Study Guide
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Text Cl jO)'Cejonas and Mala Morton-Gittens 2012
Original illustrations O Oxford Univers ity Press 2015
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First published by Nelson Thornes t td in 2012
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Oat.., available
9780198< 1395 0
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in lndia
Acknowledgements
The publisher and authors would like to t hank the follov.ing f'or
pennJ1i$iOn to use photographs and other copyright 01aterfal:
CO\'tr: Ma.rk Lyndersay, Lyndersay Digital, Trinidad; p3: Pep Roig/
AJamj• Stock Photo; p9: ,t, Eric Barry; p20: C> Marc Brenner; p27:
Shuttersto<:k; p33, 35: Photos oom tesy Deborah Jean•B.tptiste•Samuel's
"The Orato 1y ftound:.ition" at the staging of"The Tempest" in Trinidad
2016; p49: Shu tterstock; p66: W ilfredo lee/AP/REX/Shutte r.stock;
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ofC.On.gress/Public Domain; p157: Tim Graham/Alamy Stoc;k Photo:
p158: Qdile Noe1.'Gett)' h:nages; pt 63: Olga PoJ)OVa/Shutterstock.
Ulustration: Q2A Media Service:,;, Bridge t Dowty lCraham-Cameron
llhm:rations}: Tony Fo rbes. P,, ul Mccaffrey and Rory Wa lke r jSylvie
Poggio Artists Agency); Alan Rogers.
Every effort ha:; been made co contact copyrigh t holders of material
reproduced i n this book. A11y omissjons will be rectified in subsequent
primings if notice is given i-o t he publisher.
The two ma in authors were respo11$ibte for CO\'erage of t he followi ng
texts:
Joyce Jonas: 1\;;eJf'th Night, Ti-Jean and his Brother$, Breath, £ye s,
Memory, For the U fe ofle titia
Arlene Kasma lly-Dwa rik3: The Tempest. Anan.si. To Klll a MocJdngbird,
Animal Fann
Introduction
1
Unit 1 Orama
1.1 ~Vhere did drama come from?
1.2 How to study drama
1.3 Plot, cr,aracters, confi•ct a,d tr,emes
1.4 Ti-Jeon and His Brorhers - introduction
1.5 The Chorus and conflict
1.6 The characters
1.7 Stagecraft
1.8 Sound, anguage and humour
1.9 Themes and symbols
1.10 Twelfth Nighr- tf'e plot
1.11 The characters and key the'Ties
1.12 Types of comedy
1.13 Clowns. foe's and disgu:ses
1.14 Dramatic techniques
1.15 The Tempesr - an introduction
1.16 The stages of o ot develop'Tient
1.17 The subplots
1.18 Tremes and issJes
1.19 Tre charac;ers
1.20 Dramatic techniques l
1.21 Dramatic techn;ques 2
1.22 The setting, ritle, epilogue ard play
1.23 Anonsi - the oac~groJnd and
cultural tradit'on
1.24 The plot
1.25 Contrasting characters
1.26 Conflict, themes and issues
1.27 l 'terary devices
1.28 Use o' anguage and features cf writing
Unit 1 Practice exam questions
2
4
6
8
10
12
·4
16
18
20
22
24
26
28
30
32
34
36
38
40
42
44
46
48
so
52
54
56
58
Unit 2 Prose
2.1 Features of prose
60
2.2 Pict
62
2.3 Aopreciating narrat've techniques
64
2.4 Breorh €yes. Memory- the author and plot 66
2.5 Structure. narrative devices and confilct 68
2.6 Themes 1
70
2.7 Themes 2
72
2.8 The charac;ers and symbols
74
2.9 ToK1// o liloockingbird-
tne pot and setting
2.1 o Characterisation
2.11 Point cf view and learning experiences
2.12 The'Ties and Issues
2.13 Style, avnosphere and language
2.14 Confiict
76
78
80
82
84
86
2.15 ForrheLifeofLaeritla-
the author and plot
2.16 The characters
2.17 Setting and conflict
2.18 Siyle, narrative dev ces and language
2.19 The tre'Ties
2.20 Animo! Farm - po.itical background,
setting and point of view
2.21 Plot and conflicr
2.22 Structure and language
2.23 Style of writing
2.24 The ct-aracters
2.25 The ,remes
2.26 Shorr stories - parental love
and children in need
2.27 0 arental love and chi' dren
coping with challenge
2.28 Children and racism
2.29 Between two c•Jltures
2.30 Children learning Important lessons
2.31 Relationships and interr,al confi' cts
Unit 2 Practice exam questions
88
90
92
9,,1.
96
98
100
102
1C4
106
108
110
112
114
116
118
120
122
Unit 3 Poetry
3.1 Understanding poetry
3.2 ntroductlon to poetry
3.3 The strJcture of the poem
3.4 The SOJnd of poetry l
3.5 The sound of poetry 2
3.6 Poetry as pictures 1
3.7 Pcetry as pictures 2
3.8 Additional poetic devices 1
3.9 Additional poetic devices 2
3.10 Analysing poems
3.11 'Landscape Painter, Jamaica' by
124
126
128
130
132
134
136
138
140
142
Vivian Virtue
3.12 'Orcnids' oy Hazel
Simmons-McDo'lald
3.13 'A Stone's Tnrow'by Elma Mitchell
3.14 'Ol'Higue'by Mark McVvatt
3.15 'Tnis Is the Dark Time, My Love'
oy Martin Carter
3.16 'Theme for Eng II sh B' by
Langston Hughes
3.17 'Dulce et Deco,um Est' by
VVilfred Owen
3.18 'South' by Kamau Brathwaite
3.19 'V11est Indies. USA' by Stewart Brown
3.20 'M:rror'by Sylvia Plath
144
146
148
150
152
154
156
158
160
162
3.21 'The vVoman Speaks to the Man
wro Has Employed rer Son'
by Lorna Goodison
3.22 Dealing with death
3.23 'A l esson for this Sur.day'
by Dere.<\VaIcon
3.24 Parents and children
3.25 Meanings be'ow the surface
3.26 Thematic similarities among
your CScC poems
3.27 Two views of nature
Unit 3 Practice exam quest ens
Unit 4 Writing
164
· 66
168
170
172
174
176
178
Introduction
This Study Guide has been deve oped exclus'vely
with ihe Caribbear Exami'1ations CoJnc' (CXC) to be
used as an addlt ona, resource by candidates, both 111
and oJt of school, following tt1e Caribbean Secondary
Education Cert ficate (CSEC') orogramme.
It nas been 01epared by a team with exoe"tise
In tre CSEC syllobus. teacnlng ord exam:naticn.
The contents are desigred 10 support learning by
providing too s io nelo you ach'eveyour bestir CSEC
English B. and the features ncluded make it easer
for you ro masier ire key concepts and requirements
of tne sy abus. Do remember to refer to your syllabus
for full guidance on the course requirements and
examination formar.
This Study Gulde Is accompanied oy a support
website which ircludes e ecuon c activ ties to ass st
ycu in developing good examination tecnniques:
• On Your Marks activit,es prov·de sample
exa11 nat' en-style snort-answer and essay-type
qJestions, with example candidate a1swers and
feedback fro11 an exal"11ner to show wrere a1swers
could be improved. These activities w I build
your urdersrandlng, s'<ill evel ond confidence in
answering examinatiol' questions.
• Printable glossary of a the key terms II' the book
This Jnique combinatior, of focused sy' abus cor,ient
and irteractlve examil'ation p•act:ce •Nill prov·de you
with l1valuable sJppcrt io neP you reach your full
pote1rla1In CSEc· Englls'i s.
As you wo•k through the d'fferent sect ons, you w·
acquire the s~ills you need Ir o•de• to appreciate
4. 1 Writing practice
4 .2 Structuring a comparative essay
4.3 A sa'Tlple essay comparing
two poems 1
4.4 A sample essay compa-ing
two poems 2
4.5 Introducing quotations and
180
182
1SC
186
revision tips
188
Index
190
literature and write nuertly about lterary tex1s. One of
the thirgs tnat makes literature so nteresting Is that I:
Is ope1 to irterp•etations from readers and aud:el'ces
wno bring their cwn p•ior exoe'iences to bear in
Interpreting ire work. T'le-e can be no 01e 'correct'
response: and tne opinions ,n rhis Study Guide won't
be the only interpretations that you may discover
about each of the texts we discuss.
At the beg;nnlr.g of each sect'on, the Learning
ot:11comes are clearly Slated. You may find it helpbi, as
you co'Tle to tre end of each section, to go back and
ensu,e that yov have covered and fully undersrood the
1"1a,erial from tha, sectio1. Tre margins and malr text
also contoin ergag,ng and useful Activities to he,p you
engage wit'l the differe1t col'cepts and e1courage
you to form your own opln ons or the texts you have
chosen to read. You will also find some very useful
Didyov know? panels and Exam tips that have beer
provided for you ,n collaboration witn CSEC examiners.
All the texts used fo, analysis or as examples of specific
points are drawn from the :1st p•escrlbed for the two
syllaousescoverirg the eodre pe·iod from 2018 to 2027.
Please note that one of the poetry questions and one
of the st-ort swry questions on Paper 2 will Invite you
to write aoout two texts of your cho:ce. Be careful
to crcose only texts that are on the syllabus you are
studying. To guide you, we have listed tr.e texts for
each syllabus at tre back of tnis Study Guide.
Access your support website
at www.oxfordsecondary.
com/9780198413950
Where did drama
come from?
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• cons der wiat d-ama Is and
w~ere yov car exi:er e1ce It
• t,ilnk about tre o·iglrs ard
na,u·e of for-nal ard lrformal
drama
• loo< at tre relevance o' d-ama
as a commur ry exper erce ard
a rl:e of oassage.
What is drama?
Is drama 01lytne p'ays that we study in school a1d see performed in the
theatre? Or is it something broader than that?ThinK about it: sometimes
drama can be happenirg on the street corner o• in your neighbour's
house. Vvhen you 'borrow'your big sister's things without asking, you
can be sure ·r will result in quite a bit of drama wren she finds out' Yes,
informal drama ·s all around us. isn't It? In this St·Jdy Gu'de. though,
we look at drama In the mere formal sense - plays that are wr'tte1 for
performarce on stage.
The birth of drama
Have you ever tnought aboUl when, how and wny human beings first
begar perfo·ming to an audierce? Consider tre followlrg suggestions:
. e a roup of hunters arriving
Scenario 1. Imagm . gtl
•mal rhev have
'
arr)•mg
,e
am
•
borne, prou di) c
t •II the women and
,..ll Thev want to e
manage d to "-1 • • :
• stalked and attacked ,
children how brave\~ tlf, ey ht b•ck So what do
mebeast
ou g
• ·
how fierce l)'
.
1 :\.od as t1,ey sit around
do)Thev act ,t out. •
.
they . clli~s full of the roasted meat, the~
the fire, b
b t tl,eir exploits, rell\'mg
.
I
Iaugh ,a nd boast a ou
ill tbev d ra1n ause cac 1
. and t11e thr as
.
b
the feax
d d ama has been orn .
moment of tbe hunt - an r
,. ACTIVITY
S cena rio 2. There has been no rain, a nd it's
: e for p lantmg, so the chief calls on the tribe's
aman to discuss the p roblem, That . h
th' mo
·
nig t,as
e
on rises, the whole tribe gathers a nd tll'
s h aman leads th
·
e
.
em u1 a re-enacunent of their
Ian nng and reap, ng activities. T he drums beat
aster ~nd faster to simulate the longed-for rain
pounding down on tl1e dry ground a d
women dan ' . fu
. .
' n n1en and
b d .
ce JOY lly, in unmg the work they will
e omg to harvest the bumper crop !hey ho e
to be blessed wid1 if rhe gods will on!. y send ram.
P.
f
I
Imagine you are putrlrg on a play at sc'1ool.
• Make a list of all the peop,e you will have to thank ar the end of the performance: the playwright, the lighting
crew ... Complete this Iist.
• \-Vhat wil you need for the production?Think aoout costumes, o•ops ard scenery. Vo/ill yo·J need dressmakers?
Painters? Carpenters?
• vV~o will you lnfo•m about the pla)', and how?
• vVi I you need a treasJrer, tickets and programmes?
Create lists of all the tnlngs you will 1eed to o·ganise a performance.
Drama as a community experience
Vvhat do you expect from a play?The exa-np!es provided rere suggest
that we can expect community participation, action, sound, spectacle,
suspense and an emotion-filled storyline that reflects life as it is or I fe as
we would Ii ~e it to be.
Drama as a rite of passage
Vve all pass through major transitions in oJr lives. Birth, p•Jbeny, marr:age,
parent'iood and death are so,ne tradito.1al examples, but yo~ co,Jld add
otre·s: a child's first day at schoo'. graduaron from college, moving from
school to the work ervironment Societies often have ceremonies to mark
these events. Tnose ritJals and ceremo1ies are wnat we mean by rires of
possoge.
•• •
•
The Mundan (ti'e first haircut)
ceremony In the HlndJ rellg·on
is typicaly performed during the
first three years of a ch.Id's life.
This takes pace because hair
from birth 1s associated wirn a
p~st life. so tre shaving signifies
a "lew beginning. It :s also said to
srlmula,e growt~.
In some rell9lons the shaving of t~e head mar<s a r~e of oassage
We can think o' a play as a rite of passage for trecharacters 01 stage -and
for the audience too. Just ll~e the dance of the shaman, a p.ay depictswhat
life was like before ard after a lle-changirg exoerience. Before tne rains,
tre tribe was sad and hungry, but after che rains arid tre crops sprang up, ·1
was joyful and tnankful. In 1i-Jean and His Brothers by Dere< vValcott. we are
presented with av./ dow ard rer three sons, who have to confront the crue,ty
and injustice of the plantafon society. The woman's sens are destir.ed to be
·eaten'by the Planter (tne Devil). The awakening O' life-ct,ang:ng experience
occurs when 11-Jean outw.ts the Planter-Oev·1, asserting his own humanity
and ris rig1t to a future. Twelfrh Nlghr by Shakespeare presents four people
for whom haopiness seem unreachable. There is the love-sick Orsino, the
mournful OF via and the shipwrecked ~Nins Viola and Sebastian. Tne twins are
separated by the Storm ard believe each other perished.Viola disguises he·se f
as a boy, bJt then falls n love with her master (Orsino) and cannot express it.
Tre play moves through various situations of mistaken identity unrl they have
a doubleweddingl Their rite of passage took them from pretence to sincerity,
from loneli~ess to joyful relatjor,ship. In The Tempesr. Prospero uses magic to
bring characters to the ·sland ard facilitates tre processo'juStlce which brings
the perpetrators to mercy.This experierce a lovvs Prospero to transcend his
circumstance and eventually he is l'berated and ga·ns his rite of passage to
Mi.an, w'th the removal of magic. In Anonsiby AliSta r Ca,npbell, a female s'ave
1s bo-nbarded by ve·y dehumanis:ng c·rcumStances on tne slave ship. Her
hope for survival is ignited by anot'ner slave woman wro te:ls empowe·ing
tales of Anansi and by the re-awakening of rer cu tural identity. Desp ,e the
squalor and death, she is able ro rise above the ordeal with a nev~ perspective
trar gives her the rite of passage to tne 1,ew ~Vo rid, even as a slave g·r1.
ACTIVITY
Tnink about the r tuals performed
in your community: when a
baby is born, when a couple get
married, when someone joins a
church. when someone graduates
from college or when someone
dies.
• \A/hlch cf these ntua shave you
experienced?
• O'd the ceremony create a
sense of performance?
• O'd the ceremo~y reflect
tre emotions of the
partic,pants?
• o:d the ceremo~y provide a
spectacle?
How to study drama
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• u1derstand that study' ng a play
lrvo ves using your Imag, 1at,on
to v sua se it in performance
• d scover that you are the
audience
• Imagine you are t1e p ay's
drecto'.
The Important thi rg to remember when you are studyirg d·a 11a Is that a
play is designed to be performed, not only to be read. Your job, then, when
reading ire script is to recognise that you have a twin role: you are the
director ard also a member of the audience. You need to ccnsta1tly use
your imagination to develop a mental image of vvl°'at is happenirg on tt>e
stage - and It is you who will decide how and where the actors move, and
how they speak. You will also discover that you respord emotionally to
the action, just as yoJ do wnen yoJ are watching a movie. So put or your
director's cap, sit down in your director's chair and let's roll!
What are stage directions fo r?
To help yoJ stage the play. the p aywr' ght supplies stoge direcrions. These
are usually printed in italics. Tney Indicate how the stage should be set
up (scenery) and how ,he characters should be d·essed (costvmes). They
describe tre stage furniture needed (orops) and where the characters are
to come on (enter) and go off (exit/exeunt). Finally, they Indicate
what kind of sovnd effects and lighting effects the play requires bright o· dim, a spotlight on one particular individual or group,
and so 01.
You will notice that n addit on to instruct'ons at the oeginning
of the play, there are stage directions throJghout the play.Their
purpose is to tell ihe actors when and how to move, and how
to say their lines; they also guide the stage crew, the lighting
crew and tne soJnd crew to know when they must move the
scenery or stage furniture. when tney must change the lighting
effects en ire srage, and when they must create particular
sound effects. It takes a whole team of people to produce a
play - and ,he result is a co'l'lmunity experience. not a private
one like reading a novel.
co...rus1on ensues wltho... t proper dlfectlon
Modern plays usually have very detailed stage directions, but
Shakespeare's piays have few. Read carefully, trough, and you wil discover
that Shakespeare often Indicated a new actior (someone draw·ng his
sword, the comi 19 of morning, ,he abating of a SlO'm) by naving the
characte·s describe those events - but these references se,ve the same
purpose as stage directions.
Scenery
ACTIVITY
From a play you are study;ng, find
examples of stage direct ons that
guide:
• the director
• the actors
• the stage crew.
Pay attention to the scenery that Is used in a p!ay and any changes in the
setting. Ask yourself: are any contrasting experiences suggested? If so,
how has that bee1 achieved? As an example. think about the poverty•
st•ic,{en hut belonging to the Mother and her sons In TI-Jeon and /'/Is
Brothers. Realistically presented, Ir can suggest the pathos of their situation.
In contrast, the foreSl, home io talking creatures 'n b•ight costumes but
also to Paoa Bo's, svggests to us a space of danger and also of magical
posslbil'ty. In Anons/, the harsh scenes of the slave ship are tempered with
the scenes of ,he fairy tale forest, where the character Anansi is allowed
to playvlny tricks on other characters. while asserting himself amorg
powerful creatures. \l•/ith this dramatic strategy, Campbell gives tne
audience a rel'effrcm the serioJs issues explored on board the slave snip.
INhat effect de those changes i1 scene have on the audience?
Costumes and props
Costumes and props both have a great visual impact on the audience, so be
aware of them a1 all times. Imagine that you are responsible for the props
and costumes in a performance. and 'llake a I st of wnat is needed for each
scene. For example, in 71-Jeon and His Brothers we'll need two crosses fo· the
brothers'graves, an axe fo· G'OS·Jean 10 carry, a f shing net and a bock for
Ml-Jean, suitable costumes fo· the Frog, the Cricket ard tne Bird, as well as
fo· the Bo'om and the devils. For Twelfth N;ghr ye!!ow stockings and cross·
garters will be needed for Malvol'o, ard a pcned tree for the pranksters to
hide be"lind. Fo' The Tempest we'll have io get a cloak. books and staff for
Prospero to highlight his use of magic; and swords for Sebast al", Stepharo,
r<irg A cnso and Ferdinand. For Anansi, the scenes on board the slave ship
will reed a fiag. ship bell. ship mask and various shackles for the slaves. For
the fo·est sce1es. tall plants, Images of animals beh'nd painted shrubs and
logs. As you study your play, th.nkabout how the props a1d the cosiumes
co11mu1icate a wodd of Information and emotion to the audience.
Action and dialogue
There's also the action ard the dialogue to co1sider. You ~now what
action is from action-filled moves. Some scenes in a p'ay wil rave a great
deal of action and others wil l be less energetic. Notce when rhe dialogue
s full of rapid lr tercranges betweer characters. and when it slows dowr
and the characcers seem to be more reflective. Moments ·Nl-,en the devi Is
appear in Tr-Jean and His Broihers are very dramatic, accompanied by
lightnl l"g fiasnes, drum rolls al"d smoke. Also, the Bo om moves aroJnd
,n a lively manner. somersaulting around the b'others and their Mother.
Co1versely, some moments in t'1e play have less movement and are
reserved for quiet conversation.
lighting and sound
Notice al the stage directions that indicate a change in the ligl-ting or
the need for a part'cular soul"d effect. A novel will not give you the same
direct experierce thai theatre can provide.
Spectacle
Se aware, then, of how the playwright exp oits rhe resources of tne stage:
scenery, lighting and sound; costumes and props; action and g'oJping of
the characters. All these devices produce what is cal ed the 'spectacle' that
theatre brirgs us.
Costumes
Olalogu.
Props
Sound
Action
Lighting
•• •
•
Did you krow that scerery
a'1d co»Jmes can be 'ealistlc
or sy'Tibol'c? In Ti-Jean and His
8r9thers, which costumes are
rea ,stlc, and wrlcn are symbo' c?
\.Yh,ch of the charaaers In The
Tempest could wear real stlc
costumes, and wh·ch would
require symoollc ores? 1Nhat effect
rnlght ths m·x·1g o' rea sm and
symoollsm have or the audience?
ACTIVITY
• Think of two contrasting scenes
n a play you are studying.
Sketch the stage settings you
maglne you w,I need to give to
the cast and crew for direction.
• Think of a prodJct on you have
watcned or participated in.
How did ire costumes, sce1ery
and props evoke rhe sett ng
of the play, ard how was that
altered between scenes to
create a certa r mood O' sense
of tension?
, Select one scere from rhe play
you are study,ng, and list or
sketch ,re props and costumes
needed. What effect do yoJ
want trese to have on the
audience?
, crom your se eaed play,
;dentify two scenes in which
rhe characters move about
quite a bit on the stage, maybe
even comi1g to blows. and
de1tify two scenes ir which
they talk quietly.
a ~Vhy do you think the
playwright alternates
between actio1 and reflective
thought in this way?
b ~Vould It be better if every
scene were 'action-packed'?
Plot, characters, conflict
and themes
A unified whole
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• see how ,re key eler1ents In a
o ay work together
• observe how craracrers are
corrrasied and can be Ir,
corfl et Wltr each other
.",s you study a p'ay you d'sccver that every characte·, conflict, twist in tne
plot, every feature of tre props and setting, all rhe llghtfng, costumes ar.d
sound effects - every single aspecr of the play contributes to the cvera I
imoact. A I the devices point us to ,he themes and message that add to
the purpose and energy of the play. It is your job 10 note the techniques
that the playwright uses and to appreciate how, together, they create fo•
the aud·ence the total dramatic experience.
1,
• 1ot'ce how '.re conflicts poi
JS to t1e themes of ire play
• o€'come awa•e o' 10w tens on
and susoe1se are created to
sustain lnte·est
• 101 ce ire use of drama;lc ··ony
• Jnderstard thar a play preserts
deas or themes for the
audierce to consider.
Mapping out the storyline
Every play has d storyline this Is the plot. Some plays have more
than one plot, and each subplot 1s interwoven with the main plot,
commenting on it m some way. Yov need 10 write a summary of the
storyline of each plot. Notice how th~ main plot and rhe subplots are
interconnected. You may find it helpful to draw a graph, O( to map out
the interrelated storylines.
Characters
There canoe no story witnout characters. These cliaracters w; I have
different perso1alit•es, confi ieting opinions, opposing motives, values and
altitudes. Notice what each character does ard says, and pay attenticn to
what otner charac1ers have to say about ihe--n. Bearing all these points in
m·nd, and as part cf your revisio'1, you should write a srort characte· study
of each of the characters in the play you are studying.
Contrasting characters
Jeweders some~mes out a thir
layero'pol'sred meta' unde, a
gemstone in order to give it 'nore
br"lllarice. Tre metal Is called a foil.
A contrastlrg character sriows
up the charaC<eristlcs of tne
protagonist: he 's a foll for the
protagon'st.
Because people are different, there will almost certainly be characters
in your play that stand In contrast to each other. In Twelfrh Nighr,
both Viola and Olivia have'lost'a brotherbvt while Olivia goes into
prolonged mourning, Viola courageously makes the decision to
disguise herself as a boy and seek employment. Oll11ia resorts to
posturing, while Viola is resourceful and practical. In Ti-Jeon and His
Bro1ilers, the three brothers are very different: Gros-Jean depends on
his physical strength and Mi-Jean relies on his learning. In contrast
n -Jean humbly draws on the wisdom. folth and splritvallty learnt from
his mother to claim victory. In The Tempest. both Ariel and Caliban are
mythical servants of Prospero bvt they are sharply contrasted. Arlel is
a natural. fairy-like spirit that is obedient and dedicated to his master's
commands. Contr.istingly, Caliban takes the form of a crude monster
that is rude and unwilling to serve Prospero. In Anans,. the Captain
and the boy represent the slave masters, but despite this they have
diffetenl perspectives on slaves. The boy is empathic and sensitive,
while the father is dogmatic and detached. We sympathise with rhe
slaves through the boy's innocent eyes
Different language for different characters
Often, to make lhe characters more realistic, arid to make
the contrast, more striking, the playwright will use: a type of
l;Jnguage appropriate 10 each character Be aware or the ~hills
11 1 language and difterent types or imagery that contrasung
char<1cters use
Themes
The t~emes of a play a·e the main Issues tl-,at are raised - usually the ·ssues
that cause the conflicts w thin and between the cnaracters.
The t~e-nes of each play are different, but the quic~est way to Identify
them is re focus on the conflicts. VVnat causes fr'ction between characters?
The cause cf the friction will oe one of the themes.
Conflict
In a p1ay (as in rea' life) you car expect to come across conflicts and
tensions. Trese conflicts are sometimes between rNo characters,
sometimes between a character and society, and sometimes within tre
mnd of tne character.
ACTIVITY
Map the conflicts in two plays you riave studied, showing which
cl->aracters a·e opposed to each ctrer. a1d why.
• Are the conflicts tne same ' n the two plays?
• Are the tnemes the same?
The points of confi'ct wll, tell you the Issues or themes that tne o-ay
raises.
How do we sense conflict?
You come l1ome from school
and you sense tha1 something
,s wrong: Mum 1s annoyed and
your sister is sulking. I low do you
know there 1s tension? Sometimes
you know there's a problem from
the actual words they are using,
but sometimes you sense ,t 1n
1heir body langudge, or i1 , lheir
tone of voice Your 'riend seems
particularly quiet and avoids
company. so you sense tha1 he
is struggling with something some conflicL In his own mi1\d.
Expect the characters in a play
10 be expenenclng connicts,
but remember lhal they may
communicate thal conflict co us
by using a subtle tone of voice or
by body language, as well as by
open quarrelling or even fighting.
As in real life, look for signs In 1he
performance style and language
used by the charaaers.
Irony
Often we p!an fo; ore thing or anticipate a part'cula• outcome, and the
opposite happens. That is irony. Somet'mes we (the aud'ence) know
something that a character on the stage is unaware of, so we are able to
smile (or maybe wircei at his lack cf krow edge: this is an example of
irony. Irony is often used in drama: make a note oftne main examples cf
dram atic irony In your play.
KEY POINTS
Tbe issues t1at cause conflict
among tre charac;ers wlll ead
you to the tiemes o' the play
Suspense
The playwright uses many devices to create tension In order to make
the audience wonder how a s tuation will ever be resolved.This is called
building susper,se. and It's a technique employed to create a sense of
excitement ard anticipation in the play. Ooserve and note how tbe
p1aywright crea,es suspense by withholding info·mation or by allowing
things re descend into chaos and presenting us and the characters with a
solution 01ly at the very last moment.
ACTIVITY
Ident fy two po:ms of conflict in
ar.ctber play you have studied. Say
what themes and issues are raised
tnrough these conflicts.
Ti-Jean and His Brothers introduction
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• learr about ::Jerek 'Nalcon:'s life
and work
• trace the plo; o~ Tl-Jean and H;s
BroN1ers.
KEY POINTS
Reslstarce :o color. satior, Is a
treme II' this play, ard T -;ean,
I <e t:ie V✓alcott boys, Is raised by a
sirg e pa•err - Mother.
•• •
•
Oeuvre Is a French wo·d mea>1lng
'body of work·, t Is used to
describe the oJtput of a writer,
composer or artist.
About the dramatist
DerekVi/alcon was oorn in 1930 in Castries, St Luc·a. His worldview was
large,y s'laped by his experience of growing up in an island commun·ty
that had been colonised alterraiely by the French and the British. Derek's
fathe· died when he and his twin o•other, Roder'ck, were very your.g,
leaving the boys to be raised by their mother, a schcolteacher.
In 1953, after graduating from v \oVI with a deg•ee in Erg,.sh and a
d1p oma in Educatior, INalccn moved to Trinidad where, with nis brother,
ne formed the Trinidad Theatre Works'1op company. He directed rhe
Vvorkshop for r:,o decades, and wrote several of the plays performed
there. Some 15 of ~l/alcorc's plays have been published, and a similar
number have been performed bJt no, published.
As well as being a dramatist, 1Nalcort published a dozen volumes of poeTr)',
winning a number of prestigious awards. In 1992, he was awarded the
Nobel Prize in Literature ' for a poetic oeuvre of great luminosity, sustained
by a historical vision, the outcome of a mulriculrura commitment'. He held
appointments at universities 1n England and rre USA. Y./alcott died at his
home in St Lucia in March 2017.
The plot
As soon as the curtain goes up on tre play Tl·Jeonand his Brorhers, we
realise ,!-,at we are in the realm of magical realism: animals talk and the
Devil himself appears on stage with his servants. The pier follows tne
patter'l of folk tale - in a familiar storyline, three brotre·s are given a rask
to perform, ar.d the youngest a>1d weakest succeeds where his brothers
fail. Y./alcott uses this folk-tale panern, ,hough, to reflect on the Caribbea1
experience of exploitation under colonial rule.
A poverty•stric<en widow lives with rer 1hree sons, Gros-Jean, Mi-Jean and
Ti-Jean, in a hut in the fo,est. The supernarural invades tbe:r life when the
Bolorn (an abo11ed foetus, now rhe servanr of the Devil) comes to their
nui with a chalierge. The Belem says ,bat if 01e of the boys can cause
the Devil to feel human emotions, then the family will be showered with
gold and never want again, but should he fall ard lose co1rro of his own
emotions, he will beco.me supper for rre Devil.
One oy one the boys accept rre challenge. Each In turn is required to
deal wit,~ a feisty goat. to collecrfirefl'es, and to count a!I the leaves In the
sugar cane fields. Gros-Jean depends on his physical strength to march the
Devil (now in ,he form of a Planter). but eventually is frustrated and loses
h s temper. The Devil eats him fo• supper. Mi-Jean, a half-baked academic,
decides that he will vln the contest by remainlrg silent, but when he,
too, is frustrated by ire impossibil'ty o' the tas~s, re car remain silent no
longer, loses co.1trol of h;s emotions and in turn becomes supper for tne
Devit
1Nnen Tl-Jean's turn comes, he re, es neither on h:s physical strength nor
,rACTIVITY
Find Derek vValcon·s Nebel
Lecture 01 the web and listen
to 't .
on his Intellectual gifts, but draws on his mother's wisdom and prayers,
and humb'y turns to the creatures cf the forest to assist him. V,/here the
arrogance cf his brothers led t1em to failure, Ti-Jean's humili ty and respect
for otners leads him to triumph. He castrates tre goat and makes himself a
curry, and he urges the workers in the cane fields ,c bJrn down the canes
so that there is ro need to court t~e:r leaves. Of coJrse, the Devil (Planter)
Is furious and loses the contest. revealing his deeply racist attitudes In the
p·ocess:"yoJ ll tte nowhere nigger! ... YoJ're dirt, and that's where yoJ'I
be when I'm finished wit'l you."
However, the Devil Is re' uctant to honour his agreement. It ta~es the
intervention of the Bolom to ensure t"lat Ti-Jean 1s given the shower of
gold. Of course. the Devil never plays fair: he does indeed allow the Bo'om
to live and Ti-Jean rece·ves the gold but at a price, as In the hut his beloved
mctner lies dead.
The co1frontaticn depicted in this play between the brothers and the
Devil ls a parable about s avery and colonisatio,, revolution and resistance
In the Caribbean.
A oe,lormaoce of ))Jeon one His Sro,.ieis staged by W,or.ke, ~•.oumaln In 20; Sat the Little Carib Thear,e.
The Chorus and conflict
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• rotice the IMporta1ce of the
Chorws of forest creatures
• consider the iypes of corfiict In
the play.
The Chorus
In Ti-Jeon and /-/is Bromers, ~Valcott cleverly draws on all tradirions tnat
have shaped Ca•ibbeaf' life. In th:s play he uses our history of European
conquest and sugar plantations, Afro-Caribbean folklore and ,he
revolutionary figures who fought for our independence.
Orie literary tradition that Walcott p 1ayfully refers to Is that of the Chorus
n Greek tragedy. 1Nalcotr's Chorus is made up of forest creatures ..",s they
bring us t~e Prologue, the Frog says.''Greek-croak" (instead of Cri,kCrack)
and then sneezes, "Aeschylus me!" (Aeschlyus being a famous Greek
dra ,natist). This parody of Greek theatre is amusing yet also importarit.
Greek epics and drama celebrated great mytnlcal reroes like Hercules,
Acnilies and Odysseus. By i> nking his own p'ay with Greek drama, Walcolt
·mp,les that the heroes of Caribbea1 h story - those who have fought
against the evil of slavery, colonisation and exploitation - are just as
worthy of recognition on the world stage.
What additio nal purpose does the Chorus serve?
Co1slder ,~e following five points:
• The Chorus as a frame: The Chorus is a tradition In Greek theatre.
~Valcott uses it here as a frame around the folk tale of the three brothers,
suggesting that their struggle has epic dimensions.
• The Chorus as a political statement: By giving a vo1ce to creatures of
the forest, V•/alcolt asserts that Caribbea1 voices are just as valid as those
ho1oured in 1Nester1 traditions.
• The Chorus as a narrator: The creatures narrate the fo' k tale of tre
man in the moon, thereby Introducing the audience to the Mother and
her three sons.
• The Chorus as magical realism: The mag:c of the talking creatures,
t"leir dance movements and their delightful costumes lift the mood of
the p1ay.This contrasts with the tragic realism of the family's poverty ar,d
suggests that ar alternative to that degradation is Indeed possib'e.
• The Chorus as lyrical counterpoint: A variety of language registers
are used in the play.The Chorus speaks In a very lyrical style, suggesting
that there is a dimef'sior cf beauty beyond tne hardsnlps of life as
experienced by the l:tt1e family.
Conflict
Litera lly t'ne conflict in the play is between the ens1aved and ,re slave
owner, between the colonised and the coloniser, between the exploited
and the exploiter.The iteral conflict traces the history cf co1quest,
colo1isation and nee-colonialism in the Car;bbean. Tre conflict Is betv,een
the little family and the Devil/Planter who'eats up'ire sons, while not
allow,ng them to climb out of poverty.
At the metaphysical level we could say that t'ie conflict is between good
and evil. Evil is personified in tl-e Devil/Planter. He perso1ifies greed,
deceit, exploitation, ru1hlessriess, cruelty, abuse of power, rac,sm and
,njustice. In contrast, the Moirer and T-Jean persorify goodness. Tre'r
faith. love, humility, integrity, self-sacrifice, wisdom and courage are rhe
power that will overcome evil. Due to tre righteousness of Tl-Jean's cause
and the courage and determination with which he resists the Planter/
Devil, the Bolom (the future) is set free, and the Devil is driven away for
a time.
Significantly, tne Devil appears in different disguises.The point here is
that evil manifests itse f ii' many different forms: infanticide, exoloitation
of workers, cruelty, poverty,· gnorar.ce, and so forth. These evils (and so
many others) must be fo·Jght ifhuma1ity is 10 be liberated ro reach !cs full
potential. The co1Wct is one ,rat we still face:"la lutte co1tinue'.
The conflict operates at the psycnological level too. In the ct-aracters
of the Mother and Ti-Jean, we see humanity striving to be noble and
virtuous. The Devil, thoJgh, seeks to strip humanity of all dignity: ne jeers
at their efforts to rise above their s·tuatior. To ire Devil, the Mother is a
"poor withered foo' who thinks it's holy to be poor. wno scraped her knees
to the knuckle praying to an old beard that's been deaf since noise began'.
He mockingly asserts that mankind s merely an animal: the 'descendant of
the ape ... poor shaving monkey"; he calls nu man I fe a 'hackreyed cough
between two immortalities'.
This is psychological warfare. but TI-Jean has allies to encourage him rot
to be discouraged. Even as he grieves the death of his mothe·, h's spiritual
streng,h and lnsoiration, ire forest creatures U'ge Ti-Jean to sing. They
are actua y urging him to believe in himself: to rise above his situation
and become nobler in doing so. Here, then, the conflict is between man's
asp:rarion to be noble al'd re·oic, and the forces trat pull r ·m down,
telling him he Is worthless, and urging him 10 berave at his wo•st. His sorg
s his triumph over the evil of despair.
ACTIVITY
Explore how each of the followlrg responds to the conflict he
experiences:
• The Old Man
• Ti-Jean
• 80!0'11
•• •
'La lune cont'1ue· translates as
'the struggle co1tinues'. It has
been used as a slogan by many
pollt ca movements througrout
histo,y.
The characters
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• ldertlfy the characters Ir,
the play and cons de' their
significance.
The brothers
."-ltrough the story cf tne three brotre·s rakes the form of a simple fo k
tale, it has importart mear,ing. Cr'tics have s•Jggested that the three
brothers represert three pr-ases i 1 the deve opment of Caribbean pee pie.
We could look at the three phases in this way:
Gros-Jean: the slave, denied edJcarion and exploited for his phys·cal
strength.
M i-Jean: the colonised subject, educated solely to serve as a pen-pusher
'n the co!onise,'s system, but no longer res0Jrcefu1or capable in practical
matters. (Mi-Jean ca1 prattle away In lega jargon. but cannot catch fish to
feed the family.)
Ti-Jean: the decolonised ·evolutionary. His eyes are wide open ro the
I' ACTIVITY
I
D'scuss tne follow·ng: M -Jean is
tre 'educa1ed' son - always w:th his
book. To what exte'1t does h:s book
learning help him?
Listen to this TED ta k by Sir
Ker Robirson - 'Do Schools Kil
Creativity?'. He makes the po'nt
tl'-at colonla educatior trained
yoJng people 10 be bureaucrats,
but what Is needed Is educatlor
that w'I bring out treir creativity.
Can you reiate his argument to
V>/alcott's satirical o·esentatlo1 of
Mi-Jean?
evils of the co oniser's methods. He cl lrgs to and respects ,re indigenous
culture (his mother's wisdo'n and prayers, the wisdom and assistance of
the forest creat•Jres). He values the lives of his people. ard fights for tre
survival of tre Bolom. He res,sts the imposed system of exploitation - even
to the point of usir,g violence. He resists the psycholog•ca, devaluation of
h,s person (the way he ·s'na'ned' by the Plamer/Devil).
V~alcott presents the downfall of Gros-Jean with compassion, but reserves
h's satire for the way the coloniser uses education and tre lure of booklearning and a white-collar job to rerde· M -Jean useless to his family. His
respect is for Tl-Jean, the new generation ofyoutns who are'consclous'
and who will resist tne systematic naming and exploitat'on that colonised
peop e have been subjected ro.
The Moth er
There is love. dignity. wisdom and quiet faitn about this woman.
Yer wisdom is shown in several ways:
• Sre tells Gros-Jean t'lat "a grave is the strongest arm cf at ' - showi rg
him that pfiysical strength is not to be rel ed on.
• She advises her sons to be respectful to the creatures of the forest.
• She warns her sons to beware of Papa Bois because "the Devil can hide
in several features'.
• She g·ves spiritua, guidance tor-er sons. say'ng:
"You have told me yourself
Our lives are not ours,
That no 01e·s life Is theirs
Husband or wife.
Father or sen,
That our life is God's own~
Her quiet fait"l is revealed through seve,a actions:
• S'1e olesses Tl-Jean (tne only son who kneels and as~s for her blessing).
• It is her prayer that causes the Devil to keep his bargain - even though It
resJlts In tre Mctner's death.
Her deep love is seen no1 only in her care cf her boys, but in the
compassion she srows for tne Bo lorn. This Is clear whe1 she says:
''Peace to you, unbo·n,
You can find co11fort here.
Let a mother toJch you.
For the sake of her kind~
The devil s
This play takes us beyo1d the ·ealism of the Mother's hut, and reveals the
superratural forces at work. The Devil and the lesser demons are v1s1ble,
and the audience s permitted to see the Devil assuming the disguise of
Papa Boes and the Planter. In this simple way, we are given to unde·stand
that the ills in a society, sJcn as the cruelty and Injustice oftre p!antafon
system, are energised by spi(t forces. Even something as seemingly
narmless as the negative.'worldly wise' advice cf Papa Bo's must also be
recoanised as being Inspired by evil, ar.d counte• to faith. Indeed, 1he
Bolo;;, tel Is us that all the wickedness in the world is Instigated by the Devil:
'Tre Devil my master
\.Vho owns half the wo·ld,
In ri--e kingdom of night,
Has done all that is evil
Bu;chered thousands in war,
Whispered h's diseases
In tre ea·s of great statesmer\
Invented human justice,
Made anger. pride.jealousy,
And wea~ened prayer .. ."
As a ct-aracter, the Devil shows a variety of emotions. He is resentful at
having lost his poslfon as God's 'lieutenant; sco•r,ful of the weaknesses of
human oe,ngs and ang•y at having been outsmarted by Ti-Jea1.
Papa Bois
1n Trinidad and St Lucia, Papa Bois, the Old Man of the vVoods, rs ,he
guardian of the forest. One of his feet is a cloven goat-hoof. Anyone
meeting him should greet nim witn great po,·teness and never try to
uncover tre hairy foot.
1n this play, Papa Bois Is o-ie persona cf tre Devil. He represents worldly
wisdom, but his vie.,.v of life Is pessimistic - full of imagery of worms and
death. Neither Gros-Jean nor Ml-Jean recogr>'ses the evil in tre O d Man,
even thouoh Mi-Jean is chec,{ ing his book fo, definitions that ought to
help hrm. Ti-Jean, on the other hand, is not deceived by Papa Bois. r.o· is he
deterred by tne o d man's negarvity, but he keeps his attitude of hope and
faitn throJghout tne:r conversation.
' ACTIVITY
• How does each of the brothers
respond to ,re Bolo'll? 1/✓l-,at
do their reactions tell us about
1heir pe·sonalfties? Are they like
or unlike their mother?
• Comoare the ways in which
the tnree brothers treat tne
creatures of rhe fo,est. 1N1'at
does this tell you about their
persona ities? \.Vrat lesson can
we learn from Ti-Jean's attitude
to the forest creatures?
• Compare the ways In which the
three br<nhers deal with Papa
Bois. What evidence do we have
that Ti-Jean has seen that the
Old Man ·s really the Dev: in
d·souise? Find examples of
Ti-Jean refusing to accept the
Old Man's view oftr·ngs.
-
I •.1 1t..lll, ,It
Tre Devil nas often been depicted
in ·terature. lv'edieva' myste•y ard
mo•allty plays In Eu•cpe included
tne DeVl or the O!d Vice as a
cna,acter. Chrstopher Marlowe Is
famoJs for his play Dr. Fousrus, In
w1ich Faustus makes a deal wltn
tne Dev' . MIiton made Satan a
central figure In his epic poem
Porodtse Losr (and 1deed tr ere are
echoes of that poem 1 1Nalcott's
play). ~Vhat Is different aoout
V✓alcott's use o' the Devi s the way
he nks tne Devi with I/I/est lnd'an
plantatio1s ard slavery.Tl-Jean's
struggle against ,hew les of the
Devil ·s the struggle that Ca(bbean
people have to take back all that
has been ta:{en from them ttlrcu9h
European slavery arid colonisa~on,
and even throuo, the unequa
playng field of post-co on al
po,,tcs.
-
Stagecraft
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• think aboJt the e"ectVeness
of dramatic dev ces, suer as
scerery a'ld costJmes
• ro,ice that scenes of energetic
movemeN and noise a tenate
witr sceres of stillness and
qJlet, .;ffectlng t'le -nood a11d
provoking ,rougrt
• consider rhe imporrarce of
d·amat c devices sJcr as props,
sou1d effects and g'lting.
Scenery
The audience sees tre contrast oetween the poverty-stricken hut, wrere
the fami y lives, and tre fcrest that surroJnds it. v\/hile tre hut is real'st'c
(recogn·sab'y parr of the real world), the fo:est is a place of mystery and
the superratural. The contrast imp.les that a spir'tua realm lies oeyord the
realities of everyday life. That realm is one of magical wonder (suggested
by ire talking creatures) and of spirtual danger (suggested by the
presence of the Devil and his servants).
Costumes
The play offers splendid spectacle in the costumes: wnimslcal outfits fo,
the talking creatures; frightening costumes fo• tne devils; and peasant
garments for tre Motner and her sons. Tne Pla11ter's costume remind us of
the histo•ical period of slaver)' and colonial rule, while the leafy mas~ and
costume of Papa Bois ta~e us to the wo·ld of Caribbean folkio•e. However,
the Bolom's costu-ne wil suggest his non-hu-nan state.
Actio n and stillness
Drama is a spectacle, and it is also action. ndeed, one of rhe key aspects
of this play sits rich use of moveme<1t on stage. Tre Bolom somersaults
around the hut. the forest c:eatures scamper and dance around In tneir
own style, the devils cavort gleefully, and even the goat ,eads the brot1ers
a merry dance until Tl-Jean deals with nim.
Movement can be very significant, as, for :nstarce, when Ti-Jean kneels to
·nteract with ,re forest creatures. and wher Ti-Jea1 and t11e Bo lorn go off,
their arms around each other. Scenes where tre devils are on stage are
always very energetic.
Unl·ke his two brothers, Ti-Jean does not trust tne old man he meets In tre
forest. and his various moveme11s as he surreptitiously exposes the o'd
man's devil's tall and cloven 1oof will produce laughter In the audience.
Pretending to cooperate with Papa Bcis, Tl-Jean scatters his faggots
Instead of securing the bundle, making the old man cross. The result is
plenty of Ilvely - even comic - movement on stage.
No play consists entire,y cf live y scenes. though; trere must be scenes of
stiliness and quiet ioo.Tre Motner ras quite a lengthy conversation witn
Ti-Jean before he leaves home, and tne 11oment when Ti-Jean discovers
his brothers' graves is alsc so emn and still. Tre roisy scene, so full of the
movement of the devils when Gres-Jean and Mi-Jean first fail in their
Tasks, is followed by a still moment where the Devil is seated en the leg,
peacefully nibbling at a piece of human fiesh. Trese moments of stillness
:n The play are very significant, focusing our attention on what is taking
place a1d requirirg a change in our emotional response.
Props
In order to create a solemn effect. there need to be two crosses to mark
The graves of Mi-Jean and Gros-Jean. A cloven foot and Tail will be needed
for Papa Bois - and these tell us that he is evil while also providirg humour
asTi-Jean tries to unmask ,re o'd devil. The Devil/P1anter's mask is an
important prop, suggesting how evi1the plantation system was.
Lighting
Depending on the resources cf tne company staging the play, there is
sccpe for creative use of ligrting effects. Fer instarce. the stage directions
require ab Je light to mark out the Bo'om as he rol s around the hi.It,
while a white light p·cks ou, the Mother as she prays fervertly fer Ti-Jean.
Lightning flashes accompany actions oftre devils, and the lurid fiames of
Hell are suggested by red lighting behind the two brothers enduring their
eternal punishment.
Sound and lighting
The play effectively uses both sound and lighting (alo1g with smoke-filled
explosions).The simple musical accompanimern of fi1.1te, cuatro and drum
conveys a variety of moods, from the Mother's mourning because there •s
no food to Gros-Jean's military style as re marches off to accepT the Devi 's
challenge.The moments when Gros-Jean a1d ,'vli-Jea1 lose To the Devil
are marked wiTh a loud exp'oslon, lighTning flashes and smoke - giving a
powerful suggestion of Hell en earth. The contrast between that noise and
the br'lliance of the scene that follows - the Devil p1addly nibbling on a
human I mo - is very drarnat c indeed.
/ ACTIVITY
I
Identify ether props that w i be required fo• a performance of this
o' ay. V,jhat is the effect that each will have en the audience?
Sound, language
and humour
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• be aware of the effect of sound
and soectacle In •re play
• consider the use cf different
reglste•s cf language
• trace the humoJr In the play
and 1k about ts '11oortance.
,r
ri• ll••,.•11• ••••~--- - - - --!
In Afr"can-American cu'ture, the
mus c know,, as the 'Blues· is the
product of the sJfferir,g a'ld pain
of that co11munlty. The music
often caprJres tre sourds 11ade
by rra'ns, remind·ng us tha, mary
Afr can-Americans worked hard
for 'cw wages, or even In chain
gangs, ro ay the tracks for the
uanscontinental ral,roads that
made Amer'ca r'ch.Tre songs
,hat emerged fro'Tl tre save
plantat,ons, too - the so-called
Negro Spiritua,s - are examp es
of a peop e turning their oair, 'nto
song. 'S'rigirg tne Blues· speaks of
,re .rlumph of the hJma.1 spir:t
over Injustice ard opo·esslon
ofevery kind. r th s pay, the
creatures of tre forest urge Tl•Jean
to jolr In and sing the 'Blues'.
Sound and spectacle
The costumes and setting make fer a splendid spectaC'e in the p.ay.Tre
forest creatures wear whimsical costumes. and the devil s. too. are dressed
•n eye-catching oJtnts. Papa Bois wears a mask of leaves and a long skirt
coverirg his cloven hoof, ard the Bolom is suitably dressed to suggest his
unborn state. There needs to be a contrast between the everyday c1cthes
of the Motner and her sons on t1e one hand, and rhe forest creatures and
supernatural agents on the other.
Since the action takes place in the forest, there is scope for spe<:tacu ar
scenery, and th:s is made dramatic by the prese1ce of t'ne poverty-stric~en
hut and, later, tne two crosses marking the graves of tne two o,der brothers.
Lighting and sound effects are used throughoutthe play-dra,natic flashes of
lig'1t, smoke and thvnder-claps mark tne a1ger of the Devil, creating a mocd of
terro•. Violence a1d revolution are rimed at when the llg>iting makes me s~y red
w~n flames at the mo11ent that Ti-Jean orders the wo•Kers to bJrn the cane.
The musicia 1s assist in establishing the required mood ai moments ,n
the play. Drums, cries and the cane bJrne•s' crorus create a mood of
'evolution, while a sad, haunting melody on the solo flute suggests the
sorrow and pove•ty experienced by the Mother when she has no food to
give her sors. A dash of cymbals accompanies ,he arrival of the Bolom,
startling tre family inside the hut and the audience watching the play.
n addition to al I t,~e above, the stage directions also cal I for the soJnd of
wind, rain and the sh•iek of insects 10 give realism to the fores, sett'ng.
Singing Is imoortant both to the mood of the play and to ts message.
ndeed, Ti-Jean's courageous so1g at the end of the p!ay takes on symbolic
signincarce. Borrcw'ng from Christ ian tradition, Ti-Jean compares himself
to Dav d setting out to kill Goliath:
'I go b·ing down, bring down Goliath:
Bring down below .. .'
To be a man, Tl-Jean knows he must keep going -despite fear, desprre injustice,
despited scouragement and even despite tre grief he fee's at his molher's
death. Heal sing that he must rise above his g.ref, he fa,terlrgly attempts to sing,
and as the forest creatu·es join in. tne;r chorus becomes a chant of triumph.
Language
Vvalcott explores a broad language spectrum in ,r·s play. Much of the play
Is written in rnythmic, unrrymed poetic form that soJnds Iike chanting
when performed. Here is an examp e of that lyrical unr'lymed poetry:
'The cricKet would stop rattling
And the wandering firefly
That lights the tired wocds,nan
Home throJgh the raining trees
Could not strike a damp light
To star tne wanderer home'"
The lyrical quality is he,ped by an abvndance of alliteration:
'Old hards dried up l'ke l;la·NS
l:leaping old stids,s on stlds,s,
Too wea!i to protect her nest.'
The lyrical speech of the forest creatures contrasts with the everyday
P'Osa•c language of, fer ·nstance. Gros-Jean and Mi-Jean, suggesting a
spirituality that the animals have and that Gros-Jean has lost:
'Get out cf my way. you slimy bastard!'
Patois and Creo e are part of the larguage continuum of the play:
Patois:·'Fa·re ~a mwen di ous!'."Ba Daible-1a 11anger un 'ti mamaille'
Creole: 'Listen. I e11 mind doi'lg what you proposed': 'VVell, o'le time it
had a mother .. .'
Due to the fuct that Mi-Jean has studied a lot but learnt only a little, he
s given language that is full of clever words that he so.11etimes uses
incorrectly: ' INnen you an•madvertemly imbue mere animals with an
animus or sovl .. .'.However.when Ml-Jean ·s caught off-guard, he reverts
to h's everyday language: 'Oh, shut up, yow can't hear two peop1e talk'ng?'
Similarly. the Devil is capab1e of speaKing like a learned academic, but he
can also desce'ld to vulgarity:
'I've been watching yo:.i, you little nowhere nigger! You little squirt ...
You're dirtl"
Humour
Deso'te Its serious tremes, rhe play Is fu1of humour. Here are so-ne
examples:
• Puns: Mi-Jean is:
'Always forgetting the ba t,
So between de bait and debate"
• A mock-heroic tone when the drums and quatro str' ke up a military air
to accompany MI-Jea1's'march' across the stage.
• s·ruatioral humour Ir TI-Jea,s producing the ·goat seed' and announces
that he has enjoyed the goat curry.
• M·-Jean's shift from pompous legal lar,guage to an angr\' outburst when
he Is finally frust·ared by the goat's blea,irg. He shifts from "Exaggerated
hypothesis! Unsubstantiated!'to 'On, snut yoJ damn moJth, both o'all you'.'
• Farce: Gros-Jean and rhen Mi-Jean chasing the goat.
• Bathos. Tre Devil recall s his glory days In Heaven:
'When I was the Son of the Morning,
'Nhen I was the Prirce of light'
Then he siips from that lofty tone and bursts OJI:
'Oh, to hell with 11',at! You lose a job. you lose a job.'
,rACTIVITY
• The Mother's speech Is lyrical,
•nnocent and reverent. She
uses Biblica allusion and the
Kird of diction you might find
'n prayers. l>ie language of the
forest crearvres, mo. rs innocent
and c,ean. In contrast, tne
Devil and Gros-Jean use vulgar
exoress·ons. Fird some exa'Tlples
to demonstrate th·s contrast
between Innocent goodness on
t~e one hand. and vulgarity on
tre other. How effective is this
contrasting use of language?
• Find examp•es In the play
of suoerstitious be efs a11d
practices that are prevalent In
the Caribbean. For example,
when the So om comes to
the hut, Gros-Jean suggests
that triey'L re the step with
fi11e sand to keep the evil out':
and he ard Mi-Jean hold their
~11gers to make the s·gn of
the cross to keep the evil sp rit
away. Make a list of examples.
• The l\obe' Prize committee
pra,sed Walcott's work for its
"multicultural comm'tment".
Flr,d examp.es of tnis in tne
play. For example, you can lls;
examples of Afr'can-Amer:can
songs, Caribbean folklore,
aspects of Greek tragedy,
Biblical references, universal
folk ta es, allusion to European
I terature, tne historical context
of sugar p'antat'ons In the West
r.d,es, paio.s ard Standard
Englisli. etc.
Themes and symbols
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi I:
• compa'e the beginning arid
the end of tne o ay ir O'de' to
ldertlfy the triemes
• consider the syMbollc 'unction
of the Bolom
The 'fourth wall' ir treatre talk is
,re imaginary 'wall' between the
actcrs and tre audience. In some
plays. tre actors coriduct trelr
activities as If the audience s:mply
is not 11ere, ard rne aJdience Is
not irvolved In the actio1 on stage.
Modern d'clMat,sts often choose to
break down that'fou,cn wall: Trey
allow the characters to address the
audience directly, ard sometimes
actors are situated off stage, ir
,re audience.This removal of ,lie
'fou,th wall' makes tre audience
fee partoftne act:or, respo1s ble
for what s nappe1ing on the
stage a'1d empowered to change
tl'le s·tuation. An example of
brea~ir.g down the 'fourth wal'
occJrs in 'Ti-Jean and His Brothers
wren Gros-Jean add,esses tne
audience directly. ,n traditiof"al
soliloquy, cha'acters ,alk to
tremselves, pre1endin9 rhat the
audience Is not present, wre1 the
fourth wall ls removed, characters
acknowledge me presence ofpeople
in the audience, and address trem
direaly.
Comparing the beginning and the end
1Nhen you study a play or a nove', ii is always helpful to co-npare the
beg:nning and the end. This play begins with a state of disorder. 'Ne meet
a family I ving in poverty, targeted by the fo·ces of evil and consumed with
fear. Also, we see an unborn foetus denied life, and condemned to be a
slave of tne Devil.
By the end of tne p'ay,Ti-Jeari (the youngest of tre brothers) l'las
confronted the Devi , challenged his I' es. and claimed his freedo-n. The
Bolom (unborn foetus) has been given life. Ti-Jean and tl'le Bolom, 10w
brothers, face tre future togethe·. However. while there is tciumph as
the Devil leaves, there Is also sorrow: Gros-Jean and Ml-Jean died whe1
they failed the Devil's chal enge, and the Motrer died ever as sne p·ayed
fervently for the safety of ner )'Ou-1gest so1. Freedom for ,re Bolom and for
Tl-Jean has come at a p•ice. Therefo•e, it is with a mixture ofjoy and sorrow
that the two fuce the future. and the forest creatures urge Ti-Jean to sing:
he must go on.
Vvhat can we learn from these changes? 11ve learn that social evils are
not overco-ne by phys,cal strength (Gros-Jean), nor by a smidgeon of
ed•Jcation (Ml-Jean); rather, ev, i'as to be ove·come by faith, courage,
endurance, hu-nli'ty and unity such as are shown by Ti-Jeari. Evil in all
,ts guises must be steadfastly exposed and resisted - at times even with
violence. The future (symbolised by the So om) will be guaranteed only
as we unite to persistently chaIle~ge the injustices that would destroy us.
To suffer and gr;eve and yet still keep faith and s·ng is wl'lat it ta,es to
be a man.
The evils of slavery and colonisation
Central to the play Is the link ber.-ween the Devil and the plantocracy ·n
the \~/est Indies. Ti-Jean's challenge .s to triumph over tl'lat particular evil.
He struggles against poveny, ignorarce, discouragement (fro-n Papa
Bois). and the degradation and dehumanisation caused by the crue,,
unjust system of slavery and co'onisation. He draws strength for his
struggle: from his mother and her unwavering faitn and love; from the
support of the forest creatures (who.-n he treats with respect); fro11 the
united action of the cane-workers; and from his cwn integ·ity, self-respect
and 'TIOtrer-wit.
Rescuing the future
The Bolom - an aborted foetus, strangled at birth - symbolises the
futJre of ,he Caribbean people. Neither the strength of Gros·Jean (put
at the service of the oppressor), nor the little learning of Mi-Jean (who
attempts to reason with 1he oppresso·) liberates the 8o1om. Yet Ti-Jean's
determination, cunning, rebeliior and fa'th succeed where his brothers'
submiss·ve stance failed - despite rheir strengrh and learning. T·Jean has
learnt ar Important orincip1e:
'Who with the Devil tries to p'ay fair,
'Neaves tre ret of his own despair."
Due to Ti-Jean's revolutionary act ens. tne Solom - the reg'on's future - Is
released into life.
Some additional symbols
• Mi Jean's boo~ and useless fishing r.et. symbolising an educatio1 rhat
makes him unfit ro support his family
• Gros-Jean's axe, sy-nbolisir.g h's physical prowess that is help ess against
the evil system
• The Devil ard fiends, symbolising the evil s unleashed by slavery and
colonisation
• The forest creatures. symbolising natural goodness and wisdom t,1at
have been driven into hidirg by the plantation system
• The Devil gnawirg on a human bone, symbolising rre countless human
beings sacrificed to the plantation economy
• Tne oJrning cane fields symbolise revolution
• The Devil's mask and Papa Bois, each symbolisirg the way Evil disguises
its real nature
Faith, hope and unity in the face of oppression
Ti-Jean is clearly a revolutionary leader: unlike his orothers. he sees c early
that tnere can be no 'playirg fair' with the oppressor. He kills and eats
the goat, urges the sugar workers to revolt and bJrn dowr the cane, and
demands his own and the Bclom's freedom. However. it is 1ot only what
Ti-Jean does, oJt the spirit in which he does things that brings his success.
He demonstrates fa,th ar.d hope, a'1d reacnes out to those around him
(the forest creatures and the cane-workers) to join him In the st·uggle.
Even the Belem (who had been the Devil's servant), inspired by Ti-Jean.
positions himself between his 'brother' and rhe Devil. demanding justice.
'Nithout any P'eachirg. t"le p'ay lets us krow that the struggle fo·
liberatiol" is a spiritual one, and that it takes more than physical strengtn
and learning to 'o'ing down Goliath'. It may also requ're v,oience, such
as the burning of the cane and tne destruct on of the Planter's house.
Ir additio'1. the spiritual values embraced by Ti-Jean, together with
unflagging, determined resistance, are needed If those wno have suffered
at the hands of the oppressor are to gain freedom and cla:m their equal
rights in the world.
•• •
•
In h's Important study of
co Ionia sm, The Wretched of
the Eorrh. Frantz Fanor. writes
about the ways In which colonial
societ es have bee1 exploited by
tneir colo~isers. He argues that
colonial people reed not only
to overtnrow ihe cclonlsers, but
a so to disma1te ire ideas and
struci:ures t~at supported their
rule. New y independentfcrmer
colonies sriou,d preserve their
ind:genous lnstitutlors and culture;
t,iey srou d assert t1elr po tlca1
autonomy. Since co,onsa1 on Itself
is violent, vio ence Is ,nevitable ir
tne process of decolor,·saton.
"ACTIVITY
I
You are familiar witn Bob Marley's
famous line:
'Emancipate yourse ves from
menta, slavery'.
• To what extent do you consider
Tl-Jean to be mentally free?
• How does his thirking contrast
with that of his brothers?
• Consider young people In your
country. \/•/har behaviours do
they disp!ay that reflect mental
emarcipaticn?
Twelfth Night - the plot
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• consider rhe malr plot
• trace the suop ot lnvolv· rg
Malvollo
• trace the suop ot lnvolv· rg
S • A'1drew AguecreeK
• be awa•e of rcw the :r ree plots
are Interwoven,
The main plot involving the courtly lovers
The action takes pace in lllyr;a, a country ti--at has more t'ian ,t, fair share of
crazy peop'e! DJke Ors·no is pining away with love fo, the Countess Olivia.
Oliv,a, fo, her part, has vowed ro remain single for sever years, mourning her
brother's death. Not much hope of romance here, but help is on the way!
Viola and Sebastian (identical twins) survive a shipwreck and are wasred
up separately en tre lllyrian coast. Realising she muSt now fend for herself.
Viola disguises herself as a pageboy, Cesario, and goes tc wo'k for Orsno,
woo;ng Olivia on his bel--alf. Hard luck for her, rhe Countess falls In love
wit'n Cesario, who dares rot reveal that he is really a she!
Net long after, SebaStian arrives in town, ard 11eets O.lvla. She tr Ink; he's
Cesario, treats him lovingly, and proposes marriage. Seba,tian snot sure
·f the lady is mad or if he I, dreaming, bJt he decides to play along! As fer
Olivia, st>e wa,tes no time, and quickly produces a p•iest.
There is confu,ion because of the look-alike twin;, but eventually tre trUlh
Is revealed. Orsir.o marries Viola, and Sebastian marries Oliv·a, bUl there are
many misunderstandings befo·e the nappy ending can take place.
The plot involving Malvolio
Critics refer to this plot as 'the gulling of Malvolio'. Malvolio Is the steward
In Olivia's household, but he is very unpopular because he is an arrogant
spoll-spo'1, always reporting the others for their mlsdemeanours. They
decide to p'ay a tr ck on him.
Maria composes a letter that Ma vollo w!' believe
was w•itten by Olivia. It hints that h:s mistress is in
eve with him, and would like to see him smiling al I
the time and dressed In ye low stockir.gs with cross·
garters. Malvolio is so full cf self-importance that he
quickly imagines himself as Count Malvolio.
He does exactly as t,~e letter instructs. Olivia is sc
fiorrified to see her usually sober steward behaving
1n such an absurd way ,l°'a1 she agrees he must be
Ill. She hands him ever to her uncle. S,r Toby, who
:'llmediately has the steward locked up in a dark room
and trea,ed as a madman. To squeeze every drop of
fun oUl of the joke, they even bring in a priest (the
Clown in disguise) to·exorcise'the mad spirit.
