FOREWORD

This pamphlet was prepared by a committee of Language Heads of

Department drawn from secondary schools in Kitwe under the supervision
of the Kitwe District Education Board Secretary’s Office in the middle part
of 2017. All contributors have extensive experience in the teaching of
Literature in English at school certificate level.

The purpose of teaching literature in schools has often been debated

especially during the recent concern of our "failing educational system" and
the importance placed on high stakes tests. However, teaching literature
not only improves reading fluency through the expansion of vocabulary, but
also increases students' reading comprehension skills. Comprehension
skills not only include retelling main events, but also include the ability to
identify the author's choice or words, central themes, character
development, symbolism, irony, etc.

This pamphlet will help teachers and pupils to prepare for the Examination
Council of Zambia School Certificate Examinations as well as General
Certificate of Education Ordinary Level Exminations. A lot of energy was
expended in aligning this work in relation to the new examination set up.

Credit is given to the following Heads of Department who were directly

linked to the publication of this work:

Peter Mulomba- HOD Languages Kawama Secondary School

Gertrude Tambatamba Sialubala – HOD Languages Mindolo Secondary

School

Regina C.K. Mumba- HOD Languages Mukuba Secondary School

Patricia Tembo- HOD Languages Ndeke Secondary School

Bester Banda- HOD Languages Matete Secondary School

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LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

PAPER ONE CONTENT

Figures of Speech: Their Nature and Function

 A figure of speech is a poetic device which consists in the use of words and phrases in
such a manner as to make the meaning more pointed and clear and the language more
graphic and vivid. Figures are also called images for in them one thing is represented in
the image of another. According to Bain it is “a form of expression that intentionally
deviates from the ordinary mode of speech for the sake of more powerful, pleasing or
distinctive effect; it is pictorial or poetic language.”
 But it is a mistake to think of figures of speech as simply ornaments of language. They
are part and parcel of the human language in moments of emotional excitement. When
his emotions are stirred, man instinctively tends to express himself through the use of
figurative language. That figures are used naturally and instinctively to express powerful
feeling is seen in the fact that children and primitive, uncultured people habitually use
figures of speech.
 The world of nature is an inexhaustible storehouse of figures of speech (or images as they
are also called), and poets and writers have always drawn freely from this storehouse.
Figures have been used by poets to decorate their language and to make it more vivid and
pictorial, to increase its force and effectiveness, and to communicate their meaning more
lucidly and clearly. By increasing the beauty of language, the use of figures provides
great aesthetic satisfaction to the readers.
 The most important figures of speech are Simile; epic or Homeric Simile; Metaphor;
Personification; Pathetic Fallacy; Apostrophe; Hyperbole; Metonymy; Synecdoche;
Oxymoron; Antithesis; Onomatopaeia; Alliteration; and Transferred Epithet.
 1. Simile
 The word “Simile” comes from the Latin ‘similis’ – ‘like’and means ‘likeness’. A simile
is an expression of likeness between different objects or events. It consists in placing two
different things side by side and comparing them with regard to some quality common to

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 them. In other words there are two essential elements in a simile. First, the two objects or
events compared must be different in kind. Secondly, the point of resemblance between
the two different objects or events compared must be clearly brought out. Such words of
comparison as, like, as, so, etc., are always used. For example:
 (a) Errors like straws upon the surface flow.
 (b) The younger brother is as good as gold.
 2. Epic or Homeric Simile
 It is so called because it was first used by Homer, the great epic poet of ancient Greece,
and ever since it has been made use of by epic poets all over the world. It is also
called the long-tailed simile because in it the comparison is not confined to some one
quality but a number of qualities are compared and the comparison is elaborated and
spread over a number of lines. Homeric simile imparts variety to the narrative and helps
the poets to lengthen it out. Milton in his Paradise Lostand Pope in his mock-epic The
Rape of the Lock have made abundant use of such Homeric similes. For example:
 The broad circumference (of the shield of Satan)
Hung on his shoulders like the Moon, whose orb
Through optic glass the Tuscan artist views, etc.
 3. Metaphor
 A metaphor is implied simile. The word “metaphor” comes from the Greek, ‘meta
– over; ‘phero’ – carry. It means, literally, “a carrying over”; and by this figure of speech
a word is transferred, or carried over, from the object to which it belongs to another in
such a manner that a comparison is implied, though not clearly stated. Thus a metaphor is
a compressed, or implied simile – simile with the word ‘like’, ‘as’etc., omitted. For
example:
 (a) The camel is the ship of the desert.
 (b) He is the pillar of the state.
 4. Personification
 Personification is really a special kind of metaphor. It is a figure of speech in which
inanimate objects and abstract ideas or qualities are spoken of, as if they were persons or
human beings. Examples of personification are:
 (a) Opportunity knocks at the door but once.

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 (b) Death lays his Icy hands on kings.
 (c) “Peace hath her victories.
 No less renowned than war”.
 In all these instances, life and intelligence have been imparted to lifeless objects or
abstract ideas.
 5. Pathetic Fallacy
 Pathetic Fallacy is a figure of speech in which human emotions are given to lifeless
objects and abstract ideas. It is a special kind of personification in which the inanimate,
the lifeless, and the abstract, are made to partake of human emotions. For example:
 All Nature wept at his death, and the Flowers were filled with tears.
 It is usual to begin the name of the personified object with a capital letter.
 6. Apostrophe
 It is a figure of speech in which abstract ideas or inanimate objects are addressed as if
they were alive. The word literally means a ‘turning aside’, for in this figure a writer
‘turns aside’ to address a person absent or dead, or an inanimate object, or an abstract
idea, For example:
 (a) “O wild west wind, thou breath of Autumn’s being.”
 (b) “O Solitude, where are the charms
 That sages have seen in they face?”
 7. Hyperbole
 The word “hyperbole” (“Hyper” – beyond; “ballo” – throw) literally, “a throwing
beyond”, means exaggeration. This figure of speech consists in representing things as
much greater or smaller than they really are, with the intention of producing a more
striking effect than a plain statement can. For example:
 (a) “Here is the smell of blood still; all perfumes ofArabia will not sweeten this little
hand?”
 8. Metonymy
 The word “metonymy”, Greek, ‘meta’ – after; ‘onoma’ – a name, means literally,
“substitution of name”, and the figure consists in “substituting the thing named for the
thing meant”; for example, grey hair may be used for old age, throne for monarchy. Some
other examples are:

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 (a) The pen (author) is mightier than the sword (the soldier).
 (b) “Sceptre and crown.
 Must tumble down,
 And in the dust be equal made
 With the poor crooked scythe and spade.”
 9. Synecdoche
 This figures of speech is really a special form of metonymy. Its name ‘syn’ –
with, ‘ekdoche’ – succession, means literally, “the understanding of one thing by
another”. In the figure there is the substitution of a part for the whole orvice versa, or of
an abstract noun for a concrete one or vice versa, of an individual for a class, or vice
versa, or of the name of the material of which a thing is made for the name of the thing
itself. For example:
 (a) The rank and file streamed out of the city to see the sight.
 (b) There is a mixture of the tiger and the ape in his character.
 (c) Kalidasa is the Shakespeare of India.
 (d) He gave the beggar a few coppers.
 10. Oxymoron
 An oxymoron is the association or bringing together of two words or phrases having
opposite meanings. For example:
 (a) “James I was the wisest fool in Christendom.”
 (b) “That time is past
 And all its aching joys are now no more,
 And all its dizzy raptures.”
 11. Antithesis
 An antithesis, ‘anti’ – against; ‘thesis’ – placing, is a figure of speech in which one word
or idea is set against another with the object of heightening the effect of what is said by
contrast. For example:
 (a) “God made the country but man made the town.”
 (b) “United we stand divided we fall.”
 (c) “Speech is silvery, silence is golden.”
 12. Onomatopaeia

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 Onomatopaeia, ‘onoma’ – name; ‘poiea’ – make, is the use of a word or words whose
sound itself conveys the sense of the author. Examples of onomatopaeia are:
 (a) “It cracked and growled and roared and howled like noises in a swound.”
 (b) “The murmurous haunt of flies on summer eves.”
 Pia, pia, pia Ihuoma’s stone hammer cracked (Kongi’s Harvest, page 95)
 13. Epigram
 A brief pointed saying expressing antithetical ideas, or exciting surprise, is called
Epigram. For example:
 (a) The child is father of the man,
 (b) Art lies on concealing art.
 14. Irony
 It is the figure of speech in which the real meaning is just the opposite of that which is
literally conveyed by the language used. For example:
 Here, under leave of Brutus, and the rest,
 (For Brutus is an honourable man)
 I come to speak in Caesar’s funeral.
 Here the use of the word, “honourable” is ironical.
 15. Pun
 When we use the same word in two or more senses in order to make the people laugh, we
employ the Figure of Speech called Pun.
 An ambassador is a gentleman who lies abroad for the good of his country.
 Here there is a pun on the word ‘lies’.
 16. Alliteration
 Alliteration consists in the repetition of the letters or syllable, or the same sound at the
beginning of two or more words in a line. In this way language becomes musical. For
example:
 (a) How high His Honour holds his haughty head.
 (b) “The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, the furrow followed free.”
 17. Transferred Epithet
 In this figure of speech an epithet or qualifying adjective is sometimes transferred from a
person to an object or from one word to another. For example:

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  (a) “The ploughman homeward plods his weary way.”
 (b) “He tossed from side to side on his sleepless bed.”
 In the first case ‘weary’ has been transferred from ‘the ploughman’ to the ‘way’; in the
second case ‘sleepless’ has been transferred from ‘He’ to ‘bed’

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

Identify the figure of speech used in each sentence below.

