THE DUBE TRAIN BY CAN THEMBA – ENGLISH FIRST ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE PAPER 2: LITERATURE; SHORT STORIES GRADE 12 STUDY GUIDE AND NOTES In “The Dube Train”, Can Themba uses the form of a short story to respond to and register daily life under the apartheid regime through the symbol of the train which reveals both violence and indifference.

The Dube Train by Can Themba

Daniel Canadoce (“Can”) Themba (1924–1968) was born in Marabastad in Pretoria. He studied at Fort Hare University and later moved to Johannesburg, where he worked as a teacher and journalist on Drum magazine. Many of his stories are about the lives of the people in Sophiatown in Johannesburg where he lived. This was a mixed- race suburb which was very vibrant during the 1950s, but it was later destroyed by the apartheid government. In the early 1960s he moved to Swaziland, where he died a few years later.

1. Summary

The narrator is at Dube Station in Soweto on a cold Monday morning, waiting for the train to Johannesburg. All his descriptions of the station and people emphasise his depression, which he feels is shared by all the people around him.
When he gets onto the train he sits opposite a huge man. When the train gets to Phefeni Station a young woman enters the carriage and sits next to the narrator. Soon afterwards a tsotsi jumps onto the train and begins verbally harassing the girl. When the girl reaches her stop and wants to get off the train the tsotsi prevents her and slaps her. She tries to get away from him by jumping over the narrator but the tsotsi follows her.
No one dares to say anything to stop the tsotsi, until an older woman starts shouting at the men and calling them cowards. This causes the tsotsi to swear at the woman. This angers the huge man sitting opposite the narrator and he gets up and moves towards the tsotsi.
The tsotsi pulls out a knife and cuts the big man’s chest and arm. The big man is enraged and, in spite of his injuries, he grabs the tsotsi and lifts him up. He throws him out of the train window.
Everyone is shocked, but the incident soon becomes just another event on the morning Dube train.

2. Title

The title focuses on the train journey rather than on any characters in the story. The writer intends us to see the train journey as a comment on the lives people experience. Even when bad things happen people just accept them. The incident on the train happens to people no one knows or is concerned about. It soon becomes:
Just an incident in the morning Dube train.

3. Themes

The main themes of this story are:

• Violence, crime and gangsterism in the townships; and
• People’s passive attitudes to these issues.

The train passengers do not at first take action when they are faced with gangsterism and violence. Nobody stops the tsotsi from harassing the girl, or prevents the tsotsi from stabbing the big man, or stops the man from flinging the tsotsi out of the window. The large man who takes action against the tsotsi also behaves in a violent way, which is not a solution to the social problem of crime.
Perhaps the writer is saying that violence has become so common that people no longer see it as a problem:

too many passengers had seen too many tragedies to be rattled by this incident.

People have become so used to violence that they are not shocked by such incidents. They consider them as a break in their dull lives. Although the narrator is also guilty of not getting involved, the writer uses him to convey the message that the people are too used to crime and too passive to fight against it.

4. How is the story told?

4.1 Setting

The story takes place at the Dube station and on the Dube train. It is on the train trip from Dube to Johannesburg that the events involving the girl, the tsotsi and the huge man take place.
The narrator links the train trip with life in general:

the prospect of congested trains filled with sour-smelling humanity, did not improve my impression of a hostile life directing its malevolence plumb at me.

4.2 Structure and plot development

At the beginning of the story the narrator gives a description of the environment at the station and the people who, like him, feel depressed on that Monday morning. The faceless, nameless people add to his feeling of despair.
When the narrator gets on to the train he describes the passengers more individually. The writer describes the huge man who sits opposite him, a young girl who gets on the train later and a tsotsi who sees the girl and comes to harass her.
The tsotsi’s harassment of the girl is the complication in the story. It creates the rising tension, to the point where the huge man gets up to intervene, after the tsotsi insults a woman who yells at the men nearby to stop the tsotsi. When the tsotsi draws a knife it creates panic in the carriage:

the woman shrieked and men scampered on to seats.

The climax of the story occurs when the tsotsi stabs the big man who confronts him. The man then picks the tsotsi up and flings him out of the train window.

The story ends with a negative and disturbing resolution because, although the problem with the tsotsi has been dealt with, the violent action of the man is also a criminal act. The narrator of the story comments at the end of the story:

Odd, that no one expressed sympathy for the boy or the man.

4.3 Characterisation

The main characters in the story are people who are part of the crowd on the train:

• A huge man who sits opposite the narrator. He is described as “a hulk of a man; his hugeness was obtrusive to the sight when you saw him, and to the mind when you looked away”. His presence feels “obtrusive” because he is so large and it feels as if he is blocking the narrator’s view and he can’t see past him.
• A young girl, who is described as “pert, arrogant, live”. She is young but acts more mature than she is.
• A young tsotsi who jumps onto the train and starts to harass the girl.
• An old lady who shouts at the men in the carriage for not stopping the tsotsi.

The men in the carriage “winced. They said nothing, merely looked around at each other in shy embarrassment”. It is only when the tsotsi swears at the woman, that the huge man becomes offended and takes action. He does not react when the young girl is being harassed.
In the story the huge man, the girl and the shouting woman act as protagonists. The tsotsi is the antagonist as he is in opposition to them. It is the tsotsi’s actions that drive the events that take place on the train.