Acto,s poitray Mal'lo'lo (re•lmag neo as
awoman, f,,\alvolla) andVlo~ In a•~ent
production In the UK
Malvo,io 1s fina lyre eased when he manages to have
a letter ta~en to Olivia. Sre listens io h s sto•y a1d has
him set free. Tbe other servams admit to their miscl->'ef,
but as~ fer it to be taken as a joke. For Malvolio,
t'1cugr, it is re joke, and re's not forgiving anyone: he
marches off, determined to get revenge.
The plot involving Sir Andrew Aguecheek
Orsino is not rhe only pe,son who loves the Countess Olivia: Sir Andrew
Aguecheek has his eye on her too. The j oke is that no woman would look
iwice at poor Sir A'1drew. He ·s tall and s<innyw,rh hair like limp flax, and
he s total y foolish. Sir Toby. ever ready for some fun, persuades Sir Andrew
to r and over money. in excnange for whicn Sir Toby promises to hook i re
knight upw,th his niece. Trere are a number of com·c scenes irvo•ving
silly speech and ever slll'er behaviour from Sir Andrew, and many jokes
made by the others at Sir Andrew's expense.
Perhaps the best prank that Sir Tooy plays on ,he deluded f'ellow Is when
he sets up tne knight to challenge Cesario to a duel. Sir Andrew sees trat
Olivia is very taken with the pageboy, and is easi,y persuaded that if he
cha I enges the Dul<e's messerger. he will win the lady's admirat'on. The
duel ra~es p.ace, but it ·s a parody of a duel because neither party is brave
enough to attack.
The duel leads to many misunderstandings that have an Impact on our
ar'stocraric lovers:
• Seeing Sir A1drew anacking Cesario, Antonio (Sebastian's friend) rushes
to defend 'Sebastian'. Law officers respond to ,he disturbance a'1d ar-est
Antonio. Artonio as<s 'Sebastiar: to give back the money he'd lent him,
leaving Cesario puzzled and Antonie offended.
• The officers take Antonio away. Cesar' o leaves too, bl.It Sir Andrew
fellows to 'bear him soundly'. Unfortunately, for rhe k1ight, he meets up
with Sebastian instead, so it Is he wro gets the sound beating.
• Orsino suspects that Cesario has been wooing o : via for hi-nself. His
suspicions are confirmed when Olivia arrives and anrounces that she
and Cesario are to be married.Tne P'iest confirms her story. (Of course,
we know that it's Sebastian. not Cesario.)
• 1Nren Sir Andrew turns up, clutcnlng his bleeding head, he accuses
Cesario of attacking him. (Aga n, we know that it was Sebastian, net
Cesario.}
The outcome would oe tragic for Cesario except thar Sebastian arr;ves just
1n time 10 o-·ovide an explaration. \l>/ith the identical twins together before
them, everyore now understands what has happered. rvi:surderstandings
benind us, we move to the two couples'happy weddngs.
As the others leave the stage, the Clown is left alore. He sings a trcught•
p'ovoking song. Maybe his point is that we should not held on to anger
(like Malvolio) or refuse to enjoy life (like O' ivla and O-sino), but. since life is
sho•t, we shou'. d'sei7.e tre day'.
/ ACTIVITY
• To revise how rhe plots are
Interwoven, answer the
fo lowing question. How does
the plot co1nect Sir Andrew to
Olivia, Cesario, Roder'go and
Sebast·an?
• Viola and Seoastian are identical
twins, ard Viola is d'sguised as
a mari. Identify all the situations
In ,tie play where one 's
mistaken for the other,
EXAM TIP
~e J>Ye_J>AYeol to ci""swey t vie
q«estto"": rs i.t II goool OY
11 baol tl,ii..,_g to ass«l¾e
a cli.sgt<i.se7 R.e""'-el¾bey
to •i:--el«ole vi.oLC!, otivici,
OrsL"'-0 avcd MC!LVoLi.o Li,\.
l:;1~t<Y ti yg '<l¾e"'-t, Cl V\.d
bYL"'-fj evi.clei,,,ce f ,-ol¾ tvie
'f'L~l:;1 to S«'f''f'0>1: l:;10'<Y
'f'OL"'-ts.
The characters
and key themes
LEARNING OUTCOMES
The cha racters
In this section you wi I:
The main cha•acters in ToNelfth Night have one weakness in common: tney
are self-deluded. In fact, you might th,nk that I yria is the country of delus·on:
• observe tha: sor-.e crarocters
are gven to self-deception
• rotice the cnaracters who are
ro, se '·dece,ved
• DJke Orsino deceives '1imself about love: re seems to think ,t's all about
feellrgs, mus c. sweet flowers and romant'c dreams,
• observe the role of Feste, the
Foo, In leadlrg others to
self-~r,owledge
• consider the nature of love.
' f music be 1he 'co:! or ove, play on
• Countess Olivia deceives herself, posing like a nun and cling,ng to rer
love for her dead brother. She changes very quickly when Sebastia1
responds to her advances.
• Malvoro deceives himself into thinking tnat a Countess woJld actually
a' low herself to fal I in love with a servant (or ever that he Is a lovable
type of fellow!).
• Sir Ard·ew loses a lot of money and ga;ns some head injuries when he
deceives himself Into thinkirg 0. via would loo.< twice at a fe low like
him. Also, he Is self-deceived when he thinks re is clever, and when he
t'links he can win a duel.
• Some critics even feel that Viola is deceived when she assumes t1'at
the way out of her problems migrt be to disguise 'lerself: certa'niy that
dec·sion leads to her experiencirg a great many problems.
• Some critics have suggested t1'at the •elationship between Sebast'an
a1d Antonio m'ght be homosexual In r,ature. If yoJ accept this
interpretation, then it seems that Sha~espeare considers this type of love
delusional, and offers heterosexual marriage as the enlightened way.
These characters are all fooFsh because they are victims of self-deception.
Others, tnough, are not self-deceived.
• Sebastian k,ows very well who he Is. Nevertheless, re Is willing to play
along with Olivia's olans: mar'iage to a Countess is not a bad opt'on for
a man who has lost everything in a snipwreck!
• Except for the possible mistake of taking the disguise.Vio•a is not
self-deceived. She does not lr.dulge In self-pity, bJt v/th skill ard
resourcefulness she makes a life for herself after the shipwreck.
• s:rToby and Maria are not deceived.They ove fu'l, and are determined
to have as -nuch of It (a cng with 'ca~es and ale') as ,hey can. They are
certainly irresponsible, thoJgh.
• A'itonlo is deceived byCesario's disguise and believes he is speakng to
Sebastian, but ne is never se,f-deceived. He is generous and valiant - much
more a knight In shlnirg armour than Sr Ardrew car ever dream of be'ng.
Alore among the characters, the Clown shows wisdom although h:s
official job Is to play the foo!. His pithy comments and the content of his
sorgs show him to be fu!I of sound common sense.
Key themes
Different types of love
Love is the main focus in a I Si"akespeare's comedies. and in r,Neln:h Nighr,
as elsewhere, he coks at different rypes of love.
• Love berween a man and a wo-nan is seen in tne relationships betvveen
Sebastian and Olivia, and between Orsino and Viola. (,'llotice that ti"ey
are roi able to achieve happ:ness 1.mt,I all posturing is set aside.)
• Tne love between Antonio and Sebast:an is the love o'frier,ds (althoJgh
some critics see ·r as more than t~is). On Ar,ton o's part, ,ove s>iows
itself in his generosity a'ld In his willingness to put himself in danger to
protect his friend - true friendship Indeed.
• The love that we see between Sir Tooy and Maria is yet another kind of
love - re particular romancing the·e, o·Jt we get a sense that they will
enjoy each otner and have a life filled with fun.
• Poor Malvollo Is 'sick of self-love; according to Olivia. He thinks he ·s in
love with the Countess, buc in truth he Is only In 'ove w,th himself and
the thoJght of promotion.
Self-knowledge
The cer,tral theme in the play is cne foolishness of self-deception and t,e
Importance cf self-knowledge. Supporting thac theme ·s t'1e corpediem
mot1f: the idea that ife. youth ard beauty are fleeting, so those who are
wise will 'seize the day' and e'ljoy what life offers.
Romance and the real world
Shakespeare draws on a few literary and folk trad'tions in this play, bui all
point to t'1e same theme: the re a,lo-iship between reality ard ro-nantic
,deals. One romant'c notion that developed In the Middle Ages (we know
it through the ege'lds of King A'thur and the Knights of the Round Table)
Is tne ro1lo'l cf chivalry- valoroJs knights riding to the rescue of any
victims of wrongdoing. Sir Andrew and Sir Toby are parod es of that 'deal.
However, while the pair of knights fail to live uo to the 'deals, tbose ideals
are not dead: they live O'l In Antonio and Sebastian.
.
.... ..
A popu ar theme in St>akespea•e·s
ccmed·es and sonnets is
m1;1ability- the rot'or that
everything ;5 suoject to cha1ge;
youth gets o d, oeaury will fade, life
gives way to deatn. As ,ne c cc~
is always ticKirg, we are advised
to 'seize ,re day' ard enjoy every
moment before It is too late. Tre
Latin phrase for ·seize the day· Is
carpe diem, and you will come
across it in discussiors o' poetry
from Sf,akespeil"e's time.
, ACTIVITY
I
Consider how unhappy both
o r·v1a and Orsino are as the p ay
beg ns. How do lfiola (as Cesario)
and Feste he,o in bringing
them tc their senses - ard to
rappiness?
Types of comedy
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi I:
• consider rhe narure of cor-.edy
• recognise dramatic irory ard ,rs
comic ;;/feet
• recognise the connectior,
between sat re a1d cocnedy.
Comedies ard tragedies bo1h start with a society that has imperfectlo1s.
Both types of play move to a crisis because of those Imperfections. The
big difference is that 1n comedy, a moment of awareness or recognition
comes in rime for the necessary changes to be made, whereas in tragedy
rhat moment of awareress comes too late, so that tre play moves towards
d·saster.
Comedy
Tragedy
~
{l
S•~clety ,s flaweo and unhappy
It's a Greek tc me!
The G·eek philosopher Aristotle,
wro lived from 384BC to 322BC,
provided terms tnat we stl use
;o describe tre stages in comedy
or tragedy. Tre tragic fault in an
Individual re called hamorria. and
tre c1 ucial mo-nent of recognition
or awareness he called anagnorisis.
A third term that Arisrot e gave
us Is per\oetaeia. wr:ch means
'reve·sa '. T'11s describes the way
tre protagon,st's pla1s go wrong
ard produce tre oppos re resu t to
wrat was Intended: fo, example,
wren Macbeth mJrders DJnca'1
and seizes his thro1e, ,ttle does ne
krow tnat his action wll' 'ead to 'lis
own terror-filled demise.
~tJ
Thlr,gs head torwar<l tragedy
t2
The characte,s Involved come
to a Moment of awa,eness
They are wl'llng to chaoge.
so tragedy Is averted ar,d
there Is a haopy erdlr,g.
~
,~e
protagonist comes
co a moment of a•Na<eness
The a•Nareoess comes too late for
tragedy to be averted. and everrs
spiral towards ¢isaster
That moment of awareness or'recognitlon'in Twelfth Night comes
when Sebastian and Cesario (Viola) are seen tcget~er ard the
m·sunderstandlngs are all cleared up.
• Comedy 1s about gaining self-knowledge and charg:ng CO'Jrse. Orsino,
Oliv:a and Malvolio are all posturing, preter.ding, putting on ar act to
impress others. Orsino and Olivia will come to self-knowledge and be
cured cf their folly, but not Malvolio. ·" happy ending is only possible if
the fiawed peop,e are ab e and willing to change.
• An important aspec1of comedy in this play 1s the satire: laugh,er
intended to mock a fault in an indiv,dual or society. \.Vren we laugh
at Orsiro's love-sick behaviour, and when we rear Cesario's sarcastic
delivery of h's master's contrived speeches, we are laughing a, the
entire tradition of courtly love. V,/hen we laugh at Sir Andrew beirg so
cowardly, we are aware that the tradit:on of chivalry is being mocked.
The jo~es at Malvclio's expense are satir cal jibes at Puritans and the, r
hostile attitude to t~e theatre (Sha~espeare's life's work).
• Jokes, puns and malapropisms (words used incorrectly) make for much
of the laughter in Twelfth Night. This type of humour appea s to the more
intellectual In tre audience.
• Slapst ick co'nedy is seen In 1he duel, the dancing ard other antics of
Sir Andrew, as well as the·exorcism' performed by S"rTopas.This is a more
physical type of comedy, intended for the not-so-intellectual members
of the audience.
• Some characters are humo·ous in themselves. A foolish character like
s:r Andrew Is humorous in appearance, speech and behaviour. A merry
character like s· r Toby with his love of bawdy songs, ·cake and ale' is a
source of humour. Witty characte·s li'<e Maria. Viola and Feste are able
to delight us with their jokes. 1/l'e laugh at Sir Andrew and Sir Tooy; we
laugh wirh Mar'a. Vio.a and Feste.
• Music and songs make fo· a cheerful mood, as does t"le scenery of
stately homes and gardens.
• Marriages at ,he erd of the play are a standard ingredient of comedy:
' ...ard they Iived happily ever after.'
ACTIVITY
• Discuss the fo' lowing: Are Maria
and company tryirg to deceive
Malvolio when Maria forges the
etter? Or a•e tney using tnis
subterfuge (this fiction) to lead
him from folly to wisdom? Give
reaso~s fer your answer.
• As a result cf mistaken Identity
dve to Viola's disguise, tnere
are many examples of dra,nat' c
rony in the play. How many can
you firid?
Dramatic irony
One of the key sources of humour in th's play is dramatic irony. Oue to the
fact tnatViola is wearing a d:sgu:se, there are many instances in the play
when the audience knows something of which a cnaracter on stage is
1gnora11. Wbe1 Orsino talks about Cesa•io's lips being "s'nooth and rubious'
and admires the pageboy's high-pitched vo1ce, we know something tl'-at
Orsino doesn't know - and we laugh.Ti'at is dramatic irony: he has said
so'llething funny. bUt is total y unaware of why It Is funny.
There are numerous s·tua1io1s that make for dramatic irony. One example
s when Antonio is offerded because 'Sebastian'(actually Cesar'o) does
not return the purse. Another occurs when the Clown teases Cesario by
p•ayirg that Jove wou'd send tne pageboy a beard. Cesario rep;'es, "I am
almost sick fo, one, 1~ough I would not have It grow on my chin'. ard the
audience understands ful y tl'-at she Is saying how much she wants a man
,n her life, though the C own would not understand.
Satire
Traditions ti'at t-ad been harded down from medieval times we•e
beginning to look rather silly in the more enl'ghtened age that
Shakesoeare l'ved in. These traditions are the targets of St-akespeare's
satire:
• the sentimental courtly love tradition In wh'ch the over was required to
go on lovirg and serving his lady even wnen she rejecced 'lim
• the idealistic chivalric tradition In wnich the knight serves nis lady by
fighting dragons, getting into duels and generally campaigning against
injustice
• the unrealistic romarce ta es aboJt snipwrecks, m·staken identity,
astonishing recognition scenes and the resto'ation of i1dividuals to the·r
rightful nobility.
Shakespeare also satir'ses Puritanism, which was a form of religioJs
ext·em·sm popu ar in h's own time.
• In the person of Malvolio, Shakespeare satir'ses what he regards as
hypocritical self-r:gn1eo1.1sness.
••••
~Vnen a playwnght uses humour,
irony D' exaggeration In order
to rid cule stupidity or vices In
indiv duals or soclet'.es, that Is
ca ed satire.
EXAM TIP
Clowns, fools
and disguises
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi I:
• consider rhe types of folly Ir the
play
• recognise the role of the Clown
• trace the I'Tlportarce
of dlsgu se :o the plot's
develcprient
• consider 'disguise· as a
metapror
• understand tne nostllity ;o
P~•ltans o·esented 1 the play.
The role of th e Clown
twas customary in Shakespeare's time for a c,own O' 'fool' to be oart of
the househo'd. His job was to provide eNertainme'lt, rather like
a paid comedian, and his wise comments on the folly
of ot'1ers >.vere received in rhe spirit of
comedy. vVren the Clown says.' I wear
not motley in my brain'; he :s claiming
rhat although he is dressed In a
clown's t·adi1io1al clothing (motley)
his brain is that cf a wise ma1.
Feste, Olivia's clown, sings all the
songs in the play, and, as we t->ave seen,
uses them to put sense into his listeners'
heads. He tries to tease Olivia into seeing
sense. telling her that it is she and ror he
who is rhe fool: otherwise why would
she be mourning when her brother Is in
heaven? He provides much cf the play's
humour: he matches wits with Maria and
Cesario; he mockingly Imitates Sir Andrew
with nonsense words ("I did impeticos thy
gratlllity'); and is a delighted participant
·n the gulling of Malvclio, dressing up as a
clergyman ard pretending to cast out the
spirit that affi'cts tt'>e steward. Even then
there Is w'sdo'll In h's folly wt->en ne says,
fer instarce, about his clerical outfit"
wou d I were the first that ever dissembled
n such a gown".
Other fools in the play
Vvnen Feste insists that he does not wear'motley'in his brain, we realise
rhat there are others who cannot say the same.Vo/e could see Oliva as a
fool for mourning her b•other for such an inordinate time; Orsiro migh1
be a fool for wasting his life ct->asing a woman who does not want him;
,\.1alvolio could be seen as a fool fo· thi'lkirg too highly of himself.
Sir Andrew can be seen as a differer! kind of fool in the sense tl'-at he Is
mentally ct,allenged! Shakespeare Is ce-iainly satirizing his society when
he presents one knight as an lrrespons o!e drunkard, and the other as a
stupid, cowardly fellow, wno deceives himself into thinking tnat Olivia
would look a, him twice. as well as allowing Sir Tooy to neece him of his
money. Clearly, Shakespeare is raking a sly dig at society's aristocrats!
One {reme of the play is that it Is when people are willing to turn
away from their fo' ly tl°'at happiness comes their way. Orsino and
Olivia abandon their posturing and claim their t-appiness. However,
we notice that Sir Andrew and Malvolio are incapable of change.
Donning a disguise/wearing a false face
1n S'lakespeare's time, a strict religious group known as PJritars launched
an anack on the tl°'eaue: they warted theatres closed down because, trey
argued, any fict'on Is a lie. Malvolio, remember, s dis•1 ked because re Is
a Puritan. Disguise features p·omlnently in tre play, and to the PJritan,
pJ!ting on a dsguise and actirg a part is wicked.
It's most Important to notice, though, that the play dist' r.guis'les between
putting on a d'sguise to achieve something good (as Viola does), and
pulling on a false face to deceive otrers (as Orsino, Oliv,a and Malvolio
do). Shakespeare seems to be making tre po' 1t that acting is fine, when
there is no ntention to deceive. Vio a woJld prefer to reveal her true
identity-and does so as soon as she can. Malvol'o, in contrast, does not
want his true Identity to be knowr. At the outset, Orsino and Olivia are
self-deceived. and they also try to deceive others, but they are willing
to charge: trey relinquish tre folly of posturing and are liberated to be
themselves. Even when tre Clown disguises himself as Sir Topas. his aim
(within the contexr of the jo~e) is ro free Malvol'o from tre false posturing
that makes him so obnoxious. Feste is not try'ng ro pass himself off as
a clergyman; indeed he jokes abou, rhose men who don a clergyman's
vestments bur are false in their hearts.
ACTIVITY
Examine {re scer,e In the garden when Malvo:10 reads the etter. V•/hat
does he reveal about his real nature? Do his private thoughts match
his public face?
EXAM TIP
'E.t St<Yt l'.JO« CAV\. taLk
about t"1t cl.iffeYtvcce
be~eevc ct Foot (as i.,,_ t"1e
pcncl. comecl.ia"") avcc( 11
fooL (ct st,,:picl. 'f'tYSOV\.) .
W"1at cl.oes Feste meavc
w"1evc he 5AtJ5, "I WtAY !'\.Ct
motlet, i..,, ""'-!1 bYai"'-"?
EXAM TIP
l!.e 51,{ Yt /j 01.< CAVI, WYite
abo'-<t the i.mporta"'-ct of
cl.isgl,{.se """ the pta11 . Foy
t.xampte:
• viotci's cl.isg ...isi""0
"1trstLf cts CesaYio avccJ.
the_co=eq«evcces of thcit
ACt~O"'• the WA!:J DYsi.v,,o, oLivia
Al'\.cl. MALVoLio ASS<A.l¾t A
fats, Cl'IAYActey AV\.C( the
COV\<Stq'-<el'\.CtS of thttY
'f'OStl,{Yi""9,
Dramatic techniques
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• rotice some lmpo'1ant
d•amat c techniques In tne play
• consider rhe furctio1 of songs
and music In tne o ay
• recognise the connectior
between the songs and rhe
play's rheries.
Dramatic techniq ues
INe have seen how tne audience s delighted oy tne varieties of humour in
this p'ay and by the pleasant experience of music and songs. In add tion,
Shakespeare ·s a master at changing the mood and the pace of h·s play so
that the audience s never bored. In the first three scenes, for lnsrance, we
beg;n witn the self-lndJlgent sentime1ta ty of Orsino. tnen we move 10
the business-l'ke response oflfola to her sad situation, and ;n Scere 3 we
are plunged Into the no·sy, fast-paced and ribald co1versat;on cf Sir Toby,
Maria and Sir Andrew. As you follow the play, yoJ will find more examples
cf this switching of mood ard pace.
Grouping of the actors is often mportant for a stage product' on. Some cf
the scenes are slow-movir.g, and invo!ve only rwc er three characters wnc
are simply talking, while others are fast-paced ard require movement. The
scene with the pranksrers hiding oeriind the box tree while Malvolio reads
nis letter is Important for its group· ng. as is the duelling scene between
Sir Andrew ard Viola. A highly comic (ard ooistercus) scene betv,een
the Clown and Malvo io (Act 4 Scene 2) switcnes suddenly into a tender
soliloquy when Sebasfan is reeling from the miraC'e tnat Olivia is offering
to marry him juST as trey have mer. Again, as you follow the o!ay, look fer
examples of the sw,tch from noisy to qu·ec. fro-n comic to serioJs, and
from still to energetic.
The play explores disguise as a metaphor. Indeed Viola literal y takes a
disguise and presents a different face to tne world.That literal disguise
stands as a metaphor for the false faces and assJmed roles that Orsino,
Olivia and Malvolio take.Vve find ourselves thinking about the Importance
cf be·ng real and the dangers of pretense.
Twelfth Night is lilied with music ard a variety cf delightful songs. The
play opens with Orsino be'ng entertained by musicians: 'If music be the
food of love. play on ..:. The music, ne claims, feeds his emotions as he
contemplates the lcve he has for the lady who keeps rejecti1g him.
The Duke's preference is for a song with a funereal tone to it. so tre Clown
sings "Come away, come away death" (Act 2 Scene 4). Orsino, far.eying
himself as a rejected lover. relates to the words of tne song: 'I am slafn by
a fair cruel maid'. The Clown who sings it is actually safrising tre Duke's
posturing as a courtly lover. Ironically, Orsino revives pretty qlickly when
ne discovers that Cesario is actually a beautiful woman who adores himl
Vvny think of death wren l'fe offers such delights?
Away from the Duke and in company with tne two knights. the Clown
sings a very different so'1g: 'O mlsuess mine, where are you roaming?' (Act
2 Scene 3). This sorg reminds us that life is sho'1, the fVture Is unsure. ard
yollth does not last, so these who are v./se will seize the opportu'1ity to
enjoy life now:
"Then come kiss me, sweet, and twenty.
Youth's a stuff will not endure·:
Not all the singirg is romantic in tore. Sir Toby and his compan·ons have
a repertoire of drinking songs that transpo't us ,o a rum srop witn their
bawdy cncruses. i:ven Maria has tc co,np'ain:'INhat a caterwauling do you
keep here?"(Act 2 Scene 3). \>/her the (!own v'sits Malvolio 11 jail, re sings
outside tne doer, but it is to meek Malvolic and make on cokers laugh:
'Hey, Robin, jolly Robin,
Tell me now thy lady does.
My lady is unkind perdie.
Alas, why is she so?
She loves another.'
Then as he leaves poo' Malvclio, he has another joking song - alluding to
the old Vice from popular Morality plays and the need to fight off the devil
(because the p'anksters c!aim that Malvollo is possessed).
The play ends vith anotner song sung by the C own: "When that I was and
a little tiny boy ...". Similar to 'O mistress mine', tnis song has mutability as
·ts theme: we do not remain yoJng; troubles and age will come to all of us.
The Implicit message is again that we srould seize love and pleasure while
we can - a message that both Olivia and Orsino have finally learntl
EXAM TIP
'Be SL<;e l:jOL< C/ll,'I, ~)'Ytss
/::1°"'Y .deas aboL<t spect&1cte
<"" c( Y/l "'1,Q . le( eV\t l'Q! &I
coL<pte of ""-O""-tV\ts i...,
Twelfth Night t'1&1t woL<tc(
CYe&1te &1 ""-t""-OY&1bte
spect&rcte - a see~ tn&1t t1'1
~·
e
llL<o.oe.,,,ce WOL<lol Yttlli"" """
t1'1e,y "'-•""els . Foy ~"""-J>le
t1'1e sce""e wl'le"" M&rtvolio '
'f,,""ols tne lettey wl1ite t"1e
J>Y&l"'-Rsteys 1'iide bel'li.,,,c(
ti,ie bo,Kwoocl. Now ft,l'l.cl
ot"1eYs . .s~etc.11 "1ow 1:JOK
WoL<tol set t"1e stage foy
~Cl cl'! spect&1cL<Lll y ""-O""-t""t
•f l:JOL< WtYe t11e J'YOoiL<c.eY.
'Nth so muc1 mus·c, the play s lighthearted and fil ed with a holiday
mood tnat Is appropriate fer ts purpose as entertainment fer the Twelfth
Night' fest'vities on 5January.
Another romantic notion, also stemming from tne Mlddie Ages, was that
cf the fidelity of the knight as re serves and loves his lady, even though
she rejects him. Shakespeare mocks rhat tradition in the characters of
Orsino, ~/.alvoilo and Sir Andrew. His message to al I three of them is, 'Get
reall' Yer again, though, the 'deal is nor dead: r lives en in tre fuithful love
Viola has for Orsino.
Another trad' tion from medieval coJrrs was telling stories called
Romances. The staple Ingredients of these fanciful stories were shipwrecks,
high-born individuals wardering In some remote place. a maiden In
distress, misraken identity, lovers reunited when their true identity is
revealed. You can easily see all of t'1ese in Twelfth Nighr, bur a,ongside the
fanciful poswrirg, there is a rea world of pirates, law office's. betraya ,
blows en tre head, and the devastating effects of time. The Clown is the
main voice in tne play reminding us of reality ard stee·ing us away from
self-delusion.
Generosity and forgiveness
You will notice 1rat qu tea lot of money changes hands in this play. Viola
and Orsino give generous tips to tre Clown. Antonio generously hands
his purse to Sebastian, and Viola (even thougn she owes Antonio nothing)
offers tc s>iare with him wt,ai little st,e t,as. Generos1ty is evident yore of
the values upheld by the p'ay, and is a mark of robility in an individual. Its
opposite is seen In Sir Tooy. who sponges off poor Sir A'1drew's wealth.
Similar to generosity is forgiveness. At the end of the play. atI is forgiven
except that Ma vollo persists In his determination to get revenge. H s
unwil ingness to forgive causes him to be excluded from ,t,e circle cf
happiness with which the play ends.
" ACTIVITY
lmagir.e that you are 1'1 charge cf
tre props fo• a school production
of tnis play. Make a I' st of the
preps that you will need. Here
are a few props to help start off
your l'st: a tree fer the pranksters
to hide oeh nd, swords fer the
duel ar.d for Sebastian, a musical
instrument for Feste. Maria's letter,
Malvo:lo's letter. Now continue the
11st cf props.
The Tempest - an
introduction
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• gain a general unde•standing
of rhe hlstorlc;il perspective of
the play
The Temp~st is one ofV<iilllam Shakespeare's last or'g:nal plays. It was
wrine1 somewhere berween 1610 ard 1611,just before Shakespeare's
retirement. Shakesoeare's ideas for the play a•e said to onginate from three
sources that deal with i re E•Jropean's 17"' century exploration of the New
V\lorld. These include: an account of a Bermuda shipwreck lrvolvi'1g an
English ship; stories of mysterious creatures; cannibalism: the experiences
of pcwer struggle ard colo1iallsm with the discovery of the New 'Norld.
• explore :re genre of
5'1akespeare's The Tempest
• rece ve a br'ef "liroducfon to
the varloJs plots o' rhe play.
•• •
•
Shakesoeare's The Tempest asks
mariy lnterestng questions.These
include:
, V1ho Is tile rightful owner of ire
lslard?
• Is Prospero good or bad?
, Is Caliban human or monster?
• Is trere fai•ness and Justice In
the play 7
• Dees Shakesoeare "lave a
pol'tical vlewpo nt In t1e pay?
!
0
>
Beyond the genre of a comedy
Shakespeare's The Tempest is generally categorised as a comedy because it
consists of forgiveness, reconciliation, love, marriage. magic ar.d happiness.
Vvnile this is so. it also embodies c'iaracterlstics of a romance, polit:cs and a
tragic-comedy. In tne p'ay two young lovers meet and fall in love. You will
also fird a struggle between the original inhabitant of an island ard the
outsiders that are driven by power.
Additionally, you will observe tragic elements, sJch as anempts at v'olence
and murder. Nevertheless, these are not a'lowed to prevail in the p'ay,
whicn ends with magic, satire, resolution, compassion and forgiveness.
All plots lead to one
111 The Tempest, Shakespeare's main p,ot Is suppo·ted by the subplots of
the play. In the opening scene, Prospero seeks revenge, by iso.a,irg r ·s
pe•petrarors on tre islard and separating them into strategic groups tc
fulfill his plar,s. n the play, the fol owir.g are explored:
• Prospero·s revenge
• Antonio's greed for povver
• Alonso's support fo• Antonio
• the love between Ferdinand and Mirar.da
• the pot to kill A onso
• the pot to kill Prosperc
• Caliban and Ariel's quest for freedom
• Prospero's forgiveness and mercy.
..... ...
In Literature, a genre is a category
of writing character:sed by
term, style and subject matter.
Srakespeare's d•ama can be
catego•lsed ·1to three major
types: his:ory, comedy/•omance
a<1d tragedy. Somerimes these
gerres are mixed. bJt tre general
cha•acterlst'.csofa cornedy
include: co.-nedic larg1,1age, plot
twists, mistaken dentity, love and
111ar•iage.
Anton o's greed for power causes hi'TI ro seize tne dukedom of Milan fro-n
nis brother Prospero :n a conspiracy involving Alonso, the king of 1'1ap!es.
Alonso benefits from the seizure of the dukedom in order to satisfy his
selfish desires. Prospero becomes exiled on the island with his daughter,
Mirar,da, and see~s revenge on rre perpetrators fo, being displaced as
a ruler. He summons a tempestJous storm vvah the use of one of his
servar,ts, Ariel, who is wait'ng to be granted freedom In returr, for assist:,,g
Prospero. A group of noblemen - ANor'o, Alonso and his son, Ferdinand,
alorg with Sebast ian (Antonio's brothe•), Stephano (Alonso's brother) and
orrers - are shipwrecked. Ferdinand is separated from ire otrers and upon
seeing Miranda falls helplessly in love. On tne island, the men continue
to rave strong feelings of selfish desires and rhe plot to murder Alonso is
encoJraged by Anton'o, who convinces Sebastian to kill his brother so that
he can seize ihe rhrone. Caliban is also Involved in a plot ro murder Prospero
sirce he too would like to gain freedom and re attempts to use Steprano
to do so. By the end, Prcspero will use h s magic to br ng all of the
characters together so that he can disoatch r ·s Justice by merc,fu/ means.
' ACTIVITY
I
Researcr and present rhe following questions:
a Imag; re that you are the d' rector of The Tempest in the 17'' century.
V.lha, stage conventions (props, mus c, I ghting and costuming)
would you use for the play?
b The rempesr was wntten n the 17"' century. \ol/hat facts do you
know about rhis pe•iod in England and Europe 7
c Frcm the title The Tempest. what meanings can you derive from
tne p,ay?
d Consider an example of a modern-day co11edy ard say how ,re
features of a Shakespearean co'Tledy are represented In it.
e \ol/ith Prosoero at tne centre, draw a graphic map to show how all of
the characters are co'lnected to him.
To ·usu•p' Is to take away a position
of oower by force or Illegal means.
In The Tempest. A111onio us'Jrped
tne Dukedom of iis brother
Prospero,, re for11er DJke of,'v'iilan.
The stages of plot
development
LEARNING OUTCOMES
The structu re
In this section you wi :
.Altrough The Tempesr Is one of Shakespea•e's shortest plays, he ensures
that tbe audience directly experiences most of the crucial events In the
five-acr structure ,ba, takes place in chronological order,
• ldertlfy the differer! parts o'
the play
• explore ,re diffe,ent stages of
the main plot of t1e p,ay
• stJdy the i'lterconrec;edress
o' the characters.
Expositio n
In Act 1 Scene 1 we see a shipwreck in the process cf occu•ring with
noblemen and sailors on board. vve get an understanding of how Prospero
came to be on the islard, tne history cf the island and tbe functions of t,'le
spirit (Ariel) and monster (Caliban). ':Ve are also introdJced to Prospero's
daugt-ter, Miranda. and the missing Ferdinand.
KEY POINTS
• Prospero 1s revea ed as powerful since ne can conjure up a storm and
cause a shipwreck.
The structure ct The Tempest
can be seen as a iour'ley from
exposi:ion to resolut on, via a
climax. The acion builds 1.1::> to
the climax and tre1 winds down
as we approach tne resolution.
• 'Ne are Introduced to Miranda and her gent e spirit when she cries out
upon viewing the storm and shipwreck.
• A1tonio's greed is highlighted as Prospero exp ains to Miranda how he
sto e the title o''King of Milan' and then exiled him.
• Gonzalo is introduced as a mediator between the noblemen O'l the
ship and the Boatswain. Many years earlier, he provided Prospero with
supplies, such as clothing, food and his books.
• Ariel Is introduced as a helpful sp·rit that does Prospero's bidding by
conjuring up tne stor11 and separating the men on board into groups
across the sland. As a result, Alonso thinks Ferdinand Is lost forever.
• Both sides of Caliban's character are revealed: the helpful side wnen
Prospero came to the sland and tne fi ip side that wants to rival Prosoero
for ownership of the island.
Exposition
Rising action
This section of the p1ay establisres it-e love re at,onsn,p between
Ferdinand and Miranda, and the co'lspiracies that ead to the conflict.
• Ferdinand (Alonso's son) meets Miranda with the direction of Ariel and
instantly falls ·n love in Act 1 Scene 2.
• A onso and t,'le other shipmates fal asleep urder Ariel's spell, while
Sebastian (Alonso's brother) e1c0Jraged by Antonio, anempts a p'.ot to
se;ze power from A1onso by murdering him. Ariel Intervenes in the plot.
• Caliban forms a union with Trinculo (the jester) and Stephano (the
butler) to take Prospero's life to benefit his se fish desires.
The climax
• Ferdinand and Miranda declare their love for each other, but Prospero
forb;ds Mirarda io speak to him In order to frustrate ,re relationship.
• Tne plot to murder Prospero continues while Arie' is p·esent.
• Alonso has lest all hope offird1ng his son, Ferdinand, hav'ng searched
the entire island.
• Antonio, Sebast ian and Alonso are presented with an imaginary banquet
by Prospero. This eventually d'sa.opears and Ariel warns the men about
their wrongdo'ngs a1d the punishment tnat will ensue.
Falling action
• Prospero co.1sents to tie marriage cf Ferdir,and and Miranda
(Act 4 Scene I) ard Arie' is asxed to assist to celebrate their
engagement.
• Prospero puts on his robe and hat as tre Duke of Mlla1 and confronts
Caliban. Stephano and Trinculo about the conspiracy to murder him.
They are subily punished by being al enated from the others,
The resolution
• Alonso discovers 1rai his son, Ferdinard Is still alive
(Act 5 Scene I).
• Mfranda and Ferdirand are ur'ted.
• Prospero overcomes the attempts of ueachery
by his enemies.
• Prospero forg·ves Antonio and Alonso for their corspiraq•,
bur does not reveal Antonio's role in the consoiracy.
• Prospero resumes his position as ,re Duke of Milan. as
Antonio relinquishes his power.
• Prospero leaves behind his mag;c and bocks on the island.
• Caliban repents for his wrcngdo'ngs. Together w,th
Stephano and Trinculo. they are seni to decorate
Prospero's cell.
• Ariel gai rs freedom.
• Prospero returns home with his newly exterded family.
ACTIVITY
In The Tempesr, ire charaaers undergo changes due 10 their
experiences on tne magical Island. Identify the characters that have
undergone changes and explain how they rave evolved.
An actress i:ortrays A•lel In aTrlrldadian
staging of the pia,
The subplots
LEARNING OUTCOMES
11 this section you wl ·
• lea'r row tne subplots are
conrec,ed to tne main plots
• understand how the cha·acte's
Ir the suoo cts :1forrn tne
lssves In ,~e main plot.
• 1D
Masques were used by
playwrights in tne 16" ard 17"'
cer-tury to entertain w·ih the
use of e1aborate costuming,
darce. scer.ery, dialog Je and
mytholog ca figures. In Act 4
Scene l myirologlcal figures,
mus'c ard magic are used to
bless the marriage of Ferdirand
and Miranda, and to show that
Prospero ;5 very p eased.
In The Tempesr, Shakespeare interestirgly weaves three subplots tcgetrer.
These are:
• tne p:ot by Antonio and Sebastian to kill King A onso
• the p1ot by Caliban, Stephano ard Trinculo to kill Prospero, and the
comic element associated with it
• t'1e 'eve between Ferdinand and Miranda and their goal to be married.
The aud·erce krows trat at the reart oftre subplots is the orc'iestrator,
Prospero. He is the one who brought tne characters together on the island
and separated them Imo groups to take revenge or all that have wronged
him. In the subplo1s !hat Involve Anton·o, Alonso, Seoastian, Caliban,
Stephano and Trinculo, Prospero's goal Is to srow the othe•s that a leader
needs to be ronoured and respected. Fur1hermo,e, he wants everyore to
see his capaci1y as a ruler, as he demonstrates his powers - tempered by
jus1ice and compassion, thus maintain,ng the comic element of tre play.
The plot to kill Alonso
In Ac! 2 Scene 1. Antonio and Sebastian are rot sensitive to Alonso's
loss of his son, Ferdinand. Rather, they blame Alonso for their fate on tne
1stand. say ng tra1 if he did not agree to the marriage of his daughter to an
.",frican, tney would not have travelled by sea.V</hile tre other characters
are asleep urder Ariel's spell, Antonio and Sebastian p'ot to take A onso's
ife. Seba st' an needs I tt e convincing from Antonro and this parallels
Antonio's seizure of power from Prospe-o, the fo•mer Ou~e of MIian.
As they pul o~t their swords and are about to pounce on Alonso. Ariel
awakens Gonzalo at rhe r,ght time and tne men give a fickle explanation
cf having heard a strange noise. In
3 Scere 3 tne characters continue
to harbor ill feelings towards Alonso and Sebastian insists upon pursuing
h·s vendetta.
.•.a
The plot to murder Prospero
In Act 3 Scene 2. Caliban, Step'iar,o and Trinculo are drunk and Stephano
makes Callbar his servan: a,d assumes tre title of'Lord of the stand'.
Caliban tells them that the island was taken from him by Prospero.
Stephano questions how Prospero can be defeated and Caliban responds
that trey must burn Prospe-o's magic books and attac,{ him in the
afternoon when ne takes a nap. Caliban fu'lher takes the opportunity to
ercourage Stephano by 1elllng him that wher he becomes king of the
Island. Prospero·s da.ighter, Miranda, can be h:s queer. This Interests him
very much.
The co'lllc element in this plot is observed as Caliban is talkir.g to
S1ephano. Ariel. who is observing everything, 1m·,ates Trinculo by say,ng
"tnou liest". This infuriates Cal'ban as he orders Stepnano ro discipline
Trinculo In varyng degrees. A comic farce ensues with the trio and we
know trat with Ariel's presence. the p.o, wil go r.c further.
The Ferdinand and Miranda love plot
The Fe·d'nand and Miranda love plot is fast-tracked. After rhe storm,
Ferdirand is led tc the Island wnere he meets Miranda and falls help essty
1n love. lnitia ly, Prospero Isolates Ferdina1d from Mirarda ard accuses
him of being a tralto'. It can be said thai the Ferdinand ard Miranda love
p'ot informs the theme of reconciliation and harmony. Prospero is aware
that when the two come iogerher, it would improve ,re flltu·e relations
between Naples and Mrlan. Eventually, Prospero presents opportunities
for Ferdi r and and Miranda to be together and express their love for each
orrer. At this point, Ferdinand has proven h's Integrity and Miranda has
fulfilled the obligation of being a 'virgin queen'.
ACTIVITY
• Think abollt all tne instances In tne subplots when Prospero
intervenes (witn the help of A,lel) to change ire circumstances of
rhe plot. Wrhout these interventio1s how would the outcomes
have beer differe'1t?
• 1Nhy would you fird yourself laughing at Caliban, Stephano ar.d
Trlnculo in Aet 3 Scene 2?
• Discuss the slmllaritles among tre following characters:
• Arnonlo
• Sebastian
• Caliban
• Stepharc
• Trnculo
• Discuss the plots to murder Alonso and Prospero. 'Nhat motivates
the characters to engage In these plots? vVhat Is the outcomes of
each plot?
c,1bao oo stage
Themes and issues
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• explore tre lmpo·.ant themes
that lnfo,m tne major Issues of
the play
• u1derstand that a play can have
lrterconnected tremes.
In The Tempesr, yoJ will discover that Sha~espeare uses several tremes
to analyse human nature. These tnemes are often interconnected and
two-fold, and trey affect tne Ives of all cf the characters in the play. The
themes include:
• revenge. repentance and fo·giveness
• loyalty and oetrayal
• divine power
• greed and ambitio1
• love and ma•riage
• class co1fiict
■• l it
fl ■
•' It
~
/'. theme Is the malr, unifyirg Idea
In a topic, d scussion or artistic
compositio'l.
• t'1e supernatural and magic
• freedom and confinement
• fate versus free wil
• justice and injustice.
Revenge, repentance, reconciliation and forgiveness
ACTIVITY
Preoare notes for a class debate
on the effecrveness of two plays,
The Tempesr and 77-Jeon and His
Brothers.
Compare:
• thematic concerns
• development of plct
• presentation of majo• characters
, treatment of nature
• presentatio,1 cf setting
• appeal to their audier ce
• use of songs and music as
dramat'c devices.
Enjoy stagng and judging the
debatel
Revenge. repentance. reconciliation and forgVeness are important themes
n The Tempest. In the beginni1g, you will observe that Prospero's posit'on
1s usurped by his brother (Anton,c), assisted by the King o' Naples (Alonso).
Prospero rakes revenge 01 them by creating a storm that maroons rre
men on tre island Prospe·o also takes revenge on Caliban fer attempt,rg
ro rape Miranda by making him a servant and sending him to live in a
cave (Act 1 Scene 2). Caliban In turn seeks revenge on Prospero for taking
h s is,and from him. He uses Stephano and Trincuio to assist nlm in an
assassination plot. Nevertheless. by the end of rhe play, there is repentarce
frcm Alonso and the atte'Tlpt at 'reverse action'. Alo,so is willing to
give up his title and Antonio 'las no choice but to do the same. Further
reconcll,ation takes p1ace as Ferd'nand and Miranda's marriage unites the
rwo cit:es. At this po:nt, Prospero w th the support of Are, forgives all who
have committed immo·al acts and removes tre spell from Alonso and
Antonio. Order s eventually restored.
Loyalty and betrayal
The themes of loyalty ard betrayal are closely llr,~ed to the themes of
freedom. <:onfinement, power. greed and lus,. Antor,lo and Alo1so both
betrayed P·ospero by successfully plotting and taking the kingdom away
from him. Moreover, Antonio and Stephano can be said to be especially
d'sloyal since they attempt to overthrow the·, own brothers. Tr.e·r actions
show trat greed and lust for power blind their judgment and fo,ce them
to seeK their own interests. Calibar, is another character who betrays his
master. Caliban is on a quest to take Prospero's power by destroying his
bocks and devising a plot to murder. This comes cut of Caliban's need ro
be free of Prospero's rule and regain control of the isla,d.
On the other hand, loyalty is seen in the characters of Gonzalo, Ariel,
cerdinard and Miranda. Gonzale is faithful io Prospe'o as he ensured
that he was equipped w·rh all oftne sJpplies that re needed before he
was exiled. Gonzalo is also protective of King Alonso throughout the
p1ay, Similarly, Ariel also carries out all of the irstructions of Prospero fo·
the pro-nise of freedom. Arie remains faithful to him umil the end and is
rewarded. Firally, altnough Ferdinand ard Miranda are initially net free
to express rheir love for each otner, trey stay faithful and respectful 10
Prospero. In the end, their love ard marriage reunites t'le feuding families
and we are left wonde•ing ;fit Is fare or free will tl',at allows all to materialise.
Class conflict
In The Tempesr there are instances of social and political structures. In
the opening scene, Afltonic and Seoasrian are ird;fferent towards the
Boatswain wre'l he orders them to go below deck so that he can do his
Job.V•/hlle the Boatswain is not concerned about the h;erarchy on the ship,
Gonzalo keeps it alive by mentioning 10 '1im that the King is still on board.
Social class Is also presented throJgh Caliban. .•.lthougn he 1s indigenoJs
to the island, Prospero ueats nim as an outcast and ccnstan!ly refers to
nim as a monster. In contrast, Sha~espeare also shows us a Ilghter side to
hierarchical structures in the play, when Stephano ass•Jmes the role of a
god in his drunken state a'ld engages In a plot to kill Prospero.
Magic and the supernatural
Vvhile Sycorax and Prospero use magic to keep Ariel in I ne, Prospero had
many mo·e uses for it. P•ospero uses his magic to retain hs dukedom,
punis1 the characters that betrayed him, facilitate repenta'1ce among
the perpetrators and restore order 10 society. On the other t,and, the
supernatural characters such as Juno, Iris ard Ceres, are used to crea,e
nterest in the play and celebrate the engagement cf Ferdinand ar.d M:randa.
Loss and restoration
Several characters experience loss In the Tempest. Prospero has lost
his place as the DJke of Milan, Ariel lost her freedom from Sycorax and
Cal'ban has lost his p1ace as the Islar.d's lrd·genous inhab'1ant. Eventually,
P•ospero regains his rigrtful place cf the Duke of M Ian as the cnaracters
are brought to just ce. Ariel ga ns her freedom from Prospero ar,d Cail ban
regains his place on the island.
Colonization
The Tempest alludes to tne relationship between the European 15th-17th
century co'onlzers and the natives on the islands. Prospero •epresents the
European colonizer and oppressor, w>1lle Ca, ban and Ariel represent ,he
Indigenous, servant inhao;tants. There are two reactions to the oppression.
Cal'oan struggles agaif"st the leadership of Prospero, This results in hatred,
betrayal ard conflict. Ar'e,, on the other hand. is submissive ard faithful
to Prospero. \Nhile both ct,aracters ga1n their freedom at the end of the
p,ay, Ca'iban is forced to give in re Prospero and it is not made clear what
becomes of him orce everyore has left the Island. Arie is rewarded by
be·ng released from servitude.
,rACTIVITY
Do some research to find out
abo,H the wo•k cf George
Lamming and iJerek \oValcott. who
beth focussed on The Tempest
from a post-colon1al perspective.
The characters
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi I:
• exam ,ne rhe general tra ts of
rhe majo• characters
• observe the cnaracter of
Prospero at rhe begirr·ng and
erd o' tre play
In The Tempesr, Shakespeare's characters are representative of the social
st•ata in 17* century England. There a·e the ru'ers - Prospero, Antonio
and Alonso; the noblemen - Sebastiar. Gcnza'o and Ferdinand: and the
commoners - Steprano, Trinculo, the Boatswain and mariners. Tnen you
will find the s•aves ar.d outcasts - Caliban and Ariel.
/i.r;corlo
A'onso
_".)
$
h,:eie, ;f F•~e«::
• compa•e Antonio to Sebastla1
and Sebast,an to Stephano
::.>llban
1 :fu, pe, '~'''"·
p;wt"
r,i., ,,ry
~~It nn,.e-..:11d.
t'i"l)"\~e- ~
~
• cornpa•e Caliban 10 Ariel
.J119d'.'isl)('
cors-Qitr,g,
1¢';!'•11
i!l!f"'°",.•11f't'd
''-'" en ~ ~.
..
<l•...;it-:tr.
e....:t-1v,
'lrc-..-.r :, ,.it'lfu
~
ICfo'h;
fOSOO'O
/ ACTIVITY
Explore the quarties g'ven to
each character in tne diagram on
the right and support them with
evidence from the play.
~
.)~IQe'(II
,::ti~ ,,;:ra<,
,..,
Vlranda
~
Aork;, ~,.,.
ier,~,, cf!),c,.~
p~.\-riu, X'i'd~r'.
xu,~,_., nir
~<t>Qnl'~"·
,e"-(t'l!~rr,j
Fero1nand
~
}IStll IC~~''-·
c::n•!~rJI()"
Stepharo
ut(tetair,
~
b,,;! it :¢ coi, I
', ::w,,r-h.."; ")'
~
~a1o;I..•
Gonzalo
e
10, :;,' Aor10
a.•,;, pe!W,,."(':ftt
it-Ji;icd'u
CO~lci:)" te
l(r,- /t,i:;,r,o
cp;•nr1t t ~ J l
4 br.t.-:;,1, <!e•J:Yiecl:
Prospero
There are 1wo sides to Prospero's persona!ity. At the
beginning, we see a powe•ful man who takes revenge on his
brother and others for us•Jrpir.g him from his title, as Duke of
Milan. vVe also see a bitter Prospero who is angry with Caliban
for attempting to rape nis daughter, Miranda. Likewise. we see
a mar who keeps servants, such as Ariel and Ferd,1and, to do
his bidding. Despite this, by the end of the play, Prospero rules
out his justice and forgives all. Antonio and Sebastian are not
labelled as traitors, Alonso is embraced, Ar:e is set free and
Caliban can have autonomy over his indigenous island again,
as Prospero retu·ns 10 Milan.
P,ospero's personality can be lnterpreteo n a number of different
ways, 1NNt 1syouop ,r,lonofh m?
Antonio, Sebastian and Stephano
Antonio and Seoastian both betray their brothers in the play.
Antonio usurps Prospero as Duke of Mi an and Sebast ian is
willir.g to murde· Alonso for the t'tle of Ki,g of Naples. Antonio
proves to be very deceitful, since he encourages Sebastian In
Acr 2 Scene 1 to betray his brother. In Act 2 we also see that they
are insensitive to Alonsds corcern for his son as t'ley make jokes
and chastise him for bring 19 tnem to sea for his daughter's
wedding. At the end of me play. in Acr SScene 1, neither
ct,aracier shows any re-norse for tneir acrions when brought to
justice by Prospero. s1m:1arly Sebast:an and Stepharo (witr the
p•ompting of Caliban), a•e willing to make a,, attemp1 to destroy
Prospero, 1ake his position on ,re island and marry his daughter.
Caliba n and Ariel
While Cal'ban ard Arie' are both in service to Prospero and
yearn for their freedom, they are starkly different. Cal'ban is
viewed as a monster and s:ave to Prospero, while .Ar'el is a
'Tlagical servant who conducrs h:s bidding. Both characters put
up opposition to Prospero, but Caliban is far more rebeil ious
(Act 1 Scene 11, lines 32· -24). ~e is even more extreme in
his behaviour when he Instigates a p,ot w th Stephano to
m Jrder Prospero. Note tnat througnout the play he uses bitter
language. This expresses his hurt and yearning to be free.
What are the d fferences ard similarities between A1,e laod
Cal ban?
Arie' serves a greater pJrpose in Prospero's plar . Ariel's ooed'ence,
e'lthusiasm, compassion, magic, song, music a'ld poetry help to change
the cnaraaers by brlrg,ng trem to justice and remorse. For this. Ariel is
given freedo.-n while Caliban is punished and sent to the cave.
,, ACTIVITY
• Find ev'de'lce from the pay ofCallban's ability to learn.
• V'/ho were Caliban's 'teachers' and wi'at did they teacn him?
• fClnd evidence of Ariel's empatny and goodness.
• Develop a speech, using evidence from the play. that yo·J can Jse in
persuadirg Prospero to free Ar'e1.
• Both The Tempest ard n-Jeon ond his Brothers deal with co'onisat'cn.
Jse the follow ng questions to helo you think aboJt slmilar,ties
between the two p1ays.
• In what ways Is Prospero like the Planter?
• \.Vhar s·milar ries can you find between tne situation ofTi-Jea'l's
faml'y ard that of Caliba,?
• How are the power and strategies of the co oniser suggested in
each play?
• V./hlch of the two p.ays might persuade you that the coloniser is
doir,g a good job?How can you account for that?
• Does Shakespeare adm't tnat the co,onisers are not perfect? Do
their imperfect'ons make them unfit to rule?
• To what e~d is music used in each play?
EXAM TIP
'"" orcler to co""-pt! re ii vcd
COl'\otY&!St CvtilY&lcters
Loo~ &It tvieir si1M-,Lt1~ities
11 "'-cl ,cl•fferev.ces. you
c&1""juclge tl-tt.S b!:J t"1eir
11 ppet1r11.,.,ce, wl-t&1t t"1e1:J
stl1:! &!bout t l-tel¾selves
wl1&1t ot"1er c"1&1r&1cters 'Stl1:J
etbo«t t"1el¾, their &1ctio"'-S
tl-telr tnougl-tts,
I-tow '
ot"1er c"1&1r&1cters react
tow11 ras t"1el¾.
"""°'
Dramatic techniques 1
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• understand the funcrior, of
d•amat c techniques In tne play
• exam 1e the use of symbo. sand
Imagery,
Dramatic techniques are used to enhance the perfo:mance of a o'ay and
ergage the audience leading to a greater aporeciation. At the beginning
of The Tempest, we are en,hralled by the mighty storm and conflict among
the characters; by the end, we are mysrfied by the magic and lllusio1. In
understanding the function of dramatic techniques, it· s important to '<eep
In mind that a play is meant to be performed and not just read. It is in this
respect that the symbols, mot:fs, imagery, masques and other devices
become importa11 to the play.
prose
r pet Ion
Symbols
Symbols can take the form of an object, action, event o· word.Tney are
used by playwrights 10 enrance or give a deeper mean119 10 the play. In
The Tempest the dominan1 Images i r.clude the sea, books, chess ard nature.
The sea: The title of the play, The Tempest, refers to a stcr-ny sea ard
Prospero s•Jmmors ire m'g'HY tempest to take revenge on the characters
who wronged him. Thus, the sea represer,ts Prosperc's battleground
and vergeance for his opponents. It also represen:s tre suffering he
endures w'len he Is put en a boar and sent to sea. It car be said that the
sea that displaces Prospero, also displaces the noblemen. Tne tempest
also represents social disorder. In the tempestuous stor-n, the Boatswain
contests King Alonso and the noblemen.This er Jpts 1n confi' ct and
arguments about hierarchical rule ii' the open sea. It Is useful to rote t'iat
while the tempest captures the power and fo·ce of Prospero's magic, ·c
also captures h:s mercy. By the end cf t"le p'ay, the calm sea takes them
home and all is forgiven with new beginnings.
The books: These are placed In Prospero's boat by Gonzalo when his
position is usurped. They represent Prospero's magic and power. Caliban
knows tl-,at he has to tell Stepnano and Trinculo to destroy the bocks
before they car destroy Prospero in Act 2 Scene 2. In tre rest of the play,
the books are used to restore order ar.d bring justice to the play. V•lhen
Prospero's p•ans are accomplished. he throws the boo~s Into the sea
(Act 5 Sce1e 1) suggesting that order is restored a'1d magic ·s no longer
necessary. It can be said tnat Shakespeare represents himself t1rough
the c>1aracter Prospero. Just as Prospero gets rid of his books, so too
ShaKespeare o•irgs closure to his career as a dramatist, thus completing
his journey as a writer and fulfill:ng the reeds cf a diverse and timeless
audler.ce. vVe are pleased as the curtain Is drawn.
The chess game: Ferdinand and Miranda are revealed p'ay;ng chess at
the end of the play. It can be said that due ro the game of power strvggles,
Ferdinand and Miranda fourd each other on the· slard. Furthermore,
Prospero orchestrated the game of love between them and evemually
allowed them to discover each other. In another instance, the game of
chess represents the conquering cf rulers. In the pla\', Antonio and Alonso
pot carefully to conquer Prospero. On rhe island, rhere is a so a quest
for Calibaf' to conquer Prospero througn Stept,ano and Trincu o, and for
Prospero to expose King Alonso. In the rest of the p1ay, Prospero uses the
characters as pawns (Ariel, Caliban, Ferdlrand) to brirg love, justice and
order in the play.
EXAM TIP
Wke"" /j~"- tlre respo""cli"'-g
to "("-tsho""s t11ti t eisk
!:JOL< t_o icie""ti-fjj ei""cl
exa ""''"'I: tk e L<se of a
clrco"."atie teck"'-iqc.<.e,
co=,der tlie fottowi"'-g
steps:
Imagery
The main images in The Tempesr include tl-,e shipv,reck, the supernatural
and the clasping of hands.
The shipwreck: It Is a sign of things 10 come in the p!ay. The image is
associated witn Prcspero's magic, intelligence, power and his qJest for
revenge ard justice. The ship brr.gs all of the ct->aracters tcget1er on the
Island and serves as a vessel that transports them 10 rheir fate.
The supernatural: This Is seen througncut The Tempest. Prospero uses his
magic to create the storm trat traps the characters on the islard. Similarly,
Ariel, the nymphs, fairies and goddesses are used as part of Prospero's plan
to trick the characters. A false barq Jet is Jsed to demonstrate Prcspero's
power ard mar~s the begir.ning of justice for 1he men. The goddesses are
used to celebrate 1t,e marriage of Ferdinand and Miranda, while strange
noises, mus·c and song are used ro both calm and b·ing messages to
characters en the slard.
The clasping of hands:\Ne first see tne image of hands when Alonso is
p•aying on the boat for the crew's survival. It shows us tnat even a king has
to surrerider to greater powers. Mi•anda is offered Ferdlrand's hard as an
act of love and Prospero requests the applause of the audierce to bring
closure to the play, when all is recorciled.
1
brcii=tol'"I¾ eitt of tke
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Dramatic techniques 2
In The Tempesr, each characte· is g·ven a distinct language style. So'11e
characters speak in poetry and others in prose. You will also find ire use
of tigurat;ve language, incorporating nature images. This is in keeping
with the island setting of ,he play. In c,rer Instances, you will find com·c
elements of:anguage, amid the tragic si1uat'ens of the play. v\lith the use
cf this flexible language sty e. Shakespeare's characters can express their
fears. hopes, Innermost thoughts ar,d gestures to enthrall and entertain
the audience.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• explore tre use of la1guage In
the play
• continue to examine ·re
fJm;tlon of the dramatic
tecrnlques 1 the play.
Language incorporating nature images
The characters are together on an ·sland and Shakespeare captures the
esse1ce of the setting with many natural images. Fo• example, in Act 2
Scene I Adrian says in a conversation about the is and, 'the air b·eathes
upon us here most sweetly: In Act 3 Scer,e 3 Alonso In a haunting
experience says, "the winds did s·r.g it to me a1d tre thunder tnat deep
' ACTIVITY
Make a note of all of the nature
imagery you can find In rre play.
Also, say how It enhances the
meaning of the play.
organ:
,I
Figurative language
The tigurat,ve langvage is used to appeal to your senses and so he'ghten
your emotions. Here are some examples used in the play:
• Sound devices (alliterat' on, assonance and onomatopoeia) - in Aet I
Scene 2 Arie! sings to Ferdina'ld when he reaches the island, "Hark, Hark,
I hear tre stra n of strutting chanticleer cry cock-a-diddle-dol'
• Antithes· s - in Act 5 Scene 1 when Ferd,r,and sees Aloriso fer the first
t'me on the island, he expresses h's gratitude by saying, "lhougn the
seas threaten me, they are merciful.''
Figurative dev ces a so enhance
the mean,1g of a poem, play or
story.
• Metap'ior - A11onio trivialises death as a "perpetual winK' in Act 2
Scene 1 (line 273) in order to persuade Sebast'an 10 kill his brother for
the Kirgdcm.
• Personification - in Act 1 Scere 2 (line 391) Ferd11and describes the
shoe~ of hearing tre music as he approached the island by saying, 'the
music crept by me upon the waters".
• Simile - Prospero promises Ariel freedom wnen he says. 'Thou shalt be
free l'ke mo·untain wirds'. in Act 1 Scene 2 (lines 501-2).
Soliloquies and asides
Soliloquies tell us about a character's innermosr feelings. In the epilogue to
The Tempest, Prospero reveals h's deepest ,roughts and tells the audience
that he no lor.ger needs his magic and wants to be relieved from his role.
Similariy, in Act 2 Scene 2 Caliban shows his disgust for Prospero and says,
"All the infections that the s•Jn sucks up ... en Prospero fall.'
With the use o' the aside the characters speak to themse,ves and address
the audience. A good examo'e of this Is in Act 2 Scene 2, where Prospero
s conscious of the power of Miranda and Ferdinand's love and admits to
himself. "Poor worm. thou art 11fected. Th's visitation shows it.'
Comic element
Embedded In rre play is Its comic appeal. In Act 3 Scene 2 we are
entef'lained by Caliban 1n his drunken state. vVe are further amused when
the sp:rit Ariel plays rricks on Stephano, TrincJlo and Caliban by accJsirg
Cal'ban of lying, while blaming Trinculo. Dramatic irory is used asyou are
aware that the spirit Ariel ·s the 01e who is imitating Trinculo.
Characters and their language
The greater part of the dia ogue in The Tempesr is prose. Stepharc,
Trinculo and Caliban speak aboJc the p1ct to murder Prospero in prose.
This is useful as detal Is of the plan are clear to the audience. Rt-yme is used
by: Prospero in the epilogue to the play; Ariel's song to Gonzalo: and Juno
and Ceres' song to the lovers. vVth the use of rhymes, S"lakesoeare wants
the words to ·esonate with tne audience.
Also, each character has his own style of speech that is ideally tailored
to his role. Prospero's speech is characterised by quick commands and
insults. In Act I Scene 2 he calls Sycorax 'a foul witch'. On tne other hand,
Ariel speaks ,n short sentences in an obed· ent to1e. In Act 1 Scene 2
Ariel's response to Prcsperc's reproach is, ' I do not sir'. Miranda's speech is
rhytnmic with passion, as in Act 1 Scene 2 when she speaks to her fatrer
about her fears of the sto·m.
ACTIVITY
• In groups make a chart with the name of each major character
and describe me type of language Jsed, giving examp,es as you go
a.ong. V1hat condusions can you draw from this exercise about the
character's dispos·tion?
Character
Type of lang uage
I
Example
I
• Find tre meanings of tre rames of four cnaracters in the play. Make
links betvveen the meanings ard the behaviour and attitude of tre
characters.
The setting, title, epilogue
and play
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• explo•e the setting of-re o ay
• exam ne the s gnlficance of the
title of the play
• explore tre concep, of'a play
wi-r 1 a play· In The Tempesi
• exacn ne rhe epilogue.
Setting
The Tempest rakes place on an sland surrounded by wate'. V'le krcw that
the is'and is remote and u'1clan1ed. Here Prospero ass•Jmes leadership
over tre one native inhab:tart ard a captive spirit. The setting is ideal
for his plans as It isolates the shipwrecked characters ard allows him to
derermlne their fate, uncontested.The Island is open to be colonized
and we find Seoastian and Caliban also anemp1ing to stake their claim.
VVe ~now that the is and is ratural and ur-touched. Mirarda maintains
ner innocence in this environment, unexplored by mer. The island is also
magical and mysterious with strange sounds, raunting music. mythical
creatures and supernatural occurrences.
The title
You will know by now that the rtle is both l:teral ard metaproric. Literally,
the tempest is a vio,ert storm wr·ch takes place at the start of the play. It
sends the ship under water and brings together several men 0'1 the island.
Metaphorically. the tempest is a disturbance that has emot,cnally and
physically disp:aced many characters in tre play. These include:
• Prospero
• tne rulers and noblemen on the boat
• Ferdinand
• Caliban.
The tempest in the play represe1ts greed. power and revenge. The
tempest began when Anto1io seized power from Prospero and usurped
him from his position as Du~e of Milan. Tre tempest s furtrer aggravated
when Alonso becomes part ofme p'an to derhrore Prospero. \-Vhat resJlts
is a snipwrecK to seek reverge 01 those marooned.
