happens in a comparatively short time to create such a dramatic contrast? How is the drama maintained and the audience involved? Think about these points.
Setting and Subtle Hints The Setting and Lighting are very important. Priestley describes the scene in detail at the
opening of Act 1, so that the audience has the immediate impression of a "heavily
comfortable house." The setting is constant (all action happens in the same place).
Priestley says that the lighting should be "pink and intimate" before the Inspector arrives
- a rose-tinted glow - when it becomes "brighter and harder." The lighting reflects the
mood of the play.
The dining room of a fairly large suburban house, belonging to a prosperous manufacturer.
It has good solid furniture of the period. At the moment they have all had a good dinner,
are celebrating a special occasion, and are pleased with themselves.
There are subtle hints that not is all as it seems. For example, early on we
wonder whether the happy atmosphere is slightly forced. Sheila wonders where
Gerald was last summer, Eric is nervous about something, Lord and Lady Croft
did not attend the engagement dinner. This arouses interest in the audience - we
want to find out what is going on!
Dramatic Irony and Tone
There is dramatic irony. For instance, the audience knows how wrong Mr Birling
is when he makes confident predictions about there not being a war and is
excited about the sailing of The Titanic: famously, the ship sank on her maiden
voyage. This puts the audience at an advantage over the characters and makes
us more involved.
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There is a lot of tension as each member of the family is found to have played a part in
Eva's death. New pieces of information contribute to the story being constructed. The
audience is interested in how each character reacts to the revelations.
• Inspector himself adds drama:
• He controls the pace and tension by dealing with one line of enquiry at a time. Slowly the
story of Eva's life is unravelled, like in a 'whodunnit'.
• He is in command at the end of Act I and the start of Act 2, and the end of Act 2 and
the start of Act 3. He is a brooding, inescapable presence, very much in control.
Tension and Timing
There are numerous changes in tone. For instance, Mr Birling's confidence is soon replaced
- first by self-justification as he tries to explain his part in Eva's death, and then by
anxiety. Timing of entrances and exits is crucial. For example, the Inspector arrives
immediately after Birling has told Gerald about his impending knighthood and about how "a
man has to look after himself and his own."
The Ending
The ending leaves the audience on a cliff-hanger. In Act 3 the Birlings believed
themselves to be off the hook when it is discovered that the Inspector wasn't real and
that no girl had died in the infirmary. This releases some of the tension - but the final
telephone call, announcing that a real inspector is on his way to ask questions about the
suicide of a young girl, suddenly restores the tension very dramatically. It is an
unexpected final twist.
The Birling’s Living room
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THEMES In An Inspector Calls, the central theme is responsibility. Priestley is interested in our
personal responsibility for our own actions and our collective responsibility to society. The
play explores the effect of class, age and sex on people's attitudes to responsibility, and
shows how prejudice can prevent people from acting responsibly. In addition, the play
also considers the following themes of morality and lies and deceit.
RESPONSIBILITY Everyone in society is linked...
The words responsible and responsibility are used by most characters in the
play at some point. Each member of the family has a different attitude to responsibility.
Make sure that you know how each of them felt about their responsibility in the case
ofEva Smith.
The Inspector wanted each member of the family to share the responsibility of Eva's
death: he tells them, "each of you helped to kill her." However, his final speech is aimed
not only at the characters on stage, but at the audience too:
One Eva Smith has gone - but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives, and what we think and say and do. The Inspector is talking about a collective responsibility, everyone is society is linked, in
the same way that the characters are linked to Eva Smith. Everyone is a part of "one
body",the Inspector sees society as more important than individual interests. The views
he is propounding are like those of Priestley who was a socialist. Remember at the time
the ethos was based on the individualism ethos of laissez faire ( leave alone), Priestly
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wanted the characters to consider a social conscience and to embrace a collective
responsibility. He adds a clear warning about what could happen if, like some members of
thefamily, we ignore our responsibility:
And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, when they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.
What would Priestley have wanted his audience to think of when the Inspector
warns the Birlings of the "fire and blood and anguish"?
Probably he is thinking partly about the world war they had just lived through - the result
of governments blindly pursuing 'national interest' at all costs. No doubt he was thinking
too about the Russian revolution in which poor workers and peasants took over the state
and exacted a bloody revenge against the aristocrats who had treated them so badly.
CLASS
Apart from Edna the maid, the cast of the play does not include any lower class
characters. We see only the rich, upwardly mobile Birlings and the upper class Gerald
Croft. Yet we learn a lot about the lower class as we hear of each stage in Eva's life and
we see the attitude the Birlings had for them.
This table looks at the way the Birlings saw lower-class Eva when they came into
contact with her, and the way that they see themselves within their own class.
Characters
Attitudes to the lower class: Attitudes to the upper
class: At the start of the play,
this
character was:
To this character, Eva
was...
Mr Birling keen to be knighted to
cement his hard-fought rise
to the upper class
cheap labour
Sheila happy spending a lot of time
in expensive shops
someone who could be fired
out of spite
Gerald prepared to marry Sheila,
despite her lower social
position
a mistress who could be
discarded at will
Eric awkward about his 'public-
school-and- Varsity' life
easy sex at the end of a
drunken night out
Mrs Birling socially superior to her
husband, and embarrassed
at his gaffes
a presumptuous upstart
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The Palace Variety Theatre was a music hall. It was not seen as quite 'respectable'
entertainment - probably not somewhere where Sheila would have gone. The stalls bar of
the Palace Variety Theatre, where Eva Smith met both Gerald and Eric, was the bar for
the lower classes and a favourite haunt of prostitutes. We could ask what Gerald and Eric
were there in the first place! Alderman Meggarty, a local dignitary, also went there a lot.