1. He has a heart of gold.

2. Dale’s smile was as bright as the sun shine.

3. Life is a journey; travel it well

4. A wicked whisper came and changed my life.

5. Men's words are bullets that their enemies take up and make use of against them.

6. He roared with the force of a thousand lions.

7. The theater is his home.

8. There had been no rain for months and all the crops were death. Some parts of the farm
were beginning to look like a desert.
9. After a good night sleep, I felt like a million dollars.

10. Everyone wanted Ken on the swim team because he could swim like a fish.

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 ANSWER KEY
1. Metaphor
2. Simile

3. Metaphor

4. Personification

5. Metaphor

6. Hyperbole

7. Metaphor

8. Simile

9. Simile & Hyperbole

10. Simile & Hyperbole

PRACTICE QUESTION

Read the passage and answer the questions that follow

THE QUADRANGLE
I finally found my way back to my old school after almost twenty years of absence. This
is where I spent all of my five high school years. The big red lettered inscriptions of the
school motto are still legible beautifully embossed in a greeny leafy colour urging all her
learners to "ENTER TO LEARN AND DEPART TO SERVE". That is my school
located on the summit of a mountain in my native country of Zambia.

Located in the northern suburb region of the city of Coppertown, Hilltop High School
amid all the noise and confusion of the city she is a sublime and very serene
environment. It has the Zambian flag on its front court as if to remind everyone where
they live. The first thing that strikes you when you are in the confines of the school is the
old fashioned administration block that even on an early Monday morning is littered
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with dry leaves that fall from the many tropical pine trees that surround the school. The
once neat acacia fencing is now greatly unkempt making the school appear as
undefined as a maze of dark tunnels.

Right behind the administration block are the two classroom blocks. One is able to see
them upon entry for while the administration block is one storey building, the classroom
blocks are three storey structures with a deep green colour for their roofs like a
beautiful forest.

On the right is my favourite spot in school. A place that reminds me of the past and paints
a smile on my face. It is the Graduation Square affectionately called the Quadrangle
because of its square shape with four ends. This is the scene that is sacred and open to
only those who have spent five years at Hilltop High School and graduated with good
grades.

The Graduation Square is strategically located. It has an imposing presence on all the
structures of the school and yet it imbues in the students a great sense of wanting to work
hard and excel. It is the lion of this academic jungle, king of achievers and a parade for
graduands. It consists of a square lawn margined with a dry flower bed that gives an
impression of what might have been had someone cared enough to act as a florist.

Right in the centre of the lawn is a wooden podium made of timber off-cuts and yet so
smartly tucked together and painted with earth giving a feeling of mellowness. As I
behold the podium in my mind's eyes, I can see a group of young graduands proudly
displaying their academic achievements in beautiful white gowns like heavenly beings.
As I picture it, I remember that day twenty years ago when I was part of such a crowd
ascending the podium. Up until now, the Quadrangle is one of my best spots in the world
and I would give up all that I have just to relive that moment twenty years ago when I
was graduating at the Quadrangle.
(Adapted from Peter Mulomba's "My life now and then")

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1. Identify the following figures of speech
a. urging all her learners_______________
b. king of achievers_______________
c. she is a sublime and very serene environment _____________
d. remind everyone where they live ________________________
e. making the school appear as undefined as a maze of dark tunnels. _______________
f. structures with a deep green colour for their roofs like a beautiful
forest______________
g. This is the scene that is sacred __________
h. It is the lion ___________
i. king of achievers ________
j. white gowns like heavenly beings _________ (20 Marks)
2. Give the meaning of the following words as they are used in the passage
a. Finally _______________
b. Inscriptions ________________
c. Located ________________
d. Summit ________________
e. Region _________________
f. Court _________________
g. Littered _________________
h. Neat _________________
i. Podium _________________
j. Spots __________________ (20 Marks)
3. Briefly define and explain and define the two of the following terms
a. Irony
b. Alliteration
c. Metonym
d. Euphemism
e. Hyperbole (10 Marks)

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 POETRY

HOW TO ANALYSE POETRY

Read with a pencil

Read a poem with a pencil in your hand.

Mark it up; write in the margins; react to it; get involved with it. Circle important, or
striking, or repeated words. Draw lines to connect related ideas. Mark difficult or
confusing words, lines, and passages.

Read through the poem several times, both silently and aloud, listening carefully to the
sound and rhythm of the words.

Examine the basic subject of the poem

 Consider the title of the poem carefully. What does it tell you about the poem's subject, tone, and
genre? What does it promise? (After having read the poem, you will want to come back to the
title in order to consider further its relationship with the poem.)
 What is your initial impression of the poem's subject? Try writing out an answer to the question,
"What is this poem about?"--and then return to this question throughout your analysis. Push
yourself to be precise; aim for more than just a vague impression of the poem. What is the
author's attitude toward his or her subject?
 What is the poem's basic situation? What is going on in it? Who is talking? To whom? Under
what circumstances? Where? About what? Why? Is a story being told? Is something--tangible or
intangible--being described? What specifically can you point to in the poem to support your
answers?
 Because a poem is highly compressed, it may help you to try to unfold it by paraphrasing the
poem aloud, moving line by line through it. If the poem is written in sentences, can you figure

11
 out what the subject of each one is? The verb? The object of the verb? What a modifier refers to?
Try to untie any syntactic knots.
 Is the poem built on a comparison or analogy? If so, how is the comparison appropriate? How
are the two things alike? How different?
 What is the author's attitude toward his subject? Serious? Reverent? Ironic? Satiric?
Ambivalent? Hostile? Humorous? Detached? Witty?
 Does the poem appeal to a reader's intellect? Emotions? Reason?

Consider the context of the poem

 Are there any allusions to other literary or historical figures or events? How do these add to the
poem? How are they appropriate?
 What do you know about this poet? About the age in which he or she wrote this poem? About
other works by the same author?

Study the form of the poem

 Consider the sound and rhythm of the poem. Is there a metrical pattern? If so, how regular is it?
Does the poet use rhyme? What do the meter and rhyme emphasize? Is there any alliteration?
Assonance? Onomatopoeia? How do these relate to the poem's meaning? What effect do they
create in the poem?
 Are there divisions within the poem? Marked by stanzas? By rhyme? By shifts in subject? By
shifts in perspective? How do these parts relate to each other? How are they appropriate for this
poem?
 How are the ideas in the poem ordered? Is there a progression of some sort? From simple to
complex? From outer to inner? From past to present? From one place to another? Is there a
climax of any sort?
 What are the form and genre of this poem? What should you expect from such a poem? How
does the poet use the form?

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 Look at the word choice of the poem
 One way to see the action in a poem is to list all its verbs. What do they tell you about the poem?
 Are there difficult or confusing words? Even if you are only the slightest bit unsure about the
meaning of a word, look it up in a good dictionary. If you are reading poetry written before the
twentieth century, learn to use the Oxford English Dictionary, which can tell you how a word's
definition and usage have changed over time. Be sure that you determine how a word is being
used--as a noun, verb, adjective, adverb--so that you can find its appropriate meaning. Be sure
also to consider various possible meanings of a word and be alert to subtle differences between
words. A good poet uses language very carefully; as a good reader you in turn must be equally
sensitive to the implications of word choice.
 What mood is evoked in the poem? How is this accomplished? Consider the ways in which not
only the meanings of words but also their sound and the poem's rhythms help to create its mood.
 Is the language in the poem abstract or concrete? How is this appropriate to the poem's subject?
 Are there any consistent patterns of words? For example, are there several references to flowers,
or water, or politics, or religion in the poem? Look for groups of similar words.
 Does the poet use figurative language? Are there metaphors in the poem? Similes? Is there any
personification? Consider the appropriateness of such comparisons. Try to see why the poet
chose a particular metaphor as opposed to other possible ones. Is there a pattern of any sort to the
metaphors? Is there any metonymy in the poem? Synechdoche? Hyperbole? Oxymoron?
Paradox? A dictionary of literary terms may be helpful here.

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SOME EXAMPLES OF POETRY

The Creation

James Weldon Johnson, 1871 - 1928

And God stepped out on space,

And he looked around and said:
I’m lonely—
I’ll make me a world.

And far as the eye of God could see

Darkness covered everything,
Blacker than a hundred midnights
Down in a cypress swamp.

Then God smiled,

And the light broke,
And the darkness rolled up on one side,
And the light stood shining on the other,
And God said: That’s good!

Then God reached out and took the light in his hands,
And God rolled the light around in his hands
Until he made the sun;
And he set that sun a-blazing in the heavens.
And the light that was left from making the sun
God gathered it up in a shining ball
And flung it against the darkness,
Spangling the night with the moon and stars.
Then down between
The darkness and the light

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He hurled the world;
And God said: That’s good!

Then God himself stepped down—

And the sun was on his right hand,
And the moon was on his left;
The stars were clustered about his head,
And the earth was under his feet.
And God walked, and where he trod
His footsteps hollowed the valleys out
And bulged the mountains up.

Then he stopped and looked and saw

That the earth was hot and barren.
So God stepped over to the edge of the world
And he spat out the seven seas—
He batted his eyes, and the lightnings flashed—
He clapped his hands, and the thunders rolled—
And the waters above the earth came down,
The cooling waters came down.

Then the green grass sprouted,

And the little red flowers blossomed,
The pine tree pointed his finger to the sky,
And the oak spread out his arms,
The lakes cuddled down in the hollows of the ground,
And the rivers ran down to the sea;
And God smiled again,
And the rainbow appeared,
And curled itself around his shoulder.

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Then God raised his arm and he waved his hand
Over the sea and over the land,
And he said: Bring forth! Bring forth!
And quicker than God could drop his hand,
Fishes and fowls
And beasts and birds
Swam the rivers and the seas,
Roamed the forests and the woods,
And split the air with their wings.
And God said: That’s good!

