Of Mice and Men Revision Sheet

Exam Marking AO2 (10%) - Explain how language, structure and form contribute to the writers presentation of ideas, themes and settings. AO4 (15%) - Relate texts to their social, cultural and historical contexts; explain how texts have been influential and significant to self and other readers in different contexts and at different times. General Quality rather than coverage Analyse smaller areas in more detail Keep the answers relevant to the question use of links Context General Exam Information Context = exploring the setting of a text Time Period Place Culture/Community How it applies to: Characters: and the relationships between them Readers: Impacts on readers from different contexts/times, and how responses have changed. Context Specific to Of Mice and Men Roaring 20s: Equality and less discrimination between people (e.g. blacks, women, minority groups) Large economic growth; business orientated culture Liberation and freedom; alcohol allowed, flapper look, use of birth control Wall Street Crash: Suicide rates increased (1929) High unemployment Loss of rights and discrimination against blacks and women Homelessness and no education Depression, desperation opposite culture to that of roaring 20s American Dream: Liberty and freedom, promise land, capitalism progression + consumption Steinbeck wanted to explore themes of power, ownership and control as well as their effects Lennie and Georges dream tells the reader about the culture behind the characters For many the dream changed into a nightmare Wall Street Crash California: Mild climate, diversity of crops, over exaggerated promises, more jobs Many people were rejected at the border; low wages, broken promises, discrimination

Characters Outline Lennie: Based on a real person, when Steinbeck saw a large man accidentally kill a rabbit; unaware of his own strength. Dependent on George to look after him and keep him out of trouble. Has a dream to own his own piece of land particularly in order to tend rabbits; suggesting childishness and naivety. George: Migrant worker moving west in order to get a job and hopefully his dream to own his own piece of land along with Lennie. Dependent on Lennie to be strong and hardworking so that they can remain on the ranch with their job. Curley: The bosss son likes to ensure a strict hierarchy as he is at the top. Very aggressive and harsh to many of the workers, e.g. Lennie directly and Crooks and Candy indirectly. Cs Wife:Always had the dream of becoming an actress, very flamboyant and confident. Blamed for a lot of the problems within the novella discrimination. Very aggressive when challenged (by Crooks) possibly due to her feelings of insecurity. Crooks: Racially abused discrimination. Believes he has rights when in his own room, however people often abuse this Lennie unintentionally and Curleys wife intentionally. Candy: Saved his money; in the hope of getting a house. Teams with Lennie and George so that their dream can be achievable. However Candy is old and discriminated against, and so because society is against him, it is harder for him to achieve his dreams

Chapters Outline And Relation to Context Form: Written like a play; description is at the beginning of each chapter. Chapter 1 Roaring 20s: water may not be good, symbolic for consumption being dangerous; imagery of setting is very visual, introduction of migrants moving ranches (contextual) Chapter 2 Roaring 20s: Curleys wifes glamorous, flamboyant look Wall Street: Bunk house to represent constriction. Tension between workers and boss; sense of isolation, competition and depression Influence: Steinbeck worked on a farm experienced poverty and isolation of workers American Dream: George and Lennie have the dream to achieve their own house; unrealistic juxtaposes the hierarchy of workers within the ranch. Chapter 3 Roaring 20s: Sexual confidence of Curleys wife + ambition to be an actress, post prohibition Style: Informally written much like language of characters colloquialism. Lennie is alone and isolated, there is discrimination against him because of his size Setting: Bunkhouse and ranch labour, poorly paid, constriction, deprived conditions Chapter 4 Wall Street: Lennie is fearful that George wont come back metaphor of peoples loss. Crooks is downgraded because of his colour; however he believes he has rights in his room (juxtaposition, hint of roaring 20s) but Lennie is unaware of ethnocentric ideas American Dream: Juxtaposed Crooks treated harshly Influences: Steinbeck probably encountered racism (context) Description: Crooks bed is described much like a coffin; reference and symbolic for death/depression Chapter 5 Roaring 20s: Lennie is unaware of the scale of consequences when he kills Curleys wife Wall Street: Curleys wifes dream is stolen away aspirations of 1920s women. The cyclical nature of depression and Lennies accidental murders within the novella. Setting: Barn, Hoover Ville no money/depression. Symbolism: Dead puppy all good things eventually end. Breaking of Curleys wifes neck dream snapped away; erodes everyone elses dreams (could relate to Wall Street Crash). Chapter 6 Roaring 20s: Dream discussed between George and Lennie is their American Dream Structure: Cyclical nature of novella depression, competition and death Title: Mouses carefully built home/dream is destroyed. Similar to when Lennie is visualising his dreams and then is shot in the back of the head. American Dream/New Deal Although the partnership between Lennie and George is destroyed, George has the chance to build his own dream again however this may be more difficult as George, ultimately, depended on George.