GCSE: John Steinbeck
- Marked by Teachers essays 43
- Peer Reviewed essays 19
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Explore the significance of discrimination in 'Of Mice and Men'
This is evident in the conversation between Candy and George where the former says, ?Don?t tell Curley I said none of this. He?d slough me. He just don?t give a damn. Won?t ever get canned ?cause his old man?s the boss?. The fact that he ?just don?t give a damn? proves that Curley is unconcerned about the things he says and does, as he knows that no harm will come to him. He is sure of his inviolable status and that acts as a sense of security and satisfaction for him.
- Word count: 1014
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With reference to the ways Steinbeck presents Curley, show how far you agree that he is a danger to others
He has to pick on the weak in society to make himself feel better. Another thing to note in Steinbeck?s presentation of the bunkhouse is that there were, ?small, square windows.? This use of alliteration emphasises that the bunkhouse must have been quite dim, representing an absence of hope. It also tells us that Curley prefers to hide in the shadows, striking when it is least expected. In this way the setting conveys that he is a danger to others. Furthermore, his actions are a key way to examine his character. The way Steinbeck presents his actions paints him as nothing more than an impulsive, short tempered scoundrel.
- Word count: 1082
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With reference to how Steinbeck presents Lennie show how far you agree that Lennie is to blame for what happens to him.
Lennie cannot perceive these racial tensions that were so prevalent at the time. He is totally ignorant of reality, so therefore we cannot say what happened was his fault. Even though he does many things that would be considered wrong in that society, he never deliberately sets out to harm anyone. Elsewhere in the novel Steinbeck uses more settings to present Lennie. At the opening of the novel we are told that there were, ?Willows fresh and green?carrying in their lower leaf junctures the debris of the winter?s flooding.? This could symbolise George and Lennie: they keep trying to make a fresh start, but they will always be burdened by the debris of the past.
- Word count: 1149
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How does Curleys Wife appear to be weak "In Of Mice and Men", and how does she manipulate her power?
She is not independent, as she does not have her own separate name, and shows that her position of authority is lower than Curley?s ? he is the dominant one. Her status is lower than Curley?s because she does not have her own separate title, and gets objectified towards Curley ? she is ?Curley?s? rather than her own self. Due to the context of the time, being a woman gave you a lower social status than men ? many were seen as second rate to their male equivalents.
- Word count: 762
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What does the reader learn about Curley's Wife (in Of Mice and Men) from Chapter 2?
The fact that she?s blocking this light from entering the bunkhouse gives the reader a sense of foreboding ? it suggests that she will block George and Lennie?s dream of the farm with the rabbits. Her physical appearance, dress and make up also tell the reader about potential danger. For example, Steinbeck describes her as having ?red? nails and ?rouged? lips. She also wears a ?white cotton dress? with ?red mules?. Steinbeck?s colour choice of red suggests imagery of danger, passion and anger.
- Word count: 704
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Setting plays a pivotal role in Steinbecks Of Mice and Men, and it is used frequently to portray central themes, ideas and moods.
The bunkhouse is very elemental and the ?bare necessities? attributes it holds emphasises this tool like attitude towards the ranch hands. The description of the structure is that the walls were ?whitewashed and unpainted? ? just a protective coating on the walls to keep it structurally intact, not for decoration, but for the necessities of keeping the structure whole. The windows, for example are described as ?small? and ?square?, to cut the costs of expensive glass, and to hint at the idea of an enclosed space, like a prison, which signals the lack of hope associated with the itinerant workers, of which Lennie and George both are examples.
- Word count: 1136
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Explore Some Of The Ways That Steinbeck Presents Good And Bad In His Characterisation Of Curleys Wife
Steinbeck use different language techniques to create a mental image in readers mind before she even enter the novella. Candy introduced Curley?s wife to George and Lennie saying that she?s ?Purty? but more importantly, that she?s ?got the eye.? She likes to look at other men, Candy says he?s seen her look at slim, for instance, and Carlson too. Candy sums up his comments about Curley?s wife by concluding ?well, I think Curley?s married?.tart?. This perception is further emphasized by Curley?s wife?s first appearance in the novella. ?The rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off. A girl was standing there looking in?.
- Word count: 958
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How is Curley's wife presented in "Of Mice and Men"?
?Fingernails were red?cotton house dress and red mules?red ostrich feather.? As she is wearing a lot of red, it could be telling us that Curley's wife is attempting to attract the attention of the other ranch workers, because of her being lonely. This is because he is the only female on the ranch. Curley's wife is also wearing red as a sign of love, which she may not be getting from Curley ? this could be the reason why she is seeking attention of other men.
- Word count: 1804
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Assess how Steinbeck presents the character of Curleys wife throughout "Of Mice and Men".
Candy regards her as ?Jailbait? indicating she is a young female seeking to get men into trouble. Jailbait is slang for a minor who is younger than the legal age of consent for sexual activity, with the implication that an older person might find him or her sexually attractive. ? I never get to talk to anyone? on the ranch there is a strong prejudice towards Curley?s wife, the men of the ranch have some very strong opinions however Candy is rather cruel about her throughout the novella and even when she is dead he verbally abuses her; ?You god
- Word count: 1014
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How does Steinbeck use Crooks to present attitudes to black people at the time the novel is set?
Crooks is openly referred to as ?nigger?, which exemplifies the casual racism directed towards him, and how people in the 1930?s had no regard for human feelings, especially if those people were black. Steinbeck shows the reader that black people are looked down on in the ranch even before we have met Crooks, ?smitty took after the nigger?, from this we know that he is looked as to the other ranch men as a toy, when they want to fight him they can, and when they want him to do their dirty work they can.
- Word count: 609
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What is the importance of Slim in "Of Mice and Men"?
Steinbeck purposefully describes Slim after Curley to show how different the men are. Also, Curley should theoretically have more as he has more money and he is the son of the owner of the ranch, however, the fact that Slim has more power shows how in the 1930s and after the 1919 Wall Street crash that money didn?t show power and that money was not important to have a high status during the Great Depression. This is further shown when Steinbeck uses the adverb ?the? in the quotation, ?This was Slim, the jerkline skinner.? The use of the adverb implies how god-like Slim is and how significant he is to the ranch.
- Word count: 951
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How does Steinbeck portray life on the ranch in Chapter 2 of "Of Mice and Men"?
When Candy indicates to George and Lennie their beds, George feels insulted as to find his mattress is a ?sack of straw?, in response to George?s outburst, Candy tries to make him feel comfort when mentioning the cleanliness of the ?blacksmith? that previously lived on that bed, and how he used to ?wash his hands before and after meals?. By mentioning this, shows that this is an unordinary way to live in comparison to an everyday lifestyle of a guy on a ranch, in which this adds to the semantic field of poor hygiene.
- Word count: 635