WAEC Literature in English 2022 Theory Past Questions

Model answer

Points to develop: i. Relation to theme; ii. Character identification; iii. The reception given Lawyer Nweze; iv. The portrayal of Lawyer Nweze; v. Lawyer Nweze's role in the novel. The novel Second Class Citizen explores the themes of education, marriage, gender disparity, feminism, fatherhood irresponsibility and racism, among others, anchored on the theme of social standing. Lawyer Nweze is the first lawyer from Ibuza. He has studied in the United Kingdom. His success commands respect among his people. He is given a grand welcome reception in Lagos on his return. He becomes a millionaire after handling a Hausa multi-millionaire's case. He later becomes a minister in Northern Nigeria. Lawyer Nweze is portrayed as a true son of Ibuza who 'did not bring a white woman with him' on his return. He epitomizes human aspiration and achievement. Through him, the superstitious beliefs of the Ibuza are exposed. His portrayal highlights the literacy level in Ibuza. Lawyer Nweze serves as a motivation for Adah. His reception depicts the people's unity and communal spirit in Ibuza. Lawyer Nweze reflects the people's respect for education.

Model answer

Points to develop: i. Relation to theme; ii. Character identification; iii. Attitude to life; iv. Attitude to marriage; v. Attitude to childbirth and child upbringing. The theme of marriage and the struggle for survival in a male dominated society is paramount in the novel. This theme plays in the relationship between Ada and Francis in their marriage. Ada and Francis are both Igbo descent and are brought up in Lagos. They both travel abroad. Ada is the daughter of Pa and Ma. She is Boy's sister. She educates herself despite intimidating constraints. She marries Francis early and joins him in the United Kingdom. Francis on the other hand is a young man aspiring to become an accountant. He and Ada marry early. He proceeds to the United Kingdom to pursue his accounting ambition with the support of his wife, Ada. Ada proves to be hardworking while Francis is downright lazy. This is evident in Ada being the family's breadwinner. In Lagos, she works as a librarian with the American consulate. On getting to the United Kingdom she continues as a librarian. She takes care of the family's finances and becomes successful in the United Kingdom. Francis on the other hand is a failure. He fails in his academic pursuit in the United Kingdom. He banks on Ada's wealth. Ada is sensitive and affectionate but her husband, Francis is rather opportunistic, insensitive and selfish. Their attitude to marriage differs. Ada is committed to the marriage while Francis cares little about his wife and children. Sometimes he goes to Pa Noble's house to watch TV while he leaves his family uncared for. His abandoning his wife in the hospital after her childbirth also attests to this. Francis plays the male chauvinist while Ada resists the oppression of male domination. Ada respects the institution of marriage while Francis does not seem to comprehend the union of husband and wife. While Francis regards marriage as all sex, Ada favours some control and moderation in sex in the marriage. Their attitude to childbirth also differs. Ada sees children as gifts that should be cared for, protected and brought up in a disciplined mental and psychological regulation. She sees child upbringing as a mandatory parental responsibility that cannot be waived, relinquished or passed on to third parties. She is bent on getting a conducive accommodation that can help her nurse and raise the children. Francis is unconcerned about all these. Ada wants the best for her children while Francis does not care about them.

Model answer

Points to develop: i. Relation to theme; ii. Character identification; iii. The search for siblings; iv. Mama's enquiries about her brother; v. Koforidua and Sampa. The novel is about the adverse effects of failed leadership. The mismanagement of the affairs of government does not only lead to xenophobia but also causes severe economic hardship for the citizens. This hardship tells on the character of Nii Tackie and other characters in the novel. Massa is Nii Tackie's wife. She is about twenty five years, but already looking like a grandmother. Massa is terminally ill, but Nii knows no relative of hers. Nii is unable to take her to a proper hospital and on the way to a spiritualist Massa dies. With Massa dead, and things becoming difficult, Nii decides to leave for Nigeria in search of his people. Simultaneously, Nii's sister, Mama Orojo, embarks on a journey to Ghana in search of Nii. Mama arrives Ghana after Nii has left for Nigeria. Arriving Ghana, Mama is introduced to Joe, the Daga boss, by a policeman. Joe and Mama do business and fall in love. Mama stumbles on the fact of Massa's death during her enquiries about her brother, Nii, at Expense Bank. Mama does not know that Nii has married; neither does she know her sister-in-law. Her sense of decency and fairness urges her to find the body of her brother's late wife and bury it. Mama travels (with Joe) to Koforidua Government Hospital mortuary for the corpse. She then carries the corpse to Sampa for burial. Thus Massa receives a fitting burial from her unknown sister-in-law.

