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HOËRSKOOL PRETORIA-NOORD

ENGLISH FIRST ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE GRADE 11

Task 7: Literature: Contextual questions Paper 2

Name: _____________________________________ Grade 11 key:_______________

Date: 7 June 2016 Time: 120 minutes Examiner: Mrs G. Prins Marks: 70 Moderator: Mr J. Gouws

Instructions: 1. Please write your name, date and key at the top of your question paper and answer

sheet. 2. Draw a right-hand margin of 2 cm on all the pages. 3. Read the questions carefully. Answer ALL the questions and make sure that you follow

all the instructions. 4. It is in your own interest to write legibly and to present your work neatly. 5. Extracts are provided; please read them where indicated.

6. If you give single word answers you will not receive any marks. 7. Good luck!

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Section A: Poetry

Question 1:

Shantytown Anonymous

1 High on the veld upon that plain

2 And far from streets and lights and cars

3 And bare of trees, and bare of grass,

4 Jabavu sleeps beneath the stars.

5 Jabavu sleeps.

6 The children cough.

7 Cold creeps up, the hard night cold,

8 The earth is tight within its grasp.

9 The high veld cold without soft rain,

10 Dry as the sand, rough as a rasp,

11 The frost-rimmed night invades the shacks

12 Through dusty ground

13 Through freezing ground the night cold creeps

14 In cotton blankets, rags and sacks

15 Beneath the stars Jabavu sleeps.

16 One day Jabavu will awake

17 To greet a new and shining day:

18 The sounds of coughing will become

19 The children’s laughter as they play

20 In parks with flowers where dust now swirls

21 In strong-walled homes with warmth and light.

22 But for tonight Jabavu sleeps,

23 Jabavu sleeps. The stars are bright.

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Question 1: 1.1 Quote from the poem to support the following:

a) The shantytown is not situated near a town or city. (1) b) The shantytown does not have gardens or parks. (1) c) The people living there are poor. (1) d) They experience great hardship in winter. (1) e) Someday things will change for the better. (1) f) The shantytown is called “Jabavu.” (1)

1.2 Draw up the following table and complete it with information from the poem. You should consider how contrast is used to highlight the world of the poet and their hope for the future:

Contrasts Stanza 2 Stanza 3

a. What are the children doing? (2)

b. What kind of emotions would they be experiencing?

(2)

c. What sounds are present in the stanza?

(2)

d. Describe the physical environment.

(2)

Paragraph-type question: 1.3 You are asked to identify literary devices in the poem, but you can only remember part of line 10; “…, rough as a rasp.” Identify and explain two literary devices present in this line. (4)

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Question 2:

A Sleeping Black Boy Mongane Wally Serote

1 he lay flat

2 face deep into the green grass

3 the huge jacket covered his head, the heat onto his ears

4 he is dirty

5 the dirt screams from his flesh like a rotten smell

6 he is pinned down by the throbbing footsteps passing by

7 his lullaby is the hiss of the water from the pond and the

8 roaring steel river;

9 and the eyes of adults passing by

10 dart around like bubbles of boiling water –

11 this small boy will die one day

12 his lips stuck together, glued by the glue he smokes.

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2.1 What is the significance of the two short three-word lines? (1)

2.2 Prove from the poem that:

a) the boy does not have a home. (1)

b) the boy does not get help from the people passing by. (1)

c) nobody stops to help him. (1)

d) he is alone in the world. (1)

e) he has lost hope of getting any help. (1)

2.3 What does “the huge jacket” (line 3) represent? (2)

2.4 We usually talk about a throbbing headache.

a) In what way do the “footsteps passing by” (line 6) pin down the boy? (2)

b) What does this imply about the “footsteps passing by” (line 6)? (1)

