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1© Cian Hogan English Notes 2011

8TH CLASS ENGLISH Of Mice & Men Sample Answers

Examination Technique

Junior Certificate 2011 A brief episode...

Junior Certificate 2010 Your favorite section of the novel

Junior Certificate 2007 A novel that you would recommend... A character that impressed you...

Junior Certificate 2006 Setting and place...

Other Sample Answers A book review of “Good Night Mister Tom”

A book review of “Of Mice and Men”

© Cian Hogan English Notes 2011


Table of Contents

ESSAY WRIT ING GUIDELINES 3- 4GRADE PROFILES 4-5Sample answer 2011 6-7Sample answer 2006 14Sample answer 2009 20Book Review Good Night . . . 16Book Review Of Mice & Men 17


According to the Chief-Examiner for Engl ish there are f ive d i fferent leve ls of answer ing:

C a n d i d a t e s w h o s i m p l y restate the quest ion and add some randomly chosen text f rom the g iven extract – very low leve l of response.

S u m m a r y / p a r a p h r a s e - where the candidate g ives only the ‘story’ of the novel/p lay/etc. , even though the q u e s t i o n l o o k s f o r d iscuss ion. – low leve l o f response A n a l y s i s - w h e r e t h e candidate is able to analyse the text wi th some ins ight. – good leve l of response

E v a l u a t i o n - w h e r e t h e c a n d i d a t e a n a l y s e s a n d offers opin ion/evaluat ion of t h e t e x t . O p i n i o n i s appropr ia te l y suppor ted . – very good leve l of response.

Synthes is - where , hav ing t h o r o u g h l y a n a l y s e d a n d e v a l u a t e d t h e t e x t , candidates are at ease in ass imi lat ing i t into the i r own p e r s o n a l p r o d u c t i o n . – excel lent leve l of response.

“Your answer wi l l be marked under t h e h e a d i n g s o f con t en t a n d presentation . Content equates to your ideas and how you support them. Presenta t ion invo l ves the exp ress i on and o rgan i sa t i on o f your ideas.”

Junior Certificate English Studied Fiction 30 Marks Examinat ion Technique and Sample Answers

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The Key to success is hard work and preparation.


“Your answer needs to be wel l

thought out. You must use paragraphs, support what you

are say ing with quotat ion f rom the text and above a l l answer

the quest ion asked.”

GRADES PROFILE

E - g r a d e : U s u a l l y b r i e f i n s u f f i c i e n t answers. Typica l ly, some sect ions not at tempted. Summary of ten takes the p lace of d iscussion, and wi l l be of poor qual i ty. Reference to the quest ion may be tagged on to start or end of a n s w e r. E x p r e s s i o n m a y b e v e r y laboured though in some other cases i t m a y b e a d e q u a t e o r e v e n g o o d ,

suggest ing a lack of appl icat ion rather than of abi l i ty.

D - g r a d e : O v e r - d e p e n d e n c e o n summary! Summary of texts wi l l be offered for i ts own sake rather than as s u p p o r t f o r a d i s c u s s i o n p o i n t . S u m m a r y w i l l b e p o o r l y f o c u s e d . Quotat ions may be used but wi l l o f ten be poor ly chosen or poor ly presented.

Junior Cert English Examination TechniqueGrade Profiles & Essay Writing Advice

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t ight ly answered, a l though the answer may be br ie f and without any specia l ins ight. Where summary is used i t wi l l genera l ly i l lustrate a point – summary with a purpose. Qual i ty of express ion wi l l be good, but not except ional .

B - g r a d e : Q u o t a t i o n s a n d o t h e r reference wi l l be of a h igher standard than C-grade and answers wi l l focus c lear ly on the quest ion asked. There wi l l be l i t t le rambl ing. Express ion wi l l be good, perhaps very good. There w i l l be ev idence o f good learn ing. There may, however, be a fee l ing that the cand idate is express ing l im i ted personal response. The scr ipt wi l l be impress ive but wi l l lack the spark and impact of an A-grade.

A-grade: An A-scr ipt wi l l be f luent, cohe ren t , s t ruc tu red , suppor ted . A good grasp of text wi l l be obvious as w i l l i n s i g h t / p e r s o n a l r e s p o n s e . Answers wi l l tend to be fu l ler than t h o s e o f o t h e r g r a d e s . S o m e cand ida tes w i l l be qu i te te rse bu t h i g h l y a c c u r a t e i n r e s p o n s e s . Express ion wi l l genera l ly be very good. A-grades at the very top of the mark r ange w i l l e xh ib i t ma tu re t h i nk i ng , d e e p i n s i g h t , s h a r p f o c u s a n d accompl ished express ion.

CONTENT 50% of Marks

IDEAS

Relevance Ins ight Range & depth Personal Response

SUPPORT

From texts, etc. Relevant? Wel l chosen? Furthers argument?

PRESENTATION 50% of Marks

EXPRESSION

Choice of word / phrase Sentence Paragraph Grammar and syntax Accurate use of convent ions F luent / ar t icu late?

ORGANISATION

Wel l organised? Rambl ing? Development of points Sequence of ideas.

Junior Cert English Examination TechniqueGrade Profiles & Essay Writing Advice

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Junior Certificate English Sample

Answers | Marking Schemes.