Model answer

Points to develop: i. Relation to theme; ii. Character identification; iii. Going to Nigeria; iv. The journey out; v. Arrival in Nigeria. In the novel, events and the actions of the characters are founded on the theme of social dysfunction. Nii is not spared the consequences of these as he arrives in Nigeria at the height of an expulsion order. Nii Tackie is the protagonist of the novel. He is a Nigerian born in Ghana. He has Yoruba tribal marks but bears a Ga name and does not speak Yoruba. His sister lives in Nigeria; their parents are dead. He is an Assistant Manager of a bank in Accra. There is a military regime in Ghana. Besides, assets and bank accounts have been frozen. The cost of living is high and this makes life unbearable. Nii's wife is very ill and dies on their way to a healing centre. Nii dumps the body of his dead wife at the mortuary at Koforidua and sets out for Nigeria. Nii joins other travelers like him. Aaron, an entrepreneur denied assistance by Nii's bank is in the bandwagon. The travelers are harassed by the security forces. Nii is also cheated by a commercial motorcyclist. Nii's arrival in Nigeria coincides with an expulsion order. The deadline for the aliens to leave is fast approaching. Nii is not recognized as a Nigerian. The fact that he has a sister at Ijase and the tribal marks on his face avail him nothing. No one listens to him and he has to be careful to avoid being arrested by the Immigration. His new-found love dies and is buried hurriedly and secretly. The deportation order puts Nii at great risk and delays his reunion with his sister.

Model answer

Points to develop: i. Relation to theme; ii. Character identification; iii. Meeting Kimbro; iv. The narrator's mistake on the job and his removal from the department; v. Apparent second chance. The novel Invisible Man relates the effects of racial prejudice on black Americans. From the title of the novel, the blacks are invisible because they are stereotyped and discriminated against. The narrator's experiences in the novel convey the treatment of the blacks in the white-dominated United States of the first half of the 20th Century. The narrator is a black college dropout from The Deep South. He is bitter because he is treated as a non-being and so decided to live underground and become invisible. After his expulsion from the college, the narrator travels up north and after a tedious search, he finally finds a job at Liberty Paints. Kimbro is the head of the shipping department at Liberty Paints. He is the narrator's first boss at Liberty Paints. Mr. Kimbro is bad-tempered. The narrator presents himself for a job at Liberty Paints and is assigned to work under Kimbro. The narrator overhears telephone conversation in which Kimbro is 'swearing violently'. The narrator is made uneasy by Kimbro's 'nasty mood'. He is made to 'go right to work' and is taught what to do by Kimbro. Being a novice at the paints company, the narrator knows little about the job. He is left on his own as Kimbro leaves to attend a meeting. The narrator mistakes a component of paint and spoils the batch that he is mixing. As a result of the mistake, Mr. Kimbro gets angry. Mr. Kimbro seeks the narrator's immediate removal. Kimbro seems to relent and guides the narrator afresh. The narrator applies his intuition, and Kimbro approves. The narrator is surprised that his service can be dispensed with so dismissively.

Model answer

Points to develop: i. Relation to theme; ii. Character identification; iii. Whiteman's perceptions; iv. Ras as a representative of the white man's perceptions; v. The portrayal of Ras. The novel Invisible Man deals with the themes of racism, violence, identity, black history, innocence, among others. These are founded on the theme of white perceptions of blacks and their effects on blacks in America. Ras is a black man. He is described as one who has entirely monopolized Harlem. Ras speaks with a violent accent; his language is vulgar. He has a large enthusiastic audience. Ras is described as a 'short heavy figure as wide as the lobby'. He is opposed to anything white. Blacks are perceived and treated as people without history or an identity. Blacks are perceived and treated as invisible. Blacks are also perceived and treated as people who are violent; they are perceived and treated as people without moral values. They are also perceived and treated as people undeserving of anything progressive. Ras is violent. He is unaccommodating of other people's views. He opposes the narrator and Tod Clifton for working for the Brotherhood. Ras is unprogressive as this is seen in his control of the backward street illiterates of Harlem. He speaks of Mama Africa and draws from the African past to unrelated issues. Ras has low moral esteem. He is insensitive as exemplified in the last episode where he unleashes terror on the city of Harlem. Ras' portrayal justifies the extent of alienation suffered by the black man in the novel. It also demonstrates the major concern for black unity in the novel. It enhances the theme of violence. Ras' portrayal significantly contributes to the development of the theme of invisibility. It depicts the extreme struggle for visibility by the blacks.

