gcse literature examination

GCSE LITERATURE EX AMINATION

Y E A R S 1 0 / 1 1

BASIC DETAILS

• Section A Part (i) – “Of Mice and Men” extract (AO1= 50%

AO2= 50%). 20 minutes.

• Section A Part (ii) – “Of Mice and Men” essay (AO1=

33.3333% AO4= 66.6666%). 40 minutes.

• Section B Poetry Comparison (AO1=25% AO2= 25%

AO3=50%) 1 hour.

AO1 UNDERSTANDING AND IDEAS

• Why can’t George chase his dream without Lennie?

• Why is Candy so eager to chase the dream?

• Account for why Curley’s Wife marries Curley.

• Why has Crooks become aloof?

• What is the overwhelming message behind Steinbeck’s novel?

LENNIE – 5 CENTRAL POINTS AND CONTEXT

• Large. Ranch life.

• Mentally unfit. OASDI.

• Reliant/loves George. Migrant farm workers.

• Loves animals/rabbits. OASDI.

• Vulnerable. Workers’ rights/depression.

GEORGE – 5 CENTRAL POINTS AND CONTEXT

• Smart. John Milton/Education act.

• Dream. American Dream.

• Aggressive/frustrated. The depression.

• Parent to/loves Lennie. Migrant farm workers/OASDI.

• Popular. Ranch life.

George Context Essay

How does George represent America in 1930s?

John Steinbeck uses the character of George to

show what was wrong with 1930s America. He

wanted this book to achieve change because he was

a socialist and did not like the way people were

treated at this time.

No Social Security

No Safety Net

Social Housing

Unemployment/Disability Benefits

Health Care

Education

CURLEY – 5 CENTRAL POINTS AND CONTEXT

• Aggressive. Ranch life.

• Handy. Golden Gloves/Wilder.

• Sexist. Women’s rights/ranch life.

• Boss’ son. Workers’ rights.

• A bully. OASDI – no protection for

Lennie. Racism.

CANDY – 5 CENTRAL POINTS AND CONTEXT

• A gossip. Ranch life.

• Dream. American Dream.

• Old. OASDI

• Disabled. Workers’ rights.

• Dog represents him/lonely.

Ranch life.

CURLEY’S WIFE 5 CENTRAL POINTS AND CONTEXT

• Dreams. American Dream.

• Vain/attractive. Hollywood Boom (Greta Garbo).

• Lonely/vulnerable. Sexism. Ranches mainly for men.

• Dangerous. Civil rights (Crooks)

• Ignorant/cruel. Racism/lack of benefits system.

SLIM 5 CENTRAL POINTS AND CONTEXT

• Skilled worker.Workers’s rights.

• Tough/respected. Ranch life.

• There at the key moments. A symbol of hope in the depression.

• Flirts with Curley’s Wife. Sexism.

• Unintelligent. Education.

CROOKS 5 CENTRAL POINTS AND CONTEXT

• Literate. Education.

• Victim of racism. Civil rights/Jim Crow.

• Disabled. OASDI.

• From California/bitter. Migrant farm workers.

• Lonely/isolated. Racism/ranch life.

AO2 – REFERRING TO THE TEXT –STEINBECK’S STYLE

• Use of detailed descriptions of nature.

• The use of symbolism.

• The use of traductio (Ideas re-emerging in a different form.)

• Use of dialogue.

• Use of sound.

• Use of similes.

• Use of contrasts.

• Use of colour.

• Use of animal imagery.

AO2 - WHO SAID IT?

• “We wouldn’t have to buck no barley eleven hours a day.”

• “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world.”

• “ S’pose George don’t come back no more.”

• “I said what stake you got in this guy?”

• “Jus’ as soon I can’t swamp out no bunk houses they’ll put me on the

county.”

• “An’ live off the fatta the lan’”

ANSWERS

• George - Chapter 3.

• George – Chapter 1.

• Crooks – Chapter 4.

• The Boss – Chapter 2.

• Candy – Chapter 3.

• Lennie – Chapter 1.

AO2 - WHO SAID IT?

• “Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin’ them two guys?”

• “He can talk if he wants to tell you anything.”

• “You’re nuts....But you’re kinda nice fella.”

• “I think you got your han’ caught in a machine.”

• “An’ you ain’t gonna do no bad things like you did in Weed, neither.”

