Read the excerpt below and respond to the questions that follow.

      

Read the excerpt below and respond to the questions that follow.

GUESTS (loudly):
- Have you heard? The grand Duke is back! But the princes are against him.
- They say the Shah of Persia has lent him a great army to restore order in Grusinia.
- But how is that possible? The Shah of Persia is the enemy….
- The enemy of Grusinia, you donkey, not the enemy of the Grand Duke!
- In any case, the war’s over, so our soldiers are coming back.
GRUSHAdrops a cake pan. GUESTS help her pick up the cake.
AN OLD WOMAN (to GRUSHA): Are you feeling bad? It’s just excitement about dear Jussup. Sit
down and rest a while, my dear (GRUSHA staggers.)
GUESTS: Now everything’ll be the way it was. Only the taxes’ll go up because now we” ll have to pay
for the war.
GRUSHA (weakly): Did someone say the soldiers are back?
FIRST MAN (to a woman): Show her the shawl. We bought it from a soldier. It’s from Persia.
GRUSHA (looking at the shawl): They are here. (She gets up, takes a step, kneels down in prayer,
takes the silver cross and chain out her blouse, and kisses it.)
MOTHER –IN –LAW (while the guests silently watchGRUSHA): What‘s the matter with you? Aren’t
you going to look after our guests? What’s all this city nonsense got to do with us?
GUESTS (resuming conversation while GRUSHA remain in prayer):
- you can buy Persian saddles from the soldiers too. Though many want crutches in
exchange for them.
- The leaders on one side can win a war, the soldiers on both sides lose it.
- Anyway, the war’s over. It’s something they can’t draft you anymore.
The dying man sits bolt upright in bed. He listens.
- What we need is two weeks of good weather.
- Our pear trees are hardly bearing a thing this year

MOTHER –IN –LAW (offering cakes): Have some more cakes and welcome! There are more!

(a) Describe the events leading to this extract.

(b) Explain what the guests mean by the statement 'The grand Duke is back'

(c) Why does the mother-in-law welcome the guests to eat cakes?

(d) Identify and explain three ironic situations in this extract.

(e) Identify and explain two themes in this extract

(f) What happens immediately after this extract?

(g) What makes the dying man sit bolt upright?

(h) 'Did someone say the soldiers are back? GRUSHA asked.

(Rewrite the sentence in reported speech.

(i) 'The mother-in-law’s action was an effort in futility.' Do you agree with this assertion? Justify your response

  

Answers


Martin
(1) Describe the events leading to this extract.
- Grusha arrives at her brother, lavrentis house, seeking shelter but is received coldly by her sister-in-law, who
mistreats her.

- The brother suggests an arranged marriage to Jussup, a 'dying' man.
- Grusha accepts the deal inorder to get her son an identity and a roof over his head. (shelter)
-They arrive at the mother-in-law home where a ceremony is conducted by a cheap monk, invited by the motherin-law. Grusha takes the vow as the mother-in-law responds on behalf of the 'dying' man.

(2) Explain what the guests mean by the statement 'The grand Duke is back'
- The Grand Duke, the ruler of Grusinia , had earlier been overthrown by the princes who had led a revolt against
him. The Grand Duke went into hiding for two years, and was able to fight back to power with the help of the
king of Persia.

(3) Why does the mother-in-law welcome the guests to eat cakes?

- To celebrate the wedding of Grusha and her son Jussup.

(4) Identify and explain three ironic situations in this extract.

- The shah of Persia is supposed to be the enemy of Grusiniayet he lends an army to the Grand Duke that restored
him to power.

- The old woman thinks Grusha’s reaction is about Jussup yet she is excited by the possibility of meeting her 'dear'
Simon.

- It is ironic that the guests are concerned that taxes will go up instead of appreciating the prospects of peace after
the war

Many of the soldiers are coming back from Persia with saddles yet they need crutches since they have lost their
legs.
(5) Identify and explain two themes in this extract

(i) The effects of war

- Taxation would go up
- Disability through loss of limbs
- Loss through negligence of farming activities.
- Break up of families/ relationships.