201130 MARKS

1. (a) Identify a brief episode or moment from a short story or novel you

have studied that you found particularly moving. Describe the effect

this episode or moment had on you.

Candidates should identify a moving episode and explain what effect

the episode had on them. Al low for a broad interpretation of ‘moving’.

Answers should be well developed with supporting reference to the

text.

marking: imp. ex 15

(b) Explain how the author made the episode or moment so moving. In

your answer you may wish to refer to some of the fol lowing: the action

in the story or novel, the characters, the author’s use of language,

imagery, symbolism etc.

Candidates should explain how the author made the chosen episode so

moving. Answers should be well developed with supporting reference to

the text.

marking: imp. ex 15

Observations


The novel that I have studied is of ‘Of Mice And Men’ by John Ste inbeck. Whi le the novel conta ins many moving episodes, to my mind the f ina l episode of the novel is the most moving. In the c los ing moments of the novel , Lennie has f led to a prearranged meet ing point in the undergrowth. He has done th is because he has just inadvertent ly k i l led Cur ly ’s wi fe. As the sun sets, Lennie s i ts and wai ts for George. He is proud that that he has managed to remember h is f r iend’s instruct ions:

"I di 'n't forget, you bet, God damn. Hide in the

brush an' wait for George."

Meanwhi le, in the d istance an angry hunt ing party is c los ing in on Lennie.

When George arr ives, Lennie is surpr ised to f ind that he is not angry wi th h im for hav ing k i l led Cur ley’s wi fe. A l though Lennie f inds i t impossib le to understand the fu l l extent of h is cr ime, he is aware that he has ‘done a bad

thing ’ . George s i ts down beside Lennie and attempts to reassure h im that he wi l l not leave h im. The scene has been played out before in the novel . The way in which George has prev iously comforted and helped Lennie adds to our sense of deep shock at what comes next. George has Lennie recount to h im the deta i ls of the i r shared dream of a smal l p lot of land. As in prev ious episodes in the novel , Lennie is unable to complete the story wi thout h is f r iend’s help. George re lents and in a ‘monotonous ’ tone of vo ice he adds fami l iar deta i ls to the descr ipt ion of what l i fe wi l l be l ike together once they rea l ise the i r shared dream of buy ing a farm. As George reaches the emot ional , f ina l part of h is monologue, Lennie jo ins in wi th ‘tr iumph ’ :

"An' I got you. We got each other, that's what,

that gives a hoot in hel l about us,"

George removes the Luger that he had been conceal ing and places i t c lose to the base of Lennie’s skul l . Before he pul ls t r igger, he reminds Lennie one last t ime that , ‘ Everybody [ is] gonna be nice to [him] ’ and that he was never rea l ly mad with h im. The shot r ings out and ‘Lennie jarred, and then

sett led slowly forward to the sand, and he lay without quivering ’ . I t is d i f f icu l t not to be moved by th is shocking turn of events. As Lennie l ies dead on the ground, we rea l ise that by k i l l ing h im George has made the u l t imate

Observations


sacr i f ice for h is f r iend. F ina l ly, the reader is reminded of the s igni f icance of the novel ’s t i t le . Lennies death conf i rms the undeniable t ruth that “The best

laid plans of mice and men often go astray.”

Of ‘Mice and Men’ is a parable of commitment, lonel iness, hope and inev i tably loss. In my opin ion, the f ina l episode of the novel presents wi th an unforgettably moving depict ion of f r iendship. I f the novel g ives a voice to the lonely and dispossessed, then th is f ina l episode helps us not only to understand the fu l l st rength of George’s commitment to Lennie but a lso the utter fut i l i ty of the i r shared hope “to l ive off the fatta the lan’” .

2011

Q.1 Select a novel or short story you have studied which you would

recommend to your own age group and explain why you would

recommend it .

Candidates should answer on one text only, e i ther a novel or a short story. Candidates must g ive the t i t le and author’s name of the i r chosen novel or short story. The Chief Examiner to ld correctors to look out for the fo l lowing: 1. Dramat ic, exci t ing story 2. Interest ing, appeal ing characters 3. Engaging themes and emot ions 4. Imaginat ive sett ing 5. Good lesson to be learned f rom story Etc.

Observations


Mark ing : Imp. ex 30 expec t ing a c lea r we l l a rgued recommendat ion supported by reference to the chosen text .

The novel that I have studied which I would recommend to my own age group is of “Mice and Men” by John Ste inbeck. Ste inbeck’s novel presents the compel l ing story of two outs iders str iv ing to f ind the i r p lace in an unforg iv ing wor ld. This remarkable novel holds our at tent ion for many reasons. I t conta ins thought provoking themes, interest ing characters and is beaut i fu l ly wr i t ten.

The two centra l characters in Ste inbeck’s novel are fascinat ing. Dr i f ters in search of work, George and h is s imple minded f r iend Lennie, have noth ing in the wor ld except each other and a dream – ‘to l ive off the fatta

the land ’ . In th is novel , lonel iness p lagues the wonder ing labourer and severa l of Ste inbeck’s characters jo in in a chor ic ref ra in of so l i tary iso lat ion. Yet , despi te th is , Lennie and George have deve loped a complex and fascinat ing re lat ionship:

guys l ike us that work on ranches

are the lonel iest guys in the world.

they got no family they don’t

belong no place. With us it ain’t l ike

That. We got a future. We got

somebody to talk to that gives a danm

about us.

