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Of Mice and Men - Carlson

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Reply 20
I'm thinking Carlson or Slim. Candy came up in 2014 so I doubt he would be reappearing. But idk guys its so hard to revise because there is so much bs that can come up arghhhhhhh
Original post by CaptErin
Thanks, that's really helpful! I'm doing AQA, but I think the points about each character remain the same :smile: I can't use the CGP guides because the font sends me loopy and I find the little joke notes distracting, but those are really good concise points :smile:

Good luck to you too! Thanks for the advice :smile:


Oh haha, yes I have to agree, the jokes are terrible and you're welcome!:smile:
If you still find you're struggling on what to write, you can use the past papers from AQA on their website. (http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/english/gcse/english-literature-9715/past-papers-and-mark-schemes)
It has the mark scheme as well. Also, if you google "example answers" or along the lines of that, you can find past student answers and apply it to your answer. I always struggle with how to start and end my answer and I try not to use the same word twice like "furthermore", "despite this" and "indicating" etc.
Original post by MeerabBieber
Could you then suggest that as Carlson has a significantly smaller role in the novella, he is representative of how the working class were kept grounded in 1930's America and were not very significant to society as individuals or a whole. His lack of empathy and cold heartedness could be supportive of how workers have been integrated into the cycle of depression and Carlson has adapted to it by becoming closed off. This could refer to people becoming detached and indifferent in order to make sure they survived in this cruel society unlike Lennie whose innocence and naivety led to his death.


^^^^^ I have no idea what nonsense I wrote above :frown::colonhash:


I'm not actually that good at English but I've heard teachers say that as long as you can prove it and suggest why Steinbeck wrote it, then it is valid. That sounds like a good interpretation of Carlson and you should try to find more quotes which back it up and analyse those, linking it to Steinbeck's purpose.
Original post by AxSirlotl
I'm not actually that good at English but I've heard teachers say that as long as you can prove it and suggest why Steinbeck wrote it, then it is valid. That sounds like a good interpretation of Carlson and you should try to find more quotes which back it up and analyse those, linking it to Steinbeck's purpose.


Thank you so much for this! I've almost given up on English lit, I just don't know how to write a good essay and on top of that I struggle with timing. I just hope the exam goes well for me.
Btw do you think this point is perceptive enough for a good essay?
Carlson is a dickhead if he comes up im gonna shank dem Edexcel paigons for fully ****ing me over kmt
Reply 25
ill laugh if we all get whitt or whatevet his name is


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Original post by ksj.11
ill laugh if we all get whitt or whatevet his name is


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I would cry.


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Original post by CaptErin
If Carlson came up on the exam on Monday as the character to analyse, what would you put?

So far all I can come up with is that he shows a lack of empathy when he shoots Candy's dog, and something about the social hierarchy because he is considered higher than Candy.

"What do you suppose is eating them two guys?"-Carlson this shows that Carlson represents society as they didn't care and were heartless and it was a cycle nothing was bothered at the time
Original post by MeerabBieber
Thank you so much for this! I've almost given up on English lit, I just don't know how to write a good essay and on top of that I struggle with timing. I just hope the exam goes well for me.
Btw do you think this point is perceptive enough for a good essay?


No problem! I can't really say but if that comes up as a question, make sure that you write that about it. Even if you find another interpretation that has more quotes to back it up, still use the idea that you wrote before in this thread as a different interpretation because that will get you the highest grades. If I were you I'd look up some videos on how to structure essays, two channels which really helped me with English are 'Mr.Bruff' and 'Mr.Salles teaches English'. Make sure that you use plenty of quotes and stay positive. Good luck with your exams!
Original post by AxSirlotl
No problem! I can't really say but if that comes up as a question, make sure that you write that about it. Even if you find another interpretation that has more quotes to back it up, still use the idea that you wrote before in this thread as a different interpretation because that will get you the highest grades. If I were you I'd look up some videos on how to structure essays, two channels which really helped me with English are 'Mr.Bruff' and 'Mr.Salles teaches English'. Make sure that you use plenty of quotes and stay positive. Good luck with your exams!


Thank you so much for your help! Honestly, this is the best motivation I could get before the exams. If you don't mind me asking, what did you get for English lit and how did you revise it?
Reply 30
Original post by ksj.11
ill laugh if we all get whitt or whatevet his name is


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Original post by romansholiday


My paper would lie torn up on the floor of the exam hall.
Legitimately I can't even remember who he is.
His significance is that he's completely and utterly insignificant.