(ii) Love and affection

- Grusha is excited at the prospects of Simon’s return.
- She is overwhelmed at the sight of a Persian product-evidence that war is over. She even kneels down in prayer.
- takes the silver cross and chain out her blouse, and kisses it.

(iii) Religion

- Grusha kneels down in prayer.

6. What happens immediately after this extract?
- Jussup reprimands his mother for wasting his money on cakes.
- Jussup demands to see the wife he has been saddled with.
- The mother-in-law is shocked as Jussup climbs out of bed and staggers into the other room. The guests are also
amazed to see him walk.
- He sends them out of the house and for the first time, he sarcastically speaks to Grusha


7. What makes the dying man sit bolt upright?
- He learns about the end of war hence, the 'dying man' Jussup becomes excited because he had evaded serving in
the military
8. 'Did someone say the soldiers are back? GRUSHA asked.

(Rewrite the sentence in reported speech.

Grusha asked whether someone had said (that) the soldiers were back

9. 'The mother-in-law’s action was an effort in futility.” Do you agree with this assertion?
Justify your response.
Yes
Grusha is already engaged to simon and they get re-united after the war.
marto answered the question on May 23, 2019 at 10:47


Next: Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow
Previous: Read the narrative below and answer the questions that follow.

View More English Literature Questions and Answers | Return to Questions Index


Exams With Marking Schemes

Related Questions


  • Read the extract below and answer the questions that follow.(Solved)

    Read the extract below and answer the questions that follow.
    AZDAK: (sitting down): I accept. (Sighing, the inkeeper hands him some money). Good.
    Now the formalities are disposed of. This is a case of rape?
    INKEEPER : Your Honour, I caught the fellow in the act. Ludovica was in the straw on the stable
    floor.
    AZDAK : Quite right , the stable. Lovely horses! especially liked the little roan.
    INKEEPER : The first thing I did, of course , was to question Ludovica. On my son’s behalf.
    AZDAK : ( seriously ): I said I especially liked the little roan.
    INKEEPER : ( Coldly ) : Really ? Ludovica confessed the stableman took her against her will.
    AZDAK : Take your veil off, Ludovica. (she does so) Ludovica, you please the court. Tell us
    how it happened.

    QUESTIONS.
    1. What happens before this excerpt (3marks)
    2. ‘I accept’ Explain what is implied by this statement (2 marks)
    3. “Your honour, I caught the fellow in the act.” Identify and explain one theme that can be deduced from the
    statement. (3 marks)
    4. “Ludovica you please the court – Tell us how it happened.” In note form, explain Ludovica’s defense.(4 marks)
    Rough copy.
    Fair copy.
    5. Using the excerpt, state and explain two character traits of Azdak and two of Ludovica. (4 marks)
    6. Why do you think Azdak asks Ludovica to remove her veil in this excerpt. (2 marks)
    7. '(Sighing, the inkeeper hands him some money). Good. Now the formalities are disposed of.' What turns out to
    be ironic about this statement? (3 marks)
    8. 'I caught the fellow in the act.' Explain what this statement alludes to in the Bible (2 marks)
    9. Give the meaning of the following words as used in the excerpt.
    i) Roan
    ii) Stable

    Date posted: May 23, 2019.  Answers (1)

  • Read the poem bellow and answer the question that follows My grandmother(Solved)

    She kept an antique shop-or it kept her.
    Among Apostle spoons and Bristol glasses,
    The faded silks, the heavy furniture,
    She watched her own reflection in the brass
    Salvers and silver bowls, as if to prove
    Polish was all, there was no need for love.

    And I remember how I once refused
    To go out with her, since I was afraid.
    It was perhaps a wish not to be used
    Like antique objects .Though she never said
    That she was hurt, I still could feel the guilt
    Of that refusal, guessing how she felt.

