On The Assembly Line
How do the opening credits affect your expectation of what will follow?
What might the image of the sheep signify?
What is work on the assembly line like? How do normal elements of daily life impact the movement of the line?
Why can't the Tramp scratch an itch?

Off the Line
What happens when the Tramp take a bathroom break?
Why is he still twitching even off the line?
How does surveillance function in the workplace?

The Feeding Machine
What is the purpose of the mechanical feeding machine?
Why is it sold by a mechanical salesman?
What happens when they try the feeding machine?
Why does the machine try to feed the Tramp bolts?
Why does the factory boss finally reject the feeding machine? Do you think this is a good reason?
How might the scene as a whole function on a metaphoric level?

Breakdown
How and why does the Tramp breakdown?
How does he react to being "eaten" by the machine?
Why does he squirt his fellow workers with oil?
What comment might this be making about the nature of the human and the machine in the context of the mechanized workplace?

Sound
Consider the fact the Modern Times is a (mostly) silent film released ten year after the advent of the "talkies."
How does the choice of silence and sound help to move along the narrative?
Whose voices do you hear and how do you hear them? What sounds do you hear?