For me, one of the most interest ing aspects of th is re lat ionship and one of the reasons why I would recommend th is novel , is George’s at t i tude to Lennie. George both appreciates Lennie’s companionship and longs to be f ree of i t . George’s at t i tude to Lennie a l ternates between f rustrat ion and remorse. Lennie’s condi t ion casts h im in the ro le of a chi ld. However, h is considerable phys ica l st rength makes h im potent ia l ly very dangerous. Soft fabr ics tempt h im and, in the pre-h istory of the novel , George and Lennie were forced leave Weed because Lennie had stroked a g i r l ’s dress. He had done so innocent ly yet , the minds of other men, corrupt that innocence into something threatening and dangerous. However, despi te the t rouble and

Observations


danger that Lennie represents, George needs h im. The novel ends on a t ragic note that under l ines the depth of George’s fee l ings for Lennie. Reassur ing Lennie that the death of Cur ley’s wi fe is something that can be forg iven, George performs one last serv ice for h is f r iend. As he rec i tes the dream for a f ina l t ime, he takes Car lson’s gun out of h is pocket and shoots h is f r iend in the back o f the head. Th is unth inkab ly d i f f icu l t task, demonstrates in the most dramat ic of fashions, the depth of George’s fee l ings for Lennie. By per forming th is f ina l act of loya l ty, George protects h is f r iend f rom the greater misery of a pr ison cel l or an asy lum. As Sl im leads George away, he echoes our fee l ings by say ing, “he hadda do it” .

A s i d e f r o m t h e f a s c i n a t i n g n a t u r e o f G e o r g e a n d L e n n i e ’s re lat ionship, there are other e lements of “Of Mice and Men” that would lead me to recommend i t . The novel is h ighly dramat ic. Ste inbeck intended h is novel to be, as he termed i t , ‘p layable’ . As a resul t i t fa l ls into c lear ly d iv ided scenes. These short scenes heighten the tension and increase the drama. On another leve l the structure of the novel g ives i t a voyeur ist ic appeal . From the outset , the author observes h is human characters wi th the same detached scient i f ic interest that he d isplays towards the other f lora and fauna that inhabi t the wor ld of Soledad and the surrounding Sal inas River in southern Cal i forn ia. Consequent ly, most of the act ion is conf ined to the bunkhouse. This l imi ts the dramat ic changes necessary and a l lows us to observe the t ragedy of George and Lennie in c lose-up.

“Of Mice and Men” is a profoundly thought provoking and moving novel . Th is fact a lone would recommend the novel to most readers. One of the main reasons that make th is novel so moving, is Ste inbeck’s t reatment of the theme of lonel iness. ‘Guys l ike us , ’ says George, ‘are the lonel iest

guys in the world […] they don’t belong no place ’ . The a l ternat ive to the companionship that George and Lennie share is lonel iness. George f requent ly aff i rms the f ratern i ty that ex ists between them. He te l ls the ranch boss that Lennie is h is ‘cousin ’ and that he promised h is ‘old lady’ to ‘take care of him ’ . The boss is suspic ious of the bond between George and Lennie because, in h is wor ld, iso lat ion is the norm. Even Sl im, who is usual ly sympathet ic, expresses surpr ise:

aint many guys travel around

together. I don’t know why.

maybe everybody in the whole

dammed world is scared of


each other

Cur ley ’s w i fe , Crooks and Candy re f lec t aspects o f th is theme in a compel l ing, yet , heartbreaking fashion. According to Crooks, “a guy goes

nuts when he aint got nobody” and Cur ley’s wi fe te l l us that she gets “awful lonely . ”

I would recommend “Of Mice and Men” to a readership my age. The novel tackles universa l themes such as f r iendship and lonel iness. At the same t ime, “Of Mice and Men” has g iven a voice to Amer ica’s down trodden and dispossessed. Whi le the novel deals wi th complex themes, i t presents them in an accessib le and dramat ic fashion that makes i t su i table for a readership of my peers. I whole heartedly recommend th is novel .

Q.2 From a novel or short story you have read describe a character that

impressed you, and explain why this character did so.

According to the Chief Examiner:Candidates should answer on one text only, e i ther a novel or a short story. Candidates must g ive the t i t le and author’s name of the i r chosen novel or short story. Candidates should ident i fy one character f rom thei r chosen text and expla in how that character made an impress ion on them. Answers should not be s imple summary.

The descr ipt ion might focus on:

• the character ’s act ions, at t i tudes, behaviour, be l ie fs, personal i ty, etc.

The explanat ion as to why the character impressed the reader might refer to:

• the character as hero, v i l la in, person of act ion, fee l ing, thought, ro le model , etc.

Mark ing: Imp, ex 30 expect ing a comprehensive descr ipt ion of a chosen character fo l lowed by a va l id explanat ion as to why that character made an impact on the reader.

Observations


The novel that I have studied is John Ste inbeck’s “Of Mice and Men”. This short novel conta ins many fascinat ing characters. However, the character that most impressed me was Sl im.

