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The short story
Introduction
When moving to a foreign country, immigrants may experience a lot of problems some of which can be adverse. In the story,
'Twilight Trek,' as the illegal immigrants attempt to get to Spain, they undergo a lot of dehumanizing problems.
(Accept any other relevant introduction = 2 marks)
Body / content.
i) They have to travel using fake passports which they have to produce money to get.
- The narrator confesses that his name is not Jean-Luc nor is he from Mali as indicated on his fake passport.
- Its not that the illegal immigrants do not have enough money to fly overseas; it?s just that the foreign embassies do not grant
Africans visas. (pg 109)
ii) Immigrants travel under very hostile conditions.
- They are warned that they risk attack from moslems and bandits.
- The Tuareg driver taking the illegal immigrants to Morocco across the sahara desert stops the vehicles in the scorching heat
of the sun.
- He knows, the travelers are not used to the intense desert heat.
- The Tuareg then demands for more money for the trip. If they don?t add, he threatens to abandon them. (pg 114)
- The narrator claims that their feet become numb due to the long hazardous journey.
- The immigrants are transported in the back of trucks and the conditions are deplorable.
- A number of them perish as they cross over the sahara while others drown while crossing the sea.
iii) Pathetic hygiene conditions
- The narrator claims that they have to spit where they crouch inside the truck.
- The immigrants also reek badly as their legs are clamped.
- Patience's breath smells of sardines.
- A man with a skullcap says that he is suffering from piles because of constant jolts and his wheezy wife complains that she
cannot breathe.
- They are coughing, scratching and slapping their arms and legs.
iv) Dishonesty that is with some of the immigrants.
- Patience proves to be a good companion during the trip across the Sahara and in the forest camp.
- Hardly does the narrator realize that he is dealing with a very cunning and dishonest person until she disappears with his
money leaving him completely helpless.
- Patience deceives the narrator that she wants to arrange for their crossing over to Spain but disappears with his money.
v) Spain on their arrival at their destinations many Africans work as taxi drivers, watchmen.
- Washing dirty plates and toilet seats, sleeping in cold ghetto and streets, sex slaves etc.
(Accept any 4 well developed points) Marks 3: 3: 3: 3 = 12 marks
Conclusion
As people migrate from sub-Saharan African countries across the Sahara desert going to look for greener pastures, they are bound to face so many challenges. It is hence more secure at home than going to other countries
marto answered the question on April 4, 2019 at 05:55
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Date posted: March 21, 2019. Answers (1)
- Read and answer the questions to the narrative below.(Solved)
JACKAL AND HEN
This is a story that the old people tell. They say that hen flew to the top of a stack of wheat one day to find food. From where she stood on the stack she could see far out over the fields. She could see far and she saw Jackal coming from afar. She saw him coming towards her, she saw him out of the corner of her eyes, but when he came closer she did not look up at all. She went on hunting for food.
'Good morning, mother of mine,' Jackal greeted her.
'Yes, I greet you,' she replied.
'Are you still living?' He asked, according to the correct way in which one person greets another.
'Yes, I am still living. And you? Are you still living also?'
'Yes, I too am still living, mother, 'he replied. And then he asked as the custom was, 'Did you wake well this morning?'
And she answered, as it is proper, 'Yes, I woke well.'
And all the while he was talking, talking, talking, Jackal was looking closely at hen and saw that she was young and that her flesh would taste sweet. He thought of how he would get at her. But now she was standing on top of that stack of wheat, where he could not reach her. He could not get hold of her at all, not while she was on top of the stack of wheat, and would have to think of a way to get her down.
Jackal had many plans. He was a man who was not just a little bit clever. No, he was very clever. He asked her. 'Mother, have you heard of that there is peace among everybody on earth? One animal may not catch another animal any more, because of that peace.
'Peace?' She asked.
'Yes, mother, peace. The chiefs called together a big meeting, and at that meeting they decided this business of peace on all the earth.'
'Oh yes,' said hen. But she wondered about it. She wondered whether this Jackal could be telling the truth. He was a man with many clever stories, and many times those clever stories were nothing but lies.
'You say there is peace now?' 'Yes, mother. The big peace. There has never been such a big peace. You can safely come down from that stack of wheat. Then we can talk about the matter nicely. We shall take snuff together. Come down. Mother! Remember the peace!'
But hen was not quite as stupid as Jackal thought she was. She wanted to make sure first that Jackal was telling the truth and that he was not telling her lies again. She turned around and looked far out over the fields behind her. Then she went to stand on the highest point of the stack and kept staring out over the fields until Jackal asked: 'What is it that you see from up there that you stare so: me?'
'What do I see? Why do you want to know what I see? It does not matter what I see, for there is no danger anymore for any animal on earth. Is it not peace among the animals? It is only a pack of dogs that are running towards us.'
