Gr 11
SBA Task 5 - 2020
DRAMA: SOPHIATOWN
Final Mark:
Task 5: Literature – Assignment
Genre/Title: SOPHIATOWN
35
Name: ____________________________
Grade: 11
Date for submission: ____________________
Time: 90 minutes
INSTRUCTIONS:
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Adhere to ALL the instructions.
This assignment consists of two sections:
SECTION A: Shorter Transactional Writing (20 marks).
SECTION B: Contextual questions (15 marks).
Answer BOTH sections.
Start EACH section on a NEW page.
Remember to plan, edit and proofread your transactional writing. Clearly indicate
planning and cross it out before submitting your final product.
Your shorter transactional writing will be assessed according to the criteria in the
rubric that is included with this task.
Pay special attention to spelling and sentence construction.
Suggested time allocation:
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SECTION A: 20 marks: 45 minutes
SECTION B: 15 marks: 45 minutes
Write neatly and legibly.
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SECTION A: SHORTER TRANSACTIONAL WRITING: DIARY ENTRIES
At the beginning of the play (Act 1 Scene 1), Jakes writes a letter (on behalf of
Mingus) to Princess.
Instructions
Put yourself in Princess’ shoes and write TWO diary entries as the character.
One entry must express her feelings when she receives the letter. The other
must express how she felt AFTER the meeting with Mingus.
Your response should be 80-100 words in length.
[20]
SECTION B: CONTEXTUAL QUESTIONS
Answer ALL the questions in SECTION B.
Question 1
Refer to Act 1 Scene 2.
The characters will benefit from Ruth staying at 65 Gerty
Street. Copy the table in you answer book and complete the
benefits for the following characters:
1.
Name of character
1.1
1.2
1.3
How will the character benefit
from Ruth staying there?
Lulu
Mamariti
Jakes
(3)
Question 2
Read the following extract and answer the question that follow:
You’re just jealous.
Look, I brought you here. I give you dresses, I take you to
bioscope, you’re my princess. What else do you want?
PRINCESS: I want that Jewish girl out.
MINGUS:
Shaddup or I’ll have to cut your spinal off! I didn’t bring you 5
from your shack so you can complain.
[Act 1 Scene 3]
LULU:
MINGUS:
2.
Do you think Princess has any reason to be jealous? Answer
YES or NO and give reasons for your answer from the text.
(3)
Question 3
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:
Ek sê, waar’s die ouens hier?
Hoozit gents!
Is khuvet onder die korset – en met jou?
Die mission is grand.
En wie is jy?
Ek! Ek is die matara van die dla!
Wie?
Die matara van die dla.
Jy’s mooi hey.
Don’t touch. Jy moenie baaiza nie. Sit gents. Sit julle
majietas. Die magrizin van die stuk is nie hier nie.
FAHFEE: Wie?
FAHFEE:
RUTH:
FAHFEE:
RUTH:
FAFHEE:
RUTH:
FAHFEE:
RUTH:
FAHFEE:
RUTH:
5
10
Die magrizin van die stuk?
RUTH:
MINGUS: Right. Grand. And if die majietas kom, and go for you, what
do you say?
15
RUTH:
I’m a virtuous well-bred girl, I’m a nylon.
MINGUS: And if they don’t leave you alone, they really go for you …?
Julle moenie baaiza nie?
RUTH:
MINGUS: Ag! Nee man!
RUTH:
I don’t know – I’ll never learn.
20
JAKES:
Look, it’s in they eyes, it’s a warning signal which says,
‘Leave me alone.’
[Act 1 Scene 4]
Questions:
3.1.
Choose the correct translation from COLUMN B that matches
the phrases in COLUMN A.
Write only the letter (A-E) next to the question number (3.1.1
-3.1.4 in the answer book.
3.1.1
3.1.2
3.1.3
3.1.4
COLUMN A
‘Is khuvet onder die
korset’(line 3)
‘Ek is die matara van die
dla!’ (line 6)
‘Jy moenie baaiza nie.’(line
10)
‘Die magrizin van die stuk
is nie hier nie.’ (line 11)
COLUMN B
A. Watch your step.
B. The lady of the house.
C. Everything is fine.
D. You cannot drink alone.
E. The mistress of the
house.
3.2
3.3.
What do you think is the connection between Jakes and the
typewriter on the cover of the book?
Ruth is having a hard time adjusting to her new life at 65
Gerty Street. Do you empathise with Ruth? Give reasons for
your answer.
(4)
(2)
(3)
[15]
Marking guideline
SECTION A: SHORTER TRANSACTIONAL WRITING: DIARY ENTRY
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There should be TWO entries: One diary entry when Princess receives the
letter from Mingus and one AFTER meeting Mingus.
The entries must bear a date.
The tone must be personal.
The focus should be on emotions the writer is experiencing.
RUBRIC: Use the attached rubric.
[20]
SECTION B: CONTEXTUAL QUESTIONS
Question 1
1.1
Name
character
Lulu
1.2
Mamariti
1.3
Jakes
of How will the character benefit from
Ruth staying there?
Ruth can help LULU with her
homework. 
OR
Ruth can be a positive role-model for
her. 
Ruth can pay rent, which will help the
household. 
OR
Ruth can buy spirits in town for
Mamariti to sell. 
He can write a story about her for the
DRUM magazine. 
OR
He can teach her everything about
Sophiatown. 
NOTE: ONE benefit per character.
Question 2
2.
Open-ended
Accept a relevant which shows an understanding of the
following aspects of the events in the play.
Yes
 Lulu likes Ruth, but makes fun of Princess.
 Mingus makes an effort to make Ruth
comfortable.
 Everyone is paying a lot of attention to Ruth.
(3)

Ruth gets better treatment than Princess, for
example she gets Jakes’s room and a bath is
brought for her.
OR
No

Mingus spoils Princess with clothes and takes her
to the bioscope.
 Ruth does not belong in Sophiatown and will
probably not stay long.
NOTE: Do not award a mark for YES/NO. For full marks,
the response must be well-substantiated. Accept a
combination answer. A candidate can score 1-2 marks
for a response which is not well-substantiated. The
candidate’s interpretation must be founded in the context
of the play.
(3)
Question 3
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.1.1
3.1.2
3.1.3
3.1.4
C/ Everything is fine. 
B/ The lady of the house. 
A/ Watch your step. 
E/ The mistress of the house. 
Jake is a journalist for the Drum magazine. 
He uses the typewriter to type his stories / letter of
Mingus to Princess. OR
In the description of the stage, Jakes has a table, chair
and typewriter. 
Open-ended
Accept a relevant which shows an understanding of the
following aspects of the events in the play.
Yes
 She feels helpless/ overwhelmed.
 She has to learn a new language and new
customs.
 She has never been away from Yeoville, so it is
her first time away from home.
 Her standard of living is different from what she is
experiencing now.
 She is a white girl in a black township.
OR
No
 She obviously did not think it thorough before
answering the advertisement.
(4)
(2)
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There is no reason for her to stay, so she can
leave at any time.
 She will have to try harder to learn all the
customs.
NOTE: Do not award a mark for YES/NO. For full marks,
the response must be well-substantiated. Accept a
combination answer. A candidate can score 1-2 marks
for a response which is not well-substantiated. The
candidate’s interpretation must be founded in the context
of the play.
(3)
[15]