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Of Mice and Men (Section A)How should you prepare?Re-read your text to make sure you have accurate and secure understanding of character,theme and plot.Collect and learn short quotes: at least 8-10 per character.Revise carefully using this revision booklet and any other revision materials e.g. York Notes.Make essay plans for past questions.The Extract Question [10 marks, 20 minutes]Write 1 pageInclude an overview – a sentence linking directly to the questionTRACK the passage carefully – from the beginning all the way through to the endSelect at around EIGHT things to comment on – zoom in on the effect of specificwords/phrasesSupport ALL of your points with quotes/reference to the text.REMAIN FOCUSED ON THE QUESTION – keep repeating the key words.Go straight into your answer – ONLY use the extract; do not talk about anything outside of it.YOU DO NOT NEED TO WRITE ABOUT CONTEXT IN THE EXTRACT QUESTION.Look closely at the mark scheme below to understand what the examiner is looking for in a top bandanswer:

Now practise!Look at 2 or 3 extract questions on past papers:Highlight relevant detail carefully – ensuring that the focus is always on the question.Practise writing the opening sentence with a direct focus on the question e.g. The mood ndatmosphere is tense throughout.Try to do at least one timed practice – be strict with yourself, you cannot afford to go over the time.The Essay Question [20 marks, 40 minutes]You will have a choice of one out of two titles – one is likely to be a CHARACTER question and one islikely to be a THEMED question.PLEASE NOTE: The question will be worded in a way that will require you to address CONTEXT ascontext has a very heavy weighting in the assessment objectives for this question.Possible/typical question: How does Steinbeck use the character of . to highlight aspects of1930s Amercian society?Below are some examples of context – the list is not exhaustive you might well have some of your own; justensure that they are relevant to the events/settings/characters of the novel.

Using context in your essay:DON’T put in huge chunks of it – this is not a History essay!DO thread relevant context THROUGHOUT the essay.DO link context to relevant and specific points in the novel.

An example of how you can effectively use context is shown below. The example also demonstrates theother key ingredients of a good essay which you can use as a model for your own essay writing:Steinbeck uses the character of Crooks to highlight many aspects of 1930s American society.Through his portrayal of him, for example, we learn a great deal about attitudes towards blackpeople at this time.Crooks’ treatment shows how deeply racist 1930s America was. When the reader first hears abouthim he is described as a ‘nigger’, even by the old and friendly Candy. The reader might find itshocking that the men on the ranch are so casual when using this deeply racist term and that theyseem to feel no shame in using it. This is because it was common place for black people in 1930sAmerica to be treated with a total lack of respect; they had no rights and were treated as secondclass citizens.Like all black men in 1930s America, Crooks is isolated. He lives ‘alone’ in the barn in a ‘little shed’,living like an animal with the horses. His bed was a ‘long box filled with straw’ showing his low statuson the ranch. He is not allowed in the bunk-house with the other men, even to play cards with them;at this time black and white people were segregated by law. Crooks is described by Steinbeck as a‘proud and aloof man’; aloof means distant and it is clear that Crooks deliberately segregates himselfto avoid being hurt by constant racist taunts that black people like Crooks encountered on a dailybasis. He is deeply bitter about his treatment by white people when he angrily tells Lennie that he isnot allowed in the bunk-house because he is ‘black’ and the other men say he ‘stinks’.KEY: Red topic sentence; Green relevant context; Blue carefully embedded quotes; Black accurate andrelevant detail.TIP: Make sure that for each character in ‘Of Mice and Men’ you have a clear knowledge and understandingof not only the accurate and specific textual details but also how they demonstrate aspects of 1930sAmerican society. Try to find at least FIVE ways in which the character highlights aspects of Americansociety – this could form your five main paragraphs of the essay.Below is an example of the characters of GEORGE and SLIM:Question: Show how John Steinbeck uses the character of George to highlight some aspects of Americansociety in the 1930s.GEORGE1. In many ways he represents a typical 1930s ranch worker: no job stability, work is hard, low self-esteem2. His comments about other workers give us an insight into the futile, lonely, empty life of a typical ranchworker3. Through his friendship with Lennie, and the fact that it is UNIQUE, we come to realise that 1930sAmerican ranches were harsh, hostile places