Model answer

Points to develop: i. Relation to theme; ii. Character identification; iii. Lockwood's experience on his visit; iv. The presence of the supernatural in the novel; v. Contribution of the visit to the development of plot. The novel Wuthering Heights deals with the upheavals within the upper middle class English society due to internal and external forces. These generate sub-themes like marriage, revenge, poverty, ownership, among other themes. The theme of class conflict is also seen in the struggle to attain the ownership of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange by Heathcliff due to maltreatment from Hindley Earnshaw and Edgar Linton. Lockwood is Heathcliff's tenant at Thrushcross Grange. Lockwood is a narrator in the novel. Lockwood is a commentator who provides a perspective to the narration. He is in Wuthering Heights to introduce himself to his landlord, Mr. Heathcliff. Lockwood is portrayed as a naïve narrator who is prone to making vain and amusing mistakes. He mistakes Cathy for Mrs. Heathcliff even though it is clear to him that 'there was too great disparity between the ages of the parties to make it likely that they were man and wife'. He spends the night at Wuthering Heights. Lockwood narrates his conversation with the ghost of Catherine. He observes that Heathcliff's torment over the loss of Catherine Earnshaw is unnatural. In fact, Heathcliff pines over Catherine; he is violent in matters concerning Catherine. Lockwood's visit introduces the reader to the power play or conflict in the household of Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff has control over Cathy and he disdains Hareton with passion. Hareton is portrayed as being aggressive and uncouth because of his sensibility to his status. The visit shows the unfriendly nature of both Wuthering Heights and its occupants.

Model answer

Points to develop: i. Relation to theme; ii. Character identification; iii. Their relationship; iv. The effect of the relationship on Heathcliff; v. Contribution to the development of the plot. The interplay of love and revenge is the dominant theme in the novel Wuthering Heights. This theme manifests in the lives of Cathy Linton and Hareton Earnshaw who suffer Heathcliff's revenge but join hands later in the novel. Cathy is the daughter of Edgar Linton and Catherine Earnshaw. She is a beautiful woman. She is typically human as this shows in her compassion towards Hareton's illiteracy. Although she was antagonistic towards Hareton at first, she revises her attitude towards Hareton later in life. Hareton on the other hand is the son of Hindley and Frances. He and Cathy Linton are cousins. He is deprived of education by Heathcliff. Hareton is made a labourer in his father's house. He is tutored by Cathy to become a gentleman later. Nelly introduces Hareton and Cathy as cousins. Cathy is appalled by Hareton's lack of education and poor manners. They both fall in love after the death of young Linton. Heathcliff is not happy with the development (love relationship between Hareton and Cathy) but he can't do anything about it. Cathy and Hareton eventually marry. Hareton and Cathy's bond inconveniences Heathcliff. He is unable to direct the cause of the relationship between the two. He rather pines in dismay and becomes a hermit. Heathcliff eventually dies totally frustrated. The relationship between the two characters foreshadows the imminent unity of Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights. Their union confounds Heathcliff's vengeance. The marriage of the two resolves the major conflict in the novel.

Model answer

Points to develop: i. Relation to theme; ii. Character identification; iii. In Mende Chiefdom, men see women as sex objects; iv. Women are seen as not fit to rule; v. Women are viewed as gullible and weak; vi. Women are viewed as home keepers and child bearers. The play Let Me Die Alone projects the traditional African society faced with an internal struggle for power and an aggression by the colonial government. Women play significant roles which give rise to what their men do to them. One of the significant characters in the play is Yoko, who succeeds Gbanya, her husband, as ruler of Mende Chiefdom. She is beautiful, confident and assertive. These are qualities she exploits to her advantage. Besides, Yoko is childless. One may also pay attention to Jilo, Ndapi's wife, who flirts with Lansana. Ndapi is the chief warrior whose daughter, Jeneba, is adopted by Yoko and who becomes the focal point of Yoko's predicament as a leader and ruler of Mende Chiefdom. The marginality of the female folks in the play is accentuated by the characters of Lamboi and Musa who thwart Yoko's reign. The less significant female characters in the play are Musu and Fanneh whose roles contribute in one way or the other to the treatment of the female folks in the play. In Mende Chiefdom, women are seen as sex toys. It is evident at the beginning of the play when Gbanya, Chief of Mende Chiefdom is all over Yoko, his wife for sex. Gbanya asks, 'of what better use is a woman to a man?' When Yoko protests, he insists, 'Go back to bed, Yoko, you are a woman. Your brain was made for music, your feet for dancing steps that will fire the loins of any man, and your body for that bed. Not for the important affairs of the chiefdom.' The portrayal of women as sex toys is also evidence in Lansana's description and pursuit of Jilo, Ndapi's wife. Lansana pursues Jilo mainly to have sex with her. When Jilo protests and tells him to go to his wife, he retorts, 'Nyande, Nyande, how long can a man go eating Sakitomboi? From time to time, he should taste jolabete'. This portrays men's freedom to choose a variety of women. Besides, women are seen as not fit to rule. Gbanya reiterates this view and acts on it. When Yoko insists that he hands over the chiefdom to her upon his death and even reminds him of a promise he had made, he says, 'Look woman, if Senehun is to survive, a man must lead her'. Gbanya would rather have Ndapi, Chief warrior, to succeed him, not have Yoko, his wife to do so. For him, a woman does not qualify to rule. In the same vein, Lamboi and Musa are dissatisfied with Yoko being the next chief of Senehun. For this they work to thwart her becoming the next chief and when she succeeds in becoming the next chief they pursue her downfall. Furthermore, women are seen as gullible and weak. Ghanya would not share state secrets with Yoko, his wife. About the Governor's impending arrival, he says to her, 'Go back to bed, Yoko, you are a woman'. Yoko's answer is, 'I am a woman, but I am also human'. The message of weakness of the female folk is embedded in the expression 'you are a woman'. Lansana also succeeds to have sex with Jilo by exploiting her gullibility and vulnerability. He flatters her, 'Look at your body, Nyande. See how smooth it is – as smooth as the back of a bridal calabash.' Consequent upon the revelation that Jilo and Lansana have been having illicit sexual affairs, Jilo confesses the reason why she falls for Lansana is because her beauty has not been appreciated by her husband, Ndapi. She says, 'At least he (Lansana) makes me feel wanted.' Even when Musa and Lamboi spread the false news of Yoko killing Jeneba for rituals, it is the women who set up Yoko, their own. In conclusion women are seen as home keepers and child bearers. This attitude manifests in Gbanya's conversation with Yoko, to the effect that she is body and no brain. Yoko as 'weaned' herself by joining Poro. When it is alleged that Yoko killed Jeneba, Ndapi tells her, 'You don't know the pain of childbirth'. In her lonesome moments as Queen, Yoko confesses to Fanneh: 'There are even times when I feel lonesome. I would have very much liked to have my own children. Children to hold, to love...'