• “Well, you keep your place then, Nigger.”

ANSWERS

• Carlson – Chapter 6.

• George – Chapter 2.

• Curley’s Wife – Chapter 5.

• Slim – Chapter 3.

• George – Chapter 1.

• Curley’s Wife – Chapter 4.

AO4 - CONTEXT• 1865 – abolition of slavery in USA.

• 1902 – birth of John Steinbeck.

• October 29th 1929 – The Wall Street Crash.

• 1930s – depression led migration east.

• Jim Crow laws - racial segregation until passing of Civil Rights Act in 1964.

• 1935 – Roosevelt sets up OASDI – Old Age and disability benefits. (Social Security Act)

• 1935 – Social Security Act. National Labour Relations Act

• 1937 – “Of Mice and Men” published.

• 1941 – Fair Employment Act –Prohibited racial discrimination.

• Deontay Wilder – current heavy weight champion and golden gloves winner.

• 1910-40 - High School Movement.

• 1920-33- prohibition.

• 1919 – Women vote but limited.

• New Deal (1933-38) – Franklin D Roosevelt.

• 1930s Hollywood boom with Greta Garbo and Bette Davies etc

AO4 - LINK THE FOLLOWING IDEAS TO CONTEXT.

• George and Lennie travelling from Weed.

• The dream of getting a patch of land.

• Curley’s Wife’s dreams of Hollywood.

• Candy’s fear of being “canned.”

• Whit’s attitude to Curley’s Wife.

• Slim’s permanent job on the ranch.

• Ranchers being lonely.

• Crooks’ separate accommodation.

• Working eleven hours a day.

EXTRACTS• 20 minutes.

• Highlight key words of question.

• Read and annotate the passage.

• Ten ticks.

• Track the passage.

• Point Evidence Explain.

• Use paragraphs.

• You must look a the technique of Steinbeck as a writer AO2 as well

as coming up with ideas.

• DON’T USE OVER TWENTY MINUTES.

EXTRACT

• Character or Mood/atmosphere.

• Look closely at the way Curley’s Wife speaks and behaves here.

What does it reveal about her character?

EXTRACT1) “Any you boys seen Curley?” - flirtatious and lacks closeness.

2) “heavily made up.” - vain.

3) “lips …slightly parted…breathed strongly.” - sexually alluring.

4) “Candy said sourly” not liked by the men (contrast to her friendliness).

5) “They left all the weak ones here” cruel/vindictive.

6) “I know where they all went.” – humiliated/victim of sexism.

7) “Any one man…get along fine.” - power over men.

8) “Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever?” – change of tone/lonely.

9) “Do you think I like to stick in that house…?” - Questions/frustration.

10) “The girl flared up.” bad tempered/ fire symbolic of her danger.

11) “Swell guy,” unhappy/long sentences show she’s bored of fighting talk.

12) “Baloney” - not easily fooled.

13) “I could of went with shows.” – dreams/lack of education.

14) “Nigger ana a dum-dum and a lousy ol’ sheep.” – racist/cruel/childishly petulant.

HOW TO DO ESSAYS?

• Your essay should take 40 minutes.

• It will be assessed in AO1 and AO4.

• You will expected to write around 2-3 sides in your answer booklets.

EXAMINER TIP

Focus on the crafting your essay and awareness of context will be enough. Having relevant points and a clear argument is key.

HOW TO DO ESSAYS? • Brainstorm 5 central ideas.

• Form an opinion on what your argument will be.

• Jot down any quotes and context links which can be used.

• Set up your point of view/argument in the introduction.

• Look at each of your 5 arguments in the most logical order.

• Make a point using the words of the question.

• Develop it with examples from the text.

• Explain Steinbeck’s purpose through using your context knowledge.

• Link back to your argument.

• After your 5 central paragraphs, sum up your argument in a brief conclusion.

ESSAY

• “Dreams do characters more harm than good in Of Mice and Men.”

To what extent do you agree with this statement?

• Introduction – address theme, contextualise, offer an opinion.

INTRODUCTION

• All of the characters in Of Mice and Men seem to have dreams and

the fact that none of them are realised suggests that they do more

harm than good. By using a quote from Robert Burns within his

title, Steinbeck forewarns the reader that all plans will not work

out. Writing in the depression era, Steinbeck shows us how the

American Dream was over and the dreams of his characters would

die also causing them even greater harm and misery.