As a result of this, some characters face 'psychological tempests'. Prospero's
quest for revenge is raging like a tempestuous storm. He wants to punish
his brother for nav,ng wronged h,m.This thirst consumes him and
establisres tre main plot of the play. Alonso a so faces nis ovvn turmoil on
the isiand. He Is faced with the dilemma that nis son could be dead and
his search could be in vain.
Togethe· w'th Caliban. there is now an Imbalance of power on the ·slard.
Caliban harbours his own tempest since he is a native of the is1and
throug>i nls mother, Syco·ax. He too fees threatened and diso.aced. In
order to satisfy their thirst for power, we find alliances to overthrow the
established sources of aut,1ority. Cal' ban instigates a pct to assassinate
Prospero, with the lustful S1epr,ano and the jester, Trinculo. Tne tempe~
Stephano creates will put him In power and g've him the freedom he
yearns for. Similarly, Antonio convinces Sebastian to satisfy the thirst for
power by instigat: ng a ploi to murder nis brother, Alonso.
A tempest of social hierarchy can also be found on the ship dJrir.g the
storm as the Boatswain asks the K'ng and nohemen to allow him to do
his job (by surrendering 1he,rs). Th's leads to much contention among
Antonio, Alonso and Sebast'an. By the end of t,'le p:ay, tre tempest g·ves
way to calm seas for a journey of reconciliation, united families and order.
'A play within a play'
Prospero ,s deemed an o·chestrator/magic,an. who directs the
proceedings on me sea and 'sland. Like a playwright, he controls the
various aspects of nature, the spirits and the characte·s. and 11ftuences the
situations that arise. One can compare him to the playwright. S~,akespeare,
because in his hands, re !'las the power to manipulate circumstances to
suit his desires and determ·ne the outcomes as he sees fit. At the start
of the play, there is me Illusion of a shipwreck and the characters are
broJght to one stage (1~e island) to play cut their lives. Prospero only
allows them to play out their desires for a short time before he intervenes,
with the help of the spirit Ariel and his magic books. Ti''s ti''s is equal to a
playwright's per.
The concept cf tre masque with the use of ,~e nymphs and goddesses
at Ferdinand and Mirarda's weddirg, and the false banqJet used ro take
revenge en Alonso and the ethers, all play a role in Prospe•o's I lusionary
world. By the epilogue, he tells the audience tl'la, he is willing 10 g·ve up
his magic as he has concluded the play witn "lis method of just·ce, and he
asKs tre audience to applaud him with consent.
The epilogue
In rwe'lty rhythmic lines Prospero remains on stage alone to deliver his
farewell speech. His confessions are personal and target tre audience.
He says that ne has grown weary, ''And wr,at strength I have's mine own,
which is most faint". He also says tnat he nas relieved h,mselffrom his
magic "now my charms are all overtnrown,'' and can go back to Milan if he
wishes. He confesses that h,s greatest desire is to be serfree fro'll his role
as orchestrator and judge of men, but needs the audience forgiveness and
approval in the form of a prayer and applause to do so.
ACTIVITY
• Read Prosperds epilogue and ana yse ·1s significance to the p'ay.
• Re-write Prospero's epilogue in English-Creole.
•• •
Shakespeare is said to be ta' <ing
t11rough P'ospero in t~e epilogue,
asking to be free of his roe as a
playwright. The Tempesr ·s one of
his last plays to be wricren and
perfo•med berweer · 610-' 3.
V•lhat similarities can you see
between tne character of Prospero
a1d the roe of a playwrght?
Anansi - the background
and cultural tradition
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• become aware of the African
Ir' Jenee In tne 'olk tale of
Anans,'
• u1derstand how ,~e folktale
of Anansitransce1ded 1110 the
Ca-ibbean o·al rradir on
• u1derstand the o•esentat,cn of
Anans,'
• explore tre significance cf
Anansl as a different ~Ind o'
he·o r African c~ ture.
Origin of the mythological character Anansi
Anonsi ·s a \.Vest .A.frican and Caribbean folk-tale cnaracrer rnar rakes
the form of a spider. Tre character has formed the basis of many
traditiol"al short stories that you may i'ave heard or read.These
i l"Clude 'Anansi and Brother Death' and 'Aesop and Anansi'. Anansi,
the sly trickster. or ginared from tne As1anri people of Ghana. These
stories formed part of tre folklore of\ol/esr Africa and came to the
Caribbean with the slave rrade in the 17" ro 19'' cenrur;es. The
stories of Anarsi were originally passed down with the V•/est Africans
using the oral tradition of storytelling. This is why in the play, you
can see that Anansl has good oral skills and can manipulate all the
animals that cross his path. Eventually these tales were written
down and continue to the present day in many forms of art and
eNertainment.
The significance of Anansi
The stories of Anonsi came our o'
ire ora tradlton ,,i West Af'ica.
In tne oral iraditlor,, stories or
poems are passed dow'l by word
of mouth.
For both the V•/est Africans who came through the 'M'ddle
Passage' and those who ,nnab1t the Caribbean islands. 'Ar,ansi
stories' embody the cultural heritage, tradlt on and histor)' of the
Africans. In reference to African m1'th, the people cornrnun:cated
with plants and animals. vou can see that ,he play captures Anansi
inte·acting with animals of the forest sucn as a tiger, crab and
monkey. Sy reading tne play, you notice that Anansl delightfully
occupies the mind of\ol/oman and Girl that came as cargo on the
slave ship. In tne journey of the 'Middle Passage·, stor;es of Anansi
represel"t hope for the slaves who were disconnected from their
homeland of Africa. It also rep.-esenrs the idea of power over the
EJropean oppressors. The reversal of the role o' power 'n the
mag ination of the slaves on the ship al lowed tne Africans to cope
with 1he narsh experiences of slavery. Anons/ represents rhe spirit
of strergth. the embodiment of dreams a-id the resistance of the
Africans, as they struggled ro survive the voyage to the Caribbean.
It can be sa·d that from the tales of Anansi, we not only gain
~nowledge of the traditions and experiences of our ancestors, but
we a'so get an understanding of human behaviour through the
'trickery' of trie spider.
•• •
•
A"lansi is also refe•red tc as Spiderman oased on how he Is dep'aed
in tne different genres of terature.
Anansl Is often depicted as being Malf man. ha rspider.
The presentation of Anansi
Anansl is :argely represented as half ma 1. half spider with a c•Jnning smile
to suit his disposition. He is normally prese11ed in the setting of a forest
and his language is filled with poetry and 50'19, as part of h:s charisma and
facade of trickery. Based on an African myth, it is said that Anansi was once
a man and his fatne•, a great sky god, changed him into a sp'der due to his
bad ways. As such, the stories that centre 01 Anans· a delve into his s,y
and ma1ipulative ways.
Villain or hero
As you read the p.ay, you will •ealise that Anansi is depiCled both as a
hero and villain. You will be torn beDNeen the two representations cf his
ct,aracter. Vvhlle the stories of Anansi irsp!re t~e slave girl and give rer t~e
courage to go on, we also notice a villai1 who OJtsmarts tne most powerfu
characters in the forest, sJch as Tiger, Sr-ake and King. To observe the he,o in
Ar-ansl, you have to obse·ve his role with Crab and t~.e ct-aracier Her ·n the
·Forest of Stories'. Despl:e the duality of his roe. Anansi provides the reader
with amusement, wisdom and hope, amid his selfish desires and crafty ways.
ACTIVITY
• Research the African slave trade
and repo•t yoJr findings to the
class.
• !lead some other Anansl sto•ies
from your loca library or
internet searcn and identify his
major character traits.
• Look for examples from the text
where Arans is a villain and a
hero.
The plot
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• estabi:sl"> the form ard context
of rhe play Anons/
• explore ,re ser'ovs aspect of
the play nvclvlng tne 'slave s:,ip
experence'
• explore tre comedic asoea of
the play nvclvlng Anarsl tre
spider
• observe the settng as
establ sred Ir the pct.
Form and context of Anansi
INni e reading the play, you can see that there are no clear demarcations.
Notwithstanding th·s, the acts are made up of several scenes that take
place on'The Good Ship Hope'and in 'The Forest'.The ship seer.es ted the
experiences of Boy and tre slave girl, while the forest scenes convey the
stories cf Anansi In Girl's imagination.
Anansi is characterised as a modern form of drama due ro its
unconventional form and seemingly estranged scenes. Despite this, the
plots are intertwined as Gir' on bcard 'The Good Ship Hcpe'lmag:nes
Anansi in her times cf struggle and connects him 10 inspiring, humorous
tales with 'The Forest of Stor'es: In this way. there is a marr age of drama
and stor;telling tha, em bod es moral issues.
In addition to its historical coniext w 1th the European slave trade, the p1ay
also bo-de·s on polit'cal sat''e that throws llgrt on the power struggle
cf the slave·y system. In the play you wil I find a reversal of roles as Girl
empowers herself with ,he sto'ies of Anansi.
•
The fo:Klore cnaracter A'1ans ·s rot
limited to drama ard short stories.
Aransl can be found In music." ms
and video games.
KEY POINTS
The 1'1a r secrings cf ;r-e play are
as follows: ;re ship and the forest
On board the slave ship
On board the slave ship, we see a yourg white boy in conversation with
nis father and a sailor. The sensit've, Inquisitive Boy quest'ons h:s father
and the Sailor about the status and appeararce of t'1e African slaves. He
also wants to know why the people are created badly. His father distracts
hi11 from these observations by telling him to focJs on n,s education
and scolds him when he gets too inquisitive. Tne Sailor also dispels his
sensitivities by saylrg, "slaves are more like beasts rather than 'the image of
God''. Nevertheless, the young boy's role gives us an insight into the lives
of the Afr'can slaves on board rhe ship. From his empathic perspeaive, we
see him crying when a slave s thrown into ire sea and fingers when Girl is
going to be auctioned off.
Also on ire ship, we see a young glri and an old woman. L'ke Boy, Girl
is also disturbed. She is taken aback by the harsh circumstances on the
slave ship. She describes the environment as ''1ostile'. ,Vhen she sees t'1e
dark hoe and tre slaves 'crushed tcgetrer: she re11arks, '\.',/hy has the
world co.11e to an end?'. The slave woman on board offers her hope by
ercouraging her 10 use her imagina1ion to free herself from the present
hostile circumstances. She reminds Gi'I of their folklore character. Anansi.
Her quest is to plant ire free spirit of Anansi in Girl's mind witr the use of
the stories. The stories tell the moral trat despite Anansi's small size ar.d
failed efforts. he does not give up. Girl evemually ur.de·stands what slie
has to do as tne tales of'The Foresr'sustain her.
In the Forest
After Girl's magll"'ation is evoked byV✓omal"', we
are Introduced to scenes of'The Forest'. \Ne are
presented with Anansi as a charismatic and cunning
spider, whose entertain ng scremes ouiwit powerful
characters of the forest, such as Tiger. King and
Snake. Later on. we see him manipula,ing Ratbat
to take tt>e olame fer his m·schief with Tiger. Vi/e
are amused by how he plays on the cnaracter's
ego to get h·s way. We also observe him in a similar
experience with Crab, where we are humoured as
he puts on the perfect act to get Information to
outsmart the cruel lady.
Comparing the different worlds in Anansi
We have already identifed the different plots In
Anans,. Associated w,th tne plots are the different
settings - the slave sfiip and tne forest.The slave ship
s portrayed by Camooell as fr'ghter,ing, gloomy and
deoressing. The Forest of Stories Is more lighthearted,
amusing ard eccertric. Campbell moves us from one
wo·ld to the other as re takes us through tne play. This
evokes readers interest and adds new dimensions to
the play. Despite the two different plots and settings,
the play is boJnd togetrer by the central craracter,
Anans.
T9e, 1s one of the characters we rl'eet ir. The Forest
KEY POINTS
EXAM TIP
Tne o•ay explores moral ssues Ir, the forrn of sto•ies that 'Nest Af-<lcans
would rave passed down to tnelr children.
To ~s,s ist l::JO"' witn l::JOur
/ ACTIVITY
I
List all cf the serous and tren comic scenes In the play.
.-evt.s.,ov. of tl-lis pl.i!:I
~r&1w " t&1 bLe witn two
coLu»cv.s.. I"' O"'-t List &1LL
of ti-le scev.a.-ios tn.it col'IA.I!
out of tJ.1e scev.es. fro"-< tne
sJ,iip, &1v.ci '"'- ti,ie otl-ler ti-le
scev.arios fro»c tl1e sce.,,es.
of 'The Forest ' Also
iciev..tin:, ti-le ~i»cil&1,rities
betwee"" t11e stories 0 .,,
bo&1n;( ti-le ship"""~ i..., tne
fo,·es.t .
.Sl1ip
scev.arios
Forest
scev.arios
Contrasting characters
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• understand the oJrpose of
1,;slng a common noun to
defire a cha,acte•
• recognise ,ow the Issues of t~e
play are explored th'ough the
character contrasts
• recognise ,ow the cont'asr,g
ot characters serves as an
lmpo·tant device of the
d·amat st
• explore i~e Irony In t~e
exploration of the characters.
Character stereotypes
The p'aywright refers to some characters w thout giv,ng them a name.
These include Boy, Girl. Woman, Her, King. Sailor, Tiger and others. Despite
this. they all rave an 'dentity. With this strategy, che playwright hopes to
capture ,he different stereotypes 01 board the slave ship and the vlder
world in The Forest of Stor'es'.
Boy and the Captain
Boy ar,d h's father or the s11ip's Boy and tre Captain, share an estranged
relatior,ship. Boy's perspective is different from that of the Captain. His
Is based on na,vei)' while the fatner's is tainted by selfish privileges and
prejudice. Tre Captain sees tne Africans as 'cargo'. while Boy sees them
as 'peop e'. In add'tion, tre Boy's inquisitive, ir,dependent and sensitive
nature gets him ir.to trouble with his father. Vvhen t'1e Boy asks w'riy the
slaves aopear frightened, or why a man is thrown OJ! at sea, he is met
with violence. The father's sole purpose is to indoctrinate the Boy Into a
stereotyp cal education that fosters the slave industry and perpetuates
prejud ce. It is ironic how Boy wan,s to be liberared by finding out more
about the people or, the slave ship, despite his European upbringing.
•••••
-
Girl and Woman In the holdof the srlp
--
Girl and Woman
Girl Is frightened as sne en1ers the ship. She compares the familia·
African land of 'great r"vers and giant trees·· with the 'dark, filthy ard
cramp" environment of the 'Hold' in the ship. Her fears are tempe•ed by
1Noman who takes the role of her mother. \•/hen she calls out In despair.
VVoman replies with co,soling words and empower, ng stories of Anansl.
1n turn. Girl cultivates inspiring stories of Anans in her 'mind's eye·. This
gives her the Independence af"'d freedom she needs to survive.
1Noman also teaches Girl about non-violence and compassion. This 1s
Ironic as it comes at a time when the slaves are being thrown overboard.
Desp te her •esentment fo· tne sailo·s. ~Voman tells her, 'to have p"ty' on
them.
Anansi and other animals
The character Anansi is a I ght·hearted, trickster and we are amused by his
wit and stra,egies to get tre ar,imals of the fo•est todo his bidding. Even the
"mighty creat•Jres" are at his mercy. Tiger says of .A.nansi. "I don't know how
you do it, but I suspect methods are not quite horest.'' In Parhnnder - Block
Awakening in ,he Arrivonts ofEdward Brairhwaire. Gordo'l Rohle· describes
the character Anansi as an archetype of the imagi1ation of the olack
slaves to survive the hardships of slavery In the New ~Vorld. In this case it is
Irenic how the role of the powerfu' master 1s reversed. as Ar ans I, the spider
(minor character) is able ro outsmart the 'masters' of the forest such as
Tiger and Snake.
Anansi and Soliday
Soliday is a human who takes on the task of defeafng the desp'cab'e
Mancrow. who instills fear In all of t he animals. He s courageous, taking
Mancrow down with his own bow. Empowered by Gran and the "secret
Inside him', re Is able to defeat Marcrow. Though outsmarted by Anansi,
he shares his bravery and cou•age.
' ACTIVITY
• Exam·ne the relationships of the characters at the begir ning and
trien at the end of the play.
a Soy af"'d Girl
b VVoman ar.d Girl
c Boy af"\d the Captain
d Anansi and Soliday
• Describe tr.e personalities of the above ci'aracters In the pay.
• Identify the different oersoectives of the cnaraaers drawing on the
comparisons you presented In question I,
•• •
Tre ship's boy or cao n boy
attended to tne needs of the chief
officers or Capta'n o, a shlo.
Conflict, themes
and issues
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• d' sccver ,re key ther,es o' the
play
• recognise liow the r-iaJo'
ther-ies emerge from the slave
trade exoe•ience
• explore tre lrterconnectedness
between 1,iemes
• explore how ;re tnemes and
conflict add to the dra-nat c
fJnctlon of the play.
Power, prejudice, alienation, greed and violence
On board 'Tne Good Ship Hope·, we see an oppressive, violent Captain
and father who does not entertain any quest'ons fro-n h's compassio1ate
son. A hierarchy is establisred as the Capiain tells Boy, that the 'maSTers
in London'' would rot be pleased if rhey ose too much cargo. \.Vhen Boy
writes n h's diary. 'a ma1 was thrown away.' the Captain is furious and
tells Boy that "every ma'l has a place on the ship and you'I lea·n you's if I
have to break your back.' The Captain reinforces that the only rhirg worth
wr'ting about the s,aves ·s, 'money makes the world go around.' 'Nhen tre
ship is about to dock ·n Jama'ca and the sick slaves are thrown overboard,
the Captain heartlessly says, 'My conscience s clear. I am doing ro more
than a good farmer to protect tne bes, beasts in tne heard.' In addition,
we also see dehu-nanis'ng images of the slaves in tne 'Hole' wnen the
Sailor co-nments. 'it silrks like Deatn's own backyard.' Further alienation
er,sues vvren the Boy tells tre Sailor trat he saw a Grl down in tre 'Hole,'
the Sai or tells him, 'You think 100 m'Jch and some thoJghts are plain
dangerous.' Later on when Boy sees Glri crying and attempts to console
her, he ·s further al'enated by tre stories that inspire her as sre rattles.
''Yesterday this time, me am yum Tiger fat ... '.
/ ACTIVITY
I
In the p.ay, several cnaracters In 'The Good Ship Hope' and The Forest
o' Stories' have abused their power. These Inc ude the Captain, Sailor.
Tlge•, Snake, Mancrow and Her. Explarn how they have abused their
positions of authority.
Freedom, dreams, aspirations and fantasy versus
reality, growth and manipulation
n the play there Is a very thin line between the world of fantasy and reality.
VVnile the slave ship experience is real to the characiers and audience, the
p!aywr'ght forms a'1 easy transition berween the t-arsh rear ry of tre'slave
ship experience' and tne haven of the 'forest of stor' es'. Even tnougn Girl is
er.slaved, sne ,s encouraged to metaphoncal ly 'see the light' and tl'-e ·crack
·n the ceiling' of the s'1ip. 5'1e fin d's freedom In 'ire piciures in her mind'.
These pictures 1ell the tales of the brave Aransi and how he is able to trick
the strongest and meanest of characters in the fore ST. Girl isencouraged 'to
weave"ner·'web ,·ke a dream In ,he dar~•. just like Aransl. Afler 1/\loman Is
taken away. Girl ,earns to surv ve by spinn:ng webs in her own 1magirat,on.
\Noman further empowers Girl by telling her"to live well and die well'. Thus
at the auction, she IIberates herse f oy saying, 'Once upon a time there was
a clever. tricky spider called Anansi ... lfhe was hung'y he got what he
wanted and so will I.'
/ ACTIVITY
Consider Boy's opportunities on the ship for growth ard
development. Comment on tne fatner's 'esponse 10 his logs in the
d ary. Also, comment on tne words of tne Sailor when he says to Boy,
·you rrink too much and some thoughts is plaln dangerous'.
Role of women
The female cha,acters in Anansi are strong and bold. On board 'The Good
Ship Hope; we find a slave woman wnose role is to assist the young girl ,c
overcome her fears and insp:re her 10 transcerd the ho·r•b'e expe( erce
of s,avery. She tells Girl, 'don't tie yourself up with words I ~e impossible"
and inspires her with the uplifting stories of An~nsi. Also, in 'The Fo·est of
Stories'. you will see tnat Gran empowers Soliday to defeat the lnvincib e
Mancrow.
Childhood experiences
Both Boy and Girl are confronted w,th new and challenging exper'ences
1n their innocence. They are also forced to co11e to terms with tre harsh
realities cf ,he ship.\oVhile Boy questions his father, (the Capta ·n) abol.lt the
bad treatment of the slaves, Girl questions \l>io.11an aboJl her hopeless
circumstances as a slave. On the other hand, while Boy's compassionate
pleas go u'1answered, Girl finds hope through the old vVoman's wisdom.
Both Boy and Girl experience changes on board the ship. By the end of
the scenes on tre ship Girl observes Boy, 'He sees what we Imagine'; as
the sailor unties tne \oVoman after he dlscove·s that she Is s,ck, 'the Boy
crumples ind'stract:ng agony.' Furthermore, when the \-Vo-nan is dragged
away, Boy tells Gfrl, 'You mvstn't cry.' He has come 10 empathize wit'l her
and understand the crvelty in her world. Similarly, Girl finds strength by
the end of the play. In the Kingston Harbour scene, when the Girl is being
aucriored she says, 'I want to die but I won't.' Her realliy is altered as she
s in the Forest of Sto·ies, finding solace and rope witn her imagined hero,
Anans'.
Literary devices
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi I:
• exam ,'le rhe use of literary
cevlces as they are vsed to
er.hance the meanhg of
the play
• c scover tre lmpo'tance o'
literary devices In exo o•ing
the tremes of t'le pay.
Irony
The use of irony reinforces the meaning of the play and has a direct impact
on the lesso,s of morality that arise otJt of its contents. In add'.tion, the
playwright uses it as a device to demonstrate ,he transfer of power from
one group of characters to the next for greater audience appeal.
Despite the similar bac~ground cf Boy and the Captain. we see them
a1loggerheads vlrh regard tc the stan,s oftne slaves onboa•d. Boy is
presented as betraying h:s father and Captain when he writes aboJ1 the
narsh treatment of the slaves in his diary. s:m·1arly, the Sailor tells Boy
he Is expected re carry on the works of the fathe· after he is gone. Tne
playwright hints to us that this may never happen with the empathy Boy
shows towards Girl and other slaves.
Vl'ith reference to the stories of Ar,ansl, Girl refers ro the character as
'little and weak."Soon enough 'Noman quells Girl's fears by explaining
to her that despite his small frame, re was, 'o,ce a King.' GIrl realises that
despite he· dismal circumstances, she too has the power to go on with
the stories of Ar,ansi's prowess. Mo•eover, in spite of the reference of
the slaves to animals, V•/cman's teach1rgs are non-discriminating as she
tells Girl, 'people are as good as animals and the animals are just as they
always were.'
Dramatic irony and twists in the plot
There are several instances of dramatic Irony in rhe play. This playwright
uses this device to re nfcrce tne 'reversal of ·o1es· of characters, such
as A"lansi and Girl. Ar tre start of tre play, both Girl and A'1ansi are
irtroduced as helpless and weak. By the end of the play, we see a Girl rhar
has demonstrated resilience and a spider that becomes a legerd of hope
and free-spiritedness. In the process of the play, the Captain, Boy and
Sailor a·e not aware of the growing strengtn of Girl. Also, the characters
of rhe forest rake Anansi for granted:Tiger, Snake, Marcrcw, Crab and
Her are all deceived by his cunning ways as he attempts ro confront rhe
powerful.
,, ACTIVITY
I
• Examine the individual words· n
the name of the save ship.
• Discuss tne ·ony of ire ship's
r,ame given its cargo.
• Make a list of all of the situations
of dramatic Irony from the two
sertlngs in the play.
Imagery
In the play, images cf darkness, death and light pervade tne entire p1ay
to evoke the emotive senses of rhe audience. In order to show t'le
denJmanising exper'ences ofrhe slave on beard the ship, Girl says that
they 'were crushed togerher In the dark ... in filth, sick'less and fear,"
V1hen she begins to cultivate nope, she says, ' I see a light through the
dark tree." S•mi arly, in the forest. when tne animals see the oppress ve
Man crow, they cry, 'Mancrow coming, despair and dearh.' Imagery is also
used to highlight the prejudice of the slave masters when they refer to the
slaves as 'beasts' and 'animals'.
The pla)'N1lgh1 uses lmage,y to help cs understand the awf,1 condlt,ons or boa•d the slave ship
Symbols
1n the play, the playwright largely incorporates the symbols of the Spider
and Tiger to draw reference to ire·r strength. In tne·Forest Stories'.Tiger
Is described as 'strong' ard 'bold: He can be compared to the wnite slave
masters. Anansi (the spider) is seen as cunning. persistent and resnier,t by
'spinnirg a web'. ~le represents the spirit of the Africans.
Similes and metaphors
1n the play, the similes and metaphors tfghlight the playwright's
perspective on the characters, emphas·se the key ss•Jes of the play and
help the aud·ence to better visualise tre images to be corveyed.
In o·der to highlight the struggle and devise a method of svrv,val fo• Gir ,
Vvoman tells her, 'weave your little web like a dream in the dark and wait ...•.
The web represems tne hope for Girl, desp,te all odds. Similarly. in the 'Forest
cf Stories', A,ans'. In his ploy to manipulate ,atbat, (who thinks he is smarter
than Anansi) says re is. 'try;'ng to get somebody as cool as an ice-cube to
enter tre Best Song Competition.' By saying Ratoat is cool as an ice-cube, he
s boosting his se,f-esteem to manipulate hi11 to do his blddi1g.
At other limes. the playwright uses the similes and metapnors to emphasise
tre traits of the characters, In order to set them up for a fall. In the 'Fo•est
Stories'when Marcrow real'ses Sol'day's intentions for him, he says, 'Try'ng to
kill me ... It's like tying up the night w'th a noose of String.' Smilarly. in order
to show the cruelty of the Lady In the 'Forest Stories', we find her saying, 'My
bottomless calabash awaits yoJr bitter tears.' A so. tre play,,,rlght uses similes
Involving a,imals to descrioe me harsh treatment of the slaves. For examp e,
Girl comments. ·'we were tied together like goats waiting fo, the knife."
Personification
In the play, Girl describes the journey fro'll her romeland of Africa. She
says. 'the river. carrying me further and further away from my mother on
its great brown back.' The playwright not only shows us the force of nature
by giving the river human qualities, but also srows us hew Girl s helplessly
torn away from her place of birth. The deplorable conditons of the journey
are also personified in O'der 10 highlight the distress of the slaves. In tne
setting from the deck of the ship, the narrator compares, 'tne clean fresh
wind singing from the ropes" to the 'putrid smel s of the moaning grates.'
EXAM TIP
LiteYAYrJ liievices Also help
to Ytivcforce t'1e t'1el¾e of
A ~tA,rJ, poe""' OY StOYrJ ·
It LS t11,1,portA1'1.t to ""-A~e
covcvcectio"'-S betweevc tne
t l1e11,1,es il vci;i t'1e liievices to
tvcna vcce 1'.JD<.<Y t'espov.ses
w'1evc _AV\,&llrJsi"-0 1'.JO<.<Y
questtol'I.S.
Use of language and
features of writing
Antagonists, protagonists and main characters
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Girl on board the ship is co.,sidered tne protagonist of tne olay. She starts
off as hopeless and distraught, but develops the coJrage and strength to
cope with the system of slavery. 11'/oman is arother ma:n characte,; she
emoodies tne spir t of goodness ard strergth, and fosters the changes
for survival In Girl's l:fe. Boy is also a ma,n character whose corcern for
the African slaves, cor.rradict the values of tne antagonistic European
slave masters. A1ansl, on the other hand, 's a hero who adds symbo ic
value to the play. Despite h's lack of morality and unorthodox methods of
succeedirg. he represents the soul of tre Vvest African slaves.
In this section you wi :
• explore tre ro,es of the
protagonist. antagonlm and
main characters In trie o:ay
• exam ne '10W charae1e·s
1,;se tne type of language
apprcpria,e to rre r roles
• exam ne '10W la1guage car- be
used to affecr tie meaning a'ld
mood of t1e o ay
Use of language
• exolo'e how the concept cf place
and time adds to ·re dramat c
significance of tre play
• explore how the senhgs of the
play estao sh tne mood ard
determne the response o' rhe
audience
• understand row the settings are
jJxtaposed agai1st each otner to
re nforce the '11ea1lng of tre play
.O.listair Campbell allows his characters to demonstrate their ideology,
p:ejud· ces, cunning ard humour w,rh the use of language. Girl demonstrates
ner cu rural t,es and fears of being removed from ner home and when sfie
says to 11'/oman, 'They t'nrew us in a caroe, bigger than the biggest war
canoe of our tribe~G'rl also refers to .•.narsl as "our Ananslc
Ye uses an example cf a B'o:,cal al Ius ion to snow the Sailor's bias towards
the Africans. In O'der to trivialise the discouraged Boy's sensitivity towards
the slave Girl, tbe Sailor says. "The good book says that men were given to
rule over beasts.' The Sailor alsc refe•s to her words as ·'reathe~ torgue'.
VVnen Boy displays sensitivity wwards Girl and tells her rot to cry, she
sings,'Yesterday this time me am yum Tiger fat ...'. v\llth the cultural and
1anguage barrier, their worlds co.1tinue to be alienated.
• recognise 'low the fea,ure of
d sgulse re: rforces t'le motif o'
fantasy and reai't}' Ir the play.
n contrast. the character Anansi presents an amusing language style. We
are irtrigued as Anans reveals his plans for Snake and T:ge· using rhyming
couplets. He says:
A d'ar'1atlc device Is a stylistic
dev,ce used in short sto·les
ard plays re create situations
wt-ere tne reader or avdierce
better understands the events or
outcomes.
"Now maste: snake is a clever man
But I will ca;ch him if I can:·
"Salt and pepper, rerbs and sp:ce
Tiger fat s nice, nice. nice.'
His wit a so provides us with humour. In order to get Crab's sympathy ard
g·ve him the rame of Her at the 'River Scene'in the'Forest Stories: he says:
" ACTIVITY
Compile a list of all of tne
scenarios from the play that
highlight the playwright's use of
language. Look at the sa•casm,
puns. rhymes, bias. use of dialect
and v·olent language.
"Boo Hoo vVoo is me. How will I ever surv,ve until the end of the week?"
.,,
Alistair Campbell also uses Anans, to highl ignt tne sho·teoming of 01rer
characters rhroJgh his sarcastic remarks. In the 'Forest of stories· A1ansl
tells Tiger, 'Th11king? vVell, trat's a big change for you ...~
.........
Drama as history
111 the play Anansi, we are taken back to the year • 791 and 1he Atlan:ic
Do you ~now that ar archetyoe Is
a character or symocl that appea·s
in a story to reinforce a ireme?
A1ans· can be vlev,1ed as an
a·cherype that was inspired by 17"'
century \A/est Afrcan culture, and
has transcended tiMe and found
his place ooth In evo.virg West
Indian and America~ sto•ies.
slave trade. At ,rai time, enslaved persons from A'rica we•e brought to
the Vl'est Indies a1d auctiored to plantation owners. Girl and vVoman are
victims of the slave trade and the play tells the story of their strugg es 011
route to Jamaica.The confiict between the Captain, Sailor and tne female
slaves captures the atmosp>iere of tension 011 the save ships O"l the
At antic voyage. Despite this, the 1Nest African slaves b•ought with them
many cu rural traditions, ,he folk tales of Anansl be'rg one of the'll (refer
to pages 48-49). The stories of Anansi's coJrage and cunnlrg advance the
plot and p•ovide a paral e to rre rarsh realities of the slave ship.
The setting
EXAM TIP
At the start of the play we see Boy and the Captain In a scene with books
and ledgers. This sets them apart as educated Eu•opeans whose conce·n
Is tne profits of the s1ave ship. As the audience, we are esuarged from
them and even more so when two sailors are seen 'untying a body and
dragging it out of sight". 0'.Jr sympathy is evoked with tre images of the
'Hold' wrere the slaves are kept and transported to tre Vo/est Indies. The
hatch is described as dark and filthy and ,re ·'slaves are nuddled together
like cattle'. Vve hear that, 'Some of them are crying a1d falling down .,.
Some are whipped and beaten.'The audience is Inspired when Girl 1s
encoJraged ro imagine a happier setting.'A forest full of stones ... am x of
fairy ,ales you heard as a child to high rech cartoor fantasy.·
Wne": Cl "'-Swevi.""9
qi.test•o"'-S o"" the
dvCl1M-Atic. sigi-ufi.ciivcce
of c;i ptc;il::J, Loo~ c;it tne
el¾otioVCC1 t vespo"'-Se
evo~ed fvo""" tne
followi"'-9:
/;I
b tne deveto-piMei,u; of tne
tneiMe
The tales of Anonsi are also set against the endless expanse of the forest
setting. He•e you see Anansr playing out his tricks near rivers. trees, bJs'ies
and in the deep forest. The playwright uses this settirg to liberate Girl, as
she finds comfort in fam11·ar tales.
co"'-flic.t /;li,\,d tetA.Siov.
d ni.tlM.O« ,- c;i v,,i;(
el'\.l:e rtci '""""e""t
C
Disguise
The feature of disguise can be trans aied Imo the thin line between fantasy
and reality in tre play. Gir' uses her imagination to keep her spirit al·ve and
resist tre cruelty of the powerful slave owners. In 'The Forest of Stories' she
stied up In the sh'p. The setting •eads, 'though tne trees we can dimly
make out beams and ropes ... or are they brarches and creepers.· Both
the wend of the ship and forest are distorted to transport G'rl's mind to her
p1ace of salvat'on. Similar y, tre image of the'web' serves as a too' of power
li~e the 01e Anans1 uses to catch his prey. Woman tells Girl to 'weave
her little web like a dream In the dark and wait .. .'. n this way there is a
reversal of role between tne slaves and the European masters. Tne slaves
are free In their minds with the co'llpe'ling stories of Anansi.
the setti""0S l,a,\, the J>LAl::J
e At""ospneve c;ii,,4 ""'-OOd
f Sl::JIM-bols A""d IM.Oti.fs
0 di.sg«i.se
h l..i""9i.tAge, SOi.tV\-Ols,
ml::J tn ""'- c;i i,,4 ""1<.S i.e.
'
• stc;ige co""vel'\.l:i.o= a""d
dirlctiotA.S
j the ctilM.I¼.
I
~ Unit~1I
-
--
Unit 1: Structured questions
Ti-Jean and His Brothers
Twelfth Night
1 Cor,sider the words ofT-Jean's song:
1 'Nlt r the excepfon of Feste, a the inhab tarts
'Wno with tlie Devil tries to play fair
\'leaves tne web of his ow11 despa r."
Write an essay In wh ch you discuss the 1opic of
revolution as p•esented n 11-Jeo" and His Brorhers.
You shou d trace how both Gros-Jean and
Ml-Jean try to 'play fair'. a11d the consequences
o' their actions, and iren trace the 'rank
disobedience' trat Ti-Jea'1 resorts to In his deal ng
wlir the Dev· . Show how tre play suggests
that unity. self-sacrifice. and moral integrity are
essertial If a revolut on is to succeed.
(3S marks in rota/)
2 \>Vhi e Ti-Jeon ond His Brothers deals w th some
serloJs matters, ' t also contains a g•eat dea o'
hJmour, Write an essay in willch you explalr r,ow
the play suggests tnat determined resistance
(-iot cornpllarce) Is the way to deal w'th colonla,
oppress on. YoJ should ident fy T\-VO po nts ,n the
play that show how uag:c co onial oppression
is, then Ident fy TvVO po·n1s in tre play where
hJmour Is prese1t and suggest why ,re mocd
shift Is effective.
(35 morks in toroi)
of I yra strike us as being very foolish. Vvrte an
essay .n which you discuss tne nature of tlie folly
thar grips Ollv a, O·slno and Ma,volio and srow
the means by whicn Feste tries 10 show each
of th,se indiv"dvals the fo y of tneir behaviour.
You should expla n 'iow Feste ccnt•ibutes to the
orevalllng comic tone of the play.
(35 marks in ,orolj
2 Much of the comedy In Twelfth Night depends
on disguise, mistaken ldent ty and false
posturing. \.\/rite an essay ·n which you exp.ain
why Viola puts en a disguise, and 'dertifyTV>/0
orob'emat'c (and rumorous) sltua,io,is the
d·sgu'se creates for her. You snould show how
Vlo a's disguise serves to reveal tne trutn about
each of 1rese characters 10 the audience, If not
to themse ves: Sir Andrew, 0 via, Orsino.
(35 marks in totol)
EXAM TIP
Write a"" i"'-1:yod L<.ctoYtf
payagyapl,i a""d a COl'I.CLL<.di"'-0
par-a~yap11 foy tfDL<.Y essa11s lVl"'- •f l::)Ot.<, CQI'\, ov.,Ltl ""'-Cl"'-Qge
"""e sea,,,te.,,,ce foy et1ci1.
Notice t,ne ""'-QY~ scl1tl¾e, Civcci Let
t11at gL<.i.ae tJOL<. Ytgt1Ydi"'-0 I-low
""'-1.<.~11 t<l¾e tJOL<. spev.,d """ et1cl1
secho"".
Further practice q~estions
and examples can be found
on tre accompanyi~g website.
The Tempest
Anansi
1 'The Tempest ·s more tt>an just a falryra e; It is also
1 1Nrite an essay descr:b'ng TV•/0 lnc'de1ts 1 which
se•ious and tragic:
vVrlte ari essay iri which you descr oe TvVO
incidents from tne p ·ay that are serious and
tragic. In this essay yoJ must discuss O\JE theme
tnat comes out of one of the Issues that you
described. Also. examine ONE dramatic technique
tnat Shakespeare uses to present tragedy In
tnep'ay.
(35 marks in rora!)
2 'The Tempest conta ns ma11y lrteresting subplots:
vVrite an essay Ir, which you describe ONE subplot
ir tre play. 1 this essay you must also exolore the
reasons for the charaeters'behav ou'S and actions
that relp to move tne ploi forward and exam•ne
the dramatfc sig1ifica1ce ofthe subplot to the play.
conftici Is presented with the nero or heroine
in the play. r. this essay, you must also d scuss
how the hero or heroine is af"ected ·1 one of t,ie
lrcidents and ·de1tlfy ONE dramatic tecl'lntque
that Campbell uses ,o r·g~llght the ,heme of
power and manipulation In tne o'ay.
(JS marks in total)
2 1Nrite an essay In wh'ch you describe the
relationship between TVl/0 females In tne play.
In this essay. you must also d scuss how the
relationship o fT'NO male characters comoares
to theirs. In ore of rhe relationships described.
exam ;ne ONE dramat'c techriqJe that Campbell
uses to prese1t the riature of tre relationship in
the play.
(3S marks in rota/)
(35 rr.orks in total)
EXAM TIP
Rt 111M: l¾b e~ th a t a ""1::1 ti.V1<.e lj Ou
l¾&l~e &I poil'St, 1::1ou l¾ust gi.ve
~"'-1'J> 0rti""0 evi.ole""ce to bt:i c~
it "'-1'·
youy A"'-Swer ""-IA.St be i."" ess&r
forn,,, wi.tk J>Yopen.1::1 c<evelopwl::J
)'&!Yt:igr&rp"1s. Stt:!rt tke l'StW
)'t:!Y&1gYt:1p"1 O"'- t:l v..ew liv..e, but
v..ot ov.. A .,,ew ptrge.
Fur1rer practice quest' ons
and examples can be found
on the accompar.ylng website.
· 2 l!r:os.e
2.1
'I
LEARNING OUTCOMES
lri this section you wl ·
• realise that wo•ds are a
novelist's tools
• ldent fy the b~lldlng bloc~s of
prose writing
• apprec' ate tne differences
betwee1 narra1io1, descriptlo1,
dlalogJe and reAecton as
narrat ve strategies
• learri some features tnat
co"lstitute tne style of a novel
EXAM TIP
RefYesn tJOt.<Y ~l¾OYtJ
fro.,,,,_ the &/ya ""'-ti sectio.,,_
of t nis 01.<i&le.
Wnat &lo we ~ i i .,,_ btJ
tnese teY""'-s?
• T>Lot
· co.,,flict
.setti"'-0 • The~
· Ci,iayacter · .SttJLe
1ou1u
e1•
\"l°'len you read a novel or sto•y,
you are co laboratlng w th t'1e
author to oroduce a meaning.
The ch,vacters, the:r suugg es
and emotions co'Tle alive
because you allow the'TI co live
in yoJr lrnag nation, and you try
to worK out their p·oblems In
your mind.
Features of prose
Words - the prose writer's tools
In t~e section on drama. yoJ lea•nt aocut the special techniques
and devices available to the dramatist. The dramatist can re-c·eate
the setting with sce"lery and props; can use costumes to make the
characters more rea 'stic; can d1rect how the characters move, how they
speak, what gestures they make; and can create different moods using
ighting and music. Bu1 none of t1ese too s are ava'lab!e to the novelist!
The novelist nas only words to help the reader imagine t~e setting, get
to krow the characte•s. ard imagine how rhe characters look, move
and speak. It 's through words that the novelist 'nvites you. tre reader,
to co,labo•ate in making tne story and characters come alive. Cleary,
how those wo•ds are used is all- mpor:a1t.
But often that lim·tation of oniy having words is to the novelist's
advartage. Have you ever said. as many people do, 'The novel is far
better than the movie'? 'Nhen a person prefers the novel it is usually
because the experience of using your own ·magi nation as you read is
more enjoyable than havirg tne movie d rector do a I the imaginirig
for you.
So tre prose writer - novelist or short story wriier - ras 01ly words
as tools. But what is created with those vvords? If we car answer tl",at
question, we will have discovered the features tl",at make prose fiction
unique.
n any shon story or novel you w· II find three P'incipal types of
writing: narrar;on, description and dialogue. The narrative passages
move the story along; they tell you what happened. The descn ptive
passages invite you to form a mental image of a person or place.
And in the passages cf dialogue the characters are given lines to
speak - much as in the scr"pt of a p,ay. Of course, these tnree modes
of writing will be lnterming ed. and In a piece of diaiogue you will
often find description and narraron woven In. At times, too, the
writer discusses tre significance of things related in tre course
of ,he narrative: we call ,his reflective writing.
ACTIVITY
Read a page or two of one of your prose texts and identify the
sections of narration, description and dialogue. Has the writer
written pure dialogue, or Is there narration and description
woven In too? Can you idenC:fy passages cf reflection, where
the wr"ter seems to be mulling ever events. trying to ma~e
sense of t>iem?
The building blocks for a novel or story
Plot
Themes
Every novel tells a story - and of course so
does every short si:ory. The story is merely
the chronological series of happenings (this
happened and then tha t happened •..). The word
'plof' describes the way che writer tells the scary the way information is given and with held, the
way two or three dlffe1ent stories are woven
together, the way contrasts are set up among
che characcers and places where che action
takes place.
Evety good writer wants to share some Idea,
opinion or concern with the world. The novel
or short story may just be the ·coat-hanger' on
which those ideas or opinions are hung. I've call
those ideas or opinions that the wr,ter ls dealing
with the themes. The story may be abouLa
friendship be1ween two boys. but ihe theme 1s
racism; or the novel may appear to be a love
story, but the theme is society's preoccupation
with money.
Setting
Characters
We refer to the people in the
story as characters. The word
·characters'is convenient
becduse sometimes the story
,snot about people a1 ali!
In Orwell's Animnl Farm, for
example, rhe characters are
mostly ra,m an,mals.
Any action takes pl.lee
somewhere - ,n il classroom,
011 dn anlrner, m the rainforest
In a play 1he setting is created
by scenery and props, bul
in pro.se fiction it is supplied
by description There may be
mO!e than one setting ,n a
novel. and each selling will
tell us something about the
choracrers and obout what is
going on In 1he1r l,ves.
Conflict
Wherever t ~ere dre people
ther(' ar~ conOicts. F-very wo,k
of p1os., flctron presePts a
confir,1 I he connrct may
be between two cha·acters
bf>twePn one 1ndiv1dual and
society, or ever\ wltlun rhe
ind1v1dual.
Style
Each story 01 novel has its own style. To study the style, ask yourself these
quescions:
• Whal kind of diction is used? Religious words?Words used only in a particular
commun1ty7 Wordsassoc1ated with play or work?
• What sayings and idiomf can you identify? Proverbs? Biblical quotations?
Vulgar language?
• What kind of imagery is used? Imagery of music1 Of the sea?Of the cl1anging
seasons? Of sickness?
• Is tl1e scyleo( speaki11g1hat of a child or an adultl An educated person or not?
A Caribbean person or not?
• Is the language fairly plain and straightforward like a newspaper report? Or Is
it full of consciously chosen words full of emotion and beau,y, like a poem?
Plot
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• distlngu sh between a plot and
a StO'Y
• understand the ma,n 1eatures of
tre plot.
KEY POINTS
The plot corsists ot all ire
techniqves of narrarior - not
mere y ,re story >1e,
Analysi ng the techniques used in te lling th e story
Your first jcb as you study a nove O' s>iort story is to summarise me story:
the sequence of ,mportant events. Practise writing your summary as briefly
as possible - peri'aps In just 01e sentence In the case of a short story.You
will rhen be ready ,o read rhe story again, lookirg at it in greater depth,
and noticing the techniqJes of the writer.
Now look at the plot - tne technique of re ling the story. Plot strategies
·nc ude ,he choice of narrator, the use of conrrasting characters, ,he
use of contrastirg sett;ngs, the JSe of symbols, foreshadowing and
flashbacks,
The choice of narrator w·11 determ·re tne point of view from which
the story is told. A chi d wi I see things different y from an adult; in an
unhappy relaro>1ship, the man will tell the story differently from his wife.
A wr'ter w,II win our sympatry for a particular character simply by the
choice of narrate'.
/ ACTIVITY
To help you famil"ar se yourselfw th your novels or snort stories:
• Briefly svmmarise the sto ry.
deNify the narrator.
, Find examples of contrasting characters.
•
1
• Find examples of flashbacks or foreshadowings.
• Comment on any symbols that are used and tne reason for
their •Jse.
Fo:eshadowlngs and flashbacks are techniques you have met in movies,
n a foreshadowing tnere will be a broad hint about something that will
happen later in the story.There are seve·al hin,s in 'Emma: for examo:e,
that Mrs '1obinson is not the friend sre wishes to appear to be. And when
Dory says, "It just seems to me that Emma should know who has the little
Jo~er; referring ro the card In ,he pack that causes you to lose the ga,ne,
there Is a foreshadowing of disaster for Emma.
.· - - - - - ~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ,
DIOYOUKNOW?i ' - 1
Both foreshadowings and flasr.backs require
a time shift. In a fores>1adow'ng, the writer
takes JS Ol>t of the present moment in the
story and lets us peep Into the future; In a
flasrback, tre w•lte< takes us away from the
presert moment In the story to give us a
glimpse of an aaiof" in the past.
Foreshadowing
~
~
Flashbacks
A fiashback is ,he oppos·te of a forest,adowing: a fias'lbacK takes us
back to an event earlier in the story tnat lir.Ks significantly witn what is
happening now.
ACTIVITY
• Can you think of a time wnen yov have pred·aed a course of
events?
• Think abour an occas on wren you nave experienced a sense of
fiashbac~. Vo/hat prompted you to remember?
The author may make use of contrast, presenting us with, say, two
characte·s who are opposite 1r1 values and personal'ty. Contrasting
characters are an ·mportant part of the storyte'ler's craft. In 'The Boy
VVho Loved Ice Cream; the wife loves pretty clotnes. new experiences
and being In company, while tre husband is qule!ly content with his
very poor, humdrum. solitary life as a hil I farmer. It is almost inevitable
that problems will arise wit'1 such different Individuals, for how can
such a man satisfy a woman with those inclinations? And since he
cannot provide the life s>ie dreams of is it not inevitable that he will
suspea her of trying to find satisfaction elsewhe·e? The contrast
between their characters is lrextricably lin'<ed to the plot.
The plot, the1, ccns:sts of many different devices. By using contrasts of
character and setting. teas,ng us with foresradowing and flashbacks,
witnholding information ard g·ving false leads. and planting symbols. the
writer leads us through the tale. sometimes even Interweaving different
stories together. and then bringirg them all togethe· at the conclusio1.
The plot is the art with which the writer structures the story.
•• •
•
Time snifts are used often Ir
movies, ard incr-eas:ngly nove sts
a·e worKlr.g with them too.
A fo,est-adow·ng car greatly
increase the suspe1se In a 1ovel.
wnilea 0 ashback can heoire
reader put together the p· eces o'
tne puzzle and understand events
ab t better.
KEY POINTS
By mears of the ch;ilce of narrator.
tne wr ter manlpu ates our
response to ,re U'lfoldlrg events.
EXAM TIP
• TYtJ CYt&ltc"-0 c:fi&1gY&11¾$
ti,i&1t IM.Cip out ti,ie eve.....ts
of ~J,i~ "-OVtL tJOU &IYt
YtV•S•"-0·
/ ACTIVITY
I
• \.Vhen you are examining tre plot of tne nove you are studylrg.
notice the following techn· qJes and ask yourself what effect tney
have on you. tne reader:
• cho'ce of narrator
• cortrastirg characters
• contrasting settings
• symbols
• disruptions In the t''Tlellne, like foreshadowing andtor fiashbacks.
• -:"' 0 Y&lj>l,i-Lc~t c:ft&1gr-&11M.
•s t;il.so l,(StfuL to tY&rct
ti,ie IM-Cllv. tc~Ll"-t &llo'\.c:(
&I "'ti flt1si,i b&rcks foy
GX&ll¾pLe.
• ~•"-0 sp,c:leY-ttJpe
c(:&10Y&ll¾S tJOU C&llo'\.
VL-Su&1LLt1 c:fispLtl1::1 ti,ie
cov.ty&rsts or- co"-fli.cts
&ll¾0"-0 ti,ie ci,iC1r-C1cteYs .
Appreciating narrative
techniques
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• ldent fy dlffererttyoes of
narrator
• co'llpare the beglnn 19 and the
end of trie narrative to arrive at
:re main message
• practise collect rg evidence.
/ ACTIVITY I
Some of the stories and novels
on the CSEC syllabus are narrated
from the point of view of a chi'd.
Find examples of this, and discuss
what emotio1al effect It has on
you to hear tre events from a
child's viewpoint.
You have learnt that the storyline Is not the same as the plot.The plot refers
to the clever l'arratlve techniques used by the novelist to make the story
more interesting and more meaningful. One such narrative techniq~e is
the choice cf narrator- also ~nown as the narrative point of view.
First person narratives
VVno narrates the story? The story can be to'd by a perso1 who refers to
himself as 'I'. V./e call that the 'I-narrator' or the first person narrator. You
have prooably discovered in real life rt-at when someone tell syou his
or her s:de of a story, rrere is always another side - so we need always
to rememberthat the point of view of the 'I' narrator will be limited, and
possibly eve1 twisted. Your emotional response to the events in the story
will tend to be infiuenced by the po.nt of view of the narrator.
Third person omniscient narrat or
Anorher narrative techniq.ie Is to use the third person omniscient narrator.
Vo/e use the word omniscient (all-knowing) because this kind of narrator
seems to be able to get Inside the minds of all the characters, and ~nows
everything that is going on. Tre techrique ·s valuable iri, for example,
Animol Form, wrere tne narrator's omnisc,ence provides us w'th a bird's eye
view on events, so that we feel an Inevitability aboJt the outcome.
Th e limited omniscient third person narrat or
Most frequently, though, you will come across the third person narrator with
limited o'llniscience.This narrator's knowledge is limited to just one of the
characters, who is referred to in the third person (he/siie). The narrator in 'The
Boy ~Vho Loved Ice Cream' gets inside tne mlrid of the boy, and the actions
and words of other family members are all presented through wnat Benjy
sees and hears. Sy lim rirg the reader's awareness of what is going on in the
ch;ld's conscious1ess, the writer keeps us guessing about whether or not the
father has cause to be swspicious of the motner, and we experierce the grief
and se~·bla'Tie of a child caught up In marital Infidelity - real or imagined.
VV'th a f'arrato' wno has limited omniscience, notice wh ch cnaraaers he
knows most ntimarely. Those wil be tne ones the narrator chiefiy wa'ltS
you ro reaa to.
Comparing th e b eginning and the end
This is an invaluable way to get to tne heart of a story or nove'. Remember,
the writer creates a fictional world and puts his characters Into chat
situation so that they can either grew and so get out of their proo'ems or
fail to grew and so be overwhelmed and o'cken by those proo!ems.
f you compare the situation at the beginning of the story wlti1 the situation
at the end o' the story, you will ;mmediately recognise that the author
s addressing specific concerrs. For example, In Breoth, Eyes, Memory, tne
narrative begins with a iwelve-year•o•d girl leavirg Haiti 10 rejoin her motber
in New York, and tne narrative ends 10.Hh chat sameg,•I. now a mother herself,
fac,ng up to her ro1e as wife and motner.\>/rat has happer,ed in between?
Sre has learnt a great deal about how sre was ra,sed and about how mvch
the women in her family have suffered (ard caused others to suffer). She now
will brirg he• knowledge to bear on how she will ra'se ner own daug'iter.
This before-and-after strategy immediate'y leads us to tne nove 's themes,
which are:
• mother-davghter relat onships
• damage done to women by cv tural practices
• a ct>allenge for women to change tre way they raise their daughters.
You can do ih,s kind of before-and-after analysis with /I.NY story or novel
(or even with a ptay) and it wil lead you to discover tbe main themes that
the writer is working vfth.
Bring your evidence
'Nriting about literature reqvires you to be like a detective, collecting
ev'dence to support tre points that you make. lfyoJ want to say tbat a
cha·acte' is devious. unselfish. arrogant- or whatever else -you need always
to have handy an example cf be'laviour showing that character trait.
Practise like this: whenever you make a statement abollt a character,
fo, ow it up with '1Ne obsen,e tnls when .. .' or something s,ml ar. Always
prov,de the evidence, even witnout oe•ng asked. Yov will find that it helps
you ,o develop paragraphs and make trem Interesting, as well as mak'ng
your argument more convlrcing.
Th inkabout yo1,.r writing as f 1 were a COJft case:always provide
your evidence
' ACTIVITY
Look at the beg:nning and
the end of the novel you are
studyhg (or at a couple of the
snon stories) and do a beforeard•after analysis. What themes
are exposed by ,his strategy?
Breath, Eyes, Memory-
the author and plot
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• lear1 about tre autnor
• ,race the sto·y Ire of the novel.
About the author
Edwidge Danticar was born on 19 January 1969, In Pon-au-Prince. Hait'.
At that time, Haiti was suffe•ing under the brutally co·rupt and repressive
reg·me initiated by Papa Doc DJva!'er and perpetuated oy his son, Baby
Doc. Danticat's parents maflaged to escape the country, and migrated
to New Yo•k, Edwidge and a younger brother were left behind In the
care of an unc e. It was only years later that brother and sister were able
to leave Haiti and be reunited with tneir parents. who by then had rNo
more children. The desperatio~. the relief. the pain and the challenges of
m·gratio'1 are part of Danticat's personal experience. and are shown with
po·gnancy In her narrative.
Danticat s,udied crench literature at Barnard Co!. ege, and Creative ,"lriting
at Brown u r ·versity. Brearh, Eyes, Memory was her first novel. Other works
i r.clude Krlk? Krak!. The Dew Breaker, Claire of ihe Sea lighi, Brother. 1:71 Dying
and The Farming ofBones. Her worK has won several prestigious awards.
-he aotho, Cdwldge Dantlca,
The plot
The storyline of Breath, Eyes, ,llfemory moves betvveen Haiti and New Yo·k.
Despite tre desperate poverty, life in the small vii age of Croix-des-Resets.
in Haiti, is happy foriwelve-year-old Sophie Caco. Tne bond she has with
her aunt, Atie. is strong and loving, so Sophie is angry and frightened
when tne shocking news co-nes that she is to be sent to live witn ner
mother. Martine, in New York.
Affecrio~ate farewells are sa,d. The taxi that takes her to the airport is held
up by political distvrbances in tbe streets. Mention of the feared Tonton
Macoutes alerts tne reader to the fact that leaving Haiti is a most fortunate
'Tlove for the girl. Nevertheless, Sophie dreads parting from rer beloved
Tante Atie and the only life she knows.
In New York, she Is dismayed by the dilapidated slum buildings, the dirtiness
and the evidence of poverty. She hadn't expected such poverty and reglect
,n a city so highly regarded. Also, she cannot re'ate to her motner, and feels
as if s'le Is be:ng pushed out by the oversized doll tha, lier mot'1er still plays
with. Her mother evidently wants her to be like ,re doll - a submissive
plaything. It seems that Marr:ne canrot relate to the real Soph'e.
Sophie's sense that so'Tlethlng Is wrong wiih ber mother is confirmed
when she discovers ihat Martine suffers from terrifying nlghtma,es.
Little by little, she learns the terrible secrets that !',aunt her mc1ber - the
'testing: the rape. Sophie discovers that she herself is the product of that
bruta, rape, a perpetual reminder to her mother of an utterly nightmarish
experience.
Time passes. Sophie learns Eng!ish and becomes friendiy with Josep\
an African-American music•an living nearoy. vVnen Ma•tine finds out, she
subjecrs Sophie to week y 'testing' to check that she is still a virgin. Sophie
,s so traumatised by this invasion of her person ii--a, she takes a pestle and
forces it into herse,f, deliberately rupt•Jri rg her bymen. Wren Sophie fails
the 'test; Martine drives her out of the house. and she goes to live with
Joseph. Tcgetber tney have a child, Brigitte.
However, like her moii--er, Sophie is now haunted: the 'testings' have
caused Sop'lie to be sexually frigid. Although Joseph is incredibly gentle
and patient, she can only cope wit'l nis caresses by 'doubling' and
removing herself. Desperate fo· help, sbe files home to Haiti and to the
circ.e of women who have always been rer support.There. among the
'mctbers·cf her people, Soph·e finds a measure of bealing. Martine joins
her at Grandmother Ife's hoJse, and together they face t,~e hurts of the
past in an attempi at reconciliation and forgiveness. Sophie and little
Brigitte return to New York, along with Martine.
)espite the optimism engendered by the Haiti visit, ihelr challenges
are not yet over. Martine finds that she is pregnant by he· boyfriend,
Marc, but there Is no Joy for her in the p·egnancy. She has a history
of breast cancer, and fears a recurrence. Eve~ worse are he, mental
terrors: she Imagines hearing the child inside her speak,ng in the voice
of the rapist.
It is all too much for Martine, and sbe commits suic'de. Marc finds her 01
the bathroo'll floor in a pool of blood: she has stabbed herself in the belly
seventeen times.
Marc accompanies Sophie as she takes Martine's body bac~ to Haiti for
bJrial. At tne graveside, Grardmother lfe offers tbese words of wisdom to
Sophie:'the daug>ner is never fully a woman unt, t-er mother nas passed
on before her~ 5'1e is say:ng that Sophie is now free: 'libere'. Bui is that true?
Sophie resolves that her daughter will never suffer as she herself did, and
will understand that her body is her own.
Structure, narrative
devices and conflict
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• e>@mlne -re st·ucru•e of the
novel
• ldentfy the narra-1ve devices
• :11nk aoour conr·ct in ,he ncve.
Structure
The novel Is sectioralised in fcur parts:
• So;:i:1ie leaves Haiti for New York. She learns her mother's secrets.
, Her relatiof'ship with Joseph, tne 'testing' and del'berate rupturirg of
her hymen.
• Sre retJrns to Hait with Brigitte because si,e is unab,e to enjoy
sexual inte·course. She is joined by Martine and there is a measure of
reco,ciliation.
• Martine's pregnancy, suicide and then her funeral in Haiti. The healing
circle of women.
I'ACTIVITY
I
• Suggest reasons for the sectionalising of1re novel,
• Suggest reasons for the movement to New York, back to Hait'. ard
then back to New York agalr.
Narrative devices
First person narrative: Sophie, now an adult, tells her own story. This is
·mportant because 11 tells us that she has taken charge; she will al low no
one e se 10 speak for her. name her o• evaluate her. She ooks back on a
past that she now understands. She Is reconciled to what happened to he·.
but determired it m JSt never happer to her daugnter. Using Oanticat's
symbolism, we could say that Sophie's past was overshadowed by the
ideal of the Vrg:n ,v1ary, but her future belof'gs to Erzulie - goddess of love,
healing and joyoJs celebration of life.
Setting: There are two main settings: New York and rural Haiti, Poverty is
evident in both places. To Sophie's eyes, New York s a dirty. dilap,dated
place vlrh rubbish and graffit', where ho-neless people sleep en the
sidewalk and idle boys throw bottles at the car's windshield. The ergine of
ner mother's car grates loudly, and a loose spring digs Into Sophie's thigh.
The apartment building Is dark and has a musty smell; water stains spread
down the wall from the ceaIng. Martine works so hard to make ends meet
that Soph e ccncl Jdes, 'It was as though she had never stopped wo,king
·" the cane fields after all".
V'/ne1 describing Ha'ti, Oanticat does not focus solely on the prevalence of
poverty, ror does she attempt to romanticise rural life there. The landscape
n Ha ti is one of dusty cart tracks. over-lade1 mules. roadside markets.
tolling bells and cemeter es.Tinywcoden shacks and charcoal p·ts are
scanered over tne hil sides. It's a place of fear and danger with rhe Tonton
Macoutes toting the;r machine gu~s. Yet it's a place of warm g'eetings
too. of shared simple meals and gracious 'losp;tality. Poverty ard pol;tical
chaos are evident everywhere, yet we also see a lar,dscape of beauty and
grace, with flowering boJgairwillea, butterflies, bamboo fences and neat y
swept yards.
Both locations, then, show evidence of poverty - 'ong WO'.king hours and
depressing living condifons. However, in rural Haiti the saving feature is
tr,e cu,tural strength of the people: the hosp·tality, the siories. the pride in
keeping the surround·ngs clean, the sense of con1munlt)' and a shared faith.
Stories: Storytel ·ng is an importar,t aspect of Haitian culture. and the
'1arrative frequently sl ps into storyte:ling. The stories of a community are
the way each generation passes on its wisdom and experience to the
next. Stories are a peop!e's way of asserting their place in the world and its
hisiory. In telling her own Slory, Sophie takes contro of all that threatened
to destroy ner and is e'llpowered by that act. Through their s10ries, people
who have, for gererations, suffered in silence are given a vo:ce. No story in
the novel is redunda'1t; each has some bearing on the novel's themes.
/ ACTIVITY
I
Find so'lle o' the stories that characters in the novel recount. What
point is made by each story? Can you relate these stories to the main
,remes of the novel?
Conflict
Conflict ir a literary wor~ may occur between individuals, between the
individual and society. or even within the individual herself.The characters
In this revel have passed through experiences that now cause conflict
where there shoJld be a happy relationship. Sophie desperately wants
to respond to Joseph ir their love-making, but because of the distressirg
'Tlemories of Martlne's 'testing; she can only 'doub1e' and absent herself
from the encounter. She feels love and compassion fo• Martine. whose
suffering is so evident, yet she knows. too, that Martine is responsible for her
,nabil ty to respond to Joseph. As for Martine, sre dearly !eves her daughter.
but is aopalled to see the rapist's face in her child's features. Suki (Sopr·e·s
friend at tne counselling sess·ons) has bee11 vio ated by her grardmother,
hates what her grandmother did to her. but loves her nevertheless,
understanding that the old woma'1 only did what tradition had taught
her.These women are emotionally torn apart by tne trauma they have
experierced, and are ro longer able to enjoy normal relatio1ships.
Haitians exper'erce co11flicfng emot,ons when It comes to their
homeland too. Much as they love the'r homeland and their families.
people are desperate to migrate and escape the vio,e'1ce. The rape of their
counny and their bodies by tre Tonton Macoutes i-,as made normal life
.mpossible for ,rem.
Making love to her husband shou'd be a def ght fer Sop'1ie, but the experience
cneS!ing· causes sJch negative feelings to surge up i1 her that fear ard shame
drive out all pleasure. Discovering ihar she ·s pregnant by the man she loves
ought to be a source of ~ope a'1d Joy for Ma'tir.e, bUt he' memories of 1he
rape are like the career that had affl'cted her: trey rob her of that rope and
joy.The conflicting emotions eventually drive Martine tc suicide.
Themes 1
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• examine ;re fellow 19 themes
1 the novel:
• mlg'atior
• la-,guage
• female sexual ty
• female genital mur ation.
Migration
.",s In so much of Caribbean
iterature. migration and
its consequences are a key
theme. The reader is famllia,
with the letters from'away;
the occasioral special
packages, the money sent
nome to buy school clothes
or pay for rouse repa,rs, a1d
the cherished photograprs.