    Later, too frail to keep a shop, she put
    All her best things in one long, narrow room.
    The place smelt old, of things too long kept shut,
    The smell of absences where shadows come
    That can’t be polished. There was nothing then
    To give her own reflection back again.

    And when she died I felt no grief at all,
    Only the guilt of what I once refused.
    I walked into her room among the tall
    Sideboards and cupboards-things she never used
    But needed: and no finger-marks were there,
    Only the new dust falling through the air.

    a) Identify the persona in the above poem.

    b) In note form, summarize what each stanza is talking about

    c) Identify and briefly explain the use of any two images in the poem

    d) What does the persona feel towards the subject matter?

    e) What do the following lines mean in the poem?

    'too frail to keep a shop'
    'Only the new dust falling through the air'
    f) Describe the tone the persona uses in the poem above

    g) Explain the paradox in the line:

    -things she never used

    But needed:

    h) Explain the persona’s sense of guilt

    Date posted: May 6, 2019.  Answers (1)

  • Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow. SECOND OLYMPUS(Solved)

    SECOND OLYMPUS
    From the rostrum they declaimed
    On martyrs and men of high ideals
    Whom they sent out
    Benevorent despots to an unwilling race
    Straining at the yoke
    Bull dozers trampling on virgin ground
    In blatant violation
    They trampled down all that was strange
    And filled the void
    With half digested alien thoughts
    They left a trail of red
    Whatever their feet had passed
    Oh, they did themselves fine
    And struttled about the place
    Self proclaimed demi- gods
    From a counterfeit Olympus
    One day they hurled down thunder bolts
    On toiling race of earthworms
    They might have rained own pebbles
    To pelt the brats to death
    But that was beneath them

    They kept up the illusion
    That they were fighting foes
    Killing in the name of high ideals
    At the inquest they told the world
    The worms were becoming pests
    Moreover, they said
    They did not like wriggly things
    Strange prejudice for gods.

    Questions

    1) Who is being talked about in this poem? Give evidence.
    2) With two evidences, discuss the poet’s general attitude towards the subject of the poem.

    3) What do you understand by the following three lines?

    'they trample down all that was strange

    And filled the void with half digested alien thoughts?'

    4) Who are referred to as 'toiling race of earthworms' and why

    5) Discuss two stylistic devices used in the poem. Give their effectiveness

    6) Explain the significance of the title.

    7) What is the tone of the poem?

    Date posted: May 6, 2019.  Answers (1)

  • Read the poem below and answer the questions that follow. (20 marks) The inmates(Solved)

    The inmates

    Huddled together
    Cold biting their bones
    Teeth chattering from the chill,
    The air oppressive,
    The smell offensive
    They sit and they reflect

    The room self contained
    At the corner the ‘gents’ invites
    With the nice fragrance of ammonia,
    And fresh human dung,
    The fresh inmates sit thoughtfully

    Vermin perform a guard of honour
    Saluting him with a bite here
    And a bite there
    ‘Welcome to the world, they seem to say’
    The steel lock of the door
    The walls insurmountable
    And the one torching tortuous bulb
    Stare vacantly at him
    Slowly he reflects about the consignment
    That gave birth to his confinement
    Locked in for conduct refinement
    The reason they put him in prison

    The clock ticks
    But too slowly
    Five years will be a long time
    Doomed in the dungeon
    In this hell of a cell

    a) Who is the persona in the poem? (1 mark)

    b) Briefly explain what the poem is about. (2 marks)

    c) Identify and illustrate three aspects of style in the poem. (6 marks)

    d) Give evidence from the poem which indicates the inmates are suffering. (3 marks)

    e) Why is the fresh inmate in prison? (2 marks)

    f) Identify and explain the mood of the new convict. (2 marks)

    g) Explain the meaning of the following lines as used in the poem.

    i) That gave birth to his confinement (1 mark)

    ii) The room is self contained (1 mark)

    h) What does the steel lock in the door and the insurmountable walls suggest? (2 marks)

    Date posted: May 3, 2019.  Answers (1)

  • Read the following poem and then answer the questions that follow: Song of agony(Solved)

    Read the following poem and then answer the questions that follow.