Priestley is trying to show that the upper classes are unaware that the easylives they
lead rest upon hard work of the lower classes.
Eva Smith
Because Eva was a woman - in the days before women were valued by society and had not
yet been awarded the right to vote - she was in an even worse position than a lower class
man. Even upper class women had few choices. For most, the best they could hope for was
to impress a rich man and marry well - which could explain why Sheila spent so long in
Milwards. For working class women, a job was crucial. There was no social security at that
time, so without a job they had no money. There were very few options open to women in
that situation: many saw no alternative but to turn to prostitution.
Look at these quotations, showing the attitude to women of some characters:
• Mr Birling is dismissive of the several hundred women in his factory: "We were paying the usual rates and if they didn't like those rates, they could go and work somewhere else." • Gerald saw Eva as "young and fresh and charming" - in other words, someone
vulnerable he could amuse himself by helping.
• Mrs Birling couldn't believe that "a girl of that sort would ever refuse money." Her
charitable committee was a sham: a small amount of money was given to a small amount of
women, hardly scratching the surface of the problem.
• Why did Priestley decide to hinge his play on the death of a young working class woman rather than the death of a young working class man?
GENDER
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AGE The older generation and the younger generation take the Inspector's message in
different ways. While Sheila and Eric accept their part in Eva's death and feel huge guilt
about it, their parents are unable to admit that they did anything wrong.
This table looks at these contrasting ideas:
The Old
(Mr and Mrs Birling)
The Young
(Sheila and Eric)
The old are set in their ways.
They are utterly confident that
they are right and they see the
young as foolish.
The young are open to new ideas. This is
first seen early in Act 1 when both Eric and
Sheila express sympathy for the strikers -
an idea which horrifies Birling, who can only
think of production costs and ignores the
human side of the issue.
The old will do anything to
protect themselves: Mrs Birling
lies to the Inspector when he
first shows her the photograph;
Mr Birling wants to cover up a
potential scandal.
The young are honest and admit their
faults. Eric refuses to try to cover his part
up, saying, "the fact remains that I did
what I did."
They have never been forced to
examine their consciences before
and find they cannot do it now -
as the saying goes, 'you can't
teach an old dog new tricks.'
Sheila and Eric see the human side of Eva's
story and are very troubled by their part in
it. They do examine their consciences.
Mr and Mrs Birling have much to
fear from the visit of the 'real'
inspector because they know they
will lose everything.
Sheila and Eric have nothing to fear from
the visit of the 'real' inspector because
they have already admitted what they have
done wrong, and will change.
Gerald Croft is caught in the middle, being neither very young nor old. In the end he
sides with the older generation, perhaps because his aristocratic roots influence him to
want to keep the status quo and protect his own interests.
Ultimately, we can be optimistic that the young - those who will shape future
society - are able to take on board the Inspector's message.
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ADVICE FOR THE EXAMINATION
Highlight the key points of the question- this will help you stay focused on
the question.
Use the language of the question and refer to the question at the beginning
and end of your paragraph.
Plan your answer. You have an hour so you will have time to prepare a good
plan.
Use the Point, Quote , Comment and Link or PEELparagraph structure.
Remember to be specific. Do not start narrating the story, the examiner
knows the story. Do not make generalising statements. You must be really
specific. Say exactly how or why something happens.
Use appropriate formal vocabulary.
Remember to pay attention to the bullet points and make these the focus of
your answer.
Analyse the character’s use of language closely. How does this reflect the
time period, story, and the social and historical context?
Do not spend several paragraphs on one point. Make the point, then move on.
Squeeze as many points in as possible.
Remember if you choose a very narrow or prescriptive question which is
asking you about a specific point, answer the specific point but then take it
wider and think about how this relates to other features of the text or
incidents.
Always relate points to other issues in the text. This shows you have a wide
understanding of the text and you will get more marks.
Think about how everything reflects the context of the time. Whatever
point you are making, consider whether you can say anything about the
context of the time. This will automatically get you more marks.
Remember historical and social contexts.
Back every point in with close analysis of the language. Do not just use a
quote to back up your point but use it to examine the choice of language.
What does it imply to you and what is the effect on the audience?
Remember inverted commas around the titles of texts.
Every point you make needs to be backed up by evidence.
There is a difference between the style of writing used in coursework
essays and the style of writing used in the exam. You need to improve the
pace of your writing. Do not spend a long time justifying points. Make a
point, back it up, analyse language, effect on audience, move on. It’s really important that you ensure you have read your text at least twice.
Make sure you know key themes, quotes and characters
Use a CGP, York Notes or Letts study guide.
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EXAM QUESTION PRACTICE
When writing answers for essay questions- use the guide at the end of
the list of questions to help test your skills.
1. The mood in this Act 1 changes from relaxed to tense. Explore the ways Priestley
transforms the tone throughout the Act.
2. How does Priestley hint at the tensions within the group that later become more
clear in Act 1?
3. How does Priestley present the Inspector as an unusual policeman in the play?
4. What do we learn about Eva Smith from Act II? How does Priestley contrast her
behaviour with that of the Birling family and Gerald Croft?
5. Act II ends with Mrs. Birling finally weakening. What is the cause of this? How
does the Inspector trap her into condemning her own son?
6. Compare and contrast the reaction of Gerald Croft and Mrs. Birling to interrogation
by the inspector.
7. How has Eric’s guilt been suggested by Priestley in Acts I and II?
8. Write about Inspector Goole’s role in the play. How far is he a believable
policeman? How does Priestley use the inspector in the play?
9. Write about the way the relationship between Gerald and Sheila develops during
the play.
