Aims of the lesson
• To revise the language
devices that we might see in
Of Mice and Men
• To comment on the effect of
language devices in an
extract
• To write a successful PEEL
paragraph
Language Devices
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Milsie
Antisoporificen
Brev
Petitioner
Inmtpoaoooea
Braved
Trophema
Jdaviecte
Gameyir
HOME LEARNING
Find out the definition of
each of these and write an
example to go with each
one!
The best example for each
one wins a praise point!
Due: Monday
The sun streaks were high on the wall by now, and the light was
growing soft in the barn. Curley's wife lay on her back, and she was
half covered with hay.
It was very quiet in the barn, and the quiet of the afternoon was on
the ranch. Even the clang of the pitched shoes, even the voices of the
men in the game, seemed to grow more quiet. The air in the barn was
dusky in advance of the outside day. A pigeon flew in through the open
hay door and circled and flew out again. Around the last stall came
a shepherd bitch, lean and long, with heavy, hanging dugs. Halfway
to the packing box where the puppies were she caught the dead scent of
Curley's wife, and the hair arose along her spine. She whimpered and
cringed to the packing box, and jumped in among the puppies.
Curley's wife lay with a half-covering of yellow hay. And the
meanness and the plannings and the discontent and the ache for
attention were all gone from her face. She was very pretty and simple,
and her face was sweet and young. Now her rouged cheeks and her
reddened lips made her seem alive and sleeping very lightly. The
curls, tiny little sausages, were spread on the hay behind her head,
and her lips were parted.
As happens sometimes, a moment settled and hovered and remained
for much more than a moment. And sound stopped and movement stopped
for much, much more than a moment.
How does the language in this
chapter influence your views of
Curley’s wife?
How does the language in this
chapter influence your views of
Curley’s wife?
The extract starts with an interesting use of light imagery which
suggests that the light was dimming. Steinbeck says the “light was
growing soft in the barn.” The use of the adjective “soft” suggests
that there was a spiritual and almost heavenly feel to the scene
where Curley’s wife is laying dead. This would suggest to the
reader that Steinbeck felt some sympathy for Curley’s wife and that
whilst her chance of the American Dream is over, she is going to a
better place.
Furthermore, Steinbeck uses sound imagery to convey that Curley’s
wife is now at peace. He uses repetition of the word “quiet” when
he says “It was very quiet in the bar, and the quiet of the afternoon
was on the ranch.” The sound imagery adds to the image that
Curley’s wife is at peace now and contributes to the idea that she is
now in heaven.
Peer Assessment
1) Did my partner name features of language?
2) Did my partner integrate quotations
effectively?
3) Did my partner analyse individual words and
phrases?
4) Did my partner suggest how the language
effects the reader?
/5
5) Did my partner answer the question?