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Of Mice and Men GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE
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A collection of exam questions on Of Mice and Men
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Of Mice and Men:A recuring question on this novella is the theme of loneliness; consider the following points
1. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck uses the ranch as a microcosm of 1930s Depression era
America in order to explore the challenges faced by itinerant workers. His focus on work
and its importance in a time of hardship allows him to present the consequences and
effects of life as a labourer. The most significant effect is loneliness. Through his use of
characterisation and setting, Steinbeck makes clear this prevalent loneliness, the
experience of which makes characters cruel, very self-centred and desperate for the
company of others.
2. Steinbeck uses the character of Crooks to explore the loneliness experienced by victims
of prejudice.
3. The companionship of George and Lennie is presented as the antithesis of the loneliness
experienced by archetypal itinerant workers. Develop this point however by talking
about the co-dependency of George and Lennie. George needs Lennie as much as
Lennie needs George as the companionship alleviates George’s loneliness. Steinbeck is
showing that there may be a degree of selfishness that can be attributed to George and
that his motives for looking after Lennie are not purely selfless.
4. Steinbeck’s characterisation of Curley’s Wife as a lonely woman, starved of affection,
reflects social attitudes towards women and their lack of importance in a ‘work’ context.
Develop this point by exploring the idea that her loneliness makes her a dangerous
character as it drives her to seek the attention of the men on the range. This is
dangerous because she is putting them in danger of being confronted by Curley. The
colour red (her dress, fingernails etc.) symbolises danger and foreshadows her tragic
death. Steinbeck is exploring the far-reaching consequences of loneliness through the
character of Curley’s wife.
5. Slim is portrayed as a strong and self-sufficient person however even he refers to
loneliness. Steinbeck sets him apart from the other characters by portraying him as the
person that everyone turns to for advice. Who does Slim have to turn to? This position
of authority therefore makes him a solitary character.
Now look at the following extract from an Examiners Report discussing the responses
received to a question on loneliness:
, “The question on loneliness, how characters of the candidate’s choice in Of Mice and
Men are affected by it, and what it shows about life in 1930s America was a very popular
choice on both tiers. On Higher Tier, successful candidates often approached the question
from the standpoint of context and examined how Steinbeck used the theme of loneliness
to offer a critique of his own society. On Foundation Tier, where candidates were asked
to select and write about lonely characters of their choosing, the most successful chose
only one or two characters and considered the contextual factors that made each specific
character lonely and offered some evidence from the text which showed their loneliness.
The best responses showed a critical grasp of Steinbeck’s intentions in portraying
characters such as Crooks and Curley’s wife not entirely sympathetically, whose own
behaviour is sometimes tainted by the loneliness inflicted upon them by their society. For
example, Crooks’ cruelty towards Lennie or Curley’s wife’s vicious threat towards
Crooks was considered carefully as evidence that enforced loneliness or restricted
opportunities made people worse and caused them real harm. The effects of racist
segregation on Crooks’ mental health were often closely analysed. In the case of Curley’s
wife, some insightful responses looked at how her marriage to Curley was doomed from
the start, not only because of Curley’s jealous restriction of her but more because the
society in which she lived condoned and expected men to behave in this way. The paucity
of opportunity for young women with few means and limited education was clearly
understood to have contributed towards her unrealistic Hollywood dreams. Her vile
subjugation of Crooks was also seen as the inevitable backlash of a powerless woman
whose new husband had already abandoned her for the brothel and whose life of
loneliness and restriction stretched before her. These highly rewarded responses showed
that the candidates could see beyond the confines of the ranch and the characters and
relationships within it to the wider society beyond which governed their actions, attitudes
and aspirations. Better responses on Foundation Tier to this question tended to link
contextual factors to characters in specific ways rather than relying on a more general
knowledge of the Great Depression or simple assertions about the racism and sexism
prevalent at the time. The need for Curley’s wife to be validated by the men on the ranch,
with some understanding shown that there was no other way for her to be recognised,
often RESULTED IN A HIGHER GRADE BEING AWARDED, and these comments
were often linked to some clear observations on the depth of harm done to Crooks by
segregation.”
Explore Slim’s relationship with George and Lennie in this novel.
‘Disability is an important theme in Of Mice and Men.’ How far do you agree with
this statement?
Discuss the relationship between Curley and his wife in this novel.
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