10. An Inspector Calls is full of lies and deceit. Write fully about the way Priestley
exposes weakness and wickedness, not only in the characters on stage, but also in
society.
11. Write fully about ONE of the characters in the play. Take into account what they
have done before the play begins as well as their actions, words and attitudes
during the course of the play. Write about the way attitudes, moods and opinions
change and develop during the course of the action on stage.
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12. The Inspector’s inquiries make the Birlings quarrel among themselves. How does
Priestley develop these internal conflicts during the play?
13. Compare and contrast the attitudes of Birling and the inspector throughout the
play.
14. How does Priestley show the confidence of the Birlings in their position?
15. Compare and contrast the reaction of Arthur Birling and Sheila Birling to
interrogation by the Inspector.
16. Who do you believe is responsible for the death of Eva Smith?
17. How are views on gender presented in the play?
18. How are the views of the youthful characters contrasted with the older characters
and how does this reflect the social context of the play?
19. How is the theme of gender inequality explored in the play?
20. What is revealed about family relationships through the events of the play?
21. How does the Inspector build sympathy with the character of Eva Smith
throughout the play?
22. How does the play portray the themes of morality and responsibility?
23. How do the dramatic devices help to add suspense to the action of the play?
24. How does the play portray social attitudes and political views of the time?
25. How is the theme of class represented in the play?
21
SELF ASSESSMENT- ENGLISH LITERATURE EXAM ANSWERS
Question Title:
Not
confident/
Not
attempted
Attempted
and ok
Secure
can
do this
well
1. Have I attempted to focus on the question
throughout by using the language of the question
at the start and finish of my paragraphs?
2. Have I used quotes to back up my points?
3. Have I analysed the language in the quotes I’ve
used to show my understanding of the character/
theme or sub plot?
4. Have I shown an awareness of the sub text?
5. Have I discussed how meaning is conveyed
through language, structure or style?
6. Have I discussed alternative interpretations of
events, characters or scenes?
7. Have I shown understanding of dramatic
devices?
8. Have I considered a variety of ways in which
effects are achieved?
9. Have I discussed the relationships between
characters/ situations or events?
10. Can I comment on the social, historical and
contextual features?
11. Have I used paragraphs correctly?
12. Have I used a range of vocabulary, sentence
structures and punctuation?
TARGET FOR NEXT EXAM PRACTICE QUESTION:
1.
2.
3.
22
Section B
‘OF MICE AND MEN’ REVISION GUIDE
To understand the context of John Steinbeck's book, you need to know a bit about Steinbeck himself, and a little about economic conditions in 1930's America.
John Steinbeck
was born in Salinas, California in 1902. Although his family was wealthy, he was interested
in the lives of the farm labourers and spent time working with them. He used his
experiences as material for his writing. He wrote a number of novels about poor people
who worked on the land and dreamed of a better life, including The Grapes of Wrath,
which is the heartrending story of a family's struggle to escape the dust bowl of the West
to reach California. Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962, six
years before his death in 1968
The Depression
On October 29 1929, millions of dollars were wiped out in an event that became known as
the Wall Street Crash. It led to the Depression in America which crippled the country
from 1930 - 1936. People lost their life savings when firms and banks went bust, and 12 -
15 million men and women - one third of America's population - were unemployed.
There was then no dole to fall back on, so food was short and the unemployed in cities
couldn't pay their rent. Some ended up in settlements called 'Hoovervilles' (after the US
president of the time, Herbert C Hoover), in
shanties made from old packing cases and corrugated iron.
Migrant farmers
Added to the man-made financial problems were natural ones. A series of droughts in
southern mid-western states like Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas led to failed harvests and
dried-up land. Farmers were forced to move off their land: they couldn't repay the bank-
loans which had helped buy the farms and had to sell what they owned to pay their debts.
Many economic migrants headed west to 'Golden' California, thinking there would be land
going spare, but the Californians turned many back, fearing they would be over-run. The
refuges had nowhere to go back to, so they set up home in huge camps in the California
valleys - living in shacks of cardboard and old metal - and sought work as casual farmhands.
Ranch hands
Against this background, ranch hands like George and Lennie were lucky to have work.
Ranch hands were grateful for at least a bunk-house to live in and to have food provided,
even though the pay was low.
23
THE PLOT
The story begins when George and Lennie prepare to arrive at a ranch to work - and ends in tragedy
just four days later. The story is told in the third person, so we are provided with a clear, unbiased
view of all the characters.
Chapter 1
George and Lennie camp in the brush by a pool, the night before starting new jobs as ranch hands.
George finds Lennie stroking a dead mouse in his pocket. He complains that caring for Lennie
prevents him from living a freer life. We find out that Lennie's innocent petting of a girl's dress
led to them losing their last jobs in Weed. However, when they talk about their dream of getting a
piece of land together, we know they really depend on each other.
Chapter 2
When they arrive at the ranch in the morning, George and Lennie are shown around by old Candy.
They meet their boss and, later, his son, Curley - George is suspicious of Curley's manner and warns
Lennie to stay away from him.They see Curley's pretty and apparently flirtatious wife and meet
some of their fellow workers, Slim and Carlson.
Chapter 3
Later that evening, George tells Slim about why he and Lennie travel together and more about what
happened in Weed. The men talk about Candy's ancient dog, which is tired and ill. Carlson shoots it,
as an act of kindness. George tells Candy about their dream of getting a piece of land and Candy
eagerly offers to join them - he has capital, so they could make it happen almost immediately.
Curley provokes Lennie into a fight, which ends up with Lennie severely injuring Curley's hand.