4.4 Style

The narrator of the story notices what is going on with the tsotsi and the girl, as well as all the details of the train journey. The events in the carriage are viewed between station stops. At one point the narrator gives a long description of a bridge and the view of the city skyline, which looks attractive after “the drab, chocolate-box houses of the township, monotonously identical row upon row”.
The writer uses township slang and dialect as ways to indicate the atmosphere of the life he is describing. “Tsotsi”, “Sies” and “Hela, Tholo, my ma hears me, I want that ten-’n-six!” are examples of slang. In the story slang is used by the tsotsis to communicate with each other. It sets the tsotsis apart from the other passengers. The narrator says of their exchange of words:
The gibberish exchange was all in exuberant superlatives.

4.5 Narrator and point of view

The narrator tells the story in the first person. He refers to himself as “I”.

4.6 Diction and figurative language

The way the writer uses language in the story helps to express meaning.
For example, the description of the big man on the train is significant as it helps us build up a picture of him:
a hulk of a man … The neck was thick and corded, and the enormous chest was a live barrel that heaved back and forth.
With this metaphor of the man’s chest being an enormous live barrel we have an image of how huge he was and don’t question his ability to lift up and throw the boy later.
The writer’s description of the ‘blue’ Monday includes phrases such as “hostile life”, “the grey aspect around me”, “savagery of the crowd” and “all was wrong with the world”, which give the impression of a dreary day which matches his depression.
The writer uses figurative language to describe the scene and the characters:

• Simile
  For example, his description of the movement of the train leaving the station as making the platform look as though it is “a fast conveyor belt”.
• Metaphor
  The woman who shouted at the tsotsi used “barbed words” – her words are compared to barbs, which could mean insults or sharp thorns.
• Oxymoron
  The narrator watches the tsotsi with “grim anticipation”. “Anticipation” is usually associated with looking forward to something positive. Here it is paired with “grim”, which means horrible, awful or unpleasant.

4.7 Tone and mood

From the start of the story the writer gives us a picture of a dreary Monday morning at the station. The narrator surveys the scene with displeasure; the tone of his thoughts conveys a feeling of gloom:

Despairing thoughts of every kind darted through my mind: the lateness of the trains, the shoving savagery of the crowd, the grey aspect around me.

The tone of gloom and despair is continued when the narrator is seated on the train:

the other passengers, looking Monday-bleared, had no enthusiasm about them. They were just like the lights of the carriage – dull, dreary, undramatic.

The writer emphasises how bored and depressed the passengers on the train usually are by contrasting this with how they behave at the end of the story:

[They] break out into a cacophony of chattering.
They were just greedily relishing the thrilling episode of the morning.”

The writer emphasises the fact that people are so used to violence, that they are not so much shocked as excited by what happened on the train. This creates a tone of excitement.
Mood: How does this story make you feel? Happy, sad, angry or indifferent? What are the reasons it makes you feel this way?

Summary
 The Dube Train by Can Themba

1. Title
   • Focuses on a train journey
2. Themes
   • Violence, crime and gangsterism
   • Peoples’ passive attitudes to these issues
3. How is the story told?
   3.1 Setting
   • At the Dube Station and on the train
     3.2 Structure and plot development
   • Complication: The tsotsi’s harassment of the girl
   • Rising tension: The continued harassment of the girl
   • Climax: The stabbing of the big man and the tsotsi being thrown out of the train window
   • Resolution: Disturbing because the violence of the man against the tsotsi is also a criminal act
     3.3 Characterisation
   • Protagonists: The big man, the girl and the shouting woman
   • Antagonist: The tsotsi
     3.4 Style
   • Descriptions: Of the township and the city
   • Slang/dialect: For example, “tsotsi”, “sies”, “hela”
     3.5 Narrator and point of view
   • First person
     3.6 Diction and !gurative language
   • “the enormous chest was a live barrel”
     Metaphor
   •  “barbed words”
     Metaphor
   •  “like a fast conveyor belt”
     Simile
   • “grim anticipation”
     Oxymoron
     3.7 Tone and mood
   • Tone: Mainly a gloomy, despairing and depressed tone; except when the violence breaks out, when the tone becomes excited
   • Mood: How does this story make you feel? Happy, sad, angry or indifferent? Give reasons for your answer.

Activity 11 

Read the extract below and answer the questions that follow.

Extract A

[The narrator describes a typical Monday morning.]

1. Read the following statement and complete the sentence by filling in the missing words. Write down only the words next to the question number (1a)–1b)).
   In lines 1 and 2 “a child of the sun” is an example of personification.
   The a) … is being described as the b) … of the narrator. (2)
2. Refer to paragraph 1.
   1. Quote no more than FOUR consecutive words from the extract to show that this story is written in the first person. (1)
   2. Using your own words, briefly describe how the narrator feels on a Monday morning. State TWO points. (2)
   3. In your view, why does he feel this way? State TWO points. (2)
3. Refer to paragraph 2.
   Quote TWO consecutive words to show that the narrator has a negative outlook on life. (1)
4. Refer to line 10 (“… shoving savagery of the crowds …”).
   Which figure of speech is used here? (1)
5. Choose the correct answer to complete the following sentence: In line 13, the word “flukes” refers to …
   1. unfortunate accidents.
   2. lucky charms.
   3. unlucky coincidences.
   4. a stroke of good luck. (1)
6. Refer to the story as a whole.
   Is the following statement TRUE or FALSE? Give a reason to support your answer.
   The narrator’s journey was dull and uneventful. (2)
7. What point is the narrator making by including the description of the train carriage and the station? State TWO ideas. (2)
8. A girl boards the train at Phefeni station.
   1. Explain what the narrator finds unusual for a girl of her age.State TWO points. (2)
   2. Explain why the narrator is surprised by the girl’s reactions later, when the tsotsi attacks her. State TWO points. (2) [18]

Activity 12 

Read the extract below and answer the questions that follow.

Extract B

[The narrator describes the reactions of the passengers.]