Then God walked around,

And God looked around
On all that he had made.
He looked at his sun,
And he looked at his moon,
And he looked at his little stars;
He looked on his world
With all its living things,
And God said: I’m lonely still.

Then God sat down—

On the side of a hill where he could think;
By a deep, wide river he sat down;
With his head in his hands,
God thought and thought,
Till he thought: I’ll make me a man!

Up from the bed of the river

God scooped the clay;
And by the bank of the river

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He kneeled him down;
And there the great God Almighty
Who lit the sun and fixed it in the sky,
Who flung the stars to the most far corner of the night,
Who rounded the earth in the middle of his hand;
This great God,
Like a mammy bending over her baby,
Kneeled down in the dust
Toiling over a lump of clay
Till he shaped it in is his own image;

Then into it he blew the breath of life,

And man became a living soul.
Amen. Amen.

1. What is the situation of the poem?

2. Who is the persona(speaker) in the poem?
3. Identify any five figures of speech used in the poem
a. …………..
b. ……………
c. …………….
d. ……………..
e. ……………..
4. Describe the language used in the poem
5. What is the attitude of the speaker in the passage?
6. What are the themes in the poem?

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The Little Black Boy

BY WILLIAM BLAKE

My mother bore me in the southern wild,

And I am black, but O! my soul is white;

White as an angel is the English child:

But I am black as if bereav'd of light.

My mother taught me underneath a tree

And sitting down before the heat of day,

She took me on her lap and kissed me,

And pointing to the east began to say.

Look on the rising sun: there God does live

And gives his light, and gives his heat away.

And flowers and trees and beasts and men receive

Comfort in morning joy in the noonday.

And we are put on earth a little space,

That we may learn to bear the beams of love,

And these black bodies and this sun-burnt face

Is but a cloud, and like a shady grove.

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For when our souls have learn'd the heat to bear

The cloud will vanish we shall hear his voice.

Saying: come out from the grove my love & care,

And round my golden tent like lambs rejoice.

Thus did my mother say and kissed me,

And thus I say to little English boy.

When I from black and he from white cloud free,

And round the tent of God like lambs we joy:

Ill shade him from the heat till he can bear,

To lean in joy upon our fathers knee.

And then I'll stand and stroke his silver hair,

And be like him and he will then love me.

1. What is the situation of the poem?

2. Who is the persona(speaker) in the poem?
3. Identify any five figures of speech used in the poem
f. …………..
g. ……………
h. …………….
i. ……………..

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 j. ……………..
4. Describe the language used in the poem
5. What is the attitude of the speaker in the passage?
6. What are the themes in the poem?

1. Identify and underline the figures of speech in the following sentences. (20 marks)
a. College is key to many opportunities in life. ____________________________
b. That teacher is not as tall as my teacher. _______________________________
c. State house has announced that there will be three days national mourning.
__________________________
d. Felix asked for Eugenia’s hand in marriage. __________________________
e. Zambia was colonized by Great Britain. ___________________________
f. The car came and stood right at our gate, blocking the way completely.
_______________________
g. Nandi is the prettiest girl in the whole wide world. ________________________
h. Isaac’s wife was a mere baby when she had her first miscarriage.
_____________________
i. This is a sacred scene. _________________________________
j. They wore white gowns like angels from heaven. __________________________

SOYINKA: KONGI’S HARVEST

Kongi’s Harvest is a play that is written by Wole Soyinka, a renowned novelist. He uses an
imaginary land or setting which he calls Isma in order to put his thoughts across. This is where
all the actions take place. In this imaginary land, we see a clash of two very strong forces which
are the modern and traditional forces. Each one wants to assert their power over the other.

The Oba Danlola represents the traditional head while Kongi is the President and Constitutional
head of the same land.

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The clash between these two can be seen or noticed from the very beginning in the Hemlock.
Drums and the anthem clearly show the power struggle between the two sides.

EXAMPLE: The pot that will eat fat

Its bottom must be scorched

The squirrel that will long crack nuts

Its footpad must be sore.

This clearly shows that freedom does not come without a prize. Whichever camp will get the
instruments of power wholly should be ready to sacrifice their safety and possibly spill blood in
the process.

Between the two leaders, it is plain to see that Kongi lacks confidence in himself and his
leadership. He is clearly a dictator and like all dictators, he relies on propaganda and the
government machinery to eliminate completely or reduce the influence of the traditional forces.
Kongi replaces the Oba’s traditional body of advisers with his own Reformed Aweri Fraternity
and although he is shown to be in an obviously strong position, continues to see himself as
constantly under threat, both from the traditional forces and from the relatively ‘enlightened’
faction led by young Daodu.

He endeavours to absorb within his dictatorship the traditional system so as to be the sole owner
of its legitimacy, dignity, appeal and power. Kongi insists that the Oba, who normally would
have the traditional prerogative of receiving the yam, should formally present the New
Yam to him. The presentation has two functions: the new era of Kongi’s Harvest would be
opened and in the process, the new authority of Kongism would be legitimized.

Ironically, kongi’s rule has to a large extent lean on the legitimacy of the traditional power it
seeks to destroy. Despite Kongi being President, the people stil recognize the Oba as their
legitimate ruler. Even those that have joined Kongi’s camp at times have no choice but to still
give respect and salute the Oba. However, they have to do it discreetly or else they will be
crashed too by Kongi.

21
He was determined to muzzle the traditional rule and absorb all its strength in order to survive.
Therefore, it was being wiped out slowly by the propaganda and various government machinery
set up by Kongi’s dictatorship.

Points to consider:

- The difficulties traditional leaders and modern leaders go through in order to co-exist. In
most instances, modern leaders do not want to share leadership with traditional ones.
- Traditional and modern leaders have distinct roles to play in the land. These roles should
not be confused especially by dictators.
- In any kind of leadership-whether democratic or dictatorial, there are always weak leaks;
people who are wolves in sheep’s skin. They want to benefit from both ends that are in
conflict. They stand in the centre in case things don’t move in their favour so that they
can easily shift where their interest could be met.
- The play comes in Literature in English paper 1. It comes as a contextual question. A
short dialogue is given and afterwards questions asked. The marks given at the end of
each question gives a clue as to how far one need to explain one’s answer. It is pointless
to explain unnecessarily a question that has been allocated 1 or 2 marks. Care must be
taken for questions that carry 4, 6 or more marks.
- Literary devices are used in certain instances. Therefore, knowledge of their definitions
is important as the question might demand for that.

QUESTIONS:

1. Read the passage and answer questions that follow.

“Comrades,” he said I trust that every animal here appreciates the sacrifice that Comrade
Napoleon has made in taking this extra labour upon himself. Do not imagine, comrades that
leadership is a pleasure! On the contrary, it is a deep and heavy responsibility. No one believes
more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to
let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you make the wrong decisions,
comrades, and then where should we be? Suppose you had decided to follow Snowball, with this
moonshine for windmills-Snowball who as we know, was no better than a criminal?”

22
I. Who said these words in the passage? (3 marks)
II. Briefly explain what happened immediately before the excerpt (passage). (5 marks)
III. Briefly narrate what led to the decision by the pigs to do away with the song “Beasts
of England.” (10 marks)
2. Identify the following people by stating who they are:
a. Sarumi:______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________(2 marks)
b. Danlola:______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________ (2 marks)
c. OgboAweri:
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________ (2 marks)
d. Daodu:
_____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________(2 marks)
e. Secretary:
_____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________(2 marks)
f. Kongi:
_____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________ (2 marks)
g. Segi:
_____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________(2 marks)
h. Dende:
_____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________(2 marks)
i. Captain:
_____________________________________________________________(2 marks)
j. Superitendent:_________________________________________________(2marks)

23
QUESTION TWO

FIFTH: You are good at these things.

Rank your brain for some way of getting him in the right mood.

SECRETARY: You don’t know how he hates those men. He wants them dead. You’ve no

idea how desperately.

FIFTH: I do. But tell him he can kill them later in detention. Have them shot

trying to escape or something. But first, demonstrate his power over life

and death by granting them a last minute reprieve. That’s it, work on that

aspect of it, the drama of a last minute reprieve.

(i) Who is being discussed in the extract above and who are the men he hates and why?
[3]
(ii) How many people are at this meeting? [1]
(iii) What does Fifth represent in the dialogue above and how did the two find themselves
chatting away from the other people? [3]
(iv) “Now, a systematic examination of the data. What have we got on our plates?”
Who said these words and briefly explain what was meant and the occasion when it
was given. [6]
(v) Before this extract, the two made a deal. Briefly narrate what led to this deal and what
it was about? [4]
(vi) Explain how corruption and suspicion is clearly shown among these government
officials in this part of the passage. [3]

SUGGESTED RESPONSES

(i) Kongi was being discussed. The men he hated were the Oba Danlola and the
four other men in detention. He hated them because they were a threat to his
rule as they didn’t want to recognize him as their supreme leader.
(ii) 6 people

24
(iii) The Fifth Aweri
(iv) The Fourth Aweri said these words. The occasion was when members of the
Reformed Aweri Fraternity held a meeting to discuss the way forward
concerning the presentation of the New yam. He said these words in order to
get reports on how far people had gone in persuading the Oba to present the
new yam to Kongi in full view of all the people.
(v) The Reformed Aweri Fraternity members could not find a solution to the issue
of convincing the Oba Danlola to present the New yam to Kongi. The Oba
was stubborn. In the confusion, the Fifth Aweri called the Secretary aside
saying he had a solution that could work. However, the Secretary had to
smuggle food for the Fifth Aweri that night in exchange for the advice he was
about to give.
(vi) The Fifth Aweri wanted food as a bribe for his advice from the secretary.
-the conversation between the Fifth Aweri and the Secretary over giving the
Oba privileges in exchange for his comforts that he enjoyed in detention.
-the conversation among the Secretary, First, Second, Third and Fourth Aweri
when the Secretary admitted he took bribes.