Model answer

Points to develop: i. Relation to theme; ii. Character identification; iii. Gbanya's achievements; iv. Gbanya's pragmatism; v. He shows care and love; vi. Gbanya's weak side. The thematic thrust of the play is that of a traditional African society faced with an internal struggle for power and an external aggression by the colonial government. Governor Rowe who represents colonial power wields such power to influence the affairs of the African people being colonized in the play. Gbanya who is the chief of Mende Land exhibits traits of laudable achievements, pragmatism, good leadership and affection. Gbanya is the Chief of Mende Land. He is married to thirty seven wives and Yoko the queen is the favourite of them all. Being his favourite wife, Gbanya treats Yoko as a mere sex object of a man's pleasure. This is evident in his confession, 'Of what use is a woman to a man?' Gbanya's achievements resonate throughout the play, even after his death. His governance enables Mende land to boast of 'the richest wine and the biggest cattle'. His reign wins many wars which are described by Ndapi as 'honourable and brave ventures'. Yoko inherits his stable leadership as she confesses that Gbanya is 'the man who made Senehun into a great chiefdom.' In fact, Gbanya has the most courageous warriors in Mende Kingdom. His pragmatic approach to leadership manifests in several ways. He says 'a chief must be ruthless and 'must never be seen as weak...' He confesses to Yoko that 'if Senehun is to survive, a man must lead, not a woman'. This is premised on the fact that patriarchy is practised in Mende Kingdom. Gbanya has the courageous band of fighters or warriors. The fact that Yoko models Gbanya's 'virtues and qualities of undying love' in both her governance and life points to his mark of good leadership. Lavalie also describes him as 'a finer man and a braver man'. Gbanya's care and love manifest in the play. He shows affection for his wives through his concern. For example, he dispatches Lavalie, one of his warriors, to tell his wives to put on their best clothes so as to warmly receive the visiting Governor Rowe. He loves and cares for Yoko because of her vision and contribution to the affairs of the kingdom. However, Gbanya is not without his weak sides. One is his misjudgement in sending his warriors to fight on John Caulker's side as against the Governor's brother. Eventually, Governor Rowe humiliates him in the presence of his subjects. Gbanya's weakness also reflects in his excessive love for Yoko; he is oblivious of the treacherous plans by Musa and Lamboi. He allows himself to be killed in the interest of peace in the kingdom.