1. Refer to line 1.
   1. Who is “our caveman lover”? (1)
   2. Why is this person described as a “caveman”? (1)
   3. Quote ONE word from paragraph 2 which shows that the narrator is comparing the “caveman” to an animal. (1)
2. Refer to line 7.
   What caused the “caveman” to reel? (1)
3.  Refer to line 12.
   Using your own words, explain why the woman calls the men “poltroons”. (1)
4. Refer to paragraph 4 of the extract.
   Quote FOUR consecutive words to show that the woman believes that the men have strong fatherly instincts. (1)
5. Refer to line 18.
   What does the use of the word “Sies!” suggest about the woman’s feelings? (1)
6. Later in the story the attacker draws a knife when the big man confronts him.
   How do the following people react when they see the knife?
   1. The woman (1)
   2. The male passengers (1)
7. The big man, who has been sitting quietly all the time, comes to life because of the incident described in the extract.
   1. Why, do you think, does he not react when the tsotsi attacks the young girl? State TWO points. (2)
   2. What causes the big man’s violent reaction later? (2)
8. Do you feel sorry for the attacker who is flung from the train and probably killed? Explain your answer. (2)
9. The passengers on the Dube train choose not to get involved when the tsotsi attacks the girl. They also do nothing when he is flung from the train. Why do you think this is the case? Discuss your view. (2) [17]

Words to know

A PRAYER FOR ALL MY COUNTRYMEN BY GUY BUTLER GRADE 12 NOTES – LITERATURE; POETRY STUDY GUIDE The poet surveys South Africa during the deepest, darkest days of apartheid and prays that God may intervene to bring about the salvation of its people

A prayer for all my countrymen by Guy Butler

This poem was written by Guy Butler (1918-2001). He was born and grew up in the Karoo. Butler was a professor of English at Rhodes University from 1952 to 1987.
He helped South African English literature achieve recognition and argued for integrating European and African elements in writing. When he wrote poetry in English he gave his writing an African feel.
Much of his poetry reflects his concerns about the problems and difficulties of life in South Africa during the time of apartheid. This poem was written in 1987 during the darkest days of apartheid and meditates on racial conflict. It is a prayer for unity.

1. Themes

As the title suggests, the theme is that South Africans need God’s help to escape the tragedy of apartheid.
The poet says most people cannot see an end or solution to South Africa’s problems (under apartheid) or imagine life after apartheid has ended. He asks God to make sure that once the horrors of apartheid have ended, people will behave and speak in such a way that they will keep (and live up to) their faith in Him.
The poet then says that, in spite of all their suffering, some people have been able to remain kind and good, to smile bravely through their troubles and to think clearly. This gives him hope that there will be a better future.

Words to know: 

2. Type and form

There are two stanzas in this poem:

• The first stanza has 11 lines and in it the poet asks for God’s
• The second stanza is shorter (8 lines) and tells us that some people have stayed good in spite of injustice and

The lines in the poem are short. Most have 4 syllables, although one has 3 and another has 5 syllables. The short lines add to the effect of a prayer and also simplify and make each phrase stand out, since the poet believes that God knows his thoughts and that there is no need to explain them.
In the first stanza, there is one full rhyme (“said”/”dead”), but many half rhymes. Half rhymes are words that almost rhyme but do not quite rhyme, which often give a poem a rather sad feeling as they are less musical. (Look at “ordain” / “done” or “yet’ / “dead”.)

In the second stanza there is one full rhyme: “pure” / “endure” which is more pleasant to listen to and links the more positive ideas contained in these words.

Note

• Syllable – The sound of a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) when pronouncing a word.

3. Analysis

This stanza contains the poet’s prayer to God to save the people of our country. It is written as one long sentence.
In the four opening lines, the first half of the sentence tells us of the situation about which the poet is writing. The problems (“complexities” in line 4) of South Africa are so great that only a few of the people who suffer can imagine a time when apartheid will be over. Notice that the word “complexities” is in a line of its own (line 4), emphasising the size of the problems facing the country. Using what you have learnt about apartheid, you can decide why the poet calls it a “tragic time” (line 3).

Notice how the alliteration of the “t” sound in “tragic time’s” emphasises the sadness. The image here is depressing, but look at the first word of the poem. It begins with the word “Though” (line 1), meaning that even though few people can see past the time of apartheid a time will come when it ends. This suggests that, even with all the suffering, hope is possible.
In the remaining seven lines of stanza 1, the poet tells us what he is praying for. He addresses God in a prayerful and loving tone, even desperately, when he says “dear God”. The word “ordain” (line 5) is interesting here – the poet asks God to command or order what needs to happen, but “ordain” also has a religious meaning. (A priest is “ordained” when he is allowed to work as a priest.) This suggests that that what God “ordains”, or makes happen, is good and holy. It also conveys a sense of future promise.
The use of repetition in “such deeds / such words” (lines 6 and 7) shows us how important the things are that the poet prays for. He prays that men will retain enough kindness to remain capable of speaking and acting with humanity (ubuntu), and not in ways that would cause them to lose all faith in God.
Once the struggle to end apartheid is over, he hopes that people will have retained enough human kindness and faith in God (“praise Your image yet” in lines 8 and 9) to enable them to make a better society possible for all. The use of the word “yet” (line 9) refers again to his hope that people will, in the future, go back to following in God’s image. Perhaps he is suggesting that human beings are not capable of understanding God, so they create an image of Him for themselves. He might also be referring to the verse in Genesis which says that people are created in the image of God.