4. The way he treats Curley’s wife highlights ranch workers’ sexist attitudes (always on the move, ranchworkers rarely formed lasting relationships with women. They would only really come into contact withwomen in brothels, which would therefore lead to their low opinions of all women)5. In his dream with Lennie, George highlights the fact that most dreams at this time wereunattainable/futile.6. He is used to show up the racism of the time.YOU WOULD THEN NEED TO ‘FLESH OUT’ THESE POINTS WITH RELEVANT QUOTES AND DETAIL FROM THETEXT – as below:1. In many ways he represents a typical 1930s ranch worker: no job stability, work is hard, low selfesteem:“bustin’ a gut”“Damn near lost us the job” – angry with Lennie as getting the job is so important“I ain’t so bright neither”George and Lennie’s story starts and ends in the same place – reflecting the fact that all ranchworkers’ lives went around in circles.2. His comments about other workers give us an insight into the futile, lonely, empty life of a typicalranch worker:“I could stay in a cat house all night”“Get a gallon of whisky, or set in a pool room and play cards or shoot pool”“guys like us that work on ranches are the loneliest guys in the world”“They got no family. They belong no place”“first thing you know they’re poundin’ their tail on some other ranch”“They got nothing to look ahead to”3. Through his friendship with Lennie, and the fact that it is UNIQUE, we come to realise that 1930sAmerican ranches were harsh, hostile places“What stake you got in this guy?” (Boss)“I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy” (Boss)“Funny how you an’ him string along together” (Slim)“What the hell ya suppose is eatin’ them two guys?” (Carlson)4. The way he treats Curley’s wife highlights ranch workers’ sexist attitudes (always on the move,ranch workers rarely formed lasting relationships with women. They would only really come intocontact with women in brothels, which would therefore lead to their low opinions of all women):“bitch”“poison”“jail bait”“Ranch with a bunch of guys on it ain’t no place for a girl”5. In his dream with Lennie, George highlights the fact that most dreams at this time wereunattainable/futile:

“Some day we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple ofacres”“We’d belong there”“There wouldn’t be no more runnin’ round the country”“An’ it’d be our own, an’ nobody could can us”“I think I knowed from the very start. I think I knowed we’d never do her” (when Lennie kills Curley’swife)The title comes from the poem ‘To a Mouse’ about plans and dreams failing – it is a strong sign thatGeorge and Lennie’s dream is doomed to failure from the very start.6. He is used to show up the racism of the time:When he finds Lennie in Crooks’ room he looks around “disapprovingly”He says to Lennie “You hadn’t ought to be in here”Uses casual racism towards Crooks: “nigger”SLIMQuestion: Show how John Steinbeck uses the character of Slim to highlight some aspects of Americansociety in the 1930s.

Now do a similar exercise with the remaining characters in ‘Of Mice and Men’ –try to identify at least FIVE ways that they represent aspects of American society.TIP! If you decide to do the themed question e.g. Heroes, Power, Dreams,Loneliness, Violence, Prejudice etc1. Focus closely, and write in detail on 3 of the characters2. Mention the others [if relevant] in two or three paragraphsWhy? Because if you write one paragraph per character, the danger is that your response will be quite generaland lacking in specific detail – on the mark scheme that is a D grade!Poetry comparison (Section B)Spend ONE hour on this questionWorth 20 of the 50 marks available on the paper so needs to be done well!50% of the marks are awarded for comparing the poems [similarities and differences]Aim to write a minimum of 2 ½ sides of A4.How to structure the essay:EitherIntroductionWrite about the first poemWrite about the second poemComparison – similarities and differencesOr (This is a better way if you can cope with it)Write about the first poem.As you are writing about the second poem make reference to the first poem. You can do this quiteeasily by simply using words/ phrases like.Unlike the [woman] in the first poem.In contrast to.Whereas.Although.Similarly.Like the first poemSuggested essay structure if you use the ‘OR’ way of writing your essay: (Remember! If you are doing theHigher Tier paper you will not have bullet points to guide you)Introduction – one or two sentences summing up what the poems are about (not copying outthe sentences at the top of the paper!)

- Poem 1Content: comment on title and what it is about (1 paragraph)Mood: what is the mood or atmosphere and how is this created? Use words and phrases to backup your opinion (1 paragraph). Comment on relevant techniques used.Words/phrases: Select 4-6 interesting words/phrases and comment on how they createmeaning (2-3 paragraphs). Comment on relevant techniques used.Format: is there anything meaningful about the way the poem is set out on the page (link it tothe meaning of the poem – only make a valid comment)Poem 2Write about this poem using the same format but at wherever you can LINK back to the firstpoem using phrases such as:Similarly, in the same way, like the first poem, a major similarityIn contrast, a major difference, unlike the first poem, this is different to the first poem becauseConclusion: personal response – which poem do you prefer and why? Give at least 2 validreasons.TIPS:Read the poems within the context of what you it tells you they are about e.g. if it says the poemsare about ‘growing old’ then they will be even if it doesn’t seem as if they are on first reading!Focus on what you DO understand, not on what you don’t. You don’t have to understand everyword and phrase.

Of Mice and Men (Section A) How should you prepare? Re-read your text to make sure you have accurate and secure understanding of character, theme and plot. Collect and learn short quotes: at least 8-10 per character. Revise carefully using this revision booklet and any other revision materials e.g. York Notes. Make essay plans for past questions.