Danticat shows us, too,
the pain of separation and
the awkwardness of be119
reunited after years apart.
She lets us know of the
rsul ts that Immigrants
have to deal with and the
degrading jobs they are
forced to take. The nostalgia
of those wno have left t'1e:r
homelard is evident i1
the eagerness with wnich
they share Haitian food,
Sophie feels our of p1aceolr<y. d lapldaced New Yo«
savouring the familiar spicy
aromas. Fo• most migrants
from rhe Caribbean, rhe push factor is economic, but for Haitians, an
even more compell lr.g factor has been the need to escape tne brutality
of unjust and corrupt po'itical regimes.The xilling of Dessalines oy tne
Macoutes makes this point clear.
Language
One aspect of Sophie's alienation in l\ew York is that sre does not
speak the language, nor does New vorx understand her. Sc she needs
to learn English, bur that does not mean she rejects her own language;
·ndeed, the novel is r'ch with the use of patois: bovrer, ret•gr1dop,
oeroporr, man man, konbit. oubyen. Importantly, Joseph, an African·
American rai sed in Louisiana, also speaks patois. He and Sophie, then,
'speak the same language' - they readily connect with each other. By
1nsisting on the use of patois, Dantlcat asserts that the larguage (the
worldview) of tne Haitian people's unique, ar,d Is just as valid as that
of the rest of the world.
Female sexuality and 'testing'
Daniicat draws the reader's atten:io1 to lnequalit'es between the sexes. In
the society that Danticat describes, a woman's Inferior role is prescrioed for
her from ofrth. She is trained to p:epare for marriage. and to that end she
Is required to guard her virginity. She Is 11erely a commodity- marketable
only if she is ·pure'.
Grandmother lfe points out to Sophie a 1·ght gloving across the valley
and exp a:ns to her that at birth, boys are welcomed ·nto the world,
but not girls. If a boy is born, the lantern w·11 remain lit all night in
celebration, but if it's a girl, 'There w1II be no lamps, 10 candles, no more
light'.
V•/omen must have ten fingers, says Tame Atle: "Mothe·ing, Boiling, Loving,
Ba~ing, Nursing, Fryi'lg, Healing. 'Nashing. Ironing, Scrubblng'(page 151).
t\o fingers left for herse:fl In other words, the woman exists oniy to serve,
not to find sef-fulfillment or 10 attain self-actualisation.
Since a girl's virginity must be carefully guarded, mothers and grandmothers
become aousers. Haitian g rls, after puoerty, are subjected to'testing' - a
wee.~I)' ordeal in which the mother or grandmother tries to insert her r ttle
finger irto the girl's vagira to check wrether the 1ymen is still lntaet. On the
wedding night, the husband must be able to hang the blood-staired s"leet
out of the wlrdow to let the world krow that his w'fe was 'pure'. His triumph
s ar the expense of her humll'ation!
The practice of'test'ng'has dire psycl-ological effects: Atie hated and
dreaded the invasive exam·rations, ard Sophie is urable 10 enjoy a sexual
relationship v/th her husband because of how she was trau11atised as a
teenager. Martine, Sophie's mother, suffered sexual abuse not only from
her mother's 'tesiing'bJt also when, as a teenager. sne was brutally raped
by one of the Tonton Macoutes. She suffered a mental breakdown from
which sre never fully recovered.
Oppression of women as a global phenomenon
Danticat focuses on Haiti. but makes the point that violerce aga· nst
women s a wor dwide phenomenon. Ha'ti is r.01 the only place wrere
women suffer at tl-e hands cf botn women and men. At her sexual phobia
group, Sophie meets an Ethiop:an woman, Bu<i, whose grandmother
suojeeted her to a painful cultural p•actice of cutting off her clitor's ard
sewing up her lab:a in order to ensure that she remained a virgin Jnti
marriage. Sre also meets Devina, whose grardfather raoed I-er over a
period of ten years.
r ACTIVITY I
Carry out lnte·net research to fird out about the experiences of
women in other cultures. Discover If death is st'II tne punishment
for adu tery by a woman. Find out about horour killings and public
sha'Tlings.
Themes2
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• examine ,re following ,remes:
• doJbllng ard Insanity
• subMlssion or rebellion
• dea;h
• the motrier a1d da~g,,:er
bo1d.
Doubling Is kricwn in 'iVesterr
medicine as dissoc·atlve
personality disorder. Ii ras been
suggested that this dlso'C:ier is
typical y preclpated by physical,
sexJal or emotiona· abuse ir.
childhood.
The psycho cg'st Carl Jung
suggested that our personalities
are li~e the moon - we have a :ace
that t1e puo, c sees (our conscious
se1f), and a nidde1, dark side (cur
unconscious self). Jung asseris
trat ne source of a1 ind'vidual's
creativity ·s that same\:Jar~·
unconscious,
r ACTIVITY
I
Can you find any connection
between Jung's insights on
personality and tne \:JoJbling'
trat Danticat sets up symbolically
between the Virgin Mary and
Erzulle?
Doubling and in sanity
.".tie, Sopl'lie, Martine, BJki and Devina are all emotio'lally damaged.
Atie 011,ed by Monsieur Augustin, a1d abandoned by Sophie) is severely
depressed ard turns to alcoho .. Sophie has bulim•a and a dread of sexual
intercourse, ard Marilne actually goes over the edge into ful'-b'own insanity
and suicide. Danticat lin<s these mental health Issues with the way women
are treated in society and with the p:ienomenon of v,olerce against women.
Doubling Is a practice In ire voudou tradition. Danticat tells us. Even
Presidents wcu d split themselves in 1wo:''That was the only ·Nay they
could murder and rape so many peoo'e and still go home to play vfth
their children and make love to their wives". \.I/omen who have been
subjected to rape, 'testing' O' other klr.ds of sexual abuse may also resort to
doubling In order to remove tremselves from an unbearable experience.
Submission o r re bellio n?
Historically. Ha tians trace their ancestry ard cultural neritage back to Africa,
bJt the culture cf the Frencn coloniser has made Its Impact too. V•/hlle
the Virgin Mary is the ideal for womanhood as presented by the Catrolic
chu·ch, Erzulle, the goddess of love, is rer African ccun:erpart:'Erzulie. our
goddess of love ... doubled fer us as the Virgin Mot,~er'. The word \:Joubling'
suggests that boih the Virgin image and the Erzulie image coexist In each
woman, but that one dominates. Damicat gives great significance to the
cho·ce a woman r.eeds
to make between tnose
rwc role modes. I/Vil
she assume the meek,
submissive. suffe·irg
face cf Mary (which is
wha, society seems to
require of rer), or the
strong, independent.
beautiful face of Erzulre.
the realer? When
Sophie defiantly dresses
her mot'1er's dead body
In -ed. she is claiming
fer her the freedom
to escape her life of
meekress, suffering
and submission, and
cla· m 1er freedom to
oe like Erzulle. Sadly,
thoJgh, fo• Martine that
freedom comes on.y
witn her death.
""'~J'~"' ~'1\'\ 0
O
l.!-''"7l
0
A deplct,on of the goddess Erz,11 'do,bllng'as the Vltgln r,1,a1y
Death
You have perhaps been surprised at w!",at seems to be a preoccupation
with death in this novel. Grandmother lfe Is in lifelorg mourning (deuil)
for the passing of her husband, and is making careful plans for her cwn
funeral. Martine wanted to be burled in Haiti so Sopnie takes her mother's
bcdy home for interment. a1d defiantly dresses her in red to celebrate i'er
final release f'om the anguis'l cf living. 1Ne hear be Is rirging for funerals,
and we visit the cemetery, wrere Tarte Atie names all the ancesto·s with
respect. Joseph's parents have ooth died, and Sop1ie learns, on her return
to Haiti, that Man Grace has also died.
Death is seen as a release Into freedom; to d,e is to embark on tne Journey
to be joyfully 'eunited with loved ones who i'ave passed on before. Haitian
folklore has it that when a star fal s, someo,e will die, and that when
people de they at last can rewrn to Guinea to be with the ancestors. co,
this reason. as the body is p'aced in the grourd. loved ones call out 'Ou
libere? Are you free now?'. Seeing her mother in her coffin, Sophie thinks.
"She looked as thougn sre was dressed fer a fancy affair and we were all
keeping her from go· ng on her way'.
The mother and daughter bond
Danticat's focus is on the pain that mothers cause their daughters, but
also, paradoxically, on the healing that Is to be found in the community
of women. Believing t1at they are acting in the,r daughte·s· best interest,
they muti a,e their genitalia or surround their teenage years with shame,
suspicion and humiliat'on. Generations of wcmen have been damaged
for life throJgh such practices and indoctrination. Neverthe'ess, the
strong ties of love that exist between mother and daughter also !-,ave the
potential to bring nealing and strengtr. The nove' celebrates the hea Ing
power mat resides in communities of wo-nen.The presence of little
Brigitte hints at a future wrere women have learnt that a woman's body· s
her own. "It was up to me:· says Sophie, 'to make sure my daughter never
slept with ghosts ...~
,,.ACTIVITY
I
• Leck up the meaning of'syncret' sm'. Ha ti has a mixed trad·tion
of African religions and Roman Catnoliclsm. Can you find all the
re'erences to Erzul e In the novel and a I the references to Gu·nea?
• Similarly, can you fird references to tne Virgin Mary and heaven?
• V•/hat conclusion can you dra·.-v from comparing tnese references?
Tre insistence ti'at a woman's
hyme1 must be Intact when she
marries has been sa·castica y
dubbed 'hyme1olaITy' - worsnip
of tre hymer.
The characters and
symbols
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• examine '.re way trat mer and
women are presented h the
novel
• list and exarnlre the author's
use of symbols.
Men in the novel
Unlike many fem•n:st w(ters, Dant cat does not portray all men negative,y.
Yes, we see the br•Jtal Tonton Macoutes, and we know that M. Augustin
has hurt Tarne Atie by Jilting her. However, we also meet Joseph, wlio Is
lrcredibly sensitive and suoportive to Sophie, and Marc, wro goes out of
his way to urderstand Mart,ne. and even to assist Sophie after Martines
death. Dant'cat seems to make the point that when their womenfolk
have been traumatised. men, too, suffer because intimacy is made so
difficult Danticat refrains f,om b1aming men for the suffering of women,
recognising tnat women themse,ves rave perpetuated customs arid
beliefs that are to their detriment.
The circle of women
KEY POINTS
Remember 1rat a symbol points
to a meanirg beyond itself,
,II.art 1e's doll is Just a do , but
it also symbo' lses rer lnab. lity
to lrteract with Soph e as a real
pe•sor,, ner reed to ccnt,o
Sophie. •er Soonle the doll
symbolises tne false image ner
motner ras of he, - an image that
allows no room for her to be her
nue se.f.
Grar,dmot:1er lfe, Martine and her sis,er Atie, Soohie and her daughter ard
Brigitte are the key women In the narrative - four generations of women.
vVith the exception cf Brigitte. 1hey have all rved vfth abuse. Martire and
lfe have been abJsers themse ves. Yet all are now learning a new way bonding in order to offer strength and nealing. With that wisdom (the
l'ame Soph,e means 'wisdom') the next generat;on can be free from abuse.
Symbols
The novel is rich in symbols, so only a few can be listed here. You can find
others for yourself as you read.
• Martine's doll ard p'iotcgraph of Sophie as a baby are presented as
symbo's. Both Items are literally present in the room, but they suggesi
that Martine has Sop'lie in a 'frame; as it ·Nere, and wants to treat her like
a doll. Naturally, Soohie feels that there is no room for both her and tre
doll on the bed.
• Colours are used symbolically. The yellow daffodils were p1anted in Ha'ti
by a French woman: they grow where trey do not belong, symbolising
tne transplanted lives of Mart,ne and Soo'ile. Martine turns from
daffodils to hibiscus and from yellow to red as her favourite colour.
s'gnifying ,ha, she embraces her Ha·rian heritage again. Sophie buries
her mother In a red dress, the colour symbolising tre flaming spirit set
free at ner death. Red links rer mother with Erzulie.
• Food (particula·ly Haitian food) becomes a symbo suggesting
enjoyment. community. love and family. Signilica~tly, Sophie develops
bulimia - an eating disorder. She longs for food, but always throws up
when slie eats.
• Statue of Erzulie. Erzu e is an African goddess who is still revered in
Haiti. Under colonial government, Haitians were introduced to Roman
Catholicism. n Christianity. tne Virgin Mary Is revered for her simplicity,
her submissive spirit. her patierce in suffering. Erzulie is. in many ways,
diametr;cally opposite to Mary. Danticat describes rer as 'hot blooded
Erzulie who feared ro men bc11 rather made them her slaves, raped
them and killed them". 1Nrereas Mary is usua!ly depicted witn her bead
bowed, wearing simple, urostentat ous clotning, Erzulie wears gorgeous
dresses, jewellery ard lots of perfume, ard is'tre healer of all women
and the desire of all men". vVben Sophie presents the statue of Erzulie tc
ber therapy gro•JP, she is telli19 them that they need to take Erzulle as
their ro' e model: celebrate their womanhood, and claim their power.
• Cancer is also a symbo!. Martin e's breast cance· symbo'ises the haunti r.g
memories of the abJse of 'testing' ard the violent rape by the Ton ton
Macoute - experiences that have eaten away at her life and denied ner
a future.
/ ACTIVITY
• Explain the symbo'ism In tre follow'ng:
• the Mother's Day card
• Sophie's dread of Martine with hooks for hands
• the switch from daffodils to hibiscus
• Sophie's suitcase fi :Ing the room.
• 'Ovr men, they insist that their women are virgins ond hove their ren
fingers.'To what extent does such thlr.~ing impact on Martire's
relationship with Marc and 1er relationship with Sophie?
• The language used in the novel is often very poetc, full of
figurative devices. Look at tnese examples, ard commer,t on the
effectiveness:
' I am . . as empty as a dry ca abash.'
'Crabs don't make papayas.'
'The notes and scales were like raindrops, teardrops, torrents."
How many more examples can you find?
• Danticat makes many references to the Haitian landscape and
cultural P'act'ces. See how many examples you can find.
• Often tre dialogue sounds as ,f 't has been translated:
"Yo..i did not leave me. You were summered away. V,/e must g•aze
where we are red~
"Her feet make a swish-swash when they h:t the gro..ind and when
she hurries, It sounds Ike a Whip chasing a mule.'
Find more examples. and say why you think Dant'cat gives this
poetic language to tne Haitian characters In her novel.
To Kill a Mockingbird the plot and setting
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• see how ne setting hlgr ights
:re themes of rhe novel
• see how ;ne social lnnuences
dictate the cnaracters'
behaviour
• get an overview of the ma r
features of ,re plot.
Social and historical setting
To Kill a Mockingbird is set in Mayccmb. Alabama (USA) between the years
1933 ro 1935..".t this rime, the United States of Ame•ica experienced the
'Great Depresslon'trat was brought on by the Stock Market crash of 1929.The
American South was left bankrupt. with higli unemployment rates and both
toloured' and 'whites'were impoverished. Harpe• Lee describes the Southern
United States through the vo ce of tre narrato· wren she says. 'Maycomb
was an old town. but a tired, old town .. :: Furtrermore. to emphasise tre
effects of poverty in Maycomb, we see Atticus be'ng paid In farming produce
fo: his legal services rende•ed to poor fa-nilies such as the Cunninghams.
The legacy of slavery
•• •
•
The A11erican Civil vVar trat took
place between 186• and 1865
was fought to determine whetner
America stayed as a ,mlon o•
whether independence was
to be given to the confederate
states of the South. Tne northern
states were gerera 'YIn favour
of abo rion, whilst the southern
stares supported save-own,ng.
Although slavery was banned and tne'coloured folk'were free. America was
d'vided on rre issue cf slavery after ,he civil war experierce In rre late 18CCs.
The 'whites' of the South regarded the African-Americans as subo•dinates
and so they were ostracised in society. Tre novel highlights several instarces
of this. ~Ve see that the ·co'oured' people had to sit in a separate section in
the courtroom du•irg Tom Rob,nson's trial. \1\/e also notice that'co1ou•eds'
were rot fairly represented in rhe educationa system. Ca'. purnia expressed
that sre was the only one cut of the four s'b!ings who could read in her
family. The 'wr·tes' alsc do-ninated tre legal system. In Tom Robinson's rria .
the jury was wtaliy 'white'. iV.oreover, members of the 'white' population
who were affilia,ed with the toloured folks'were a,so alienated. The novel
gives reference to DolphJs 'laymond, a 'white' man wno married ato loured'
woman; and Anicus Finch, a'white' barrister wrc defended a·coloured' man.
n a similar manner, the 'coloured folk'kept to themselves. Thus wren Scout
visited Calpurnia's chucch, she was not accepted by a church member, Lula.
To make matters worse, lynching was also a part of rre life of the American
Soutr. Lynch mobs ergaged in rate crimes aganst the·coloureds'in society.
1Nhen Tom Robinson was neld in pr son before the tr;al, a lynch mob came
for him. taking tre law into the;' own hands.
A map of the USA. The t1ad .t,ona,1y ~•o·slavery stares of the American Sou,h are
sho•;1., n "<;reen.
The techniques used in relating the plot
To K;/1 a Mockingbird is told througn the eyes of a six-year-old narrator,
Scou1 Finch, and ·s related in the first person narrative, us•ng the technique
of fiashback. The older and more expe•ienced Scout Fincn retells the
story of her childhood memories involving ,he eve1ts surrounding Tom
Robinson's uial. She recounts in Chapter 1,'when enough years had
gone by to enab!e us to look bac,{ 01 them, we sometimes discussed tne
events leadirg to the accident''. Scout's perspectve as the cni'd narrator
Is innocent and often amusirg; but as the novel progresses, we see an
experienced girl whc •s accepting of others. At the end of the novel, Scout
acknowledges he· father's advice about Boo Radley wher, she says, "you
never krow a man until you stand in his shoes ar,d walk around in them'.
In the story, we a so see group confiicts. A middle-class white man, Atticus
Finch, is defendng a co'oured man, Tom Rob nson. in a'wh,te' dom·nated
town. To:n Robinson is accused of raping a white woman cal ed Mayella
Ewell. vVhiie Mr Flncn 's admired by the members of the 'coloured'
community, he· s referred to as a·'nigger lover' by Mr Bob Ewell who
represents tre voice of the wor~ing-class whites.
The symbol of the mockingbird dominates the novel ard both Tom
Robinson and Boo Radley are compared to mockingbirds.These characters
are innocen,, falsely accused and alienated by others in society. Boo Radley
snot fully understood by ,he commun·ty and Tom Robinson 1s isolated
because of racial prejudice.
KEY POINTS
T1e terary ,echniq~e o'
fiashoack is used In To Kiil a
A~ockingbird to delve Into t'ie
past. lntens fy t1e storyline and
dramat,se tre eve1:s.
ACTIVITY
• lmag•ne that you are writing a script for tre prodJc(on of To Kill a l.Aockingbird. Research the socia, context of
life In the American South during the 1930s and descr'be the setting of a scene fo, your productior.
• Study the plot of To Kill o Mockingbird and examlr.e how tne following ,echniques enhance your
understanding of the novel:
• the narrative perspective
• the contrasting groups of characters
• the symbo of the mockrrgblrd
• the literary technique of flashback.
Characterisation
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi I:
• ldent fy the d f!erent types cf
characters
• examine ;re roes of tne
ct>aracters In tne 1cve:
Analysing the characters
In the nove , Atticus Finch s rhe mora1ist, whose b·avery inspi•es his family and
tre com'llunity to appreciate others. Hisefforts a•e reil'fcrced by his daugrter,
Sccui F·nch, whose innocence and curiosity moves the plm forward.01 the
other hand. he is challenged by Bob Ewell who represents the closed society
of Maycomb.Tom Rob'nson and Boo Rad ey both serve as victims and reroes
who are chastised, but g,ounded in devocion ar,d car ng.
/ ACTIVITY
KEY POINTS
There are several groups of oeoo e
In che novel trat are d scrlmlna,ed
aga nst. These groups are Known
as stereotypes: c'le Ewells are
'wnite trasr'; Tom Roo·1so'l and
,re Negros are 'black outcasts'; the
CJnnlrg1ams are 'pcor whites';
tbe Radleys are 'lndependerr a<'d
myste·lous': and Miss (~ro rie,
Mrs Dubose and the adles at
tre tea party represeT 'wr lte
aristocrat women'. Also Ir the
novel. cnere are cha·acters that
defy the stereotypes and remain
Independent thlr <ers: the)' are
Att1cus Finch, Link )eas, )olphus
Raymo1d, Mr Hee< Tate, Mr
Underwood. Miss Maude a,,d
Calpur'lia.
I
Dra'N up a tab'e of all of 1he characters chat are stereotyped In the
roveL Identify which stereotypical group they belong to a1d write
a sho·t description of tre effects of laoelllng 01 the lives of the
cha•ac.ers.
Jean Louise Finch
At tre beginning of the novel, we see Jean Louise Flrch (Scout) as a
naive and feisty girl wno often gets Imo trouble because she is intelligent,
expressive ard aggressive. Scout does not ur.derstand the racial prejud·ces
of the community until she experiences the Tom Rob:nson trial. Her
aggressive nature is demor,strated when Cecil Jacobs and Cousin Francis
make negative remarks about her facher for deferding Tom Robinso1. The
braw,s prov;de a quick so ution to her dilemmas. Additionally, her expressive
side Is highlighted wnen she attempts 1c expla·n 10 her teache· (Mrs Flsrer).
about \>/alter Cunningham's social background, which gets her inm trouble.
Despite this. ScoJt s viewed as a hero when sre preve1ts the lynch mob
from killing Tom Robinson, by innocent,y appealing to Mr Cunningram's
humanity. She eventually learns to accept peop'e for who they are In several
lessof'ls involving \/Valier Cunn'ngham, Tern Rob'nscn, Atticus and Boo
Radley.
Atticus Finch
.".tticus Fincn .s a resoectab'e lawyer in Maycomb, who is admired for his
justice af'ld fairness, courage, forgivirg rature. compassio1 and moraLty.
As a sing'e parem, he is a good teacher and role model for his children,
Jem and Scout.
I'ACTIVITY
Examire the quotes that give reference to Atticus's character and say
what it reveals about him. Also. build this list by find'ng mere suitable
quotes from the text.
Quote
Traits possessed by Atticus
Je,n: 'Atfcus Is a gentlemar, just like
me." (Chapter 10)
Miss Maudie: 'Atticus Is the same In
tre house as he isIn public streets:·
(Chapter 5)
Atticus: 'I wanted you to see ·,,vhat
real courage .s ... It s wren you know
you are 1:cked before you begin, bJt
you begin aryway and see it through.'
(Chapter 11)
Atticus: 'shoo, ail tne biue-Jays you
want, out remember ·r Is a sin to kill a
mockingbird7 (Chapter 10)
Atticus: 'Tne one place a man oug'ir
to get a fair deal is In the courtroom,
be re any coloJr of the rainbow."
(Chapter 23)
Tom Robinson
Harper Lee presents Tom Robinson as a strong family man whose
lnnoce'1ce and compassionate nature gets him into t·ouble. He is taken
advantage of by MayeIla Ewell and falsely accused for a crime of rape
that he did not co'llmit.To'll's fate Is sealed by the racial conflict between
whites a'1d blacks In the American South. ~Vithout a fair tr'al, re Is doomed
to a guilty verdict and inevitable death.
Boo Radley
The author preserts Boo Radley as a subtle hero due to his k'ndness
and protective Instincts. V\lhile he is stigmatised as a recluse and 'man cf
mystery'in the Maycomb community, Tom makes h s presence felt In the
lives of Jem and Scout. He interacts with them by p.acing presents in a
nole in a uee ard eventually saving the children's Iives.
Bob Ewell
Bob Ewell is the antagonist of the story. Unlike the other fathers we see, he
neglects his chi dren, abJses his daughter, Mayella, and spends his welfare
creque on alcoho1• He rep•esents the"white human trash"ofMaycomb.
Mr Ewell is sc vengeful that he does rot sto;:> at Incriminating Tom Robinson;
he also takes revenge on the Finch family for suppo"ting To,n Robinson in
tr,e trial. His vile ways lead to his doom and death.
Point of view and
learning experiences
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• exp ore the funetion of tre
er 'd rar•ato· In tne 1cve
• draw conreciions between
Scout's exoe·iences and 'ler
growtr and developmert In
:re revel
'I.JU
f l•
In the first pe·sor narrative, tne
'I' narrator ,s drectly Involved In
tre novel. INith this tecrnique
we gei a firstrand experience
ofwhat ·s rappening based O'l
tre character's exper ences and
understandlr,g, wh'ch adds realism
tome story.
Narrative voice
Jean Louise Finch (Scout) is botn the protagonist and narrator in To Kill o
Mockingbird. She tell s the story as an adult. who reflects on her chiidnood.
The story Is told from Scout's innccent perspective br dged with an adu r's
exploration of the events. In keepirg with a child's perspective, ScoJt has
no kr,owledge of social and racial prejudices or fears and inhibitions. Her
conflicts are a result of coming tc terms with the racia and sccial tens'ons
·n society. V•lhen Cousin Franc;s calls her father a 'nigger 1over: she pJnches
n,m in the face without a c ear understanding of the situation, and ater
asks Atticus to explain what a 'nigger lover'is. Scout's innccerce is also
translated into humour. In her attempts to ana yse Jem In Chapter 12 she
says. 'Jem was twelve ... HIs appet'te was appalling, and he told me so
many times 10 stop pestering him, I consulted Atticus: Reckon he's got a
tapev1,1orm ?v
The child's viewpoin1 also adds suspense to the story. Boo Radley is
presented as a mystery from Scout's persoective. He places a blanket ever
her. unknown to anyone. She shows that she 1s confused and frightened.
Scout's viewpoint changes from a cnild's perspective to an adult's by the
erd of the novel. She comes to accept peoole for who they are wnen sre
says.'I think there's just or,e kind of folks: Fo,ks:'
Scout's perspect'.ve is not exclusive, as Harper Lee allows us to get an
rsight Into the other characters' points of view using her simple narration.
For example, after assiml ating the news ofTom's Robinson's murder, Scovt
captures the so-nb"e reactlo'ls of the other charae1ers as follows: "Atticus
eaned aga'nst his refrigerator, pusred up his glasses and rubbed his eyes':
·'Calpurnia fumbled at her apron. Miss Maudie went ro Calpurnia and
untied it'; 'Aunt Alexard'a sat down on Calpurnia's chair and put he" hands
on her face'.
Actors oortrayln9 eoo Raoley anc S.-:out f,n,n
Scout's learning experiences
ScoJc Finch goes through a process of growth In ire novel as sne looks for
answers to the trouo'irg qvestions of human differences and cruelty. Tnis
makes the novel a 8ildurgsroman. The naive arid confrontat' onal main
character becomes mature and to'eran1, because of the life lessons she
learns a,ong the way. She learns the following lessons:
• Scout learns to respect others despite ,reir socia class or race. Atreus
tells Scout. 'YoJ never know a person until you climb i1to his skin
and wa , around in it: Also, Attic us tell s her, "Mockingb'rds don't do
one thing but make mus·c fo· us to enjoy. That's why it is a sin to kill a
mockingbird:' Scout learns these valuable lessons from her experiences
with several cnaracters including \!>/alter Cunningi'am, Mayella Ewell,
Tom Robirson and Boo Radley.
• Scout learris net to be judgemental. She becomes aware that her
brother, Jem, is growing uo and tha1 he needs to t,ave his space. Also
by the end of the novel, she accepts Sheriff Tate's decision concerning
Bob Ewell, in order to protect Boo Rad,ey from public scrutiny.
• Scout learns aocut courage. In Chapter 9, Scout witnesses her father
taking on a trial in support of a ·coloured man' In a racist towr. Atticus
also makes the children aware of Mrs Doubose's courage In dealing with
her illness and mo•ph:ne addiction.
• Scout learns people are not always w'lo they seem to be. She learns this
in her expe·iences w,th Boo Radley. After their encounter with Bob Ewell,
the children learn that Boo Radley s ki1d. gentle, private ard brave. Also,
Scout learris that ner fa1her is not ·feeble' wnen he takes the prefect shot
at the rab· d dog to save the town from darger.
• Scout learns to avoid physical ban'es and to fight with her good sense
and rationale. In reference to Scout's behavio:.ir concerriing the Tom
Robinson's trial, Alticus says, 'You might hear some ugly talk aboJt it at
school you Just hold your head up 'ligh and keep your fists down ... cry
fighting w'th your head fer a change.'
' ACTIVITY
I
Look close y at rhe narrative voice of the novel and examine how both
the child and adult perspectives give us a better understand ng cf the
story.
Identify Scout's experiences vlth tile various cl',aracters In tile story
and exp aln w>iat life lessens she learns,
•• •
•
The word 'Blldurgsroman' refers to
the story of an lnd:vldual's growth
and develooment In the formative
years cf life. In the story, t11e
ce111al character clashes w th the
est<1t> ·sred socia order iri society,
in search of his/her fu f 1ment;
but as the story progresses so tco
does tne character. The concept
in literature ·s taken fro11 two
Ger11an words, 'Blldung· meaning
educatior and 'Roman' meaning
novel.
EXAM TIP
Wne"" tio"; ci ~e ci"'-ALtJs'""el
: 11 e "'-ClYYAt•ve pe,-spective
~VI, Cl J>YOSe q KeStLOI'\., it
•s A Lso wise to col¾w..e""t
o"" 1-iow it ciffects tne
to""e Cl""c/ l¾oocl of tl-ie
StOYtJ,
Themes and issues
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• exam'ne rhe tnemes used In
rhe novel
• conrect tne themes to the plot.
•• •
•
Stereotypes are generalisai ons
Imposed on g•oups based on
race. religion. sexuality, sec al class,
narlonallty. Stereotypirg ofter
leads to d·scrlminatior,,
Harpe• Lee tells the story of a co,nmunity that Is torn apart by social and racial
p•ejudice. Tom Rooinson and Boo Radley are recipients of such preJud ce.
V\lhi eTo,n is wrongfully accused of rap.ng a whltewo11an. Bco Rad ey is
fo•ced to be a recluse and a supernatural figure. A courageous lawyer. Atticus
Finch attempts to defend Torn ir a courtroom with aj..iry rhat cannot separate
justice from personal prejudices. In tne midst of the con ff ct and violence.
Atticus provides the chl'dren with a stab1e fami y life and s responsible for
Scout's moral and psychological growtn from a state of innocerce.
Racial, social and religious prejudice
Harper Lee uses the wo•ds and actions of the characters to express
discrimination and segregat'on. Articus is ireated differently by members
of his family a,d the community for associating with African-Americans.
such as To,n Robinson and Calpurnia. Boo Ewell spits on Atticus's face after
rhe irial and Aunt A exandra is unhappy rhat the children are being raised
by a'co1oured'woman.
Social p·ejudice is represented by rhe different class structures in Maycomo.
The Cunninghams. Oolphus Raymond and me Radley fa-nily, make up rre
lower midd1e class. The Ewells are re'erred to as the 'whl!e-rrash'who live In
rre dumps and a·e dependenr on welfare. Oolphus Raymond. a Caucasian
man. is ostracised because he married an African-American woman. Also,
Miss Carol ne did not unders,and why vi/alter Cunningham refused to accept
charity to pJrchase IJnch. vi/hat she did net know is rhat he is fil ed with pride.
'.lellgious prejudice Is also part oftre novel. \~le exper'ence this between
rhe Caucasians and African-Amer'cans, who clearly accept tre divisions
created by scciety. Vvhen Calpurnia takes Scout and Jem to rhe church
Luu remarks. "YoJ ain't got no bus ness bringin white chillun here - they
got tneir own churcn~ Similarly, Miss Maudie is chast.sed by the "FootV~ashing Baptists" for enjoying her garden.
Violence
'.lacial conflict creates hostility In the small town as Atticus and his family
are abused and lynch moos try to take the law Imo their own hands.
co1lowing this, Bob Ewell attempts to take the lives of Scout and Jem.
caught in the middle cf a racial war. Amidst this, To11 Robinson is srot
sever,teen times for trying 10 escape from prison.
Justice
.".tticus Fincn sc,vggles for just ce for Tern Robinson in the small igno•ant
town. Despite present'ng sufficient reasoris fer the Jury in p-oving Tom's
•r.nocence, Tom was 'licked before It even began': This is because the
people allow their prejudices co lntwfere with jusrice. Ironically, Bob Ewell
d d receive Justice at the end: he dies by tre knife he Intended to use 01
ethers. Also, Boo Radley was a victim cf injustice as he was ocked up for
many years by h s father for a minor crime. Lucki1 y he is spared for k' I irg
Bob Ewell and saved by chose who we-e ao!e'co walk In h's shces''.
Loss of innocence
The child's perspective is used to h' ghllght mary sensitive issues. ~Ve see
Jem, Scout and Dill playfully harassing the Radleys, and Scout insulting
'Nalte· Cunr,ingham because he lacks social graces. Also. Scout is unaware of
the true Intentions of the lynch mob as she engages ·n a casual co1versat' on
with them. However. lnnocerce is soon turned into experierce with the Tom
Robinson trial. Scout gets ·nto fights with the cnildren at schoo because she
does not unde·stard the concept of prejudice. In addition. Jem's optimism
1s shatte·ed as Reve·end Sykes tells him, "I ain't ever seen ary jury decide In
favour of a coloured man over a white man." At tre end of the trial, Atticus
helps the children to accept the circumstances of their lives when he
says, 'They've done it before and tney did it ton'ght and they'll do it again
and when they do it - It seems that only children weep~
Family life
Harper Lee uses tre Finch fa11lly to represel'\t the model family. Atticus
Finch Is a single parent whose se1sitive, inte' igentand fair-minded natu'e
makes h m the pe·fect father. His parenting skills are disp1ayed when he says
to Uncle Jack, "When a child asks you somerhirg, answe· him .. . but don't
make a prod~cticn of it. Ch'ldren are cnildren, but rhey can spot an evas·o,1
qu1cKerthan adults''. Atticus raises tre ch'ld·en wifn the he,p of Calpurn;a, a
morrer figu,e. Tom Robinson also has a stable family as they a·e horest and
respectable peoole. despite the p•ejudices that confront them. The other
fami"es, such as the Cunninghams, the Ewel's. the Radleys and Dil 's parents,
are presented as dysfunaio1al. Mr Ewell leaves nis e dest daJgh1er to manage
the family, tne Cunninghams do not socialise and t'ie Radleys live isolated rives.
Moral development
Some aspects of Jem and ScoJr's growth are shown In the
table below. Can you add more to It?
Jem
Scout
He learns Boo is kind by
placing gifts in the tree.
She realises the need to practise
restraint in a nosrile situation.
He learns about the geed
and evil In society from the
Tom Rcbinso1 trial.
She learns to be tolerant of
otners. As her fatrer says, "You
never understand a person unt'I
you c imb in his skin ard walk
around in it~
Supernatural
There are many superst rions surrounding Boo Radley. which makes him
interesting and gives the revel a surp,ise tvvis,. lr:tially Boo s presented
as a lonely, ugly ard dangerous person who eats cats and squirrels. It was
rumoured that re only came out at night to peep into peop1e's windows.
Also, legend has it that he stabbed h:s father with scissors.
The children are afraid to eat the pecans from the Rad1eys' tree as they
believe Boo poisoned t. Moreover, anythirg peculiar that happened was
blamed on him. However, by the end of the rovel the 'man of myste•y'
becomes the hero, as he saves the lives of the ch' dren who once feared him.
ln,tlali>·· Boo Racley Is pr~ented as a slrlster,
frightening character OJI that changes as the
roverp,ogresses
/ ACTIVITY
I
• dentify the characters that
are victims of prejud ce and
d'scrlmlnatio,1. Explain how
they are affected ard how they
cope w rh tneir circumstances.
• _1st all of the children's fears and
superstit' ous beliefs. Compare
the ores that are real to trose
In their magirations and the
flaws of nature.
Style, atmosphere
and language
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• ldent fy the 'TIOOd and
atmosphere established Ir
,re story
Mood and atmosphere
.",s you read, you wil rea .se that the general mood and atmosphere of the
story centres or mystery, interest, suspense. tension and gloom. Harper
Lee uses this type of atmosphere to create drama and evoke interest in
the plot.
• ar,alyse the use of langJage In
:re revel
ACTIVITY
• exp oce row literary devices
enha'1ce the meaning o'
,re story.
Below is a list of incidents from the story. Can you capture the mood
associated with each of them?
• The children·s reactions to the gifts found in the uee near tne
Radley's house.
• \>I/hen Jem has to return to get his pants from the Rad eys.
• \•/her Attic us' life was at stake w'th the presence of the lynch moo
at ire ja I.
• \.Yhen Atticus has 10 make a decision to shoot the mad dog.
, \,Vhen Tom is accused of raping Mayella Ewe I.
• \>I/hen Scout and Jem walk home after the pageant.
Use of language
In the novel. you wil notice that ,re dialect used is characteristic of rhe
American Sout,'1. Calpurnia uses the term, ·wear you out' to refer ro a
spar~ing. Jem uses ire term ·recko'1'to shew what he 1s t"l,nking and
Anicus uses the phrase.'yoJ all'to referio seve,a peop1e. Language also
defnes social class and ethics in the novel. The'nch'speak more elegantly
than the 'white trash'. For example, Bob Ewell's language sways into
informality and racia intolerance for Tom Rooinso1 In his testimony when
ne says, 'that black ... your,der runin on my Mayella.''
You will also discover that the African-Americans hold on to their distinct
d'alect in their own er,vironme1t. \oVhen Scout asks Calpurnia why she
does nor use p•oper language around her church members, she replies.
'You're not gonna cha'1ge any of them by talkir'right, rhey've got ro want
to learn the.-nselves, and wnen they don't wan, to learn there's rcthing
you can do bJt keep yo Jr moJth shut or talk their language'.
Despite the rovel's exoloratlon of serious Issues, hu'llour Is used to appeal
to the reader. Scout says of her Cousin Francis, "Talking to Francis gave me
rhe sensation of senllng down sicwly to the botto-n of rhe ocean~
~arguage is also used as a persuas·ve tool. Atticus te,l s tre jury in the rr'al,
'There 1s not a person In this courtroom who has never told a lie, who has
never done an Immoral thing, ard rhere Is no man living who has never
looked upon a woman without desire."
Use of literary devices
Harper Lee uses several figurative devices to ernance the meaning of the
novel and capture the spirit of the characters, so let us explore a few.
Irony: A good example of this is when Miss Caro,ine. the teacher, tells
Scoc11 to stop reading at ho11e. Also, when Miss Gates soeaks out aboc11
Hit er negatively for his actions as a dictator n Germanyyer s'ie feels
nostilit)' towards African-Americans ·n her own society.
Similes and metaphors: The fascination of the Radleys' place Is captured
1n a revelation by Dill. 'It drew him as the moon draws water.' Also, Scout
shows her passion for the summer ho'idays by saying, 'summer was our
best season: ·1was sleeping on tre back screened porcn n cots, or trying
to sleep in the tree-house; summer was everything good to eat; it was a
thoJsand colors in a parched landscape.'
Allusion: There is refe·ence to the North and South and Civil 1/'/ar in the
text, which is a part of American history.
Imagery: The imagery is menacing and haunting. For example, fire, the
lynch mob, Boo Rad'ey's description, tne mad dog and the use of guns
and knives. This builds up to the To-n Robinsor trial and the children's
experience with near death.
Foreshadowing: At the Start of the novel we are iold that 'the Ewells
started It all~The rest of tne story shows us how tnis came to pass. Also,
the way Atticus and his family were chastised fo.r tne support of Tom
Rooinson is fo'lrcoming of the negative verdict against him.
Hyperbole: Scout describes the town of Maycomb to empras·se its
lifelessness. She says, "People moved slow,y tren ... A day was twerty-four
hours 1019 but seemed longer. There was no hurry, for the·e was nowhere
to go. nothing to bu)' and re money to buy it with, rcihng to see outside
the boundaries of Maycomb County.'
/ ACTIVITY
Symbols are a major part of the novel. Many of them are used to
represent the fears and prej Jdices of tne oecple of Maycomb. Explore
rhe mearing of the following S)'mbols from the text:
The mockingbird; Mrs Dubose's camellias; Maye!la's geraniums; the
cemented hole in tre tree; the fire and snowman at Miss Mavdie's
house; the gun; and Attlcus· pocKet-watch.
Conflict
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• exp oce the co1fiict between
characters ard amorg social
groups
• apprec;a,e row confilct mpacts
on t1e themes cf tre rove I.
EXAM TIP
Wl-1 e"': i;i v.a LtJ s i ""(3
"('<ts~iov.s &1bo1.<t co"'-flict,
co""sider tfle fotLowi"'-(3:
• W flo is '"'-VoLveol?
• W"1&1t i.s tfle ""at1.<re of
the co,vflict?
• W "1&1t &1re tfle c&11.<Ses of
the co""flict?
• W flat i;iye tfle
co""seq1.<ev.,ces of tfle
co"'-flict o"" self, others
&l""ol societtJ 7
• H-ow oloes tfle autflor
bri"'-g &1 resoL1.<tio"" to tfle
COl'\.fli.ct?
In the novei. there are four major types of confl ict.
1. Conflict between individuals. This ir,cludes: Jem, Scout and Atticus;
Scout and 'Nalter Cunningham: Cecil Jacobs and Cousin Francis; Jem
ard Mrs Dvbose; Scout and Miss Caro"ne; Miss Caro'ine and Burris
Ewell, Scout and Unc,e Jack; Bob Ewe I a1d Tom Robif'so1,; Boo Radley
and his father; Bob Ewell and Atticus; and Bob Ewell and Jem and
Scout.
2. Conflict between different soc.al groups. The opposing g'OJPS are:
me Africa1•Americans a1d the Caucasians; the lower social class and
the m:dd e class of Maycomb, for example. the Rad eys and society;
Scout and Calpurnia's church members; ,he Robinsons, Finches and
society; Miss Maudie, Mrs Dubose and the Fincres; the Ewel s ard the
Robinsons; and the Ewel s ard the Finer es.
3. Conflict within tne indrvidual. For example. Scout and the dilem'llas
s11e experiences In growing up and experiencing the wo·ld, as well as
Att1cus wit'1 himself for taking on the Tom Roo:1so11 trial.
4. Gender conffct: Tnis is shown through Aunt Alexandra and Scout's
relat'onsnip.
Conflict between individuals
n the novel, we see Scout gett·ng into fights witn several of he'
schoolmates and cousin. Her actions are based on defence of a fam·ly
member or if' support of what she believes to be right. Scout'splits
her knuckles on the bone of Cous•n Francis' front teetn because she
does not understand the meaning of h ·s racist remarks. She a so gets
bac~ at 1Nalter Cunningham In the schoolyard for lnnocemly deferding
nim against Miss Caroline. who dces not understand n·s social
circumstances.
Jem too experiences his fair share of conflict. For example. wnen Mrs
Dubose makes racist remarks against Attlcus, Jem gets into a rage af'd
destroys her camellias. The11 Je'll is forced to read to her ever)' night and
Scout accompanies him. Vve also tind Boo Radley in conflict with his fatrer.
Boo Is made a recluse for an act he did In his earlier years. Boo continues
to disregard his family's wishes as he reaches 01.11 to Scout and Jem by
placing g,fts in the uee.You will a so observe that ,A.ttlcus and tne children
are at odds when he attempts to Instil good values in rhem throughout
the novel.
Conflict between different social groups
The Tom Robfnso1 trial rep•esents both racial and socla conflict. To:n
Robinson is accused of raping a white woman and is convicted because
he is an Afr can-American. Even rhough Maye! a Ewell belorgs to a lower
social class or'white trash: she is dee:ned superior to Tom Robinson.
Atticus says.'In oJr courts. vvhen it's a white man's word agai1st a black
man's, tne wh te man always wins~ The Finches, despite their white,
middle-class background, are ostracised by members of the community
because tt>ey are associated with the Robinsons. Mr Ewell spits on
Atticus because he exoosed the truth In the courts and terrorises Helen
Robinso, on her way to wor~.
Internal conflict
Atticus and Scout experience interral confl'ct in the nove. Att·cus Is a
white lawyer defending an African-American man In a p:ejudiced towr.
1Nnen Atticus ta~es on the case. he is aware
that Jem and Scout coJld be· n danger.
Nevertneless. he responds to tne negative
remar~s of the townsfolk by saying, 'They are
ernitled to fu1 respect of their opinions but
before 11 ve with other folks, I goi to live with
myself Atticus is aware that despite one's race
or class, everyor,e must be treated equally.
ScoJt is caught between being a six-yearold and an adult at the same time. V✓ith her
experiences in tre novel, she is forced to
grow up quickly. She has to come to terms
with her headstrong behavioJr concerning
her fatrer's defence ofTo:n Robinson
(interactio1s with bullies at school), learn to
accept others for who they are (Boo Radley).
come to understand human nature with
e'Tlpathy (Mayella Ewell) and develop a new
appreciation for Atticus (after tre rab d dog
and t•ia, experiences).
Gender differences
In the novel gender biases are present.
Atfcus and Aunt Alexandra frown upon
Scout's'Tom-boylsh'ways. ~Vhen Aunt
Alexandra co-nes to help with the children,
she spends her time uyi ng to get Scout
to be a Iady. She does so by Insisting that
Gregory Pee~ starred as Att cus Flr,ch In the 1962 iilm adapta1,on of 1he oovel
Scout wears a dress to school, practises
good manners ard attends social gatherings (ll~e the tea party). In the
ACTIVITY
wider society, women are not allowed to sit on a jury. ScoJt Is ta~en
aback when Atticus explains that Miss Maudie cannot sit on a jury even
Make a list of all of the situations
though the children rhi1k she would have done a great job.
of confl,ct In the nove,. Indicate
whetner tne confl' ct is nternal o·
from an external source, and then
say how rhe characters deal with
the C0'1fiiCt.
For the Life of Laetitia the author and plot
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• lear1 about tre autnor of For
rhe Life of laer/rla
• trace the s10,y Ire of the novel.
About the author
,1Aerle Hodge was oorn ir Curepe, Trin·dad In · 944. Having won the Is and
Scrolarship in 1962, s'1e studied French at University College, London, a,d
moved on to complete her Master's degree, focusing on ,re poetry of Leon
Damas. After a period of travelling. she retu'ned to Trin'dad to teach In the
French Department at the University of tne '•Nest I rdles. Subsequently, she
elected to work in \,\/omen and Development StJdies ar the same univers'ty.
Her ,wo publisried novels are Crick Crock, Monkey ( i 970) and For the Life of
Loetirio (1993).
Tre Trlnidaclan author Mere Hodge
The plot
The storyline of this novel takes ,he reader through Laetitia Jorinson's first
year at secondary sC'100I. Lacey (her fond name) has been living with her
grandmother (along with a number of cousins and other family members)
since ner mother, Pats)', migrated to New York. Cephas, Lacey's fatner, takes
Iittle interest in his daughter until he learns that she has won a place at the
government secondary school in La Puerta.
As Ma's home in rural Balatier is so far fro"TI La Puerta, the decision is made
that Lacey will live in town wiih her father. her stepmorre• and their son
during term time.Tre arrargemen1will prove to be most Jnhappy fo·
Laetitia. In frustrat'on. she reoels aga 1st the resrraints her father puts on
he•, a,d begins to misbehave. dellberate,y failing n her scroolwork.
Some of her teachers at scrccl are excellent.
but others have serious faults. Lacey meets
with hostility and prejudice oecause of her rural
backgroJnd, and encounters rac:sm a1d injustice.
However, she Is also inspired by a'l English reacher
who shows he· tnat Caribbean folk ore is Jusr as
val1.1able as Greek myths, and discovers ti'at rer
form reacher, whi e strict. can put a comforting
arm arcurd rer.
Lacey's frie1d, Anjanee, has mvch graver
problems. Her father and brothe•s see no reason
why she needs to be edvcated, and make little
effort to help her. She has to work so hard at
'lome to relp with chores and earn money for
bus fare that she simply canror keep up 11 class,
even t"lough Lacey does al I she can to help her.
Physically worn from ,he strain, ard realising
the ho;:,elessness of her sitJation, Anjanee
commirs suicide.
--
---
-
-.....
Lacey is already deeply unhappy because of
how she Is treated in Cephas's home, and for
her the news of Anjanee's death is the last straw.
She collapses and has to be taken out of school
to return to Balatier. The nervous breakdown
Is serious, and rhe entire fami y is anxious for
Lacey. She is nursed back to health in tre loving
env·ronment of her grandmother's home.
Reflecting en all she has bee1 through, she
realises that she nas an opportunity that was
An,anee'sdeath nasa p,o'osrd effeci on Lace,
denied to Arjanee a,id to her mothe·, Patsy; she
owes it to them and to nerself to go back to school and be successful.
Better arrangeme1rs are made so that she can live in Balatier and
travel to school daily. As Ma prepares a thanksgiving celebration for her
granddaughter's recovery, Lacey faces the new term with determlnat,on
and hope.
/ ACTIVITY
• \~/hat does this novel say to readers about mig•ation and its effects on Caribbean oarents and children?
• In Social Studies you learn aoout different types of family. V1hat do you learn from this rove I on that suoJecr?
• Think about Anjanee's struggle to get an education and the artitudes of the mer, In her family, Do you come
across sucn attitudes In your community?
• Ma aGd Ma Zei lire a•e both strong women, bJt their lives are very different. Ust tl--e r s,milaritles and
differences. vVn ch ofrhese women do yoJ admire more? Give your reasons.
• M·ss Velma and Anjanee's mother are both subservient women, who have beeri crushed oy dom·neering
males. Examine their situations, and list 1he similarities and differences that you find.
• This novel shows us srro,1g and weak women In society. It a so shows us PNoglrls struggling against the odds
as they seek ar education. Do you tnlnk that edJcatior, 1s the key to cnanging society's oppression ofwcmen?
\-Vhat does this novel say on tnat subject?
The characters
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• ldent fy the 11ain cnaracters In
:re revel
• make comparisons berNee-i rre
ct>aracters to ar-lve a1 meaning.
You will find It helpful to look for compariso1s among the characte·s.
Compare Anjanee and Lacey: Two girls at the same school, both of
them from countr\' oacKg·ounds. Botn are under a great deal of pressure
ac scrool, but wrereas Anjanee commits suicide, Lacey re~overs from
ner breakdown and faces ,he fuiure with hope. V'/hat ·s different in
the s·tuation of the two girls? We see that Lacey is encouraged. loved,
suppo•ted by Ma and the family, and her educatio1 is cons'dered
mportant. but this 1s not ,he case for Anjanee. AlthoJgh Anjanee longs to
be educated and have a l' fe that is more fulfilling than the ore he· mother
has. s'1e has no supporting network to turn to: in her family's thinking, a
woman's place Is in the home - cooking, cleaning and having children.
Compare Lacey and Michael: They are children of the same father.
Lacey is neat and tidy, well-d sc'piined. considerate and helpful; Michael Is
·11-mannered, untidy and dirty in his habits, lncons de·ate and unhelpful.
Michael changes when Lacey comes to I've with trem, kird y but fi rmly
'nsiSting on bercer behaviour. The contrast between the two points to ,he
fact that home training Is what s1apes a cr'ld, vV:1h the kind of training
that Lacey gives to Michael, he perhaps will not g•ow up to oppress
women in the way that his father does.
Lacey firmly ertoJrages her brot'ler to be tld!e, and more corisl•derate
Compare the strong women and the brow-beaten women: Both
Lacey's grandmother, Ma, and Ma Zelline are Strong wo'llen. Ma is a
respected matriarch, and her word is !aw in the household. Ma Zelllne has
opted to remain single and enjoy her independence. These two are very
different from Miss Velma, wro 's afra'd to play tne radio or speak above
a whisper, or Anjanee's mother. wnose entire life is spent serving the
menfolk.
Compare Mrs Lopez and Mr Joseph: Mrs Lopez, the Mairs teache·,
rs Immediately hostile to Lacey and lier grand-notrer when they meet
at registration, and makes It oear by her impatient manner that counny
people should not be at i re school. She ·s overly made up, sports a
foreign hairdo, and wears too much jewellery. She is arrogant, and dearly
considers rerse!f superior. h class, her attitude and behaviour towards the
students is always offensive and intended to put trem down. In cortrast,
Mr Joseph, ire English teacher, who rescues Lacey at registration time, is
respectful ard understandng. V•/hen he ins•sts tnat Ana'lsl stories have
just as much merit as Greek myths, he is implying that Caribbean peop.e
and t'1eir lifestyle have the same val'dity as people anywhere else. He
encoJrages self-respect and pride ,n local culture. whl e Mrs Lopez, In
contrast, tells the children they are unworthy, do not know how to speak
prope•ly, and wil I never make anything o' their lives. Lacey exclaims, 'This
woman made peop1e feel like cockroacres'.
The con:rasts amo'1g ire characters po·rn to tre key themes in this novel,
which are:
• the need for a re-examination of the role of women in society
• the importance for a c>illd cf strong family support
• a ,e-defin tion of'famlly'that takes Caribbean reality into consideration
• the need for education tr at is re evant to the growth and selfactualisat'on of children 1n the Caribbean
• the crucial role of ,eacre•s and a nurturing school environment
• the need for socia change in society's attitude ,o women, and the role
of education in ach·eving trat charge.
, ACTIVITY
I
• 'vi/hat k nd of rel at on ship dces Lacey have with Unc e Leroy?
Compare that relationship with the cne she has with r e· own
father. Wnat key d•ffere'1ces do you detect?
• Identify the similarities between home life for Anjanee and her
mother on the o'le hand, and borne life for Miss Velma on the otner.
• Suggest reasons for Hodge's inclusion of Micnael in the r evel.
• Suggest reasons for Hodge's inclvslon of Ma Zelllne in the novel.
• Identify one roJnded character and explain the ways in which
that cha,acte· grows, learns and changes. Does that character ever
surp·ise you? Is h's/her behav·our d'fferent at different times?
• Identify one fla, character. Do you not,ce an absence of change
or growth? Is tnat cha•acter likely to behave in the same way e<lch
time you meet him/her?
• Think about this: Should all tne characters be eqJally rounded, or
does tre narrative r eed some of the characters to be ftat?
KEY POINTS
Characters Ir, a 1ove or sto-y
can bee ther rounded or flat.
Flat characters do rot gro\lv,
develoo o, charge. 'Ne recog~:se
t'1em from a few xey oolnters,
Rounded characters are the
ores ,ra; grow, crange and earr,
af'd they 1ave severa sides to
t1e.' perso1ality, T~ose growth
points ii' the rounded characters
are related to the main tnemes
of the story or ncve .. Us~ally the
protagor,·sr (main c~aracter)
w II be rre most •o,mded of the
c:1aracters.
Setting and conflict
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• e>@mlne -re settings n the
novel
• 11st the causes of conRlct in the
narratve
,, ACTIVITY
I
F, r,d more contrasts n the
two settings. Does the writer
persuade you that one of the
lifestyles Is preferable? Do trie
rwo households share the same
val Jes? List tre differences that
you have noticed.
Setting
Two importar,t settings in tnis novel are Ma's home in Sook al Trace and
Cephas's rouse in the city. The description of Ma's home during Chr'stmas
preparations takes us into a lively, welco'lling space, filled with children
tumbling over each other In excitement, adults rolllrg OJl lino1e..im and
painting the steps. new curtains being put up and chairs being varnished.
t is a typical Caribbean scene, but. importantly, it also creates a mood
cf joy, togetherness and contemmerr. Tre happiness ard vitality fe t
•n this setting are not present in the description of Cephas's home: "It
was crammed with upright furniture, most of which was dressed in dark
velveteen. There were crowds of omaments ,i,,a, jost1ed each other on
·ittle tables. on the walls, and on the b,g television set trat was o..it of o•der'.
Lacey fee,sit is"not a p'ace where you would go and sit in your home
clot,1es" 1or was It a place where family could 'cock up lawlessly Ir their
chairs'. The faCl that Cephas has his own private 'bachie' quarters built
on to the main house tells us ,rat there is no togetherress In this home.
The 'upright' unlrwit ng furniture creates a funereal mood tnat matches
the 'mournful' cowed appearance of Miss Velma. Merle Hodge cleverly
uses contrastirg seltings to make the reader fee row r appy Lacey is Ir
grandmother's home, ard how u111appy she is n ner fathe•'s rome, filled
as it is with ornaments instead of children.
Conflict between Lacey and the community
Lacey finds herself in an unfriendly relationship with Mrs Lopez, her Maths
teacher. Even ac re9istration, the 'circus '1orse" makes it clear that Lacey
was not war.red at tre school. Lacey has proved her talent by winning
a place in the government secondary school, and, encouraged by her
family, she sets OJI to be all that sne can be in life. Mrs Lopez, trough,
wi,h rer fore•gn ways, her 'proper' accent and rer a,r of superiority, loo~s
down 0'1 people who are ro, like rer. Due to rhe fact that Lacey's mother
was unmarried, and because Lacey lives In a coJntry village, Mrs Lopez
considers the girl insignificant and unwo·thy of her anentior.
There is confiict, too, ber,veen Lacey ard he· father, Mr Cephas, like Mrs
Lopez, puts limits on wnat Lacey should aspire 10. but his prejudice Is
different. He sees Lacey as one oftne many or'1amenrs in h's home there to be admired and to bring him praise from his friends. He takes her
'rto r·s home so 11'-at she can attend school, but in his heart he believes
that education fo• girls is unnecessary because a woman's place is in
the k'tc'ien - washing, cleaning and cooking. He is angry when he sees
1\.1ici'-ael doing this kind of'wo'llen's work: and his treatment of Miss Velma
shows us what he real.y feels Lacey should be trained for In life.
Winning the scholarship shovvs Lacey that she ras abi1 ty. Her mother's
experience inspires her ro work hard to get an education, so she
approaches he· stud·es with enth•Jsiasm. However, the commun:ty she
·ives in has other ideas - sne should know her p:ace, ,hey say. As the child
of an unmarr;ed country wo-nan, she should not expect to rise In society,
and as a female, she should understand ihai her role s to stay at rome
and se•ve the man.
Conflict within th e individual
Lacey also experiences conflict w'thin herseif, Sfie wants to get an
education, but does r,ot want to live In her father's ho-ne. She wants to do
well in her scnoolwor><, but wnen sre does, she haies the way Mr Cephas
beasts about her to h:s fr;ends. She wants to be a model student bJt
resorts to breaking the rules so that sre can be sent home, She is a very
polite girl, but she is so lnfur a,ed with the way Mrs Lopez taunts Ar.janee
that she explodes ard answers her very rudely. After her illness, she Is
tempted to g;ve up tre strugg 1e, but she agrees to go oack to schoo for
the sake of her mother and her grandmother, and even as a tribute to
Anjanee.These inner conflicts contribute to the rervous breakdown that
she suffers.
ACTIVITY
list the ways in which Ms Hafeez shows herself to be a good teacher.
.1st your criticisms:
a of the way Mr Tewarie interacts witn the studen,s
b of ire way Mrs McAll:ster conducts tre Home Economics class
c cf tne lesson abotJtfamrres in Social Studies.
'/•/e meet a ru•. moer of teachers in tl'e story Wnar makes a good teacher?
Style, narrative devices
and language
LEARNING OUTCOMES
The narrat or
• examine sty e and rhe narrative
devices In tne nove
• analyse examples of symbolism
The story is told by Laeftia herself. Th·s is called a first pe'son narrative.
The vo:ce (language) is rhat cf a twelve-year-o!d child as, too. is the point
of view. Ir's an effeetive narrative device because we see so many of
society's problems through rhe eyes of a young girl, wro nas high hopes
for her future that are ,n danger of being crushed.
• :ake a close look a, var"eties o'
language in ,re ravel.
Epistolary form
In this section you wi I:
Some novels have been written enti•e!y In the form of lette·s. Trese are
called epistolary novels. In For the Life ofLoetitio, letters from Miss Patsy are
inserted as a narrative device. This is useful because we are provided with
another persoective on migration, and another dimension to ire themes
of family and a woman's place.
Dreams
A writer sometimes inserts a dream into tre f'arrative to suggest troughts
rhat are not actual y expressed. Vvhen Lacey dreams that she has thrown
her Geograpny textbook into ire dustbin. her subconscious is tel ling rer
rhat she is throwing away her chance to get an educat on. The image•y of
rhe dream is mere powerful tran a s·mple statement of the facts.
Imagery
magery in the novel ·s vibrant, suggestive and often funny. Mrs Lopez's
appearance is described as ''like a damn circus horse'. and poor Miss Velma
is'li~e a dog waiting fo, its owner'. Lacey feels so comforrab'e listening to
rhe grown-ups at her grandmorher's home. she describes herself as be;ng
'cradled in their conversation'.
Symbols
An object er event in the novel sometimes seems to hint at a deeper
meaning. If rhe object or event po:n:s to a deeper mean·ng, it ·s called
a symbol. Here are some examples:
• Tre Home Economics teacrer tries to pin up her p'eture of the Happy
Fami y, but it keeps falling down. That happens literally. but there Is also
a symbolic aspect to it: the'happy famlly'she is trying to show 10 the
cnildren is one entirely outside of Lacey's own experience, yet Lacey
knows that she is supremely happy In her unorthodox family back in
Balatier. The foreign definition and ;mage simply wo11 stay in place!
• Cephas·s home Is filled with ornaments, we read. That Is literally so,
but there Is a1so a symbol c side to it, because Lacey feels like an
ornament - not loved for herself, but there to be show'1 off to his
frierds.
• l'<o1lce that the strong wo'Tlen in ,he novel - Lacey, Ma Zelllne,
Ma - have gardens. Selling the produce makes them independent.
Again. the gardens are litera ly gardens, bvr they also S)'mbolise (and
Indeed provide!) econo'Tlic independence, whicn ·s something that
Anjanee's mother and Miss Velma lack.
• Mrs Lopez's jewellery and make-vp are Iiterally jewellery and
make-up, bvr they also symbol"se the fact that Mrs ~opez is not
p!eased v✓- th her natura1self. but fee s she has to cover up and try
to look Iike someone else.
• Food is also g·ven symbolic meaning in the novel. Uncle Leroy
explains that high-class peoo e ear sp·nach. and only low-class people
eat b'iagil Anja nee is ast-amed of her home-cooked food, but whe1
Lacey smells it. she wants to throw away her own luncheon meat
sandwich!
ACTIVITY
I
• Find examples of metaphors ard similes Ir the novel. For each
example, identify tre two items being compared. Wt-at similarities
are brought out by the comparison? 1Nhat effect dces the imagery
have on you?
• Look at the description of Christmas Eve In Balatier and at the
description of Marlon Peters' dressirg up to mimic Mrs Lopez.
\.\/hat tips can you ge, from these rwo descript'ons to helpycu w·rh
your own descriptive writing?
Language
The language of the novel ranges between Standard English and Creole.
Creole being most,y found in the dialogue. In additio1, the variety of our
social origins is celebrated by the use of words and phrases in patois (mocommere, saloud, ri-momzelle, maco]eule, complor,Jamer) ard words taken
from local folklore (soucouyonr, Anansi. Ladjoblesse, Douenn. obeah), along
witn rhe Spanish cuatro, rhe French f§re and doo-doo, and the Hindi bhaji,
beigan chokha, rori and totkorie.
Due to the fact that race Is such a1 important feature of Caribbean society.
It is nor surpris,ng that (for better or wo·se) we resort to a lexico1 of racial
terms: doogfo. coolie, nigger.
The King James version of the B•ole has Impacted the speech patterns of
Carlbbea1 folk. Pappy's solemn words regarding Cephas are an example
cf th:s:"There co'Tleth a time in every man's li fe ... when he repenteth of
the evil he hath do1e."This grandiloqJent way of speakirg is so'Tletimes
cal led an ·o-ato'ical style'.
ACTIVITY
Explo'e how Hodge's use of language reveals themes and cnaracters.
The themes
LEARNING OUTCOMES
This revel is deceptively simple because it actually deals with a number of
moortant ssues in uribbean society.
In this section you wi :
• examine sty e and 1arratlve
devices In tne 1cve
• ,ake a close look a, Hodge's Jse
cflmage'y.
/ ACTIVITY
Education and the role of women in society
As Anjanee's sitJation s11ows us, there still exists in the Car'boean a
st·ong be1·ef that a woman's place is in the home and that education is
therefo,e wasted on girls. Hodge attac'<s rhis bel'ef in several ways. Mainly
she presents us w'th Anjanee's valiant struggle to get an education, her
opp•ess ve home life, and her tragic suicide. Mr Cephas has kept nis w·fe
confined to ho,ne chores. silenced her. ard caused her to be afraid 10
make any decisions. By keep,ng her in subservience. Cephas has tJrred a
vibrant g·r1(as seer in he· photographs) into a crusred. unhappy wo11an:
she is "like a plant in too much shade that coJldn't thrive".
I
In the light of the tneme cf
educatio"l for women, suggest
reasons why the t'tle of this novel
Is aooropriate.