Chapter 4
The following night, most men on the ranch go into town. Crooks is alone in his room when Lennie
joins him. They talk about land - Crooks is sceptical, not believing that George and Lennie are going
to do what so many other men he's known have failed to do, and get land of their own. Yet when
Candy happens to come in as well, Crooks is convinced and asks to be in on it too. Curley's wife
arrives. She threatens Crooks and an argument develops. Crooks realises he can never really be part
of George, Lennie and Candy's plan.
Chapter 5
Next afternoon, Lennie accidentally kills the puppy that Slim had given him by petting it too much.
He's sad.Curley's wife finds him and starts talking very openly about her feelings. She invites
Lennie to stroke her soft hair, but he does it so strongly she panics and he ends up killing her too.
He runs away to hide, as George had told him. Candy finds the body and tells George. They tell the
other men - Curley wants revenge.
Chapter 6
Lennie hides in the brush by the pool. He dreams of his Aunt Clara and the rabbits he will tend when
he and George get their land.George finds Lennie and talks reassuringly to him about the little place
they will have together – then shoots him with Carlson's gun. When the other men find George, they
assume he shot Lennie in self-defence. Only Slim understands what George did and why.
24
CHARACTERS
Not many people had real friends in the American West in the 1930s - it was a
case of every man for himself. That is one of the reasons why the story of
George and Lennie's unusual friendship is so poignant. They have each other. No
one else in the novel is so lucky.
George Milton He is a small man, but has brains and a quick wit.
• He has been a good friend to Lennie, ever since he promised Lennie's Aunt Clara that he
would care for him. He looks after all Lennie's affairs, such as carrying his work card, and
tries to steer him out of potential trouble.
• He needs Lennie as a friend, not only because Lennie's strength helps to get them both
jobs, but so as not to be lonely. His threats to leave Lennie are not really serious. He is
genuinely proud of Lennie.
• He shares a dream with Lennie to own a piece of land and is prepared to work hard to
build up the money needed to buy it.
• "...with us it ain't like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. We don't have to sit in no bar room blowin' in our jack 'jus because we got no place else to go. If them other guys gets in jail they can rot for all anybody gives a damn. But not us." • He is honest with people he trusts. For example, he tells Slim that he used to play tricks
on Lennie when they were young, but now feels guilty about it as Lennie nearly drowned.
Lennie Small
He is a big man, in contrast to his name.
• He has limited intelligence, so he relies on George to look after him. He copies George in
everything George does and trusts George completely.
• "Behind him (George) walked his opposite, a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. His arms did not swing at his sides, but hung loosely." • He shares a dream with George to own a piece of land. Lennie's special job would be to
tend the rabbits
• He likes to pet soft things, like puppies and dead mice. We know this got him into trouble
in Weed when he tried to feel a girl's soft red dress: she thought he was going to attack
her.
• He can be forgetful - George continually has to remind him about importantthings.
• He is very gentle and kind, and would never harm anyone or anythingdeliberately.
• He is extremely strong: he can work as well as two men at bucking barley.
• He is often described as a child or an animal - he drinks from the pool like a horse and his
huge hands are described as paws.
25
Slim
Slim is the jerkline skinner (lead mule-team driver) at the ranch. He is excellent at his
job.
• He is the natural leader at the ranch. Everyone respects his views and looks up to him.
• He has a quiet dignity: he doesn't need to assert himself to have authority.
• "there was a gravity in his manner and a quiet so profound that all talked stopped when he spoke. His authority was so great that his word was taken on any subject, be it politics or love." • He understands the relationship between George and Lennie. He helps George at the end
and reassures George that he did the right thing.
Curley
Curley is the boss's son, so he doesn't need to work like the ordinary ranch hands, and he
has time to kill.
• He's little - so he hates big guys.
• He is a prize-fighter and looks for opportunities for a fight.
• "He glanced coldly at George and then at Lennie. His arms gradually bent at the elbows and his hands closed into fists. He stiffened and went into a slight crouch. His glance was at once calculating and pugnacious." • He is newly- married and is very possessive of his wife - but he still visitsbrothels.
• There is a rumour that he wears a glove filled with Vaseline to keep his hand soft for his
wife.
Curley’s Wife
She is newly married to Curley.
• We never know her name - she is merely Curley's 'property' with no individual identity.
• She is young, pretty, wears attractive clothes and curls her hair.
• She seems flirtatious and is always hanging around the bunk-house.
• She is lonely - there are no other women to talk to and Curley is not really interested in
her.
• "What kinda harm am I doin' to you? Seems like they ain't none of them cares how I gotta live. I tell you I ain't used to livin' like this. I coulda made somethin' of myself." • She doesn't like Curley - she tells Lennie that she only married him when she didn't
receive a letter she'd been promised to get into Hollywood.
• She is naive.
Crooks
Crooks is the black stable hand or buck.
• He is the only permanent employee at the ranch, since he injured his back in an accident.
His back gives him constant pain.
26
• He is the only black man around and is made to be isolated by his colour – he can't go into
the bunk-house or socialise with the men.
• He is always called the 'nigger' by the men, which shows how racism is taken for granted.
The men don't mean to insult Crooks every time they call him this, but they never think to
use his name
• All this has made him proud and aloof.
• He is lonely
• "S'pose you didn't have nobody. S'pose you couldn't go into the bunk house and play rummy 'cause you were black...A guy needs somebody-to be near him....I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an' he gets sick." • The only time he mixes with the ranch hands socially is when they pitch horseshoes - and
then he beats everyone!
• He has his own room near the stables and has a few possessions. He has books, which
show he is intelligent and an old copy of the California Civil Code, which suggests he is
concerned about his rights.
• He has seen many men come and go, all dreaming of buying a piece of land, but is now
cynical, as no one has ever achieved it.