Model answer

Points to develop: i. Relation to theme; ii. Character identification; iii. Role of Baroka; iv. Roles of Sidi and Sadiku; v. The resolution. The play The Lion and the Jewel centres on the theme of conflict between tradition and modernity which produces humorous and ridiculous effects. African tradition is represented by the characters of Baroka, Sidi and Sadiku while Lakunle represents the Western culture. In the long run, African tradition triumphs over the Western culture as Lakunle loses Sidi to Baroka. Baroka is the Bale of Ilujinle, aged sixty two. He is wily and polygamous. Sadiku is Baroka's eldest wife. She is susceptible to gossip. She also can be described as Baroka's match-maker attempting to patronize Sidi to marry Baroka. Sidi is the village Belle. She is slim; she has plaited hair; she is vain and gullible. She can be described as a traditional woman. Lakunle is the village school master, nearly twenty three years. He looks ludicrous in Western attire. He is much opposed to the African tradition as this is evident in his use of bombastic language. One sees Baroka as the representative of tradition. As the Bale, he is the custodian of the culture and traditions of his people. He believes in and practices polygamy. Baroka is portrayed as an opponent of modernity when he pays surveyors to re-route a railway track that was to pass through the village. His positive attitude to the establishment of postal service in the village suggests that he is not totally against modernity but wants to proceed more cautiously, and on his own terms. Lakunle's ideas of 'modern marriage' do not convince Sidi. He sees women as the weaker sex and having smaller brains which puts Sidi off. Sidi realizes that she would have less and fewer rights as Lakunle's wife than she would in a traditional marriage. The conflict between tradition and modernity also shows in the way Sadiku woos Sidi for Baroka. She wards off Lakunle from attracting Sidi. She is instrumental in winning Sidi over to tradition and killing Lakunle's ambition. Lakunle represents modernity. However, his representation of modernity is shallow and not convincing. Rather, he cuts a poor figure. Baroka is a strong, confident traditionalist who has his way with his people, particularly, his women. Sidi, by virtue of her youth and relative inexperience could have been swayed by Lakunle away from tradition, but Lakunle's persuasions are not convincing enough. The pull of tradition, aided by Sadiku, proves too strong for her, especially her insistence that Lakunle pay the bride price. The play suggests that an outright rejection of tradition for the sake of joining the modern world is ill-advised. Baroka's triumph suggests that progress must be made when it truly benefits the village and its people.

Model answer

Points to develop: i. Relation to theme; ii. Instances of the play-within-the-play; iii. Features of the play-within-the play; iv. Purpose of the play-within-the-play; v. The significance of the play-within-the play. The play The Lion and the Jewel centres on the conflict between tradition and modernity which produces humorous and ridiculous effects. The play-within-the-play is embedded in the theme of the conflict between tradition and modernity as this further helps to project the theme. The play-within-the-play shows the coming of modernity to Ilujinle and how this was opposed by Baroka. It also establishes the background of the events in the play. There is a pantomime of the stranger with one eye box and his devil's own horse-motor car. He is described as 'the man from the outside world'. There is another pantomime about the thwarted railway construction that is to pass through Ilujinle. The white surveyor is bribed and the prisoners stop work. Lakunle plays the role of the 'stranger' as an imaginary driver while the girls 'crouch on the floor as four wheels of a car'. The presence of 'a snake', 'a monkey' and 'a roar' gives the performance a local colour. The performance also features Sidi's picturesque image which fascinates the drunken stranger as she sheepishly follows him. Baroka plays the role of the former Bale, Chief Baseje. The chief threatens and pacifies the stranger. He orders 'a feast in his honour'. The stranger first rejects the drinks, then accepts and drinks to stupor. He admires Sidi and takes 'all sorts of magazine postures and innumerable photographs of her'. The purpose of the play-within-in-the play is to entertain the people, particularly, the Bale. He tells the protesting Lakunle, 'without these things you call nonsense, a Bale's life would be pretty dull'. Besides, the performance is used to bring the audience up to speed on current incidents in the entire play. It is also used to justify Lakunle's resentment of the Bale's lifestyle and to shed light on the background of Ilujinle people. The play-within-the-play serves as a flashback to the entire events in the play. It also enriches the play's humour. It depicts the culture of hospitality and the spirit of togetherness that characterise African tradition. The performance establishes the source of feud (disagreement) between Lakunle and Baroka as captured in the interrupted railway construction. It serves as a link between the past and the present life of Ilujinle as evident in the coming of the magazine that changes Sidi's life and that of the village. It attracts and encourages audience participation.

Model answer

Points to develop: i. Relation to theme; ii. Character identification; iii. His view of the structure of Victorian society; iv. He sees that all is not well between the classes; v. He finds working class life routine and monotonous; vi. For Jimmy, across-class marriages have built-in instability. The play deals with the conflict between the social classes in Victorian or English society which is alighted in the marriage between Jimmy and Alison. One of the themes in the play is class conflict and this is seen in the demarcation between the upper-middle class and the working class in the play. Jimmy belongs to the working class while Alison and her family belong to the upper-middle class. Although the play is set against the backdrop of the post-Second-World-War England, it reflects the Victorian or class-based English society. Jimmy is a major character in the play. He is twenty five years old. Jimmy is married to Alison Redfern. The playwright describes him as 'capable of cruelty and sincerity'. Jimmy is tall and slim and has few friends because of his 'apparent honesty'. He is a university dropout. The society is divided into working class and middle or upper-middle class people. It is based on education and privilege. Jimmy drops out of the university after one year. He and his friend, Cliff, are decidedly working class except that 'some of his mother's relatives are pretty posh'. His wife, Alison and her parents are of a stable middle class family. Alison's brother, Nigel is well to do, a member of the English Parliament. Jimmy sees that all is not well between the classes. He hates Alison's parents, particularly her mother, for not wanting him to marry Alison. He does not like Alison's friend, Helena, although they temporarily fall in love and she leaves him to save her conscience. After Jimmy has married Alison in a rush, and his friend, Hugh Tanner, drag her along to gatecrash her parents' middle class friends' parties and cause a stir. Jimmy finds the working class life routine and monotonous. People are generally jobless. They accept any job like the sweet-stall to make ends meet. Jimmy and his friend, Cliff, pour over the weekend newspapers aimlessly to kill boredom. Alison and Helena while away the time ironing. For Jimmy, across-class marriages have built-in instability. His marriage to Alison is unconventionally blessed in a church. Alison's parents attend the ceremony uninvited. Subsequently, Alison's father, Colonel Redfern, feels guilty about how he and his wife have treated Jimmy. The marriage between Jimmy and Alison remains stormy, till Jimmy and Alison begin to make a few sacrifices for love, e.g. when Alison returns to Jimmy. Alison's parents' marriage is, however, stable on class, love and convention.

