What is this song about?

What is this song about?They used to tell me I was building a dream. And so I followed the mob, When there was earth to plow, Or guns to bear, I was always there Right on the job. They used to tell me I was building a dreamWith peace and glory ahead. Why should I be standing in line, just waiting for bread?

Buddy, Can You Spare A Dime?by Yip Harburg

(American Songwriter) - 1932

What is this song about?Once I built a railroad, I made it run, Made it race against time. Once I built a railroad; Now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime? Once I built a tower, Up to the sun, Brick, and rivet, and lime; Once I built a tower, Now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?

What is this song about?Once in khaki suits, Gee we looked swell, Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum, Half a million boots went sloggin’ through Hell, And I was the kid with the drum! Say, don't you remember, They called me Al; It was Al all the time. Why don't you remember, I'm your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime?


What might this dream be?

What war do you think this is referring to?

Why is he standing in line?


What use does the songwriter make of the idea ‘Yankee

doodle dandy’?

Why do you think this is the title of the song and

the repeated refrain?


What might this dream be?


Why is he standing in line?


What use does the songwriter make of the idea ‘Yankee

doodle dandy’?

Why do you think this is the title of the song and

the repeated refrain?

Of Mice and Men

Analyse the ways in which the opening of Of Mice and Men engages

the reader

The Context of Of Mice and Men

1. John Steinbeck was an American writer. He wrote Of Mice and Men in 1936.

2. In America in the 1930s there was mass unemployment. In 1932, one out of four Americans wanting work couldn’t find any.

3. Many single men travelled the country in search of work, hitching lifts on trucks or travelling on the railroads and sleeping rough if they had to.


4. Many farm owners in the Midwest lost their land and travelled, with their families, to California to find casual agricultural work. They often ended up in camps for migrant workers.

5. There was a huge amount of poverty and family life was threatened. There was no unemployment benefit or support for families on the verge of starvation.


6. In America people had always believed that if they worked hard they could be successful – anybody could ‘make’ it, if they tried hard enough. This idea was known as the ‘American Dream’. In the 1930s, the myth of the American Dream was put to the test. Many individuals lost everything they owned. They felt that they had no hope of making a decent life for themselves and lost all self-respect and faith in their society. Some still clung desperately to the dream of success and opportunity, despite all the evidence that it was unattainable.

Analyse the ways in which the opening of Of Mice and Men engages the reader

The way the story starts…

Two men have been in trouble – they’ve just run away from a town.

They’re going to try to make a better life for themselves.

One tells the other what to do, if anything goes wrong – ‘Hide in the brush and wait for me’.

What can you predict about this story from this beginning?


Read through the opening few paragraphs of Of Mice and Men. Think about the rhythm of the

prose…try reading it:Steadily?Jerkily?

Peacefully?Angrily?

Poetically?Slowly?Quickly?

Do you think this is an accurate way of

reading it?


Read through the opening few paragraphs of Of Mice and Men. Think about the rhythm of the

prose…try reading it:Steadily?Jerkily?

Peacefully?Angrily?

Poetically?Slowly?Quickly?

Look at the sentence types. What

difference do these make the rhythm?


Close your eyes as we listen to that section again…

Does one sentence stand out to you?

WHY?


“Steinbeck is well known for his strong narrative style. It has been described as being almost

‘biblical’”

Read the section of Genesis. What aspects are similar to the opening of Of Mice and Men?

George spots that Lenny has retrieved a

dead mouse

The contrast between Lenny and George engages the reader in their story

The idea of the American Dream is introduced

A lot of colours are introduced

We are warned of an unhappy ending


Steinbeck’s narrative style is almost biblical

George and Lenny, the main characters, are

introduced

The description of Salinas is vivid

Steinbeck withholds information about what happened in Weed

The book starts with some good images

There is an air of tranquility in the opening section





introduced







dead mouse






The idea of the American Dream is introducedThe contrast

between Lenny and George engages the reader in their story



dead mouse



introduced











dead mouse



introduced





“A few miles south of

Soledad, the Salinas River

drops in close to the hill-side

bank and runs deep and green”



“‘I ain’t sure it’s good water,’ he said. “Looks kinda scummy’”



“Behind him walked his opposite”



“On one side of the river the golden foothill slopes curve up to the strong and

rocky Gabilan mountains, but on the valley side the water is lined with trees.”



