Literature exam Exploring Modern Texts (40%) Section A: Modern prose or drama (20%) ‘Lord of the Flies’ Section B: Exploring cultures (20%) ‘Of Mice and Men’ by John Steinbeck 1 hour 30 minutes

Assessment Objectives Section B ‘Of Mice and Men’: A01: respond to text critically and imaginatively; select and evaluate textual detail to support interpretations (5%) A02: explain how language, structure and form present ideas, themes and settings (5%) A04: relate text to social, cultural and historical contexts; explain how text is significant to self and other readers in different contexts at different times (10%)

OMAM Question break-down: (extract focused) (rest of the novel)- CONTEXT VITAL!!! Why is this important? Timing in the exam?

Structuring a reading paragraph Paragraph Section What goes in it Point Your line of argument Evidence Quotation from the text Analysis Zoom in on particular word or small phrase Interpretation Zoom out to tell us interpretation of setting – multiple if possible Connect Link to another quotation/detail about the setting Context Link to social, historical context- what was happening in the 1930s world that was relevant to this moment? Evaluate To what extent does it get Golding’s message across/reader response? Building difficulty and skill

Improving the quality and precision of reader response All Literature essays will require you to comment on (explore) the impact of the writer’s methods on the reader as will some of your Language exam responses. We are aiming to stretch how you write about the reader response part after the interpretation so that comments can be more sophisticated and precise rather than limited and generalised. Remember, as important as you all are within our English groups as unique individuals , this is where you must think beyond yourself and your own personal feelings and explore the bigger intentions of the writer for their original audience or for us.

It’s all about how convincing and believable the character is- even though characters are fictional, a complex emotional response can be triggered.

How does Steinbeck use language, structure and form to affect how we feel about George and Lennie’s characters when George shoots Lennie? NB Top tip link to context for OMAM Q!

The mixture of emotions we feel as George prepares to shoot his best friend is complicated. Despite being prepared since virtually the beginning of the novel for something like this to happen, the reality is presented in a brutal way and cannot help but shock as we almost feel complicit in George’s action because we know he is following the only course he can and we agonise over the delay as Steinbeck presents George’s torturous reluctance as we yearn for the relief of it all being over, ‘ …raised the gun and his hand shook, and he dropped his hand to the ground again.’ The cinematic detail and almost slow motion description draws out the torture and conflict we feel at this point allowing us to come closer to how George must be torn which allows us to hold back judgement and instead sympathise deeply with his predicament. As a modern reader it feels so far removed from our own lives as Lennie’s character is reduced to an animal who needs to be put down to prevent further suffering in the harsh world of 1930s itinerant workers during the Great Depression. The relief we feel as he is shot is at least partly due to how he dies, oblivious and dreaming of his future life, perhaps the only character whose dream is not spoiled while he is alive.

Mark scheme bands... Band 4: 16-20 marks Band 5: 21-25 marks 4.1 Explained response to ideas/themes/feelings/attitudes 4.2 Details used to support a range of comments 4.3 Identification of effect(s) of writer’s choices of language and/or form and/or structure 4.4 Explained response to context(s) 4.5 Selection of a range of details to support response to context Sustained response to ideas/themes Effective use of details to support interpretation Explanation of effects of lang, structure and form Sustained response to context. Selection of effective details to support response to context

Language techniques to look out for... Physical descriptions of characters Animal imagery (similes, metaphors) Symbolism (red; setting; names; ) Setting description- contrast between nature and life on the ranch Authentic dialogue (1930s slang; racist and sexist language of the time) Simple style- the characters are telling their own stories

Structure... 6 chapters/sections Chapter 1 establishes the main characters Chapter 2 introduces the others and the main conflict Drama and tension in final chapters leading to climaxes in Chapter 5 and 6 Cyclical structure- comes back to where it all began- the setting is the same- balanced Foreshadowing woven throughout the text to suggest fates of characters are inevitable: red dress; escape plan; violence escalates; dead mice; dead girl; setting Setting description positioned at the beginning of each chapter

Form... Novella- a tragedy A novel written like a play: important exits and entrances; one location for each chapter/section; setting descriptions are like stage directions Dialogue Physical descriptions Third person omniscient narrator Doomed tone