The “hates” and “terrors” (lines 10 and 11) refer to the negative effects of the evil system of apartheid. The last line of this stanza (line 11) contains the poem’s only use of personification. The words “are dead” suggest that the poet does believe that apartheid will end, that he has hope.
The poet uses very few punctuation marks, so the lines flow in a simple way, suggesting that the words arise spontaneously in the poet’s consciousness or mind. The colon (:) at the end of the first stanza makes us pause; we expect the second stanza to complete his thoughts.
The poem is very simply written, with very few figures of speech such as similes or metaphors. The simple diction (choice of words) makes it suitable for a prayer and emphasises the poet’s sincerity – the prayer comes from his heart.

Note:

• ‘Tragic time’ makes us think of the suffering most SouthyAfricans had to go through during the apartheid.

In this stanza, also written as one long sentence, the poet says that in spite of the harsh, cruel times, some people have still stayed good, brave and kind.
Note that for the first time in the poem there are pauses, indicated by the punctuation (the use of commas and semi-colons at the end of the lines). The poet lists examples of what people have experienced.
The first line in stanza 2 contains the poem’s only metaphor. Apartheid is compared to something that is rotten; it is a morally corrupt and evil system. “Rotting” (line 12) also has connotations of being forced to live in a poor, miserable area with no resources or services, and even of the decaying bodies of the people killed because of apartheid. It also suggests that the apartheid system is no longer fresh, but is old and rotting and it is time to throw it away.
The people were “beaten, broken” (line 13) as a result of the physical violence done to them. But people were also “beaten, broken” in spirit as a result of the injustice and cruelty of apartheid. Notice the use of the sound device in line 13 – the alliteration of “b” in “beaten, broken”, a harsh sound that echoes the heavy sound of blows falling on a body.
But in spite of their suffering, some people “stayed pure” (line 14): they remained good and were not made angry or bitter by the system. “Pure” also has a religious connotation, suggesting that these people were innocent of any corruption and trusted in God.
Other people learnt to bear their suffering bravely and with a smile (“grin and endure” in line 16) and did not feel sorry for themselves. Some remained kind and warm-hearted, while still others learnt to think about the situation clearly and wisely: their heads “grew clear” (line 19). People with clear minds, the ability to think clearly and rationally, were necessary if a solution to the problems was to be found and a better future built.
As some people have been able to rise above their problems and suffering, the poet feels hopeful that a better future will be possible.

Note:

• Connotations of a word are the meanings that that word suggests. ‘Pure’ has connotations of (or suggests) goodness, innocence and honesty.

4. Tone and mood

The general tone of the poem is reverent, sincere and hopeful, as it is a prayer.
The mood of a poem is how it makes the reader feel. How does this poem make you feel? For example, happy, sad, angry, or indifferent.

Summary
A prayer for all my countrymen by Guy Butler

1. Theme
   South Africans need God’s help to escape the tragedy of apartheid.
2. Type and form
3. Tone and moodTone: Reverent, sincere and hopeful.
   Mood: How does this poem make you feel? Happy, sad, angry or indifferent? Always give reasons for your answer.

Activity 6

Refer to the poem on page 51 and answer the questions below.

1. What is the “tragic time” referred to in line 3? (1)
2. Complete the following sentences by using the words provided in the list below. Write down only the words next to the question number (2.1-2.3).
   

   America; people; South Africa; pardon; prayer; men

   This poem is written as a (2.1) … for all the (2.2) … of (2.3) … (3)

3. Refer to line 1 (“Though now few eyes”).
   To whom do the “few eyes” belong?                                       (1)
4. Choose the correct answer to complete the following sentence: In line 4, the word “complexities” means …
   1. hardships and shortages.
   2. hardships and answers.
   3. answers and solutions.
   4. problems and difficulties.                                                   (1)
5. Refer to lines 5-9 (“dear God ordain, … Your image yet”).
   Explain why the poet wants his countrymen to behave as described in these lines.                                       (2)
6. Refer to lines 10 and 11 (“when all these terrors/and hates are dead”).
   Use ONE word to describe how the speaker feels about the future.                                                                               (1)
7. Refer to the poem as a whole and give TWO examples of alliteration used.                                                                    (2)
8. Refer to the second
   Using your own words, describe THREE different ways in which people reacted at that time.                                                   (3)
9. Refer to the second
   Is the following statement TRUE or FALSE?
   Quote a line to support your answer.
   The speaker was one of the few people who enjoyed the period of time described in this poem.                                   (2)
10. At the present time in our history do you think the poet’s prayer has been answered? Discuss your view.                      (2) [18]

Answers to Activity 6

1. Apartheid ✓ (1)
2. 2.1 Prayer ✓
   2.2 People ✓
   2.3 South Africa ✓  (3)
3. The people or comrades who can see beyond the suffering. ✓ (1)
4. D / problems and difficulties ✓ (1)
5. He wants them to act and speak responsibly in a way that will  be acceptable to God and will set an example to others. ✓✓ (2)
6. Hopeful/ positive/ optimistic ✓ (1)
7. “tragic time’s” ✓
   “deed be done” ✓
   “beaten, broken” ✓
   “some stayed pure” ✓ (2)
8. Some did not change/ some remained loyal. ✓
   Some pretended to cope/ be happy/ grinned and endured. ✓
   Some were balanced in their outlook/ remained hopeful/clear- headed and warm-hearted. ✓
   Some became clear-headed/ rational. ✓ (3)
9. False. “Through rotting days” ✓✓
10. Yes, some people have remained warm-hearted and clear- headed according to stanza two. These people help people in need. ✓✓
    OR
    No, reconciliation and forgiveness are not truly evident even after 1994. There is still a lot of racial prejudice. ✓✓ (2) [18]

THE BIRTH OF SHAKA BY OSWALD MBUYISENI MTSHALI GRADE 12 NOTES – LITERATURE; POETRY STUDY GUIDE The poem follows the life of Shaka Zulu, documenting his exploits as a king of the Zulu people, who produced considerable advances in State structure and military technologies of the Zulu. Some critics express concern over the historicity of the retelling.