We f i rst meet Sl im in the second movement of the novel and i t soon becomes c lear that he pres ides over the bunkhouse wi th “majest ic” author i ty. Ste inbeck portrays h im as being a natura l leader. We learn that he is a f ine sk inner and is sk i l led in handl ing mules. One of the aspects of S l im’s character that most endeared me to h im, was h is phi losophic out look. Unl ike the other characters that populate the novel , he is endowed with an a lmost spi r i tua l wisdom. Ste inbeck makes i t c lear that S l im is the leader of the pack and he remains unchal lenged in th is posi t ion for the ent i rety of the book. Candy observes that Cur ly ’s wi fe is at t racted to Sl im and has ‘given

him the eye ’ . However, S l im is not the k ind of man to respond to such

advances. One of the most interest ing aspects of S l im’s character, is the leve l of human decency that he d isplays. George admits that he fee ls ‘goddamn smart ’ a longside Lennie. Th is is in keeping with the novel ’s h ierarchal v iew of human society. S l im, however, asserts a va lue system which puts human decency above inte l l igence. According to h im, ‘a guy

don’t need no sense to be a nice fel la . ’

As the novel progresses, S l im takes on the aspect of a spi r i tua l adv isor. He is the great guru and benefactor who dispenses wisdom and humour in equal measure. George notes h is ‘calm, Godlike eyes ’ and fee ls able to conf ide in h im. He turns to Sl im and te l ls h im the story of h is f r iendship wi th Lenny. In a sense, George is looking for a kind of confess ion and is seeking Sl im’s forg iveness. At th is point in the novel , S l im assumes more than human s igni f icance. He is the judge of r ight and wrong and dispenses penance and forg iveness as he sees f i t . George admits to Sl im that he explo i ted Lennie’s innocence by te l l ing h im to jump into a r iver. He a lso te l ls S l im what happened in Weed and why they had to f lee. In th is sense, Sl im plays a very important ro le in the novel . The d ia logue between Sl im and George i s v i ta l in that i t prov ides us with a great deal of background informat ion.

Sl im is one of the only characters in the novel to see Lennie as he t ru ly is . Observ ing Lennie wi th a new pup, Sl im comments on h is innocence:


He’s just l ike a kid

In my opin ion, one of the most fascinat ing aspects of S l im’s character, is the manner in which he exhib i ts a combinat ion of tenderness and gr im pract ica l i ty. Th is is perhaps best seen in the scene involv ing Candy’s dog. Sl im and Car lson persuade Candy to have the dog shot and replaced with a new pup. However, i t is S l im who stresses the cold rat ionale of the phi losophy of natura l se lect ion. He te l ls the group assembled in the bunk house:

I wish someone would shoot me if I got old and crippled.

And, in the most pract ica l of manners, i t is S l im who reminds Car lson to br ing a shovel for the bur ia l of Candy’s dog. Of course, whi le a l l of th is foreshadows Lenny’s death at the hands of George, i t a lso pref igures Sl im’s f ina l and memorable ro le in the novel . As he leads George away, he te l ls h im that he ‘hadda do it ’ . I t is f i t t ing in such a moving novel that George should be symbol ica l ly forg iven by a benign judge.

Sl im is an impress ive character. He stands apart f rom the v indict ive cruel ty and despair ing lonel iness exhib i ted by many of the other inhabi tants of the bunkhouse. He plays a centra l ro le in making Ste inbeck’s novel what i t is .


2006 Quest ion Two – Studied F ict ion

Answer quest ion 1 or quest ion 2. Both quest ions are worth 30 marks. Deduct 1 mark i f t i t le of text is not g iven; deduct 1 mark i f name of author is not g iven.

1. Choose a novel OR short story that has a strong sense of p lace or sett ing.

Accept sett ing to mean place and t ime, i .e. , where a story is set , when i t is set .

(a ) Descr ibe th is p lace or sett ing.

Descr ibe the p lace in which the narrat ive is set ; candidate may a lso expla in in what per iod/t ime i t is set . There may be more than one sett ing in certa in narrat ives, e.g. , Huckleberry F inn. I t wi l l be suff ic ient to deal proper ly wi th one.

(b) How is th is p lace or sett ing important in the novel or short story you have chosen? Support your answer wi th reference to the novel or short story.

Candidates may show the importance of p lace/sett ing f rom any perspect ive. Candidates must make c lose reference to chosen text in support of explanat ion offered.

The fo l lowing sample answer concentrates on one speci f ic p lace or sett ing. I t would have course been ent i re ly possib le to have looked at the overa l l p lace and sett ing of the novel . Remember that you can use much of the informat ion conta ined in these paragraphs for an answer on descr ipt ive wr i t ing.

The novel that I have chosen is ‘Of Mice and Men’ by John Ste inbeck. Ste inbeck or ig ina l ly conceived ‘Of Mice and Men’ as a potent ia l p lay and as a resul t the p lace and sett ing are extremely important in th is novel . Each chapter is arranged as a scene and each scene is conf ined to a s ingle space. However, the most memorable p lace in the novel for me is the secluded grove near the Sal inas River where Lennie meets h is death. This is the sett ing used by Ste inbeck for both the opening and the t ragic conclus ion of h is novel .

