The shooting of Candy’s dog Objective: how does Steinbeck use language to create dramatic tension

Euthanasia Brief class discussion What is euthanasia? Do you agree with it? Should it be made legal in Britain?

Dramatic tension What is tension? What does ‘dramatic’ mean? Why do you think this scene might be full of dramatic tension? (hint: think about the conflict between Carlson and Candy).

Starter Questions: 5 mins Who asked for Candy’s dog to be shot and why? How long has Candy had the dog? How does he feel about the dog? (write 3-4 sentences). Make a list of similarities and differences between Candy and his dog. E.g. They are both old, decrepit etc. Pick out the exact words/phrases Steinbeck uses from the text.

Starter: part two Why does Candy look at Slim? How do you think that he feels when Slim agrees that the dog needs to be killed?

'The silence came into the room.' When Candy’s dog is taken away to be shot, Steinbeck creates a high level of dramatic tension in the room. The reader feels very tense, waiting to see what is going to happen. 'The silence came into the room.' Because of the silence, the room feels tight and claustrophobic. No one speaks. There are no sounds. This creates dramatic tension because everyone knows what is going to happen, they feel sorry for Candy, but. The writer uses personification. It as if the silence walked into the room.

Select and Analyse Read the extract and find quotes that show the rising levels of tension. Write them in order so that you can show how tension builds up. Then around each quote, annotate individual words and make a clear link to how they display dramatic tension.

Feedback: did you find these other quotes.

Example paragraph At the start of the extract, Steinbeck immediately creates tension by describing how “ the silence came into the room”. Firstly, he uses personification “came” which suggests that the silence practically walked into the room. The intrusion of silence in the typically noisy barn creates tension. The scene takes place in the large barn. But the silence makes the room seem small and claustrophobic. This puts all the characters on edge because they are waiting to see what will happen next. The silence itself reveals that no one is talking and there are no sounds. This creates dramatic tension because although the characters feel sorry for Candy, they still feel that it is the best thing to do for the dog. It is inevitable from that point that the dog is going to die.

Exam Extract Question How does Steinbeck create dramatic tension in the moments leading up to and after the death of Candy’s dog. You should write three paragraphs minimum in 15 mins. Make sure you refer to the question. Use order connectives from connectives mat.

Peer assessment Have they mentioned ‘dramatic tension’ in each paragraph? Have they included quotes? Have they analysed the quotes in detail? Do you agree with their point? How could they improve it?