The supposed superiority of things foreign
Some 'Nest Indians believe that an>'thirg foreign is better tl-,an the loca
version: for them, spinach must be beuer tr-ar bhaji because it co,nes
from Ame•ica! Greek myths must be 11ore importart than Anansi stories,
Standard Eng'ish is better than pato s, and life in New York is far better than
life in ar.y of cur cap ,als. This novel refutes such beliefs and ce ebrates tnings
Caribbean-the food, tneculture, the stories, the language ar-d the people.
r ACTIVITY
Lacey relates how atte1tive even the troublesome boys in tne class
were when Mr Joseph read to them from A Yeor :n San Fernando. 'It
was a story about us'. sre explains.
Imagine you are preparing for a debate.
KEY POINTS
'•Nhat is a symbo ' f the object
or eve1t poirts to a deeper
meaning, Ir Is called a symbol.
a Li~ t~e arguments showing that it's better for Caribbean children
to read lltera,ure about their own society and environment.
b Jst the arguments showing that it's good for Caribbean children to
read literature about ot1er soc'eties and environments.
Race and class prejudice
Caribbean society· s a mixtu•e of many races. For tre most part we get
along vlth each other qvite happily (as do tne villagers Ir Balatier), but
sometimes racial tensions flare up, ard sometimes we witness racisr
be~aviour or hear racist comments. Merle Hodge raises this issue In the
nove', and it s one of the important tnemes.
The iheme surfaces vvhen the children accuse Mr Tewarie of being 'racial'
because he does not pJnisn the lndiar boys who misbehaved. Marlon
jokingly sirgs a song about 'nigger' and 'coolie; and pretends to mimic an
Irdian dancer. Poor Miss Hafeez seems overwhelmed by tre problem sne
sees: she dees not knew how to tackle the subile rac'sm that she sees In
the cnlldren's behaviour.
Back In Balat'er, Maharajin rejects her'kilwal' grandchild ard Ma lovingly
ta~es ner in: "Yes, my deogla baby ... You tel I your Nani you coming and
live by your next Nani, you hear?'. In town, Cep>ias scolds Lacey in racist
terms: 'the on y ,hing yoJ could find to friend vlth is a coolie?" Cephas's
racist language is sometimes mixed w,rh hlrts that he is in a SU!J€rior class
to others: he cla,ms he has given Lacey an opportun1ty''to live in a decent
home, a decent family, instead of that ... low-class hoe, between all ,hose
coo ie and ole-nigger'. Class prejudice surfaces when Mrs Lopez mocks rhe
way the country ch'ldren speak. Both racial prejudice and c ass prejudice
are very much alive in this po·trayal of Caribbean life.
Migration and family relationships
1\'iiss Patsy has migrated to New Yer~, and works sacrificially to send barrels
nome to rhe fa-nily. Adjustments have to be made in ,re family life. At her
grandmother's ho-ne. Lacey feels loved and supported, but with Cephas
she encounters only lectures, insults and criticisms. Despite what the
Soc'al Studies teacher says, It is clear to Lacey that the textoook 'model
family' with two parents and two children is not recessarily a recipe for
happiness. Many families in the Caribbean do not mirror the textbook ideal
of father, mother and two children. The contrast between Cepnas's home
and Ma's home shows tha, where there is love. children will thrive.
ACTIVITY
• Is It the cnlldren or the adults who are racist? Give evidence from
the nove supporting you• response.
• Is It possible to use words like 'nigger' and 'coolie' without being
racist? Explain your position.
• \.\/hat do you make of the altercation between Peters and Persad
when Miss Hafeez ta ks to the class about racism? The children
a•e laughing, but Miss Hafeez 'looked really stric~en'. How do you
account for Miss Hafeez's reaction rere?
EXAM TIP
It's. 1';'-1' 0~a""t to ~o t)Ol,(,Y
Ytvisio"'- """ a focl,(,se~
"""~ effi,ciev,t wci 11 .
As t)DU )'Yt)'CI Ye foy the
e,,(Cl""-5, we $1,(,ggest !'.JOU
i;jo the fotlowi.""0 :
• '.~e""ti.fu the IM-Cli""
Lssues oy the1M.ts i.,,, tne
"'-OveL t~e"" i~e.,,,ti.fu
the 1M.&1i"" eve111,ts ;.,,, the
st0Yt, thcit ~iYect !'.JOU to
tnose "'-A•"" tl1e~s.
• 1i;je111,ti.ft, tne 1M.&1i111,
co""fli.cts "'""~ e.x.pLai..,,,
wl,o tne!'.J &lye betweev,.
• ii;je.,,,ti.fu tne ~et,
cl1&1Y&1cters whose
st~09Le ci.,,,~ co.,,,flicts
byi""e oL<t tne IM.Ai""
tne1M.es . 5xpLcii..,,, tl1e
COV\.111,tctio"" betwee""
theiY e1ctio= ci ""d
tne tl1e~ t1ou ncive
ide""ti-{ied .
• 1de~ifu tne persoV\.C!Li.t!'.J
tYALts of iut1 ChCIYClcters
&I~ List O<:AmpLes of
tht LY won:ts oy Clctio=
that sunoyt /jOUY
descYi.ptio...,_ of tne
cne1y&1cters. '=Lui;je wnat
others sa!'.1 aboL<t tl1e
ChilYCICttY.
• Note shoyt "(L<otcitio=
: 11At SUI¾ L<J> tfle lutj
•ciei1s of tne ""oveL.
Lei1 ~ so""-t of t11ese foy
use '"" t11e exa IM.i.l'\.&ltio
""·
Animal Farm - political
background, setting and
point of view
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• understand the hlstodcal ard
political backgrourd o' Animal
Farm
• ar,alyse the setting
• exp oce the use o' the cnird
persor rcarratlve ir chis rovella.
•• •
Background
Animal ,corm is a satirical animal story t"lat pa•allels the RJss·an Revolution
that took place from 1917 to 1945. It deals w,th ·ssues that came out of tre
revo1ur on, such as corruotion, JUst ice, equity, power and freedom. \Vhen you
read about the revolution, you will realise rhac George Orwell's metapnoric
use of the animals speaks :ndlrecc y about commun sm. For example,
fl.apoleon is given the tyrann:cal traits of Stalin. whi;e Old Major parallels Karl
Marx or Lenin, who champ'oned tre cause of tre disadvantaged wo,kers.
Orwell's goal In the novella refiects me plight of the Russ· an lower class
workers (proletariat) a1d their relations with the m'ddle·class employers
(bourgeoisie) in the communist society. In this regard, he focuses on tre
undemocratic methods of tre pigs in the management of the farm and
the inequality among tne animals. In the rovella. communism appears as
'Animalism'. Y./ith 'Animalism'. the animals hooe fo: a bette' life where there is
no social order and a co'llmon ownersnip of the farm.
•
CommJnism was based on tre
Ideas of Karl Marx, who was a
Germar ohilosopher. "le was of
tre View that the wo'kers at the
bouom of cne ladder wou d be
dissaclsfed w'tr tre rewards for
,relr labour and would rise ·JP to
light for equality.
EXAM TIP
Whtl<\. i:JOt.< CIYe tts!ui;l to
:>'PL~Ye t~e effects of tne
settov-g' •"'- c. sto'1:J, look
iit 1,ow i.t covutributts to
/::J Ot.< Y t.< "'-cl eYSt /;I ~ i, "'0
of tne plot c:.~ now ,t
i.vvflut"'-Ces tne c.nttyeic.teY's
benl'!Vi.ouY.
Boxer ttie horse Is p,esenreC as a hard•·,.,.,orklng Cevot~ citizen
Setting
The physical setrng cf ire story is an Imaginary farm in Ergland. Whi1e
the story lacks a historica time frame, we know that ,tis based on the
era of the Russian Revclution. The setting Is important to the plot with
the use of a var'ety of animals that engage in a power struggle with each
other. In this regard, Orwell was able to represent tne struggle between
the different classes In the communist society and their qJest for equa1·ry.
Orwel found that the Isolated farm In the courtryside was useful as it
allowed Old Majer to bring his dream of a revolution into fruition and
for Napoleon to revel In uninterrupted power, thus reveal:ng the corrupt
nature of human beings.
Point of view
An/mo/ Form is narrated with the use of the third person narrative voice.
'Nith this perspective. the narrator remains detached and al ows us to
form our own opinions, by describing the thoughts and actio1s of the
characters. You wil l observe that the common animals only respond ir a
naive way to what is seen or heard without ar,alysing it For examp.e, In
Chapter SBoxer says, 'ther we have wo, back what we had before.' as a
response to the decaration of victory by Squealer. when the windmill was
destrcyed. On the ot'1er rand, Napcleon's devious character Is revealed
when the narrator says."Napo eon places himse1f In front of the buckets'
and the'milk disappeared.'Vo/e a!so feel sympathy for tne anima s w:th
the au,ror's use of dramatic iron ies. vVe see that the pigs are engaging
In human activities for their selfish reasons, bJt the animals are not fully
aware of th's, as they only hear Snowball or Napo eon's biased ve•sion of
an incident. Orwel 's brilliant craftsmanshio is further displayed when he
allows us to fill tne gaps in the story. For examp e, when Squealer is drunk
and found at the bottom of a ladder at night, Orwell writes, "a strange
lncidel't wtfch ha•dly anyo1e was able to understard~
ACTIVITY
• Research some of the important peop.e who we,e involved In the
Russian Revolution and Identify which characters from the novel a
are a metaphoric representation of them. Cons·der Joseph Stalin,
Kari Marx, Leon Trotsky, Lenin ard the 'secret po ce'.
• \Nhy do you think that the farm ,s an appropr'a1e setting for the
novella?Think about 1he isolation and self-s•Jfficiency of a farm
setting and tne roles of diffe'er't animals.
• 'v\/ha1 is the effect on tne reader of having t~e s,ory told from
trie oerspectVe of the common animals? Consider tre ro,es of
the common animals and Orwell 's purpose for vvritil'g a satirical
novella.
EXAM TIP
Wke"" exployi""g ti,ie
IMlYrettive teci,i""i.qctes i.,,
Cl l'\.OVel, look, Cit ti,ie;
• writer's poi ...t of view
• let"'fjctetge ctse~
• tel¾e =e~
• etct~ie~e cippecil.
Plot and conflict
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• get an overview of the plot
• discover the main paris of tne
story.
The plot of Animol .Corm unfolds in c ear stages. It traces the developmert
of a dream for freedom for the animals on Manor Farm, to a short-'lved
real·sation o' the dream, follovved by the re 1nquishing of that dream.The
conclusion Is cynical ard unanticipated - as the an•mals are worse off
than they started, with the pigs aligning w,th t'ie humans. l\ow look at the
various parts of the sto,y.
Exposition
, The animals are ill-treated by Farmer Jones.
• Old Major presents tne dream of freedom and equal'ty for all animals.
• A rebellion Is incited.
• Farmer Jones is chased off the farm.
George Orwell is tne pen >1ame
for Er'c Blair. He was born in 1903
in Ind a and lived In Englard. He
wro'l€ political books ard died at
,re age of 47
• The pigs assemble to provide new eadershlp, with a vision of equality
for a I animals.
Rising action
• Old Major dies.
• The pigs establish committees ard take over the management of
tne farm.
• Rebellion occurs with tre 'Battle of the Cowshed'.
• Ongoirg feud belWeen Snowball ard Napoleon for
power.
Climax
• Snowball is exiled from ire farm.
• False accusatio"ls are made agains1 the animals.
• Fear is instilled among a1imals and executions occur.
• \/apoleon assumes abso1ute power over tre farm.
Falling action
• The animals grow tired and help ess. tney become
d1sencha1ted with overwor~ and no hooe for a
oetter quality of life.
• The animals realise that tney were better off with
Mr Jones.
Conclusion
• The animals are taken aback by the pigs' relations
with the humans.
• life has come full circle with the pigs behaving just
l'ke humans.
Rebel Ion aga ns1 1he he mans
EXAM TIP
Fi.g:,,.Yl'.lti.ve DY stt,li.sti.e,
clevices Assi.st tne Ytl'.lcl e,,
to better i.""te,1wet,
ap~Yeciate a,,,,cl A"'-Alt,se
a piec-e of li.teya'1:1 wo,,~.
ThtYe Are seveY&il be""e'fits
fo,, tne Yeacle,, - i.t ci,,o=es
•""teYest, evo~es tni""~i.""0,
~Ye'ltes tl¾pnasi.s,
Ll<\.clt,tces tl<¾Dti.o.,,,, l¾&!~es
associatiol<\.S, fa cili.tates
~Yi.tic.isl¾, cyeates l¾tVl-\:al
Ll¾&!ges &! 1<1,cl f>YOVicles
Q l¾t,tStl¾t1<1,t,
Sy the end of the novella, the p gs have aligned toemselves with the humans
Conflict
Ir Animal Farm confi ict is explored on two levels. Exterr,al co,fiict
occurs among tne animals for freedom and power; and interral confi'ct
ia~es p1ace in the confiictlrg thoughts of the common animals as they
experience the changes around them.
External confiict takes place in tre following ways with:
··•
..
Animal Form was wr'tten st-only
afte, the Second V./cr d 1/va,, wren
tne USA a'ld Russia were two very
s gn fcant pol rlca ocwers.
• the animals and Farmer Jares
• Snowball and Napoleon
• the common animals and the pigs
• the huma,s, pigs and common ann1als.
On the other hand, t,e common animals (such as the horses, mules,
goats and hens) experience conflict within t'lemselves. The conflict is
predominar.tly expressed In ,heir minds since trey are naive and Illiterate
and canno1 fully comp·ehend the circumstances of oppression around
them. The p'gs amerded the commardments continuously because of
this. In some circJmstances. the anima s' loyalty prevents them from
seeing t,e hypocrisy of t,e p.gs. For example, after attacK by Napoleon's
dcgs. Boxer pledges to ·wcrk harder:
ACTIVITY
Examine tne groups of craracters
engaged in conflict with each
otner.
a Describe the s•tuatlon of
conflict.
b Expla n how one character O'
group Is abused oy the otrer.
Structure and language
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• examine how ,he rar·atlve
structure e11pnaslses rhe
meanirg or ire s,o,y
• exp ore how la~guage relates
to the a~rhor's purpose.
Structure
Animal Form cons·sts of ten cl->apte's.This ma<es the story a novella because
·1Is shorre· tran a novel. The story is told in chrono,cg· cal order and traces
the animals' d•eam for freedo11, the attainment cf freedom ard the loss cf
freedom again.Tre siory can be divided into three major sub-div sions:
• Old Major's Dream
• Tre Rebellion
• Napoleo,'s Tyranny.
The structural divisions are appropr'ate. They capture Orwell's tnemes
cf freedom. corruption and power. In the rising action, rre animals are
inspired by O'd Major to revolt against Mr Jones In search of freedom.
Unforruna,ely, ,he freedom Is short-lived as the pigs assume the ro,e of
humans ard manipulate the other animals. In the climax. Napoleon has
risen as a tyrannical 'eader. In the falling acl'on. the story has an anti·
climatic ending as the animals are no better off.
r ACTIVITY I
Re-order the plot cf Animal Farm from the sequence give1 below:
,he animals revolt and seize power
Napoleon ·s president of the new repub,ic of /\nlmal Farm
Snowball is expelled
Snowball ard Napoleon jostle fo• leadersnlp
the animals are dominated by the pigs
tre animals are In rhe same place they started
the pigs look and behave like humans
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
Language
n Animal Form, language is used in me form of rhetoric, such as
Napoleon's speeches, and in the wr'tten mode with tre commandments.
Despite Its form, Orwell's unique style of diction emphasises the traits of
the cr,aracters and allows us ,o explore ,re wider issJes of the novella,
such as corruptio1 and subse·vience. Now iet us explore some of tre style
of language used.
• Language as an allegorical tool: In tne orevious sections, yoJ read
about paralle's in tre novella between animals and the characters in
the Russian Revolt.rtion. For example, Napoleon, Snowball and Squealer
are manipulators in the story and represe11 the d'ctatcrs In ,he Russian
Revo ution. Boxer, Clover, Benjamin and Mur'el represer,t the voice of rhe
working class, who are taken advartage of.
• Language as a persuasive tool: Language is predo:ninantly used
by ,he pigs to lnci,e acticns or manipulate o,rers. In Animal Farm,
0 d Major talks aboJt freedom and equa''ty for all animals. You will
notice that he co"lstantly repeats the wo·d ·comrade' in his visionary
speech. On 1he other hard. animals like Napoleon and Squealer use
ir,fluen1ial language to manipulate the common animals on the farm.
Tnei• intention is to deceive, cheat and exploit the animals yearning fo,
a better life. Fo· example, In order to justify tre consumption of apples
and milk, Squea er tells the animals: 'Many of us d'slike mil~ and apples,
I disl'ke them myself ... It is for yo·Jr sake that we drink that mil k and
eat trose apples~The pigs also used rhetorical questions to get the
animals to change their be iefs and feelings about a particular situation.
For example, Squealer threatens. 'SJrely comrades you don't want Jcnes
back?'
• Simple and objective language: In Ar.imal Form, the diction Jsed by
the co'Tlmcn animals is very simple.This reflects their ir'telllgence level
and ability to be manipulated by the p· gs.You will discover ti'at O·well
does not explo·e any of the animal's feelings or Innermost thought. but
simply relates an Incident as ,r occu•s. For example. In Chaoter 9 despite
Boxer's struggles to rebuild tne windmill with his failing heal th, re sa)'S.
'I will work harder.'
• The use of song, poetry, slogan and the commandments: The song
'Tre Beasts of England' and the new song 'Animal Farm' are used by tne
pigs to create a sense of patriotism among the animals. Also, rhe poem
composed for Napoleon by Mir,imus certainly does not describe h's
leade·ship, but presents an ideal leader that the animals want to believe
in. In addition, the use of rhe slogans such as,'I viii work 1-,arder' and
'l\apoleon is always right; are used to create loyal ar,d obed,ent an,mals.
Furthermore, the commandments including 'All animals are equal' and
then 'All animals are equal bJt some more equal than others; represent
the degree of man·pulation by the p:gs over the other animals.
/ ACTIVITY
I
Explain how the rhetcr:c In Chapte·s 3, 5. 6 and 7 of Animol Form is
used to persuade the animals to:
a crange the'r feellrgs or bei'efs
b take a parrcular course of acc,on.
Style of writing
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• consider Animal Farm as ar
allegory al"'d satire of t~e
Russian flevo u.!01
• examine some examples of the
style of writing
• examine hovv language is
effective In hlgr' g1-J-1rg the
conflict Ir the story
• exp o'e the use o' fgurat ve
devices to e1harce ;t,e
meani~g of tre s,o,y.
KEY POINTS
A, al egory refers to a sto·y, poem
or plctU•e rrat has a litesal a1d
deeoer mean ng. In Ammo/ Form,
,ne a'legorycaptures '!ussia's pol res
from 1 917 to 1945. r is Jsed to
s'1ow the greed and corruocon of
11e political syste-n at rhatllrne. An
a legory rormal y ras a Moral esson.
Communism was based or a
government sys:em w~ere power
is ,n tne hands of ore person aod
wealth Is equally dlsu ,outed.
Style
You will observe as you read rhat Orwell's style of writing ·s si,np1e and
straightforward.The pot evo ves logically ard the 'Nriter gives us viv'd
descriptions of what is taking place in the story. Look at this example from
the 'Battle of the Vl'indmill':
"It was a savage, bitter battle.Tre men fired again ard again, and when
tre animals got to c!ose quarte·s, lashed ou1 with tneir sticks and
heavy boots. A cow, three sheep. and two geese were kil ed. ard rearly
everyone was wounded.'
Satire, irony and allegory
Animal Form ,s a political satire that is based on the system of commun·sm
that prevailed Russia. Vl'hile the idea of pigs taking over a farm coJld
appear fooFsh, Orwell inte~ded It this way, in orde· to criticise the actions of
humans. In keeping with tne satire. Orwell uses the animals or the farm in a
moral fable to revolt against Mr Jones and the other humans. This paralle,s
the h'storical event of the Russian workirg class, rising up against the
unjust practices o'the middle class and the dictator'al leadership of Joseph
Stalin In the 1930s. Additionally, v>ith·n tre leadership there is dis~armony,
deception and rivalry for power. In Chapter 5. we see disagreements
between Napo!eon and Snowball over issues, such as the building of the
windmill and deferce tactics. Napoleon finds a way to blame Snowball for
all the misnaps on the farm and eventually ban·shes him. This Is similar to
the feud betwee~ Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin within the communist
regime in 1928. Trotsky, a po,enrial leader. was eventually thrown out of ire
Commur·st Party by Stalin and exiled from Russia.
,n
Orwe'I hopes to reach us a moral lesson about PO'Ner ard manipulatio1
from this satire. He also knows that the best way to tell tre story is with the
use of a political allegory that draws refe•ence tc the Russian Revolution
with the 'Battle of ,he Cows red'. where the Russian leader and the fictitious
Mr Jones were forced to leave the places tney once ruled.The al lego,y
,s also evident in Old Major's speech for rebel lion that is similar to the
·co11munls1 manifesto' of 1sas.'Nhat 's ironic though s tnat by the end
of rhe story, the animals are no better off than they were before the revolt.
Mr Jones' tyranny has been rep aced by 1he pigs. the co"nmandmenrs
have been amended to suit the pigs' personal desires and 1he pigs have
aligned themselves w th tne humans.
Figurative devices add to rhe depth of meaning in the novella. Orwel,
i r.corporates devices to emphasise the themes, highlight the traits of tre
characte·s, draw parallels between characters and exo.-ess his cynical
view po' nt aboJt soc'alism.
Simile: Orwell uses these two similes tc sliow the power of the pigs
and the subservierce ard dedication of the otner animals: 'The Animals
wo•ked ,·ke slaves' and 'All throJgh the summer the work on the farm
continued like clockwork:
Symbols and metaphors of man: Tre·e are certain connections
between the craracters. symbols and the deeoer meanirg of the story. For
example, ,he green flag represents the pa;ro1age and hope of the animals
for a bercer li'e: while the milk ard 1he apples in Chapter 2 signify the powe·
that the pigs gave themselves over the otrer animals. A character like Boxer
s a 'lletaphor of the faitnfu 1 man, while Moire represents selfishness.
Personification: In Animal Farm the p·gs are given human traits
and intell'gence. Tney read, write, drink alcohol, make decisions and
manipulate the othe• animals so as to assert their alltho•ity on t'1e farm,
Allusion: Animal Farm Is an allusion to characters ard sitt;a(ons In a •eal•
wo•ld s·tuation. Characters sucn as the sreep represent tne workirg•class
people o'rre Russian Revoluticn. while Moses represents the religion
of tre time. Squealer represents the people who spread the communist
propaga1da a1d the bulldogs represent the secret po'ice cf Josepn Starn.
Onomatopoeia: Orwell uses this device in the story to emphas•se the
EXAM TIP
Wl,ie.,, 1:10<-< Cl re e.x:pLorivcg
the s~1:1Le of writivcg,
co"'-S<"'er t1'ie foLLowivcg :
• t1'ie c1'ioict of woeols use"'
btl the wvitev
• tne ""a ►-Yative voice
• t 1'ie attitu"'e of t1'ie WYitey
to tne su12Ject
• now t1'ie fi.guYative
Lci vcg«age co"'-1:Yibutes to
tne tne"""' of tne sto"l::1
• w1'ietney t ne autkor «ses
"'•&1Logue to move the
plot foewam .
feel ngs of tre characters. For examp'e, in the singing cf 'Beasts of England' in
Cnapter 1, tne animals expressed fee:ings of patronage and hope w th these
unerances:"Tre ccws lowed it. the dogs whired It. the dvcks quacked it:
Rhetorical questions: La1guage is used as a too' of power in Animal
Form. For example, in his thought·o·ovo~ing speech to ire animals Old
1\'iajcr says, "Now comrades whai is the nature of this life of curs Likewise,
,n order to keep the animals livirg in fear, Squeale· would often tnreaten,
'Sure'y comrades you do not waf\t Jones to come back?'
r
Hyperboles: Orwell s~ilfull)' exaggerates many situations to emphasise
the role of the characters ard express i re au1hor's cynical tone. It is said of
Squea,er i rat'he could turn b!ack into white.' Also Sncwbal falsely )Jstifies
the ac1io1s of the pigs by suggesting tl--at Napo!eon is always right. Yet
la,er in the power struggle, Napo'ecn wants Snowba'I to be b'amed for all
negative occurrences on the farm.
Foreshadowing: 0'well gives us several nints abollt the characte-s'
behaviour and situatlo1s that are a sign of things to come. Old Major In
his 'freedom speech; tells tne anima s, "Remember in figh1ing against man.
we must not come to resemble him.'By the end of the novella, we see
the pigs emvlating human oe'1aviour and the commandmef\ts altered to
justify their engagement in human activity.
/ ACTIVITY
I
• Compare Naooleon and Snowball iri Animal Farm. How de they
contribllte ,o the majo• themes In the novel?
• Compare 0"Ne l's polit cal a,legory with the political situation in
your own cownt,y. How similar O' different is it?
• In Animal Farm, Squealer is chased out oftne farm. Boxer ·s attacked
by Napoleon's dogs. tne p'gs drink mi k and whiskey as well as wa' k
and dress i~e humans. 1Nhat events in tne nove 1a led up to these
foreshadowed inc:dents?
•• •
••
Tre dev ce of foreshadowirg
impacts or the mood of a
story or play. In Animol Fo.rm,
foreshadowing :s p•edom,riant:y
used to evol<e sympa1riy fo• the
common animals.
EXAM TIP
wne"': a""aL1:1sivcg a
q uest.o"" foe tne e.x:a...,,
e""s«re t1'iat tne evi"'e""ce
ti 0<-< select fro""'- t1'ie text
to sup~ort tJO«r poi.,,ts,
are vaLLot Tl>lis ""'-'lkes
tfO<-<r argu""'-el'\.t l¾OYe
COV1,Vivcecvcg.
The characters
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• ldent fy the d f!erent types cf
characters In A11/m'.II Farm
• exp ore the ;raits given to the
major cnaracters
• co'llpare the ma,or characters
In tre story.
You will know by now that Orwell's characters in Animal Form are sy'llbolic
of the people in the Russian Revolution. Orwe' used each group and
eacr character to represent and highlight the issues of greed and social
·nJustice tnat came out of Russ;an society after the First Vvorld vVar. There
Is no doubrthat while the characters have d stinct ro'es in the sto·y and
are quite unique, their roles are interrelated to effecrvely present Orwell's
po,,tical satire. You will also notice that the story has a dstinct antagonist,
Napoleon, and a few pro,agonis,s. whicn include Boxer and Old Major.
Here are tre major groups of characters in the story:
• the ruling-class animals: Oid Major. Napoleon. Snowball and Squealer
• the working-class animals: Boxer. Benjamin, Clover and Mollie
• mankind: Mr Jones, Mr Pi' kington, Mr Fredrick ard MrV./hymper, who
represent the OJtsiders with different perspect·ves 01 running a farm.
The ruling-class animals
Old Majo• was the pioneer of'Animalism'. He is compared to Joseph Len,n
and Karl Marx of the socialist movement after the First V•/orld vVar. Orwell
presents him as a ki rd. intell genr a1d well-respected pig that see~s to
meet the needs of the working-c,ass animals. In Chapter 1 he ·s described
as'wise ard berevolent'. In his speech to the animals he tells them that
'all animals are comrades" ard that ,rey'must no, come 10 resemble man".
1-iis dream was fo, tne animals ic have freedom from man and be able ro
enjoy the fruits of tnei• labour.
Snowball, like 0 1d Majer, is intelligent. diplomatic and has a vision fo,
Animal Farm. He keeps the ani'llals in line by establishing the major
structures that govern the farm, such as the seven commandments. He also
pacifies the bi•ds when tney are disgruntled over tre commandment 'four
egs good, two legs bad.''Yet uni ike Old Majo', Sriowball is more practical
and Is irnerested ,n inventions. like ire windmill and ,re mechanisation
of rhe farm, to improve productivity. He sbows his allegiance to the cause
when re fights alongs· de Boxe• in the 'Battle of the Cowshed'. Unfortunately,
when he becomes a rival for l\apoleon in Chapter 7, he s soon exiled for his
dedicat on. growing power ard hard worK.
Like Sriowoall. Napo,eon Is cJnnirg and does not support rhe eqJality of
all animals. Uniike Old Major, he s self-centred, hypocritical, power hurgry,
unjust, mysterious ard d'ctato•ial. Napoleon is different from the other
p'gs. He is Ideally described as a 'fierce-icoking Berkshire boar ... witn a
•eputation of gett'ng nis own way'. He uses terror, fear and intimidatior
10 asse•t hi ms elf as leader en the farm. In Crapter 7, he starves the hens
irto submission and whe1 Boxer and some other p·gs question Snowball's
removal, trey are attacked by Napoleo1's guard dogs and several animals
are executed. Orwell also presents Napo eon as a figure of power - a poem
rs dedicated co him, he rewrites tne commandments In h s favour, devises
a new version of'Beasts of England' and assumes pres•dency by making
Anima Farm a re pub! ic. The greatest irony of all s in C1apte' I0, where
Napoleon is seen wear: rg Mr Jones' d•ess clotnes, smo<ing his pipe and
dining with t~e hJmans.
The working-class animals
Boxer, Clover, Mollie and Benjamin represent the working-class animals.
'Nhlle Boxer and Clover support t'1e revolution, Mollie and Benj amin never
do more than is expected of them. Mollie is interested in her well-being
and Benjamin is pess·m,stic aboJl everything. vVhen Mollie cannot get the
sugar and riboons in ber mane from tbe humans, she goes to another farm
to find them.
Unli'<e Mollie and Benjamin, Boxer and Clover are dedicated, hard-wo·king
and obedient. Clover is more observant as sbe senses tl'>at Mollie is
associated witn the humans. S1e also leads the animals to the farmhouse
to observe the humans and pigs. On the other t>and, Boxer is known for
the s ogan, 'I will work narder: He p·cves his devotion in the 'Battle of the
Cowshed' and the 'Battle of the vVindmill'. No matter the severity of the
sit•Jation, his respect is unwavering. He says,'if comrade Napo eon says it,
It must be r ght.' His naivety and loya ty leads to his own downfall as he
collapses witn the rebuilding of the windmill and Is sold to the krac~ers.
Mankind
Orwell's humans include Mr Jones, Mr Pilkington, Mr Fredrick and Mr
Why'17per. Mr Jores is presented as a drunk and cruel leader. Pilkington
and Fredrick represent two farmers with different perspectives on running
a farm. Vo/hile Pilkington is more laid-back. Fredrick is a tough businessman.
Neverthe ess, by the end of the novella. both farmers develop
relatlo,ships with the pigs. Orwell's point might be that humans beco'11e
1ndistinguishab'e from 'p'gs'if motivated by power. lust and greed.
/ ACTIVITY
• ideNify three strategies employed by Napoleon to maintain power
and assert himself over tne other animals.
• Discuss the fo' lowing quest' ons as a class:
a vVhy does Orwe'• use animals to represent oolltical figures In the
novel?
b Compare the leadership of Napoleon to Old Major.
c Can you find any similarit es between current events of today
and the events ·n the novel?
d vVhy do you think that Orvvell evokes our sympathy for the
common a1imals and not the pigs?
EXAM TIP
1111, ex.&1""'-i "-Cl tio .,,,,s;, w 1,e,,..
&1vcsweri""0 q«estio""s
b&i se cl o"" t 1,e = &1111,d
c"1&1 YClctevs Loo~ &1t the
foLLowi""9:
• co"""'-tctio""s betwee""
tlie c"1&1Y&1ctevs' &1ctio111,s
ben&1vio«Ys &1.,,ol tlr.e
'
the""'-ts
• evi.de"'-Ce b&1sed o.,, tlie
&l"'~~ov',; J'KYJ>o,;e fov
wnt,""9, ~ucl,i t:l,; quotes,
J>hY&i,;es, LLttYt:lY1'.1 olevices
1!111,d tlie 9e"'-tY&1L t olll,l. '
The themes
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• ldent fy the themes and explore
hovv they are embodied In
Anirr.ol Farm
• exo ore the ln1e-conrec1edress
of tne themes.
Freedom
Old Majo' inspires t1e anima.s to seek freedom from the humans in order
to have a better life. The singing of 'Beasts of England' represents the
dream of freedom. Unfortunately, this does not transpire as tne leadership
of the pigs brings further ens avement ,o the animals. Vve soon find out
that tre pigs place themse,ves on special co11m ttees for the ri.mning of
the farm and deny the animals opportunities for freedom of speech by
abollsning debates and meetings. Moreover, the song 'Beasts of England'
is rep1aced with'Comrade Napoleon'. wr'ch goes aga :r1st the principles of
the rebellion. Henceforth, the animals are made to believe that the perfect
society nas oeen attained w th the p'gs in commard.
Oppression
The first oppressor Is the human, Mr Jones. He engages in excessive
drinking whi e the animals are abvsed. The first pig to encoJrage tre other
animals to rise up against oppress1on Is Old Major. He shows the pigs that
they d•d r.01 benefit from the resources that they worked hard for and so
they are ercouraged 10 revolt.
After the revolutio1, the pigs place themselves in pos;t'ons of power and Old
Major's vfs'on of equality and freedom is replaced by materialism, corruption
and ireq1,1ity. Orwel,wr'tes. 'the pigs were the cleverest on the farm' ard 'with
their superior knowledge, It was natural that they snoJld assume leadership:·
They teach themselves to read and wr te from children's books and then
destroy them, thus maintaining superiority ove' tre otner an'mals. They a,so
crganlse a syste'TI of management chat frees them from man val work ard
gives them leadership, irclud'ng bookkeeping, trade and supervising. Tne
other animals are further oppressed due to treir i literacy and igncrance, thus
the seven com,nandmenrsare reduced to'al animals are equal but some
animals are more equal than others'.
The p·gs superv'se the work on the farm with whips In their trotters, as
symbols of oppress:on.Vv'ith the false propaganda and man:pulation of
Squealer, the animals are brainwashed to believe that Napoleon's harsri
leadership sty'e is necessary to prevent the retJrn of the humans. Also.
Squealer's cnant of'Napoleo>1 ·s always right' resonates with the animals
and Justifies his acts of cruelty. Orwell shows us thar the animals are
doomed, as the cycle of opp·essio1 co1tinues with tre education of the
next generation of pigs.
Naive working animals
Orwed's common a1imals are ge1erally illiterate, ig1orant. hard-work' ng.
gullible and loyal. Vv'ith these traits, they are open to abuse by the
oppressor. Boxer's chant of 'I will work harder"leads to his exploitation ard
eventual destruction. Similarly. the anima1s•'inab, ty to read is used against
them. In Chapter 9, only Benjamin sable to realise that Boxer is sent away
by the pigs to be slaughtered. He cries.'Foo!s! Do you not see what is
written on the side of the van?' but it is too late to save him. The a1imals'
gnorarce also wo•ks against them. In Chapter 5, ,he animals are taken
aback oy Srowball's expuls on. bur cannot express tnemselves. Orwell
writes,'several oftt>em would have protested if trey coJld have found
the righ, arguments. Even Boxer was vaguely troubled. He ... tried hard to
marsl'-al his thoughts: but In the end he could not think of anyt!'ling to say."
Class stratification
You will observe tre following group relationships:
• Animals versus Humans
• Pigs versus Common animals
• Pigs and Humans versus Common animals.
The anima s come 1cgether to revolt agarnst the humans.Tren ine p gs pace
themse'ves in positions of power with educatio1 and management posts. Tris
sepa'ates the pigs from tre otners and they afford themselves the privileges
of humans. By the end, the ·ronic twist occurs with the reorganisat'on of the
groups.The pigs have deve!oped amicable relationsh:ps with tre humans ard
have adopted their management pract'ces. Orwell writes. "Mr Pil~ington once
agai1 cong'atuiared the pigs on tne low ravens. the long working hoJrs, and
tre general absence of pampering wh ch re had observed on Anima Farm7
Exploitation
Old Major tels the animals that they are exploited by man. He explains in h's
revolutionary speech to the animals,'Ou· llves are miserable, laborious and
sho'r'. Old Major, Napoleon and Snowba'I offer a"dream of freedom" from the
tyrannical rule of hJmar.s. Despite this. the eye e of explo·tation conti1ues l'lith
tre p:gs. vou will obser,e that the an·malsare forced to do more and get less.
In Chapter 3, the animals are surprised that the p·gs have been cor,sum·ng the
milk and app es. Srovvbal' justifies this action as a recessiry to keep the pigs
memally acute. so that they can avert any threats of Mr Jones returnirg. Tne
characier that experierces ine greatest exploirat'on is Boxer. He Is overworked.
contl1ues to remain loyal and iseventually slaughtered for profits.The
renam·ng of'Manor Farm'to '.An'mal Farm' represents the fa'led efforts cf tre
animals to forge an identity and create a better I fe for themselves.
Abuse of power and corruption
.'<fter chasing off Mr Jores ire pigs assume total leaders>iip. Due 10
greed and tne abuse of power. they quickly beco,ne the humans they
cr:ginally condemned. Napo'eon assumes absolute powe• on the farm,
becomirg a dictator after exil irg Snowball, elicitirg false confessions out
of the animals and executing them. His trained dogs also assist him In
Instilling fear among tre animals and place him In a position of exclusivity.
V•/ith Napo eon's skewed leadership practises. the commandments and
revolutiona·y ideals become a dream of the past and are soon replaced
by food shortages. over-wo,k. violence and deatr. By ,he end of the story.
yo'J will observe the pigs drinkirg alco'iol, liv'ng in the farmrouse and
sleeping on beds. Orwell comments on the extent to which power had
corrupted the pigs as he writes, 'twelve voices were shoJclng in anger and
they were all alike ... the creatures outs de locked from p·g to man and
,nan to pig ... but already twas lmposs'ble to tell which is which."
ACTIVITY
• 'llll1eracy a1d gnorarce leads
to oppression: Suppor, this
statement With evidence from
tre story.
• How Is the conclusron itonic In
relaron to rhe beginring of the
story?
• 'In Animal Form, Napoleon has
become corrupt because of his
power over the animals: How Is
th's true?
Short stories - parental
love and children in need
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• 'ecogc1·se ard exam·rie
thema,lc ·1 <s between stories
on t~e sy abus
• ear,, to ldertlfy d"l'fere1,
1arratve techniques.
In this section on the short stories, you wil' find for each story a list cf
questions that w;il guide you as you study. Answer each question in as
much detail as you can and you wil !--ave gained a good understard·ng of
each of the stories.
n most of the stories, the first perso1 narrator is a ch, d. Observe bow your
emotions and opinions are affected by this choice of r,arrator. (It helps if
you imagine how ar,other person in the Story might have told the story
differently.i
'Mom Luby and the Social Worker' by Kristin Hunter
EXAM TIP
MQ~e St.<.Ye t11Qt !:JOL<
select texts tnQt /;lye 0 ""
t i-le OKYYe""t s!:JLLAbt.<.s to
/;I l'\,SW~y exAI¾ q Kesti.o"'-$ .
w•LL get ""O 1%1:l ,-1;:s foy
KSL"'-g t:l text t11t:lt L-S "'-ot O"'t ne sf::JLLilbL<S .
yo~
,, ACTIVITY
I
Contrast is an lmpor,ant device in
stor>'lell irg, Compare and contrast
the way Mom Luby on the one
hand and tne social worker on tbe
otrier dea with the needs of the
two children.
KEY POINTS
Sa, 'e •s a terary device that
uses wit or irory to expose and
ridicule a h,riari weakriess.
T1e lneffic ency of oJreai,cratic
procedu·es Is satrised In this sto·y.
n this stO'Y, two
women - Mom Luby
and Mlss Rushmore,
the socia worker address ,be reeds of
rwo orphans. Elijah
and Arleth· a (Puddin').
The story celebrates
the generous, unselfish
response by an AfricanAmer"can woman 10
two needy children,
and it satirises t'1e
ncompetence of
edJcated professionals
·n government
i nstirutions, tied up as
they are with paperwork
and officialdom.
Consider the follow'ng:
M ss Resh moreand Mom Lob,
• \,I/hat illegal activities Is Morn Luby engaged in?
• \~/hat lies does sne tell in the Story?
• ~Vha, evider,ce do you have of !--er warm-bearted approach to the
children. Miss Rushmore, her cus1orne:s and people in her corn-nunity?
• Is Miss Rushmore correct In saying that the cnildren are beir.g poorly
fed? Ar.d is she correct in saying that Mom Luby does nor mar,age her
finances correctly?
• ~Vhai aspects of Mom Luby's personality do you find engaging?
• \,I/hat is your opinion of Miss Rushmore?
• \~/hat is your Impression of the Bureau of Family Assistance?
• ~Vhai evider,ce do you have tnat the children are happy witn Mom
Luby?
Nl"lat is Mom Luby's reaction to the failure of the system to help the
children?
• vV!"la, effect does meeting Mom Luby have on Miss Rushmore?
• 1
• vVhat Is amusing aboJt rvrss Rushmore tell ng Mom Luby tl°'at she is
'unqJalified'?
KEY POINTS
Narrat Ve point of view s tre
way events In tne story are seer
throug'1 the eyes of the oe·son
who narrates the story.
' Emma' by Carolyn Cole
1n this story, two Iittle girls, the narrator (Dory)
and her fr'end (Maria). are witnesses to the sexual
Infidelity of Dory's father and tre events that lead
to the deatn of Dory's mother, Emma. They also
witness rhe manoeuvrirgs of Maria's motrer that
lead to rer moving in w,rh Emma's father - an
arrangement that results in the two frie1ds being
pac~ed off to board:rg school because no one has
time fo, tnem any more.
111 rre·r games, rhe children express their lorging for
cari1g pare11s and security in tl°'eir lives. The visit
cf Dory's grardfather, too, gives us an Idea of what
fami y life ought to be li~e. The theme of this story
Is the tragedy that comes Into the lives of chlldren
who are caught up in marital conflict.
Co1sider the following:
• vVl'ai things do Dory and Maria pro,n·se
themse'ves they wil do when they have children
of their own?
• vVl°'a, evidence do you i"ave that Emma is a good
mother?
• vVl'ai evidence do you have that Grandaddy is a
good parent?
• vVhat Impact does Grandaddy's visit have on the
family?
The Joker
• vVhat hints do we get early in the sto-y that Emma's
husband may be beirg unfa'rhful?
• vVhat do you understand by the reference to the game that adults play,
the game lnvolv·ng the lady at the train stat'on?
• Explain the references to card playing In this story.
• vVl°'at evidence do we l°'ave that Mrs Rob'nson is not good with children,
especial y from tneir reaction to her?
• vVl'ai does Maria say and do ,!"lat suggests sl"le does not nave a happy
rome l'fe?
• vVhat kind of ma'1 is Dory's father?
• vVhen Dory's fa,her is caught kissing the lady at rhe train station, what
happens to a) Emma, b) Mrs Robinson. c) Dory?
• How does life change for Do,y and Marla after Emma's death?
ACTIVITY
Discuss with a friend what
would be lost (if a1ythl119) "f the
grandfather's visit were left out of
this story.
Short stories - parental
love and children coping
with challenge
LEARNING OUTCOMES
'The Boy Who Loved Ice Cream' by Olive Senior
In this section you wi I:
Like Dory in 'Emma: Benjy in this story suffers as nis porer.ts go thro~gh
marital difficulties he cannot fully ur.de•stand. Like Elijah and Puddln'. he
Iives in poverty, but he has 10 Mom Luoy co ove him and care for him.
• discove, t1at the narrative point
ct view actua'ly shapes the
·eader's response.
EXAM TIP
M&rke suye 1::1ou kvcow
tl1e titLes &1""cl &1utl1oys cf
l::fOUY te,<ts - &1"'-c;l ti1&1t l::fDU
C&IV\, s~ell ti-lei¾ CDYYectL1::1 ,
you w,LL vceecl to ~""tio""
tl1e &I uthor t:1 i'\.Ci title
?f e&1cl1 storl::I i.,,, l::JDUY
•Yltrocl<.< ctio"".
ACTIVITY
Read the last sentence of this story
aloud. only pausing for breath
when you come to punctuation.
Does that help you co imagine
how Benjy was feeling?
Benjy lives In rural Jamaica. The day of the Harvest Festival Sale arrives.
and at long last he gets the opportunity to experience this warder tnat
h,s sister has told him about - ice cream! Sad y the long-awaited treat is
totally spoilt: Benjy's father, suspecting that his wife is hav·ng an affair with
cne of the good- ook·rg men from town, g•abs Benjy's r-and a~d drags
him off to confront tre pair, causing the little boy to drop the ice cream
her-as longed for for weeks and has not yet been able even to taste! One
senses tnat the Ice cream symbolises the lcve and security that poor Benjy
lo"lgs for but never enj oys.
Consider the follow'ng:
• At what point in time does the siOry begin?
• Find everts that occur before this.
• Find evidence cf the family's poveny.
• At what points do you feel sorry for Benjy?
• Describe the father's oerscnality and say whether he Is a good father to
Benjy.
• Describe Elsa's personality, ard say whether s~e Is a good sister to Benj y.
• ~Vhat effect has tne arrival of tbe rew baby had on Benjy?
, Lfst the reasons the father has for thinkirg his w fe ,s ur faithful.
• \~/hat things make the father suspicioJs?
• Find evidence that Benjy's metre• is a fine wife and mot~er, and unlikely
to be unfa thful to her husband.
• Dees tnelr social env,ronment and finarclal situation have any bearing
on the man's suspic ens?
• Explain the conflict in the father's mind that o·events him from enjoying
the fair.
KEY POINTS
A symool n ·1eratJre ooints ,o
scmeth ng beyond tse:i. =o,
example, the Ice cream chat
Be1Jy longs for but never enjoys
is iterally a1 ce cream core,
but r also symbolises the ove,
hap::>'ness and security trat re
lorgs for in his family, OJI W'llch
seem to be unattalnab·e.
• Check the length of the la5l sentence in tre story. Does rhe breathless
pace of tne prose sJggest anytning aboc1t Benjy's experience here?
, Like Dory In 'Emma: 8enjy only half understands what is going or with his
parents. VVhar effect does Benjy's lack of understand:ng r-ave on the reader?
'The Man of the House' by Frank O'Connor
c1urry Sullivan, like Benjy, Iives In poverty, ar.d, like Benjy, Flurry has a lovirg
metre•. V1hile Benjy looks on in bewilderment as suspicion threatens to
wreck his parents'marriage, poor Flurry str1.1ggles manfully to cope witn
a different problem: his mother's Illness. On ,re o"le hand, Flurry behaves
Iike an adult, taking over and doing grown-up things. On the other hand
he is jusr a child, and the temptatio1 to buy sweets instead of a candle,
and to sl"-are both sweets and medicine witr r s new friend, is jusi too
much for him. He tries so ha•d to be 'the man of the house'. but fails.
Co1s·der the following:
• List the things that Flurry brave'y attempts to do to take care of his
mother.
........
Frar{ O'Connor is tre av-il"-or cf
'Tre Man of me House'. He was
bo•r In Ireland a>1d the story rs
pan: aurobiograpry and so set ir
Ireland.
- How successful ·s each attempt?
- How does his motner respond to nis unsuccessful attempts to
mar age?
- V-/hy does Minnie R)•an's ment on of
pneumo>1ia frighten Flurry?
• Now describe t,1e other adults whom
Flurry !--as to deal w th in the story,
showing wh'ch of them are friendly
and wh,ch are hosti e.
• Do you see any similarity between the
procedures Flurry has to follow to get
siate help for his mothe', and those
that Mom Luby had to follow to get
nrancial assisra,ce for the childrer,?
• Tne author draws a contrast betweer\
on rhe one hand, the landscape
where Flurry would p1ay games In
h's !magi nar on and the excir ng
landscape he journeys through to get
to ,he dispensary, and on the other
hand the'sordid !'tile hallway'of
the dispensary. What point does this
contrast make regarding what a child
ought to be doing in life, and what this
child ocillolly Is doing?
• vVl"-a, diffe·ences 1n character do you
see between Flurry and rre little girt?
Does this contrast affect your response
to Flurry?
• How does the end of the story Indicate that Mrs Sullivan and Flurry have
both reassumed their normal roles as mother and son? How does this
resto·ation of normality make us feel?
/ ACTIVITY
I
Examine ,re descriprons of the lardscape In 'The Man of the House'.
How does the landscape reflect the ch,ld sh imagination ar d the
childlike fears of Flurry?
KEY POINTS
Irony s presertwren words are
used ·1 such a way tha; t1ey
communicate the opposite of
what they say. 1Nrat is ·onic about
t:,e title Tre Mar o' the House?
F urry t•les so hard to play the
part of a nusoand fo• his mot>1er fetcr ng tre doctor, going fo· rne
Medic ne. f)')a{ing tea for her - bl.ft
he fa ·s In every task. a'ld we see
tnat he Is not a man at all, PJt jus,
a little boy.
••
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Short stories - children
and racism
The stories 'Berry' and 'Blackout' share the theme of racism.
In this section you wi I:
' Blackout' by Roger Mais
• see how ,re diffe•ert stories
deal with •re same t:ieme ·acism
The opening lines of'To Da-d Jh, in Memoriam' mention that the f"arrator
was unab e to see properly. In 'Blackout'. we read that'ti'e city was In
partial blackoJt'. In both cases the reference to darkl'ess and being unable
to see is symbolic.'B!ackoJl' traces an ef"counter between a black Vo/est
Indian man and a white American woman. Througn the woman's reaction
to tne black man's s,mp,e request fer a light for his c'garette. her deepseated racism Is revealed. And wre11 he stoops to pick up the cigarette she
nas thrown away, he reveals his fierce pride in confi'ct with his ocve•ty.
• discover tnat the sarne ireme
can oe presented Ir dlffe•er,t
ways. evok rg d'fferen,
e'llot onal respo1ses.
Consider the following:
EXAM TIP
The e.><Cll¾ qt.testio""s
t.<St.<ClLLtf Cl,;~ tfOt.< to tClL~
a bot.tt Cl m.,v'or cl1cwacte..fvo.-... ecicl1 of tl1 e sl-lo..-t
Sto..-ie,; tfOt.< &1.,-e COl¾J>t:lni,cg .
'B-e St.tl"e to follow tl1is
i..,._,,,;trnctio..,,.
• The man appears first as "a slinking blacker snado·.,v' In the dark street.
\.Vhat effect does the writer achieve by narrating tre st0ry from the
point of view of ,re woman?
• \.I/hat would suggest to us that the woman s free from racist attitudes?
• \,I/hat ONE action gives her away, despite this appearance of being
liberated from racist attitudes?
• Find evidence that the woman's thoughts are filled with racist
stereotypes.
• Find evidence that this ma1 considers himself just as good as t,'le
vvcman.
• \.\/hat gives the man pr'de ii' the culture of his coJntry?
• \.Vhy is the man iritially amused by her reaction, and what causes his
amusement to change to "cold speculation' and cor,tempt?
• Can we be sure that the man was as contemptuous and insolent as the
woman claims?
• \>/hat is it about the man's manner that the woman finds "challenging
and d sturbing'?
• \,I/hat is your reaction to the man retrieving the cigarette from the
gutter?
KEY POINTS
An alluslof" is a re'erence to somethrig famllia· to rhe readersa farnoJs q1.1ctatlo1. a fairyta,e, sometrlrg r the B'o e - lnklrg
what is being discussed wit~ the event alluded to.
' Berry' by Langston Hughes
INnen Millberry, an African-American boy desperately in need of work,
,s sent by the agency to fill a vacancy at the children's home, the
housekeeper wants to get rid of him as soo1 as possible, but the docto· in
charge decides to keep him on. Although Berry's hard work, helpfulness
and kindness are exceptional, it takes only a small accident 10 give reason
for him to be dismissed - wirhout pay.
Consider the fellowing:
• Find evidence that Mrs Osborn's objections to keeping Berry spring from
rer racist attitudes ard not fro-n consideration for the other sraff.
• Find evidence it->at Mrs Osborn is infatuated with Dr Renfield.
• vVrat motivates Dr Renfie d to retain Berry?
• Find evidence trat Berry is badly exploited on the job.
• vVra, a,e Berry's suspicions about the chi drer,'s home?
• vVrat endears Berry to the reader?
• SJggest why suer a strong bend develops between Berry ar.d the
crippled children.
• 1Nren the accident occurs, what can we deduce from the reactions of
Berry, tne nurses, Mrs Osocrn, Dr Re1field and tne child who fell?
• Make the case fer 8erry that he is moral y superior to all the siaff at the
children's ho,-ne.
KEY POINTS
Point of view: alrrough'B:ackovt' s to d by a third oe•son na·rator
(not by the protagonist or ire antagon st), tre rarrator's knowledge Is
llml,ed tc tre woman's triougn,s: It does not penetrate tre thovgnts
ard motives of the mar., T1is Is an lmporrani device oecause t.ne
reader does rot k'lcw f ne car trust ;he wcr1a'l'S poir-t cf view. She
charges the mar with •cold speculation" ard 'contempt' but can she
be su•e tnat she Is readi1g his mlrd correct y7 O· is she projecting her
thougrts 01to h rn I
KEY POINTS
Conflict appears ·1 every story.
It can be ben°,een lrd vldua,s,
be,ween an lndlvldua and
society, or within ;re lndVidual.
11 'Slackcut'. tre conflict Is Ir side
each craracter, and between
tnem. The woman thinks she is
not racls,, oJt she Is, The man
fights between his pride and r s
need for a cigarette tnat allows
him top ck up one sne has
tnrown away, His personal dlgn ty
and f•eedom are In co1•·ct wl,r
her ,acis, assJr1pt,ons about o ack
people, and his nnocen, motives
are In conflict witn the deep fears
sne 1as of blac< men
Short stories - between
two cultures
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• explo,e s10,1es that talk about
the way Caribbean people
f'ld tremselves betwee1 two
cu, tures
• observe t:,e tension or co.1ftlct
experienced by lndiv dJals
caJght oetweer, t·No cultJres
• 1ot ce ,rat contrast and lrof"ly
are va, uable tools of wr ters
who deal witn the t1eme of
Caribbean mlgrat on.
Personal and cultural conflict
The following tnree stories examine so'lle of trese cultural differences, and
explore the lrternal conflict that people sometimes experience In coming
to te•ms vvith ,hose differences.
'To Da-duh, in Memoriam' by Paule Marshall
The narrator is a Barbadian woman now living in New York. She recalls
a vis·t made when s'ie was nine to see her grandmother in Ba•bados.
nitially she finds the old woma1 very strange, and cannot understa'ld
now he• grardmo1rer could be so proJd of her pathetically backward
country lifesiyle. To tre grandmother's dismay, the little g··1 brags about
her high-tech world, the modern songs she can sing and tre latest dances
she knows. Gradually, rhough, the bala'lce snihs, and botn the reader and
the little girl come to see the barrenness of re, New Yo•k lifesty e and
the richness and authenticity of her graf"ldmother's world. Sadly, both
grandmother and the old-time culture have now passed away,
EXAM TIP
Consider the follow:ng:
"B~ eo.,,,cise. tvta~ 1:JO"'-Y
• \oVhat are t~e narrator's first impressions of her grand,nothe·1
• How does the narrator's motner react to ,he grandmother?
po~Y\.t a.,,cl S1<.ppo.-t it witn
evicle~e fro""' tne ti:,xt. The""
""'?Ve o"" to v>cake a""otner
J>0 L"'-t. 15Xti1M-l.,,ers clo "'-Ot
appr~c~ate to"'-0 -wi.,,clecl,
i'tpetihve respo=es.
KEY POINTS
The lardscape or setting of a story
is not Just decoratlo1; It re ps
us to urde'sr.ind ,re cha•acte's
and the themes, In 'To Da-duh, 1
,Vemoda,n'. tre conflict be,wee1
grandmother ard gra1ddaJghter
ove• w,ose way of life Is superior
is f1'1irrored n the lardscape: the
gir feats t'1at the canes 'wou d
close In on us and run us tr'o\Jgh
with treir stiletto blades'. ard she
senses the canes "clas'ling like
swords' above her head.
• \oVhy is the grandmother impatient with the other relatives?
• \oVhat is the grand,nothe•'s in:tial reaction to tne narrator?
• l 'st the differences between tre girl's NewYor~ environment and the
environment ner g•andmother ives in.
• \>/hat does rre grandmother take pride In?
• \oVhat does the girl ta~e pride in?
• Find examples of the conflict oetween grandmother and grar,ddaughter
being reflected In the landscape.
• \oVhat is significant about the manner of Da-duh's death?
• Explain the sig1ificance of the final paragraph.
'The Two Grandmothers' by Olive Senior
In an lnr(guing narrative recnn·que, the g·r1 na·rato· addresses her
mother, giving her reaction to each of her grandmothers. Initially the
girl adores Grandma Del - a tyoical church-going country woman but as she grows, she Is increasirgly drawn to and Influenced by the
values of Grand ma Tows er, w th lier urban lifestyle ard liberated ways.
The a ternatio1 between tne two value systems essentially reflects the
conflict between uadltional Caribbean values and the materialistic ones
'mported from the USA.
Consider the following:
Nrat changes take place In ire style used by the narrator as the sto•y
progresses? Give examples.
• In Seetlon I, what do we learn about Grandma Del's values and lifestyle?
,rACTIVITY
• 1
• Referrirg to Section 11, list the ways GrandmaTowser differs from
Grardma Del.
• List the negatives aboJt ccumry life ,hat are shown In Section Ill.
• vVhat is the effect of having these negatives presented f,,om the point of
view of a child?
• vVrat things are important to the narrator n Section IV?
• vVt>at has charged ·n the na·rator rhat she now firds being at Grandma
Del's boring?
• vVtia, irformation does Eulalie reveal in Sect ion V?
• Section 1/1: accoJnt for the self-rejection that plagues the narrator.
• In Section VII, the narrator wants to break all ties w,th Grandma
Del. Do yo~ think she has made tne right choice between her two
grandmothers?
• List the s,mi an ties between Grandma Del and Da-duh.
• List the simi ar ties between the child narrator in 'To Da-duh, in
Memoriam' and the girl narrator after sne nas been nfluenced by
Grandma Towser.
'Georgia and Them There United States' by Velma
Pollard
The Jamarcan girl In this story is taxen to New York, and observes for
herself how phoney and lmltat°ve Caribbean people can become when
they migrate. She is as'iamed for them, and just wants to be back in
Jamaica. Notice row, by usir.g a letter in her story, the author gives us a
point of view in addition to tne narrator's.
1 Narrative techf'·que is
important ,n 'The Two
G·andmothers:
• Notice how the narrative
alternates between Grandma
Del and Grandma Towser.
Find evidence that supports
rhls.
• Notice too how the narrator's
use of language ard
grammar becomes mere
sophisticated as she gets
older, Collect evidence to
support this.
• Obse·ve how the d·ction
associated w,th each
grandmorrer reflects her
lifesty·e and va ues. And
quotes from the text to
support this.
1
2 ~ook at 'To Oa-duh, in
Memoriam' and eitner 'The
Two Grandmothers' or 'Georgia
and Them There United States'.
How does each author show
her app•eclaticn of traditio,nal
Caribbean culture and her
disapproval of imported
America1 val~es?
Consider me fellowing:
• vVl'at is Aunt Leticia's opin'cn of Jamaica?
• How does the narrator react to Leticia's letter?
are the narrator June's feelings for Jamaica ?
• vVl'at a·e her impressions of the Bronx?
• 1Nrat
• Find eviderce 1rat the narrator is not impressed with Aunt Leticia and
rer col eagues.
• vVhy are w·gs mentioned so often? Are they used symbolically by tre
writer?
• 1/Vnat does the narrator think of the changes In her co~sin, Georgia?
• Explain the irenic twist in the ast sentence cf Section V of the story.
• Find more examples of i•ony 11 the story.
KEY POINTS
A1 epist olary narrative descr°bes
a story that Is told by way cf letters
~Ve have or y ore letter n 'Georgia
ard T~em Tre•e United States: but
i, Is an importa~t dev· ce. Ir gives us
a poir.t ofvew en things Amer:car
that Is quite the opposl;e of that of
t:1e l"'arra\or,
Short stories - children
learning important lessons
LEARNING OUTCOMES
'The Day the World Almost Came to an End' by Pearl
Crayton
In this section you wi :
Vve have seen in var'ous stories that parerta, conflicts and the Illness or
death o' parents can rob a child of a sense of security.The little girl In
Tne Day the Vi/orld Al most Came to an End' faces fear and Insecurity of a
d,fferent kind: a religio1-induced fear of the world e1ding. Like Dory ard
Flurry, the narrator cf this story should be busy playing - not worrying
about adult concerns. Ard l'ke ,rem, she is more anxious because she
cnly part ally understands. She has been fed religioJs teaching aboJt the
end cf the world. and when she hears a terrific 1hundering noise she fears
that the hour has come. She runs down the street, warning everyone, but
1s eventua! y put OJt of her misery when her father expla,ns tnat it was just
an aeroplane flying low. The insight sne gains s that life is for living and
enjoying - not fo; distressing ourselves over how it will el"d.
• see how stories often s1ow
gro,0,th ,n the -na·n proi.gcn,sta movement from 1noce1ce
to exper ence, a Journey to
self•kncw edge, a growing In
-nat..ir ry
• trace the learnlngigrowing
experience o' the protagor sts
n selected srcrt stor'es.
Co,sider ,he following:
EXAM TIP
'"" 1::1ouv i"'-tYoduetov/j
l'_I" Ytl 0""J>n, ""'-e.,..,tio"" tl1e
titles of both stovies t11 iit
1::1ou &Ive WYcti""0 eibout
&1.,,,c( l:lot11 tiutnovs . yo .... witt
be focus,""0 0 .,.., ti s i1&1,-ec(
th e""'-e, so ,.,,tvoduce tl1&1t
tl1 e""'-e , "" /::j 01-<,.. ope ""'""0
pt1vt:1g,-&1pl1 too.
• Describe In decail now religio1 is presented In ,h's story.
• ~Vhat effect has this relig'cus teaching had 01 the narrator and her friend?
, Find examples of things tre narrator says aocut religion rhat are
amusirg.
• ~Vhy does Rena's news troJble the narrator?
• Compare Daddy's reaction to the prophecy with the narrator's.
• How serious are the narrator's s•ns?
, Comment on Daddy's handling oftnis linle girl with her hyper-active
imagination.
• Compare how tnis little gir and Flurry in 'The Man of the House' both
sJffer because of their overactive imagina,lo>1s,
• Is this a realistic presentation of a child's imag,nation at work?
, \,I/hat is to blame for this child's fr'ghtening experience: reiig'on or her
imagination?
KEY POINTS
The protagor· st Ir 'T'ie Day t1e
Vi/orld Almost Came to a1 End'
has bee, great y lnftuerced by
the fu1damerta,1st teaching from
tbe church 1 1er ccmmun ty. As a
result ner diction s full of religious
,erms: sl11r.er, Hell, converred, devil,
etc, The diction wil ofter tel l you
a great deal aboJl a charac;er.
his O' her view o' the word and
co1ff cts.
r ACTIVITY
I
Consider'The Day the World Almost Came to an End' and 'Raymond's
Run'. ~Vhat important lessor, does tne protagonist learn in each of
the stories, and In what way is each protagonist a better person after
learnlr,g that lesson?
'Raymond's Run' by Tony Cade Bambara
yo« <3ot a"'!:lt" l"'-0
Several of the stories you a•e studying po•tray tre theme of
ove and family relations. In 'Raymond's Run' we meet Squeaky,
a feisty African-American girl wnose job It's to taKe care of her
mentally challenged brother, Raymond. Squeaky is entirely
focused on her own career as a runner until sne sees rer brother
running t'1e race with her - but en the other side of the ferce.
The revelation that Raymo'1d could be trained to become a
runner (check out the word epiphany) transfo"ms Squeaky's
attitude to people and IJe: instead of thinkirg only of nerself,
she now wants to coach Raymo rd sc that re can excel and sl-ie even feels a new, but genuire, respect fo' her rival,
G-etcnen.
to sa!:j to ""'!:l brot"1e~
!:JO« sa !:j lt to ""'-e.
Consider the following:
• The style of this narrative expresses the personality of
SqJeaky. VVnat do you notice about rer sty,e of speaking?
• Make a list of adjectives trat accurately describe Squeaky's
character. ar.d for each adjective find at least one piece of
supporting ev dence.
• vVt-a, evidence do we have that Squeaky loves her brother
and understands his childish ways?
• vVhy does Squeaky object to being in tne Maypole dance or being a
flower or fairy or strawberry?
• Look at the last sentence of the sto•y. What aspect of rer training is she
criticising?
• In what ways is Squeaky a be1ter person at the end of the story ,t-an she
was at the beginning?
KEY POINTS
~eople do not 1,;sually tel you about their bad polrts and ,re r Fa ures.