Candy
Candy is the oldest ranch hand. He lost his right hand in an accident at work.
• He is the 'swamper' - the man who cleans the bunkhouse. He knows he will be thrown out
and put 'on the county' when he is too old to work.
• Because of this, he accepts what goes on and doesn't challenge anything: he can't afford
to lose his job.
• He has a very old dog, which he has had from a pup. It is his only friend and
companion.
• "The old man came slowly into the room. He had his broom in his hand. And at his heels there walked a drag-footed sheep dog, gray of muzzle, and with pale, blind old eyes." • Carlson insists on shooting the dog because he claims it is too old and ill to be of any use.
Candy is devastated.
• He is lonely and isolated, but makes friends with George and Lennie and offers his
compensation money to help them all to buy a ranch together and achieve their dream.
• When he finds Curley's wife dead, he is furious, as he knows instantly that Lennie was
involved and that they have lost their chance of achieving their dream.
27
Themes
A theme is an idea that runs through a text. A text may have one theme or many.
Understanding the themes makes the text more than 'just' a text – it becomes
something more significant, because we're encouraged to think more deeply about the
text, to work out what lies beneath its surface.
Of Mice and Men The title of the book comes from a poem by the 18th century Scottish poet Robbie Burns.
It is about a mouse which carefully builds a winter nest in a wheat field, only for it to be
destroyed by a ploughman. It is written in Scots dialect.
The best laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft a-gley,An' lea'e us nought butgrief an'
pain, For promised joy! (The best laid schemes of mice and menOften go wrongAnd leave us
nothing but
grief and pain,Instead of promised joy!)
The mouse had dreamed of a safe, warm winter and is now faced with the harsh reality of
cold, loneliness and possible death. There is a parallel here with George and Lennie's joyful
fantasy of a farm of their own, and its all-too predictable destruction at the end of the
story. Perhaps the is also meant to suggest to us how unpredictable our lives are, and
how vulnerable to tragedy.
Loneliness and Dreams The two main themes in 'Of Mice and Men' - foreshadowed by the reference to Burns'
mouse - are loneliness and dreams. They interlock: people who are lonely have most need of
dreams to help them through.
Study the table below, showing both the loneliness and the dreams of each of the main
characters. You could use a table like this as the basis for an exam answer about themes
in Of Mice and Men.
28
Loneliness and Dreams in Of Mice and Men
Lonliness Dream
George George is not lonely during the
novel, as he has Lennie. He will be
lonely afterwards, without his best
friend.
George and Lennie share a dream -
to own a little patch of land and
live
on it in freedom. He is so set on
the idea that he even knows of
some land that he thinks they
could buy
Lennie Lennie is the only character who is
innocent enough not to fear
loneliness, but he is angry when
Crooks suggests George won't come
back to him.
George and Lennie share a dream -
to own a little patch of land and
live on it in freedom. Lennie's main
desire is to tend the soft-haired
rabbits they will keep.
Curley’s Wife She is married to a man she doesn't
love and who doesn't love her.
There are no other women on the
ranch and she has nothing to do.
She tries to befriend the men by
hanging round the bunkhouse.
She dreams of being a movie star.
Her hopes were raised by a man
who claimed he would take her to
Hollywood, but when she didn't
receive a letter from him, she
married Curley.
Candy When Candy's ancient, ill dog was
shot, Candy has nothing left. He
delayed killing the dog, even though
he knew deep down that it was the
best thing, as he dreaded losing his
long-time companion.
Candy joins George and Lennie's
plan of owning a piece of land. His
savings make the dream actually
possible to achieve.
Crooks Crooks lives in enforced solitude,
away from the other men. He is
bitter about being a back-busted
nigger. He is thrilled when Lennie
and Candy come into his room and
are his companions for a night.
Crooks dreams of being seen as
equal to everyone else. He knows
his civil rights. He remembers
fondly his childhood, when he
played with white children who
came to his family's chicken
ranch, and longs for a similar
relationship with white people
again.
29
Isolation and Loneliness GEORGE AND LENNIE
Different from the other ranch hands, “we got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us” because they have each other.
_ George enjoys the dream of the two friends owning land together as much as
Lennie “An’ if a fren’ come along….we’d say “Why don’t you spen’ the night?” George tells Slim, “I seen the guys that go around the ranches alone. That ain’t no
good”, revealing that he benefits by avoiding their loneliness. He says that he and
Lennie ”got kinda used to each other” and “it’s nicer to go around with a guy you know.”
George tells Slim how he once used Lennie for fun but he learned his lesson after
an incident in the river and “I ain’t done nothing like that no more.” He protects and
defends Lennie, for example not allowing Slim to call him “cuckoo”, proudly telling
the Boss that “he can put up more grain alone than most pairs can” and not allowing
Curley to beat him up.
Lennie, despite being slow and easily confused, is sure of this friendship, answering
Crooks’s threat that George might abandon him, “George wouldn’t do nothing like that.”
Lennie is also protective of George “Ain’t nobody goin’ to talk no hurt to George.” When he kills Lennie, George makes sure that he dies happy, Lennie’s last words
being, “Le’s get that place now” as George pulls the trigger behind his head.
CURLEY’S WIFE
In the first meeting, Steinbeck stresses how incongruous her clothes and
appearance are, with her ”full, rouged lips”, “heavily made up” eyes, “red fingernails”
and “red mules on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich
feathers.” She is immediately isolated, partly by being the only female here and
also by being the sort of woman who would not easily fit in on a hard-working ranch.
Steinbeck makes her seem more friendless and remote by never giving her a name.
This is the first of several visits to the bunkhouse, always claiming that she is
looking for Curley but clearly she is looking for company.
