1. Tackling Exam Questions
Of Mice and Men
Tackling Exam Questions

2. 3. The character of Lennie 2. The character of George 1. The plot!
4. The character of Curley’s wife
Of Mice and Men: What Do We Know?
9. Symbols in the novel
5. The character of Crooks
8. Pessimistic and optimistic moments
7. Theme of friendship
6. Theme of loneliness

3. Notes
You need to know the full plot-line of the story inside and out before you can even think of marking well on a Studied Fiction Question.
No matter what particular question is asked you will always have examples to draw on if you know the text well.
However, if you think a summary answer will get you any more than a high D grade, you are fooling yourself. The plot is the starting point from which you much discuss, examine and analyse the novel.

4. analysing
Numbers 2 – 9 in ‘What Do We Know’ is what you need to bring in to your answers in order to get a high grade. For example:
What you learned about particular characters and what you thought about them? (Who: George, Lennie, Crooks and/or Curley’s wife)
What particular characters (Who: George, Lennie, Crooks and/or Curley’s wife) taught you about the theme? (What: Friendship? Loneliness?)
Did you enjoy the novel because it was interesting or gripping or complex? (In what way: Complex characters? Complex themes? A pessimistic and optimistic novel? Good use of symbols?)
Did you enjoy the plot because you learned something from it? (I learned: Something about friendship? Something about loneliness? Did you learn something from particular characters?)
Etc. etc.

5. 2015 Exam Question 1
Choose a novel or a short story that you have studied. In your view, which two of the following words best describe the story you have chosen?
Inspiring
Atmospheric
Disappointing
Gripping
Revealing
Complex
Give reasons for both of your choices, supporting them with reference to your chosen novel or short story. (2 × 15)

6. Sample: Gripping and Complex
(I.E. It held my attention, I wanted to know what was going to happen, I cared about the key characters and their fate.)
What was gripping about Of Mice and Men?
What was going to happen to our main characters George and Lennie.
Were they going to achieve their dream.
The ending of the novel.
COMPLEX
(I.E. It wasn’t a simple story, it had complicated characters, it dealt with important themes, the writer used techniques)
What was complex about Of Mice and Men?
The characters
The themes
Steinbeck’s writing techniques

7. Paragraph Topics / Lead Sentences:
Sample: Gripping
How then do we turn this in to 3 paragraphs, using our notes, explaining how we found the novel gripping?
Paragraph Topics / Lead Sentences:
What Notes to Use:
1. I found this novel gripping because Steinbeck created interesting characters that I really cared about…
Use your character notes on George and Lennie
2. I found the characters of George and Lennie gripping and I also enjoyed how Steinbeck dealt with the theme of friendship between these two men …
Use your theme notes on friendship
3. Finally, I found the end of the novel totally gripping. Waiting to see if George would go through with shooting Lennie was nerve-wracking …
Use your notes on pessimistic or optimistic novel

8. Paragraph Topics / Lead Sentences:
Sample: COMPLEX
How then do we turn this in to 3 paragraphs, using our notes, explaining how we found the novel complex?
Paragraph Topics / Lead Sentences:
What Notes to Use:
1. I also found this novel complex because Steinbeck deals with difficult themes such as the loneliness that exists in this world …
Use your theme notes on loneliness
2. I thought Steinbeck created complex characters that were interesting but difficult to like …
Use your character notes on Curley’s wife and Crooks
3. I liked the way Steinbeck used symbolism throughout to try to highlight the important parts of the novel …
Use your notes on symbolism

9. 2015 Exam Question 2
2. The most interesting characters in stories are characters that display both strengths and weaknesses. Choose a character from a novel or short story you have studied and explain how that character's strengths and weaknesses make him or her an interesting character. Support your answer with reference to your chosen novel or short story. (30)

10. Paragraph Topics / Lead Sentences:
Character: George
How then do we turn this in to paragraphs, using our notes, explaining how George is an interesting character with strengths and weaknesses?
Paragraph Topics / Lead Sentences:
What Notes to Use:
1. A character I found interesting in ‘Of Mice and Men was George …
Use your character notes on George
2. I found the character of George gripping and thought he has a lot of good characteristics…
Use your character notes on George and Lennie and discuss their relationship
3. I thought George was an excellent friend to Lennie and brought to life the theme of friendship in the novel …
Use your theme notes on friendship