Praying for the theme of friendship or loneliness or some easy rubbish like that, please AQA have mercy on us :frown:
Reply 31
Original post by ksj.11
ill laugh if we all get whitt or whatevet his name is


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Who is Whitt 😂


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Original post by MeerabBieber
Thank you so much for your help! Honestly, this is the best motivation I could get before the exams. If you don't mind me asking, what did you get for English lit and how did you revise it?


Oh my! I'm in the same situation as you, I'm in year 11 going in to sit my exam on Monday and my poetry one on Friday. I'm revising by watching the videos of those channels which I recommended to you, noting down important quotes with little notes about why they're important, what theme they link to and why the writer used it, asking my teacher when I'm stuck and practising with questions, then getting help on where I went wrong. I've picked up most of my knowledge about English very recently (in the past few weeks) since I realised that if I don't start trying really hard (because I struggle in English) that I might get a bad grade. I think that's it. I got a B on my last mock (March) with an A on my poetry and a very low B on my An Inspector Calls and Of Mice and Men (I either wrote about the wrong thing in my OMaM response or the teacher who marked it didn't give me the marks for what I'd wrote. I'd read the examiner's notes about the paper that I did for my mock and they said "Accept brutality in the form of hopelessness, loneliness and lost dreams etc and physical brutality eg Candy's dog's death). Well, I've wrote a lot more than I wanted to, now it's a bit messy! :P
Original post by AxSirlotl
Oh my! I'm in the same situation as you, I'm in year 11 going in to sit my exam on Monday and my poetry one on Friday. I'm revising by watching the videos of those channels which I recommended to you, noting down important quotes with little notes about why they're important, what theme they link to and why the writer used it, asking my teacher when I'm stuck and practising with questions, then getting help on where I went wrong. I've picked up most of my knowledge about English very recently (in the past few weeks) since I realised that if I don't start trying really hard (because I struggle in English) that I might get a bad grade. I think that's it. I got a B on my last mock (March) with an A on my poetry and a very low B on my An Inspector Calls and Of Mice and Men (I either wrote about the wrong thing in my OMaM response or the teacher who marked it didn't give me the marks for what I'd wrote. I'd read the examiner's notes about the paper that I did for my mock and they said "Accept brutality in the form of hopelessness, loneliness and lost dreams etc and physical brutality eg Candy's dog's death). Well, I've wrote a lot more than I wanted to, now it's a bit messy! :P


Oh haha I really didn't know! But good luck anyway, knowing how hard English literature actually is, we'll be needing it. Let's just hope we do well though.
I think Carlson actually could come up as a question if they have run out of ideas because:
-He represents the behaviour of typical ranch workers.
-He is unaware of Candy's emotional suffering when he is intent on having his dog killed.
-He first suggests that Candy should shoot his own dog before he goes on to say that he can kill it himself
-Slim feels the need to remind him to take a shovel because he is so emotionally unaware that he might not have even buried the dog after shooting it.
-He does not understand George's behaviour after shooting his best friend. The final line undercuts the sad moment with the brutal reality of life on a ranch and the emotionless working environment.
-So Carlson shows the emotional oblivion that comes with loneliness as a typical ranch worker. His treatment towards Candy's dog shows that the natural world does not allow for friendship, dreams or vulnerabilities. His power shows how, in reality, the weak are preyed upon.
Character/scene predictions for OMAM?
Reply 36
Original post by Macaronat
I think Carlson actually could come up as a question if they have run out of ideas because:
-He represents the behaviour of typical ranch workers.
-He is unaware of Candy's emotional suffering when he is intent on having his dog killed.
-He first suggests that Candy should shoot his own dog before he goes on to say that he can kill it himself
-Slim feels the need to remind him to take a shovel because he is so emotionally unaware that he might not have even buried the dog after shooting it.
-He does not understand George's behaviour after shooting his best friend. The final line undercuts the sad moment with the brutal reality of life on a ranch and the emotionless working environment.
-So Carlson shows the emotional oblivion that comes with loneliness as a typical ranch worker. His treatment towards Candy's dog shows that the natural world does not allow for friendship, dreams or vulnerabilities. His power shows how, in reality, the weak are preyed upon.


YOU JUST SAVED MY GCSE THANK U


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Reply 37
Original post by Milts
I'm thinking Carlson or Slim. Candy came up in 2014 so I doubt he would be reappearing. But idk guys its so hard to revise because there is so much bs that can come up arghhhhhhh


Slim came up in 2013
Reply 38
Carlson is there to show what George would be like, if he didnt have Lennie. And probably what George is going end up being like, now that Lennie is dead.
Reply 39
Have you guys seen the AQA specimen papers thou? there about the actually location of the ranch and the animal inhabitants so it might not even be a character. I'm really worried!

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