The birth of Shaka by Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali

The birth of Shaka was written by Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali. Mtshali was born in KwaZulu-Natal in 1940. He travelled to Johannesburg as a young man of 18 and many of his poems are based on life in Soweto. He has won many awards for his poetry and was one of the first black poets to be published in both Zulu and English.
Some of his poetry criticises the way black people were forced to live during apartheid, but other poems, such as The birth of Shaka, are intended to remind black people of their proud culture and history.

Fun fact:

• The Zulu king Shaka was born in 1787 and was assasinated by his half-brothers, Dingane and Mhlangana, in 1828. He was the son of a chief and his mother was called Namdi. His parents were not married. As a boy, he was often mocked because he had no father. Shaka was a great warrior. He developed the Zulu tribe into a mighty nation. During his reign some of the first white settlers arrived from England and landed in what is now KwaZulu-Natal. His half-brother Dingane became king after murdering Shaka, but he reigned fro only 10 years until he was defeated by white Afrikaners at  the Battle of Blood River in 1838.

1. Themes

The theme is the power of African culture. It is something Africans must feel proud of. The poet praises Shaka’s power and strength as well as his wisdom. The poet’s intention was to remind the Zulu people of their proud heritage at a time when they were being oppressed and made to feel worthless during apartheid.

Words to know: 

2. Type and form

This poem is a modern praise poem or izibongo.
It has six stanzas. They all have different line lengths and have no rhyming words.

3. Analysis

The lion is known as the “King of the Beasts” because of its strength, fierceness and power. It is also a dangerous animal.
The metaphor comparing the cry of baby Shaka to that of a baby lion tells us that he was born to be a powerful, fierce and dangerous leader. The metaphor also tells us that his cry was so fierce that it tore the neck of its mother, the lioness (line 3).
This fierceness is a contrast to how a baby would normally behave towards its mother and may foreshadow how fierce Shaka would become later. It may suggest that Shaka was aggressive towards his mother, Nandi, because his parents were not married and he grew up without a father. For example, Shaka’s behaviour as a baby gives us a clue to how he will behave when he is a grown man.

Note:

•  The expression ‘my blood boils’ means to be very angry

This metaphor tells us that Shaka was not just an ordinary person but someone special, whose nature was made by the gods, which means they gave him some supernatural powers, beyond ordinary human life. In the metaphor, Shaka’s blood is being compared to something specially cooked by the gods.
“Passion” (line 8) refers to very strong feelings such as love or hatred. If you are passionate about something you are very enthusiastic about it and put great energy into it. This metaphor tells us of Shaka’s energy, enthusiasm and devotion to his work as a warrior (great soldier) and leader, as well as his anger. The poet tells us a “clay pot” (line 8) was used when making Shaka’s “blood boil”, to emphasise his African cultural roots.

A shield is used to protect yourself from injury, which tells us that in war Shaka would not be hurt but, in fact, would defeat his enemies. This metaphor also tells us he was protective of his people and was strong- hearted, meaning he was brave and determined.
We are reminded of how Shaka represents Zulu culture, as Zulu shields were made from the skin of an ox. Notice the alliteration of “foil … foe” (line 11) which emphasises that he defeated his enemies.

Shaka’s strength did not come only from the gods but also from the ancestors. This is another reminder of African culture, in which the ancestors are believed to guide and help their descendants (family members who come after them). In this metaphor we are told the ancestors “forged” (line 13) Shaka’s muscles. Metals such as iron and steel are shaped by being “forged” – heated until they are very hot and can be beaten or forced into different shapes. This suggests that Shaka was extremely strong, both physically and mentally.
The simile “thongs as tough/ as wattle bark” (lines 14 and 15) also shows how tough and strong Shaka was, as his muscles were like leather and mentally he was strong and determined. The poet then uses another simile, comparing his nerves to the sharp thorns of a syringa tree. In English, if you say someone is “sharp” you mean they are clever and do not miss anything. In addition, sharp thorns can hurt you, so as well as being clever, Shaka was also cruel.

Note:

• There are many images related to African culture in the poem – the clay pot, the ox shield and the ancestors

This is a very interesting stanza that shows Shaka’s wisdom, understanding and ability to see into the future.
Shaka’s eyes are compared to “lanterns” (line 19) that light up the darkness. Here darkness suggests that the Zulu people did not know what their future would be. But Shaka was able to see what the arrival of the “white swallows” (line 21) would mean for his people. Swallows are birds that migrate, moving from Europe to Africa to escape the cold winters.
In this metaphor, the “white swallows” refer to the white settlers (both the British and, originally, the Afrikaners), who came from Europe and who sailed by ship to Africa; they would settle and take over what was then called Natal. As well as referring to the settlers, “white swallows” could also remind us of the white sails of a sailing ship, in which the settlers travelled in those days.
Note that up to this point the tone of the poem has been one of admiration and praise. Now the tone is more quiet and prophetic, as if Shaka can see far into the future.

Note:

• Prophetic – having knowledge of the future

This stanza is Shaka’s “cry” to the two half-brothers who murdered him.
These lines are also Shaka prophesying what will happen to his country in the future. The land will be taken over by the white settlers and the Zulu people will be ruled by them. These lines are the climax of the poem.

The diction (poet’s choice of word) is unusual here when Shaka exclaims, “Lo!” This is an old-fashioned word meaning “Look! See!”. It is used in the old English translation of the Bible, which makes Shaka sound like a prophet.
The tone changes again now. He speaks to his brothers in a tone of strong defiance as he warns them that they will not achieve much by killing him as the land will be taken over by the settlers.