Similar y, the 1-na'rator only tells you what he or she wants you to
<now. Squeaky Is nod ffere,11. She cells -is how brave and loyal S'1e s,
what a dedicated •unner, and so fortr. But s!1e does not te I us 1ra1
she is selfisr and self-cerrred: we "lave ro read between t~e ines tc
d scove, rnat. By :he erd o' the sto,y she has seen tnat fau t In nerself
and Is deter'll ned 10 work on It. But this Is W'1at you mJst re'llember:
1ever trust the -na'ratorl Always ass,,me that there CO\l'd be anotneangle on t1e story.
EXAM TIP
'""' l:JOUY co.,,eLuoli"'-9
'f>&1Y&1gy&1pk, S<-tlM. up tJ.ie
e&1se tJOu J.i&1ve ""'-&role i.,,
l:JOUY tsS&ll:J , you will J.i&1Ve
Le~n,,~ so1M.etJ.ii""9 bt:1
bY~""0'""9 tJ.iose two stories
toget'1e,; so tv.,ol l:JOUY
ess&1l:J Ill:! stati"'-9 w"1&1t
l::1°"; J.i&1ve le&1Y...,t - 0 ..., t"1e
5
"'~ ect of t"1e q l.{tstio...,, of
COUYSt.
Short stories - relationships
and internal conflicts
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• exp oce the stories that reveal
:re lrter1al conflicts a'nong
characters
• obse·ve tne tension
exoerlenced oy cnaraciers of
different cultJres and social
bac~g•ounds
• galr, awareness of the dilemma
of individuals ca Jght oerweer
tre past and presert
• exo o•e the ·rematlc I nks in tne
stories.
r ACTIVITY I
• What Is the function of'mlrt tea'
in the story?
• Explain how the social class
differences impact on ire
relationship of cne PNC women
in the story.
• Expla' n row each character
reflects on her past In the story.
KEY POINTS
Tre story 'M 1; Tea' Jses :re
techr que of flashback..•.t the
start of rhe story, we see ~lorence
reflect ng on her chlldrcod
experierces fondly. ll1 s techr ;qJe
a lows JS to understand her
dilemma as she Is happy w th
t~e times of her life that Involved
experierces o' eve and 'amlly fe.
The stories, 'Mint Tea: 'Blood Brothers' arid 'W'hat Happened?' explore
relationships and tne personal conflicts that confront lndividJals who
nteract with each other.V./hile some cf ihese confi,cts stem from the
·rdividual's personal prejudices as in 'Blood Brothers'. other confi lets arise
from social and cultural differences as in the stories of'Mint Tea' and 'Vvhat
Happe1ed?'.
'Mint Tea' by Christine Craig
INirh the Jse of the third person narrat,ve, we get an object,ve ins'ght
·nto the I ves cf Florerce Gates, an energetic, passionate, re:ig'ous. retired
school teacher, and Esm·e Grant, an Illiterate. obedient, homeless teenager,
ooking for a place to stay after she was put out of a children's rome for
coming of age. Florence takes Esmie to live with her and gives herself
the daurnlrg task of remouldirg Esmle into an assertive, religious person
with social graces. \~/hile Forence discovers tne beauty of her vo·ce in
church, she is unable 10 truly deve op Esm·e·s sense of independence
and se1f-ccnfidence, due to a past of subm:ss· en and loss. Nevertheless,
both lnd:viduals cornplemer11 each other. Florence is nurturing and needs
companionship and Esmle is dependent and impress'onable. In the story,
both women have to come to terms wit1 the past. Florence is plagued by
her cnildhood memories of hapoier t' mes, while Esmie is haun:ed by the
tragic death of her parents.
' Blood Broth ers' by John Wickham
Paul ard Benjy are tni rteen•year•o d twin brothers who are presented
as starkly different individuals. Benjy is daring, talented, competitive,
fearless ard self-absorbed. while Paul Is insecure, cautious. sens•tive
a1d timid. In the story their re,ationship ·s defined by: love and rate:
admiration and resentment: envy and emulation: and a longing to be
close but a desire to alienate. Vvith the use of the third person narrative,
?aJl's nner conflict with Benjy 1s made clear to tne reader as he exp'ores
h's negative t'loughts and reflects on his awkward experiences with
h'm. Benjy is unaware of his brother's resentment towards him a1d finds
himself at the receiving end of Paul's frustration and hate (which could
have erupted in an act of murder). As a resolution to rre story, Paul's
fears are understood and tne <:ircumstances of their re'ationshlp are
altered from that day onward.
'What Happened?' by Austin C. Clarke
·,vrat Happened?' is a short story based on an extended conversation
betNeen two friends, Boysle and Henry, who have known each other
for a long time. In the story, their ·elationship is den red by Henry, the
main character, a Barbadian migrant living :n Canada and married to a
Jewish woma1. In an eXlerded argument. Henry comp ains to Boysie
about several Issues that make him d'sencha1ted. These issues inc,Jde
the loss of:dentity, race, alienation and ire social and cultJral differences
faced by a mig•a,t. The greatest of nis dilemmas is h,s persoral confi,c1
with his wife, Agatha. Henry feels a sense cf inferiority because she is
ed•Jcaied, l:berated, passiorate and socially co,sclous. This resentment is
manifested in insu ts. ridicu!e and even ar act ofviolerce when he slaps
her In the face. The story is 'deally told In 1he third person narrative as it
offers the pe·spect,ve of Boysie, whose views are not tainted by persoral
experiences and prejudices. Thus, we get an oojeaive view of Agatha
as an lnterestirg and adm·rab>e person (although she is rot physically
p•esent In the story). After venting his frustrations. Henry describes ' funny
feelings that he has to let out~ The story ends vfth a surprising ironic twist
as he ded;cates a poem to his wife to show his appreciation for her.
I'ACTIVITY
Narrative technique is Important in the stories'Mlr.tTea'.'B ood
B·others'and'What Happened?'Explair, row the third person narrat've
Is effective in 'TIOVIGg the plot forward In each story.
a D•aw up a chart for each story discussed and allocate these themes
to the stories. whe·e applicable:
Family l'fe: conflict: religion; violer,ce: education; wome~
in society: Ill teracy; yearning for ire past: change; deatn:
grow,ng up; courage and bravery: fear; hate: social and culture
differences; ge'1der issues; loss of identity: race: c!ass prejudice;
friendshp and patronage.
b Make a note of the stories with similar tremes and draw parallels
betwee, them.
EXAM TIP
Wl,e.,., tJOK ave {;fskeci to a L
tecl,.,.,,qKe' '"" ouv e
"'-ti tJZe the use of 'v.{;frvative
foUowii,cg:
tJ
SS/;I tJS, 1:JOIA. l¾KSt COl'\.Sicier the
• settil'\CI
~
• plot
• writev's stljle
• strnch<ve
• elria Yl~eter
• pvesev,,,t{;ft,0 .,.,,
• te~e
• Kse of speeclri
• poi""t of view.
Rel¾el¾ber tlriat tl,e =rv{;ftive te I, ,
l¾e&l""'"'-9 of tl,e Liter/;!
k c "'-<que el'\.h{;f""ces tl,e
'""-/;lgil'\.t wlrJ(;ft is t(;t'- ' Ylj woLr {;f""ci lrielps KS to better
•d·"'-g p {;fee.
I
~Unit◄2I
-
--
Unit 2: Structured questions
Breath, Eyes, Memory
To Kill a Mockingbird
1 'In Breath, Eyes, Memory, vlo ence Is pervasive:
1 'To Kill o Mockingbird Is a novel that delves into
Write an essay In wh ch you describe 01\E
examo,e of violence against a man, and ONE
examp•e of violence against a woman.You
must also compare the reasons for and the
consequences o: rhose acrs of vio.e1ce, and show
row narrarive point of v·ew is used to 'Tlpact rhe
reade•·s response.
(JS marks in toto!)
2 'IV lgrarion plays an imporra1t role in ,re novel
Bre~1h, Eyes, Memory, yet t1e ves of the charaeters
remain deeo y rooted in Haiti'.INrlre an essay in
whicn you trace the impaet t'lat m:gratiori nas on
Martine ard Sophie.You must also demonstrate
the ways In wtiich trer, roots nJrture them, and
show how andscape Ir, the novel cortr:butes to
this theme.
(3S marks in rorol)
the Issue of prejudice h the small soutrierr, town
ofMaycomb:
Write an essay in w>-iich you describe TVvO
incide1,ts of p•ejud ce In tre novel. In this essay,
yoJ must also discuss how ONE of the lnc'dents
affeets rhe cnaraeters Involved and examine
ONEnarrative technique that the writer l>Ses to
highlight the impact of prejudice on otners.
(35 marks in 1010/J
2 'Despite the fact that ScoJt's motrer Is dead, she
has severa morrer-figures in rer life:
Write an essay In whlct' you ider-rify TV>/0
mo,her-figures ,n Scout's ,fe and tne •ole each
one plays. In rhis essay, you must also discuss
the conflict rhat she experiences with ONE
motr.er-figure, and examlre O\JE nar•arive
technique t'nat 's used to explore ,re
mothe•·daughter relat'onshlp.
(35 marks in toroO
Further practice q~estions
and examples can be found
en tre accompanyirg website.
For the Life of Laetitia
Animal Farm
1 In For the Life of Laetitia, the Socia' Studies teacher
presents to the class a p,cwre of the 'nappy
family', V./r'te an essay ir which you d scuss tr.e
tneme of fami. y as ;:,resented ,n rhe novel. You
must identify rhe cnaracteristics that ma~e for
haoo;, family life, and show how the technique
of contrast contributes to the effectiveness cf tne
discvss on.
1 'In Animal .Carrr. f\apolecn srruggles for power fer
(35 morks in coral)
2 Tre education of women s an lmpociant theme
in the nove For Che Life of Laetitia. \.Yrlte an essay
explor ng rhis theme. "ou must compare the
experiences of Laetitia and her fr er.d Anjanee.
arid suggest reaso,is for the lnclusior, In tre
narrative, of Mama Patsy and Arjanee's mother.
(35 morks in rota/)
selfish gains:
\oVrite an essay In wh ch you describe Naooleon's
strugg e for power in the rovella. In this essay,
you must discuss how tr s struggle Impacted or,
the lives oftre animals on tr.e farm, ard exam·ne
O'JE literary device tne writer uses to nighllght
the Issue of power and greed.
(35 marks in coral}
2 'The vision fer ,he animals a, the start of the
r.cvella Is a stark contrast m ,he erd ·ng:
1/Vrite an essay In wt,ch you describe the dream
of the ani1'1lals on Animal F=arm. In this essay you
must also d scuss t'le struc.u,es trat a·e p~t
In place fo• the real'.sation of rhls dream, and
exam ne the technique cf irony as It s used to
hignlight the destrJcticn of this dream oy me
erd of the story,
(35 marks In toral)
Further practice questions
and examples can be found
en tne acccmpany,ng website.
3 Poetri
3.1
Understanding poetry
'I
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Where do I start with the poem?
• rhlr< about d "fere1i struetures
tha; poems ca1 have
Vvnen you read a poem, the first thing that strikes yoJ Is tre situat;on cf
the poem - what takes place or what ·s being talked about. YoJ can as~
yourself the question: who is ta' king to whom about what? Butthat is only
the beginnlrg of your encounter with the poem.
• as~ yoursel' fa poer1 needs to
rryme
Why do poems have different forms and patterns?
In this section you wi :
• dlscove• tnat the sPeake• In tne
ooem Is not tre poet
• Jnderstard that ire poe'TI may
stir you emotions
• corsider ,ra, a poem will
::robably COl"'tair. a 'Tlessage.
You will discover that tnere are many different kinds of poem - long poems
and short ones. poems that have a regular stanza for'Tl and those that
do not, poems that sound very yrical (musical) and those that sound like
ordinary conversation. You will learn to apprec·ate why the poet chooses
the structure and anguage that re or she does.
Does a poem have to rhyme?
No. a poem does not have to rhyme. So'Tle poems use rhymes. but not
all. And rhyme achieves different results in differert poems. There are ma1y
otrer special techniques that make it a poem: the imagery, the rhythm,
the sound effects and tne emotion.
EXAM TIP
;&l rJ &1tte.,,tco"" to words
t."" the poe..... th&1t
..
rJO"' &1re
,us
"'"'-f&1l¾i.Lc&1r with . (..{Se
!'.JO".tt' dictiovc&1rt) to chee,k?_
th et.y l¾eClV\.l'...,_gs &IV\.d do.,,·t
be s"'Y'f'Yi.sed if therJ h&1ve
l¾ore t11ci"" ov..e l¾tCl vci.v..g.
Y0 "< "'-Cit) hcive di.se,overed
Cl j>L-<v..!
Poems, l,ke peoole, come n all shaoes ard sizes
Is it the poet speaking in the poem?
The poet is nor the speaker. The poet s like an actor pretending to be
someone else, who uses the speaker as a kind of mask. You will dscover
that the persona (spea~er) In tre poem can be anyone or anyth11g - a
horse, a homeless person. an unborn baby, a little child - or even a mirror,
as In Sylvia P'a1h's poem.
Who is the speaker speaking to?
The person being spoken to can vary 100: the speaKer might be talking to
him or herself (monologue), or may be doirg all the talking but expect' r.g
a companio1 to answer (dramatic monologue). The speaker may be
talking to someone wro is not present. or even talking to the moon o·
a dog or tre sea. The poem may even be In the form of a conversation
(dialogue), or the soeaker may be ta king directly to you, the reader/
listener.
What is the message the poet wants to get across to us?
The sirJation and the message of the poem are two different thirgs: In
'Orchids'. the situation shows someone deciding whethe' or r,ot to throw
away some orchids, but as we consider the poem ca•efully, we realize that
'Orchids' is actually not about fiowers; it's about poetry! The message Is that
a poem may not aopeal to us at first. bJt if we h:de ·t away in our memory
and wa't fer the meaning 10 unfold, we will discover its hidden beauty.
What is appropriate subject matter for poems?
There .s no limit ro what a poem can be about. There are poems about
love and death. about friendship and rarred, about war and peace. about
nature and techrology, about pcve•ty and wealth.
..... ...
Persona is tre Lat:n wor-d for
'mask'. The poet outs on a mask to
soeak 11 ,lie poem - Just as actors
assume a roe wren they go on
stage.That s why 'Ne alvvays rave
to ask oJrselves who or w>iat tne
sneaker ir, tre poem ·s.
EXAM TIP
As cli.sctA.ssecl i..., vt""it ~
Oa,\, l'YOSt, tne si.t«citi.o..., OY
evev,,ts tncit l:1 0 "' co""-e
ClCYOSS ClYt Cl k,i."'-'CI of
cocit nciv,,gey fo..- t ne "'<Ai.""
""-esscige. w niLe 1:10"'- v,,eecl
t o, be fCl""-cLi.ciy
wi.tn the
,
~•t_lA.Aho"" DY tVe"1.t:$, it
•s •~po_rtci ""t tncit 1:1o«
)'tYS<St l,v,, l:10'-<Y Clv,,aL1:1sis
of th e poe""- "'.""ti.L 1:1ou cav,,
expYess wnClt sts .,..,ci,...,
""'-esscige i.s.
How does the poem affect my emotions?
You will come across poems that make you fee' sad and poems that make
you laugh, poems that make you think and poems that make you angry.
How does ,re poet manage to affect your mood like that? In ih:s Study
Guide yoJ will discover the poetic techniques thai the peer can use in
order to man·p·Jlate yoJr emotions: the Imagery. the rhythm and rhyme.
the diction (choice cf words) and the sourd effects,
How can I study the set texts?
There 's no subStitute for Knowing your set texts tr,oroughly. Many of the
poems are short and yov may even want to learn them by heart. Should
yo·J do this you will find it easier to draw upon those examples in the
exam. 1Nlth the longer poems, you can select key lines and phrases to
memorise. This Study Guide wil relp you identify themes and poetic
devices to look for in ,re poems. It will guide yoJ In putting material
together In essay form ard show you how best to a1swer the exam
questions in both Paper 1 and Paper 2.
KEY POINTS
V•/hen you read a poem. you a·e
co aboratlng with tre poet to
make :re poe<n ccme alive. How
do you do this?
• vo~ allow the poet to engage
yoJr emotions by using a ra'lge
cf poet,c devices.
• And if you read the poem aloud.
yoJ are collaborat rg oy letting
yoJr voice be tne 1strJment
rhrot;gh wh:ch tne words 1
the poeri 'sing· out tne r var:ous
sounds.
Introduction to poetry
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• descr,oe the str Jct.Jre of tre
poem
• co'llmen· 01 the poem's tit,e
• consider ,re diffe•ence
betwee-i poe, and pe•sona.
Poetry is everywhere
Do you realise that you have been enjoying poetry ever since you learned
to speak? Dees that surprise you? As a baby, yoJ p•obably went off to
sleep hearing so'lleone singing to yo.J, and you almost certainly :ecited
nursery rhymes at ~indergarten. Later on you possib'y sang rel,gious so1gs
or hymns at your place of worship, and at scrool you became familiar with
a number of folk and nationa songs. In the p:aygrourd you learnt vario.is
rhymes that ycu ard your friends chan,ed as you jumped a sk'polrg rooe
er played clapping games. All of irese - Iul abies, nursery rhymes. bhajans,
folk so1gs, national soPgs ard p'ay rhymes - are poetry.
Of course yoJ graduated from childish rhymes years ago. ard row
perhaps you are a fan of rap or chutrey. rapso or calypso. Here. as you
prepare for your CSEC exams. you a•e invited tc enjoy poems that are
suitable for your age grouo. poems that offer a o:t of a challenge a'1d a
great dea o' p easure. The CSEC collection you ho:d in yo.ir rands will
make you think ard ·t will make you feel.
>lave your CSEC poems open rext to you as you work tnrough this Study
Guide. And above all, enjoyl
The title of the poem
Most poems have a title. Sometimes the title conta·ns the key to the whole
poem, ard sometimes it is used iro1ical y as a k'nd of joke or as a satirical
comment. Be prepared to comment on how well it ras done its job.
/ ACTIVITY
I
Check ibe dictior In Mitchell's
poem.
• How many words can you find
that refer ro a sexual encounter?
, INnat do yoJ rhinK about a
religious leader using these
words when talking about tre
woman he is condemni~g for a
sexual offence?
Consider the title of Elma Mitchell's poem 'A Stone'sThrow'. The poem
Is based on an event in the l'fe of Jesus. A woman, caught In the act of
adultery, is brought to Jesus for Him to pronounce senterce on her, giving
the Pharisees permiss'on 10 stone her to death, as the law prescribed. The
speaker in the poem, one of the Phansees, seems to gain some p'easure
from rough-handling the woman, and 1he merciful reaction of Jesus to t~e
woman's 'sin' annoys the speaker intense,)'. like most of us, the Pharisee
much prefers to point the firger at anoiher person's sinfulness than to
confess his own shortcomings.Tbe title here is effective because it is a kind
of pun with three meanings:
• Ii refers. literally, to the stor,es that the re lg cus leaders want to throw at
the woman to execute ne·.
• It refers to the metaphorical saying thar 'People who I've In glass hoJses
should not throw stones'.
• 11 reminds us that sitJations where indlv'duals are being made
scapegoats are always rearby. just 'a stone's tnrow' away from us.
The tit e, tnen, with its layers of meaning, co~ta ns t~e entire message of
the poem.
EXAM TIP
5\/t"' •f tJOK ewe t1ble to
~""-orise t'1e e"-tire poe""- _
wnicl1 is exceLLtM - it is
btst to ~""-oYi.se sno,t
qL<.Ott1tio= (-4- G worcl.<;)
for K.<;t i"' t'1e ext1Y>\.. niJ
~o fi.vcd "(Kotts tkt1t will
tLLK$wt1te t)OKY ]'OiM
ext1 c.tL!'.J,
T,e speaker Is r,ot tr e poet, but a mas, that tr e poet ass, mes,Just as an actor assumes a 1ole
,.,ACTIVITY
Explain why the following cho·ces of speaker are effective.
• An intelligent young black man at an all-wh,re college ir 'Tneme for
English B'.
• An O' Hlgue 10 suggest that women refuse to face up to their
hidden fear and rage.
• An upper-class ooy to speak about the behaviour of rough k ds in
'My Parents'.
• An emlgre In 'Sol.Ith' to praise the friendliness and beauty of the
Car:bbean,
The speaker
VVnen poets write, they often pretend to be someone else; they put on
a mask (persona) Just as an aaordoes on the stage. ,V1ltchell's 'A Stone's
Throw' has a religious leader (a Pharisee) as the speaker. ar.d when he talks
we discover that althougn 'le ,s accusing a woman cf advltery, his own
thoughts are by no means godly - in fact they are full of sexual desire. It is
del gh,fully irenic to hear a self-rign1eovs fellow unwittingly reveal his cwn
naugnry thoughts. In Plath's 'Mirror' tne speaKer is a mirror! As the mir,or
speaks, he shows h'mselfto be critical and unsympathetic, priding himself
on his truthfulness wnen, In fact. wnat he tells the woman about herself
hurts her te•ribly. H's insensitivity makes us even more compassionate
towards the woman who so bad'y needs h s approval.
EXAM TIP
if t'1e SJ>ttl/ur '"'- ti 'f>OtY>\.
Creole, be l'rt]'t:irecl
~o SCI tJ WhtJ tl1is c.noice
~s ilJ>J>;OJ>rit1te. C!l"" t)OK
tV1<.t1g,""e ti"' ot Hi.gKe
SJ>etl~i"'-g Li~e ti 'B'BC
ti "'-"'-DK"'-C.tr.; for L"-Sttl "'-Cl?
WoKlcl J>lOpLe '"" t'1e Crowe(
tit ti, cric~et V1<.t1tcl1 ,.,., tl-te
C!l r,bbei:i"" spet1 ~ Stt1""cf ti vc(
6 "'-0Lisk? Creole t1clcls
tlKti1e~icittJ, vigoKr _ tlt,1,c(
SO~h~S nKY>\.OKY to
tne c.ni:i rt1c.ttrist1tio"" of t'1e
spet1k,er.
K.<;t.<;
The structure of the
poem
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• meer different poem structures
and be able to co1111ent on rhe
furctlon of each structure
• discover that each stanza or
sectlor Ir a ooem develops a
nevv angle on tre arg Jment er
Introduces a new (vl1lst In the
acrior.
Just as houses are constructed differently. poems have different structures
too. Look at the shape of the poems in yoJr collect:on. Some of tre11
make a neat panern on tre page. but some seem to ~ave little regular
shape at a' I. Some are written as one continuous piece, while others are
oroken into sectio1s called stanzas. In some poems the starzas are all the
same length; in others the stanzas vary in length.
Many of these poem shapes have no special l"'ame, bvr some are found
often erough for them to have a name. The three poetic forms you are
most likely ro come across are these:
• A ballad ·s a narrative poem vlth four-line stanzas and a simple, regular
rnyme scheme.
• A sonnet is a poem of 14 lines. traditionally with love as ·ts theme. The
JA. lines are divided 1lke ,r·s:
- e'ther three quatrains (groups of four Hnes each) a'ld a final couplet
(two lines) - an English (Shakespearean) sonnet
- or an octave (a group of eight lines) followed by a sestet (a group of
six lines) - an Italian (Petrarcran) sonnet.
An example of a Petrarchan sonnet is Vo/ordsworth's'Sonnet Composed
Upon Vo/estminster Bridge'.
• A free-verse poem Is a poem that does nor make use of regular line
lengths. regular sta1za forms or end rhymes. McvVatt's ·o'Higue' is one
example of free verse.
EXAM TIP
/v\Q "'-l:J
of l:JO"-Y CS6C
'f'Otl¾S "1ave bee""
YtCOYolecl. cl1eck t11e
•~en,.et a""ol l:JO<-<Y
l•bYllYl:J for Ytcoroli.,,,gs.
Llste"" to tl1e )'Ot""-S
bei"'-9 Ytt1ol bl:J
)'YOfessio"'-Cl L Cl ctol'S Cl .,,c(
e,o.,,sicler tl1e to"'-t av.cl
iv.to....,i;itio..,_ of tl1eir
olelive'1:J, WI-lat olevices
aye i;il'l'i;i"e"-t to l:JO"- ,,,.,
tl1eiY )'tyfon1A.a....,ce?
Notice tl1e l'atteY"'-5 of
styessec( a..,_c,1 <-<"-StYessec(
Sl:Jllables t l1i;it s"1ape tl1e
)'Otn<,'s yl, ljt"1 ""'-·
r ACTIVITY I
The poems by 1Nordsworth, Donne and Ma11 ey Hopkins are all sonnets,
but tbey do nor all have1he same rhyme scneme. Mark rhe end
rhymes In each of these poems.vVhat have you discovered?
f the poem you are studying does not fit any of these descriptions, simply
say wrether it is broken into sta<'zas or r.01, whether or not the stanzas are
of regular length, and whether O' not rhyme is used
Always consider tre llrk between tre suuau,e and the meaning it is
•rtended to convey al"'d ask yourse,f: what is the effectiveness of rhe
choice of structure?
8ecause the ballad form maintains ire same sing-sol"'g panern
througnout. it gatne·s momentum as it goes alorg. If the poem has a
surpr' se ending, we are shocked because we were being lulled to sleep by
the easy-going rhy,h11 of rhe stanzas.
VVny does Vvordswor1h opr fo, the so1ne1 form to ce1ebrate the loveliness
of London In the ear y morning? Sonnets were popularised In the
16th century as a form in which a young covrtier would praise the beauty
A ballad Is aform of folk poetry
Asoroet Is aCOJrtly form of poeur
of the woma1 he loved. It is a1 eli tist literary fo·m, bvtVo/ordsworth
decided it was the form besi suited to captu•e for eternity the utter beauty
of the city as it lay stil l and silent. bathed in glorious sunsh·ne.
The free-ve·se form in a poem makes for a conversational tone. The
absence of regular rhyme and rhythm al cws for a more hesitant,
sometimes swmblng movement as the speaker tr,es to express difficJlt or
confiictirg thoughts, and the reader can concentrate on those thoughts,
1ot d·stracted by rhymes.'01'Higue'ls a f·ee-verse poem, and that is
appropriate because the speaker is a fo k figure talking Creole. She asks a
couo.e of rhetorical questions, and we get the sense i~at she is drawing
us into her thfnking. Each of the three irregular stanzas t->andles a different
p11ase of her argument, tnough, so we can still identify a srructuring of t1e
thoJghts, even tnougt, tradit'onal structures are ,1ot used.
ACTIVITY
Refer to the poetic forms and, using a copy of the table be!ow. list
examples from your poetry collect'on of the major poet'c fo,ms:
sonnet; free verse with no rnymes ard witnout •egular stanzas; free
verse With some rhymes and/o• regular stanzas.
Sonnet
'Sonret Composed
Upo1 vl/estminster
Br dge'
Free verse with no
Free verse with
rhymes and without
some rh ymes and/or
regular stanzas
regular stanzas
'Orchids'
'Theme for English B'
'The \,Voman Soeaks'
The sound of poetry 1
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi I:
• learn hov1 to detect rhyme ard
rrythm
, see how ny'11e and rrythm
contribute to t.1e sound and
,re mood cf tne ooem.
Rhythm
Often the first t1ing you notice about poetry .s its rhythm. Think of the
sorgs you enjoy listening to and the national sorgs of your coJntry. You
can quickly detect the rhythm. Rhyihm (what musicians call the beai) is
created by the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables In the line.
A poem's rhyihm may be regular (g;ving a sense of order and pattern)
or Irregular (giv,ng a sense trat the speaker is hesitant, unsure, even
conf_ised). Some rhydvns have a military oeat aoout them and sound
Iike so'11eone marching; otrers are soothirg, rocking; others suggest a
dancing step. You will learn ,bat poets choose a rhythm that best suits the
subject they are dealing with.
These lines from 'A Lesson Fo• This Sunday· have a regular, soothing rhythm.
$tressed ard unstressed syllables are alternated: v - v - v - (t'·tum, ti-tum,
ti-tum);
The growing idleness of summer grass
In scansion gentler than my ham11ock swings
Since I lie idling from tne thovght in things.
The regular rhythm and the end rnymes (swings/things) In this openi 19
stanza of the poem are aporopriate because the speaker is resting
peaceful yin his hammock out in his garden on a quiet Sunday mo•r\'ng.
In 'South; the predominant rhythm is different: - vv - w - vv (tum-ti-!'.,
tum-ti•t', tum-ti-ti):
B•ight waves splash up from the rocks to refresh us
... Into the limitless morning before us
'.lead these two lines aloud and see if you can imagine tre gentle rocking
cf a boat on the waves.
KEY POINTS
Tre poet 11ay est.aollsh a specific
rnythm, bu, trat rhythm w ,1 be
lnterrvoted wherever ;ne poet
w shes to r,gh ght a key word, or In
order to lnirod~ce a sense of craos
Into a situatio1 tha, nad previoJsly
beer peacefu ard O'derly. A
steady. repea,ed rhythm lul s the
readers to sleep; b•e;;iking that
rhychm ,olts tnem awake .galr ard
;ells neri to TAKE NOTICEI
In contrast. loo'<at these two lines from 'Dulce et Decorum Est'. Instead of
uslrg a regular rhyihm, the pee, deliberately gives us lines that stumble
along, mimicking terrified. ungainly moveme1ts of the soldiers:
Bent doub:e, like old beggars under sacks.
Knock-kneed. coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge .. .
Similany, in '01' Higue: McvVatt wants to establish a co-iversational tone,
so tnere Is no regular rnythm - jusr ,re type of utterances an old woman
might make as sre thinks aloud:
YoJ thin~ I wouldn't ratrer
take my blood seasoned in fat
black-pudding, IIke everyone else?
Read each examp'e a:oud.1Nalcott alternates stressed and unstressed
syllables, Bratrwaite uses a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed
syllables, and Owen and Mc\ol/att provide no rhychm'c pattern at all, yet each
rechniqJe is appropriate fo• tre subject maner cf tre poem it is used for.
ACTIVITY
• You can find stressed and unstressed syllables In
any word with more than one syllab•e.
Look at these examples: poss-f-BIL·it•y, COM-pet·
ence. im-POR·tam.
The poet arranges words to take advantage of
tnese stress patterns.
• Ma~e a 11st of po'ysyllabic words and h gnlight
the stressed syllable(s) in each.
• \Jow take a couple of ires from each of your
poems, ard highlight the stressed syllables to
see If a pattern emerges.
Note: Even ifthe rhyihmic pattern is fa'rly regular. ·t
will occas1ona ly be disrupted. See If you can say wny
the poet chose to break the rhythm at that pol'lt.
• Look at how we have marked the rhythm in tnis
line from Donne's sonnet, 'Deatr Be Not Proud':
v-v- v-v-vFrom Rest and Sleep, which bvt thy pictures be
As you can see, the rhythm in tne l;ne is regular ti·tum. ti·
tum, bUt now look at this other ine from tre same poem:
v- v-------
Read both lines again, giving a heavy stress (beat)
to the syl•able marked by a line. As you can see.
when Donne wants to emo'laslse keywords in tne
line, he disrupts tne sing-song rhythm that he Jses
elsewhere.
Mark eacr line of;)onne's poem. showing wh'ch
syllables are stressed, and wh·ch are unstressed.
Wh ch key words are stressed by this technique?
Is the message of tbe poem made clearer by this
clever arrangement of stressed and unstressed
syllab,es?
• Now mark the stressed and unsuessed syllab es
In each line cfWordswor.h's ·sonnet Composed
Upon V'lestminster Bridge'. To get you started,
here are two I nes with a fairly regular rhythm:
v-v- v-v-vTre river glideth at his own sweet will:
v-v- v-v-vAnd all that mighty heart Is lying s,ill!
Whicn li'les depart from this regular ti-turn
rhythm? V•/hat effect is achieved by the
rearrangement of stresses?
And death shall oe no more: Death, trou s1alt diel
Rhym e
Because poetry is intended to be read aloud. you should practise reading
each poem as if you were pe·forming for an audience - bringing out the
beauty of the rhythm and the soJnds of the words. 'Nhat exact y do we
hear when a poem Is read aloud? In addition to the rnyrhrn, we may hear
rhymes. Rhy-mes can occur ar the ends of the lines (end rhymes) o• within
the line itself (internal rhyme). Some rhymes do not sound quite identical
(e.g. 'rears/prayers' in 'The V•/o-nan Speaks to the Man who Has Employed
her Son1, and we call these half rhymes or rear rhymes. Full rhymes give
a sense of order and pattern - a sense tnat everything ·s goirg according
to plan. Half rhymes may suggest that the speaker is lo'lging for order ar,d
harmony in life, bJt somehow trat r,armony eludes him o, her, vVhat effect
does the rhyme have 01' you? Does it g·ve you a sense of calm a1d order?
Is It playful and funny?Or full of threat and menace? Does it highlight
particular words so that they i'Jmp out at you?
Manley Hopkins sometimes rhymeswords that are key to his message:
wren talking aboUt the weary labours of mankind, ne uses tre rrymes toil/
soil: trod/shod. Yet when re talks aboJt the divine renewal of Nature. the
rhyming words are full of rope: springs/wings. 'Dulce et Decorum Est' makes
use of rhymes, but not for a musical effect; rather, tne rhymes highlight
words that are important in tne poem's message: sludge/trudge, boors/hoots,
fl.imblinglsrumbling. Owen undersco·es the rorrors cf war by usirg rhyme to
emphasise the dreadful sourids and sights of trench warfare. He even makes
glory rhyme with mori, to Insist ,t>at t rere is no gory, but only death.
The sound of poetry 2
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• ldent fy a literatio1, assonance
and 01omatopoe a
• lear1 10w 10 coriment on
tre sourd effects achieved
and their 'elatlor,shlp to tre
message.
Alliteration, assonance and ono matopoeia
Some otne, sound effects in poetry are alliteration, assonance and
onomatopoeia.
• All Iteration occurs when a consonan, sound ·s repea,ed. Not1ce ,hat ph
sounds tre same as f, and can sound similar to s, so co detect al literatio1
you must iisien to the sound and not look at the spell ;ng.The alliteration
may mimic the sound of whatever the poet is talking about. Quite often,
too, alll,eration works in much ire same way as a nighllghting pen - it
draws your anention to specific words.
• Assonance is p'oduced by the repet'tior of the same vowel sound and aga·n, you must listen to the sound and nor be distracted by the
spell Ing: caughr, mourn and port have the same vowel sound, yet the
spell lr.g of each ·s quite different.
• Onomatopoeia Is a poetic device that we use regularly n everyday
speech: braps, boddup, kerplunk are ono'11atopoeic words that we find
in Creole, but we a so use words like squelch, pitrer•potrer, splash. In
other words, 01omatopoe·a occurs both In words that we Invent to try
to mimic a part'cular sound, ar.d ,n words that have been invented by
others and have found their way into the d:ctio1ary. Fer a wo:d to be an
example of onomatopoeia, it must try to m'tate ,he sou~d it refers to,
Examples of sound effects from your CSEC poems
n his poem ·south'. Bra1hwa·te chooses to use no rhymes at all, but he
uses alliteration frequently to g·ve a musical sound to h:s lines: brighr
beaches, sound of the sea, sharp slanting sleet, waiting ond watching, seashells shift, parh mode ofpebbles. He brings asso~ance rnto play tco, life
heoved and brearhed in me.The phrase seo-shells shift could be an example
of onomatopoeia. Do you think tre words mim'c tre sound of she,I s
crunching underfoot?
Li Sten to the sour.d effects in '\>/esi Indies, USA'. The voice of the p'lot
crock/es as ·1co:nes over the Intercom, that onomatopoeic word captJres
the sound of static.
Notice t,~e alliterated r sounds In this line:
EXAM TIP
ThroJgh toughered, tinted glass the contrasts tantalise;
The alliterat'on h'ghlights the wo'os suggeSting tne tight security
(roughened, tinted'), and as you read the entire line, it ,s almost as if you are
spitting out the words ,n disgvst - wh'ch is precisely the atrituce 1he poet
wants to creare. In the sarr.e poem we have this line:
poll shed Cadillacs shimmy'ng oasi Rastas wit'1 p•Jshcarts
That wcrd shimmying may make you think of a sensuous woman in
a silky dress manceuvrlng her way sexily through ,he crowd, and the
all iterated clustering of sh ands sounds could give an aural sense of the
sour,ds of vehicles 'Tloving along the road. is rhis effective to describe an
expensive car ?
, ACTIVITY
I
Read these quctations a oud, stenlng carefully to tne sounds made
oy tne words. Do the sourds match what Is beirg described? Fo•
exa'T1p1e, can you hear the swish of the sc,~he iri the first example?
Can you hear the roise of the storm In tre onomatopoeic whistles,
rl)mble and crack of Ru bad rl's ooem?
• As summer grass sways to the scythe's design
• The v'lind whistles by ... Rumble, tremble and crock ...
• The pilot's bland , .. drawl crackles as we land
• Vl1har kind offather would give his son hor ana exploding I death
• /,tly lovgh in the mirror I shows only my teeth /Ike a snake s's bore fangs
• It wl/1 flame our I/Ke shining from shook foil ... like the ooze ofoil
crushed •. . Generations hove trod, have trod, hove trod
• Knock-kneed, coughing like hogs, we cursed rhrough sludge
• Sharp slanging sleet and the hail ... Bright waves splash up from the
rocks to refresh LIS
• Amomenr's hint of guilt of sorrow for the quick slop struck.
What is the effect?
1Nnen you co'Tle across these sound devices in a poem, always ask
yoJrself what effect they are havi rg. Soft allitera1ed sounds (I, m, n. s, th.
sh, etc.) usually create a soothing atmosphere. wnereas harsh sounds
(d, r, ch, sk,J. etc.) are noisier and suggest activity or darger. Repeated
long vowel sounds tend to produce a mournful effect, and the effect of
onomatopoeia wl I vary according to wnat is being mimicked.
Poetry as pictures 1
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• discuss how s·-n, es ard
metaphors create pictures and
Images n yoJr m nd
• consider how ,o commerT on
:rose Images c•eaied.
Vve have discussed how a poem sounds; now we will think about poetry
as a ser'es of pictures in your mind. The word we use for These me1tal
plaures is imagery. FoJr Important types of imagery (picture-mak·ng) are
simile, metaphor, personification ard allusion. In each case, wratever
Is bei'lg discussed in the pcem is compared w,th somethi'lg else, and the
reader Is invited to imagine the two Images (pictures) side by side. As yo·J
compare the two mental p·ctJres, new ideas co-ne to you about what the
poet is communicating.
Simile
EXAM TIP
n the case of a simile, the co-nparison will be signalled by the use of either
/Ike or as.
~e pl<-<Yi!l of """'-age is
l ook at this simile In Gab•iel Okara's·Once Upon aTime':
i,w,agu. (-me i,w,agu evolu
a clYeil""'-L•ke l'.!t""'-ospneYe.)
"?1e colle~t•~e V\.OIA."" for
images cs imagery. ('me
poet =es '""'-"'0fYl:J to cYellte
" clYtlll¾like ilt""'-osphtYe.)
Rel¾tw.beY ti-lat l:J DIA.
snoulcl ....,ot ""-1'.!ke imagery
)'L<-<ral. ('The imagerits
cYellte a clYta.,,.,like
at""'-ospneye' woulcl V\.Ot be
COYYect,)
.. . my laugh n the mirro•
Shows only my teeth like a snaxe's bare fangs!
Two pictJres come Into our mind: we see a man laughing as he looks in
The mirror, showing his lovely white teeth. a1d then the second picture
ju-nps into view as we see a snake opening its mouth to reveal Its 'bare
fangs'.
Vo/hat Is ire effect of this simile?The s·milarity between the two p·c,ures Is
that in both we are looking at a mouth w'th teeth, bJt the big d:fference
Is that the man's happy, Innocent laugh has been transformed Into
something dangerous and frightening. Tne speaker is bemoaning the fact
that as re has grown older and learnt the ways of society, he has changedhe ras lost h,s innocence. So rhe poet reminds us cf the sna~e mat long
ago foJnd its way INo Pa•adise to let us understand how much tre man
nas changed AND to ma~e us feel sorrowful, and even anxious to know
that sJch a corrupted person is the ro!e model for a little child.
n a worderful s:mile from ''Nest Indies, USA; the islands oftre Caribbean
as seen from an aeroplane 'seem like dice tossed on a cas'no's ba1ie'.
Immedia,ely the picture of dice landing rando-nly on the green cloth of
the casino tab'e reminds us of the random arrangement of islands on a
map of t'1e Caribbean.
But In addition to giving a v!sualimage, the gambling refererce reinfo·ces
the speaker's idea that some 1sla1ds are luckier ,ban others, and tnat
Puerto Rico takes the jackpot ard is the 'Dallas of ire V•/est Indies'. Tre
extended simile is perfect,y appropriate for the following contrast
cf wea th and poverty, and of the uneasiness over the tight security
necessary tc protect the rich from the pcor.
Metaphor
INith a metapror, rhe word like or as does not appear, but a comparison Is
stil taking place.
In Virtue·s 'Landscape PaiNer, Jama•ca: the speaker refers to the artist's
paintb•ush as a humming-bird:
A tireless humming-bird, his brush
D·ps, darts, hovers now here, now there,
\Vhere puddles of pigment
Bloom in the palette's wild small garden.
Think aboc1t a h•Jmming-bird as it moves. ls It ·'tireless'? Does it dip, dart
and hover? Does it seek out brightly coloured flowers in tne garden? Now
think about the painter's brush. Does it dip in ard out of rhe "puddles of
p·gment' on the painter's palette?
'Nhat is t'ne point of the comparison - the metaphor sayirig that the brush is a
hummhg-bird? vVe see how busy the I ttle brush s. ho·N it moves rapid y from
one colour to another, how somet mes it hes•tates, but over and over it d'ps
In. The brush a most has a life of its own, doesri't it? The poem gives us a sense
cf beauty being caotured in art, so this metaphor is very effective il'deed.
ACTIVITY
EXAM TIP
-me exa miv..ey wa "'ts to
kv..ow if JjO'< ca.,,,
• ide""tiftJ tne poetic device
• COV\ol.l¾tv..t O"'- its
effective1A,tss i""
co.,.,vetli""9 Hie poeVl<.'s
V\ol.tssa c.e
.,
• 1.<se t:)01.<Y
ptYSOl'\,i;JL
,
expevt;v..ces to i.,,f0 """'Jj0'<v L"-ttvpYetati0.,., of
t'1e text.
PYactise ti1i.s cis V\ol.1.<cv. as
JjO'-< ca"" befoYe tke exa""al'\.O( eve.,, if t)O'< nave '
~t ~ad exactltl t'1e sa l¾t
ex-pevi;""~e, tYJj to t'1i.,,k_
of Cl SLl¾Llay recictiovs JjOK
11ave l1ad ov eve.,, 11ow
i'.1°'-< V\,\.ignt feel iv.. tnat
sitKatio"".
I
• Find sim:les in otre• poems. For each example, say what t'NO pictures have been put Into your m·nd, and
comment on the slmllarltles.
• Some metaphors are fa' rly short, OJ! others a,e lor1ger, and we call them extended metaphors. The poem
·orchids' Is an extended metaphor comparing poems to a spray of unwanted but strangely al urirg orchids.
• Flrd some metapho•s In otrer poems. \/'/hat two pictures does each one create In your mind? Comment on
the effectiveoess.
Remember tnat yo,Jr own reactio,1 and opinion are val Id so long as you can find eviderce in the poem to
substantiate what you say.
Poetry as pictures 2
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• ldent fy the pce:lc device of
persor ncaclon
• recog"1ise t1e device o' allus on
• lear1 10w to comment on ;t-e
effectiveress of ,hese devices In
,re poem.
ACTIVITY
• Fird examples of personircaticn,
• ~Vhat effect is ach1eved In
'It is the co-1stant Image" by
personificarlon of tre land?
Personification
Personificat on, like simile and metaphor, is a comparison, but here the
·tern being described is referred to In words that are usually used for a
person, hence ihe word personificarion.
Look at tne personification in Vivian Virtue's 'Landscape Paimer, Jamaica:
The speaker tal~s aboLlt the mountains as :f they are family membe·s
positicning themse ves for a group photog•aph.They "pose for nim . . .
dignified. self-conscioJs". Virtue shows us the seated elders and the
grandchildren fidgeting in the foreground. Tr.e picture wil l end up Ir the
·'family a,bum~ All of these words woJld normally be used for people,
wou dn't they? Yet here tney are used to personify the hills and mountains
that the pahter is trying to capture n his art.
Vo/hat Is the effect?INe fird ourselves looking affecticnately at the hi' sand
mountains, and chuckling to think of the little hil s''frustrating the painter's
arr" by their endless 'fidgeting'. 8.Jt since we know that hi Is and mountains
do not move around. we ask ourselves wnat the speaker means, and we
discoverihat he is really talk' ng about ,he way the sunlight and shadow
on the landscape is forever changing It subtly, so that he has quite a task in
hand to capture its beauty defin'.tively.
V•/crdswortr similarly uses personification:
The c'ty now doth, IIke a garment. wear
The beauty of the mo·ning
The river gl'deth ar his own sweet will:
Dear God! The very houses seem asleep;
The river, like a person, has a will of his own, and t~e houses, l'ke
people, are asleep, while the city wears a garment. What effect does this
personification have? '•Nordsworth turns the city Into a living person,
asleep and being wakened by rhe morning sun. NO longer is rhe c·iy an
·!'animate object. bLlt someone to be loved and admired - someone
narmless and beautiful In sleep.
Allusion
An allusion is made wnen the speaker expresses his or her tnougnts or
chooses anguage in such a way that we are reminded of a similar s·tuation
outside of the poem - usually In other literature. B•b!ical a!Ius ions are ve,y
common 1n European literature.
Look at tne use of allus·on In Wilfred Owen's 'DJlce er Deco-um Est'.The
Latin quotation tnat forms the last two lines of the poem a'1d its tit e is
taken from an cde by the Roman poet Horace. The nofon that it is 'sweet
and fining to die for one's native land'was apparent y strongly held in the
time ,hai Horace was writing, bur Owen does not st'>are Horace's op'nion.
Fo' Owen, there .s nothing sweet or fitting about death in the trenches
,n France; war is just an experience o' -neaningless ho,ror and agonising
degradation.
/ ACTIVITY
I
• 'Nhat do you Imagine war was like in Roman rimes? Or In rribal wars
in pre-colonial Africa I Do yo•J think a young man could w,n glory
and honour, along witn a few irJuries that would leave manly scars'
• How is warfare different In this century?
Vilr-a1effea does ,re allusio'l have here? By invokirg the attitude of a1
age lo'lg gone - rhe attitude that deatl, on rhe battlefield is something
glorious - Owen is able to snock us deeply with his own account of war,
showing us the appalling, Inglorious reality. ,Ve find ourse,ves compa•lng
tne kind of fighting that brought honour and s\Jccess to the soldierswith
me horrific realities of modern warfare, and we agree with Owen that any
soldier who has act•Jally been to the Front knows that the ta:k of glory and
honour Is 'tne old lie". V,ie become angry that young men ard women are
lured to tre battlef eld w'th lies.
EXAM TIP
• Atlusiov. is ti1e YI.O<A.v..·
Rllt.<de is ti1e verll.
'
• nie poet ,,s:es 11.,,,
Rllt.<s:io.,,, or vua~s; c,.,,,
Rllt.<s:ioi,i., to SOl¾tti1i"'-9
b<A.t t:1llt.<des; to
'
someti1i"'-fj. 'Be cAref,,<t to
e><press ti1is correctttl·
' ACTIVITY
Fird out all you car about the condifons that soldiers fought under
in tre Flrst\l>/orld vvar.
1\'iervyn Mo·ris uses allusion In his poem 'little Boy Crying'. Look carefully
at the second stanza, and you wi I see thar the speaker is al uding to the
story of'Jack the Gian, Killer'. After describing the "ogre, rhat grim giant'
who 'towers" ove· the little boy, the speaker moves to the end of tre
story - tre ' tale's cone,usion' when Jack en cps down the tree and the
cruel giant Iies dead.
INhat is the effect of that all usion? First. It takes us inside the mind of
a Iittle child, whose terms cf reference are fairy tales. It lets us feel the
Intense hurt and anger of the child as he fantasises about dealirg with
the monS1er. Later, as we get ins:de tne futrer's mind, we feel sad with the
fatrer to realise that the little ocy so badly misunderstands his father's
motives.
ACTIVITY
• s participatio1 in war still
p:esented ro the pJbllc as
be r,g something glorious? For
example, how is it represented
in news reporting, films, music?
• V'/liat part does the media
play in shap,ng our attitude to
participation In war?
Additional poetic
devices 1
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• exp oce the effective cnoice of
wo·ds In a poem and com men;
on t~e effect orodJced
• understand that image')'.
diction. sound effects and 01re·
devices all wor <togetner re
produce rhe tone al"d mood of
a poem
Diction
Diction simp>y means tne peer's cho'ce of words. In 'Y./est Indies. USA:
Stewart Brown wants to highlight tre contrast betvveen the rich al"d the
poor, the haves and the have-nots Ir San Juan. He suggests the wea th of
some fclk by using dict'on associated w,th a technologically developed
society:' toughened tinted glass: 'shlmmer'ng tarmac: "col"dominiums'.
"polished Cad:llacs'. And on tr.e other hand he uses diction associated
with poverty to evoke the wide gap between rich ard poor: 'galvanized
shanties'. 'pushcarts'.
Brutus's poe-n.'It is the Constant Image of your Face'provides a good
example of dict'.on being used to capture the situation In the pcem.
>Jere we have the speaker talking to tbe woman ne Ieves and trying to
explain the conflict he feels between his ties to her, ard his ties to "h s
other. dearest love"(his country). It is as if he is on trial, trying to p•esent
nis case to a judge. To create th's sense of a tr' al taking place, the poet
resorts to diction usua y associated w,th a courtroom: 'accuses: "convicts:
'treachery: 'plead'. 'takes precedence'. 'm'tlgation: 'guiliy'. 'accompllce'.
"blackmail: "confess'. ' remorse'. ' treason'. The diction shows us how
cornered the speaker is. a1d we feel sorry for him as he tries to plead
nis case.
In 'Dulce et Decoru-n Est'. Owen makes use of carefully selected diction
to create a sense of the panic and confus1on of the soldiers - ' fumbling'.
'sumbling: "floJnd'r,ng' - and the death throes of tne soldier who has
breathed In the poiso>1 gas - ' plu'lges·: "guner: ng'. 'choking'. 'drowning'.
' ACTIVITY
Find our how ivory is obtained. Does this information change your
response to tne boy's action in the poem?
Tone and mood
,..ACTIVITY
I
Make lists grouping the diction In
Owen's poem. Find diction:
• assoc·ated with sicKness
• that creates a sense cf difficu t
m011ement
• that presents the degradation
and humiliation of the men.
V1hen yoJ say sometnlng, you use a particular tone of voice. You may
use a sincere tone of praise or a sarcastic tone of moc'<ery. The tone in a
poem refers to the attitude (t'1e tore of voice) of t'1e speaker. In 'Dulce
et Decorum Est; the speaKer's tone is 01e of horror, distress, anger. He
Is sickened by what re bas seen at the Front. In contrast, the tone in
'Death, be not proud' Is defiant. taunting - even triumphant. The speaker.
confident in his faitn that there is life beyond the grave, chaIlenges Death,
asking how tr-at adversary could be so proud a, d boast ful when, in fact,
Death can only make h1-n sleep for a little while, and t,1en he will 'wake
eternally'. He even taunts Deat'1. say·ng that wnen Death t'1inks it can
'overthrow' us, it is actually bringing rest to our bodies and dellverarce
to our souls. The triumphant to1e is achieved by the commards ('Death
be ro; proud'), and the sly assertions rhat Dea;h is actually rather weak
("some 1-iave cal led tnee/Mighty and dreadful (but] tnou an not so:")
iris reinforced by the insults ('tho,/rr slave to fate, char.ce, Kings, and
desperate men'), and by the fina shout ofvictory:'Death, thou shalt die'!
Again in contras,, the speaker In Stewart Brown's 'Test Match, Sabina Park'
comes across as having a pla>1ully rueful tone: he struts into the cricket
ground, confident that the British will win, bJt has to leave b!ushi ng witn
embarrassment. recognisirg that tbe Vo/est lndia'l cr'rics of his idols have
Indeed got a pcim! In each case, thinx about how you were affected by
the tone of the speaxer.
In 'The \.Yoman Speaks to the Man who Has Employed her Son'. when the
woman says of her chi d's fatberthat "he was fair-11 nded / he treated all
his cnildren / wi,h equal and unbiased indifference'. ber tone is sarcastic,
wryly humorous.
As yoJ can see, yoJ may well need more rran one adjeaive to describe
the tone of the poem - the attitude of the speaker to wnat he or she Is
speaking about.
Simiiarly w,th mood, you may reed several adjeaives, and remember that
the mood created in the poem may change from one star,za to tne next. The
'Tlood refers to how the poem makes you feel about the subject matter. In
'South; Kamau Brathwaite creates a mood of nostalgia as the speaker recalls
his islard, and then of unbounded joy and hope as he sees the beach and
the urchins playing there. In co1trast, thoJgh, in the same poem tbere is a
mood of bitterress and oppression as the speaker contemp'ates what he
nas gone through In his sojo•Jrn in the no,rhern ands, and the way ,hose
nortnern peoples have historically oppressed the peoples of the islands.
Mood and tone are created by the diction, the imagery, a1d even the
rhyme and rhythm used by tbe poet.
Repetitio n
1Nhen repetition occ•Jrs in a poem it ,s not merely for emphasis. See how
Okara's speaker repeats the phrase 'Once upon a time'. By usirg this
trad'tional opening for children's stories, he suggests that the inrocerce he
once had 1s something re left beh,nd with childhood, and that innocence
belongs re a land offalry tale. The repet•tion increases OJr sense of his
sorrow a1d regret that it is no lorger possible for riim to recaptUre rr-at past.
1Nhen the speaker in 'Dreaming Black Boy'repears the words 'I wish: we
increasingly feel how vulnerable and childli<e he Is. and how tragic it is that his
reasonable hopes for his future are wishes that wdl probably rever come true.
/ ACTIVITY
I
VVhat effect does repe,ition have In r1ese poems?
• Repetit' on of"eyes" in 'A Stone's Throw'
• Reperit'on of'learn', "unlearn'; 're-learn' in 'Once Upon a Time'
• Repetit' on of'a pa11 of' in 'Theme for English 8'
• Repetit' on of"'trod' in 'God's Grandeur'
EXAM TIP
Mil~e s«ve 1'.)0« ~"-OW ti-le
eowect speLLi"'-9 of .,,a 11,ces
of a "'-)j pot ts i;i v..ol of i:;i"")j
"-"'-IA.S«i;it WOYolS tl,ii;it
i;ippeci ,, i,.,, ti-le poe= )j D«.
Wi;iv,,t to wYite abo«t.
EXAM TIP
we ltti;ive useol A """'-"""bey
of wovols '"" tl-iis secti0 .,,
to oleseYi.be to>\.t: v«ef«L,
cl tfi.a ""t: ta« v..ti"'-9,
sci vci;istoe, l¾oe~i"'-9,
Wl")jl!'.) h«l¾OYOIA.S,
veveyev,,t, awestrne~ ...
Alo"'-9 with /jD«r
et~ss~ates, a olci worols to
tl-iis Lost, sl-iowi"'-9 wflicl-1
of ti-le J'oe11,cs the)j appl)j to.
Yo« ~•LL 'ft.v:,ol it helpf«L to
eo11,cpite A su,...,wY ti.st of
woyols clesc,ibi"-0 "<Dool.
R.e11,ce11,cbe,; ""'-Dool is I-low
1'.)0« (ov ti-le spei;i~ev) feel
av..ot to.,,e is the attit«cie '
tl-ii;it co11,ces aeyoss i.,, !'.)DUY
(oy tfle spei;i)uy's) voice.
Additional poetic
devices 2
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Symbol
In this section you wi :
A useful definition of a symbol is this: 'A symbol is itself, and it also po'nts
to a meaning oll!s·de of itself: A few examples will help you to understand.
• ldent fy a sy'Tlbol and commenc
on tne effect t produces
• recog"1ise a pa,adox ard
understa1d ts ro'llc nature
• discover the humoJr and Irony
conta,1ed In rhe pur.
n 'Sourh; the speaker - a Caribbean mar - ,hinks of himself as ioiaving
been born of rhe ocean; he thinks of people from the North as being
associated with rivers. Of course. me·e are few real r'vers on the Caribbean
islands to equal tne vast rivers of Nortn Amer' ca and Europe. So the river
is itself in rhe poem: it means literally a river. Bur ire river also points to
something beyond Itself: it symbo1'ses lo1ging, endeavour, purpose.
progress. The soeake· recognises that this rive· quality has led Europeans
to conquer ard colon se, o•ing·ng pain and sorrow to peaceful peoples.
In 'Theme for Englis'i s; the college Is literally 'on tne hil above Harlem·.
But that hill is also symoolic - meaning that black students in Harlem wi'
have a b'g climb to get up to that col ege, and that they will never belong
In thar privileged white world, b•J t wil I a1ways have to go back down into
rhe poverty and stigma of Harlem.
Paradox
ACTIVITY
Exp ain ard comment on the
oxymoron 'season of oppress·on'
in Carter's poem. Begin by
th nKing of how we usually use
the noun season.
Poetry, like life, is ful of paradoxes.Tre fact rhat being In love is agony and
ecsrasy; fo• example, ·s a paradox. The freedom of movement rhar the
ath ete demonstrates is made possible on,y by strict discipline - a paradox
because freedom and discipline are opposites.
A paradox that Is contained in just two words is called an oxymoron.
Excellent examp•es can be fourd n Carter's 'This is the Dari< Time, My Love'.
The military power that has taken ever the speaker's coJntry has brought
guns, fear and anxiety to a land forme·ly characterised by fruitfulness,
joyoJs festivals and carnival celebratio1s. The horrors of invasion have
brought a sudden e1d to al d·eams of a bright future of freedom.Tne
disruption is suggested in tnree oxymorons:
It is the season of oppression ...
It is the festival of guns, the carnival of m:sery,
Irony
The examples of paradox irat you !,ave just looked a, are also ironic, aren't
they? In fact, paradox is one type of irony. Irony occurs when tne oppos:re
of what you expected happens. In 'VVest rdies, USA; the speaker refers
to the famoJs Statue of libe·ty, with ·rs boast that the poor are welcome
in the United States. but rhen draws our attention ro the ubiquitous
tight secur'ty and the pilot's urgent co,'Tlmand (apparent1y to •,,vould-be
mmigrants) to "stay o~ the plane, I repeat, stay on the plane'. An additional
·ronic twist is that rhe speaker c1early does not much like San Juan and has
nc wish to remain there, yet the A'Tle·ican au,horities seem ro think rhat
everyone on board would like to e1ter illegally.
We expea that a father will be In a position to adv,se and teach his son, so
there is some Irony in i re poem 'Once Upon aTime'. when this situation
s reversed, and we find tre father asking his sen tc teach him.Tre father
realises that in dealing with the hypocrisy in sec·ety. he has become a
hypccri,e himself. and he yearns to recapwre the Innocence that he has
lost. but now sees In his son.
The speaker In 'My Parents' tel s us that his parents kept him ' from children
who we•e ro:.igh'. Ironically. though, their p:otectrveress has left him unab'e
to deal with those same children. and he relates hew mvch he feared them
and was hurt by them. His suffering has been greater because of their
misplaced kindness.
/ ACTIVITY
• Both Irony and paradox refer
to the co'll ng together of
oppos tes - but they are
differe"lt.
• V✓e tend to Jse parodox for
opposites mat we recognise
as part of life: autumn leaves
are beautiful. but those leaves
are dying; a orilllart gymnast
makes the most difficult
moves look easy.
• \/>le tend to use irony
for opposites that are
urexpected, and the
effect may or may not be
hu'Tlorous.
• To get a sense of the meaning
of paradox, list some sltuar ons
that might fi you with
oppos te emotions o, ,hesome
rime: for ex;imple, apprehens1on
and delight. pain and pleasure,
t ension a-id relaxation.
'I feared more than t•ger; their mcscles Ike ,,on And their jerking nand; aod 1nel1 knees tlg~l
on my arms'
Contrast
Contrast is a device frequentry used by poets, playwrights ard novelist s.
Simply by plac ng two contrast ing figures before us. the writer is ao'e tc
lmp'y some kind of judgement.
You will find many examples of contrast In your poems. Look at the
endirg of Se"lior's 'Bird shooting Season: and obse·ve the contrast
between tne girls and tne beys. Check back in the poem and yoJ wil I see
that tnere is also a contrast between the attitudes and activltres of the
men and those of tne women. \o\/hy do you think Senior set that contrast
before us?
• To get a sense of the meaning
of Irony, leek at this true
example: An expert on crime
p·event'on wert to a T'lird
Vvorld counHy as a consJltant
to the police force tre·e. He
was attacked and robbed on
the day he arr'ved! F'nd more
real-life examp es of irony.
• \Jow re-read 'Little Boy Crying'.
Do you see a con rrast between
the image that tre little boy has
of his father a'ld the image thar
the reader has of t1e father?
Vvliat effect does that contrast
fiave on you?
Analysing poems
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi I:
• create a checklist of wrat to
look foe In a poe11
• lear1 10w 10 coriment on ,re
vario,.1s fearures of poetry,
EXAM TIP
To 0"'-•de !:JO"'- thYo .... gn the
tnel¾eS a,,.,,,;:1 feat....Yes cf i:i
poe ""-, c rei:i te i:i ol (i:i cwi:i ,,,,,_
(lilq,e H1e O"'t snow~ l1ere)
to neLp !:JO"'- ""-&Ip 0..._t wne,,.,,
wnere tne11 i:ippei:ir.
In this section we demonstrate row to analyse a poem and invite you to
think abo~t the emotional effect i rat the poem has on you. You can use
the same me1hcd of al'alysis for any pcem you are studying.
First think about the s·tuation: ask yourself wro ·s speak;rg to w'lom aboJt
what. Tt-a1means you a.so need to ident;fy the speaker, and brlefiy say
what is under discussion - the topic.
In
'A Stone·~ Throw'. the speaker is one
of the Pharisees who browght 10 Jesus a woman they
had cavght in the ac t of adultery, He relates how Jesus,
instead of agreeing that she should be stoned, seemed
to take the woman's side, much to the
speaker's disgust.
""'°'
Then look at the structure of the poem - whetne, 11 is In stanzas o• not,
whether rhymes are used or not. Try to Identify how each stal'za or section
of the poem develops part of the soeaker's argument. and not'ce any
place wnere the subject or tone changes.
Check the title. Does it sum up the poem's message, or does it comment
·ro1ical y?
In
'Theme for English s; the
Litle underscores the fact that the speaker Is
a hterature student irying to wnte an assignment
an essay about himself. While rhe poem 1s ,n free verse.
there are clear phases in the development of the argument
The African-American student first tells us that he grew up in
the South, and now lodges in Harlem at che YMCA. He confesses
that although he Is black, he appreciates much the same thing,
white folk do. He understands that he and 1he instructor
are now part of each other for better or for
worse - and that each will learn from
the Othe(,
Now you are ready to look more closely at the devices. See if yo•J can
spot any examples of simile, metaphor o- person ,fica1ion and think
about the effect of those mages. Notice if the poet uses special d·crion,
a cluste' of words that you usually associate with, for example, religion,
techno ogy, sailing or carpentry. You will see discussions of all the
devices In the analyses on the reXl few pages, but rere is an example of
hew to talk about rhe use cf Creole:
One
poetic device lhal Mark
Mc Watt employs 1s the use of Creole. '01
Higui>' LISes words like ·stupidness' and 'gall1van1ing',
and Creole phrases like 'don't even talk 'bout the pain of
salt' and '1t have women giving birth" The effect of this is to
create a realistic character - an authentic Caribbean person.
Only when the reader's interest is aroused by this 01 Higue,
who appears to be telling us abou I her secret Ilfe, does
McWal1 reveal tha1 his real aim in 1his poem is to take
us away frorn supernatural explanations 10
rJtlonal ones.
Does the poem use rhyme o• an nreresting rhythm? .•.re trere any sourd
effects to comment on? If repetition occurs, what is the effect?\.Yhat
mcod(s) do you detect, and what to,e does the speaker adopt?
And finally the message. Ask yourselfwha, the poet wants to
communicate to the world rhroJgh this poem,
Morris's
1 ittle Boy Crying' appears to
be about a child's reaction to j'.)unishrnent In
rac1, though, ,he real focus of the poem I\ on the pam
and self doubt expe11enced by the father when he disc,pl,nes
thf' child: ·vo11 cannot understanc;l, not yer, /The hurt your easy
lears can scald him w,ch / Nor guess the wavering~ 'A Stone's
Throw' app,?ars to be about religim)s zealots punishing an
adulterous woman, but it senc;ls the message that we
should examme our own fa,lings before we
start criticising others.
As yoJ examine eacn poem, think abou1 similar, ties between this and
otre• poems you are studying. Use pages 184-5 ro re,p you as you make
comparisons amo,g the poems on the syllabus.