The men know that, as Curley’s wife, she is too dangerous to befriend and so they
are never chatty, and just want her to leave. George has to teach this to Lennie,
telling him to “leave her be.”
On Saturday night, she wanders in to the barn where there is a gathering of those
excluded from going into town. Though she knows Curley has gone to the cat-house,
she asks if he is here; clearly, she is lonely.
She announces her isolation to these men, “Think I don’t like to talk to somebody
ever’ once in a while? Think I like to stick in that house alla time?”
30
She lashes out viciously because they do not want her to talk to them, calling them
“a bunch of bindle stiffs” and claiming that she is only here because “They ain’t
nobody else.”
In the barn with Lennie she pleads, “I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful
lonely.” She is, perhaps, more friendless than anyone else.
As she realises that she can talk to Lennie, she confides that she only married
Curley to get away from home. The dream world that she lives in, the belief that
she could have been a film star only isolates her further; her real world is lonely
and miserable whilst her dream is unattainable.
CANDY
His dog is his company and his equivalent of a friend, “I had ‘im since he was a pup.”
The other men, all loners and migrant workers, cannot understand the idea of
friendship and simply want the dog shot because it is no longer useful and is a
nuisance in the bunkhouse.
They do not recognise, nor sympathise with, Candy’s affection for the dog as he
pleads with them to let the subject drop, ”I’m so used to him” and “he was the best
damn sheepdog I ever seen.”
He offers his money to George and Lennie to buy the property because “I ain’t got
no relatives nor nothing.”
_ He knows that his future is more loneliness and then death, ”They’ll can me purty
soon…I won’t have no place to go to.”
_ When Crooks sneers at the idea of owning their own place, his answer shows the
comfort he gains from his new friends and the end to loneliness, “we gonna do
it…Me and Lennie and George.”
_ The importance of friendship and the self-esteem it now gives to him is also
shown in the way that he answers back to Curley’s wife when she insults him and
Crooks and Lennie, “We got fren’s, that’s what we got.” (Page 111)
_ Seeing the collapse of his dream, he takes out his anger on Curley’s wife’s corpse,
“You wasn’t no good….I could of hoed the garden and washed dishesfor them guys”
but now there is only his lonely old aged existence on the ranch.
CROOKS
_ He is segregated in the barn, demonstrating racial discrimination of the 1930s.
_ Candy tells a story from Christmas when “they let the nigger come in that night.”
_ Excluded from the companionship that exists in the bunkhouse – no cards or chat.
When he comes to speak to Slim about a mule’s foot, he does not enter - “the
stable buck put in his head.”
_ At the beginning of Section 4, we see where and how he lives, his possessions
including books as he reads instead of having company.
_ ”Crooks was a proud, aloof man” because he has no choice but to endure this
prejudice and isolation. Consequently, he bitterly guards his enforced privacy,
31
saying to Lennie, ”This here’s my room…I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse, and you
ain’t wanted in my room.”
_ He is regretting the way that he taunted Lennie, “A guy needs somebody – to be
near him” and “a guy gets too lonely “ and “A guy sets alone out here at night.”
THE RANCH AND THE ITINERANT WORKERS
_ The ranch is isolated as suggested by Lennie and George’s long walk to reach there
and by the town’s name Soledad, the Spanish for “loneliness.”
_ This remoteness is further emphasised by the fact that the Steinbeck’s location
never changes; the reader hears of, but never sees, the men going “into town” and
of Curley’s going to a doctor when his hand is smashed.
_ The Boss is suspicious of George because he is unaccustomed to the idea of
friendship among the men- Page 43, “I never seen one guy take so much trouble for
another guy.”
_ The workers are all nomadic and solitary, like the man used George’s bed before
him, “he just quit, the way a guy will….just wanted to move.”
_ When telling the details of the dream to Lennie, George describes ranch workers
as “the loneliest guys in the world” with “no family” and “nothing to look ahead to.”
_ Slim talks to George of the rarity of guys travelling together and being friends “I
don’t know why. Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.”
_ The men on the ranch are all passing through except Candy and Crooks who are
forced to stay because of their disabilities. No-one seems to have a family and they
all go to town to pay for the temporary company of women.
TEST YOURSELF – HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW THE TEXT?
‘ OF MICE AND MEN’- CHAPTER 1
Use quotes to back up your answers
1. What are your first impressions of George and Lennie?
2. Find three examples which suggest Lennie has the mind of a child?
3. How does the writer convey the impression that George can get easily annoyed with
Lennie?
4. Why did George and Lennie leave their last place of employment?
5. How can we tell that George feels responsible for Lennie?
6. Why does George instruct Lennie to familiarise himself with the clearing they are
staying in?
7. What are George and Lennie’s hopes for the future and how do these reflect the
American dream?
32
8. How can we see evidence of the theme of loyalty and friendship in the opening of the
novel?
‘ OF MICE AND MEN’- CHAPTER 2
Use quotes to back up your answers
1. Find evidence to suggest that Lennie relies heavily on George.
2. Why is George in such a bad mood at the opening of the chapter?
3. How can you see evidence of racial prejudice in Chapter 2? ( p40 &41)
4. Why is the boss short tempered with George and Lennie?
5. Why is the boss suspicious of George and what does this tell us about the context of
the time?
6. Why is George angry with Lennie after the conversation with the boss?
7. What is your first impression of Curley?
8. Why does George take an instant dislike to Curley?
9. How is Curley’s wife introduced by the Old Swamper and why might this worry George?
10. What are your first impressions of Carlson and Slim and why is George interested in
them?