Model answer

Points to develop: i. Relation to theme; ii. Character identification; iii. Jimmy's attacks on Alison's family; iv. Alison's reaction to Jimmy's attacks; v. Significance of Alison's reactions. The play deals with the conflict between the social classes which is highlighted in the marriage between Jimmy and Alison. Jimmy and Alison suffer psychological or emotional chaos due to class difference. Jimmy belongs to the working class while Alison belongs to the upper or middle class. Their marriage is full of conflict due to class difference. This conflict has a devastating effect on the marriage to the extent that Alison loses what is supposed to be their first baby. Alison Porter is Jimmy Porter's wife. She is the daughter of Colonel Redfern. She is from the upper class. Alison is described in the play as 'elusive personality, tall, dark'. She is about the same age (twenty five years) as Jimmy and Cliff. She is a friend of Helena. She is Cliff's best friend and confidant. Jimmy Porter is Alison's husband. He is well educated and informed; he is a university dropout. Jimmy runs a sweet-stall together with Cliff. He (Jimmy) is described as a 'tall, thin, young man of about twenty five years of age'. He is a 'disconcerting mixture of sincerity and cheerful malice, of tenderness and freebooting...cruelty'. Jimmy derisively asks Alison if she feels the papers make her so brilliant. He often insults Alison for her inability to react to the problems of her social class. He calls Alison 'Lady Pusillanimous...wanting of firmness of mind, of small courage, having a little mind, mean, cowardly, timid of mind...' He disparages Alison's brother, Nigel and calls him 'straight-backed, chinless monster who went to Sandhurst'. Jimmy condemns Nigel's lifestyle. He attacks Nigel and Alison, labeling them 'sycophantic, phlegmatic and pusillanimous'. Jimmy also insults Alison's Mummy and Daddy, calling them 'militant, arrogant and full of malice.' He condemns Alison's father's disposition to re-live the romantic past. Alison takes Jimmy's attacks or tirades calmly without saying anything but ignoring him. She shows she is 'used to these carefully rehearsed attacks' and 'carries on with her ironing'. She deliberately attempts to divert attention to other issues such as asking Cliff if he wants to smoke. She subsequently takes Helena's advice to leave Jimmy. Alison's reactions demonstrate maturity and love. Besides, her reactions highlight Jimmy's needless and misdirected anger against socioeconomic problems in the society. Her silence also paves way for her return as this enables Jimmy to take her back to enjoy their true love as bear and squirrel.

Model answer

Points to develop: i. Relation to theme; ii. Character identification; iii. Troy's upbringing; iv. Results of Troy's upbringing; v. Influences Troy passes on his children. The play reflects the racial discrimination of the 1950s which impacts the lives of black Americans, particularly Troy and his family. The blacks are discriminated against and this shows in many facets of their lives. The blacks are relegated to the back seats of the society. Troy has to protest at his workplace before he gets promoted from being a garbage carrier to being a truck driver; he experiences racial discrimination as a baseball player. Troy Maxson is fifty two years old. He is large and has thick heavy hands. Troy is the father of Lyons, Cory and Raynell, all from different mothers. He is the husband of Rose. A son of an unsuccessful sharecropper, Troy left home at age fourteen. He has now built a family with his wife and children. Troy is a truck driver in a sanitation department. He is a friend of Bono. Troy's father was a very hard-working man, although he was always in debt. His father used confrontation and violence to put fear in him. Troy engaged in a near-death confrontation with his father over sexual abuse of his girlfriend. He subsequently left his father's home in Alabama, travelling two hundred miles to the city. Troy's earlier upbringing seems to have given him a wrong perception of parenting. He sees himself as a commander who cannot accept his children's views. Troy learns the value of hard work and a sense of responsibility. Besides, Troy experiences racism as a boy when he is denied the opportunity to play baseball. As an adult, his honesty and awareness of wrong enable him to change his status at his work place and become the driver of a garbage truck. Troy's refusal to let Cory play football is an influence from past upbringing. Troy repeats the mistakes of his father. He drives his son Cory away from home because of a fierce argument that nearly turns physical. Troy's sense of hard work and responsibility is picked up by his sons, especially Cory. He wants his children to work hard. This is evident in Lyons' insistence on paying back the ten dollars he borrowed from him and Cory going away to educate himself and become a Marine Corporal. In conclusion, Troy's upbringing has positive and negative influences on him and it also manifests in his relationship with his children.