25
ESSAY QUESTIONS

HINTS ON HOW TO ANSWER LITERATURE QUESTIONS

Avoid deviations. Make sure your answer is relevant to the questions. This will require you to read and
fully understand the question before you begin to write your answer.

1. Always choose a question you are comfortable with. If you are no comfortable with any
particular question, you will be better off choosing another one.
2. Answer all parts of the question. In some cases, a question may have two or more parts.
Make sure all the parts are covered in your answer because marks are allotted to each part
of the questions.
3. You must strictly obey the command word or words in the question. For example, if the
question says “Give reasons”, you should not describe, you have no choice but to give
reasons.
4. Support your general statement with as many references and examples as you can
remember. For example, if you have to explain why Okonkwo and Nwoye reject each
other in the end, you should give evidence referring to the many occasions that lead to
Okonkwo and Nwoye rejecting each other.
5. Support your answers with relevant quotations from the text. Quotations are rewarded. In
some cases, even a single word or two can be enough. Remember to put all quotations in
quotation marks.
6. When profiling the characters, you must endeavor to use appropriate adjectives.
7. Use the present simple tense in all your answers

ANALYSIS OF ACTUAL TEXTS

ACHEBE: THINGS FALL APART

Okonkwo is a wealthy and respected warrior of the Umuofia clan, a lower Nigerian tribe that is
part of a consortium of nine connected villages. He is haunted by the actions of Unoka, his
cowardly and spendthrift father, who died in disrepute, leaving many village debts unsettled. In
response, Okonkwo became a clansman, warrior, farmer, and family provider extraordinaire. He

26
has a twelve-year-old son named Nwoye whom he finds lazy; Okonkwo worries that Nwoye will
end up a failure like Unoka.
In a settlement with a neighboring tribe, Umuofia wins a virgin and a fifteen-year-old boy.
Okonkwo takes charge of the boy, Ikemefuna, and finds an ideal son in him. Nwoye likewise
forms a strong attachment to the newcomer. Despite his fondness for Ikemefuna and despite the
fact that the boy begins to call him “father,” Okonkwo does not let himself show any affection
for him.

During the Week of Peace, Okonkwo accuses his youngest wife, Ojiugo, of negligence. He
severely beats her, breaking the peace of the sacred week. He makes some sacrifices to show his
repentance, but he has shocked his community irreparably.

Ikemefuna stays with Okonkwo’s family for three years. Nwoye looks up to him as an older
brother and, much to Okonkwo’s pleasure, develops a more masculine attitude. One day, the
locusts come to Umuofia—they will come every year for seven years before disappearing for
another generation. The village excitedly collects them because they are good to eat when
cooked.

Ogbuefi Ezeudu, a respected village elder, informs Okonkwo in private that the Oracle has said
that Ikemefuna must be killed. He tells Okonkwo that because Ikemefuna calls him “father,”
Okonkwo should not take part in the boy’s death. Okonkwo lies to Ikemefuna, telling him that
they must return him to his home village. Nwoye bursts into tears.

As he walks with the men of Umuofia, Ikemefuna thinks about seeing his mother. After several
hours of walking, some of Okonkwo’s clansmen attack the boy with machetes. Ikemefuna runs
to Okonkwo for help. But Okonkwo, who doesn’t wish to look weak in front of his fellow
tribesmen, cuts the boy down despite the Oracle’s admonishment. When Okonkwo returns home,
Nwoye deduces that his friend is dead.

Okonkwo sinks into a depression, neither able to sleep nor eat. He visits his friend Obierika and
begins to feel revived a bit. Okonkwo’s daughter Ezinmafalls ill, but she recovers after Okonkwo
gathers leaves for her medicine.

27
The death of Ogbuefi Ezeudu is announced to the surrounding villages by means of the ekwe, a
musical instrument. Okonkwo feels guilty because the last time Ezeudu visited him was to warn
him against taking part in Ikemefuna’s death. At Ogbuefi Ezeudu’s large and elaborate funeral,
the men beat drums and fire their guns. Tragedy compounds upon itself when Okonkwo’s gun
explodes and kills Ogbuefi Ezeudu’s sixteen-year-old son.
Because killing a clansman is a crime against the earth goddess, Okonkwo must take his family
into exile for seven years in order to atone. He gathers his most valuable belongings and takes his
family to his mother’s natal village, Mbanta. The men from Ogbuefi Ezeudu’s quarter burn
Okonkwo’s buildings and kill his animals to cleanse the village of his sin.

Okonkwo’s kinsmen, especially his uncle, Uchendu, receive him warmly. They help him build a
new compound of huts and lend him yam seeds to start a farm. Although he is bitterly
disappointed at his misfortune, Okonkwo reconciles himself to life in his motherland.

During the second year of Okonkwo’s exile, Obierika brings several bags of cowries (shells used
as currency) that he has made by selling Okonkwo’s yams. Obierika plans to continue to do so
until Okonkwo returns to the village. Obierika also brings the bad news that Abame, another
village, has been destroyed by the white man.

Soon afterward, six missionaries travel to Mbanta. Through an interpreter named Mr. Kiaga, the
missionaries’ leader, Mr. Brown, speaks to the villagers. He tells them that their gods are false
and that worshipping more than one God is idolatrous. But the villagers do not understand how
the Holy Trinity can be accepted as one God. Although his aim is to convert the residents of
Umuofia to Christianity, Mr. Brown does not allow his followers to antagonize the clan.
Mr. Brown grows ill and is soon replaced by Reverend James Smith, an intolerant and strict man.
The more zealous converts are relieved to be free of Mr. Brown’s policy of restraint. One such
convert, Enoch, dares to unmask an egwugwu during the annual ceremony to honor the earth
deity, an act equivalent to killing an ancestral spirit. The next day, the egwugwu burn Enoch’s
compound and Reverend Smith’s church to the ground.
The District Commissioner is upset by the burning of the church and requests that the leaders of
Umuofia meet with him. Once they are gathered, however, the leaders are handcuffed and
thrown in jail, where they suffer insults and physical abuse.

28
After the prisoners are released, the clansmen hold a meeting, during which five court
messengers approach and order the clansmen to desist. Expecting his fellow clan members to
join him in uprising, Okonkwo kills their leader with his machete. When the crowd allows the
other messengers to escape, Okonkwo realizes that his clan is not willing to go to war.

When the District Commissioner arrives at Okonkwo’s compound, he finds that Okonkwo has
hanged himself. Obierika and his friends lead the commissioner to the body. Obierika explains
that suicide is a grave sin; thus, according to custom, none of Okonkwo’s clansmen may touch
his body. The commissioner, who is writing a book about Africa, believes that the story of
Okonkwo’s rebellion and death will make for an interesting paragraph or two. He has already
chosen the book’s title: The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Describe the relationship between Okonkwo and his son Nwoye, and explain why they
reject each other in the end.

This question has two parts, therefore, you are required to first give a description of how
Okonkwo related with his son Nwoye before and after the arrival of Ikemefuna and secondly
explain why they reject each other in the end.

Okonkwo’s relationship with his eldest son, Nwoye falls into three phases. Phase one is the
period before Ikemefuna arrives to live with Okonkwo. The second phase is the three year
period during which Ikemefuna lives with Okonkwo. The final phase starts from the day
Ikemefuna is killed and ends with the conversion of Nwoye to Christianity.

During the first phase Nwoye is a timid and miserable boy who lives in perpetual fear of his
father because his father is constantly beating and scolding him. There are two reasons why
Okonkwo is always beating and scolding him. First, Nwoye is rather childish in his
behaviour due to the fact that all his brothers are younger than himself, and so he does not
any older person to associate with. Secondly, he shows what to Okonkwo are incipient signs
of weakness and laziness. For example, he is most of the time in his mother’s Obi listening to
29
some of her foolish feminine stories, instead of moving close to Okonkwo, to hear stories of
war and bloodshed. Okonkwo thinks he can correct him by beating and nagging him so that
he becomes a hard working, strong and prosperous man in future. The first phase of the
relationship therefore, is characterised by the absence of any strong mutual affection.

Ikemefuna’s arrival in Okonkwo’s house changes the relationship betwee Nwoye and his
father since Nwoye now has his age mate to play with (Ikemefuna is only two years older)
he now spends less time with his mother and more time with him either working or playing,
when the two are not playing or working, they are oftn in Okonkwo’s obi listening to his
stories of violence.

Ikemfuna also teaches Nwoye a lot of new things such as the names of various birds, how to
make flutes from bamboo stems and elephant grass and how to set traps and rodents. He also
teaches him the types of trees which make the best bows, and an endless stock of interesting
folktales. Besides Nwoye becomes moreenergetic boy, since he and Ikemefuna have
something to occupy them most of the time. Due to all these changes in Nwoye’s character,
Okonkwo does not beat and nag him as often as before. Nwoye therefore, becomes a much
happier boy than he used to be. Thus during the second phase Nwoye and Okonkwo become
more acceptable to one another, due to the influence of Ikemefuna on Nwoye’s life.

