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Aqa of mice and men practise essays

AQA English Literature Unit 1H Part 2: Of Mice and Men

a)How does Steinbeck present Curley in this extract?
b)In the rest of the novella how does Steinbeck demonstrate that power and authority were often abused at the time the novella is set? How is this still evident today?
[30 marks]
S P a G [4 marks]

At that moment a young man came into the bunkhouse; a thin young man with a brown face, with brown eyes and a head of tightly curled hair. He wore a work glove on his left hand, and, like the boss, he wore high-heeled boots. "Seen my old man?" he asked.
The swamper said, "He was here jus' a minute ago, Curley. Went over to the cook house, I think."
"I'll try to catch him," said Curley. His eyes passed over the new men and he stopped. He glanced coldly at George and then at Lennie. His arms gradually bent at the elbows and his hands closed into fists. He stiffened and went into a slight crouch. His glance was at once calculating and pugnacious. Lennie squirmed under the look and shifted his feet nervously. Curley stepped gingerly close to him. "You the new guys the old man was waitin' for?"
"We just come in," said George.
"Let the big guy talk." Lennie twisted with embarrassment.
George said, "S'pose he don't want to talk?"
Curley lashed his body around. "By Christ, he's gotta talk when he's spoke to. What the hell are you gettin' into it for?"
"We travel together," said George coldly.
"Oh, so it's that way."
George was tense, and motionless. "Yeah, it's that way."
Lennie was looking helplessly to George for instruction.
"An' you won't let the big guy talk, is that it?"
"He can talk if he wants to tell you anything." He nodded slightly to Lennie.
"We jus' come in," said Lennie softly.
Curley stared levelly at him. "Well, nex' time you answer when you're spoke to." He turned toward the door and walked out, and his elbows were still bent out a little.

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