“She yells and we got to hide in an irrigation ditch all day”


It’s essential for a novel’s opening to engage the

reader’s interest; in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men…

In the opening paragraphs of Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck involves

the reader in a sensory way…

In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck

engages the reader by including detail…

It could be argued that in Of Mice and Men the figurative language repeatedly used by

Steinbeck engages the reader…

As you’re waiting for the lesson to begin:

Connectives

Make a list of as many possible connectives as you

can think of...

Extension: why do we use connectives?

Message from Ms Rowe:

Anyone who volunteered to be a reading mentor for the younger

years please see Ms Rowe (B2) at lunch on Friday

Thanks

Of Mice and Men

Analyse the ways in which the opening of Of Mice and Men engages

the reader

Lesson Objectives:

By the end of the lesson we will:

• Have read the opening section

• Looked at how we can plan an essay

• Consider our writing styles to help structure our answers

Let’s read some more of the opening section...


dead mouse








introduced









introduced







dead mouse










dead mouse



introduced











dead mouse



introduced









Extension: what other points might you include?



“A few miles south of

Soledad, the Salinas River

drops in close to the hill-side

bank and runs deep and green”



“‘I ain’t sure it’s good water,’ he said. “Looks kinda scummy’”



“On one side of the river the golden foothill slopes curve up to the strong and

rocky Gabilan mountains, but on the valley side the water is lined with trees.”

Task: create topic sentences for each point you’ll make...

Try to add a connective to your topic sentence to help the cohesion between your

paragraphs

Read through the model answers...

• Which is the better example?

• What aspects of the better one make it good?

• What could be done to improve both of them?

Embedded QuotationsGeorge is portrayed as being “defined”

“A few miles south of Soledad, the Salinas River drops in close to the hill-side bank and runs deep and

green”



“‘I ain’t sure it’s good water,’ he said. “Looks kinda

scummy’”

Analyse the way in which the opening of Of Mice and Men

engages the reader:

Your introduction tells the examiner lots about you!

What needs to be included?

In the opening of Of Mice and Men, the author engages the reader in many ways. It is hinted at there will be an unhappy ending naturally encouraging the reader to continue. It gives us a very vivid description of Salinas, drawing us into the book. We are also engaged by the contrast between George and Lennie and how such an unlikely friendship come to be. By also withholding information of what happened in Weed, we are drawn in as it powerfully attacks a humans curiousness and motivates them to read on.

I have been asked to analyse the ways in which the opening of Of Mice and Men engages the reader. The way Steinbeck gives an almost biblical account of where this scene is set highlights his use of descriptive language and terminology, which conveys a sanctuary of peace and serenity, and also starts off the very first chapter perfectly in my opinion.

In this essay I am going to look at five different ways that the novel engages the reader. John Steinbeck thought carefully about the opening in order to engage the reader and encourage them to read on. Some say that Of Mice and Men is almost biblical because of the way Steinbeck describes the opening. He also withholds information on what happened in Weed, the reason why George and Lennie had to leave. Furthermore, this makes the reader read on; they want to find out what happened and the reason they had to leave. At the beginning of the novel we are also warned of an unhappy ending, the author has thought extremely carefully about the two main characters and what will happen at the end. Moreover he has mentioned it simply to engage the reader. George and Lennie are two completely different characters, George is “small and quick” also quite intelligent whereas Lennie is “a huge man”…

Why are they good examples?

HOMEWORKWrite the essay that’s been

planned: “Analyse the ways in which the opening of Of Mice and Men engages the reader”

DUE: Monday, 20th Septembervia the VLE (enrolment key: Lenny)

What do we need to remember?

ConnectivesEmbedded quotations

PEE

Write one section of your essay based on your plan...

To end the lesson:Swap your section with a partner and comment on:1)What went well2)Even better if...

What is this song about?

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Transcript of What is this song about?