EXAM TIP
'"", Cl stucll:J c,uicle LUu
tni.s !:Jou w iLL vcotice t"1e
L<Se of sub- eieadio,cgs
tka~ "1eLp !:JOU to fi-"'-ci
tv.e ~"'-foYl¾Clti.o..,, )jDU Qye
Loo~io,cg foY. Rel¾el¾beY.
tl-lougl'l, ti-lat ivc ti-le ~a~
/j Ot.<. l¾L<St WYLtt &.lo\, tss41t:f
'fi,nK. That ~a,,.,,5 )jDU
l¾L<St wtite ,,,.,, wettol~vetopeol J>CIYQ0 YCIJ>l'lS
w~tl-loKt sub l'lecioli""0,S a..,,c(
wctl-loKt gaps betweevc tl'le
J>GI YCl0 YCIJ>"1S .
'Landscape Painter,
Jamaica' by Vivian Virtue
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• consider ;re sltvat en ard
message ofVlvlan Vlrtve's poem
'Landscape Painter Jamaica'
• trace iov1 the poetic devices
create tre apprcprla,e mocd
and tone in tne ocem.
Situation
The speaker observes an artist as he sets uo h's easel to paint t1e view
frcm the moJntain track. He describes the way the painter repeatedly
d'ps his brush into the colours on his palette, and new the mouritains
seem almost to be pecple posirg fer a fami y portrait - 81ue Mounia·n
n the background, and little foot hiIIs In the foreground. Instead of being
sf' I, though, the landscape seems to oe al've and moving- 'changelessly
changing' - and so ct,allenging the ski of the anist.
Structure
Stanza 1: descrioes the painter serr ng up his easel on a moJntain t,ack.
Stanza 2: focuses 01 rhe paimbrusl-i dlpp'ng into the paints on the
palette. The brusn s compared 10 a humming-bird, dipp,ng into col0Jrfu1
flowers in a garden.
Stanza 3: turns our attention to tre view. Blue Mounta11, t'ie argest. is
surrounded by other peaks, and in the foreground are 'low green foot-hills".
The mountains ard hil s are personified: trey are compared to the elders
and the g•andcnlldre1 in a group posing for a family portrait.
Stanza 4 : takes rhe reader back to the artist. studyirg the grouo and
trying 10 fnd the right angle and the right moment for his po·1,a·1.
Stanza S: focuses again on the paintbrush - still us·ng the hummi1gbird metaphor.This time, thoJgh, the brush is quite st I: "meticulously
po,sed'. In contrast, the little hills appear tc be mov ng: they are "fidgeting'.
"changeless y changing'. and the artist must capture the scene at just the
moment of its greatest beauty and ba'ance.
Poetic devices and their effectiveness
Metaphor: The paintbrush is ccmpared, in a metap>ior, to a
humming-bird.The comparison is effect1ve because we see how the
brush dips repeatedly Into the vario·Js pigments just as a humming-bird
tirelessly dips into the flowers In a garden. '-Ne see, too. row the brush,
like a hummlng-b,rd. can also hover - quite stil as the painter observes
the scene.The device causes the reader to consider the rapid moveme111
of tre brush, its occas'onal stillness, and the 1oveliness of the assorted
colo..irs. 'Ne are struck by the beauty of nature.
Contrast: A contrast is set up betwee1 stillness and movement. and
between art and nature. The mountains are sti I, with Blue Mounta·n in
the background ·'shouldering the sky~ In contrast, the little hills seem
to be 'fidgeting: ·'cha,gelessly cha,g·ng'. Sim'iarly, the paint brush
''dips'. ·'darts~ "hovers·' In its busy movement. but t can be still too:
'meticulously poised'.
The use of contrast is effect've because it ends movement to a landscape
that would othervise be quite sti I. Tne sense of movement and change
also connects us to the message of the poem: the challenge cf truthfully
capturing tne ever-changi1g moods of nature In a work of art.
Personification: This device is crucla' to the poem.The mountains and
hil>s are perso1ified and compared to family members pos•r g for a portrait
for the family a oJm. The effect is to give the reader a sense of how grand.
st" and dignified the elders are, a1d how the little hll s in tre foregrourd
seem to be fidgeting like grandchildren 'Tl'ght do a•ound the krees of the
seated adJlts. The reader imagines the play of sun,ig'n ard shadow on the
little hills. giving a sense of constant movement.
Tone and mood
The eye of the speaker moves fro-n painter to mounta,ns and back to ire
painte' again.Tre pace is leisurely. and the free verse is appropriate for the
conversational style. As tre gaze is directed to the mou11a·ns ("dig,.,·ned
eiders'), the paintbrush (a "tireless humming-bird') and the children in the
pcrvalt ('low g•een foothills") the mood is of respectful admirat on and
mild amusement.
/ ACTIVITY
Take anctrer look at the poem
'Orchids: vVhat similarities can you
find between Virtue's poem here
a1'd ·orchids'oy Haze Simmons•
McDonald? (Consider the poetic
form, the subject matter, the
hidden message and the use of
metaphor ard personification.)
• Do you find any significant
differences?
• r your opin on, which of the
two ooems makes the more
Interesting comment en art?
EXAM TIP
DO be S<-<re to co""'-""'-ei,st;
0 "'- the Vl'.l ri.01AS poeti.c
olevices 1A.Stol l'.l""ol 0"" thei.r
efftcti.ve""ess.
DO Nor resort to S<-<b-
hel'.loli""0s, b<-<t wo,~ eAch
~•N poi."'-t iv.to &! se"'-te~e
OY 'f>l'.lYl'.lE)Yl'.lph.
J:>O be&1Y ;_.,,_ l¾i.l'\.d thl'.lt
1'.1°<-<Y l!Cl'.ll¾ q<-<tsti.ov,, wiLL
C/'.lll for&! COl¾'f>l'.lYi.Sol'\.,
so Loo~ for poi.v.ts of
COVlo\.)>l'.l n,s,o.,_ /'.ls tJOt.< Stt.<ol tJ
tJO<-<Y J>OeVlo\.s.
t>o Nor spe""ol too
Message
The situation in the poem allows the poet to convey thougrts 01 the
relationship between nature ar.d art. V•/ords I ke 'fix'.'confine'."professior,al'
and 'meticulously" suggest to us trat there ·s more to the poem than
mere ya description of a painter a1worK. In the last stanza, the relat'ons>iip
between nature and art is summed up in these pa,adoxical ires:
Changeless y changing
Artlessly frustrating
Tre pa'rner's ar1.
"'."uch ,til¾t Ytt&1ti.""0 the
S<tul'.lt•o"'- l'.l""ol evev.ts of
t he poe""'-.
'Orchids' by Hazel
Simmons-McDonald
LEARNING OUTCOMES
11 rhls section you wl :
• discover the situation a'ld
message o' -taiel Slmmons1V.cD01ald's poer<i 'Orcr ds'
• co1sider how the poetic
devlces create the apprcpr ate
mood and to1e 1 the poem.
Situation
The speaker is moving house. As she packs, she comes across a soray of
orchids someone had taken from a boJquet to give to rer. a1d wonde's
whether o· not to throw them away. She does not much appreciate the
fiowers. but is fascinated by the way 'the purple petals draw yoJ to looK at
the purple reart'. She d·aws an analogy between the orcnlds and poems.
She decides ro "pluck the full-blown bloo,ns and ;:,•ess them between
pages of memory'. The reader thinks of how people press petals between
the leaves of books tc preserve them.
Structure
•
The Ancier: GreeK scholar
Archimedes is •eported 10 have
exc aimed Evreko' ("'ve got h!')
wren the solu11cn to a scie1ce
prcblecn he was working 01
suddenly came re h·m as he
stepped Into his oath. Perhaos
you !-,ave lear1r aboJt Archimedes'
Principle in your matns class.
Evreka s pronoJnced you-REEK-uh.
The free verse used in the poem Is apprcpr'ate because tre speaker is
unable to make up her mind. The unstructured verse sJggests her mental
uncer.a'n,y. She tells us t'lat she is packing, then discovers the orchids a1d
tells us 11'-at she was not much Impressed with them a1d even tried tc kill
them by over-watering and then neglecting theml Nevertheless sr.e is
fascinated by their purp!e hearts. Gradually their similarity to poems strikes
her ('full-blown hKe polished poems'). Sre decides tc keep them. pressing
the blooms in rre pages of her memory just as she m· ght keep a p·etty
petal between the pages of a book - just as poems are found between the
pages too. Sometimes it taKes time for us to appreciate the loveliness of a
poem, precisely as tre loveliness of the orcn ds has only grown slowly on
the speaker.
Compare the loose stanza form of'Orch ds' wirn the far more restricted
structure of the three sonnets ,n your selection: 'Sonnet Composed Upon
1/Vestminster Bridge; 'Death, Be Not Proud; and 'God's Grandeur'. Look at
the regular length of the lines, the regularity cf the rhyme scheme and
the way rhe argument in each sonnet is compactly contained in the
14-11 ne frame. In each of tne sonnets, the speaker has reso'ved any
conflict in his mind. \Nordsworrh·s speaker sees only bea-.iry as he loo.<s
at Lendon clothed In the early-mor1119 sunlight; Donr,e's speaxer
faces Dea,h confidently. assured ti'at he will be raised to life again even
though Death may appear to 'c'enhrow'him; ard Hopk'ns'speaker sees
that Eartn has been ravaged because of 'l'lankir.d's Insatiable greed,
but s assured that God is forever at work, renewing Creation.The quiet
confidence of eacn cf the three speakers is suitably conveyed in the
measured verse and regular rhymes. In contrast, the indecision and
conflict in the speaker in ·orchids" s m'rrored in the hesitat' ens of t:ie
verse. ard tne absence of rhymes suits the Jncertainty that she feels
abcut these strange, yet fascinating flowers.
Free verse, as seen in 'Orcnids'. is often apprcpr'aie for a speaker who
is doubting, questioning. and struggling to reach a p.ace of 1--armcny
and balance.
Poetic devices
Simile: The poe-n develops rhe simi e that tre orchids
are li~e polisned poems. They are beaur:ful yet not fully
understood o· appreciated Initially, but we keep both
orch'ds ard poems betv-1een rre pages of a bock where,
sometime, we will discover their peculiar loveliness. The
simile draws anentiol'I to the compelling attracticn of both
pcem and o•chid, the way both are underappreciated,
and the way both linger in the pages of memory.
•
~
Compressed metaphor: Compress:on of ideas cccu·s
n the line'press them between pages of memo·y'. In tr s
very tight line, ner memory is metaphor:cally compared to
a book, and she implies that she has beautiful fragments of
poems on rhe pages of her memory in rhe same way that
people preser✓e beautiful flower petals between the pages
of books. Both petals and poems can be taken Ollt and
enjoyed years iater.
Mood and to ne
l\otice the disparaging tone here: a spray of orchids
someone gave/ from a bouquet one who/ makes a ritual
of flower-giving sent. The speaker is clearly not Impressed witn people
who make a ritual of flower giving. Later, when sre slips from talking aboUI
orch·ds total king aboJt poems, we wonder 'f she feels similarly put off
by people (like English teachers?) who make a ritual of offer=rg you. not
a bouqver of flowers, but an anthology of poems! By deliberately avoiding
any enthus:astic praise of poetry o• orchids at first. the speaker is able to
take us with ner when sne changes rer anitude ar.d decides to keep the
orchids because they r-ave their own "peculia• poetry'. Her fir,al position of admiration fer ooth o·chids and poems - is convincing precise y
because of this u1emotional, negative begirni1g.
Message
Certa n things rhat other people appreciate (like orchids and poems) may
net appeal much to us now, but we may find rha, there 's a particular
something aoout them that fascinates us (like those purple petals), and If
we treasure and keep tnem we will discover a rich loveli ness about rhem maybe after some years. The poem seems to be ta king about flowers.
bJt it is actually talking about the way a fragment cf poetry can raunt us
de, ghtful y for years.
Their own pe-;ullar ~oe1ry
ACTIVITY
Trace tne way ne speaker's
attitude to her subject changes
in the course cf tre poem, along
w:th tne tore and mood. Find
suitab.e adject,ves to describe the
changes you detect. Do the same
w'th tne following poems:
• 'V'/est Indies, USA'
• 'The V✓omar, Speaks to ire Man
who has Emo eyed Her Son'
• 'Test Match, Sabina Park'
• 'Dea,h, Be Not Proud'
'A Stone's Throw' by Elma
Mitchell
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• consider ;re sltvat en ard
message or cl ..,,. fVl ltcne ·s
poer"l 'A Stone's Throw'
• trace 1ov1 the poetic devices
create tre apprcprla,e mocd
and tone in tne ocem.
Situation
The situation in tne pcem is a re-creation cf an incident in the life of
Jesus. You can read the story In the Gospel of John, Chapter 8. A woman
who had been caught in the act of adultery was broJght to JesJs by the
Prarisees (religioJs leaders), who asked ·fhe agreed that she should be
stoned to deatn - as the Law required. (No mention is made of the man
nvo.ved.) Jesus stooped down and wrote in the sand, and then invited any
cf the men who considered hi mself'without sin' to throw the first stone.
One by one they all slunk away, accused by their guilty consciences. In
the poem, one oft:ie Pharisees relates the incident from his point of view,
showing his sadistic tendencies ar,d his disrespect for Jesus.
Poetic devices
Choice of speaker: Whereas the Bb e sto•y is to'd by S0'11ecne
Pharisees means'separated 01es:
They be, eved rrattrey should
not defi e themselves by keeping
company v-ith ·s nne,s'.
witnessi 19 the event, Mitchell does something very irteresting: she takes
one cf the Pharisees as her speaker. The effect is brilliant. By allowing the
Prar'see to speak, Elma Mitchell manages to expose his lust, sadism ard
hypocrisy: nis own words condemn him. He also shows that he has no
regard for the positio1 that Jesus takes - one of mercy and forgiveness and he is In re way repentant aoout his blatant sinfulness. He sco·ns the
wa)' Jesus squats down on the grou11d to be at the woman's level, btissfully
unaware that re Is revealing his own arrcgarce by saying that one "Should
never speak to them'.
Diction: The speaker uses words like "virtJous'and "justice·: vVhat does th;s
tell us about nis sense of himself?
He uses diction that we usua y associate with a sexual encounter:"love
bites: 'hands greedy over her body: "kisses'. 'rape: "tastes so good''. vVrat
does this suggest to us about the Pha·isee?
The dict'on inc udes ma11y words and phrases associated with violence:
"roJghed her up: ·'bruised: "assault and banery': 'kisses of stone". \-\/hat
dces this suggest tc us about the Pharisee? Does he seem sorry that they
have hurt her?
By referring to women like this one as 'them'. the Pharisee reveals his
prejud ce in grouping all attractive women together as prostitutes:
.•. decent-loo~ing woman. you~ have said,
(They often are)
and
(Should never speak to them)
Repetition: Notice the effectiveness of the repetition of the word'eyes' :
•• •
Jesus lcoks a, the men and sees pas, their religious clothing to the IJst
and hypocrisy inside. Similarly the woman now sees pasr tre r religious
exterio•. and the men final y see themse ves as t,1ey really are. It is they
who are on trial now - nor the woman.
Tone: The Pharisee uses a flippant, insulting tone in speakirg about Jesus:
'this guru'. 'Preacner~'God-me·chant'. 'Gcd-knows-what'. He lns,nuares
that Jesus has degraded himself just by ral king to the woman. H's flippant
tone continues ro the end wr-en he asserts that they may b•ing another
wo'nan to be stoned another day 'given the urge~
Notice, t'nough, tt>at the to1e of the poem Is nor the same as the tone of
the Pharisee; ratlier. the to1e of tlie poem is disgust for i re self-righteous
Prar'sees. admiration for Jesus, and compassion for i re woman.
Message
11 some cultures, stoning to death is stil1rhe punishment for adu rery. And
even today it is the woman who is punis'ied and not i re man. By sr;t'iirg
our gaze away from the woman caugr.t in adultery and orno one of rhe
Pnarisees, tt>e poem serds the message that self-righteousress makes us
b!ind to our own failings and cruelly intolerant of the ia:lings of others. The
legalistic religious fanaticism of tt>e Pnarisees is contrasted with the mercy
and cocnpasslon of Jesus - mak:ng us thin«about the nature of true relig:cn.
' ACTIVITY
• Do you think this poem Is feminist In atttude 1 Select relevani
quotes to support your Viewooint.
'
The Daily fferald
Woman Stoned to Death
for Adultery
...
• Vvould you expect this to be a headIire from the present day? If so,
where In the world could tn s pun,shment ex,st?
• V./ha1do you think are rre reasons fo• sucn a public pun·shmenr?
• D'scuss wnether this poem has anything to say to the ronChr'st'an, or if its message ·s restricted to B'ble believers.
• Tre·e are several possible meanings for the t itle 'A S101e's Throw'.
L,terally, the rel glous leaders plar<ied to throw stones to kill
the woman. s·nce tne Pransees are shown up to be sinners
themselves, v-;e tnink of the proverb; People who live In glass
houses st>ould not throw stores. Since hypocrisy such as we see
in tnls poem exists all around us, we could say that similar tnings
happen 'just a stone's throw away'from wnere we are. Discuss each
interpretat on, making sure you fully understand.
•
Tt-e Pha·isees we·e deeply
religious Jews who believed
tnat the Law of God, contained
in tne To·a11. s1ould be str'ct:y
observed. To trem, Jesus seecned
to oe d sregarding the Law w th
his emohasis or. forgiveness
and mercy.
'01' Higue' by
MarkMcWatt
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• discuss tile sltJation a11d
message of Ma·k Mc\l•/att's
poer1 '01' Higue·
• consider how ,he poetic
devices c,eate tne appropr ate
mood and io1e n rhe poem.
Situ ation
The speaker is or H'gJe herself. She surprises us witn her opening words:
"You thirk I like this stupidness for we find ourselves In the middle of a
conversation with Ol'Higue, in which she Is explaining to us that she really
does not like the job she has to do! She relates the folklore concerning her
thirst for baby bleed and the lengths people go to in order to protect the
baby against ev;I. At first the poem keeps to well-known sJpersftions, OJI
towards the end the speaker attempts to explain the psychology behind
superstit1ons like the belief in Ol'Higue.
r
Structure
The poem is wnat we call a dromoi/c monologue (one person Is speaking.
but we sense that another person is present. listening). o r Hlgue·s
monologue falls Into three stanzas, usrng free verse ard a conversa1ional
tone. Ol'Higue, appropriately. speaks Creole. You w:11 notice a few rnyming
words: rice/nice. hum/come. dread/head/dead.Tnese rhymes effectively
highlight the poem's themes: to Ol'Higue, 'rice'is indeed 'nice'. and she
will "come"witn a 'hum"I More seriously, the 'dread'tnat a woman has in
her "head' is that re, baby might be 'dead" (or indeed that she. herse f, will
one day be dead).
Stania I re'ates the beliefs regarding Ol'Higue- the way she comes out cf
her skin and becomes a ball of fire ar,d drinks baby blood. S>ie refers 10 the
salt and rice tnat peop'e sprinkle to keep her from harming tne oaby.
In stanza 2, she exp1ains the appea of newborn babies - their sweet smell,
the pu·e b1ood In theirve:ns -a'1d we understand that she regrets being so
old and ·s jealous of the'sweet sorg of life'that she hears from the young.
ACTIVITY
How does Mc\Natt's poem
suggest rhat women have
negative feellrgs towards tfieir
babies and as a result project
these feelings on to Ol'Higuel
cinally, In stanza 3. orHigue stops defending her own actions and begir,s
accusing wo11en: they blame O''Hlgue, she asserts, because 1hey are
afraid to admit 10 the murderous thoughts in tneir own heads. It is a case
cf project'ng their guilt on:o rer. Every morne· carries an 'ancient dread'
(perhaps ofnnding her baby dead r the crad e, peri'aps of getting old
herself), and has murder ins:de rer head - for much as a mother loves her
baby, there are moments when slie Is terrified at tre thoughts passing
throug>i ner mind. So. Ol'H1gue cor,cludes, once tnere are women giving
birth to babies (and realising, as they do, that they rliemselves are getting
old - that this new baby has robbed trem of their youth and beauty), trey
will need to project tlieir bad thoughts onto sorneone else - and wno
bener rlian 01' Higue?
Poetic devices
Allusion to Caribbea~ folklore: Mc'l✓att Is discuss:ng a psycnolog'cal
aspect of women's rves. A mother is expected only to s11ow love ard
patience to ~er new baby, but wren she is sleep-deprived and the baby
will not sleep, she can get murderous thoughts. Because she Is unable to
admit even to nerself trai this is so. sne invents a figure who kills babies 01' Higue. This is a psycnological reality: we all project our negative
characteristics 01to others ii' orde' to appear
virtuous. By usirg the fo'k figure in this way, McV'/att
Is helping us to understand something aboJt
ourselves. but in a p,ayful, entertaining way.
Rhetorical questions: The quest'ons and
cor,versatlo>1al tone tha, 01' HigJe uses help to bring
the reader Into her thoughts, inviting a response.
Use of Creole: In this poem tre use of Creole ,s
totally effective because o :'Hlgue Is a folk figure.The
Creole a so adds to the humour at the beginning
of the poe,n. The Creo'e expressions add realism,
and a' so urderscore serioJs concerns trat the poet
brings to our attention.
'/
Tone
The first stanza ·svery playful. the second a little
more serious, and 1he third very ,houghtful and
serious. In stanza I. 01' H'gue can be asking in a
playful, teasing tone, 'You think I wouldn't rather take
my blood seasoned in fat black pudding ... ?' But
by the final stanza ,he diction ncludes wo·ds like
"middle of the nignt': 'ancient dread'. 'blame': "murder' creating a far more solemn, even cminoJs tone.
Mood
•• •
The tone adopted by Ol'Higue affects the mood cftre reade'. At first we
are amused by O.'Higue's cheeKy presentat'on cf herself, but as she grows
accusator)', we become thoughtful and se(ous. ask·ng ourselves w1eirer
there is a1y truth In the claims she makes.
Sigmund Freud and his followers
developed a theory called
psycrologlcal projectio'l. ~ather
tnan ccnfrcntour fa ·ngs, F·euq
suggested, we dery any wrorg
in ourselves and attribute those
failings to otners 'n a kird of
defence mechanism cal ed
pro,ection.
Message
McVVatt uses Ol'Hlgue to rem'nd us o' the hu11an propensity ro project
our failings and wicked ircughts onto other people, instead cf admitting
that we all have a dark side to oJr personality.
•
'This Is the Dark Time,
My Love' by Martin Carter
Situation
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• discuss tile sltJation a11d
message of Ma·tlr, Carter's
poer1 This Is tne Clark T me.
11/o,ylove·
• uace 10w the poetic devices
create tre appropriate tone ard
mood Ir, the poem.
The speaker in the poem is talking to someone he loves dearly (or poss·b'y
10 his country. wliich he also loves dearly) about t,1e way the land has
been Invaded by soldiers (''All arou11d the land brown beetles crawl
about°). Tneir presence is a "festival of guns'and a 'carnival of misery":
rstead of the people having festivals like Phagwah and Christmas, or a
carnival fil ed with danc,ng and laughter, guns are having a celebration,
and misery is parading on rhe streets. The poem ends with tre terrifying
·mage of someone standing over a sleeping persor, aimirg. nor to murder,
bui to Kill tre dream - to kill all hope for the future.
Structure
The poem co1sists of three regular unrhymed stanzas. The first mentions
rhe invading soldiers (brown beetles) and t11e so·rov.iful response of
nature. The second shows how the joyful festivals and carnival atmosphere
cf Guyanese culture have been taken over by guns, misery and anxiety.
The third asks rhetorically who has come to destroy the land and the
dreams o' the people.
Poetic devices
Contrast: Carter builds a cortras1 between nature ard technology.
The sun's face is "hidden in the sky'. the "red flowers bend their heads in
awful so,row' and ment:on Is made of the 'slender grass". In contrast to
the loveliness of defenceless nature we have desuuctive'booi of steel'.
''dark metal: "guns'. Another con:rast is made be,ween love and war. The
speaker addresses his dear one or his land as "my love·: but the "man of
death'and the 'strange invader'break into treir intimacy, bring:ng terror
and hopelessness: 'VVatching you sleep ard aiming at your dream~
Personification: By personifY:ng nature (the·'sh,ning sun 1s hidden':
"Red flowers oend their heads in awful sorrow"), Carter makes it seem as
if nature herself is grieving over the political si1uatro1 - so dreadful Is the
d'sappointmert of a peoo e who had dreamed of se'f•governance. The
he,p1essness of the peop ea so emerges as they are compared to 'slender
grass'being trodden down by''boot of steel'.
Paradox/oxymoron occurs In the phrases ' festival of guns" and ··carnival
..
cf misery". 0 esrlvals and carnivals are times cf fun and celebration; t Is
terrifying ro rhin~ of guns and misery ho:ding festivals and carnivals 1n
the streets.
Rhetorical questions create a feeling of uncertainty, and ire repet tion
of the words 'This1s the dark time. my .ove" is ominous.
Martin cane,
The metap>ior ''All round the land brown beetles craw about'. comparing
the arrival of the British troops with an rfestation of beetles. is very
effective because It gives the sense of rhe soldiers being everywhere you
look, ar.d of the feeling that you just want to get rid of tnern before irey
des trey every living th1ng.
Mood and tone
The word "crawl" also te' Is us how much the speake• scorns the troops.
whlle'my love' suggests the intimacy between the speaker and the perso1
he addresses. The tone, on tne one hand, is scorn for tnose who would
trample on loveliness and secretly arrive under cover cf darkness ro control
helpless. U'1armed people. 01 the other hand. the 101e is a lamentatio1 for
the people and the land whose dreams are being desuoyed.
The mood of the reader is much affected by the tore of rhe speaker.Vo/e
feel anger towards tne ir.vade·, sorrow at ire suffering and destruction,
compassion for the speaker and the one he loves, indigration at the
Injustice of the ent'•e si1ua1io1.
'Whose boot of steel tramps ~own toe slende• grass?'
Message
1Nnile the poem was Ir.spired by specific h storic events in British Guiana.
the impact of the poem is felt by all lovers of freedom who sense that
forces are at work to rake that freedo'Tl away. Tre poem is a lament for rre
loss of freedom and hope.
'I•• •• a,•1,
........
In 1953, after the People's
Progressive Parry wen the
elections. rre B•itish Government
suspended tne Brftlsh GJla'1a
Constltutlol'. and troops were sent
in to quell the resu,tlng unrest.
Martin Carter was imo•isoned
fer trree monms for defying the
regulations ·mposed.
His poem, 'This s the Dari< lime,
My Love: was Inspired by that
period cf Guyana's his!ory.
,
'Theme for English B'
by Langston Hughes
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• discover the situation a1d
message of .argston Hugres·s
poer"l 'Theme for English B'
• trace iov1 the poetic devices
create tre apprcprla,e tone ard
mood Ir the poer:i.
Situation
The speaker ·s a black student at a predo-n nantly white univers ty in
New York. His Engl' sh Bi nstructor has given an assignment for each
student to write a page about himself or herself. The speaker senses how
difficult ii would be for him to wr'te truly about himself, corn mu,,eating
j ust what it means to be black ,n America. and revealing facts about
himself that could bring misunderstanding at best and mockery and
rejection at worst.
Structure
The poem is written in free verse. but its structure follows a logical
argument.
After restating tne instructor's assignment, the speaker tells us about
g·owirg up in the South and his prese,t livirg situation at the YMCA In
Harlem (lines 6-1 S).
No one. he assens, rea y kr,o•Ns tre truth about himself. but he realises
that he is part of Harlem and of New York, and that both are also part of
him (lines 16- 20).
He manages to make some statements about himself. He rea ises that he is
different in some ways because he is b• ack. yet he shares the same human
ongings as everyone else (lines 21-28).
He realises tnat his life is intertvvlned with the life of his instructor, toe even irough neither of ihem may like that - and just as he will learn from
the instructor. t'1e ·nstructor will also learn from this b'ack Sludent he Is
teaching (lines 29-40).
Poetic devices
Choice of speaker: Because the soeake· is alone, he 1s able to talk aloud
to himself in th's free conversational sty'e, asking questions. hesitating.
making honest ccnfess1cns about his life, struggling to pJt thoughts
together. His struggles are the struggles of all black people in the USA in
the early part of the 20"' century.
A segregated drinking area n the ~SA
Symbol: The lardscape (or iopograpry) of the poem is symbolic: the
white college is "on the hill'' (suggesting its superlorjty), so that he has
to go·'down'to reach Harlem -a run-down pa't of New York most y
tenanted by b'ack and Hispanic people. Even tbe elevator he takes to his
room is symbo1·c, continuing the up-down imagery that tells us re is
trying to e,evate himself In society. Ironically, though, however high he
goes acade-nically, he st'll lives at tre Y-a hostel for poor youths -and in
Harlem, an impoverished black community.
Broken syntax: The sentences in lines 16-20 are very broken and
hesitant. This ,s an effect,ve form, perhaps suggesting tne speaker's
drfficulty in phrasing his rhoughts so that tney can be communicated.
Remember that he wil be ar,xious not to give offence and '!Ct to put
himself at a disadvantage either.
Rhetorical questions: "I wonder if it's 1t-at simple? Me -wro? So will
my page be colored it-at I write?'These rhetor'cal questions actually
contain rhe argument of the poem and h'gnlight the speaker's dilemma.
Communicaticn is not simp e. It is not easy to discover who he is. Even
thoJgh he has demor>strated that he shares a common humanity, he is
left wondering ,f his colour will show in h's writing - and whether that is
gcodorbad.
/ ACTIVITY
Find out about ire Jim Crow
laws In the USA. Discuss yoJ
findings with your stvdy partner,
or use them to make a short
preser1tation to your class.
Repetition: Notice hew frequintly the words I/you/me are repeated.
Remember that the chal enge the speaker has Is to ccmmur,'cate
something aoout himself to arotrer Indiv·d•Jal. The repeated I/you/me
effectively brings the issue of communication to oJr attention. The phrase
"a part of" is also repeaied, highlighting the fact 1t-at as black and white
people imeract in society, each becomes part of the other's consc,oJsness.
Rhymes: Although the poem is ,n free verse. there are a few rhymes: you/
true, me/free, write/white, you/tco/who. Has t'ie ocet highlighted his key
,deas in these rh)•mes, do you think?
Mood and to ne
An iroric tone s injected when the speaker says 10 the insuucto•:
I guess you learn from me although yoJ're older - ard white and somewhat more free.
But the Irony is :n the word ·so,mewhat'. Trat Is an understatement because
the insuucto· is infinitely mere free than his black student - so the effect is
Ironic, and underscores t'1e lock of freedom rhat the speaker l°'as.
Although the speaker touches on many aspec.s of his second-class-citi~en
stat•Js, tre tore is not bitter. Ratt-er. he is calm a~d controlled in regarding
the lnequ'ties in society. He ma rages to avoid rar,cour or arger.This
remarkable ccntro' suengthens ire poem and its argument that blacks are
no different from who tes in their longings and aspirations.
Message
'Nith remarkable restraint, the speaker manages ro convey the message
that it Is very difficult to be black In America. He vses his freedom to
write not by communicating a1ger and resentment. but by asserting
nis intelligence and his rumanity. He asserts both his difference and
uniqueness as a b,ack man, but he ·nsists, too, that he shares a co'llmon
humanity with peop,e like his wnite instructo'.
•• •
•
The literary word fo•
urderstate'Tlent is lltctes. Litotes is
tne opposlie cf hyperoole, which
means exaggeration.
'Dulce et Decorum Est'
by Wilfred Owen
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• discuss tile sltJation a11d
message of~l/llfred Owe1·s
poer"l 'clu ce et Decorur, Esi'
• consider how ,he poetic
devices c,eate tne appropr ate
:one and mood n rhe poem.
Vvilfred Owen fought In the
uencnes ,n tne First V./or d 1/Var and
was ~II ed or the batt'< efield when
he was only 25 years old.
Situation
The speaker is vith a company of weary soldiers on the battlefield. As
n'ght falls and they trudge away from the fightirg. a bomb lands rear
them, releasing poison gas. Quickly they Pvt on their gas mas~s, but one
unfortunate so;d·er is rot qu•ck enough, ard we are given a grotesque
desc·iption of his death throes.The ,ncldent leads the speaker to comment
that, contrary to the high rhetoric cf the country's leaders, there is actually
nothing glor'ous about dyirg in war: it Is ugly, painful, sord'd, wasteful.
The poem begins with a description of the exhausted men marching to
their quarters, looking ve·y differert from the smart, uniformed ranks wro
left for the Front. The speaker, one of the soldiers, proceeds to relate the
landing of the gas bomb nearby, and the failure of one soldier to put on
h:s mask in time to avoid being suffocated by the noxious fumes.Two lines
suffice to tel, us that the speaker is haunted by h,s memory oft'ie man·s
suffering. The final section describes in detail the indignity and agony
of the soldier's death and ends by discrediting tre o d Iie peddled by
politicians - tnat t is sweet and fitting to die for one's native land.
Structure
There are four stanzas of different lengths. one stanza consisting of just
rv-10 •ines; the disorder of the poem mirrors tre disorder of tre battlefie'd.
Neverthe,ess, Owen uses a regular alternat'ng rhyme scheme, as if there is
an inevitability, a hopeless routine aboJt what Is happenrng.
Each stanza deals with a spec,fic phase ofme speaker's experience: first
a description of the tired men marching back to camp after the day's
fighting; ihen a sudden change of pace as a gas bomb lands nearby,
causing them to quickly put on their gas masks; next an agonising
recurring memory of the dying moments of one poor fellow who
failed to get his mask on in time; and fi11ally a stanza where the speaker
specifically appeals to the reader (''My friend'), saying that if the reader
nad see11 what ,he speaker rad seef1, irere is no way that 'le wou'd
perpetuate the 'old Lie' that there is glory in dying for one's native land.
Run•of\ lines are effectively used, tco, empnaslsing row long and weary
the journey is. Occas·onally, thoJgh (in stanza 1) full stoos occu• mid-line,
suggest:'1g rhe stops and hesitations of me11 who are too exhausted ,o
keep In step. Both run-on l;nes and mid-line breaks contrlb~te to the
stumbling effect of the Iires.
Poetic devices
Irony: Tre Larn tit1e - 'Dulce et Decorum Est' pro,oarria mori - translates
as 'How sweet and fitt,ng 't Is to die for one's naiive land'. BUl Owen uses
the Latin inscription ironically, and shows tre horro·. the fear, the indignit)',
the total waste of warfare.
Rhyme: Owen uses a regula', a ternating rhyme scheme in this poem.
The effect is not lyrical: rather it wo·ks to high!ight pairs of words that
su11 up the horror of wrat re witresses on the battlefield: s,udge/trudge,
fumbling/stumbling, cud/blood, boots/hoots. The final rhyme of the poem
(glory/mori -glory/to die) is full of iro1y.
Rhythm: As you read ire poem aloud, you will find occasional lines with a
regJlar (ti·Wm, ti·tum) rhythm:
In all my dreams, before my helpless sight .. .
If yoJ co·Jld hear, at every jolt, the blood .. .
More often, though, the lines offer no regular rhytnm at all:
Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! -An ecstasy of fumbling .. .
Of vlle, incurab,e sores O'l 'nnocent tongues
In places we can feel tre soldiers trying to march In t1me, but in other
places trey are stumbling and falling out of line because of tiredness, fear
and pain.
Now look at the change of pace in the line:
Gas! Gasl Qu·ck, boys' - Al' ecstasy of fumbling ...
The preceding stanza used diction t'1at suggested intense weariness, and
the se1ter,ces are fuir y long, as ;f mimicking ,re long, exhausting march
from the ban efield. VVnat effect do these one· or two-word exc'amations
have on you following those long semences?\oVhat effect is ach·eved by
the use of sentence fragmerts?
An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time ...
VVnat effect ,s achieved further on by ire list of present participles?
He plunges at me, guner:ng, choking, drowning ...
Did you sense any change of pace here?
Mood and tone
The mood of the speaker is of compassion and panic as the gas bomb
falls, then of fury as the speaker real: ses that those in positions of
authoriw have condored this waste of life and also deceitfully tried to
romanticise it.
Private Johnson Beharry (borr. In Grenada)
receo,ed rheVlqorla Cross In 2005 for h,s heroic
acrlons when se1vln9 In !raq. Eve" today, o,.ir
yowng men are stl 'I being ser.t to nght fo1their
-:ountrles
/ ACTIVITY
I
Read Owen·s poem aloud.
• Note tre places where you can
detect a regular t -tJm, cl-tum
rhytnm.
• Now note ihe llne1 where it i$
,mpossible to trace any regular
rhytnm at all,
• Co'Tlpare the effect obtained
when you recd this poem aloud
to the effect you ger wnen you
read 'To al' Athlete Dying Young'
aloud.
• VVould Owen's poem be better
or not so good If it had a regular
rhythm like Housman's poem?
,,
'South' by Kamau
Brathwaite
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• ldent fy the sltJatlon ard
message of i<amau B·arhwalte's
poer"l 'South'
• trace iov1 the poetic devices
create tre apprcprla,e cone ard
mood Ir the poer:i.
Situation
In the first 6 and the last 121:nes of'South'tre speaker talks about
Ca•ibbea1 islands like the one whe•e he was borr. The middle section of
the poem rakes us away from the Sovth - its islands and ocean - co the
North and Its rivers. The speaker lias travel led far from his island ho'lle, but
rs now returning home. seemtngly in his lmaglnatio1.
Structure
The poem co1sists of s·x unrrymed stanzas, the first four having s,x lines
each, and the last two having seven a1d five lines respectively, The stanza
first recalls the idyllic life in the Islands, wrere man and nature seem to be
n liarmony. Notice the •·m;st from the ocean rolling Into the fishermen's
houses" and tne "sound of the sea [thatj came in army window".
The second stanza sums up the unpleasa1r experier.ce of life in t,'1e l\orrh
with its 'stoniest cities'. its "sharp slanting sleet and the hall~ its "saitless
savannas'. the op;Yessive sliadows of the fo·est and the ·'tepid taste of
the rver'.
•
The words lyric, lyrico1, lyricism
are derived from the name of a
stringed muslca' ,,,suument the
lyre.Tre term svggesrs musicality.
In Its popular contemporary use
lyrics are used to •efer to the words
of a song.
In stanza 3, the speaker asserts philosophically that peop,e ''born of the
ocean can never seek so'ace In river~The culture of the North is associated
with rivers - suggesting progress and purpose - while the timeless and
uncliang·rg culture of the South ,s associated vith the ccea'1. Northerners
critic'se islanders fo' their''lack of endeavour and purpose'. while the
islanders resent ''this wisdom. this freedom"in rne No·thern people.
In stanza 4 the speaker decides to join the river of time - history. He
re-visits rhe tragic story of the inte'act'on of North ar.d South. coloniser
and colonised:'pa·ns that woJld wreck us, sorrows arrest us, hatred tliat
washes us up on rhe flats'.
S,anza 5 brings us bac~ to tne islands, and w th joy the speaker sees tne
familiar s'g'1rs - tne fishermen's rouses, rhe pebbled patn. small urchins
waving to him. Re,ationships seem important liere.
Stanza 6 completes this joyous homeward jovrney. A fisherman stands in
his boat co greet the newcomer. The speaker sees a starfish In a poo;, and
watches as gulls fly off into the 'limitless morning'.
F
ACTIVITY
I
, V1hat is a 11anda a?
• Could that starfish In tlie pool be a kind of mandala? If so. what 's
Brathwaite saying about the Island lifestyle?
Poetic devices
Alliteration: The stanzas de not carry rhyme or a regular
rhythm, but 1he freqJen1 use of alliteration gives a lyr"cism
to the lines: 'b•ight beaches·; ·'sound of the sea~ 'stoniest
cities:'sharp slanting sleet:"tep d taste'. and so on.
Rhythm: V•/hlle trere is no regular rhythm, in many
places a daayl'c rnythm (-w) surges up as if we are
hearing the rolllrg of the sea. Read these lines aloud to
feel that rhythm:
pass,ng us tolling. waiting and watching
pas1pains that woJld wreck us, sorrows arrest us,
hatred ,ha, washes us up on the flats
ard there Is the thatch of the fishermen's houses
into ,he limitless morning before us
Symbolism: The river symbolises progress and purpose:
the ocean symbol'ses the timeless ccmpleteness. The
starfish in ,re pool s some,hi ng I ke a mandala - a shape
suggesting perfection and wroleness.
Metaphor: The seagulls flying off into the morning sky
'Past pains i:hat would wre::k JS. sorro...\•S. arrest .:s. hatred that was~es
are carried on 'white sails'.The imagery compares gulls
1,,S t.p on ttie flats'
with sailing ships.Tre effect is to suggest that the 'limit,ess
morning' of possibilities available to the island dwellers
sofa d'fferent natuce to the potential and possibilities of the FirstVo/o:ld.
Nature and not tech1ology reigns re•e.
Tone and mood
The mood is nostalgic, as the speaker retu,ns in imagiratlon tors
be oved is ands.The ccntrast :>etween North and South accer,tuates rhe
friendliness. warmth and relat' on ships of the South and the loneliness,
pain and nostillty of the competitive North, and tne tone o' p•aise fer
the ore and dislike of the 01her intensifies our sense of the speaker's
appreciation o' island l'fe.
The reader shares vlrh tne speaker the mood of nostalgia as isla,id life is
recalled, a sense of oppressio1 in response to the descr"otiol'I of cord 'tiors
in the Ncrth, mixed pain and anger at the memories of s avery and
colonisation evoked 1n stanza 3, elation ard boJndless optimism in the
two final star,zas as they describe tre warm welcome of tne Islands ard
the freedom erjoyed there.
Message
The Islands may not boast the progress and developmef'l of the North,
but life there is full of joy, warm relationships and limitless potential In
cortrast to ire lone y, paln~JI lifestyle in tne Nortr. 'South'ls a celebrat'on
of Car'bbean life.
'West Indies, USA'
by Stewart Brown
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• consider ;re sltuat en ard
message or Stewart Brown's
poer1 '1..Vest Indies. USA'
• discuss how tne ocetic devices
create tre apprcprla,e tone ard
mood Ir the poer:,.
Situation
The speaker is a passenger on a plare that stops briefly in San Juan
after island-hopping througri the Cari'::>oean. He observes the contrast
be~tveer the wea th, efficiency and tight security of this American-owned
Caribbean islard with the less wea thy, less efficient and laid-back style
of the indeperderit island territories. and, Indeed, the contrast, between
wealth and poverty within San Juan itself.
Structure
In star,za one the speaker looks dcwn from the plane at tne islands
dotted below. In stanza two each of the airports visited so far had its
un·que personality, but now tre plane s approaching 'plush" Sa1 Juan.
In stanzas three and four me speaker recalls how the famous Statue
of Liberty proudly invites the world to ·'Give me your poor", yet the
evidence before him is that America is doing its best to keep poor
people out! In stanzas five and six the contrast between rich and poor
n San Juan is hig hligh,ed:
galvanised shanties ove·seen by condominiums
polished Cadillacs s"limmy·ng past Rastas with pvsr,carts
The poem uses a metapnor comparing the aerial v,ew of tne sland to
"the shattered Innards cf aTV set 11at's fallen off the back of a lorry".
The reader can v·sualise the tiny reefs of bull dings and the roads like
twisted wires. The metaphor is also effective because what you see
inside the TV is very different from wnat you see on ihe screen, and the
real'ty tnat the immigrant finds inside America is very different from the
orrrocrive images he has seen. The concluding line prov'des us v/th an
·mportant message:
It's sharp ard jagged and dangerous, and belonged to so.,,eone else.
•
Since 1886, the famous Statue
of Liberty- an Iconic structure
represer,ilng the Roman goddess
of freedo,, - has dominated New
York 1--arboJr. Inside the museJm
at tne Statue's base, visitors can
find a bronze tablet tt'-a; bears
;he tex. of a poem ca led The
New Colossus'by Emma Lazarus.
The words 'give me your poor' are
frcm he· poem.
\Jr.cle Sam (and therefore Puerto Rico) may have better technology ard
g•eater wealth and efficiency 1t,an the slards of the Caribbean, but
there is a price to be paid: greater co.11rol, barbed-wire fences, a sense
cf alienation. Freedo'11 is to be found In the poorer 'slards - not rere In
America1-owned San Juar.
Ru n-o n lines and word-play
nteresting use Is made of run-on lines ,n this poem, for example:
Subtle Urcle Sam, afra'd too many desperate blacks
might re-enslave this Island of the free.
Might jump tl,e barbed
electric fence
Do you see how the poem Itself seems to be jumping from
one star>za ;o the nex1, as If in imitation of illegal immigrants
jumping the electr c fence?
As the plane takes off again we get this run-on line:
So soon we're climbing.
low above the pulsing city Streets;
\Jow look at tre shape of the poem on the page and notice
new each stanza meanders into the next. Does it suggest to
yoJ the island-hopplr>g that the plane has been doing?
It 's no typographical error that the word'ls'and'·n 'Island' of
the free has the ir: ti al I in italics. One can hear echoes of Rasta
talk here: I-land. my land.The assertion is that Puerto R;co is a
Caribbean rerritory - I-land - and not America's psoperty at all.
Mood and tone
The tone of the poem is predominantly irenic, America claims
to be the land of the free, but the poem draws attention to
the barbed-wire fences and patrol cars everywnere. America
Invites the poo· to her srores to enjoy a better life, but right
'Give me yo.,r poor'
there in San Juan are poo· people pushing carts and living in
galvanised sranties. San Juan may be ·'plush: but the peem
hints at ,he danger, the violerce there. San Juan may have won the
Jackpot. but the peem argues trat life s better on tne otner lslards than
on tnis American-owned is and. The mood varies. fro-n sceptic•sm as the
, t I'
spea<er contemplates tne Initial appearance of wea th as tney aporoach
San Juan, to wry humour as he co'Timents on the nervous repetition by the
Fools' gold Is the name g'ven
pilot of instructions to stay on board, and solemn refiectien as the plane
to iro1 pyMes. This substarce
1
ta<es off again, revealing the poverty and vio ence behind the scenes.
resemblesgold so closely In
its co our anq g tt,er, that it has
managed to·fco:'many people!
Poetic devices
Similes: The sea ·s compared to the green baize on a casino table, and
the is ands to dice tossed randomly. It is a good comparison, showing the
random arrangement of the islands, ar>d their unequal fortur>es.
The clouds rave ''hall-marked' s' ver linl ngs. The effect here Is to remind
us of the hopes of so many Cariobean people wro dream of a better life
(a siiver lin'ng) in the USA: here ,re silver lining Is genuine sliver - and like
genuine silver, ,t bears a 1allmark! The suggest' en Is that people get rich in
San Juan.
Message
Owned by the USA. San Juan appears to be better off than the
Independent Caribbean ·slards. But ,re price for sharing America's
wea th has been high as the island now belongs to someone else. The
peem urges us to cherish freedo-n and not be seduced by economic
dependence.
ACTIVITY
• FindoJtwhatDal'as isfamo•Js
for so that you can exp' ain why
the soeake• calls Puerto Rico
'the Da' as of the Vvest Indies".
• Find out why the USA is
sometimes called 'Uncle Sam'.
• Exp,ain t~e simile comparing
airports to cal ing cards.
'Mirror' by Sylvia Plath
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• consider ;re sltvat en ar.d
message orSylvla Plat:,'s poem
'Ml-ror'
• understand "lOW rhe poerc
devices c,eate tne appropr ate
mood and ione n rhe poem.
Situation
In the modern world of advenis·ng, we are bombarded vlrh images
showing us beautiful women ar.d handsome men. We perhaps feel
'r,adequa,e or unworthy if we are not as shapely, as wel -toned, or welldressed.
The wo'Tian in Plath's poem is one such person: she ongs to loo'<young
and beautiful. so she regularly chec'<s her m·rror, hopir.g robe told
something kind.
But rhe mirror refvses to flatter her: in fact it ·s br-Jtally honest. driving the
woman 10 des pa·r.
Structure
Each of ,he two stanzas in the poe-n has n·ne 1:nes.There are no end
rhymes.The effect of this is to suggest tnat the woman's sad situation is
,mcliang·r,g, and without attracrlveness.
In the first stanza, sre checks her appearance 1n a mirror on the wall. In tre
second, she prefers to look at her reflecrion in a lake.
There ·s some,lii rg sinister aboJt this prog·essio1, isn't there? Has she
perhaps become so depressed by what tre mirror tells her that she is
thinking of suicide? Ce11ainly the word 'drowned" takes our thoughts in
that direction.
Another thought you may have about the progression In the ,wo
stanzas s that in the mirror she sees only her outer appearance,
whereas in the lake she is searching to discove• whot she reolly is. Has
she realised that outer beauty is not all rhat matters? Does the lake tell
her anything about her Inner beauty, or does It mere y remind her that
she ·s getting older?
Poetic devices
Speaker: Perliaps the most striking poetic dev·ce 'n this poem is
tne choice of speaker. The poor womar, does not get to speak; a:I
the talking Is done by ,he mirro•.The mirror prides itself on be'rg
unoiased and truthful, but actuady It succeeds ir distressing the
woman by what ·1shows her. vVren the mirror turns into a lake
in tre second stanza, it shows us hew desperate,y the woman
tries to leek beau,iful. t seems scornful of the fact tnat she prefers
moonl'ghr or candlelight. since they are kinder to her face; rhe
mirro• calls i hem "llars'I
'I see he, back. and refle<1 le faithful~/
Personification: By personifying the m·rror, Plath wins cur sympathy
fer the wo11an and our ,ntense disl ke for the mirror (who rep·esents
a culture that emphasises physical beauty to tne exclus'on of
everything else).
Allusion: The speaking mirro· is an allusion to the story of SnowvVhite.
The queen of the land looked daily into ,t-e mirror, hoping to heas tnat she
was 'the fairest' of them all, bur was half-crazed when rhe mirror told her
that Sr.ow White was the most beautIfJI.
Mood and tone
Imaglne you are listening to the mirror speaking. vVnat is its tone of voice
,n the first five lines? 1Nhich of these adjectives would beSl describe
the mirror: honest, orrogonr, defensive, authorirarion, kind, uncaring, se/f.
imporronr?
1Nnat tone of voice does the mirro, use wher It calls the candies and the
mcon ''liars'. and when it says, 'I am important to her'?
1Nhat mood does tlie poem put you in when you read the effect the
mirror has on her (say, in lire 14)? Do you feel any symoathy with t~e
woman when you read 1t-e last two ires of the pcem?
Message
As we sJggested above, this poem can be seen to be about rhe way we
have been cor.dtioned to place too much emphas's on phys ca, beauty. t
makes us aware of tne excruciating pain many people feel when they are
unaole to achieve tne image that soe°ety apo auds. People cannot enjoy
their lives because trey feel they are too fat, not muscular enough, too
pimply, tco dark-skinned, not curvaceous enough and so on.
SYLVIA PLATH I USA
The wdrer Sylvia Plath, shown here on af'I American postage stamp
/ ACTIVITY
I
• VVhat kind of personal lty does
the mirror have? LIS! your
adjectives and find sJpporting
evidence from the poem.
• VVhat state of mind is the
woman In? List the ways sne
responds to her reflection in the
mirror ard the lake.
• V\lhat effect does tne simile 'like
a terrible fish"have ori you?
• Vl'ou:d you like to have
someone 'ke th·s mirror as
your best friend? Expla n yoJr
answer.
KEY POINTS
A helpful way to dlsringu'sh
between tone ard mood Is to
think of tne to~e as the attitude
of rhe speake• (the ,one ofv6ce
used) a,id co think of mood as the
fee ngs that rhe poem evokes In
you, tne reader.
'The Woman Speaks to the Man
who Has Employed her Son' by
Lorna Goodison
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wl :
• dls-;uss t1e sitJatlon and
message of .o·na Gocdison's
poeri 'The Vvoman Speaks to
:re Mar who Has Employed
her Son·
• consider how ,he poetic
devices create tne appropr ate
mood and tone n rhe poem.
Situation
The speaker tells us cf a mothe· who has wo•ked and made sacrifices to raise
her son. only to have her hopes dashed when the boy gets caught up w,th
crimina• elements. She is so resigned to tne certainty that his life w· end
violently ("tre day he draws his bloody salary') that she bJys the materia' for
ner funeral dress ahead of the event. Notwithstarding the poem's title, the
speaker is not the mother herself. but someone close to her who speaks on
the mother's behalf: notice that the speaker refers to the motner as she, to
the sen as he. and to the employer as yov. By having someone other than
the mother as speaker, Goodison avcids Introducing the negative tone of
self-pity or bitterness, which might detract from our compassion.
Structure and rhyme
There are six Jnrhymed stanzas of equal lengtn. The absence of deliberate
end rhyme is effective oecause it suggests to us tnat, try as she m:ght,
the speaker simp y cannot brirg order and narmony into her response to
the Hagedy. Significantly, the nearest approach to a rh)'me is In the wo•ds
p•ayers/tears.The regularit)' of the stanzas, tnough, suggests an inevitao'lity something inescapable - about events that have taken place.
,.
DID YOU KNOW7.
Th•ougnout the Car:bbea'l there
are Informal savings groups wrere
each member puts In a specific
amount of money each month,
ard membe•s take turns In
collecrirg the 'oox-hand'.
The first stanza describes the mother's oregr.ancy, and the seco:nd speaks
of me dreams she had for rhe so>1, despite the father's absence and
indifference. Stanza 3 explains that she has been both father a1d mother
to the boy. The spea'<er rT'Oves 10 the employer who has eqiJipped the boy
with a machine gun. V./e gather thar the boy looked on the employer as a
father (stanza 4), b~! the rno:her ,s sceptical. The onl)' salar)' her son is likely
ro earn from such employment will be a b oooy death, so she proceeds
to buy funeral clothes. Powerless against a oig-time criminal. the mother
can only pray and cry (stanza 5).The final stanza co-npares this Caribbean
mother with the mother o' Judas and of the thie' who died alongside Jesus.
But she has also been a father to the boy. so her 4na, wo·d -Absalom - is
a Biblical a'lus on link·ng her to King David. grieving inconso ably when his
S0'1, Absalom, died. Absalom had died while leading a revolt against his
father. The vvoman in the poem sees herself as both mother and father to a
boy who has t~rned to cri-ne, so she 'dentifies herself no; only w';h Biblica
morhers of criminals. bu1 also w rh this father of a renegace son.
Poetic devices
Contrast: The poem begins with talk of morning sickness and t'1e baby
grcvvlng i!"side the mother - irnimate ard natural - bl.11 then dramat'cal ly
switches to talk of machine guns and'hot and exploding death'. The
contrast is between life and death, between nature and technology.
Diction:Much of the diction conve)'s the rel'gious faitn of the mother:
·'prayers': 'psalms'. 'Knee c·ty'. 'soul'.
Allusion :
• In lines 25-28. Bib''cal allusior is used. In Maithew 7:9 Jesus asks the
quest,on:·or which ore of yoJ. if his son asks him for bread, will give him
a stone?' Any good father woJld naturally g've his sor what Is good for
him, but not the ·father' In the poem.
• In arotrer s·b: cal allusion, s'1e is compared with other mothers whose
sons have died violent deaths after they had gone astray - the mother of
Judas Iscariot and of the thief beside Jesus. The allusion reminds us that
even the worst criminal was once a baby, nursing at his mother's breasi.
• You can read the story of King David and his son Absalom In
2 Samuel 18:2a-33. Even though. in his rebellion, Absalom had almost
destroyed his father, David never stopped loving him.
• The Biblical all us·ens underscore the simple faith of the mother, but they
also speak out against the gang-lords wnose unrighteous dealings are
destroying youths in society.
Mood and tone
In lines • 3-1 7 the speaker Imagines the mother speaking of the absentee
father with wry numour, but no binerness: at least the fellow was fair,
she jokes, s'nce he ueated a'I his children vith''equal and unb·ased
Indifference'.
In line 22, again speak'ng on behalf of the mother, the friend turns to the
criminal employer and her sarcasm spills over: 'you value him so much/
you give him one whole submachine gur for him alone'.
In lines 33- 40 we find a m·xture cf sorrow and vengeful anger. Look ar
these lines:
She says psalms for him
she reads psalms for you
sne weeps for his soul
her eyewater covers yov.
The hint here 1s that while ihe woman Is seeking comfort from God as sfie
prays fo• the son. she ,s bringing a curse down on the employer - read'ng
psalms for h,m and covering him with rer eye-water. Caribbean readers
are familiar with the use cf the Bible 1n obeah - and It looks as if this
motne· is seeking her own kind of revenge.
Sui while hulT'our and sarcasm spill over, the chief tone of the poe'T1 is of
grief and lamenta:ion, and conirolled anger at the injus,ice thar all of the
mother's dreams sho~ld be shattered in this way.The reader experiences
different moods as the poem progresses: tencerness at the me'lt'on of
the mother's ove and hopes fo, the baby, wry humour on learning o' ,he
fathe··s 'fa;r-minded' ,rea,ment of his chi dren, anger and dismay a, the
employer's act'on and the tragedy, co'Tlpassio'I for the mother's grieving
and aomiration fo· her strength.
Message
The poem is a woman's protesr againSt the v'olence pervading many
Carlbbea1 societies with its tragic waste of life and potential.
/ ACTIVITY
• Exo ain tre significance of tre
reference to 'box-hand' In the
final stanza of tne ooem.
• a \'/hat are tne mQlrer's
dreams in this poem, and
how are they shattered?
b Compare this pcem with the
others you have studied and
consider how innocence is
destroyed by a cruel reality.
The fo,lowing polrts shoJld
help you In your analysis of
each poe'TI:
• How ·s innocence and
goodness depicted in the
poem?
• \•/hat is the ha,sh reality that
threatens that Innocence?
• \.Yhat ,echn·qJe does the
poet use to draw out an
emotional response?
Dealing with death
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• analyse the situation and
message or 01'.ve Sen lo' s
'Birdshcot ng Season' and of
John Donne's sor'ler '0eath,
Be Not 0 ·oJd'
• observe how two poems
hardle the ,~erne o' deat1
different y.
'Bird shooting Season' by Olive Senior
Situation
The speaker descr'bes the season whe'l meri i1 Jama·ca's rural areas go
bird shooting. vVe see their 'macho' de'Tleano..ir as they 'make marriages
with their g,ms'. ard ·'drink white rum neat' in preparation. The role of the
women Is different: trey are the stay-at-home nurturers, brewing coffee
and packing snacks fer rhe males-only 01JTing. Little boys watch the
preparatlors, eager to grow up and join in. while little girls jus, pray for tre
birds to escape.
Structure
Senior has opted for free verse witn four stanzas of different lengths. There
are no end rhymes.Tre first star.za focuses on the men, the second on the
women. Stanza 3 provides a transition with the men leaving for the hunt.
and stal'za 4 tells of the different reactions cf the boys and the girls.Th:
structure underscores the contrast between men and women.
Poetic devices
The metaphor 'make marriages with their guns' is effective in show ng the
deep love the men have for this activity.Trey are now bound to their guns
and tre hunting as they normally are bound to their wives. lronicall)'. thoJgh.
whe•eas marriage usually prcdJces new life. th:s·marriage' to their guns will
pre duce death. Another key device Is contrast, s1owirg different activit' es
for the men and wo!'Tlen, and different attitudes for the boys and g:r s.
Mood and tone
'Ne observe a gently mocking to'le in the speaker's voice as she uses the
word 'macho: and talKs of the 'marr,age' the men make with their guns.
She captures the irritation cf the women in the word "contentless'. Then at
the end we fee' compassion and fear for the birds in the wnispered words
cf the little gins.
Message
Human beings are both male and female: we have a side that is aggressive
and destructive, but we a'so have a side that is gentle and nurtur'ng.Tre two
sides cf OJr humanity are d,sp'ayed 1n the situation depicted in the poem.
' Death, Be Not Proud' by John Donne
Situation
The speaker Is talkirg to Deatn. who is personified as a pro-.id, boastful
el'emy. The speaker asserts that he will firally have the victory over Deatn,
and that Death itself will die. The poem ar rms the Cnrist,an belief in the
9esurrection.
Structure
This sonnet ccns;sts of three q-.iatrains and a final rhyming couplet. In
the first quatrain, rhe speaker tell s Death not ,o be so proud because he
s not as powerful as he thinks he· s. In the second, the speaker moves
on to taun, Death by saying rhat what Death threatens us with (Rest and
Sleep) is aaually pleasurable - which is why the 'best men' meet Death
witncut fear. knowing that Death will del'ver their souls from bo1dage tc
the body. The taunting increases as tne speaker insults Death, calling him
a slave, and saying he keeps horrid company, liv·.,g with 'poison, war ard
sickness'! The final insult Is that ,tis not onl)' Death wnc can give us a geed
sleep. Tre couplet asserts that after a short sleep we will wake and ther
live forever. Death itself will then be destroyed.
Poetic devices
The person,ftcation of Death Is crucia because ·r allows the speaker to talk
to Death as to an opponent. an enemy. The taums and beasts all depend
on the personification. The personification of"poison, war and sickness'
Is efieaive because it gives us a serse of Death rvlng w th undesirable
neighbours!
The poem takes the form of an argument - almost Iike a lawyer arguing
point-by-point ir court. The arguments are somewrat far-fetched, but
somehow they are emotior,ally convincing, belittling Death until he seems
easi y beatable.
Mood and tone
The cone cf the speaker ·s bold ard confident, the 101e of a fighter
playfully lnsulti1g his opponent. He taunts ard mocks. ending with a
boastful shoJt of victory; 'Death, thou shalt die!'!
Message
The poem is an affirmat,cn (playful and or ginal) of the Christian belief in
the Resu·rection.
/ ACTIVITY
I
• Look careful y at the contrast ng roles of men and women. and the
d'fferern reaaiors of the boys and the girls In Olive Senior's poem.
Do you think that their differert temperaments and roles are a fair
po'trayal of the male and the female, O' not?
• Donre's speaker says thar some people see Death as belng'm'gnty
and dreadful'. \oVhy woJld people see Death this way?
• \/Vhe'l the speaker addresses Death as "poor Death' and calls Death
a "slave'. wrat att rude is he showing to this "mighty and dreadful'
adversary?
'A Lesson for this Sunday'
by Derek Walcott
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• consider ;re sltvat en ard
message of Jerek Walcon's
poer1 'A lesson fo· this Sunday'
• trace 1ov1 the poetic devices
create tre apprcprla,e mocd
and tone in tne ocem.
Situation
t is Sunday.The speaker swings idly in h;s hammoc~. enjoyirg the
summery weather. A b!ack maid sings a church song as she dces rer wcrk.
Suddenl)' the quiet Is interrupted by two small ch'ldre1 who have caugnt
a butterfly and a'e eagerly d·ssectirg i t. As the maid intervenes to stop ,he
cruel game, the little girl screams out. a'1d tre da'llaged insect attempts to
fly away. t seems ro the speaker that tne lin,e girl - like the bunerfly- is a
beaurful, summery t'ling wro should never have to endure agony.
Reeling from a new-found awareness that cruelry and suffering seem to
be something inherited by each gene·ation. the speaker worde·s where
and how we chose such a path fo· ourselves - or whether Indeed we were
g'ven the cho ce.
Structure
The poem is wriner In free verse, but makes use of a fairly regular rhythm,
regular line length ard frequent rhymes. The argument is developed in
three starzas of different lengths. The first stanza focuses on the quiet
moment of relaxation 1n the hammcc'<on this Sunday. The second deals
with the interruption of t'le quiet by ,re cries of ,re children hunting and
dissecrng the butterfiy, and then objecting to tre maid stopping their
game. The third relates the reflections of the speaker -wondering where
such seemingly innate crue ty had Its orig ns.
Poetic devices
Pun: The title co1ta,ns layers of meaning within the word 'lesson'. The
children are having a sc·ence lesson, bJt the speaker is also learning
something. A.though he is not in church, wrere t'1e word
'lesson' would refer to the Bible reading, he is actually beirg
,.(J
presented witn a sermon on Original Sin as he watches two
young c'1
. ildren (whom one would expect to be ·nnocent)
demonstrating that cruelty is innate. This laner mea1119
of the title is reinforced by the fact that the black maid Is
singing 'the plain ro,es of some Protestant rosanna'as
if she. too, Is in church. Her very presence is yet anotner
lessen - rhis time for tne reader, who is reminded of slavery
- of the cruelties of humankind.
The little girl is 'crouched on plump haunches, as a mantis
prays~ Here the pun on prays/preys is effecrve, suggesting
trat scientific research may aooear co be reverencing life,
bJt is often merely p'eying or that life.
Metaphor: The butterfi'es are frail k tes - an effec;lve
Frail kl1es In t~e SJnsh ne
metaphor because it suggests not only their fi igfit and
fragility, but also a sense of playfulness.
The poem is in. tially cfiered as the lemor,ade cf s:mpie praise - a cool,
refreshing drink mixing bo1h sweet (sugar) and sour (lemon).
