Exam (elaborations)
Ambitious Vocabulary for GCSE ESSAY "OF MICE AND MEN"
Useful ambitious / advanced vocabulary for discussing the characters and themes of John Steinbeck's novella "Of Mice and Men" at GCSE level
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Ambitious Vocabulary for an “Of Mice and Men” GCSE essayIntroductory points:
Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. The important
thing to remember when discussing the themes of literature is that they are not set in stone; they may
overlap and you may see a theme in a piece of literature that is not often discussed. There is not a
prescriptive list of themes for any given literary work. The main and most transparent themes of “Of
Mice and Men are
Loneliness/ isolation (intertwined with this is the theme of the human desire to belong or to ‘be at
home’; man’s continuous search for a place where he belongs and is accepted)
Dreams (the impossibility of the American Dream; the American Dream is the idea that in America it is
possible for anyone to achieve success and improve their lives through hard work. Steinbeck dispels
this idea in his novella)
Prejudice
Fear
Companionship
Man’s propensity for cruelty
Powerlessness and economic injustices
The culmination of the themes conveys Steinbeck’s vision of what it means to be human
Slim – charismatic, valued, poised, empathetic (synonymous word: compassionate), self-assured,
perceptive (discerning), a quiet observing man, the voice of reason (interchange this with ‘the voice of
rationalism’), well-respected (interchange this word with “revered” so as to avoid repetition and so as to
show expansive vocabulary), kind (synonymous word: benevolent), held in high esteem, “the prince of
the ranch”, Slim is always present when a significant event in the novella occurs – this gives the reader
the feeling that Slim is ubiquitous. Slim is always described in terms of dignity and majesty; “he moved
with a majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsmen. “
Even Curley (a man with no depth of feeling or any degree of perception) respects Slim. When Lennie
smashes Curley’s hand, Slim is the one who intercedes and tells Curley he will not have George and
Lennie fired).
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