Observations


(a ) The secluded grove where Lennie d ies is located ‘a few miles south of

Soledad . ’ In the opening sect ion of the novel , Ste inbeck descr ibes the p lace in great deta i l . We learn that the water is warmed by the ‘sunlight before

reaching the narrow pool . ’ Th is grove is surrounded on one s ide by ‘golden

footh i l l s lopes ’ tha t ‘curve up to the st rong and rocky Gabi l land

mountains ’ . The other s ide water is ‘ l ined with trees . ’ ‘Recumbent l imbs

and branches ’ of the great Sycamore t rees ‘arch over the pool ’ . Th is a lmost idy l l ic sett ing is d isturbed by the arr iva l of George and Lennie. Thei r footsteps send rabbi ts scurry ing ‘noiselessly for cover . ’ Both men decided to spend the n ight in th is grove and i t is here in th is p lace that we f i rst learn of the dream ‘to

l ive off the fatta the land . ’ Before they leave, George rather ominously suggests that Lennie should return to th is secluded place in the event of t rouble. In the f ina l movement of the novel , Ste inbeck takes us back to the ‘deep green pool of the Sal inas River. ’ However i t now becomes apparent

that something has changed. In h is f i rst descr ipt ion of th is p lace, Ste inbeck concentrated on the f lora and fauna that occupy th is pool . There is however, a not iceable absence of predators. Now, as Lennie approaches the end of h is l i fe , Ste inbeck uses th is p lace to remind us of the govern ing pr inc ipal for a l l l iv ing th ings – surv iva l of the f i t test . ‘The l i tt le snake [that] waves its tai l

frantical ly ’ , as i ts being eaten by the heron, prov ides us with the c learest possib le reminder of the harsh rea l i t ies of ex istence.

(b) The secluded grove where we f i rst meet George and Lennie achieves i ts s ign i f icance in the f ina l movement of the novel . At th is point in the story, i t is bruta l ly c lear that the idy l l ic beauty of th is p lace prov ides no protect ion f rom the harsh rea l i t ies of l i fe . This is very d i fferent to the author’s ear l ier presentat ion of the grove. In fact , Ste inbeck goes out of h is way to deceive us in h is f i rst depict ion of th is sett ing. To begin wi th, he emphasises the st i l l beauty of the ‘deep green pool

of the Sal inas River . ’ There is an apparent absence of predators and George’s instruct ions to Lennie suggest that the grove should be seen as a refuge f rom danger. However, in the f ina l movement of the novel Ste inbeck sweeps a l l of th is as ide. Whi le the beauty of the p lace is st i l l emphasised:


The l ight cl imbed out of the val ley but as soon as it went, the

tops of the mountains seemed to blaze with increasing

brightness.

th is l ight is not br ight enough to cancel out the darkness and the danger that is approaching.

The shadow in the val ley was blue and soft. From the

distance came the sound of men shouting to one another.

The harsh rea l i t ies of th is wor ld suggest that Lennie’s death is s imply another event in the bruta l cyc le of l i fe . Just l ike the water snake that is consumed by the heron, Lennie d ies because the weak must a lways suffer at the hands of the strong.

F ina l ly, the decis ion to locate the beginning and the end of the novel in the same sett ing is a very pract ica l one. In th is respect, the sett ing is important in that i t contr ibutes to the overa l l shape and di rect ion of the novel . I t creates a sense of inev i tabi l i ty that hangs over the ent i re novel and shows qui te c lear ly that the ‘best laid plans of mice and men often go awry . ’

Book Review Good Night Mister Tom.

Goodnight Mister Tom traces the growth of W i l l iam Beech f rom a sad, lonely and depr ived chi ld to a conf ident, assured and wel l -adjusted young boy. To begin wi th, W i l l iam is descr ibed as being "thin and sickly looking, pale

with l imp, sandy hair and dul l grey eyes . " However, we quick ly learn that W i l l iam's emaciated physica l appearance is mir rored by h is f ragi le and bru ised character. W i l l iam's mother has abused h im to such an extent that he is unable to wr i te, is terr i f ied of author i ty and has a d istorted understanding of mora l i ty.

S lowly, W i l l iam's physica l condi t ion begins to improve. Good food, a warm bed and adequate c loth ing see Wi l l iam return to heal th:

"Run," roared Tom,

And he and Wil l iam tore down the pathway to the cottage."


Whi le W i l l iam's physica l condi t ion improves quick ly, the changes in h is character are s lower to mani fest themselves. To begin wi th, W i l l iam is painfu l ly shy, he f inds i t d i f f icu l t to make f r iends and is acute ly aware of h is own inabi l i ty to wr i te. In one memorable key moment in the novel when Wi l l iam is asked to wr i te:

"His face had turned quite pale and beads of perspiration

had broken out across his forehead."

Under Tom's lov ing care, W i l l iam learns how to spel l h is own name and in the process of learn ing how to wr i te, W i l l iam's ta lent as an art ist reveals i tse l f . As Autumn changes to ear ly W inter, W i l l iam's growing c loseness to Tom is matched by a corresponding growth in h is se l f -conf idence. He develops a f r iendship wi th Zachar ias Wrench, learns how to read & wr i te and plays the leading ro l l in a school p lay.

