Hi my name is Seda. Im really nervous about my exams and i've written a example essay. I got the question from the cgp guide. The question is for Question 'b' for OF MICE AND MEN! PLEASE mark it and give me a grade/mark!! i appreciate it lots xx
oh by the way the essay is 2 sides and a bit when written on paper
Question:Of mice and men starts and ends outside by a pool. what do you think is the significance of this natural setting, compared tot the ranch where the rest of the story takes place.
Of mice and men is a novella written by John Steinbeck. Following the collapse of the New York Wall Street stock market in 1929, the US entered a prolonged period of economic depression from which it emerged only with the onset of the second world war in 1939. During this period of failed businesses, harsh living conditions and poverty, migrant workers had no choice but to travel to destinations providing hope- also known as the American Dream. Their hopes are portrayed in the positive opening of the book however negativity is portrayed in the ending of the novella implying that the hopes had been shattered.
The description of the start of the novella creates an idyllic image due to the 'golden foothill slopes' and the hillside bank running 'deep and green'. This creates a perfect imagine in the mind of the reader where all animals live in harmony with no disruptions. Through this first description, Steinbeck creates an image of the garden Eden. This implies that nature was in its perfect state before the entrance of man. Therefore any disturbance to nature is due to the interference of humans. This would imply that actions of an individual can destroy anything - even perfection (presented by the reference to the garden of Eden). It foreshadows the negative impact Lennie, Candy, Crooks, Curley's wife may have on society. It also foreshadows the cruelty people may have faced and it is based on the survival of the fittest.
As well as the environment contradicting the lives of the ranch workers, it contradicts the environment where ranch workers stay with the 'white-washed' walls and 'sack of straws' used as beds. This suggests the the paradise at the opening of the novella is not welcoming and it is not a healthy environment for dreamers like George and Lennie due to the ranch workers never experiencing such a good environment again.
Due to the 'flow of the river' implying the flow of life, leaves the readers optimistic about how the novella flows and how the lives of ranch workers will 'follow and continue'. The presence of 'sunlight' also adds to the optimistic feeling and provides hope at the start of the chapter. Steinbeck may have presented false hope to the reader to portray a moral of always thinking twice before taking a step. Lennie and George straight away jumped at the thought of the American Dream without thinking about the consequences or the reality.
In contrast, the end of the novella leaves the reader pessimistic as the 'sun had left the valley'. This personification emphasis the hope that has gone and emphasis the failure of George and Lennie. This is also presented in the ranch with the windows being 'small and square'. This reflects the limited opportunities available as well as the minimum chances the occupants have to escape and achieve their dreams. Furthermore the parallel lines of the side of square windows could suggest that no matter how much hope one has, life is a continuous journey with no chances to meet dreams.
To conclude, with the usage of natural imagery as well as the setting of the ranch, it implies that life is full of false hopes.The natural imagery contradicts actual lives of the ranch workers and where they live. This may have been done by Steinbeck to portray the unrealistic and futile nature of the American Dream and the insignificance of friendship and effort.

Reply 664

Stephen_s_274

1

Original post by FergusJVL

GUYS!!!!
Look at the past papers, they tend to do a character and how they represent the outside world
in my opinion its got to be george,lennie or candy
i hope its candy

I was looking through the past papers too, slim hasn't came up either. Anyone think there would be a chance of his character coming up as a question.

Reply 665

Elm Tree

13

I'm going to fail the Monday exam :sigh:

Reply 666

icantexplain

Original post by Archillious

I NEED help please,i dont know what topic the english lit exam on monday is going to be about?is the the comparision of the anologies of "the moon tide" poetry book? or is it on a indepth study of "of mice and men"????

Monday 20th - no , Of mice and men and one other, we get the Woman In Black.

Reply 667

ThatGirlx

2

Original post by andersson

In note form, my answers went like this:

a) "tall" - Other ranch hands look up to him literally and figuratively.