“Dogs! A pack of dogs!' he cried. And his fear was very great. 'Then I shall have to greet you, mother. I am a man who has a lot of work waiting.'
'Kekekeke!' hen laughed. 'I thought it was peace among all animals on earth? Have you forgotten it? The dogs will do nothing to harm you. 'Why do you want to run away, grandfather?' I don’t think this pack of dogs came to the meeting on peace!' and jackal ran so fast that the dust rose in great clouds from the road behind him.
'Kekekeke!' laughed hen, for then she knew the story of the peace was just a big lie. And she knew that if she had taken snuff with that fellow he would have caught her so she made up a story herself and with it she had caught him beautifully.
'Kekekeke!' she laughed. 'I caught the story teller with another story.' And that is the end of this story
a) State the category of this Oral narrative and give a reason for your answer. (2mks
b) What does the conversation between the Jackal and Hen in the first part of the narrative reveal about the social conduct of the community in which this story originated? (2mks)
c) Compare and contrast the character of Hen and Jackal. (4mks)
d) Quoting examples from the story to support your answer, identify four features that are characteristic of oral narratives. (4mks)
e) List and illustrate two techniques of narrative more interesting if it were told orally.
f) Give two problems you are likely to encounter when collecting this type of oral literature genre. How would you solve these problems?
Date posted: March 21, 2019. Answers (1)
- Read the following oral narrative and answer the questions that follow(Solved)
Read the following oral narrative and answer the questions that follow
JACKAL AND HEN
This is a story that the old people tell. They say that hen flew to the top of a stack of wheat one day to find food. From where she stood on the stack she could see far out over the fields. She could see far and she saw Jackal coming from afar. She saw him coming towards her, she saw him out of the corner of her eyes, but when he came closer she did not look up at all. She went on hunting for food.
'Good morning, mother of mine,' Jackal greeted her.
'Yes, I greet you,' she replied.
'Are you still living?' He asked, according to the correct way in which one person greets another.
'Yes, I am still living. And you? Are you still living also?'
'Yes, I too am still living, mother, 'he replied. And then he asked as the custom was, 'Did you wake well this morning?'
And she answered, as it is proper, 'Yes, I woke well.'
And all the while he was talking, talking, talking, Jackal was looking closely at hen and saw that she was young and that her flesh would taste sweet. He thought of how he would get at her. But now she was standing on top of that stack of wheat, where he could not reach her. He could not get hold of her at all, not while she was on top of the stack of wheat, and would have to think of a way to get her down.
Jackal had many plans. He was a man who was not just a little bit clever. No, he was very clever. He asked her. 'Mother, have you heard of that there is peace among everybody on earth? One animal may not catch another animal any more, because of that peace.
'Peace?' She asked.
'Yes, mother, peace. The chiefs called together a big meeting, and at that meeting they decided this business of peace on all the earth.'
'Oh yes,' said hen. But she wondered about it. She wondered whether this Jackal could be telling the truth. He was a man with many clever stories, and many times those clever stories were nothing but lies.
'You say there is peace now?
'Yes, mother. The big peace. There has never been such a big peace. You can safely come down from that stack of wheat. Then we can talk about the matter nicely. We shall take snuff together. Come down. Mother! Remember the peace!'
But hen was not quite as stupid as Jackal thought she was. She wanted to make sure first that Jackal was telling the truth and that he was not telling her lies again. She turned around and looked far out over the fields behind her. Then she went to stand on the highest point of the stack and kept staring out over the fields until Jackal asked: 'What is it that you see from up there that you stare so: me?'
'What do I see? Why do you want to know what I see? It does not matter what I see, for there is no danger anymore for any animal on earth. Is it not peace among the animals? It is only a pack of dogs that are running towards us.'
'Dogs! A pack of dogs!' he cried. And his fear was very great. 'Then I shall have to greet you, mother. I am a man who has a lot of work waiting.'
'Kekekeke!' hen laughed. 'I thought it was peace among all animals on earth? Have you forgotten it? The dogs will do nothing to harm you. 'Why do you want to run away, grandfather?' I don’t think this pack of dogs came to the meeting on peace!' and jackal 'Kekekeke!' laughed hen, for then she knew the story of the peace was just a big lie. And she knew that if she had taken snuff with that fellow he would have caught her so she made up a story herself and with it she had caught him beautifully.
'Kekekeke!' she laughed. 'I caught the story teller with another story.' And that is the end of this story
a) State the category of this Oral narrative and give a reason for your answer. (2mks)
b) What does the conversation between the Jackal and Hen in the first part of the narrative reveal about the social conduct of the community in which this story originated? (2mks)
c) Compare and contrast the character of Hen and Jackal. (4mks)
d) Quoting examples from the story to support your answer, identify four features that are characteristic of oral narratives. (4mks)
e) List and illustrate two techniques of narrative more interesting if it were told orally.
f) Give two problems you are likely to encounter when collecting this type of oral literature genre. How would you solve these problems? (4mks)
Date posted: March 21, 2019. Answers (1)
- Read the poem below and then answer the questions that follow.(Solved)
Read the poem below and then answer the questions that follow.