The ins ip id l i t t le boy who greeted Tom grows into a wel l -adjusted, conf ident person. The enormity of the t ransformat ion that takes p lace in W i l l iam is s ignaled by h is decis ion to change h is name to W i l l . In th is manner, W i l l iam makes i t c lear that the person he once was is dead. Al though Wi l l iam suffers great ly upon h is return home and is near ly destroyed by the horror he exper iences, he surv ives. When Tom rescues h im and returns h im to L i t t le Weirwold, W i l l iam is s lowly healed. Other t r ia ls face h im such as the death of h is best f r iend, Zach, and the suic ide of h is mother. However, W i l l iam has changed to such an extent that he meets and overcomes these chal lenges. I found the f ina l l ine of the novel part icu lar ly moving because i t st resses the degree to which Wi l l iam has changed.

"'Dad,'" repeated Wil l in a surprised tone, ' I 'm growing!'"


Write a book a review on a novel that you have studied, for publication

in a magazine aimed at younger readers.

Although “Of Mice and Men” is set to the backdrop of the great depress ion of the 1930’s, i t has lost none of i ts poignancy. Ste inbeck’s novel presents us wi th a t imeless and deeply touching ta le of f r iendship between two men. I th ink that in many ways, th is novel has never been more re levant. The economic uncerta inty that has p lagued us in recent t imes, has more than a few para l le ls wi th Lennie and George’s Amer ica. Ste inbeck’s novel which earned h im the Nobel Pr ize for l i terature in 1962, addresses the rea l hopes and dreams of a forgotten c lass.

The Novel opens as two “wheat buckers” , George and Lennie arr ive to begin a new job in Soledad. The symbol ic name of th is town h ints at the awful lonel iness that character ises l i fe on the farm. The characters are rea l is t ica l ly drawn. We meet Sl im who pres ides over the bunkhouse with “majestic” author i ty, the bul ly cur ly, h is iso lated and f rustrate wi fe and Candy; a broken and pathet ic o ld man. However, i t is the characters of George and Lennie that wi l l ho ld most appeal for a modern audience. Ste inbeck uses these unforgettable characters to h ighl ight just how unusual f r iendship is in th is bruta l wor ld. ‘Guys l ike us , ’ says George, ‘are the

lonel iest guys in the world […] they don’t belong no place ’ . The a l te rnat i ve to the compan ionsh ip that George and Lenn ie share i s a heartbreaking lonel iness. George f requent ly aff i rms the bond of f r iendship that ex ists between them. He te l ls the ranch boss that Lennie is h is “cousin” and that he promised h is “old lady” to “take care of him” . The boss is suspic ious of th is bond between George and Lennie because, in h is wor ld, iso lat ion is the norm. Even s l im, who is usual ly sympathet ic expresses surpr ise:

aint many guys travel around

Together. I don’t know why.

Maybe everybody in the whole

dammed world is scared of

Each other


And in Ste inbeck’s novel there is no denying the palpable fear that dogs the l ives of characters. In the end, the reader is le f t wonder ing i f i t is th is fear or love that wins through. I th ink the way in which Ste inbeck dramat ises George and Lennie’s f r iendship is part icu lar ly appeal ing to a younger audience.

John Ste inbeck's “Of Mice and Men” is a touching ta le of f r iendship between two men - set to the backdrop of the Uni ted States dur ing the depress ion of the 1930s. Subt le in i ts character isat ion, th is c lass ic novel addresses the rea l hopes and dreams of a forgotten c lass. Ste inbeck's great achievement in th is short novel ius to ra ise the l ives of the poor and dispossessed to a h igher, symbol ic leve l . I would wholeheartedly recommend “Of Mice and Men” to a readership of any age.

Jun ior Cer t 2009Choose a favour i te sect ion f rom a novel or short story you have studied. (i) Descr ibe what happens in th is sect ion of your chosen text . (15) (ii) Why is th is your favour i te sect ion? Expla in your answer wi th reference to the novel or short story you have chosen. (15)

The novel that I have studied is “Goodnight Mister Tom”. Wr i t ten by Michel le Magor ian th is novel t races the changing re lat ionship between, Tom Oakley and a young evacuee, W i l l iam Beech. The sect ion of the novel that I have chosen inc ludes Wi l l iam’s arr iva l in L i t t le Weirwold to h is t ragic return home.

In the opening pages of the Novel , we meet W i l l iam Beech, a young, malnour ished and excessive ly shy evacuee. He is l i tera l ly dumped on Mister Tom Oakley’s f ront door. When Tom f i rst sees Wi l l iam, he does not know what to make of h im:

The tales he had heard of evacuees didn't seem

to f i t W i l l i e . ' U n g r a t e f u l ' a n d ' w i l d ' w e re t h e

ad ject i ves he had heard used or jus t p la in

'homesick'. He was quite unprepared for this

t imid, sickly l i tt le specimen.