11. Paragraph Topics / Lead Sentences:
Character: George
How then do we turn this in to paragraphs, using our notes, explaining how George is an interesting character with strengths and weaknesses?
Paragraph Topics / Lead Sentences:
What Notes to Use:
4. However, George is not a perfect character who always does the right thing. He makes mistakes like everyone else and his weaknesses made him more relatable …
Use your character notes on George (focus on his temper and previous behaviour with Lennie)
5. In the end though, I think George showed real strength when he decided to give Lennie a peaceful end, even though it also meant the end of George’s dream …
Use your notes on pessimistic or optimistic novel
6. Overall I think George is ….
Write a short conclusion summing up the points you have made

12. 2014 Exam Question 1
Select a novel or short story you have studied that you think has a well-chosen title and an interesting opening or beginning.
In your view, why was the title of your selected novel or short story a well- chosen title? Explain your answer with reference to your chosen text. (15)
(b) What aspects of the opening or beginning of your chosen text did you find interesting? Give reasons for your answer. (15)

13. Why is it called of mice and men?
The title of the novel comes from a Robert Burns’ poem called ‘To A Mouse’. Although it was originally written in a Scottish dialect, the poem contains lines that translate as:
‘The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry’
Why is that line relevant for this novel?
The premise for the novel is two men with an idea for the future that doesn’t go according to plan.
In the poem Burns says that mice are blessed because both men and mice will die but only men are aware of it.
In other words, mice can’t think about the future or the past or worry about it. In this way Lennie is essentially like the mouse in the story.
George then is the man and life messes things up for both George and Lennie but only George has to deal with the consequences because Lennie doesn’t remember any of it.
Whatever happens to Lennie is dealt with only in that moment – he doesn’t regret anything or anticipate anything, even his own death.
George, on the other hand, will have to live with what he has done for the rest of his life.

14. (a) Is it a well-chosen title?
How then do we turn this in to 3 paragraphs, using our notes, explaining why we think this is a well chosen title?
Paragraph Topics / Lead Sentences:
What Notes to Use:
1. I think the title of the novel is a well-chosen one as it makes reference to the dream that George and Lennie have that goes horribly awry …
Explain where the title of the novel comes from
Use notes on George, Lennie and symbolism to describe the dream
2. Though at one point the dream seems to becoming a reality, just like in the poem, things begin to go off course …
Explain, using notes on Lennie, what he does to Curley’s wife
Explain how Lennie like the mouse in the poem
3. If Lennie is like the mouse in the poem, that leaves George to be the man who has to deal with the consequences …
Explain how George is like the man in the poem, use George character notes to help you
Discuss the ending of the novel, using notes on pessimistic or optimistic novel

15. (b) Interesting opening?
How then do we turn this in to 3 paragraphs, using our notes, explaining why we think this novel has an interesting opening?
Paragraph Topics / Lead Sentences:
What Notes to Use:
1. I thought the opening of this novel was very interesting because it very quickly reveals the two main characters and their interesting relationship …
Use character notes on Lennie, focusing on moments in the first chapter
2. It was very clear from the beginning of the novel that a character like Lennie can’t take care of himself. George is definitely the person is charge …
Use character notes on George, focusing on moments in the first chapter
3. Though they fight a lot in the beginning of the novel, I found it interesting to see that there was a close bond between the two men who are very different …
Use your theme notes on friendship

16. 2014 Exam Question 2
2. When we read a story we enter a world that can be both familiar and unfamiliar. Choose a novel or short story that you have studied to which this statement applies.
Describe one aspect of your chosen story that was familiar to you and one aspect of your chosen story that was unfamiliar to you. (15)
(b) How did the author's use of both the familiar and the unfamiliar add to your enjoyment of your chosen story? Explain your answer with reference to the story. (15)

17. 2014 Exam Question 2
How do we tackle question (a)? Familiar to you: The friendship between George and Lennie, the struggle to achieve a difficult dream, the disappointment when it doesn’t become a reality etc. Unfamiliar to you: The poverty the men experience, the loneliness the men experience, the racism of the time etc. How do we tackle question (b): Added to enjoyment: The familiar and unfamiliar elements you discussed made the novel more entertaining, educational, gripping, fascinating, complex etc.

18. (a) Familiar and unfamiliar
How then do we turn this in to 3 paragraphs, using our notes, explaining a familiar and unfamiliar aspect of the novel?
Paragraph Topics / Lead Sentences:
What Notes to Use:
1. Although this novel was set in a very different time to now, there was a lot in it that I found very familiar, particularly the close friendship between George and Lennie …
Use character notes on George and Lennie
2. One of the central themes in the novel was friendship and I could identify with George doing all he can to take care of Lennie …
Use theme notes on friendship
3. However, there were several things that were unfamiliar to me, that I learned about in this novel. The severe poverty and loneliness of the characters was a shock to me …
Use theme notes on loneliness