THE BEARD
By Proscovia Rwakyaka
In the pulpit he swayed and turned
Leaned forward, backward
His solemn voice echoed,
Lowly the congregation followed;
'Do you love your neighbour?'
Meekly they bow at his keen eye
Now examining a grey head
Hearing under her sobs.
His heart kept assured
'Her sins weigh on her'
So with her he chats outside;
'Weep not, child you are pardoned,'
'But sir, your beard conjured up
The spirit of my dead goat!'
a) Identify and describe two speakers in this poem. Illustrate your answer with evidence from the poem. (4mks)
b) Relate the title of the poem to what exactly happens in this poem, supporting your answer with specific examples from it. (4mks)
c) Referring closely to the poem, identify and explain how the poet develops any two moods in the poem. (8mks)
d) Comment on the lines
‘His heart kept assured
'Her sins weigh on her'. (4mks)
Date posted: March 21, 2019. Answers (1)
- Read the oral Narrative below and answer the questions that follow(Solved)
Read the oral Narrative below and answer the questions that follow
THE WARRIOR WHO HAD EIGHT LOVERS
A long time ago there was a warrior whose bravery and handsome looks made the girls of the village fall in love with him. Eight girls, at least, were known to want to marry the young warrior, for they had composed many songs in his praise.
Now, this warrior was one time getting ready to go on alone raid in faraway country. Before he set off for the raid, he called the youngest of his eight lovers and told her to put fresh milk in a small guard. He also instructed her to keep checking on the colour of the milk every day.” Should the milk turn red, “ the warrior told the girl, ‘ it would mean that I have been killed or I am seriously wounded.’
The young girl was so touched by the departure of her lover that she composed the following song for him.
My warrior whom I love
For whom I open the sweet curdled
Milk of my father’s herd,
And to whom I give fat rams
Of my father to slaughter,
To whom I give my slender
Thighs to lie on,
With whom are you going on a raid next?
It happened that many days after the departure of the warrior, the girl noticed that the milk was turning red. She wept bitterly, for she knew that her lover was either dead or dying in a faraway country. Without telling anyone, the girl set off to look for her dying lover.
For many days she traveled, and as she walked through plains and forests she sang the song she had composed for her warrior. She travelled on and as she travelled she checked the colour of the milk in the gourd. Each day that she saw the milk turn a little more red, she traveled faster. And each day she hoped that she would find her lover alive.
On the ninth day the girl sang louder and louder as she traveled. Each time she sang she would listen to hear if their was any reply. Any as she listened at one time, she heard a faint voice. There was no mistake about it. It was her lover’s voice. She ran and ran and after a while she found her lover. He was extremely weak and badly wounded. When the dying warrior saw her, he told her; ‘When I am finished, you take my attire and weapons home. When you get a son give them to him And with that the warrior seemed to be dying.
But the girl did not listen to him, she quickly looked for water and washed his wounds. And after that she began to look for food for him. It did not take long before she saw a deer passing by. With her lover’s spear she killed it, and wasted the meat for her lover. For many months the young women washed the wounds of her lover and fed him until he was well again.
Back at home everybody thought that the young woman and her lover were dead, and they insisted that their death rites be performed. However, the father of the warrior kept postponing the death rites. But at last the old man agreed to perform the rites because his youngest son was to be circumcised, and could not be circumcised before the rites were performed.
So preparations for the death rites for the lost warrior were made. But on the morning of the day that the rites were to be performed, and as people were gathering, one of the people in the gathering heard a war song coming from the other side of the valley. He asked other people to listen. The father of the warrior could not mistake his son’s voice. He was almost crying as he gazed on the other side of the valley. The singing voice became clearer and before long the warrior and his lover emerged, driving a large herd of cattle. The bells that were tied around the necks of the oxen played to the tune of the war song.
There was great rejoicing as people ran to meet the lost warrior and his young lover. On their arrival back home a big bull was slaughtered and there was a great feast. People at and drank. And the warrior and his lover were married. The two became man and wife and lived happily. And my story ends.
From Oral Literature. A Junior Course
By A. Bukenya and M. Gachanja,
Longhorn Kenya.
Questions
1. What kind of a narrative is this? (2mks)
2. Identify two instances of repetition in the passage (2mks)
3. What are the character traits of? (4mks)
(i) the warrior
(ii) the youngest lover
4. Give two functions of the song. (2mks)
5. Show instances of irony in the passage (2mks)
6. What are the economic activities of this community? (2mks
7. Which devices have been used to start and end this story? What are their functions? (4mks)
8. With one proverb, summarize the teaching or moral lesson in the story. (2mks)
Date posted: March 21, 2019. Answers (1)