"long" and "black" hair - Same appearance as depictions of Jesus, makes Slim more important because he's compared to someone who is key to a lot of people's lives.

"combs" hair - Action only done by someone who has people look at them a lot. Tells us he is important because he is someone who must be looked at for reassurance and help.

"royalty" - Saying he is someone who has a closer link to God than the average person.

can drive "ten, sixteen, twenty mules" - The longer an observer looks or thinks about him the more positively they think of him. His importance can be seen doubling here in a short duration of time.

"gravity" - Comparison with fundamental force of nature or a star, essential for life.

"understanding beyond thought" - Comparison with an omniscient (all knowing) God.

b) Slim is giver of life or death: lets Carlson kill Curley's dog, kills 4 of dog's puppies so the others have better chance of life, tells George killing Lennie was the right thing to do. Steinbeck saying that there was hope, there were ideal men around in 1930s who weren't clouded emotionally and could be rational. OR Steinbeck saying there is no hope, even the ideal men are violent.

Slim is helper in the story: helps Curley up after fight with Lennie, helps George up after killing Lennie. Helped both villain (Curley) and hero (George), implies Steinbeck was telling us people weren't just one-sided in the 1930s, people were neutral too.

................................................................................................

You could have written about anything in part 'a' and, as long as you used PEE analysis, gotten a mark for it. In part 'b' there are so many things you can write about, as long as what you said sounds intelligent and answers the question you should be getting marks.

Good luck to you too, hope this helped!

How would you recommend we layout the Mice and Men question
Like the two parts?
Would you write say 2/3paragraphs for Part A and then 2/3paragraphs for Part B
or would you just write the answer to Part A and Part B in each paragraph

Thanks
- you seem to know this exam well lol thats why I'm asking you

Reply 668

JustaDreamer

10

Original post by Elm Tree

I'm going to fail the Monday exam :sigh:

I think I am too...

Reply 669

icantexplain

Original post by Elm Tree

I'm going to fail the Monday exam :sigh:

lol same

Reply 670

BP_Tranquility

5

Original post by Ryan075

If the questions doesn't talk about a reader, I wouldn't call that response an evaluation. It's certainly a valid point, but not really an evaluation. To be safe, I would call an evaluation a mini-conclusion, one that weighs up which language device or interpretation is more important and then goes on to explain it.

And nice! Best of luck with it :wink:

By "more important" do you mean which interpretation would be the most accurate or what the author was probably thinking of? :smile:

Good luck to you as well :cool:

Reply 671

Xmarksthesh0t

Original post by JustaDreamer

I'm doing Character and Voice too, but I haven't really started revising it yet. just doing a bit here and there...hmm Case History seems ok, but I'm not a big fan of Les Grands :frown:

Le Grande Seiguner( is that how you spell it?) is mainly about the belittlement of marriage, how fast life changes, sexual desires, her playing a game pretending to be a "Queen" but when her husband finds out that she is nothing to be satisfied with then he treats her like a object, just to use in bed and nothing more, need anymore help just quote this and post so I can see and I'll try my best.

Reply 672

gloria0816

1

need help on lord of the flies.
what do you think will come up?
(character) or (theme)

Reply 673

Celestial_Blade

Original post by LazyBazooka

I have a point about Inspector Goole: The Inspector is the metaphor for the First and Second World War, for instance before he arrives the atmosphere within the Birling household is relaxed yet full of tension (e.g. relationship between Eric and his father, Sheila suspicious of Gerald), similar to how the alliances were full of tension before the inception of WW1. Once the Inspector arrives, this tension is released and the family begins to fall apart (much like how Britain and the allies began to fall apart due to the war). After the Inspector leaves, the Birling parents and Gerald fail to learn from what has happened, which reflects the national mood after WW1, and because of this (the timing of the final call is sound to Mr Birling's mockery of the Inspector and the younger generation) they pay for it in 'fire and blood and anguish (obviously foreshadows WW1 and WW2) with the call signifying the Inspector's second arrival.

btw Eva Smith may be a possible religious reference to 'Eve' from the Old Testament of the Bible, which is symbolic for how she represents women and the working class as a whole. The name may also be a reference to Eva Braun (Hitler's wife and partner) as the cause of death for both is similar.