19. Paragraph Topics / Lead Sentences:
(b) Added to enjoyment
How then do we turn this in to 3 paragraphs, using our notes, explaining how the familiar and unfamiliar aspects of the novel add to your enjoyment?
Paragraph Topics / Lead Sentences:
What Notes to Use:
1. The author’s use of the familiar and unfamiliar made the novel very entertaining for me. A lot of the entertainment came from the dynamic between George and Lennie at the start of the novel …
Use character notes on George and Lennie
2. I also found the friendship between George and Lennie added to my enjoyment because the end of the novel was gripping, waiting to see if George would go through with shooting Lennie …
Use notes on pessimistic and optimistic novel
3. I also found the unfamiliar aspect of the novel informative and I found it gave me something to think about …
Use theme notes on loneliness
Discuss Crooks or Curley’s wife

20. 1. Choose a novel or short story you have studied.
2013 Exam Question 1
1. Choose a novel or short story you have studied.
In your view, is the world portrayed in the novel or short story that you have chosen, a fair world? Give reasons for your answer. (15)
(b) Using an important incident from the story, explain how the actions of any one character help to make the world more fair or less fair in your chosen text. Support your answer with reference to your chosen text. (15)

21. Paragraph Topics / Lead Sentences:
(a) Fair world
How then do we turn this in to 3 paragraphs, using our notes,
explaining whether the world of the novel is fair or unfair?
Paragraph Topics / Lead Sentences:
What Notes to Use:
1. In my view, the world of the novel was not a fair world. There was a lot of injustice and unhappy characters throughout the novel. Crooks is a character who deals with constant racism and is very lonely …
Use character notes on Crooks
Use theme notes on loneliness
2. ‘Of Mice and Men’ is set in a very tough world where the ranch men deal with extreme poverty, loneliness and are continually on the move looking for work …
Discuss Candy and use notes on symbolism (Candy’s dog)
3. Finally, I learned in this unfair world something positive like the friendship between Lennie and George is seen as something strange and ultimately cannot survive …
Use character notes on Lennie and George
Use theme notes on friendship

22. (b) Important incident
How then do we turn this in to 3 paragraphs, using our notes,
Explain how a character made the world more or less fair?
Paragraph Topics / Lead Sentences:
What Notes to Use:
1. In my opinion, George makes the world of the novel more fair through a very dramatic final scene, where he refuses to let his friend go through a traumatic and terrifying death …
Describe the background to the shooting scene
Use character notes on George and Lennie to show George’s dilemma
2. Though it means the end of the dream George hoped was finally coming together and a future of loneliness, he makes the brave decision to shoot Lennie, giving him a peaceful and happy final moment …
Describe the shooting scene
Use character notes on George to show why he goes through with it
Use theme notes on loneliness
3. Although I was very sad that the dream did not work out for George and Lennie and that George was left alone, I thought George did the right things and made the world a fairer place …
Use notes on pessimistic and optimistic novel

23. 2013 Exam Question 2
2. You wish to nominate a novel or short story that you have studied for an award. The rules state that both of the following comments must apply to the winning entry:
The story stayed in my mind long after I had finished reading it
The story was skilfully written.
Using these two comments, write the letter you would submit to the judges in support of your chosen novel or short story. Support your answer with reference to your chosen story. (30)

24. Paragraph Topics / Lead Sentences:
Story stayed in my mind
How then do we turn this in to 3 paragraphs, using our notes, explaining
how the novel stayed in our minds (i.e. was gripping)?
Paragraph Topics / Lead Sentences:
What Notes to Use:
1. ‘Of Mice and Men’ is a novel that stayed in my mind long after I stopped reading. I found this novel gripping because Steinbeck created interesting characters that I really cared about…
Use your character notes on George and Lennie
2. I also enjoyed how Steinbeck dealt with the theme of friendship between these two men. The friendship gave me something to think after finishing the novel …
Use your theme notes on friendship
3. Finally, I found the end of the novel totally gripping. Waiting to see if George would go through with shooting Lennie was nerve-wracking …
Use your notes on pessimistic or optimistic novel

25. (b) Skilfully written story
How then do we turn this in to 3 paragraphs, using our notes, explaining how we found the novel skilfully written?
Paragraph Topics / Lead Sentences:
What Notes to Use:
1. I thought ‘Of Mice and Men’ was a very skilfully written story. I particularly enjoyed how, in a short novel, Steinbeck deals with difficult themes such as the loneliness that exists in this world …
Use your theme notes on loneliness
2. I thought Steinbeck created very complex characters that were interesting but difficult to like …
Use your character notes on Curley’s wife and Crooks
3. I felt the way Steinbeck used symbolism throughout the novel was very skilful and highlighted the parts of the story he wanted the reader to really think about …
Use your notes on symbolism