After Ikemefuna has lived with Okonkwo for three years the Oracle of the hills and caves
decides that he should be killed and this order is carried out by Okonkwo and a group of
men. This incident marks the beginning of the third phase of Nwoye’s relationship with his
father. At first Nwoye hers that Ikemefuna is to be taken back to Mbaino and as soon as he
hears this he bursts into tears. This sorrow, however, soon turns into violent hatred for the
gods of Umoufia when he realises the boy has been killed. He hates them for allowing people
to kill an innocent person like Ikemefuna, and doing cruel things like throwing twins I the
evil forest. H has always known Okonkwo to love violence, but he never thought he could do
this to Ikemefuna who calls him father.from now onward he no longer trusts Okonkwo and
he avoids him as much as he can.

When missionaries arrive in Mbanta with their message of love, brotherhood and
compassion, Nwoye realises it as a better religion than the religion of Umuofia and joins it.

30
He runs away from his father and goes to join the missionaries in Umuofia. He disowns
Okonkwo. “He is not my father”, he tells Obierika.

For his part Okonkwo also rejects Nwoye. He manages to convince himself that after all
Nwoye is good for nothing and is not worth fighting over. “He is no longer my son”, he
declare to his five other sons. Thus they reject each other. They have very incompatible
natures and cannot live together. In Okonkwo’s own words, “living fire begets impotent ash”.
Okonkwo is the “living fire” and Nwoye the “impotent ash”.

AMADI: THE CONCUBINE

The setting of the concubine is the small village of Omokachi with its neighbours Omigwe
about a day’s journey from Aliyi in the east and hal a day’s journey from Chiolu in the west.
All these places are found in Nigeria and it can be therefore concluded that the setting of the
novel The Concubine is Nigeria in the named villages. There are no outside influences to
date the story, but the action clearly pre-dates that of The Great Ponds which ended about
1918.

The central theme of the novel is religion how it permeates through the traditions and beliefs
of the people of Omokachi and the surrounding villages of Chiolu, Omigwe and Aliji.
Through religion, the book reveals to us the various gods and spirits, their spheres of
influence and their relationship with the people through the dibias.

We also see how this book brings to light the crush between personal interests and the
expectations of society in which such live. One clear example is that of Madume who is
never satisfied with his own share and takes no caution when warned by Anyika a renowned
dibia. Ekwueme also wats to satisfy his personal interests again the expectations of the entire
community in which he lives. This is when he decides to discard his marriage with Ahurole
the community’s preference and takes on Ihuoma his favoured choice but against the wishes
of the sea king.

31
PRACTICE QUESTION

Explain Madume’s passes at Ihuoma. Also, explain what makes him feel confident that
Ihuoma would not turn his proposals down?

Madume has a natural liking for Ihuoma. He is also determined that he marries her let alone
Anyika’s caution and costly sacrifices.

Because of this liking for Ihuoma, Madume hates Emenike, who he accuses of snatching
Ihuoma away from him. When Emenike finally dies, Maduume feels he is going to marry
Ihuoma, the girl he had special thoughts for being married by Emenike.

The first pass that Madume makes at Ihuoma is shortly after the discussion he has with Wolu.
Wolu frankly puts it even when she approves of him taking a second wife Ihuoma is not a
better choice. Sh explains that Ihuoma is too good a woman to be her assistant. She honestly
puts it that she would rather be a second wife in a marriage where Ihuoma is the first.

Madume is determined that he buries the difference that he has with Ihuoma and there by
marry her. Despite Wolu’s protests, Madumme goes ahead to launch what becomes his irst
attempt at proposing marriage to Ihuoma.

Madume finds Ihuoma on her way from fetching water and offers to help , unfortunately his
offer is turned down. Madume fails to pull through his marriage proposal to Ihuoma. The
result if his insistence is his mortification especially after cutting his toe. He is terribly
embarrassed so much that when he gets home he almost quarrels with his entire family.

Following this unfortunate incident at Ihuoma’s compound, Madume seeks Anyika’s services
who explains that his injury is not ordinary as there are strong spirits seeking to kill him
should he persist with his intentions (pg 67). To this, Anyika advises that Madume offers a
sacrifice but he does not take Anyika’s word seriously and is yet to be found in a rather more
serious incident. With the success of the first sacrifice, Madume thinks that all is well and
can go ahead and renew his passes at Ihuoma. This time he uses the land dispute near
Emnike’s compound. There he finds Ihuoma in the plantain field. He orders Ihuoma to leave
the plaatains. But does this smilingly hoping to draw Ihuoma’s attention. When ihuoma turns
to go, Madume calls on her and asks that they be friends and forget their past disputes adding

32
that he is tired of them himelf. ”Ihuoma, there is no need for us to quarrel over a head of
plantain if you will be reasonable. Let’s be friends and forget all our disputes. I am tired of
them myself”. (pg 81).

At this, Madume fails to score a point, Ihuoma break and leaves him alone in the plantain
field. This more destroys Madume’s attempt at Ihuoma completely. The end result of his
insistence on this piece of land is his being spit by a cobra.

Anyika is called for to help him, but he refuses to treat Madume until the gods have been
appeased. Despite the efforts that Wolu make to help he husband, nothing seems to be of any
good to his eyes. He finally becomes blind. Unable to contend the situation, Wolu and her
children leave Madume who is completely blind now. Madume intends to kill his wife
Wolu but before he could succeed with his intention, Wolu leave with the children leaving
him alone. This is more than Madume can digest.

The end results of Madume’ insatiable appetite for good things is his death. He feels he
cannot go on living in his blind state, he therefore commits uicide and dies.

Madume feels confident that Ihuoma would turn down his proposal is that he feels he has the
best pair of calves in the whole village. Taking all these into account, he rates himself highly
and instantly commences his passes at Ihuoma.

ORWELL: ANIMAL FARM

In the novel Animal Farm, the writer’s style is mostly the simple type. He uses simple
straight forward narrative prose because he is writing about animmals. However, he
occasionaly puts sophisticated diction in the month of some of his more sophisticated
characters. For example, Snowball, a learned and scholarly pig, argues tha “A..bird’s wings
are organs of propulsion, not of manipulation…”

“Propulsion”and “manipulation” are surely not ordinary and simple words. Style is not only
about diction and sentence construction, however. The use of proverbs, witticisms, epigrams

33
and figurative language are all part of style, although in the novel Animal Farm, these are
absent.

There are three themes in the novel Animal Farm namely: leadership and change, selfishness
and lastly education.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Describe any three methods that the pigs use in retainin control over the animals.

This is straight forward question. You only need to describe. However, take note that you are
to describe any three methods, not one or two. This means your answer should have three
parts, not less.

You should begin by giving a background to the rebellion.

The rebellion that dispossess Jones of his farm and eventually brings the pigs to power is
inspired by the teachings of Old Major who is disguised by the selfishness of Mr. Jones. Mr
Jones believes that the animals on his farm are his personal property and therefore they must
live, labour and die for him and his family. He does not realise that the animals desire and
deserve to live happily and in dignity like himself. With this kind of thinking, he overworks
them, underfeeds them, sells them or slaughters them as and when he wants. Thus, he lives a
life of luxury while the animals live short, laborious and miserable lives. It is Old Major’s
disgust with this selfishness that makes him instigate the animals on Manor farm to rebel
against Mr Jones.

Old Major teaches the animals how to live after overthrowing Jones and the pigs elaborate
his teachings into a complete system of thought that becomes known as Animalism. The core
of this philosophy is that the animals must regard one another as equal and as brothers. They
trust and not maltreat or harm one another.

Soon after coming to power, however, the pigs begin to treat the other animals almost the
same way Jones used to treat his animals. Indeed, Napoleon declares the Farm to be the
collective property of the pigs and he as leader is the custodian of the title deeds.

34
The animal become disillusioned when they realise the revolution has failed to deliver on its
promises. Discontent is always the basis of every revolution and the pigs know this. They
realise they have to control or if possible suppress all forms of discontent if they are to
remain in charge. Thus, they employ a variety of methods to either control or suppress
discontent among the animals.

One of the methods the pigs use is intimidation. Napoleon grooms nine fierce-looking dogs
to become his personal security guards and uses them to suppress all opposition. Whenever
anyone tries to protest anything the dogs growl and at once such animal is intimidated into
silence. They even execute those appear to pose a threat to Napoleon. Four young radicle
porkers, some hens, sheep and geese are slaughtered in this way. Any animal who wants to
complain about anything must first look over his shoulders to assure himself there is no
informant. This reign of terror ensures himself that all opposition is suppressed as much as
possible.

Another method the pigs use is to keep amending the seven commandments to justify their
behaviour and make it seem that their conduct is not in breach of the commandments. They
amend four of the commandments. One of the commandments is that “No animal shall sleep
in a bed”. When Napoleon starts sleeping in Jones’ bed and the animals start complaining,
that commandment is amended to read, “No animal shall drink alcohol to excess.” Again,
when Napoleon slaughters some animals, he amends the relevant part of the seven
comandments to read, “No animal shall kill another animal without cause”.

Finally, the last of the commandments, namely,

ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL

BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE

EQUAL THAN OTHERS

A third method used by the pigs is religion. Moses, the tame raven claims to know of a place
called Sugar Candy Mountain where all animals go to rest from their labour when they die.
The pigs believe this rubbish yet they deliberately encourage Moses to propagate his lies by
giving him a daily allowance of a gill of beer, even though he does no work. The trick is that

35
 if the animals know there is a place where they can rest from their labours after death, they
will not bother too much about their misery here on earth.

Thus by using a combination of intimidation, amendment of the commandments and Moses’

lies, the pigs manage to control and suppress all opposition and rebellion on the farm.

IBSEN: AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE

The town in which the play is set has built a huge bathing complex that is crucial to the town's
economy. Dr. Stockmann has just discovered that the baths' drainage system is seriously
contaminated. He alerts several members of the community, including Hovstad and Aslaksen,
and receives generous support and thanks for making his discovery in time to save the town. The
next morning, however, his brother, who is also the town's mayor, tells him that he must retract
his statements, for the necessary repairs would be too expensive; additionally, the mayor is not
convinced by Dr. Stockmann's findings. The brothers have a fierce argument, but Dr. Stockmann
hopes that at least Hovstad's newspaper will support him. However, the mayor convinces
Hovstad and Aslaksen to oppose Dr. Stockmann.

