WAEC Literature in English 2021 Theory — Question 3

Model answer

Points to develop: relation to theme; character identification; breaking the curfew; the encounter; significance. One of the major themes in the novel is survival under constraint. The curfew, imposed by soldiers, restricts nocturnal movement; both Nii and I-put-it-to-me get caught up in it. Nii is the protagonist, caring for his bedridden wife Massa with the help of I-put-it-to-me (also known as Tally O), a crafty member of an illegal miners' group, the Daga Group. During the encounter, a soldier detains I-put-it-to-me for breaking curfew; Nii, asked to confirm the man's story, lies successfully to protect him, and both avoid arrest through Nii's ingenuity. Their meeting is ironic, since it is I-put-it-to-me — a stranger with no real knowledge of Nii — who ultimately helps facilitate Nii's flight to Ghana.