2.5 What is the poet’s intention in writing the poem? (2)

2.6 Discuss the effectiveness of the poet’s conclusion (lines 11-12). (2)

2.7 This poem was written by Dr Wally Serote. If PNHS’s resident “Poem whisperer,”

Gareth, should state that he believes that Dr Wally Serote is in fact also the

person that wrote Shantytown, which details about the poet’s life could he use as

proof? (2)

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Total for section A: 35

Section B: Novel: FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD

Question 3:

(Paragraph – type answers)

3.1 Discuss the basic plot of the novel? (4)

3.2 Discuss the context of the novel. (3)

3.3 Give a brief character description of Gabriel Oak. (4)

3.4 Give a brief character description of Bathsheba Everdene. (4)

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Question 4

A grade 11 boy did not study for the Literature Exam, as a joke his friends give him the following summary. Correct the notes for him:

4.1 Far from the Madding Crowd is a story of army life. (1)

4.2 Gabriel Oak works as a vicar. (1)

4.3 When Gabriel first sees Bathsheba, she is looking into a river. (1)

4.4 One night, Gabriel saves a sheep hut which is on fire at a farm. (1)

4.5 People are surprised about Bathsheba because she is a woman who drives a car.

(1)

4.6 Four men want to marry Bathsheba. (1)

4.7 Frank Troy inherited a large farm from an uncle. (1)

4.8 One night Bathsheba saves Gabriel’s life when he falls into the sea. (1)

4.9 At the beginning, Gabriel asks Bathsheba to marry him, but she refuses because she is already married. (1)

4.10 Gabriel loses all his money when his sheep are stolen by thieves. (1)

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Question 5:

5.1 What is Bathsheba’s greatest fault according to Oak? (1)

5.2 Describe Oak’s cottage (hut). (2)

5.3 What excuse does Oak use to go and see Bathsheba at the cottage? (1)

5.4 How does Oak lose his flock? (1)

5.5 Which positive aspect does he see in this? (1)

5.6 Describe the scene at the barn fire. (2)

5.7 Why does Boldwood go to see Bathsheba? (The first time) (1)

5.8 What excuse does she use to avoid him? (1)

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Total for section B: 35

Total: 70

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Memo

Question 1 1.1 Quote from the poem to support the following:

a) “far from streets and lights and houses.”(l.2) (1) b) “bare of trees, and bare of grass.”(l.3)

and “where dust now swirls.” (l.20) (1) c) “In cotton blankets, rags and sacks.” (l.15) (1) d) “The children cough.” (l.6)

and “The frost-rimmed night invades the shacks.” (l.14) (1) e) “One day Jabavu will awake/ To greet a new and shining day.” (l.16-17)

“The sounds of coughing will become/ The children’s laughter as they play.” (l.18-19) “In parks with flowers where dust now swirls.” (l.20) “In strong-walled homes with warmth and light.” (L21-22) (1)

f) “Jabavu sleeps.” (l. 5, 23 and 24). “Jabavu will awake.” (l.17) (1)

1.2 Draw up the following table and complete it with information from the poem. You should consider how contrast is used to highlight the world of the poet and their hope for the future:

Contrasts Stanza 2 Stanza 3

a. What are the children doing? Coughing and dying. Shivering of the cold.

Laughing and playing.

(2)

b. What kind of emotions would they be experiencing?

Fear. Depression Unhappiness

Happiness (2)

c. What sounds are present in the stanza?

Coughing Rasping

Laughter (2)

d. Describe the physical environment.

Shacks. No streets, lights or cars. So no electricity, or infrastructure. Bare of trees and grass.

Strong-walled homes with warmth and light. Streets and lights and cars. Parks with trees, grass and flowers.

(2)

Paragraph-type question: 1.3 You are asked to identify literary devices in the poem, but you can only remember part of line 10; “…, rough as a rasp,” identify and explain two literary devices present in this line. (4)

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R – alliteration: It creates a special effect (sound in this case). Also stresses the meaning of how rough their lives are. Simile: It clarifies and/or reinforces the image of their daily lives. Onomatopoeia: The sound reflects the sense. It creates mood and atmosphere. (It may also stress the meaning.)