4. Tone and mood

The poem begins with a tone of admiration and praise. In stanza 5, it changes to become more quiet and prophetic. In the final stanza, the tone becomes defiant.
The mood of a poem is how it makes the reader feel. How does this poem make you feel? For example, happy, sad, angry, or indifferent.

Summary
The birth of Shaka by Mbuyiseni Oswald Mtshali

1. Theme
   The theme is the power and pride of African culture.
2. Type and form

Activity 7

Refer to the poem on page 60 and answer the questions below.

1. Complete the following sentences by using the words provided in the list Write down only the words next to the question number (1.1 – 1.3).
   

   mourned; cruel; warrior; praised; father; loving

   In this poem Shaka, the Zulu king, is (1.1) … . He was a (1.2) … man, but a brave (1.3) …                                (3)

2. Refer to lines 1 and 2 (“His baby cry/was of a cub …”).
   2.1 Identify the figure of speech used (1)
   2.2 Explain why the poet has used this figure of (2)
3. Refer to lines 3 and 4 (“tearing the neck/of the lioness”).
   To whom does the word “lioness” refer?                                (1)
4. Refer to stanza
   4.1 In your own words, explain how the gods created (1)
   4.2 State ONE of Shaka’s characteristics suggested by the use of the words “clay pot”.                                                        (1)
5. Choose the correct answer to complete the following sentence: In line 11, the words “to foil every foe” mean to …
   1. free every prisoner.
   2. betray every enemy.
   3. stop every enemy.
   4. kill every prisoner.                                                             (1)
6. Refer to lines 12 and 13 (“Ancestors forged his muscles …”).
   What does the use of the word “forged” in these lines tell the reader about Shaka’s physical abilities?                                                                                (2)
7. Refer to stanza
   Quote TWO separate words to prove that Shaka was both physically and mentally strong.                              (2)
8. Refer to stanza
   Is the following statement TRUE or FALSE? Quote a line to support your answer.
   Shaka could see what was going to happen in the future.      (2)
9. In the first five stanzas the tone of the speaker shows admiration. Describe the tone in the last stanza (lines 24–25)                                                                          (1)
10. What, in your view, are the qualities of a good leader?           (2) [19]

ON HIS BLINDNESS BY JOHN MILTON GRADE 12 NOTES – LITERATURE; POETRY STUDY GUIDE “When I Consider How My Light is Spent” is one of the best known of the sonnets of John Milton. The last three lines are particularly well known; they conclude with “They also serve who only stand and wait”, which is much quoted though rarely in context.

On his blindness by John Milton

On his blindness was written by John Milton (1608-1674). He was a deeply religious English poet. He studied at Cambridge University. As a young man he travelled around Europe and learnt many European languages.
In his later life, there was a civil war in England between King Charles I and Oliver Cromwell and his supporters, who wanted England to become a republic. Milton supported Cromwell and became very politically active. He had to go into hiding when the new king, King Charles II, came into power.
At the age of 44, Milton went blind. Most of his best-known poems were written after this. He composed poems in his head and recited them to his daughters so they could write them down.

Fun fact:

• This poem is based on the parable of the talents in the Bible – Matthew 25, verses 14-30

1. Themes

The main themes in this poem are serving God, blindness (disability) and using one’s talents.
The poet struggles with the fact that he is no longer able to see. He is depressed that he may not be able to serve God by using his talent as a writer. The answer comes to him that God has many followers to do his work and that accepting his blindness and being patient (“stand and wait”) is also serving God

Words to know:

Fun fact:

• The title of this poem was not written by Milton. It was given to the poem much later by Bishop Newton, who was referring to Milton’s blindness. That is why it is called, “On his blindness”, rather than ” On my blindness.”

2. Type and form

The poem is an Italian or Miltonic sonnet. This is because its 14 lines are made up of:

• An octave of eight lines made up of two This is where the problem is presented; and
• A sestet of six This is where the problem is resolved. The rhyming scheme in this sonnet is abba abba cdecde.

3.Analysis

In the octave, the problem is presented. The speaker feels depressed when he thinks (“consider” in line 1) about his problem – the problem is that he is going blind “ere half my days” – before he is even half way through his life. He has one great gift from God, a “talent”, which has been “lodged” (given to him) to use but it is “useless” (line 4) because he cannot see to write any more.
Fun fact: 

• A ‘talent’ was a coin in the time of the Bible. Jesus used the idea of a ‘talent’ as something valuable, a skill given by God. To use one’s talent or skill was a way of serving God. Hiding one’s ‘talent’ would be an insult to God.

The poet uses a metaphor to refer to his eyesight. He calls it his “light” (line 7). This is an effective comparison because our eyes are important. They are one of the ways we get to understand our world. Light is important
– light allows us to see clearly. Light also represents God and the sun and has connotations of brightness and happiness. This contrasts with the life without light – the “dark world” in line 2.
The poet (or speaker) describes his problem in the octave in one long sentence that ends in the middle of line 8. In this sentence, he lists all the things he is worried about and what may happen as a result of his blindness. He is frustrated because the talent God has given him (“lodged with me”) is “useless” (line 4). He is also frustrated because his soul is absolutely “bent” (determined) on serving his “Maker” (God) (lines 4-5) and he cannot do this if he cannot see.
He is fearful and worried because he knows that God has given him this talent so it would be “death to hide” it (line 3). Milton wants to serve his Maker and use his writing talent so that at the end of his life he can present a good “account” (record of his work) “lest” (in case) God would “chide” (become cross with) him for not using the talent to serve Him (line 6).
The poet is also confused. He says that if God did become angry with him he would ask God how God could demand “day-labour” (work) but at the same time make him blind (“light denied”) and therefore unable to work. Although the poet is frustrated, fearful and a little angry, it is important to note that he remains humble when he speaks to God: he calls God his “Maker”, he is “bent” (wanting / determined) on serving God and he realises that he asks the question foolishly (“fondly” in line 8) because God has a plan we may not know.