Unfortunate ly, th ings become a great deal c learer for Mister Tom when he opens Wi l l iam’s bag. There are no warm clothes, instead there is an o ld Bib le and a leather bel t intended for W i l l iam’s punishment. Tom quick ly d iscovers that W i l l iam is used to being beaten; he is covered in bru ises and bleeding sores. Such is h is terror of be ing beaten “when Tom picked up a piece of

ember burn ing coal , Wi l l iam passed out wi th the fear of be ing

branded” . Owing to h is malnour ishment, W i l l iam f inds i t impossib le to keep a proper meal down, he wets the bed, is i l l i terate and suffers f rom night terrors. However, under Tom’s lov ing care W i l l iam s lowly begins to change both physica l ly and emot ional ly. He gains conf idence, learns to read and discovers ta lents that he never knew he had.

When Wi l l iam is forced to return home, the changes that have taken p lace in h is character and appearance make h im l i te ra l l y unrecognisable to h is own mother:

For W i l l iam, the return home is very painfu l . “Suddenly, now, when his

Mother referred to him as Wil l ie i t was as though she was talking to

someone else” . For her part , W i l l iam’s mother f inds i t impossib le to accept the changes that have taken place in her son. She accuses h im of stea l ing, ly ing, befr iending g i r ls and consort ing Jews. She metes out a d isturb ing leve l of corpora l punishment and Wi l l iam retreats into once more into h imsel f : He knew that she was hitt ing him but he felt

numb and separated from himself .

For a short whi le, W i l l iam even regrets hav ing ever gone to “L i t t le Weirwold”. I found th is sect ion of the novel very d isturb ing. He quiet ly admits to h imsel f , that because of the changes wrought in h is character by contact wi th Mister Tom, that he had grown soft . “A wave of despair swept through him and

he cursed his new awareness . ” The change in W i l l iams is complete when he acknowledges to h imsel f that he is ne i ther W i l l iam nor W i l l ie but rather W i l l .

Goodn igh t M is te r Tom is a deep ly mov ing and a t t imes harrowing novel to read. The sect ion of the novel that I have just out l ined is a

I t was Wil l ie, but he had altered so

much, she had been looking for a

thin l i tt le boy dressed in grey.


favour i te of mine because i t takes on an unforgettable journey, is rea l is t ica l ly to ld and a fu l l of dramat ic moments.

Wil l iam’s journey o f growth f rom ins ip id , fear fu l l i t t le boy to a conf ident, lov ing and art icu late young man is re lated to us in unforgettable deta i l . For me, the change that takes p lace in W i l l iam’s character is best seen dur ing h is preparat ion for the school p lay. Here W i l l iam demonstrates an inner conf idence that is unimaginable ear l ier on in the novel . He draws on h is awfu l exper iences at home in order to g ive depth and l i fe to h is character. I rea l ly en joyed reading th is sect ion of the novel because Michel le Magor ian a l lows us to enter fu l ly into the l ives of W i l l iam and Mister Tom. We fee l l ike we know these characters and we take genuine sat is fact ion in watching Wi l l iam change. In part icu lar ly memorable key moment, Mister Tom is ta lk ing to Mrs F letcher. Dur ing the conversat ion, he reminds us of the profound change that

has come over W i l l iam:

Do you know, Mrs Fletcher, last week he laughed. It were a bit

of a nervous one like, but he actually laughed. It were the first

time I ever heard him do it.


Past Questions

THE NOVEL 2011

A NOVEL OR SHORT STORY 2008

STUDIED FICTION 2009

1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993


J U N I O R C E R T

E N G L I S H


2005

2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999


2011

Answer EITHER 1 OR 2 which fo l low.

1. (a ) Ident i fy a br ie f episode or moment f rom a short story or novel you have

studied that you found part icu lar ly moving. Descr ibe the effect th is episode or

moment had on you. (15)

(b ) Expla in how the author made the episode or moment so moving. In your

answer you may wish to refer to some of the fo l lowing: the act ion in the story or

novel , the characters, the author’s use of language, imagery, symbol ism etc. (15)

OR

2. From the short stor ies or novels you have studied, choose one in which the sett ing

( t ime and place) is e i ther s imi lar to or d i fferent f rom the t ime and place in which you

l ive.

(a ) Give a deta i led descr ipt ion of the sett ing of the short story or novel . (15)

(b ) How is the sett ing of the short story or novel s imi lar to or d i fferent f rom

the t ime and place in which you l ive? In your answer refer c losely to your studied

text . (15 )

Studied Not Studied

2010


N.B. In answer ing you may NOT use the extract g iven above as the basis for your

answer. You must g ive the t i t le of the text you choose and the name of the author.

1 . Nove l s and sho r t s to r i e s o f t en su rp r i se t he reade r w i t h an unexpec ted

development.

(a) Br ie f ly descr ibe such a development in a novel or short story you have studied. (15)

(b) Did th is development add to your enjoyment of the book? Expla in your answer wi th

reference to the novel or short story. (15)

OR


2. You have been asked to rate a novel or short story that you have studied

according to the fo l lowing scale:

Wil l change your l i fe ! ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭

Highly recommended ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭

A good read ✭ ✭ ✭

Average ✭ ✭

Disappoint ing ✭

Choose the rat ing that you fee l is appropr iate. Expla in your choice with reference to

the novel or short story. In your answer you may wish to consider some of the

fo l lowing; p lot , character, atmosphere, re levance to your age group, ins ights gained,

language or any other aspect you fee l re levant. (30)

Studied Not Studied

2009Answer EITHER 1 OR 2 which fo l low.