For Slim of OMAM: Slim is presented by the author to be his own example of ideal human behaviour, for instance he treats Crooks with respect despite the strong presence of racial prejudice within the era, and is the first to comfort George after Lennie's death - "you hadda George, I swear you hadda".

I have more but can't be bothered :/

Please spill the beans and drop the bass. We need more!

Reply 674

Xmarksthesh0t

Original post by Elm Tree

I'm going to fail the Monday exam :sigh:

Howdy, first time I have seen you in another thread other than our year group one lol.

The monday test is going to be a killer revised for hours but felt as if all it wasn't helpful because of the unknown question, unlike science- 2 hours of revision seriously boosts your marks up.

Reply 675

BP_Tranquility

5

Original post by sedasarahaydin

x

I'm no teacher or examiner, but I think that's quite good! To improve, I would say you should go into more detail by adding more interpretations or viewpoints and why/ how the writer managed to do that. Also, try and add an evaluative comment at the end of each paragraph/ interpretation.

Hope this helps :cool:

Reply 676

sedasarahaydin

Original post by teacherforall

Hi,

I'm a teacher of English, at GCSE and A Level. The English department, at my school, have been with the AQA Exam Board, since 2011, and, as I have seen, nearly, all of the past papers for the Unit 1 Exam, I have a strong feeling of the questions that may come up.

Short Stories Anthology:

I believe that one of the questions will ask you about how a character is developed throughout one of the short stories - my feeling being drawn towards Sandra from The Darkness Out There. For the second part of the question, I believe that you will have to choose another short story in which you believe a character is developed and analytically evaluate the text, so that you are able to justify why you have this interpretation.

At my school, we don't study any of the other books, in Section A, so I am unable to predict a question for those texts. Apologies.

Of Mice and Men:

Many candidates on this thread are predicting that Curley or Slim may appear in the question, but I don't think that this will be the case. I have a feeling that AQA may ask you to analyse another character, that they have asked before, or, possibly, ask you to look at a passage and analyse the difference between two characters.

Setting is also another possibility. You may be asked to reference the Barn or you may have to analyse how Steinbeck uses language to introduce themes, on the opening page, for example.

Also, as a teacher and examiner, I know how to apply the mark scheme, so I would be more than happy to check your answers to previous questions, if that would be beneficial to you. If you would like me to mark one of your responses and provide you with detailed feedback, then message me!

Good luck with the exam,
Mr Derby.