‘ OF MICE & MEN’- CHAPTER 3
Use quotes to back up your answers
1. How can we tell that George is proud of Lennie in the opening pages of the chapter?
2. How does George describe his early relationship with Lennie and why do you think he
decided to look after Lennie?
3. Why does George decide to confide in Slim about the reasons they had to leave Weed?
4. How does Lennie’s words and actions convince Slim that he has the mental age of a
child?
5. Why does Carlson persist in arguing with Candy about his dog and why does candy look to
Slim for his view?
6. Why does George call Curley’s wife jail bait? What could he mean by this?
7. Why do you think Candy is interested in hearing the dream of Lennie and George?
8. Why does Curley pick on Lennie and why does George instruct Lennie to lash back at him
after allowing Curley to hit him?
9. Why is it better for Curley to pretend he got his hand caught in themachine rather than
tell the truth?
10. How is the theme of loneliness addressed in this chapter?
‘OF MICE AND MEN’- CHAPTER 4
Use quotes to back up your answers
1. Why is Crooks very defensive about his own space?
2. Why does Crooks feel the need to explain his ancestry and what does this reveal about
the context of the time?
3. When does Crooks change his defensive attitude and why?
33
4. Why does Crooks taunt Lennie about George leaving him?
5. Why does Crooks suddenly stop taunting Lennie?
6. Why does Crooks think that Lennie’s dream is just a pipe dream?
7. Why are the men so dismissive of Curley’s wife?
8. How does Curley’s wife assert her authority over Crooks and why is he worried?
9. Why does Lennie start to wish George was present?
10. Why does Crooks change his mind about wanting to be part of Candy’s plan?
‘MICE AND MEN’ – CHAPTER 5-
Find quotes to back up your views
1. How would you describe the setting of the scene at the beginning of this chapter and
why might these be important when we consider what happens later on?
2. What has happened to Lennie’s puppy and how does Lennie finally admit to this?
3. How does the fate of Lennie’s puppy pave the way for future events in the chapter?
4. How does Lennie react to the arrival of his visitor and why?
5. What does Curley’s wife complain about to Lennie?
6. What background story does Curley’s wife tell Lennie and what do you imagine really
happened in this story?
7. Why do you think Curley’s wife married Curley and what does this tell us about the
social conditions of the time?
8. What does Lennie tell Curley’s wife he likes to do and how does she respond?
9. How does it all go wrong for Lennie?
10. Where does Lennie run away to?
11. After George finds out what has happened, what does he decide and why?
12. What does George decide about his future now and why?
13. Who does Candy blame and why? Is this fair?
14. How does Curley respond to the news of the death of his wife? What does he want to
do Lennie? Do you think he loved his wife?
15. What must George do? How does Slim contribute to the decision?
16. How do all the other ranch hands respond and what does this tell us about human
nature?
17. How does Slim try to convince Curley to stay back at the ranch and why?
18. Where is Carlson’s Luger?
‘ OF MICE AND MEN’- CHAPTER 6
Use quotes to back up your views
1. The chapter starts with a description of a heron eating a water snake, how could this
image be foreboding?
2. What visions does Lennie hallucinate and what do these visions mean?
3. What two things does Lennie ask George to talk about and why are these things
comforting for Lennie?
4. How does George distract Lennie whilst he prepares to kill him?
34
5. Why is George not angry with Lennie and why does he choose to explain this now?
6. What story does Carlson suggest that George goes along with?
7. Do you think Slim approved of George’s actions and why?
8. What does Carlson’s final comment suggest about him?
9. What do Slim and George decide to do and what bond do they have?
10. How do you think George feels at the end of the novel?
11. The title of the novel is taken from Robert Burns's poem, ‘To a Mouse’ , which is often
quoted as: "The best-laid plans of mice and men/often go awry,". Awry, means to go wrong,
or off the predicted course. Why is this a fitting title for the novel?
WHO SAID WHAT? MATCH THE QUOTES TO CHARACTERS
1. ‘All right. But don’t try to put nothing over, ’cause you can’t get away with nothing. I seen
wise guys before.’
2. ‘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. Never seem to give a damn about nobody. It jus’ seems
kinda funny a cuckoo like him and a smart little guy like you travellin’ together.’
3. ‘If you got idears, you ought to come in town with us guys to-morra night.’
4. ‘You’re yella as a frog belly. I don’t care if you’re the best welter in the country. You
come for me, an’ I’ll kick your goddamn head off.’
5. ‘I remember when I was a little kid on my old man’s chicken ranch. Had two brothers.
They was always near me, always there. Used to sleep right in the same room, right in the
same bed – all three. Had a strawberry patch. Had an alfalfa patch. Used to turn the
chickens out in the alfalfa on a sunny morning. My brothers’d sit out on a fence rail an’
watch ’em – white chickens they was.’
6. ‘God damn you ... Why do you got to get killed? You ain’t so little as mice.’
7. ‘You god-damn tramp ... You done it, di’n’t you? I s’pose you’re glad. Ever’body knowed
you’d mess things up. You wasn’t no good. You ain’t no good now, you lousy tart.’
8. ‘OK, Machine. I’ll talk to you later. I like machines.’
9. ‘You crazy bastard. You ain’t fit to lick the boots of no rabbit. You’d forget ’em and let
’em go hungry. That’s what you’d do.’
10. ‘I tol’ you, “Min’ George because he’s such a nice fella an’ good to you.” But you don’t
never take no care. You do bad things.’
11. ‘This ain’t no good place. I wanna get outa here.’
12. ‘But I’ll be on our own place, an’ I’ll be let to work on our own place.’
35
TOP TEN QUOTES
Create grids , likr the one below to find top 10 quotes on characters and themes.