The doctor holds a town meeting to give a lecture on the baths, but Aslaksen and the mayor try to
keep him from speaking. Dr. Stockmann then begins a long tirade in which he condemns the
foundations of the town and the tyranny of the majority. The audience finds his speech incredibly
offensive, and the next morning the doctor's home is vandalized. He and his daughter are fired.
The mayor insinuates that the doctor's actions were merely a scheme to inherit more of Morten
Kiil's money, and Kiil himself soon arrives to suggest just such a plan to Dr. Stockmann.
However, the doctor refuses all such suggestions and decides to defy authority and remain in
town. His family is supportive, and he says that the strongest man is the man who stands alone.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

36
MRS STOCKMANN: are you there, Thomas?

DR STOCKMANN: (from within his room) yes, I have just come in. (comes into the room) what
is it dear?

MRS STOCKMANN: a letter from your brother.

DR STOCKMANN: aha, let us see! (opens the letter and read :) “I return here with your
manuscript” (read in a low murmur) H’m!...

MRS STOCKMANN: What does he say?

DR STOCKMANN: (putting the papers in his pocket): Oh, he only says that he will come up
here himself about midday.

MRS STOCKSMANN: Well, remember to be at home this time.

MRS. STOCKMANN: That will be alright; I have finished all my morning visits.

DR. STOCKMANN: I extremely curious to know hoe how he takes it.

MRS. STOCKMANN: He will not like the fact that it’s I and not he that did the discovery.

I. Who is the ‘he’? And what is the relationship he has with Mrs.Stockman and Dr.
Stockmann? [ 3]
II. “I return herewith your manuscript” what is it that has been returned together with the
manuscript and what does it contain?
[ 2]
III. Dr. Stockmann has made a discovery. What is it that he has discovered and mention three
people who at first hand receive the same information together with him?
[ 4]
IV. State Dr. Stockmann’s reasons for sending both the drinking water and the sea water up
to the university without telling anyone else?
[ 5]

37
V. Why did the local authority find it hard and difficult to go along with Dr. Stockmann’s
suggestion in order to normalize the water problem?
[ 4]
VI. How did Dr. Stockmann’s pay for his insistence on telling the truth?
[2]

SUGGESTED RESPONSES

1. Peter Stockmann the mayor- brother to Dr Stokmann and brother-in-law to Mrs

Stockmann.
2. What has been returned is the letter containing the report Dr Stockmann had sent to him
over the State Baths.
3. He has discovered that the Baths are contaminated. These results have come from
experiments done on sample water from the Baths after reports of strange cases of illness.
i. Mrs Stokmann
ii. Horstad, the editor of the Peter’s Messenger
iii. Billing
4. To find out if the water was the cause of the strange illness among visitors.
5. They find it hard and difficult because of the influence of the Mayor, the brother, who
was an insincere man who sacrifices the health of the town’s people by denying that the
Baths are not contaminated. He uses all his might to crash Dr. Stockmann. He
manipulates even the town’s people through misinformation and he also manipulates the
journalists by convincing them that publishing the story in the people’s messenger will be
disastrous to the economy of the town.
6. i. His family was disowned
ii. He receives a letter of eviction from the landlord.
iv. Petra the daughter gets dismissed from her job.
v. He gets dismissed as the medical officer of the Baths.
vi. The whole populations were incited against Dr. Stockmann.

38
SHAKESPEARE: JULIUS CAESAR

Two tribunes, Flavius and Murellus, find scores of Roman citizens wandering the streets,
neglecting their work in order to watch Julius Caesar’s triumphal parade: Caesar has defeated the
sons of the deceased Roman general Pompey, his archrival, in battle. The tribunes scold the
citizens for abandoning their duties and remove decorations from Caesar’s statues. Caesar enters
with his entourage, including the military and political figures Brutus, Cassius, and Antony. A
Soothsayer calls out to Caesar to “beware the Ides of March,” but Caesar ignores him and
proceeds with his victory celebration (I.ii.19, I.ii.25).
Cassius and Brutus, both longtime intimates of Caesar and each other, converse. Cassius tells
Brutus that he has seemed distant lately; Brutus replies that he has been at war with himself.
Cassius states that he wishes Brutus could see himself as others see him, for then Brutus would
realize how honored and respected he is. Brutus says that he fears that the people want Caesar to
become king, which would overturn the republic. Cassius concurs that Caesar is treated like a
god though he is merely a man, no better than Brutus or Cassius. Cassius recalls incidents of
Caesar’s physical weakness and marvels that this fallible man has become so powerful. He
blames his and Brutus’s lack of will for allowing Caesar’s rise to power: surely the rise of such a
man cannot be the work of fate. Brutus considers Cassius’s words as Caesar returns. Upon seeing
Cassius, Caesar tells Antony that he deeply distrusts Cassius.

Caesar departs, and another politician, Casca, tells Brutus and Cassius that, during the
celebration, Antony offered the crown to Caesar three times and the people cheered, but Caesar
refused it each time. He reports that Caesar then fell to the ground and had some kind of seizure
before the crowd; his demonstration of weakness, however, did not alter the plebeians’ devotion
to him. Brutus goes home to consider Cassius’s words regarding Caesar’s poor qualifications to
rule, while Cassius hatches a plot to draw Brutus into a conspiracy against Caesar.

That night, Rome is plagued with violent weather and a variety of bad omens and portents.
Brutus finds letters in his house apparently written by Roman citizens worried that Caesar has

39
become too powerful. The letters have in fact been forged and planted by Cassius, who knows
that if Brutus believes it is the people’s will, he will support a plot to remove Caesar from power.
A committed supporter of the republic, Brutus fears the possibility of a dictator-led empire,
worrying that the populace would lose its voice. Cassius arrives at Brutus’s home with his
conspirators, and Brutus, who has already been won over by the letters, takes control of the
meeting. The men agree to lure Caesar from his house and kill him. Cassius wants to kill Antony
too, for Antony will surely try to hinder their plans, but Brutus disagrees, believing that too many
deaths will render their plot too bloody and dishonor them. Having agreed to spare Antony, the
conspirators depart. Portia, Brutus’s wife, observes that Brutus appears preoccupied. She pleads
with him to confide in her, but he rebuffs her.

Caesar prepares to go to the Senate. His wife, Calpurnia, begs him not to go, describing recent
nightmares she has had in which a statue of Caesar streamed with blood and smiling men bathed
their hands in the blood. Caesar refuses to yield to fear and insists on going about his daily
business. Finally, Calpurnia convinces him to stay home—if not out of caution, then as a favor to
her. But Decius, one of the conspirators, then arrives and convinces Caesar that Calpurnia has
misinterpreted her dreams and the recent omens. Caesar departs for the Senate in the company of
the conspirators.

As Caesar proceeds through the streets toward the Senate, the Soothsayer again tries but fails to
get his attention. The citizen Artemidorus hands him a letter warning him about the conspirators,
but Caesar refuses to read it, saying that his closest personal concerns are his last priority. At the
Senate, the conspirators speak to Caesar, bowing at his feet and encircling him. One by one, they
stab him to death. When Caesar sees his dear friend Brutus among his murderers, he gives up his
struggle and dies.

The murderers bathe their hands and swords in Caesar’s blood, thus bringing Calpurnia’s
premonition to fruition. Antony, having been led away on a false pretext, returns and pledges
allegiance to Brutus but weeps over Caesar’s body. He shakes hands with the conspirators, thus
marking them all as guilty while appearing to make a gesture of conciliation. When Antony asks
why they killed Caesar, Brutus replies that he will explain their purpose in a funeral oration.

40
Antony asks to be allowed to speak over the body as well; Brutus grants his permission, though
Cassius remains suspicious of Antony. The conspirators depart, and Antony, alone now, swears
that Caesar’s death shall be avenged.

Brutus and Cassius go to the Forum to speak to the public. Cassius exits to address another part
of the crowd. Brutus declares to the masses that though he loved Caesar, he loves Rome more,
and Caesar’s ambition posed a danger to Roman liberty. The speech placates the crowd. Antony
appears with Caesar’s body, and Brutus departs after turning the pulpit over to Antony.
Repeatedly referring to Brutus as “an honorable man,” Antony’s speech becomes increasingly
sarcastic; questioning the claims that Brutus made in his speech that Caesar acted only out of
ambition, Antony points out that Caesar brought much wealth and glory to Rome, and three
times turned down offers of the crown. Antony then produces Caesar’s will but announces that
he will not read it for it would upset the people inordinately. The crowd nevertheless begs him to
read the will, so he descends from the pulpit to stand next to Caesar’s body. He describes
Caesar’s horrible death and shows Caesar’s wounded body to the crowd. He then reads Caesar’s
will, which bequeaths a sum of money to every citizen and orders that his private gardens be
made public. The crowd becomes enraged that this generous man lies dead; calling Brutus and
Cassius traitors, the masses set off to drive them from the city.

Meanwhile, Caesar’s adopted son and appointed successor, Octavius, arrives in Rome and forms
a three-person coalition with Antony and Lepidus. They prepare to fight Cassius and Brutus, who
have been driven into exile and are raising armies outside the city. At the conspirators’ camp,
Brutus and Cassius have a heated argument regarding matters of money and honor, but they
ultimately reconcile. Brutus reveals that he is sick with grief, for in his absence Portia has killed
herself. The two continue to prepare for battle with Antony and Octavius. That night, the Ghost
of Caesar appears to Brutus, announcing that Brutus will meet him again on the battlefield.

