How to succeed in How to succeed in your ‘Of Mice and Men’ your ‘Of Mice and Men’

examinationexamination

Assessment Objectives Assessment Objectives

AO2 Explain how language, structure and AO2 Explain how language, structure and form contribute to writers’ presentation form contribute to writers’ presentation of ideas, themes and settings.of ideas, themes and settings.

AO4 AO4 RelateRelate texts to their social, cultural texts to their social, cultural and historical contexts; and historical contexts; explainexplain how how texts have been influential and texts have been influential and significant to self and other readers in significant to self and other readers in different contexts and at different times.different contexts and at different times.

AO4 AO4

Because the text you are studying is a Because the text you are studying is a text from a ‘different culture’ you have to text from a ‘different culture’ you have to relate to the context in your response.relate to the context in your response.

You must therefore write about the You must therefore write about the context of the text making sure that what context of the text making sure that what you write is relevant to text and task.you write is relevant to text and task.

It is not enough to show that you know It is not enough to show that you know about the setting of the novel – you must about the setting of the novel – you must relate what you know to the task.relate what you know to the task.

What is ‘context’?What is ‘context’?

Context = the SETTING of the text Context = the SETTING of the text i.e. where and when the action is set.i.e. where and when the action is set.

How is the setting significant in the How is the setting significant in the narrative of the text?narrative of the text?

How does the setting relate to the How does the setting relate to the ‘real world’?‘real world’?

How do these things influence the How do these things influence the way we respond to the text?way we respond to the text?

Setting and the narrativeSetting and the narrative

How is the setting significant to the How is the setting significant to the narrative of the text?narrative of the text?

ororIn the text, to what extent do things In the text, to what extent do things

happen as they do because of when/ happen as they do because of when/ where the story takes place?where the story takes place?

In the text, to what extent are the In the text, to what extent are the characters like they are because of characters like they are because of when/where the story takes place?when/where the story takes place?

Setting and the ‘real world’Setting and the ‘real world’

Setting becomes ‘context’ when you Setting becomes ‘context’ when you link the setting in the text and the link the setting in the text and the setting of the ‘real world’.setting of the ‘real world’.

Setting becomes ‘context’ when you Setting becomes ‘context’ when you start to explore the relationship start to explore the relationship between them.between them.

Exploring contextExploring context

Exploring context helps us to Exploring context helps us to understand/ think more carefully understand/ think more carefully about/ alter our view of characters about/ alter our view of characters and their relationships.and their relationships.

It also helps us to understand more It also helps us to understand more about what happens in the novella.about what happens in the novella.

The context of the readerThe context of the reader

You You maymay also like to consider:also like to consider: How or why responses to a text may How or why responses to a text may

change over timechange over time How or why a text may provoke How or why a text may provoke

different reactions in different different reactions in different readersreaders

Linking text and contextLinking text and context

SelectSelect from your contextual knowledge from your contextual knowledge what is relevantwhat is relevant

Explain Explain howhow the contextual material helps to the contextual material helps to shape the text itselfshape the text itself

Explore Explore howhow the contextual material helps the contextual material helps to to shape the way we respondshape the way we respond to the text to the text

IntegrateIntegrate all this into a response to the all this into a response to the task settask set

Bolt-on background’ will not get you Bolt-on background’ will not get you any marksany marks