PARAGRAPHS

• George and Lennie’s dream. The American Dream/depression.

• Candy. OASDI/workers’ rights.

• Curley’s Wife. Hollywood Boom.

• Curley. Golden Gloves.

• Crooks. Racism/Civil Rights/Jim Crow laws.

MODEL PARAGRAPH• Crooks dreams of the companionship of his youth and his brothers who

were “always near.” His loneliness allows him to recognise the

importance of having “somebody.” Candy and Lennie’s talk of the farm

inspires Crooks who promises to work like a “son of a bitch” to be part

of it. Crooks’ misery stems from the racial prejudice evident in American

society in the 1930s. Despite the abolition of slavery in 1865, the

segregation of the black community would be continued through the Jim

Crow laws up until the Civil Rights Act in 1964. The cyclical nature of

chapter four and Crooks returning to rubbing “liniment” on his back

shows how in 1937, Crooks had no chance of achieving his dream in a

heavily prejudiced society. His realisation of this here only makes him

more unhappy.

POETRY

• One hour.

• AO1= 25%

• AO2= 25%

• AO3=50%

• UNDERSTANDING THE POEMS IS CRUCIAL.

EVERYTHING YOU TALK ABOUT SHOULD HELP YOU

SHOW YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE MEANING OF

THE POEMS.

CITY LILACS AND HUW’S FARM

• Write about both poems and their effect on you.

Show how they are similar and how they are

different.

PLAN – READ AND ANNOTATE THE POEMS AND THEN……

Poem One Poem Two

Main similarity and

difference/titles.

Overview of meaning.

Poetic voice/mood/settings

Themes

Structure/language/techniques.

Personal response.

Poem One Poem Two

Main similarity and

difference/titles.

Ambiguous title. Urban. Both

look at man’s impact on the

natural world.

Precise title. Rural.

Overview of meaning. Lilacs like love. A beautiful

constant alongside a hectic

world.

Nature marks decay.

Destroyed by man/industry.

Poetic voice/mood/settings Third person ambiguous like

lilacs. Change of mood at end.

Positive.

Narrative/third person but

personal. Negative.

Themes Love. Nature. Life. Impact of

man.

Nature. Death. Impact of

man/industry.

Structure/language/techniques. Disjointed. Enjambment.

Stanzas. Repetition to show

relentlessness. Listing.Lilac a

metaphor for love.

Uneven and patternless to

show the destruction. Negative

lexis. Imagery of decay.

Personal response.

HOW DOES STEINBECK SHOW THAT GEORGE AND LENNIE’S

DREAM IS DOOMED TO FAILURE?• ?

HOW DOES STEINBECK SHOW THAT GEORGE AND LENNIE’S DREAM IS DOOMED TO FAILURE?• Title of book.

• Lennie’s animalistic strength/ inability to cope without

George.

• Lennie killing mouse / puppy.

• Weed.

• George’s anxiety about Lennie speaking to the boss,

Curley/Curley’s Wife.

• The shooting of Candy’s dog.

HOW IS POWER PRESENTED IN “OF MICE AND MEN” BY JOHN STEINBECK?

• ?

HOW IS POWER PRESENTED IN “OF MICE AND MEN” BY JOHN STEINBECK?

• Physical power of Lennie.

• George’s power over Lennie.

• Slim’s natural power and authority over men.

• The power of the boss over the workers.

• Curley’s Wife’s power over the men/Crooks.

• Carlson’s bullying power over Candy.

• The power of alcohol/vice over men.

• The power the depression over the economy.

DISCUSS THE IMPORTANCE OF NAMES IN “OF MICE AND MEN.”

• ?

TO WHAT EXTENT CAN FEAR BE SEEN AS A CENTRAL THEME IN “OF MICE AND MEN”?

• ?

HOW DOES STEINBECK PRESENT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GEORGE AND

LENNIE?

• ?

IMAGINE YOU ARE CARLSON AT THE END OF THE NOVEL. WRITE DOWN YOUR THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS ON THE

EVENTS.• ?

LAST YEAR’S PAPER

• Read and annotate both papers.

• Discuss as a group.

• Try to make a planning table.

• Read my response.