Hi my name is Seda. Im really nervous about my exams and i've written a example essay. I got the question from the cgp guide. The question is for Question 'b' for OF MICE AND MEN! PLEASE mark it and give me a grade/mark!! i appreciate it lots xx
oh by the way the essay is 2 sides and a bit when written on paper
Question:Of mice and men starts and ends outside by a pool. what do you think is the significance of this natural setting, compared tot the ranch where the rest of the story takes place.
Of mice and men is a novella written by John Steinbeck. Following the collapse of the New York Wall Street stock market in 1929, the US entered a prolonged period of economic depression from which it emerged only with the onset of the second world war in 1939. During this period of failed businesses, harsh living conditions and poverty, migrant workers had no choice but to travel to destinations providing hope- also known as the American Dream. Their hopes are portrayed in the positive opening of the book however negativity is portrayed in the ending of the novella implying that the hopes had been shattered.
The description of the start of the novella creates an idyllic image due to the 'golden foothill slopes' and the hillside bank running 'deep and green'. This creates a perfect imagine in the mind of the reader where all animals live in harmony with no disruptions. Through this first description, Steinbeck creates an image of the garden Eden. This implies that nature was in its perfect state before the entrance of man. Therefore any disturbance to nature is due to the interference of humans. This would imply that actions of an individual can destroy anything - even perfection (presented by the reference to the garden of Eden). It foreshadows the negative impact Lennie, Candy, Crooks, Curley's wife may have on society. It also foreshadows the cruelty people may have faced and it is based on the survival of the fittest.
As well as the environment contradicting the lives of the ranch workers, it contradicts the environment where ranch workers stay with the 'white-washed' walls and 'sack of straws' used as beds. This suggests the the paradise at the opening of the novella is not welcoming and it is not a healthy environment for dreamers like George and Lennie due to the ranch workers never experiencing such a good environment again.
Due to the 'flow of the river' implying the flow of life, leaves the readers optimistic about how the novella flows and how the lives of ranch workers will 'follow and continue'. The presence of 'sunlight' also adds to the optimistic feeling and provides hope at the start of the chapter. Steinbeck may have presented false hope to the reader to portray a moral of always thinking twice before taking a step. Lennie and George straight away jumped at the thought of the American Dream without thinking about the consequences or the reality.
In contrast, the end of the novella leaves the reader pessimistic as the 'sun had left the valley'. This personification emphasis the hope that has gone and emphasis the failure of George and Lennie. This is also presented in the ranch with the windows being 'small and square'. This reflects the limited opportunities available as well as the minimum chances the occupants have to escape and achieve their dreams. Furthermore the parallel lines of the side of square windows could suggest that no matter how much hope one has, life is a continuous journey with no chances to meet dreams.
To conclude, with the usage of natural imagery as well as the setting of the ranch, it implies that life is full of false hopes.The natural imagery contradicts actual lives of the ranch workers and where they live. This may have been done by Steinbeck to portray the unrealistic and futile nature of the American Dream and the insignificance of friendship and effort.

Reply 677

sedasarahaydin

Original post by BP_Tranquility

I'm no teacher or examiner, but I think that's quite good! To improve, I would say you should go into more detail by adding more interpretations or viewpoints and why/ how the writer managed to do that. Also, try and add an evaluative comment at the end of each paragraph/ interpretation.

Hope this helps :cool:

Thank you very muchh xx

Reply 678

JustaDreamer

10

Original post by Xmarksthesh0t

Le Grande Seiguner( is that how you spell it?) is mainly about the belittlement of marriage, how fast life changes, sexual desires, her playing a game pretending to be a "Queen" but when her husband finds out that she is nothing to be satisfied with then he treats her like a object, just to use in bed and nothing more, need anymore help just quote this and post so I can see and I'll try my best.

Yep that's how you spell it thank you for the meaning, I roughly had it but not the whole picture. What key ideas do you have about the poem?

Reply 679

Harris Ali

Original post by gloria0816

anyone got notes of lord of the flies?

You need to mainly focus on how Goldig uses symbolism in order to express his views. His whole ideology revolves around the fact that humans do not have moral goodness which is innate within them, rather humans reach their moral goodness from a civilization formed around them, by society. As we become apart from civilization, our morals begins to decay because deep within us, we have savage instincts imposed. There are many different symbols he uses in order to portray this, such as the conch having strong significance at the start because the boys are still in the ideology of being civilized however time progresses away from society, the conch looses its significance. Similarly how the fire is a barometer for how intact the boys are with civilization, at first it is a key aspect in the boys' routine however as time progresses they ignore the fire because they would rather 'kill pigs' because that is what their savage instincts impose.

There are many different themes in symbols in LOTF, rather annoying learning each individual theme expressed by a symbol because there are so many however just try to remember that their civil instincts began to decay as the novel progresses because their savage instincts are within them and that we only get our moral compass from society, not our inner selves (Simon is an exception). Remember to always quote and explore the ideas within them.

That's just how I view LOTF, there are many different angles you can explore it in, however I'm just stating my opinion, not h8in.