Choose from:
• George, Lennie, Curley’s Wife, Curley and Slim, Candy and Crooks and Loneliness and
Dreams
Character/ Theme Quote Your comments
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
36
ADVICE FOR THE EXAMINATION
Highlight the key points of the question- this will help you stay focused on
the question.
Use the language of the question and refer to the question at the beginning
and end of your paragraph.
Plan your answer. You have an hour so you will have time to prepare a good
plan.
Use the Point, Quote , Comment and Link or PEELparagraph structure.
Remember to be specific. Do not start narrating the story, the examiner
knows the story. Do not make generalising statements. You must be really
specific. Say exactly how or why something happens.
Use appropriate formal vocabulary.
Remember to pay attention to the bullet points and make these the focus of
your answer.
Analyse the character’s use of language closely. How does this reflect the
time period, story, and the social and historical context?
Do not spend several paragraphs on one point. Make the point, then move on.
Squeeze as many points in as possible.
Remember if you choose a very narrow or prescriptive question which is
asking you about a specific point, answer the specific point but then take it
wider and think about how this relates to other features of the text or
incidents.
Always relate points to other issues in the text. This shows you have a wide
understanding of the text and you will get more marks.
Think about how everything reflects the context of the time. Whatever
point you are making, consider whether you can say anything about the
context of the time. This will automatically get you more marks.
Remember historical and social contexts.
• Back every point in with close analysis of the language. Do not just use a
quote to back up your point but use it to examine the choice of language.
What does it imply to you and what is the effect on the audience?
• Remember inverted commas around the titles of texts.
• Every point you make needs to be backed up by evidence.
• There is a difference between the style of writing used in coursework
essays and the style of writing used in the exam. You need to improve the
pace of your writing. Do not spend a long time justifying points. Make a
point, back it up, analyse language, effect on audience, move on. • It’s really important that you ensure you have read your text at least
twice.
• Make sure you know key themes, quotes and characters
• Use a CGP, York Notes or Letts study guide.
37
POSSIBLE EXAM QUESTIONS
Practice planning and writing essay questions.
Remember you have 45 minutes approximately to write a response in the
exam
Use the grid to help you assess your progress
1. Write about the strengths and weaknesses of some of the characters in the novel.
Choose three of these characters: Lennie, Slim, Curley’s Wife, Crooks.
2. Write about animals that you think are important in ‘Of Mice and Men’
3. Several characters in the novel are trapped or feel as if they are caught in a trap. How
does Steinbeck show the causes and effects of being trapped?
4. Write about three relationships, showing how Steinbeck explores the needs that keep
relationships going, despite conflict and strain.
5. Write about the significance of Lennie in the novel
6. Which character in the novel do you most sympathise with and why?
7. How far do you think Steinbeck presents dreams as futile in ‘Of Mice and Men’?
8. How does Steinbeck present loneliness and isolation in the novel?
9. How does Steinbeck prepare you for the idea that the death of Curley’s wife is
inevitable?
10. How does Steinbeck show that Lennie is always getting into serious trouble?
11 How does Steinbeck create sympathy for Lennie in Of Mice and Men?
12 Write about the importance of dreams in Of Mice and Men. Write about:
the dreams in the novel
how the writer shows the importance of dreams.
38
13 Read the passage below, which is the beginning of Section 6 of the novel, and
answer the question that follows.
Write about:
the ways the writer uses details in this passage to make the reader think about the characters, events and ideas in the novel
the ways the writer uses details in this passage to prepare the reader for the
ending.
The deep green pool of the Salinas River was still in the late afternoon. Already the sun had
left the valley to go climbing up the slopes of the Gabilan mountains, and the hilltops were
rosy in the sun. But by the pool among the mottled sycamores, a pleasant shade had fallen.
A water snake glided smoothly up the pool, twisting its periscope head from side toside;
and it swam the length of the pool and came to the legs of a motionless heron that stood in
the shallows. A silent head and beak lanced down and plucked it out by the head, and the
beak swallowed the little snake while its tail waved frantically.
A far rush of wind sounded and a gust drove through the tops of the trees like a wave. The
sycamore leaves turned up their silver sides, the brown, dry leaves on the ground scudded
a few feet. And row on row of tiny wind waves flowed up the pool.s green surface. As
quickly as it had come, the wind died, and the clearing was quiet again. The heron stood in
the shallows, motionless and waiting. Another little water snake swam up the pool, turning
its periscope head from side to side.
Suddenly Lennie appeared out of the brush, and he came as silently as a creeping bear
moves. The heron pounded the air with its wings, jacked itself clear of the water, and flew
off down-river. The little snake slid in among the reeds at the pool’s side.
39
SELF ASSESSMENT- ENGLISH LITERATURE EXAM ANSWERS
Question Title:
Not
confident/
Not
attempted
Attempted
and ok
Secure
can
do this
well
1. Have I attempted to focus on the question
throughout by using the language of the question
at the start and finish of my paragraphs?
2. Have I used quotes to back up my points?
3. Have I analysed the language in the quotes I’ve
used to show my understanding of the character/
theme or sub plot?
4. Have I shown an awareness of the sub text?
5. Have I discussed how meaning is conveyed
through language, structure or style?
6. Have I discussed alternative interpretations of
events, characters or scenes?
7. Have I shown understanding of dramatic
devices?
8. Have I considered a variety of ways in which
effects are achieved?
9. Have I discussed the relationships between
characters/ situations or events?
10. Can I comment on the social, historical and
contextual features?
11. Have I used paragraphs correctly?
12. Have I used a range of vocabulary, sentence
structures and punctuation?
TARGET FOR NEXT EXAM PRACTICE QUESTION:
1.
2.
3.