    Song of Agony

    I put on a clean shirt
    And go to work
    Which of us
    Which of us will come back?
    Four and twenty moons
    Not seeing women
    Not seeing my hand
    Which of us
    Which of us will die?

    I put on a clean shirt
    And go to work my contract
    To work far away
    I go beyond the mountain
    Into the bush
    Where the roads end
    And the rivers run dry
    Which of us
    Which of us will come back?
    Which of us
    Which of us will die?

    Questions

    a) Who is the persona in the poem? Explain. (2 marks)

    b) Briefly discuss the subject matter in this poem. (3 marks)

    c) Identify two stylistic devices in the poem and show their effectiveness. (4 marks)

    d) Show how the persona and the others suffer in the poem. Illustrate your answer. (4 marks)

    e) What is the dominant mood in the poem? (2 marks)

    f) Is the title of this poem suitable? Explain (3 marks)

    g)Identify and explain one economic activity practiced by the persona’s community

    Date posted: May 3, 2019.  Answers (1)

  • How old was mama milanoi when she married ole kaelo?(Solved)

    How old was mama milanoi when she married ole kaelo?

    Date posted: April 29, 2019.  Answers (1)

  • Explain the theme of tradition in the novel The River Between by Ngùgí wa Thiong'o(Solved)

    Explain the theme of tradition in the novel The River Between by Ngùgí wa Thiong'o

    Date posted: April 28, 2019.  Answers (1)

  • Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the people“Cowardice is one of the factors that contribute to injustices in many societies even today. Write an essay giving...(Solved)

    Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the people

    “Cowardice is one of the factors that contribute to injustices in many societies even today. Write an essay giving clear evidence of this based on the play An Enemy of the people.

    Date posted: April 25, 2019.  Answers (1)

  • Identify some themes based on some oral narratives(Solved)

    Identify some themes based on some oral narratives

    Date posted: April 23, 2019.  Answers (1)

  • Based on some animals, describe their character traits appropriately(Solved)

    Based on some animals, describe their character traits appropriately

    Date posted: April 23, 2019.  Answers (1)

  • Describe some moral lessons derived from oral narratives appropriately.(Solved)

    Describe some moral lessons derived from oral narratives appropriately.

    Date posted: April 23, 2019.  Answers (1)

  • State the importance of a song during narration(Solved)

    State the importance of a song during narration

    Date posted: April 23, 2019.  Answers (1)

  • Identify some social/ socio-cultural, socio-economic and economic activities evident in some narratives.(Solved)

    Identify some social/ socio-cultural, socio-economic and economic activities evident in some narratives.

    Date posted: April 23, 2019.  Answers (1)

  • State 5 ways of beginning a story in order to attract the attention of the audience(Solved)

    State 5 ways of beginning a story in order to attract the attention of the audience

    Date posted: April 23, 2019.  Answers (1)

  • State 6 aspects of performance(Solved)

    State 6 aspects of performance

    Date posted: April 23, 2019.  Answers (1)

  • State and explain 4 classification of proverbs(Solved)

    State and explain 4 classification of proverbs

    Date posted: April 23, 2019.  Answers (1)

  • Explain the term respondent in two different contexts(Solved)

    Explain the term respondent in two different contexts

    Date posted: April 23, 2019.  Answers (1)

  • Define the term translation and transcription in orature(Solved)

    Define the term translation and transcription in orature

    Date posted: April 23, 2019.  Answers (1)

  • Identify the things lost when a tongue-twister is translated(Solved)

    Identify the things lost when a tongue-twister is translated

    Date posted: April 23, 2019.  Answers (1)

  • List the key aspects of plot commonly evident in narratives(Solved)

    List the key aspects of plot commonly evident in narratives

    Date posted: April 23, 2019.  Answers (1)