Part B asks you to refer to the text as a whole.

The easiest way to do this is to use the acronym SRCL

S- Statement linking the question to the context

R- Textual reference (quotation)

C- Analysis linking again to context

L- Link to another part of the text (cross-reference)

Read the example below. Can you write your own SRCL paragraph about relationships on the ranch?

In the rest of the novel, how does Steinbeck present ideas about relationships on a ranch at the time the novel is set?

Steinbeck presents George and Lennie’s friendship as unusual. During the 1930s, there was an increase in the number of itinerant workers due to The Great Depression. This meant that relationships were put under strain as men were unable to afford families and were forced to seek work town to town. It also created a element of tension between the workers as they were in competition for a limited amount of resources- a quarter of the population were unemployed. Relationships were not able to be formed due to the lack of trust as well as the fact the men were constantly moving from place to place. George emphasises the unusual nature of their friendship: “Guys like us… are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family.” The superlative ‘loneliest’ exposes the hardship faced by the men during the 1930s and also the isolation that this marginalised group faced. This creates sympathy and creates awareness of the plight of many working class American men. This cemented by the quotation: “I got you to look after me.” This shows the devastation that George would felt after the death of Lennie. He would be completely alone and without company. This tragic friendship suggests that relationships were doomed to fail during the 1930s due to a lack of kindness and compassion.