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Question 2

2.1 The two short three-word lines immediately focus the reader’s attention on the

boy. (1)

2.2 Prove from the poem that:

a) “he lay flat face deep into the green grass.” (l.1-2) (1)

b) “throbbing footsteps passing by.” (l. 6) (1)

c) “and the eyes of adults passing by/ dart around like bubbles of boiling

water.” (l. 9-10) (1)

d) “his lullaby is the hiss of the water from the pond.” (l.7) (1)

e) “his lips stuck together, glued by the glue he smokes.” (l. 12)

(1)

2.3 The jacket is a symbol of the enormous responsibility this vulnerable child has of

looking after himself. (2)

2.4 We usually talk about a throbbing headache.

a) The drumming footsteps keep him trapped in some kind of stupor

(unconsciousness), helped on by the glue he has sniffed/ smoked. (2)

b) People just ignore him./ They avoid contact with him./ Nobody wants to

help him. (1)

2.5 The poet’s intention in writing the poem is to enlist more people to be involved in

social projects that will keep youngsters like the boy in the poem off the streets

and with proper care. (2)

2.6 By forecasting the probable outcome – the boy’s death, in a glue-induced stupor

– the poet reinforces his plea, that society should take up their responsibility and

care for street children. (2)

2.7 This poem was written by Dr Wally Serote. If PNHS’s resident “Poem whisperer,”

Gareth, should state that he believes that Dr Wally Serote is in fact also the

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person that wrote Shantytown, which details about the poet’s life could he use as

proof?

He first became involved in the Black Consciousness Movement when he was

finishing high school in Soweto. His presence in that town linked him to a group

known as the "township" or "Soweto" poets, and his poems often expressed

themes of political activism, the development of black identity, and violent images

of revolt and resistance.

He matriculated from Jabavu High School.

His poems focus on social commentary. (2)

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Total for section A: 35

Question 3

Question 3:

(Paragraph – type answers)

3.1 The plot of Far from the Madding Crowd concerns a young woman, Bathsheba

Everdene, and the three men in her life. One is a poor sheep farmer who loses

his flock in a tragedy and ends up working as an employee on Bathsheba’s farm;

one is the respectable, boring owner of a neighboring farm who takes

Bathsheba’s flirtations too seriously; and the third is a dashing army sergeant

who treats her like just another of his conquests. In chronicling their hopes, plans,

and disappointments, Hardy presents to readers a clear example of Victorian

romanticism. At the same time, his understanding of the lives of farmers and

ranchers in rural England makes him a forerunner to the realistic tradition in

literature. (4)

3.2 Thomas Hardy lived from June 2, 1840, to January 11, 1928. He grew up in

Higherbockhampton, Dorset, the eldest son of a stonemason. He had one

brother and two sisters. Sickly from an early age, he was educated at home until

he was sixteen. He then began an apprenticeship, and then a career, as an

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architect. He started writing poetry in the 1860s but did not publish his first novel

until 1871. He married Emma Lavinia Gifford in 1874.

It was not until the publication of Far from the Madding Crowd, Hardy's fourth novel,

that Hardy won widespread popularity as a writer, and he was able to give up

architecture. The book was published serially in 1874, in Corn Hill Magazine, a

journal edited by Leslie Stephens, the father of Virginia Woolf. The novel was

published in short sections, and as you read it, you can see that they intentionally

leave the reader in suspense; this was a device to motivate readers to buy the

next issue of the magazine. Early reviewers compared Hardy's writing to that of

George Eliot and recognized him as an important new voice in English fiction.