Octavius and Antony march their army toward Brutus and Cassius. Antony tells Octavius where
to attack, but Octavius says that he will make his own orders; he is already asserting his authority
as the heir of Caesar and the next ruler of Rome. The opposing generals meet on the battlefield
and exchange insults before beginning combat.

41
Cassius witnesses his own men fleeing and hears that Brutus’s men are not performing
effectively. Cassius sends one of his men, Pindarus, to see how matters are progressing. From
afar, Pindarus sees one of their leaders, Cassius’s best friend, Titinius, being surrounded by
cheering troops and concludes that he has been captured. Cassius despairs and orders Pindarus to
kill him with his own sword. He dies proclaiming that Caesar is avenged. Titinius himself then
arrives—the men encircling him were actually his comrades, cheering a victory he had earned.
Titinius sees Cassius’s corpse and, mourning the death of his friend, kills himself.

Brutus learns of the deaths of Cassius and Titinius with a heavy heart, and prepares to take on the
Romans again. When his army loses, doom appears imminent. Brutus asks one of his men to
hold his sword while he impales himself on it. Finally, Caesar can rest satisfied, he says as he
dies. Octavius and Antony arrive. Antony speaks over Brutus’s body, calling him the noblest
Roman of all. While the other conspirators acted out of envy and ambition, he observes, Brutus
genuinely believed that he acted for the benefit of Rome. Octavius orders that Brutus be buried
in the most honorable way. The men then depart to celebrate their victory

SAMPLE QUESTION.

Discuss how Shakespeare uses the concept of conspiracy and conspirators to develop the plot of
the play “Julius Caesar”

According to Cassius and the conspirators, Caesar is dangerous because he wishes to be

king, and that a Rome ruled by Caesar would be calamitous. To bolster his case, Cassius cites
Caesar's history of infirmities to Brutus in order to portray Caesar as a cripple unfit to rule a
country like Rome. Cassius is jealous that Caesar is physically weak yet the people revere him as
a hero, while Cassius finds himself left in obscurity. According to Cassius, if Caesar were to rule
Rome, the Republic would become just like its leader, weak and plagued by disability. Cassius
fears that Caesar's rising power will further cripple the people, stating that a king would restrict
the rights of noble citizens when they should always "be the masters of their fates" (I. ii. 47.).
Cassius hates the idea of a weak man like Caesar in charge of Rome's destiny, as well as having
his own personal freedoms stripped away. Driven by jealousy, Cassius believes that the only way
to save the Republic is to murder its greatest champion. Patriotic Brutus is soon convinced that

42
Caesar must be eliminated, as he expresses that Caesar will be "…scorning the base degrees
from which he did ascend" (II. i. 26.), leaving the citizens as the Republic as mere pawns in a
campaign of domination. Brutus' greatest loyalty is to the Republic, and in his mind no man
should have the right to tamper with the stability of Rome. Without Rome, Brutus would be a
shell of a man, and he fears that Caesar's rise to power would destroy the ideals he holds true,
and in turn destroy Brutus as well. Thus, Brutus joins Cassius and his conspiracy to remove
Caesar permanently, not knowing that their actions are only hurting the great Republic that they
serve willingly.

The conspirators band together under Brutus and Cassius, but it is Brutus' loyalties to the
Republic that truly unites them. Brutus views Rome as an idea greater than himself, and Cassius
uses this to his advantage when he thinks of how Brutus' "honorable mettle may be wrought from
that it is disposed". (I. ii. 93.) Cassius plans to let Brutus' patriotism blind him by manipulating
Brutus into thinking that murdering Caesar would be for 'justice's sake'. Brutus falls into Cassius'
trap, thus entering a conspiracy that will bring an end to the Roman Republic through violence.
Brutus' ideas of justice are in fact instruments of corruption, a fact that he does not realize until
the moment of his death. He relishes the violent deeds he has done, and tells the other
conspirators to "bathe our hands in Caesar's blood" (III. i. 106.), to show the world how they
have saved Rome. The conspirators do not see that the blood on their hands will eventually mark
them as traitors. But Brutus does not wish to be classified as a lowly murderer, and thus starts to
preach about the 'just cause' of the conspirators. He even begins to use his beloved Rome as a
scapegoat for murder, stating that he had committed violence not because he had "loved Caesar
less", but that he "loved Rome more." (III. ii. 22.) Brutus does not want the murder of Caesar to
tarnish his honor, so instead he uses the 'state of the Republic' as an excuse. Brutus is driven by
honor and loyalty, yet he fails to realize that these noble qualities have blinded him from the
severity of his actions, as well as the consequences that came with them. By killing Caesar,
Brutus and the conspirators ironically transformed him into a martyr for the people of Rome,
thus magnifying his power and undermining the sanctity of the great Republic they were trying
to save.

The murder of Julius Caesar plunged the Roman Republic into its death throes, while the
conspirators campaigned on the side of 'justice'. The conspirators cry out with joy that with the

43
fall of Caesar " Tyranny is dead!" (III. i. 80.), but their bliss is short lived, as their acts have only
started a chain reaction that will lead to the downfall of their Republic. The conspirators fail to
realize that their quest to liberate Rome from Caesar's iron fist is only a prelude to anarchy and
chaos. Mark Antony rises up during the chaos following Caesar's death, and uses it to his
advantage by depicting how treacherous the murder of Caesar was. Antony eloquently states that
since the conspirators have killed one of the "noblest men that ever lived in the tide of our times"
(III. ii. 77-78.) he will wreck havoc and promises to "let slip the dogs of war" (III. ii. 273.) to
avenge Caesar. Antony sees how the conspirators have become blinded by their loyalties to the
Republic, and that with Caesar's death, the Republic has now been tainted forever. Antony then
uses his words to bring the Republic, which the conspirators killed for, against them. He tells the
crowd during Caesar's eulogy that Brutus was "Caesar's angel" (III. ii. 182.) amongst a crowd of
antagonists, and therefore his treachery was the most significant. The plebeians are deeply
moved by Antony's seemingly harmless speech, and Rome is plunged into a state of war and
chaos as a mob tries to destroy the conspirators. The conspirators soon realize that their call for
justice was short lived, and one by one they commit suicide. The Rome that Brutus and Cassius
fought for was destroyed by their very actions, as Antony and Octavius eventually rise up to
seize absolute power and declare the Roman Republic obsolete.

Man's incessant need for control creates skewed understandings of 'justice and equality'.
Brutus and Cassius never realized that their quest for a Caesar-less Rome would in fact destroy
the heart and spirit of the Republic they cherished. With Caesar gone, the glorious Republic
became unstable and fell, ironically at the ends of the men who attempted to save it. Perhaps the
most tragic flaw of mankind is its ability to build up glorious civilizations, and then tear them
down when the results of their efforts do not satisfy the needs of a few. Civilizations may rise
and fall but man's desire to control does not change at all.

NGUGI: THE RIVER BETWEEN

First published in 1965, The River Between is a candid portrayal of colonialism’s impact on East
Africa.

44
The book is set in rural Kenya, in the land of the Kikuyu community. The river referred to in the
title, is the Honia river that separates the two ridges of Kameno and Makuyu. It flows through
the valley of life, which brings the two ridges together.

In Kameno lives a well known elder, Chege, father to the main character, Waiyaki. Many in the
village think that Chege has some kind of magic and that he talks to Murungu (God) but he keeps
his thoughts to himself. Chege does not understand what all this Christian teaching is about. God
had a son, he also had one. All this does not make sense to him.

Though worried that his son might convert to Christianity, Chege decides to send Waiyaki to a
Christian school to acquire the knowledge of the white man but not his ways.

“Had not Mugo wa Kibiro the great Gikuyu seer, in whose line Chege and his son run, talked
about the coming of the white man? Mugo told the people that …. ‘‘You could not cut butterflies
with a panga …you could not spear them until you learnt their ways of movement, trap and fight
back…”(Page 20)

On the other side of the river, we meet Joshua a well known Christian convert in Makuyu. He
takes all tribal rituals to be evil. He leads long services. His two daughters Nyambura and
Muthoni are not circumcised, because Joshua objects to this evil practice. Against Joshua’s
wishes, one of the daughters, Muthoni agrees to get circumcised. Unfortunately, she never
recovers from her wounds, and dies.

Chege and Joshua symbolize the divide between the two ridges of Kameno and Makuyu, with
the former sticking to the traditional ways, and the latter converting to Christianity and taking on
the ways of the white colonialists.

It falls to Waiyaki to act as a bridge between the two different worlds. At school, he studies to
become a teacher, and after he graduates, his main mission is to promote education. Seeing
education as a tool to heal the rift between the people of Kameno and Makuyu, he works to
build many schools in the two ridges. For a while, it appears that Waiyaki is indeed succeeding.

45
However, when he falls in love with Joshua’s daughter Nyambura, his neutrality is compromised
in the eyes of his people. His two rivals, Kabonyi who hates him because of his success and
Kamau who hates him because of his love towards Nyambura, plot to bring him down.
Ultimately, Waiyaki is forced to choose between allegiance to his tribe and his love for the
uncircumcised Nyambura.

The book is a sad commentary on the conflict that tore villages and families in Africa during the
colonial era as old traditions clashed with Christianity.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

How does Ngugi use the interaction of charaacters in “The River Between” to develop the
plot of the novel?