Irony: Th; speaker says that the cries cf tre children break his Sabbath
with the thought of sin. Mesi Sabbatr-keepers co~sider that refleaing
on one's sin Is a necessary aspect of the Sabbath, bJ, not this man, wl-ic
evident1y prefers to sperd Sunday in his garden. It is Ironic that he Is
gett,ng a lessen/sermon even tncugh he rs not ,n church.
Rhymes: Rhymes are used effect'vely re link key corcepts: sw ngs/sings
suggests the peacefulness cf the moment. s' n/pin highlights the fact that
the children's activ·ty is sinful, rot just playful, fear/everywhere and torn/
born suppo•t the spea<er's thesis that fear, pain and suffering are part of
our lot as human beings because cruelty is everywhere too. like summer
grass, the poem concludes. we are doomed to d:e: we sway 'to the
scythe's design'.
Simile: The 'Nords ·as su11mer grass sways to the scythe's design' create
a comparison oetween the way each of us is born into a life of pain,
suffering and death, and highlight trat this process is as Inevitable as the
way each blade of grass s cut down by a scythe. Crucial to the simile is tne
wo•d·'design" - suggesting that the pa:n and cruelty are actually part of
the master plan!
Symbol : Tre little gir wears a emon frock and tre blltlerfly has yellow
wings.Vo/hen the speaker comments "and everywrere the f·ccks of
su1111er tern'. he has given symbolic value to tre yellow frcck: it new
represents all beauty and innocence that risks being brcken and maimed
by t'1e cruelty and destructiveness around.
Diction: In describing ,he two chiloren, the poet shifts to a semi-scientific
language: fepidopterists, surgeon, eviscerore, obdomen, prodigies. Because the
language is ,oo grand to be applied to ch:ldren tearing a buner~y to pieces,
we sense mockery in the ;one. But we are also reminded that carefully
chosen words (erhnic cleansing, rec'eoloymenc, etc.) can often mask horro.·s
In the real world.
Mood and tone
The speaker's mood (snared by the reader) s initially relaxed and
cortented. then mildly annoyed, and finally discr'ented, deeply disturbed
and a;:ioalled.
The tone cf the meditation is serious and philosophical.
Message
Deftly, vValcott uses tnis incident of the er Jelty of two young child ren
to make tne reader refiect on the pervasive cruelty and suffering In our
wond.
ACTIVITY
• Co'Tlmen1 on the effect
ach eved by V•/alcott's use of
each of rhe words or groups of
words In this 11st:
furious; praise, rituals, prorestant
hosanna, Sabbath; /epidoprerisrs,
surgeon, eviscerate, oodomen,
prodigies; maimed, teerering;
swings, swoyed.
• The •Nord common can mean
'foJnd often' or'shared'. How does
this double meaning affect your
understand 119 of line 121
Parents and children
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• consider ;re sltuat en ard
message of'My Pare1ts'by
Step~en Spender. and of'Little
Boy Crylng'by Mervyn Morris
• consider tre differe1t ways
In wr ch t~e rwo poems dea,
with ,re theme of parer,t-chlld
re.aiio1shos,
'My Parents' by Stephen Spender
Situation
The speaker remembers how, when he was a child, his parents shielded
n1m "from children who were roug'l' with the resu t 1rar he never learnt
hew to deal w,th tneir bullying ard taunting. He grows to fearthem, even
though he longs to ·'forgive'trem and be friends.
Structure
The poem has three four-Iire stanzas of regular line lengths, but wit,1cut
end rhymes.The orderliness of the structure makes us think of the
orderliness of the speaker's world. but ,re absence cf rhymes perraps
hints at the lack o'harmonious relationships :n h s life - something he
clearly regrets.
Poetic devices
The 'rough' children are compared to animals: they sprirg cut 'like dcgs
to bark: and the speaker fears ·',,ore than tigers",reir muscles and their
ability to wrestle him down. Another simile compares their verbal ta•Jnts
with stones thrown at the speaker, suggesting how painful the insults
were, and how they are ,1ot easily forgotten.
Mood and tone
The spea~er's tone is very varied In this poem. He speaks somevvhat
disdainfully about the torn clothes, the rags tnat the rough chldren wore,
but he also seems to adopt a tone of envy when he speaKs of their freedom
to run in the street, climbcllffsand bath; in coumry streams. A mood
of remembered terror creeps in wren he describes rre physical attacks.
and the rudeness as t'ley copied his lisp.Thro·Jghout we fee, his pain and
humi ation, and we a·e so•ry for him. Also, we are er tlcal cf the parents for
not teaching their son how to cope and sta~d on his own two feet.
1
Message
Simple as the poem seems, it is a serioJs indlamert of c ass distinctions.
The spea~er's parents clearly see themse'ves as being superior to the
"rough' neighbours, and have taught their so, according1y, but in doing so
they nave made him a v,alm of the vengeful response of the 'have-nots' in
socieiy. He has grown up Uf'able to bridge the gap between himself and
the lower class.
'Little Boy Crying' by Mervyn Morris
Situation
The speaker is a father who has just slapped I-is t'1ree-year-old so~ for playing
in the rain. As he watches the child cr)'lrg in frustration, he tries to imaglre
what the child is thinking of his father, and row the bey probab'y hates this
giant of a man who seems so crue'. He lets us know tl',at in fact he wou d love
10 lift rhe boy up and play with him to ease his sadness, bur feels he must
remain firm. and stern, s:nce the ch;ld mvst learn not to play in the rain.
Structure
Usirg free verse, the poet presents his poem in four stanzas - the first
three of similar length. and the final stanza consisting of just one lire. In
ere firsT stanza, the father describes rhe reactior of The child To the slao;
In the seco~d, the father imagines what he must look like to the chi d - a
grim giant I ke the one in Jack arid the Beanstalk. As we move into the
third stanza the father addresses the child. claiming that it pains him to
punish the child, but tne 1esson has to be learnt and in the final, one-line
stal"za, he states the lesson:'You must not make a p.aythir,g of the rain'.
V.fe see the situation from both po' nts cf view, and are kept In suspense
until the last line to find out what occasio'1ed the slap.
Poetic devices
The most striking device Is allusion to the fa'ry tale. Tre father imagines
11',at his son sees him as the 'grim g·an(in the stcry~acK the Giant Killer'.
The cnild sees hi'llself as Jack, the hero, 'cropping clean the t·ee he's
scrambling down·: The allus on is effective because it is the k11d of story
tre child would be familiar with, it suggests the immerise size oft:ie
giant/father, ard conveys ,he l',atred the child fee s at that moment. Also.
co~irast is evident: tne child sees the fa11',er as an al -powerful tyrant. bvt
ere father presents himself as one who is hurt. who wavers, who wo:.ild
prefer to play than to admir,i ster pun:shment.
The metapho• 'angling' captures very cleverly the way children have of
demarding attention: ke someone fis1ing, the chi d is 'angling' for some
'h,nt of guilt and sorrow'in tne father's face.
Mood and tone
The description cf tre child's crying is compass·cnate; the allusion
Introduces a s·igh,ly playful note that suggests an understanding of the
chl'd's mind, ard the third stanza shifts to a tone ,hat balances selfjustification with remorse. 'Ne are left feeing pity for both father and child,
alorg wit1 a feeling tnat all will be well since love is dearly present.
Message
The father's actio1s show that love involves d'scipline. However, th·oJgh
tre way it exp•esses the father and child's emotions. this poem shows that
punishing the one you love is painful for both parties.
, ACTIVITY
I
Do you aoprove of the actions tc1ken by ire parents in these poe"Yls?
VVrite a short letter to each cf t~e fothers in these poems. tactfully
offer,ng your react on 10 their way of deal 19 with their children.
Remember that tne parents In botn cases are acting in what tney
understand to be the child's best interest.
Meanings below the
surface
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• understa~d the dlffererce
betwee1 the surface mear ng
of a poem and
deeper
message.
,re
The situation and the messag e
You rave learnt that tne sitJation and the message of the poem a•e two
different things. You could think of It rhis way. In Aesop's fable about the
torto:se and the hare having a race, the story relates how the tortoise
won, even thoug>i by nature the hare is the faster animal. The message.
though, would rot even mention hare and tortoise: tre message is mat
by applying yourself conscientiously and steadily to a project, you will
have success, and ro matter how talented you may be, you r eed to be
d'sciplined and not overly confident if you want to have success. Aesop's
stories are actually called fables because it is not their surface eve"ltS but
their hidden meaning that is lmpo•tant.
EXAM TIP
FoYl¾Kltite tlie l¾tSStige
of et1cl, poel¾ )10'< a re
Stt.<ol t1i."'-g i.,,,to a few
worols .
'Blj t lie til¾e l:::JOK e""ter tv.e
e.Ktll¾ YOO!¾, l:::JOK SV.Ot.<lol be
t:ible to sttite tv.e ""-tsstige
of_eticl, of )101.<r poel¾S '"" 11
bnef se""tev.ce.
Think of some other fables by
Aesop, or parables told by Jesus.
or folk tales like that of t"le boy
who cr'ed ·wolf'. A fab,e o· parable,
by definition, is a Story Illustrating
a message. Ask yourself: How does
the srory go? Then ask yowrself:
V•/hat Is tne messoge being
taught?
T~e fable of the tortoise and the hare carr es a message below the surface of the storr
The same holds true fo· poems. The message of the poem may be very
d'fferent from the s·tuation o· surface happenings.
Let us look at some of your CSEC poems and see if this is true.
Situation as metaphor
In 'Birdshooti ng Season; Sen'or creates a specific situation: the season in
Jamaica when men love to go a'1d shoot birds. She dwells on the different
roles of the men and the women. leading up to the climax o' the poem
where she focuses on a major dfference between tre'll: ire little boys are
longing to grow up and be able to hunt. but tre girls fee' 01ly compassion
for ire birds. The metaphor of bird-hurting thus becomes a kind of
parable about the two sides of human nature: the masculine element
displays Its prowess tnrough dest•uctive activities, while the feminine is
mere at home witn nurturing and protecting.
Situation as reality
In the aoove example, the sirJation In the poem was a kind of metapho· for
what the poet aciually wanted to say. So'netlmes the situation In the poem
Is not so much a metaphor as an example of rea1·zy. For lrstance, ,n 'The
V•/oman Speaks to the Man who Has Employed her Son: rre sitJaticn of
this particular moire, Is repeated hundreds of times across the Caribbean:
her story is just one case among many. Once again, thoJgh, we can extract
the message: unchecked crimina activity in the Caribbean destroys our
promising young men and brings untold sorrow to mothers wro have
made sacrifices and st•uggled to raise them well. The poem cries out for
government actior to curb drug-dealing and other criminal activities.
Situation as personal struggle
In 'It Is the Constant Image ofYour Face: the speake• addresses the woman
he eves and essertially confesses that he has another mistress - his
country. He has ta~en up weapons on behalf of his country, so earning tre
displeasure of his other love, and now he· s torn between the ,wo loves,
realising that In crccs•ng one, ne ·s inevitably bei-ig unfoithful to the other.
'Nnlle the story gives us a specific man in co1me1 between love of country
and love of a woman. his struggle is just one example from thousards of
Individuals thrcugnout history wro have had tne same inner suuggle:
Do I become politically/militarily involved in an effort to help put wrongs
right (ever though that may put me in grave danger). or do I remain silent,
enjoy'ng my family (even though I will feel ashamed to know that wnile
otrers fought in the struggle. I did nothing)?lhe message is that tre
conflict between public duty and pr vate pleasure is neverendlng.
EXAM TIP
Sol¾e poe""'-S aye
l¾et~pl,oys DY pictuye,;
S&I rJ L"-fj, 'Lift YeSel¾bLes
tliis'. Otl,ey 'f>Otl¾S
aye ""'-Oo'e t,teY1<l tna"'
""'-e~aplioYic tiV\.cf tlierJ offey
a ~ •"'-cl of case stu"'r! ·
'H-eYe ,s ovce ext:1""'-ple'
tl'lerJ sat), 'but t11eYe aye
tl'l?u,;a.,,,cfs ""-OYe J=t Lilu
tl'lis o"'e'.
Thematic similarities
among your CSEC poems
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• discover several themat c links
betwee1 the poems on tne
syllabus
• look at the s ml artles and
differences In how tre same
:re'lle is 1ard ed by different
poets
• ,r n~ about the way poetic
devices affect you' reaaior to
tre poe'TI.
/ ACTIVITY
I
Each time you encounter a treme
In one poem, compare how this
poem and other poems present
tr-at same meme.
Since the poeuy question cal s for a comparison of two poems, you need
not only to read and appreciate the techniques and message of each
r.dividual pcem. but also to anticipate possible pairl ngs of poe'lls by
theme.
n this section we will consider some poems 1rat share the same theme.
You should beg·n coking at the poems in pairs, thinking aboJt the
similarities and differerces in the treatment of the same tneme.
Nature
VVe see tne beauty of nature in ma,y of rhe poems. In each poem, though,
nature has a different role. vVordsworrh shows how even a OJsy. dirty c·iy
can be transformed and made beautiful by the morning sunlight. Hopkins
sees rature as reveal:ng God's glory; for him, nature is constantiy being
,erewed despite mankind's destructive aaiv'ties.Virtue sees nature as a
challerge to t'1e artist who tries to capture the gra1deur in a painting. n
'Orchids'. the beauty of the flowe·s Is compared to the lnt(guing attraction
that poems can have for us and so on. Make a list of poems that presert
the level ,ness of nature, and ask yourself what specific effect is achieved In
each case.
Cruelty and inhumanity
Several of the pcems show us the unkind ways in which we treat each
other, Good:son's poem focuses on gang warfare. wni e Owen's looks at
war close up, and Carter Haces the more suotle cruelty of political control.
Olive Senior takes a loo~ at differences between tre male and the female
with her macho menfolk eagerly getting ready to hunt oirds, while tre
womenfolk pray for the birds to escape! Botn 'Dreaming Black Boy' and
'T'1eme for English B' remind us of the cruel effects of racism.
Mitchell's portrayal of the self-righteous religious eaders calling fo· the
stoning of a woman is a reml nder that even today tre·e are regimes where
women are stripped naked and stoned to death by men who believe trat
they are doing God's will. V•/alcon, in his 'Lesson For This Sunday: focvses
en the crue!ty that even young children are capable of. and so does
Spender as he portrays roJgh, tough children bullying anotrer kid who
seems more privileged than they are. Certainly. cruelty and inhumanity
seem to be uo,qJltoJs.
Hypocrisy
Many of the poems illustrate hypocrisy at wor'<: the speaker in'Once Upo1
a Time' regrets that he has learnt to play the hypocrite, but the Pharisees
n 'A Stone's Throw' are bilssfully unaware that they are guilt)' of being
two-faced! Tt-e crlmina who gave a gun 10 the boy in Goodison's poem
was clearly hypocritical, as he persuaded the boy that he would be a
iatrer to him.
Dreams and aspirations
Every human being has a dream. The 'dreaming black boy· and the mature
student writing his'theme fo• Ergll sh B'both have dreams. The speaker
1n 'It Is the Constant Image of Your Face· has his dreams; so does the
speaker 1n 'This Is the Dark Time. My Love'; and sod d the mother In 'The
Vvoman Speaks to the Man who Has Employed her Sor'. Ask yourself what
the nature of each of these dreams is. Thin~ about what happens !O the
dreams. ard why. Ask yoJrself how the poetic devices ·n each poem affect
your response.
KEY POINTS
:--o two peoo e see lfe the same
way, so any partlcJlar theme
will be presented d· fterently by
d fferent poets.
EXAM TIP
Technology
Technology nas come to stay. and rot all of its effects are good. You
ca1 find guns and boots of steel. Cadillacs and TV sets in these poems.
Ask yourself wry technology makes its appearance - what the poe, is
communicatirg to the reader by trese references.
Love and death
Love of anotner person er simply love of life can be found In many of these
poems. ard almost always that ove is cha enged and tnreatened. Death s
the ultimate enemy of' eve, and death is a recurring theme t,~at you need
to exam' ne. comparing how different poems treat that subject.
ACTIVITY
Select two poems dealir.g with the same ibeme. How are they similar?
How are they different? How do the poetic devices affect your reaction
to tnepoem?
EXAM TIP
s_£.,.,,ce title -poet..-l:J qKestio111,
w.tL be a com-payative
O"'-t, J>Ye-pcwe l:JOKYseLf bl:1
st1A.d1::J•"'-0 how tl1e s~ me
theme is tac~Led bl:J
diffe..-ei,,.,t -poets.
Two views of nature
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• consider ;re sltvat en ard
message or the poem 'Ar
Af<ican Thurde·storm' by David
R\Jbadlrl and t~e sonnet 'God's
Grandeur'by Ge·a·d lvlan ey
Hopkirs
• cornoare the respcnse o' the
1wo poets ;o The ma,esty of
nature,
/ ACTIVITY
I
Read Rubadirf's poem aloud,
noticing how t11e jerky rnyrhm
mimics the gusts of wind ard
the panicky movements of the
people. Now read V,/ordsworth's
·so.nnet Composed Upon
V•/estminster Bridge' again. Can
you sense how the rhythm ir
the sonret is calm and peaceful?
Did both poets use rhythm
appropriate1y?
'An African Thunderstorm' by David Rubadiri
Situation
n 'An African Thunderstorm'. we have a description of a tropical storm and
the responses of the peooie to the excitemert, the noise and the chaos
that it brings.
Structure
The pee, chooses a free-verse strvcture, which Is appropr,ate for capturing
the sudden sp<.1rts of activity and gusts of wind. One· and two-word lines
are abundant.
Poetic devices
The simile 'like a plague of locusts' captures ire sudden arrival of the
storm, which, just like locusts, brings both destruction and bless:ng.
Another simile "like a madman chasing nothing' suggests the
unpredictable gusty blasts of the wind. The clouds are personified by the
word 'pregrant'. lnd'cating ,!-,at they are full of ,he rain that will soon fal I.
Vo/e gain a visual Image of the clouds by means of the simile ·i- ke dark
sinister wings" - as If The clouds are dark birds perching upon the hills.
Also, dicTion Is used effectively to s•Jggest the many varied sounds of tre
storm: 'whist es'.'screams: "rumble'.
Carefully chosen visual details-ire bab:es clirg·ng to their mothers'backs,
peoo'e's clothes being blo·.,vn aboJt, and the dangling breasts of the
women - work together to present a pictJre of frenzied activ,ty.
Mood and tone
The reader feels the excitement, the frenzy, the agitation, the expectation,
the delight and the sense of ci-,aos in the village.
Message
INnat comes across to the reader s tre power of nature. \ol/este·n poetr)'
has tended to celebrate the beauiy, the fecundity and peacefulness of
nature, but Ruoadiri shows us that nature In the nop;cs also has another
face - a face i~at is both thrilling and dangerous.
'God's Grandeur' by Gerard Manley-Hopkins
Situation
The speaker is ma·velllng at the way the glory of God can be seen In
creation. V1/hy, he wonders, do people not accept God's rule in their lives?
nstead, mankind has spoil ed the earth. Yet despite this, a continuous
,erewal process res,ores tne loveliness. This renewing power Hopkins
attributes to the Holy Ghost, who still "broods" over the earth.
Structure
/ ACTIVITY
The two movements of the poem are apt'ycontained in an ltal·an sonnet.
The first eight lines (rhe octave) speak of rre glory of God in creation, and
asks why man has moved so far from God ·s purpose for him, damag·rg the
earth with his greed. The final s'x lines (the sestei) recognise the power of
God to renew what has been damaged, just as surely as morning follows
night. The so1net ends with an affirmation that tre Holy Splrt of God
lovingly restores the 'ben(world.
Poetic devices
The diction and Biblical allusions 1n the poem snow clearly that this is a
statement of Christian faith. The poet mentions God ar,d the Holy Ghost.
There s archaic language In tre phrase 'reek his rod: which means to
accept God's guidance and discipline, and is a,i allusion to Psa m 23: ' The
rod and thy s1aff comfort me~ Another Biblical allus:on occurs in rhe lasi
!'No li1es whe·e the reader •s reminded of the Genesis account of creation:
'And the spir t of God moved upon the face cf the waters'.
• Metaphor: The Holy Ghcst Is described metaphorically as a b:rd
spreading its wings over its young; it suggests God's .oving care.
• Simile: The way God's glory s,iines out of creation is captJred in the
comparison with tre way l.ght flashes from fo!I when you shake lt:·'llke
shining from shock foil".
• Pun: The word "charged" means g·ven tne responsibility for showing
forth Gcd's g1ory, but it also means erergised by God's glory. as an
electr'cal c:1arge. Tre reference tc rhe bent world is also a pun, signify,ng
the physical shape of the earth and a1so t'ie croo:<ed moral lty.
Mood and tone
The poem begins with joy and wonder, b·Jt moves to sadness as the
speaker focuses on man's activities - his 'trade" and 'toil". r the sestet. as
the speaker focuses on tre wonder of God's re-creation of the world, tre
JCY and assurance return, and the poem ends on a note of worship.
Message
1'.o matter how much sinful ma, damages the beauty ar.d worde' of
God's creat1on, God is always at work 10 renew and restore.
/ ACTIVITY
I
Comoare the ways in w11lch \A/o-dsworth and Rubadan experience
and respond to nature's majesty.
• Discuss the fo1lovving: Hopkins
wrote 'God's Grandeur' some
140 years ago, before we were
worrying about damage to the
ozor.e layer. globa warming,
endangered species and
deforestation. Do you think he
cou d write the same poem If
he were I ving today? Give your
reasoris.
• _ook at lines S- 8. How does the
anguage suggest weariness?
VVhat is suggested by words ,·ke
·'bleared'. 'smeared'. ·'smudge'
and 'smell'?
• _ook at the •hyme scheme In
this sonnet. Does ·1 support the
octave-sestet model?
• Line 8 terally means that mar
now wears shoes, so cannot feel
the soil underfoot. Could tnat
re be saying something about
man's relationship with God?
P.r:actice exam questions
Unit 3: Poetry questions
1 T>ie speaxers In A Lesson for this Sunday aPd
8irdshoo11ng Season both witness ar act of cruelcy.
W•ite an essay In wh ch you describe the
exper'e'lce of the spea'<er i-i EACH of t:iese
poems. Ir, this essay, you must compare the
reactlo1 of ,he speakers to what they have
wltressed, and exa'111ne ON: device that Is used
to present ire speaker's experience ir EACH
poem.
i3S marks]
2 The poems Milror and Ur.le Boy Crying both
present a painful exper'ePce. Write a'1 essay in
which you compare tne pa r, experienced by
0 ,\ Eperson selected from EACH poem, and
comment on tne effective use of al JSion In
EACrl poem.
(3S marksJ
3 n the poems An African Thunderstorm and Sonnet
Composed upon V✓esrmlnster Bridge tne speaker 's
i'TIpressed wi,h the maJestY of Na,ure,
1Nrite an essay In whicr you describe ire scer1e
witnessed ,n EACH poem, and EACH speaker's
react'on to thar scene. You must also commert
on tbe effective use of ONEpoetic device Ir, EACH
poem.
i3SmorKS]
4 Both Dulce e1 Decorum £sr ar,d The Woman Speaks
ro the Man Who Hos Employed Her Son born
consider rhe tragic loss of yoJng lives.
Wr te an essay in which you show, from EACH
poem, row and wry the lives of young men 100
often e1d in tragedy, In your essay you -nust snow
how rhe person affected responds to tre loss,
and examine ONEdevice used In EACH poem to
effectively co1vey tbe ·rnenslty of that response.
i3Smarks]
EXAM TIP
Further practice questions
and examp es can be fourd
on the accompanying website.
s Choose TVvO poems yoJ have studied in
whlct- an individual Is discriminated against or
persecuted by otriers in society.
\.Vrlte a,i essay ,,, which ycu oucilne tre
discrimination or persecution ta~ing place in
EACH poe11. In this essay, yoJ 11ust discuss
tne speaker's attitude to that discrimination or
persecut on, and examine ONE device that is
effective y used to evoke a response from the
reader,
[3S morks]
6 Choose TVvO poems yoJ have studied tnat deal
w:th ari ·r(Jlvidual's love of his/her native land.
vVrlte an essay In which ycu outline the situation
tnat pro11pts EACH speaker to reveal ti'at love
of h's/her native land. arid examine ONEdevice
In EACH poem that Is used to carry forwa•d the
poem's message.
[3S morks}
7 Choose T1NO poe11s you have studied in which
the speaker is awa~ened to tne beauty in ,he
world arourd.
For EACH poem, outline the situa:io.1 in whlcn
beauty is found, and examire O'liE device tnat Is
effectively used to evoke a s:milar response :rom
the reader.
[3Smorks]
8 Choose TWO poe11s you have stud:ed In whicr
the device of personification is effectively used.
In your essay ycu must outline the sitJation
described In EACH poem, showing, fo• EACH
poem, wbat effec; is created by the Jse of
personification.
[3S morks}
EXAM TIP
Furtner practice questions
and examples can be found
on the accompanying website.
Writing practice
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi I:
• consider '10Wto practise the
recessary skills for essay writlrg
Ir the exam
• learr ~ow to maximise your
grade.
Crafting your essay
Paper 2 of the English B examination requires you to write your answer
in essay form. This means rhat t'le exam11er expects a piece of writlrg
that demonstrates a smooth fiow a1d is written with an excelle1t level of
g•ammar ar,d well-deve oped paragraphs.
Questions en tne exam paper will no longer be bro~en up into sectio1s
1abeiled a. b, c, ovt there will oe guidance regarding wl'at you are
expected to Include In your essay.
Here is a samp e of the new type of exam questions.
EXAM TIPS
'A do-ninant theme in 71-Jeon and His Brothers is good vers•Js evil:
• ~-KYt i;JOK follow ti-le
•.w;tYKcti-0.w; to cl-loose
O"'-t _qKestio.,,_, fro"'- eacl1
,'/rite an essay in wnich you describe TVoiO Incidents 1n which tbe conflict
between good and evi is p'esented. In this essay. you must a1so discuss
how the MAIN characters are affected In ONE of rhe incidents, and
exam·ne ONE rechnique that \<Valcott uses ro present the theme of good
versus evil in the play.
sec.tt.o"'-.
• R.lacl t11e qKestio.,,_,
cciyef,,<.Lt!'.f, ""-A k.L""0 SKYe
1'.fOK K""cleYsta~ w11at is
YeqKiYec(
• Check that 1'.fOK 11&ive
&1.w;w~recl e&ic.11 p&irt of t"1e
q KtstLOI'\..
Your essay needs three parts:
an introduction
oody (usually of three or more paragraphs)
a conclusion.
Let's start wirh the body:
Body of essay
Follow these steps.
EXAM TIPS
First. tun the exam quesr on Into a 'to do' list to remind you to deal w,th
each part of the question:
• "Be gKicled b!'.f ti-le
I must describe T\.YO incidents in wh'ch the confl iet between good and
evil is presented.
""-&IYk attoc.atio..,, wile.,,
c~""sicleYi""fi now ""-Kc.n
hl¾e 1'.fOK spe~ 0"" each
sectio.,,,.
• Rtad over !::jl>Ur respl>l'\.Se
to correct "'""l:J obvioKS
eYYoYS.
• ~ite 0 "'-' &itter"'-'Ate Li"'-'ts
•f !jOu te""cl to "'-&1ke a
Lot of COYYec.tLo.w;. Tl'iis
wa 11 !::10KY WoYk wilt stitt
be legible if 1'.fOu liave
OYossed out DY adcled "'""1::1
aclditio""QL ideQs.
I must discuss how rhe MAIN characters are affected In ONE of tne
i r.cidents.
I must exa-nine ONE technique tnat \<Valcott uses to prese1t t'1e theme of
geed versus evil.
As you see, you now rave gu•delines for your three body paragraphs.
Introduction
You may use the exam questio1 to guide you as you craft your introduction.
Look again at tre exam question, and you will come up with something
like this:
'"" ni.s pUltJ Ti::Jea"" avcd his lr.Yothevs, Walcott c;IY&r""-ati.ses
the ete""'-'ll co""flict betwee"' good al'l,,;I evil. .seveyal
•~wile....ts &1Yt spaYluGI btJ thi.s co..,flict, avcd aLL of t he ma'""
cnaracttYS are swept «J> ""' it. walcott «ses foLle tale, west
'""""""' hi.sto11:1- the super"-"1turaL, setti"-0, CO"'-trast•"-0
cnaracteYS, StJmboLi.slM- (choose ON 6 ) to presei,ct thi.s ~tJ
the""-t.
Conclusion
It is always helpful. when yoJ write a1 essay, to pause when you get to
the end of the body section and ask yourself, "So what? vVrat rave I really
learnt?\~lhere was a I that leading up to?'
If you ask these questions, you will come up witn a co1clusior that goes
something like this:
l,(St.""0 t"1e ttcn....i.q«-e of (choose ON6 tech....i.q1.<e), Walcott
t;tpLoves now aLLof ni.s cha vacttvs avt ct:11.<g"1t up '"" the
EXAM TIPS
• Keep a.,,_ ei1e o"" the ti~.
1"" a :2 no«r exa ""'- witi,,
t"1 vee essa1::is to write,
tJ~« I-lave, s&11::i, 35
""<•"'-~tes pev essa , with
11
15 ""<•"'Mtes le~ over
to
t"1,.,,k, &!bout tne &l"'-SWtYS
a"'-" to read t"1 Youg i,,
1::101.<Y 'NOYk,.
Do "'-Ot spe""d ""<OYe tna "'35 ""<~"'-<-<-tes o"' a""t1
q «esho"". Move 0 "" to t "1e
"'-ext q1<est£o..,,, leav,""0
space so tnat tJ01< ca...,
co"":t back, ""'cl fi,""isn
off •f 1::10« have t,.,,,.,e.
struggle betwee"' good al'l,,;I evi.L. Despite t"1ei.r Losses, n:Jea""
al'l,,;I the "&olo"'- are vi.ctortoL<S, but the t>ev,L will do«bttess
vttut""- """°t"1er dati, ~.... a ....othev situatio"", CIM t i-le st ruggle
wi-Ll go o"'EXAM TIPS
Avoid storytelling
The questions in t'1e exam are always phrased in a way that reqJires you
to analyse the wo,k. Retelling 1he s!Ory (this happened and then this. ard
then this ...) will earn you some marks, bJt not enougn to gain you a pass
grade.
If you fird that you are si' di'1g Into storytelling (if you are using the wo•ds
when, then, before. afrer frequently) tis a gocd idea to stop writing and
check the question aga:n. Are you sure yoJ are answering che question
that was asked, or have you got carried away?
Present your evidence
The body of tt,e essay is the place to bring in all t'le supportirg details.
Indeed, writ•ng about literature Is like beirg a lawyer and bringing your
evidence to prove yoJr case. 1Nhenever you make a statement about
the wor~ or about a character. ensure that you present a couple of bits
cf evidence in suppo•t of rhat statement. Get into tne nabit, in class
discussior,s, of snaping your comments like this:
'Nnat two b'ts of evidence would you insert here, for ir,stance?
Check the length
Vo/e suggest yoJ aim to write no fewer ihan 450 words for eacn essay. If
you are not managing to wrte that m1.1ch, check:
• that yoJ have answered all par1s of the question
• that yoJ have supp led ev,dence in support cf your points.
• 1>«..-i"'-9 tne ""<Ovct"1s
leacli~ IA.'f' to tne e;ca.,,,.,,
pra chse writi..,,0 l:X&l l¾tj:Jpt e~l:l1:JS witi,, ,..,, the
to"""e lol¾it give..,,.
• n-1::1 "'-Ot to 9et clistrii ctecl
b1::11::1°«r c.l&1SSl¾C1tes.
• '"" the l:X&II¾ roo""<, clo
""ot waste ti""<e tr1::1i""g to
eriise "'-t&1tt1::1: j !<St C.Yoss
O<A.t the wro"'-9 worcl/
J>&l;~ewapn ill'\.cl eov.ti""«e
Wr<to "'-9.
Utt •t•Q is Cl ~.....,,;(, heLpf«L
girt. we ~""°w this becl:l«se ...
11"'-d beca«se ...
Structuring a
comparative essay
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• prac.lse two 'Ylethods of wr ting
a comoara-ive essay
• acqc ·•e sorie link words ard
sente,1ce paue•ns for making
-:om pa •I sons.
rJ
In your English B examination, two of the questions require you to
make a comparison: the question on poetry and tre question on s1ort
stories.
Before comparing poems or stories, iet us look at comparisons in general.
Here are two examples:
Dogs w.,Q~ woMerfKL pets, bKt "'ot cQts.
A dog wi.LL eow.e foY a walk wtth t,o"'
"""d heLp wltill l:jO"'-Y extYC•se pYogyQ w.l'l<t.
SVeY " f"•thf«.L fyteM, Ille wi.LL 01A.YL "'-P
l¼'(t to t,O"'- QS t,O"'- t..-Jo11 t,OKY fQVOKYtte
TV sillow. cats, o"' the other hitM, itre too
t.,,aepeMevst to w.all:e gooa eo""-pa"'-•o"'-S.
if a cat co!M.tS arouM !jOUY legs, he LS Mt
bt•"'-9 frf.e.,,c(tl:l - IM.tret!::I 1M.t:1rk<"'-9 lilts
temto'1::l· ~ wasilles
ttdtes hlmself till""'k !jO"- ve'1::l w.ueilll whe"" 11ou WQl'\ot
" f,-Levcd, he wtLL prob" btl:j be off ehQSL"'-9
mi.u or ttzQn,ls . .so whereQs a dog wuL
11:eep !j01-<. OO""-P""'lt do""'t expect tillQt
frow. a eat.
a""'
□Dogs l¾a~ wo.,,derf1-<.t pets, b....t Mt cats. whereQs
" dog wuL cow.e for" wQlk with l:::lou aM illetp l:jOU
with !jO"-Y txtYCLSt }>YOgYQl¾"'-e, " cQt ts w.«cl-1 too
•"""epeMe"'t to ~ )101-<. C0 .....1'"""!::I· SVtY Q fQithf«.l
fn.eM, l:jO"-t' clog wttl c-Kn. "'-1' ~ to !jOI-<. as !jOI-<.
eajo!j l:jOl-<.Y fQV01-<.nte TV show, b1-<.t •fa c-at C-0""-tS
Qrou"'d l:jOI-<., he LS Mt be•"'-9 fn.e"""tl:l - IM.treL!j
"'"rkL"'-9 lilts temto'1::l· -Sath•"'-9 avcd bY1-<.Sh<"'-9
!jOur dog ts a spLeVl.d.a w"l:I to spe""" ".SQtun:lal:I
l¾OY"'-L"'-9, but tillat l"'4epe"""e""t cat washes """"
tlcltes htw.setf- tilla~ ljOu ve'1::l .....uch! Wh•Le
RDVer- ts h"J>J>l:IJust to be Qrouvcd l:JO«, Tibbles
wtlt be off ehQSL"'fl .,,._.ce or L(zQ..-ols. A dog ts
""'a""'s best fyte..,,c( t"'4eed; but clo""'t t:Kpeet
fyte"'4sh•1> fro""- a cat.
The divided method and the alternating method
~ook carefully at the two paragraphs. After the first sentence mentioning
bo1h cats and dogs, paragraph A says a I there is to be said about dogs,
and the, switches to talkirg exdus vely about cats,
Example A uses tne divided method.
To use the divided method for your poetry or short story essay you can
follow this pan:
• Introduction mentioning bo1h poems (or stories) and the theme you
plan to focus on
• Al you t>ave to say about one of the poems/siories
• All you bave to say about rhe second poem/story
• Co>1clusion, mentior ng both of your poems/stories again and highlighting
the simila• ties and differences trat are imp11c 1 :n yoJr two sections.
If ore or more of the seetlo>1s in t'1e exam question ask for a comparison,
then you may not be able to use the divided method. Check carefully
before yoJ begin to write.
Example Buses the alternating method. Here, each s1oiemenr mentions
both cats a1d dogs. YoJ may choose to write your comparative essay
us' ng this alternating method: each time you make a point you relate it to
both poems.
Your essay plan will then loo~ like this:
• Introduction mentionirg both poems/stories, ar.d the treme you plan
to focus on
• Comparison 1 (for example, both poems, compare life in rhe 'Nest Indies
with life In more advanced countries)
• Comparison 2 (both poems show how pecple in rhe North may be
wealtnler and mere progressive, but they are less free than those in the
Caribbean)
• Comparison 3 (whe•eas 'West l1dies, USA' focuses ma·n,y on the unreal
image that America presents of ·tself,·sou1h' rem ·nds readers rhat the
pursuit of wealth ard p·ogress ed peop e of the North to enslave
people, b•ing:ng great suffering)
• Comparison 4 (you can provide this yoJrself)
• Conclusion, rnention ng botn poems/sto·les agalr\ b( efiy co,rnmenting
on which pcem/story ycu feel does a better job in persuading you.
Both methods are acceptable, but try both and see which you prefer,
The divided method relies heavily on tre conclusion 10 bring our the
comparisons, while tre alternating method does rhe compariso.1s as it
gees alcng, so the conclusion can be ra·r1y brief.
The alterrailng method risks being repetit ve because you have to re'l1ind
your reader which of the two poems/stories you are referri'lg to.Try to
avoid lengihy repetition:
R.tpet ,t,ve Stl:J U;
AVo•ol•"'-9 rtptt ,tio"":
The SJ>elllur '"" the J>Dtl¾ West
1vi.dies, l,(,SA ts ... b"'t tv,t
spealur •"" the-pot.,., .south is,..
S ttwetrt -gyow.,,•s
sptalur... but
-Sretthwci,tt's sptatur...
/ ACTIVITY
I
Practise writing sentences
containing comparisons. For
example, think of two Items to
compare (cricket and fcotoall,
or basketball and r,etball) and
write five sentences using the link
words and phrases give1 in this
section.
1Ne've cut down from 17 words to just 6, but the reader can still see wh'ch
poem is being referred ro.
Useful link words
WI-Ii.Lt I WQS ~ tV1tYt, loOR,L,"'9
'Nhethe· you use the divided method o• the alte·natlrg method for
your comparative essay, some link words wil I ma~e the sentences fiow
mere easi y. Here are some words and p\irases you can use. Notice that a
semicolon is sometimes reeded:
foolish. (tV1.CoV1<.pl.ttt)
• 'tlhereas dogs are good companions, cats are unfriendly and Independent.
• 1Nhlle a cat w, I wasn ·tse:f, a dog needs its owner to bathe it.
• A deg will play wit'1 you in tre park: a cat, on rhe orher hand, will leave
you and go off to chase birds.
• If you go on holiday you will need to find someone to feed yoJr deg for
you: a cat, in contrast, will 'Tlanage to hum birds or lizards.
• Unlike a dog, who is willing to learn tricks fo· you, a cat will let you know
in no uncertain terms that he rs no circus perfo•mer.
Grammar
A clause beginning with while or whereas is known as a dependent clause,
and it cannot stand alore.
s.ta SCISVla!::Jtol Oi.<t of the YOOVI<.
whllt I was Left thtYt, loofci"'-9
fool.sh, (C<>l¾J>Lttt)
whereas the sptalur '""
PYU//M./,J,1f} T!,/.aoJe Boy .sjust £l
eh,~. {tV1.COV1<.plttt)
-il-tt SJ>taluy '"'- OVCU /,{7'0111, Cl
Ti;w,e is a fathtY ta lfci"'-9 to h.s
so"", whtYtas the spealuy ,..,
Pra//M.LJ,1f1 1J./.aoJe soy .sj L<.St et
eh•~- {c.ol¾pl.tte)
A sample essay
comparing two poems 1
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this section you wi :
• learr to se ect appropriate
poe-ns ard focus on the cnose1
therie
• explore how io st·uc.u·e each
paragraph of an exam-type
essay response
• consider '10Wto Introduce
penlnert quotations.
Approach the question
.O.lways check rhe ma•ks alloned for each question and try to approach the
answer logically. For example. the examiner does not want you to spend
all yoJr time on ,he meaning of the poem, so be prepared to write about
its poetic techniques and ere me;;age.
Unle;; the ln;rructions direct you otherwise, discussron of two poetic
devices per poem is a good rule of t1umb. You reed to identify the device
and then com-nenr as fully as you car on the effect achieved by rr-at
device. Try io find different devices in the two poems: if in al"alysing one
poem yoJ have demonstrated that you understand personification, select
a different device (unless. of course. tne qvestion asks you to focus on the
use of personification) for rre second poem.
KEY POINTS
/ ACTIVITY
• Select one cf tre themes In
section 3.26, and choose two
poems that best deal with that
theme. In note form, jot down
the simllar'ties (e.g. bot11 poems
focus on war; both poems
see war as being wasteful and
wrecKing lives), and then iot
down the differences (e.g. in
one poem tne speaker ·s a
so:dier on the battlefield, while
;n the other the soeake• is
possibly at home wi,h his wife
as nls country Is being taken
over by foreign soldiers).
• Askyourselfwh'ch pan of each
poem yoJ fourd most moving.
How did it maKe yoJ fee'?
Identify the poetic device being
used. l\ow you are ready to write
about tre effectiveress of those
poetic devices.
, Practise writ'ng introductory
paragraphs and corcludirg
paragraohs, using the models
given he·e.
3eing ao e to tal< about now the poem ria'<es ts impact 01 yoJ Is
more rnportant than oe·ng able ,ore-tell wha, goes on In tne ooem,
EXAM TIP
The question
Sele<t TV,jQ poems in whicn cruelty takes place.
a Out,ire the situatiol" in which cruelty takes o'ace.
b Show how, Ir EACH poem. t"le choice of speake' affects t"le reader's
response to the situation.
c Compare and contrast rhe nature of cruelty ·n these two poems.
~Vork through tne following guidelines step by siep.
Getting started
• If. as here, the quesiion allows you to choose your two poems, make
su'e your choices are on the syllabus and tnat they suit the requirements
of tbe question.
• Note the main s;milarities and differences In your poems before you
begin to Wr'te.
• C~oose the poetic devices you intend to d'scuss (un ess the device is
'demifted for you in the question as it Is here).
Introduction
EXAM TIP
As !:jO<A. Qye wviti.,,g, ckeck.
t~e "{1A.es.tiovs fro""- til¾e to
• Name ooth poems ard pcets.
t•".""e to ""-ilke SCA.Ye i:JO<A. ill"e
• State the s~ared thime and the major differerce ·n howrne theme is handled.
• none sentence, Indicate what else your essay will touch on (you can
see th,s from the question Itself).
st,LL o"" topic.
Toe poel¾S 'M!:l 'Ptll"e"-ts' b!:l Stephe"' .spe~eY a...:I "'Sto"-t's--.... Names of both poems and both poets
Throw' b!:l SL""'" Mi.tc11eU both foc<A.S o"' t he cV<A.eLt!:l tl1at
n""""""'"" bei."'<3s 4'1Ye cap4'1bl.e of .spe...:ler·s l'oe= Loo~ at - -...
crneL b<A.U!:li.""0 b!:l oni.LdYe"-, a...:t MltcneLCs co=i.ders the
crneLt!::I of reli.g~i.<s e.><tre...u.ts. -me spe'11urs' poi....t of view
i.s •"'-port'l"-t ;,.,.,, both poems, a""d eacl-l poe= te4'1ches. <A.S
sol¾tthi.""0 aboi.<t the 11\,Qti.<Ye of b1<.U!1•"'0·
Situation
Remind your readers of t~e sitJation in the poem, but try to be conc'se.
Use your summary ro focus on rhe rheme.
Mention shared theme and major
diffe rence in how it is handled
With reference to the question, indicate
what else your essay will touch on
A sample essay
comparing two poems 2
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Devices and effectiveness
In this section you wi :
Be prepared to d scuss two devices per poem. Usually, though. the
question wil on y ask yoJ to d"scuss just one.
• learr to se ect appropriate
poe-ns ard focus on the cnose~
therie
Discussion of device: point of view of speaker
• explore how io st·uc.u·e each
paragraph of an exam-type
essay response
• consider -icwto Introduce
penlnert quotations.
spe.,,,,(er allow& tnt bot, vie.ti"'- to ttLL nis ow ... &tort,. -mis ~
tfftetivt beeaw.s.e ht ""°t o~l::l tells w.s. 11boi.tt tht &1etio= of
tne other ehLLeke"'-, bi.tt also aboi.tt h~ OW"'-fttL,"'0s tow&1n:!s
tne11,1,. t-te &ptll~ of their &tro"-0 ar....s noLdi"-0 ni11,1, dow ...,
t11eiy spi.tefuL tai.<...ts, their moelurt, ""'"" the wai:, tnei:,
SJ>"""0 oi.<t at 11,'"-, ba~•"-0 Lilu dogs. t-toweve~ he also
&hows w.s. now ne woi.tLd Love to be with t11e"'-, w11a,"'0 '"" tne
Naming speaker (poem 1)
strea....s, eLi,,dl•"-0 O"'- tne eLi.ffs. sve"" as thei:, t11Yow mi.ta
at flim, i,,e &al::js fie Loolud the ot11er wal::j, 'prete.,,,,(i"-0 to
Example of effectiveness --....______
&mile'. He 'lo"'0td to forgive ti-lei¾', bi.tt eoi.tLdwt fi."'-a a wal::l
~ to be aeeeptea. we fut sorri:, foY fl•"'- tnat I-le 11as to si.tf(er
at the hei ~ of tne bi.tLLies, bi.tt we are still l¾or-e movea
Additional example of effe ctiveness ~ wne"" we a~eover ti-lat I-le is lol'l.tLl::j aM lo"'0s to be f rie~.
Naming speaker (poem 2) ------I"'- eo"-1:rast, Mi.tel-!eLL aoes l'I.Ot allow tfle vi.etLI¾ to sptaR.,
~ bKt Lets Ol'l.t of i,,ey tOYl¾t"-1:ors tell the stort,. -me effeet is
startLi."-0. Wt """ae.-sta ...a that tne mi;i,,.,, is i;i Yeli.gioi.tS
Example of effe ct iveness - - - - - - Leacler, t,et h~ ehoiee of wor-as tells w.s. ti-lat fie is Lw.s.ti"-0
~ after the WO"'-""" 11,....seLf He i;id11,1,its that tnel::l 1-lact 'roi.tghea
her i.tp', bl,(tjw.s.tifi.es hi....seLf bt, si;il::l'"-0 it was ""°t the fi.rst
til¾t sht nacl 'fttt l¾tWS na~I <'.jYlta!'.I over neY bocl!'.I'· He
spea~ of 'Love bites', 'R.isses of stol'l.t', a ...a 'fn.gia yape', so
Additional example of effec tiveness we are shoeR.ecl to a~eover 11.s seeret i.t"'0oclL!:j thoi.tgnts.
Compare and contrast
,der,tify ooth similarities and differences.
wears gooc( clothes av.cl ti-le wol¾a"" offt~ the Pnarisees b!::j
eo,,....._.t:ti~ ac(utte'tl· '"" both eases, too, tkere is e""v!::l: ti,ie
poor ehi.Ldye.,, e""v!::l wnat the vi.eti.""'- nas, a""°' the yeti.gi.o~ Similarity 4
""'-""' e""v!::l tke sexual e"':)01::1""'-'...t of tke wol¾Q111,.
Conclusion
This can be brief s'nce we have already done a co'11pariso1 In the previous
paragraph.
-n>getner, tke twopoe....s Ytileh totne keart ofwhtlt .....a~
huma"" bei.~ eriw. to ol'vt &11'vOH1tY - botn ehi.LdYt"" a....,c( ac(ul.ts.
Selecting suitable quotations
VVnen studying a text yoJ enjoy, it s sometimes ,empting to memorise
particular speeches and the scenes that are most appealing to you.
Although that might be enjoyable, it is not the most beneficial use of your
revisio1 time ard you shoJld choose the quotations that will effeetive y
II us trate a key point in the poem's themes or techniques.
In rev,sing 'Orcnids'. for example, you might make a note of suitab,e quoies
for use in the exam such as the fellowing:
o reni.ds t1Ye st,a~ et1::1 i1ttyacti.ve: 'puy-pte petals
c(,,.aw !::j Ow' t o too~ a t ti-le puy-pte neart.'
• o rnhi.c(s art a 1¾et apnorforpoeV1o<S: <p,-ess them
betwee"" t ke pag es of ""'-tlM.0'1'.j'; 'tnei.r peeuti.aypoet"l::I'·
Similarly. in revising '\~/est Indies, USA'. you might list these quotes along
with their puroose:
• .Si.l¾i.Les: ' Li.~e d i.ce tossed 0111, a e as,.,,,o's ba,ze';
'.sa.,,,Jua111, gti.tters t i.~ a = i1vericl'?.'s gotc( ,i.~ '
(show.~ t he wealth of 'Puerto Rleo)
• IYo.,,i.c co...tyas t: "potiskec( c adi.tta es s k i.m"'-1:j"""g
past Rastas w.t h pusncarts' (snow,.,,,g p0Vert11
alo"'-0Si.de tne weattn)
IYO"'tJ i,111, ti-le -,,11,ase 't"1at v au.,,,ted s a.,,etua"l::I ... g i.v e
""'-' l::JOUY pooY' i.v. th e eo.,,text of t he t i.g nt s e<>urit!:j
(s nowi.~ t ke 111:jpocris.1:j).
Sometimes the image may be too length)' to quote in 'ts entirety, in this
case you can refer to it as follows:
l,,\SL~ t ne i.1Mag e of a sl¾ashed TV s et, °BYOW ""
asserts t h at ben, .,,,c( ti-le gta =o, ou s i.... a g e tkat
tne IA.SA. pYe-Se~s, ti.es a ta ~ lec( l¾eSS ti-lat i.s
'shay-p av.clj a ggeol a""°' ola~eyou s, a""°' beto~ed
to s ol¾eOl'vt else' (snowi.~ that t he ,eati.tl::J i.s fay
Ye"'<oVed {YO""- tke i.mag e) .
ACTIVITY
Select PNO or three re'evant
quotations from each of the
poems you are studying.\Vrlte
them down and once yoJ have
memorised them make notes
alo'1gside detailing what key point
each quotation Illustrates (either a
t11eme or a device).
Introducing quotations
and revision tips
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Quotations
In this section you wi :
t is always good to be able to introduce appropriate quotations in your
answer. Here are some guidelines:
• learr when ard how quoia·io1s
are most e"ectlvely used.
• Keep eacr quotation as brief as possible. For example. a two• or ,~ ree·
word quotation aptly chosen ca 1 be very effective.
• Avoid beg'nning ine sentence with the quotation. It is bene· to put the
quotation at the e1d.
Quotation awkwardly pla~c~•d~ -------~ '1t>le >'l<.D"-"'-tlliYCS pose foy him/'"' a feu-,cill::J gyoup'
at beginning of sentence
persol'\.l.-fi.eati.ovs _ ~Lls ,...5 how sti.U Cl~ c:(i.g.,,.;.-(i.ed the
mouV\.ttli.V\& seem. (J>OOril::J ""}>YeSStd}
Quotation placed after
writer's comment -
-
-----..__
-me spea~eY i.mpYesses us wi.th t he st.LLV\.tsS ci"'d dtg"",tl::I
of the l'l<.01<.i-\tat= bl::) peYso""lful""2J the...,, 'The mouvstai.vss
pose foY hi.l'l<.I '"' Cl f" .....Ll::I '2JYOL<.p'. (V\.t.<lell::I ""}>Ytssed)
• You may find tnat you need two sentences to deal fully with a quotation:
Add a second sentence to ------ - -..... The Sptll~Y '"" o Llve Stl'\.t.OY'S pot= Yel'ltes how '"" bi.mdeal fully with a quotation
shoot<""2J seaso"'-, the w..e"" ¼A~ ....amciges wi.th t11eiY '2JL<""5'.
-me sta...tLl""2J w..etapi1oY s'-<ggests a"" l...tll¾ate YelC!tto""511i.p
betweevs ....a"' 11~ guvs, di.stuYbi.""0 to t.<S becat.<Se lt i.s so
ClbV\.OYl'l<.llL avcd " bet¥ai:,al of ht.<Y>t.AII\. YelCltt.eV\.Sht.ps.
Short quote in the
middle of the sentence
• A very short quote can fit comfortably n the middle of the sentence:
►
t!,!:::I t.<Si.""2J t J,,e OX!:::IIM.OYOl'I.S festtvaL of '2Jt.<""5, CIIYMV&IL of
EXAM TIP
:ftYe ·~ a hll 11\.d!'.! YL<lt foy
'V\.Strt:,"'-g quotatiol'I.S:
stcitelll,(.e""t + Quotcrti.o""
+ Full stop
(as iv. ti-le sec.o""d
GXCI "'-J>/.!) .
""-•StYl::)', M &1...ti"" CCll"ttY s hows us tJ,,e jol::J of CR...tbbea"" llfe
(i.ts fest tv11Ls 11""c:( ellYiA,1,V&lls) bei.""2J ,,.,,v11ded b!:::I vi.oLeV\.Ce
"""d t...&1gedl::I (g1.<.= &1,.,,c:( mi.seYl::J). Toe l""v11stve """tu,e of
tJ,,e l'l<.t.Li.t&1Yl::) pYtst"'-Ct i.s effeetlveLl::I CO""'-""'-'-<Mellted.
•
Annotations and keeping a journal
lf you are permitted to underlire important sections in your texts, these
underliPed passages will help you as you revise. Otherwise you may
prefer co keep a joJrral as yoJ study, notirg down summaries and useful
quotations for reference.
Eacn cf ,he genres requires its own approach. Here we remind you of wha,
to focus on in each genre as you revise.
Drama specifics
To prepare for ,he exam, you should be familiar w,th tne pioi, the conflicts
among rhe characters a1d the themes t'lat the playvvright s dealing wirh.
You shoJld oe aware of rhe ironies in the play. the way language Is used,
and the way contrasts serve to make a point clear. Make sure you can talk
about ,he suspe'lse, too.
Be prepared ,o wr'te aboJl tne dramatic dev,ces. These irclude tne
scenery, props, l'g'iting, sound, spectacle and act'on (everything tnat is to
be fourd In the stage directions). In Ti-Jeon and His Brorhers, for instance,
add it'ona devices are the use cf masks, ,alking a1imals. the quarto band,
and the breaking down of the fourth wal so t"lat actors can talk directly
to the audier,ce. In Anons/, too, the magical animal kingdom comes alive,
side-by-side w th tne ·ealistic world, ar.d again the fourth wall is bro~en as
actors speak 10 the audience directly.
EXAM TIP
you wiLL v..ot recei.ve l¾&1rks
for WYi.ti.vcg &1bout A poe...,
Stor1::J tnAt i.s "'-Ot OV\.
tne st,Ll.&lbus, so be ve'1:J
C&IYeful AS 1::JOt.( YeVi.se tl1&1t
tJ 0u kv..ow ex&1ctl1::J wni.cn
texts 1jOu ""'-&11::J use.
OY
Remember that you shou:d nor orly be able to identify these devices and
give examples: you w I also need to comment on the impact they have on
the audience.
Poetry specifics
Only a fraction of the marks wil I be awarded fer your summary of the
sitJation in tne poem. Make sure mat for each poem you can d.scJss in
deta'' ro ess than tvvo pcetic devices. In particular, you need to show
how rhese devices are co1nected to the theme and wl'>at effeet they
produce in the reader. Remember. too, thar the choice of speaker is often
so Important that It forms part of the question.
Prose specifics
Stories and novels are about people and the confi icts 1n their l'ves. Be
su·e you can write about ire personality of the main character(s). thei •
struggles, tre oostacles rhey encoJnter and the outcome of those
struggles. Be sure you can identify tl'>e themes and ,hat you can show,
from the rappenings in the novels. what rhe vvriter is saying about
those themes. Again, be prepared to co'Timent on the cnolce of r,arrator especially to say why a child narrato' can be very effective.
EXAM TIPS
• Work tnrou9l1 questio""s
fro I¾ )'&Ist GI<&! I¾ 'f'&l)'eYS.
• Le&11% VtYtJ sflort but
effecti.ve quot&iti.o""s to
use i.v.. tne ex&1""'-.
Prepare your evidence
As you prepare fo, tl'>e exam, imagine tna1 you are a lav,yer goirg to court.
lmaglr>e yoJ are preparing you, eVider>ce. By row you wil: know rhe main
themes cf the play, the novel and the pcem, and you ca1 make a pretty good
guess regardi1g what the questions will be about. So you need to have your
examples and short q.Jotations ready to prove wnat you are go·ng to say.
Enjoy your literature course!
All your CSEC subjects can be tremendous1y interestir>g. Literature Is
especially so becaJse lite,ature is about life and car therefore reflect some
cf your own experiences. As you study your English B texts. you will find
yourself tnlnklrg about your own life. your society and the wodd we live
in. You may oe very moved by wba, you read and you may remember
some of these cha·acters and quotations for the rest of your I fe.
EXAM TIP
As 1jOu Yevi.se, select two
ov th,-ee clevi.ces for e&1ch
poe""'-, AVl.c/ ""'-&1ke sure
1::JOU c&1v.. S&11:j I-low e&1cl1
co..,tri.butes to t11e effect
of tl1e poe""" &I"'-°' helps
C01M,l¾uvuc&1te its thel¾e.
'Nerds in bold are defined 'n the onllne glossary: www.oxfordsecor.dary.com/9780 1984139S0
A
alliteration 17. •2, 132, 159
allusion 17, 85. 105. 114, 134, 136- 7.
ISO. 162, 164
alternating method 182- 3
antagonist 56, 79, 106, I IS
assonance 42, 132
B
ballad ( and ballad form) 128
bathos 17
beg ,rning/erd comparison 64-5
free verse {and free verse form}
128- 9
Q
H
R
half rhyme I 3 I
reflective writing 60
quatrain 128
repetlt'on 132. 139, 143, 149, 1S2, 155
!~narrator/ first person narrator 64,
I I0
Imagery 7,, 1, S4, 61 , 85, 94, 124, 134
Internal rhyme 131
Irony 7. 54, 85, I 10, 113, 140-1, 1S5,
157, 169
rhetoric 102. 156
rhymes 43, 124, I29, 13 I. I46, 150,
155, 168-9
rhythm 124-5, 128-9, 130-1, 157, 159,
168
rounded character 91
run-on lines 1S6, 160-1
C
characterlsal'on 78-79
characters 6-7, I2- I3, 22, 2S, 38-9, 43,
50,S6, 61 . 78-9.90-1, 106-7
chi dren
cop·rg with challenge 112-3
in need 11 0-1
racism 114-S
choice of speaker 148, I54, 162
conrlct 7, 11, 37. 52. 61, 69, 77,86-7,
92-3, 101, 115, 120-1
contrast 4. 6-7, 14-S, 16-7, 61 . 63,
90-1, 92, 97, 11 0, I I3, I34, I38, 141 ,
144- 5, 152,160, 164, 171
costumes 4-5, 14, 16
couplet 56, 128, 167
cultures, oetween twc 116-7
D
dialogue 5, 43, 60, 9S, 125
diction 61 , 102-3, 118, 125. 138, 143,
148, 1s1, 157. 164, 169, 176-7
divided method 182- 3
drama,orlg ns 2-3
dramatic irony 7, 25, 43, S•
dramatic monologue 125, ISO
I
end/beglnn ng comparison 64-5
end rhyme 128
epistolary narrative 117
F
first person narrator/ l~narrator 64,
I 10
flashback 62- 3, 77, 120
flat character 91
foil 6
foreshadow 62- 3, 85, 105
fourth wall 18, 189
L
anguage7, 10, 16-7,42-3,56,70,84,
9S, 102-3
ightlng 4-S, 1S, 16
M
major character 38, 106
metaphor 28, 42, S5, 85, 105, 13S, 144.
147, 159, 168, 173, 177
minor character 51
monologue 117
mood 131, 137, 139, 143, 145, 149
multiple anecdotes, narrative 8S
N
narrative 66
point erview 62, 64. 80. 94, 99, 111,
115,1 17
sectional,sing 68
structure 102
narrator IC, 62- 3, 64, 77, 80, 99, 11 0,
115,1 19
narrator with limited omniscience 64
0
octave 128
onomatopoeia 105, 132
oxymoron 140, 152
p
paradox 140- 1, 152
parental love 110-3
persona 125, 127
personification 42, 5S, 105, 134. 136,
145, 152. 162. 167
plot6, 61 ,62-3
props 4-5, 15
protagonist 6, 56, 80. 91, 106, 118
pun 17, 24, 168, 177
5
satire 24-S, 104, 11 0
scene•y 4-S, 14, I6, 6 I
sectloralls.ng, narrative 68
sestet 128, I77
setting 4, 44, 49, 57. 61, 62-3, 68, 76,
92, 98, 11 6
simlle 5S,8S, 104, 134, 147, 161 . 169
slapstick 25
soliloquy 28
sonnet (and sonnet form) 128- 9,
167, 177
sound4-S, 15, 16,125, 130-1, 132-3
spectacle 5. 14, I6
stanza 124, I28-9
structure 32. 68, 102, I:18, 142
style 61
symbol I8-9, 40, 5S, 62, 74-5, 77, 8S,
94-5, 96, 1OS. 112, 140
T
theme 7. 8, I8, 36-7, 52, 61, 71 -3, 83-3,
96-7, 108-9
third person omniscient narrator 64
tone 138-9, 143, 145, 147, 149, 151, 153,
155, 1S7, 1S9, 161 , 163. 165, 166-7,
169. I71. 176, 177
w
woid-ptay 160-1
wr tlrg I80-9
comparative essay 182-3
comparing poems 184-7
quotat·ors 188
revision tlos 188-9
writing pract·ce 180-1
Prescribed texts June 2018- January 2023
Prescribed texts 2023-January 2027
DRAMA
The Tempest 'Nilliam Shakespeare
Ti-Jean and His Brothers Derek \.Valcott
DRAMA
Twelfth Night \,\Jilliam Shakespeare
Anansi All staire Campbell
POETRY
POETRY
'An African Thunderstorm' David Rubadiri
·once Upon aTime' Gabriel Okara
'Birdsricoting Season' Olive Senior
'\.Vest Indies, U.S.A: Ste'lvart Brown
'Sonnet Composed Upon V•/estmlnster Bridge'
V,iilliam 'Nordsworth
·o·chids' Hazel Simmons-McDonald
'The 1Noman Speaks to the Man who has Employed Her
Son· Lorna Goodison
'It is the Constant Image of your Face' Dennis Brutus
'God's Grandeur' Gerard Manley Hopkins
'A Stone's Throw' Elma Mitchell
'Test Match Sabina Park' Stewart Brown
'Theme ior Engli sh B'Langston Hughes
'Dreaming Black Boy' James Berry
'My Parents' Stephen Spender
'Dulce et Decorum Est' V,iilfred Owen
'This is the Dark Time, My Love' Martin Carter
'Ol'H igue· Mark McV,iatt
'Mirror' Sylvia Plath
·south' Kamau Bra1hwa'te
'Little Boy Crying' Mervyn Morris
'An African Thunderstorm' David Rubadiri
'Once Upon a Time' Gabriel Okara
'Little Boy Crying' Mervyn Morris
'Vilest Indies. U.S.A: Stewart a,own
'Sonnet Composed Upon \,Vestminster Bridge' \"lllliam
vl/ordsworth
'Birdshooting Season' Olive Senior
'The 'Noman Speaks to the Man who has Employed Her
Son' Lorna Goodison
'It is the Constant Image of your Face' Dennis Brutus
'A Lesson for this Sunday' Derek vValcott
'A Stone's Throw' Elma Mitchell
'Test Match Sabina Park' Stewart Brown
'My Parents' Stephen Spender
'Landscape Painter, Jamaica' Vivian Virtue
'Dulce et Decorum Est' V•/ilfred Owen
'This is the Dark Time, My Love' Martin Carter
'Ol'Hlgue' Mark Mc\,Vatt
'Mirro•' Sylvia Plath
'South' Kamau Brathwaite
'Death Be Not P'oud' John Donne
'Dreaming Black Boy' James Berry
PROSE FICTON
PROSE FICTTION
Novels
Novels
Breath, Eyes, /1/,emory Edwidge Danticat
To Kill a Mocking Bird Harper Lee
For the Life of Laetitia Merle Hodge
Animal Farm George Orwel I
Short Stories
Short Stories
'The Two Grandmothers' Olive Senior
'Blackout' Roger Mais
'Emma' Carolyn Cole
'The Man of the HoJse' Frank O'Connor
'Blood Brotners' John vVickham
'The Day the vVorld Almost Came to an End' Pearl Crayton
'The Boy Who Loved Ice Cream' Olive Senior
'Berry' Langston Hughes
'Mom Luby and the Social vl/orker' Kristin Hunter
'To Da-duh, in Memoriam' Paule Marshall
'Raymond's Run' Tony Cade Bambara
'Blood Brothers' John \Nickham
'The Man of the House' Frank O'Connor
'Georg·a and Them There United Stares' Velma Pollard
'The Two Grandmothers' Olive Senior
'Berry' Langston Hughes
'Mom Luby and the Social \.Vorker' Kristin Hunter
'To Da-duh, in Memoriam' Paule Marshall
'INhat Happened?' Austin Clarke
'Mint Tea· Christine Craig
Study Guide
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