Hardy went on to write novels at an extraordinary rate for more than 20 years,

writing one every one or two years. His most famous novels written during these

years include The Return of the Native, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, and The Mayor

of Casterbridge. After the publication of Jude the Obscure caused a major

scandal in 1895, Hardy stopped writing novels and devoted the rest of his life

(more than 30 years) to poetry. His last great project was an epic poem titled

"The Dynasts," a versed chronicle of the Napoleonic Wars. After some time in

London he built himself a house in his native Dorsetshire and lived there for the

rest of his life. He was widowed in 1912 and married Florence Dugdale in 1914.

Hardy was a devoted reader of philosophy, scientific texts, the Bible, and Greek

literature, and he incorporated much of his knowledge into his own works. One of

the most profound influences on his thinking was Charles Darwin, particularly

Darwin's emphasis on chance and luck in evolution. Though brought up to

believe in God, Hardy struggled with a loss of faith suffered by many of his

contemporaries; he increasingly turned to science for answers about man's place

in the universe.

One of Hardy's central concerns in all of his writing was the problem of modernity in

a society that was rapidly becoming more and more industrial. One of his projects

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as a writer was to create an account of life in the swiftly changing Dorsetshire as

it had once been. He was particularly interested in the rituals and histories of that

part of England, as well as the dialect of its locals. The title Far From the

Madding Crowd suggests avoidance of the life of a city, modernized government,

crowds and industry; in it, Hardy tries to fashion a portrait of what he saw as an

endangered way of life and to create a snapshot for future generations.

3.3 Gabriel Oak - The novel's hero, Gabriel Oak is a farmer, shepherd, and bailiff,

marked by his humble and honest ways, his exceptional skill with animals and

farming, and an unparalleled loyalty. He is Bathsheba's first suitor, later the bailiff

on her farm, and finally her husband at the very end of the novel. Gabriel is

characterized by an incredible ability to read the natural world and control it

without fighting against it. He occupies the position of quiet observer throughout

most of the book, yet he knows just when to step in to save Bathsheba and

others from catastrophe. (4)

3.4 Bathsheba Everdene - The beautiful young woman at the center of the novel,

who must choose among three very different suitors. She is the protagonist,

propelling the plot through her interaction with her various suitors. At the

beginning of the novel, she is penniless, but she quickly inherits and learns to run

a farm in Weatherbury, where most of the novel takes place. Her first

characteristic that we learn about is her vanity, and Hardy continually shows her

to be rash and impulsive. However, not only is she independent in spirit, she is

independent financially; this allows Hardy to use her character to explore the

danger that such a woman faces of losing her identity and lifestyle through

marriage. . (4)

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Question 4

4.1 Far from the Madding Crowd is a story of COUNTRY life. (1)

4.2 Gabriel Oak works as a SHEPHERD. (1)

4.3 When Gabriel first sees Bathsheba, she is looking into a MIRROR. (1)

4.4 One night, Gabriel saves a BARN which is on fire at a farm. (1)

4.5 People are surprised about Bathsheba because she is a woman who OWNS A FARM. (1)

4.6 THREE men want to marry Bathsheba. (1)

4.7 BATHSHEBA EVERDENE inherited a large farm from an uncle. (1)

4.8 One night Bathsheba saves Gabriel’s life when he FALLS ASLEEP IN HIS HUT FILLED WITH SMOKE. (1)

4.9 At the beginning, Gabriel asks Bathsheba to marry him, but she refuses because she DOESN’T WANT TO GET MARRIED. (1)

4.10 Gabriel loses all his money when his sheep FALLS OVER A CLIFF. (1)

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Question 5

5.1 Her vanity (1)

5.2 Describe Oak’s cottage (hut). (2)

5.3 He takes her a lamb. (1)

5.4 His dog chases them over a cliff. (1)

5.5 He is so glad that Bathsheba did not marry him, as she would have been poor now.

(1)

5.6 The barn was on fire, everybody was standing around not knowing what to do.

Gabriel Oak took charge and extinguished the flames. (2)

5.7 He is looking for Fanny . (1)

5.8 She says that she is dirty from cleaning the house. (1)

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Total for section B: 35