Model answer

Points to develop: i. Relation to theme; ii. Character identification; iii. Definition or explanation of comic relief; iv. Gabriel's delusional actions and speeches; v. Significance of comic relief. The play relates the theme of racial discrimination in America in the 1950s which impacts the lives of African Americans, particularly Troy, his brother, Gabriel, a veteran of World War II, and ignored by the larger white American society. Gabriel is Troy's younger brother. He is the only one of Troy's siblings that we encounter in the play. He is a Second World War veteran who has returned home with a disabling head injury that has made him mentally unsound. Comic relief refers to the interactions of characters, speeches, or scenes in a literary work that alleviate tension by creating fun or humour. Gabriel's funny actions and speeches are attributed to his mental state, but they add to the reader's interest by lessening the tension in the family. Gabriel's delusional actions include seeing himself as an Archangel Gabriel. He also claims to seeing and chasing 'hell hounds'. He believes he died long ago and went to heaven where he shared 'some big fat biscuits' with St. Peter'. He blows his trumpet that gives no sound. Gabriel surprises everyone with his appearance at Troy's funeral and does a slow eerie dance while announcing he is going to tell St. Peter to open the gate for Troy. Gabriel's comic relief has its own significance. It focuses attention on the excesses of racial discrimination. It implicates Troy Maxson in his selfish use of his brother's money. Gabriel's comic relief also provides spaces for audience laughter to lessen the tension in the family. His brother's deeds are now forgiven and Saint Peter is ready to receive him. Gabriel blowing his trumpet with no sound helps to suggest the futility of life as shown in Troy's own life and death.

Model answer

Points to develop: i. Relation to theme; ii. Definition and explanation of contrast; iii. Contrast between the permanence of time and brevity of life; iv. The feeling of the women; v. Contrast between the song of old and the poet's attempt to rescue what is left. The poem is about the ability of song to express the feelings of anguish and joy as well as keep the memory of the dead alive. The women in the poem are immortalized by the song they sang in servitude. Contrast is a literary device through which writers highlight the differences between two subjects, places, persons, things or ideas for special effects. In the poem, contrast is shown between the permanence of time and brevity of life. In the poem 'died long ago'. Time has stripped the lyrics and scared the tune of the song 'which beheld their lives'. The lyrics is lost in 'the vast void of time' while the song brings to life their feelings of despair. It 'sponged off their anguish' to behold their collective pain. It also enables them to plough the terrain of their mindscape 'in the vast void of time'. Besides, it enables them to 'cheat the tyranny of time'. The feelings of the women are accentuated. The song connects the women to their ancestors. The song also highlights their feelings of joy or ecstasy. The song enables them to celebrate their gain. This finds expression in the fact that it 'sponged off their anguish'. The contrast between the song of old and the poet's attempt to rescue what is left finds expression in the fact that the song died, leaving a fading tune. The poet 'through the stuttering lips of my pen and the screeching voice of my rib' has rescued the 'tune turning the tenor of my verse'. This has not succeeded in obliterating the memory of the women as the stripped lyrics of their song have been captured for the posterity by the poet.