1. Select a novel or short story you have studied which has an interest ing theme.

(i) Out l ine the theme of the text you have chosen. (15)

( i i )As the theme develops why does i t interest you? (15)

Support your answer wi th reference to your chosen novel or short story.

OR

2. Choose a favour i te sect ion f rom a novel or short story you have studied.

(i) Descr ibe what happens in th is sect ion of your chosen text . (15)

(ii) Why is th is your favour i te sect ion? Expla in your answer wi th reference to the novel

or short story you have chosen. (15)

Studied Not Studied

2008Answer EITHER 1 OR 2.




1. Select a novel OR short story you have studied which deals wi th a lov ing

re lat ionship or an unlov ing re lat ionship.

(a ) Descr ibe how th is re lat ionship develops. (15)

(b) Choose one of the characters in th is re lat ionship and imagine yoursel f in h is/her

s i tuat ion. How do you see the other character in the re lat ionship? Wr i te your ideas

based on ev idence f rom the text . (15)

OR

2. From a novel OR short story you have studied, choose some features of the wr i ter ’s

sty le which you found interest ing. Expla in your choices with reference to your

chosen text . (30)

Studied Not Studied

2007


1. Select a novel or short story you have studied which you would recommend to your

own age group and expla in why you would recommend i t .

OR

2. From a novel or short story you have read descr ibe a character that impressed you,

and expla in why th is character d id so.

Studied Not Studied




1. Choose a novel OR short story that has a strong sense of p lace or sett ing.

(a )Descr ibe th is p lace or sett ing. (15)

(b) How is th is p lace or sett ing important in the novel or short story you have chosen?

Support your answer wi th reference to the novel or short story. (15)

OR

2. From a novel OR short story you have studied, choose a character you would e i ther

l ike to be or not l ike to be.

Expla in your choice of character wi th reference to your chosen text . (30)


Studied Not Studied

2005Answer EITHER 1 OR 2 which fo l low.


answer.

You must g ive the t i t le of the text that you choose and the name of the author.

1. Choose e i ther the opening or the ending of a novel or short story you have studied.

(a ) Br ie f ly descr ibe what happens in the opening or the ending of your chosen text .

(10)

(b) Did th is opening or ending impress you? Expla in your answer by reference to the

novel or short story you have chosen. (20)

OR

2. From a novel or short story you have studied choose a character who exper iences

change.

( a ) D e s c r i b e t h i s c h a r a c t e r a t t h e b e g i n n i n g o f t h e n o v e l o r s h o r t s t o r y.

(10)

(b) How has th is character changed by the end of the novel or short story? Support

your answer by reference to the text . (20)




1. Many novels or short stor ies show the conf l ict between good and ev i l .

Name a novel or short story you have studied where there is a conf l ict between

good and ev i l . Trace how the author presents th is conf l ict . (30)

OR

2. Choose a novel or a short story you have studied which conta ins a strong e lement

of surpr ise.

(a ) Descr ibe the sett ing of the novel or short story. (10)

(b) Descr ibe the events leading up to the surpr ise in th is novel or short story. (10)

(c ) How did the surpr ise in the novel or short story affect one or more of

the characters? (10)

2003




answer. You must g ive the t i t le of the text that you choose and the name of the

author.

1. You have been asked to recommend for an award a novel or short story which you

have studied. Wr i te to the panel of judges recommending your chosen novel or short

story. (30)

Some of the fo l lowing prompts may help you in structur ing your answer.

■ Story and plot out l ine (br ie f ) . ■ Interest ing content/ theme.

■ Character isat ion. ■ Opening/Ending.

■ Words and images. ■ Sty le of wr i t ing etc.

OR

2. Choose a novel or short story you have studied where a part icu lar mood or

atmosphere is created.

(a ) Descr ibe the mood or atmosphere. (15)

(b) How does the wr i ter create th is mood or atmosphere?

Support your answer by reference or quotat ion. (15)

2003



author.

1. Select a novel or short story you have studied that deals wi th conf l ict or

d i ff icu l t ies.

Expla in-

• How th is conf l ict or these d i ff icu l t ies arose

• To what extent the conf l ict or d i ff icu l ty was resolved.

Support your answer by reference to the novel or short story.

OR

2. From a novel you have studied choose a character who made a s igni f icant impact

on another person’s l i fe .

• Out l ine th is character ’s in f luence support ing your answer by reference to the novel .

• Would you have l iked to encounter th is person in your own l i fe? Give reasons for

your answer.

2002

Answer e i ther 1 or 2 below.



author.


1. ‘A good novel or short story holds your at tent ion f rom beginning to end.’

To what extent is th is statement t rue of any novel or short story studied by you? You

may wish to refer to the story- l ine, the characters, the sty le of wr i t ing, the author’s

hold ing back informat ion unt i l late in the novel or short story, etc.

2. Basing your answer on a novel studied by you would you say the pr inc ipal

character was –

Strong

Weak

A mixture of st rength and weakness?

Support the points you make by deta i led re levant reference to the novel .

sample answers the novel final version - squarespace · grade profiles 4-5 sample answer 2011 6-7...

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