Note:

• the poet contrasts light and dark in the poem.

The sestet is where the problem set out in the octave is resolved. The speaker begins to answer the question in line 8 starting with the word “But”:

But Patience, to prevent
That murmur, soon replies…                (lines 8 and 9)

“Patience” (which is a good human quality of being able to wait) seems to appear to him personified almost like an angel from God (in a human form). Notice how Patience is named with a capital ‘P’ – like a proper noun. When Patience appears to him, it is as if the poet’s own mind speaks to him and reassures him.
Patience speaks to stop the poet’s “murmur” (complaints) and explains that God does not need man’s work: people serve God best when they “bear his mild yoke” (obey his gentle commands/ carry a small burden). Patience goes on to explain to the poet that God is so powerful (“His state is kingly” – lines 11 and 12) and that there are “thousands” of others who can serve him in many other places and in many different ways.
The poet finally understands that he does not have to write and perform to serve God if he is not able to do so, because people also serve God just by accepting what happens – “who only stand and wait” (line 14). He realises there are other ways to serve God.

4. Tone and mood

In the octave of this sonnet, the speaker goes through many feelings and the tone reflects each of them: frustrated, fearful, worried and confused. In the sestet, the tone changes. It becomes more accepting and gentle.
The mood of a poem is how it makes the reader feel. How does this poem make you feel? For example, happy, sad, angry, or indifferent.

Summary
On his blindness by John Milton

1. Theme
   The main themes are serving God, blindness (disability) and using one’s talents.
2. Type and form
3. Tone and moodTone: In the octave it is frustrated, fearful, worried and confused. In the sestet, it is accepting and gentle.
   Mood: How does this poem make you feel? Happy, sad, angry or indifferent? Always give reasons for your answer.

Activity 5

Refer to the poem on page 42 and answer the questions below.

1. Complete the following sentences by using the words provided in the list Write only the words next to the question number (1.1–1.3)
   

   ballad; sonnet; problem; solution; cause; result

   This poem is a Miltonic (1.1) … The octave gives the reader the (1.2) … and the sestet gives the reader the (1.3) …                                                                   (3)

2. Refer to lines 1 and 2 (“When I consider … world and wide”)
   Quote TWO contrasting words that best describe the poet’s concern.                                                                 (2)
3. Refer to line
   3.1 Quote a word from the first line which Milton uses in place of “eyesight”.                                                                              (1)
   3.2 Why do you think he uses this word? (2)
4. Refer to lines 3 and 4 (“And that one … Soul more bent”).
   Why does the poet consider his talent to be useless?          (2)
5. Refer to lines 6 and 7 (“My true account … labour, light denied?”).
   5.1 What is the poet’s fear in these lines? (1)
   5.2 Why does he have this fear? (1)
6. Refer to line 8 (“I fondly But Patience, to prevent”).
   6.1 Identify the figure of speech used (1)
   6.2 Explain why the poet uses this figure of (2)
7. How does the poet’s mood, or how do his feelings change in the course of the poem?
   Choose two words from the box below to complete this sentence:

   joy; acceptance; frustration; blind

   At the start of the poem the poet feels 7.1… but at the end of the poem the poet experiences 7.2…                                 (2)

8. Refer to lines 10 and 11 “Who best/Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best”.
   Choose the correct word in brackets:
   8.1 “his/him” are pronouns referring to (God/ the poet). (1)
   8.2 “they” is a pronoun referring to (blind people/ all people). (1)
   8.3.1 What figure of speech has been used in these lines?
   1. Simile
   2. Metaphor
   3. Personification.                                                                  (1)
      8.3.2 Explain the figure of speech by choosing the correct answer to complete the sentence below.
      The speaker is comparing the “mild yoke” that God puts on us to:
      1. A donkey pulling a cart
      2. A small burden or job
      3. A kind joke                                                                             (1)
9. Choose the correct answer to complete the following Write only the answer (A–D).
   The word which best describes the poet’s feeling in lines 9-14 (“That murmur, soon … stand and wait”) is:
   1. acceptance.
   2. anger.
   3. depression.
   4. joy.                                                                                      (1)
10. Refer to the last 4 lines of the
    Is the following statement TRUE or FALSE? Write “true” or “false” and quote TWO consecutive words to support your answer.      (2)
    The poet feels that our burdens are not heavy.
11. Consider the poem as a
    11.1 Do you feel sorry for the poet? Discuss your (2)
    11.2 Do you think a disabled person should be expected to perform at the same level as an able person? Discuss your (2)  [28]