Model answer

Points to develop: i. Relation to theme; ii. Profile of characters; iii. The claim to the right to lead by different animals; iv. The consequence of lack of good leadership; v. The desirable leadership qualities. Leadership is a problem in Africa. The political arena is saturated with different people posing as leaders while in reality they lack the required qualities to lead the people. The poem is a satirical piece on the problem of leadership in Africa. The poet uses metaphor and allegory to comment on the problem of leadership in Africa. This is evident in the animal characters in the poem. The poem presents animal characters whose attributes or qualities reflect those of the leaders they represent. These animal characters include the lion who 'stakes his claim to the leadership of the pack', the hyena, the elephant, the giraffe, the zebra, the warthog and the rhino who possess one quality or the other. However, these animal characters represent certain flaws in African leaders. The lion, like the hyena, claims 'the crown' as the rightful one who is supposed to lead his followers in the animal kingdom but both the antelope and impala are afraid of the lion's 'ferocious pounce of his paws' and his 'lethal appetite'. This is in reference to leaders who are brutish and dictatorial. The giraffe craves a place in the front but 'his eyes are too far from the ground'. This implies that he may be out of touch with the realities of the lives of the other animals. If a leader's attention is not focused on the people he leads, obviously, he cannot be a good leader. The zebra has black and white stripes which suggest 'duplicity'. This depicts deception and unpredictability in his character. Here, the reference is pointed to African leaders who cannot be trusted by the citizenry because they do not do what they preach. The elephant has 'trampling feet' so his weight could put other animals to great disadvantage. The warthog is described as 'too ugly'. This shows that leadership is not about physical beauty or good looks, but honesty. The rhino is characterized in the poem as 'too riotous'. This shows that if a leader is the riotous type, there will always be trouble, confusion and the absence of peace. The poet shows in the poem that the consequence of lack of good leadership is that 'the pack' is unsettled as it 'thrashes around'. This refers to the followers and also points attention to the fact that without a leader, they are like 'a snake without a head'. This shows lack of direction. The poet highlights the desirable leadership qualities using the character of the Forest Sage in the poem. The Forest Sage, who represents the voice of wisdom and experience, declares to others: 'Our need calls for a hybrid of habits', that is, a healthy balance of attributes. A leader should manifest a balance of 'a little bit of a lion' and 'little bit of a lamb'. This means that a leader should be as strong or brave as a lion and at the same time be humble and kind like a lamb. Also, a leader is expected to possess the balance of 'tough like a tiger' and 'compassionate like a doe'. He or she should be 'mysterious like a lake' and 'transparent like a river'. This suggests that a balance of character and application of wisdom in peculiar situations is required of a good leader.

Model answer

Points to develop: i. Relation to theme; ii. Explanation of mood; iii. The discovery of new love; iv. Embracing the new love; v. Stability of the new love. The poem is a metaphysical poem. Two people in love with each other can create a world of their own in which nothing else that is outside it, matters. The poet uses extended metaphor to relate the love between the two lovers. They are described as two better hemispheres. The persona and the lover have been relating with each other for long, on a childish note. However, their relationship develops and leads to love. Mood is the poet's attitude to the subject of the poem; it is about one's mental or emotional disposition towards an object or a given situation in the poem. The mood in this poem conveys the excitement and certainty about the lovers' new found love. The persona discovers a new love and this shows in the persona's mood of excitement: 'I wonder by my troth, what thou, and I/Did, till we lov'd?' The excitement is based on the realisation that they had been acting childishly at first, or were merely resting for the unexpected joy at dawn. How is Massa buried in the novel? How does the expulsion of 'aliens' from Nigeria affect Nii in the novel? The mood changes from excitement to certainty as the persona is sure that this new love is not subject to fear or distraction of the external world. This is also evident in the fact that the room they occupy is all the world to them – an attestation to the fact that the poem is a metaphysical poem through the use of extended metaphor. The new love which the persona and the lover now find themselves is now stable. The persona and his loved one are in a perfectly harmonious relationship: 'where can we find two better hemispheres without sharp north, without declining west?' There is a great feeling of confidence and compatibility. The new love is not subject to death which means it is immortal: 'If out two loves be one, or, thou and I/ Love so alike that none do slacken, none can die'. In conclusion, the mood of the persona is that of excitement, certainty, assurance and confidence.

Model answer

Points to develop: i. Relation to theme; ii. Identification of the travelers; iii. The experience in the course of the journey; iv. Instances of regret in the poem; v. The evaluation or the assessment of the journey. The poem deals with the search for spiritual fulfillment in the course of life's journey. Three wise men known as the magi decide to embark on a journey for spiritual fulfillment. The three men face challenges in their search for the birthplace. Their encounter with the birthplace confuses or perplexes the object of their mission. The journey is a long and tedious one at the worst time of the year. This finds explanation in the expression: 'a cold coming we had of it, just the worst season of the year'. The travelers' camels become sore footed along the way. Besides, they meet with hostile, unfriendly cities where prices of items are exorbitant. They meet gamblers, women and others drinking liquor. In the course of the journey, their 'night fires' go out. The travelers see a 'white horse' and 'the temperate valley'. They continue amidst difficulties until they achieve their goal. The magi now wish for another life. The unfriendly weather and time of the journey are causes of regret. The experience of the Magi with gamblers, bad women and alcoholics makes them regret embarking on the journey. More importantly, the loud 'voices singing in our ears, saying/ That this was all folly' climaxes their regret. The travelers wish that they hadn't embarked on the journey in the first place. However, there are glimpses of hope as can be seen in 'the white horse' and 'the temperate valley' they encounter. The travelers fulfill their objective: 'Finding the place; it was, you may say, satisfactory'. This is also captured in the expression 'There was birth certainly'. They assess the birth by saying 'I have seen births and deaths...this birth was hard and bitter agony for us'. The magi or travelers return in doubt and regret: 'we returned to our places, these kingdoms but no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation'. The determination of the Magi to arrive at their destination is worthy of emulation. It can also be gleaned from the poem that man's desires far outweighs the challenges of one's desires. It can be concluded that man will, no matter the regrettable experiences in life, continue to quest for self-fulfillment.