Ngugi’s characterization in The River Between works well in two principal ways: He gives the
land equal importance, in detail and development, to the characters, and he shifts the narrator’s
point of view so that, while omniscient, it reflects primarily the sensibility of the most important
character in any given scene. His descriptions of the ridges, the river, the sacred grove, the sacred
tree, and the riverbank on which the circumcision rituals are held all serve to remind the reader
again and again that Kikuyu identity is bound inseparably to the landscape in which the novel is
set. When Waiyaki learns the ancient prophecy from Chege, he also acquires the lore of
particular herbs necessary to traditional healing. His very absence, however, from the land while
he is away at school deprives him of making traditional use of that knowledge and hence denies
him an intimate understanding of what it means to be Kikuyu. Consequently, when blood from
Waiyaki’s circumcision mingles with the symbolic unity of the river’s earth, he experiences a
unified tribal identity but only momentarily. He has been changed by an education that prevents
him from comprehending the Kiama’s legitimate concern for the loss of power over their own
lands until it is too late. In a sense, Waiyaki’s failure to belong to the land is his failure to
achieve the leadership of his people: As the prophecy’s mythic power originates from the land,
so must its fulfillment speak to the land’s sanctity.

By shifting the point of view in his narration to permit his characters’ sensibilities to dominate
from scene to scene, Ngugi allows the reader to perceive more fully the motives and moral

46
choices of his characters than he could achieve with neutral, evenly sustained omniscience.
When Joshua, for example, dominates a scene, the reader senses the fidelity with which he
approaches his converted followers. From his point of view, he is no less a savior than Waiyaki
or Kabonyi. As rigidly antitraditional as he is, Joshua still draws upon parallels to the Kikuyu
religion, especially in matters of patriarchal authority. Kabonyi, on the other hand, reveals his
own motives of jealousy and revenge. He leaves Joshua as much because he is not as good a
preacher as he does because of his commitment to saving Kikuyu lands. In his envy of Waiyaki’s
natural abilities and blood ties to the seer Mugo, Kabonyi develops a hatred of Waiyaki that
stems from more individualistic rivalry than from what he perceives as divergent values.
Muthoni, too, informs not only the sacrificial motive for unity but also the novel’s theme. When
she died, as Nyambura (reflecting her own point of view—her own love—toward Waiyaki)
reports, Muthoni had a vision of a black messiah in whom Christian values of love and
reconciliation were embodied, precisely because of her moral choice to submit to the
circumcision ritual. In the reference to Waiyaki’s role, obvious to Nyambura, Muthoni
foreshadows, by her death, Waiyaki’s own failure to achieve salvation for the Kikuyu. In
summary, Ngugi’s manipulation of the point of view creates an empathetic exploration toward
almost all the characters, thereby forcing the reader to reflect beyond a superficial reaction based
on stereotypical roles of conflict among a colonized people. That reflection, in turn, reveals the
depths of psychological damage inflicted by colonialism itself.

How does Ngugi use the interaction of characters in “The River Between” to develop the plot of
the story?

Ngugi’s characterization in The River Betweenworks well in two principal ways: He gives the
land equal importance, in detail and development, to the characters, and he shifts the narrator’s
point of view so that, while omniscient, it reflects primarily the sensibility of the most important
character in any given scene. His descriptions of the ridges, the river, the sacred grove, the sacred
tree, and the riverbank on which the circumcision rituals are held all serve to remind the reader
again and again that Kikuyu identity is bound inseparably to the landscape in which the novel is
set. When Waiyaki learns the ancient prophecy from Chege, he also acquires the lore of

47
particular herbs necessary to traditional healing. His very absence, however, from the land while
he is away at school deprives him of making traditional use of that knowledge and hence denies
him an intimate understanding of what it means to be Kikuyu. Consequently, when blood from
Waiyaki’s circumcision mingles with the symbolic unity of the river’s earth, he experiences a
unified tribal identity but only momentarily. He has been changed by an education that prevents
him from comprehending the Kiama’s legitimate concern for the loss of power over their own
lands until it is too late. In a sense, Waiyaki’s failure to belong to the land is his failure to
achieve the leadership of his people: As the prophecy’s mythic power originates from the land,
so must its fulfillment speak to the land’s sanctity.

By shifting the point of view in his narration to permit his characters’ sensibilities to dominate
from scene to scene, Ngugi allows the reader to perceive more fully the motives and moral
choices of his characters than he could achieve with neutral, evenly sustained omniscience.
When Joshua, for example, dominates a scene, the reader senses the fidelity with which he
approaches his converted followers. From his point of view, he is no less a savior than Waiyaki
or Kabonyi. As rigidly antitraditional as he is, Joshua still draws upon parallels to the Kikuyu
religion, especially in matters of patriarchal authority. Kabonyi, on the other hand, reveals his
own motives of jealousy and revenge. He leaves Joshua as much because he is not as good a
preacher as he does because of his commitment to saving Kikuyu lands. In his envy of Waiyaki’s
natural abilities and blood ties to the seer Mugo, Kabonyi develops a hatred of Waiyaki that
stems from more individualistic rivalry than from what he perceives as divergent values.
Muthoni, too, informs not only the sacrificial motive for unity but also the novel’s theme. When
she died, as Nyambura (reflecting her own point of view—her own love—toward Waiyaki)
reports, Muthoni had a vision of a black messiah in whom Christian values of love and
reconciliation were embodied, precisely because of her moral choice to submit to the
circumcision ritual. In the reference to Waiyaki’s role, obvious to Nyambura, Muthoni
foreshadows, by her death, Waiyaki’s own failure to achieve salvation for the Kikuyu. In
summary, Ngugi’s manipulation of the point of view creates an empathetic exploration toward
almost all the characters, thereby forcing the reader to reflect beyond a superficial reaction based
on stereotypical roles of conflict among a colonized people. That reflection, in turn, reveals the
depths of psychological damage inflicted by colonialism itself.

48
WYNDHAM: THE CHRYSALIDS

In the Chrysalids ,David lives in a post-apocalyptic world where all mental and physical
abnormalities are ritualistically purged. After being outed as psychics, David and his friends flee
to the Fringes. They’re rescued by a team from Sealand.

David’s father, Joseph Storm beats David when he discovered that David has been hiding the
location of a girl named Sophie, who was born with six toes. Around the same time, David’s
sister Petra is born and a temporary peace descends.

David and his fellow psychics are outed one day when one them confesses her powers to her
husband a “norm”. They flee into the fringe, where the other abnormal people are sent. There,
David and his friends are imprisoned by his Uncle, Spider. An aircraft from a neighbouring
territory, Sealand, comes to rescue David and his friends.

Genetic invariance has been elevated to the highest religious principle, and humans with even
minor mutations are considered “Blasphemies” and the handiwork of the devil. Individuals not
conforming to a strict physical norm are either killed or sterilised and banished to the Fringes, a
lawless and untamed area still life with animal and plant mutations.

The village Waknuk is a frontier farming community, populated with hardy and generally pious
individuals. David, the son of Waknuk’s zealous and religious patriarch has inexplicably vivid
dreams of brightly lit cities and horseless carts that are at odds with his pre-industrial
experience. Despite David’s rigorous religious training , he befriends Sophie , a girl carefully
concealing the fact that she has six toes on each foot with the nonchalance of childhood, David
keeps her secret. The subsequent discovery of Sophie’s mutation and her family’s attemted flight
from the feared reprisals causes David to wonder at the brutal persecution of human
“Blasphemies” and the ritual culling of animals and plant ‘Deviations’.

David and a few others of his generation harbour their own invisible mutation they have
telepathic abilities. David begins to question why all who are different must be banished or
killed.

As they mature, David and his fellow telepaths realise that their unusual mutation would be
considered a “Blasphemy” and they carefully conceal their abilities. That their mutation cannot
be directly detected allows their unusual abilities to remain undiscovered for a time. Eventually,
some of the group are exposed and David’s half cousin Rosalind, and younger sister Petra flee to

49
the Fringes. They are quickly pursed by a group of villagers who intend to capture and
interrogate them, however, the group includes Michael, a fellow telepath who covertly assists
their escape.

Through the extremely strong telepathic abilities of Petra, they make contact with a more
advanced society in distant “Sealand”, intimated as being New Zealand. With Michael’s help,
David, Rosalind, and Petra elude their would –be captors and are rescued by a Sealand
expedition sent to discovered the source of Petra’s telepathic transmissions. Due to limited fuel
on the Sealand craft, they are unable to return to Waknuk to collect Rachael, so Michael remains
behind to be with her. A woman from the Sealand, a character with evidence knowledge of the
old people’s technology, mention “ the power of gods in the hands of children”.

SAMPLE QUESTION

Describe David’s group explaining why the people of Waknuk feel threathened by them.

- First and foremost pupils should know that the question has two parts namely; Describing
David’s group and secondly why people of Waknuk feel threatened by them.
- David’s group is supported, advised and protected by David’s moderate uncle Axel,
- David’s group is a mish-mash of people from all around the Waknuk area, from al
different walks of life.
- David’s ‘group is a group of people who all consists of the same ‘gift’. They each are
able to send what they call ‘thoughts pictures’ to one another in order to communicate
when needed.
- David’s group consists of Katherine, Michael Racheal, Annie, David, Rosalind Petra,
Sally and Mark. The group has Michael who is the wisest in that he gives good advice to
others and yet spies on Waknukians.
- The group members are slightly fearful of being found out by norms, and therefore do
what they can to remain selective about what would be considered a defect, by the
citizens of Waknuk.
Why the people of Waknuk feel threatened by them(David’s group)

- The people of Waknuk feel threatened by David’s group because the telepaths cannot be
detected by examination, they can be anyone and that scares the normal.
- People of Waknuk do not look towards a new future, but instead have an all-consuming
passion for stability. Things must not change. The past of the ‘old people’ must be
resurrected and preserved.
- They are scared that David’s group may bring physical change, a severe conformity to
the ‘true image’ may also be destroyed.

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51