Answers to Activity 5

1. 1.1 Sonnet ✓
   1.2 Problem ✓
   1.3 Solution ✓ (3)
2. “Light” ✓ and “dark” ✓ (2)
3. 3.1 “Light” ✓ (1)
   3.2 Joy/ hope/ clarity/ visibility/ warms/ shining/ inspiration ✓✓ (2)
4. The poet’s talent is that he can write and he will not be able to use this talent if he is blind. ✓✓
   OR
   He is unable to see. Therefore, he cannot write poetry/ use his gift. ✓✓ (2)
5. 5.1 He is afraid that God will punish him/ not be satisfied with what he has done. ✓ (1)
   5.2 He has not used the talent that God gave him./ He did not use his talent well./ He did not do a full day’s work. ✓ (1)
6. 6.1 Personification ✓ (1)
   6.2 Personification: It becomes the voice of reason/ his conscience. ✓✓
   OR
   Patience becomes a person who is answering his question. ✓✓
   OR
   He personifies his thoughts in order to accept his burden. ✓✓ (2)
7. 7.1 Frustration ✓ (2)
   7.2 Acceptance ✓ (1)
8. 8.1 “His”/ “him” are pronouns referring to God. ✓ (1)
   8.2 “They” is a pronoun referring to all people. ✓ (1)
   8.3.1 Metaphor ✓ (1)
   8.3.2 The speaker is comparing the “mild yoke” to a small burden or job. ✓ (1)
9. A/acceptance ✓ (1)
10. True. “Mild yoke”. ✓✓ (2)
11. 11.1 Yes. He has a talent and he cannot use it. ✓✓
    OR
    No. I admire him for accepting his blindness. ✓✓ (2)
    11.2 Yes. Disabled people often perform better than those without  disabilities and tend to feel insulted if you make allowances for them. ✓✓
    OR
    No. You have to make concessions to accommodate disabled people as they have barriers to overcome. ✓✓  (2)   [28]

THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY BY JAMES THURBER – ENGLISH FIRST ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE PAPER 2: LITERATURE; SHORT STORIES GRADE 12 STUDY GUIDE AND NOTES The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” by James Thurber is a humorous story about a man prone to daydreaming. He fantasizes himself to be a navy commander, a successful surgeon, and a military captain, when in reality, he is a somewhat plain, ordinary man running errands with his wife.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber

James Thurber (1894-1961) was an American journalist, writer and cartoonist. For many years he worked for The New Yorker, a literary magazine. He lost one eye early in life and, as a result, he was not able to play sports like his peers. To pass the time he would escape into a rich fantasy world. He wrote many stories and memoirs. He often illustrated his stories with his own drawings.
To read more about james Thurber, go to www.ThurberHouse.org

1. Summary

The story takes place on a snowy day during World War 2 (1939-1945) in an American town called Waterbury. Walter Mitty, an elderly man, is taking his wife to town so that she can go to the hairdresser and he can do some shopping while she is there.
As Walter Mitty drives his wife into town, does his errands and waits for her, he escapes into the following five fantasy worlds of his “secret life”. These are:

• Fantasy 1: He imagines that he is a Commander of a navy hydroplane going through a heavy storm – the worst storm in naval history. In his real life his wife shouts at him for driving his car too fast.
• Fantasy 2: He imagines that he is a renowned surgeon, saving a millionaire’s life. In his real life he drives past a hospital, which triggers his fantasy.
• Fantasy 3: He imagines he is a brave defendant in a murder trial. In his real life he walks past a boy selling newspapers who is shouting the headlines about a famous trial called the Waterbury trial.
• Fantasy 4: He imagines he is a heroic bomber pilot fighting the Germans. In his real life he reads an article in a magazine titled, “Can Germany Conquer the World Through the Air?”.
• Fantasy 5: He imagines that he is a man bravely facing a firing squad without a blindfold. In real life he is waiting outside a shop for his wife and it begins to rain.

2. Title

The title includes the words “secret life”, which encourages the reader to read the story in order to discover what this life is, and why it is “secret”.

3. Themes

A main theme in the story is the conflict between fantasy and reality. Mitty appears to be a hero to himself in his fantasy world, but in his real world he is weak and inadequate.
Another theme is the power of fantasy and imagination. It is only by escaping into his fantasy world that Mitty can find some sense of power and relief from his real world where he is the object of ridicule in his wife’s and others’ eyes. Walter Mitty represents all of us who aspire to a life of glamour and heroics to brighten up our everyday reality.

4. How is the story told?

4.1 Setting

The setting of the story is an American town called Waterbury. Although much of the action takes place in a car, we also follow Walter Mitty as he goes shopping and waits at the hotel for his wife.

4.2 Structure and plot development

The story is structured so that it has two layers:

• In the first story layer Walter Mitty has a rich and imaginative fantasy life in which he is a daring and respected hero.
• In the second story layer Mitty has a nagging wife and a boring life.

Mitty’s real-life problem is to find something to counteract the nagging of his wife and the boredom of the real world. These problems rarely have satisfactory resolutions, because he is often forgetful and feels inadequate.
In his fantasies, however, Mitty has a number of problems and complications to solve. These problems, however, he always resolves brilliantly.

In each of the fantasies Mitty is faced with a situation that is at crisis point or has reached a climax:

• In fantasy 1 he fearlessly guides a hydroplane safely through a huge storm.
• In fantasy 2 an important machine used for an operation is starting to fail. Mitty fixes it by replacing a faulty piston with a fountain pen, and successfully continues with the operation.
• In fantasy 3 he tells the court about his amazing skills with a gun – that he could have fired a shot accurately at 300 feet using his left hand.
• In fantasy 4 he is the only one who is brave enough to go and bomb an enemy ammunition dump.
• In fantasy 5 he bravely faces a firing squad, “erect and motionless,
  proud and disdainful”.

In each of his fantasies Mitty plays the part of a highly respected and heroic man. Not all his fantasies reach a resolution as they are often interrupted and he has to return to the real world. In his real life the complications rarely have satisfactory resolutions because he is so forgetful and inadequate. The end of the story is an anti-climax as Mitty is left standing in the rain waiting for his wife. However, even then, he imagines himself to be “Walter Mitty the Undefeated”.

4.3 Characterisation

The main characters in the story are Walter Mitty and his wife.
Walter Mitty is the protagonist or main character in the story. His wife is the antagonist as she is mostly in opposition to him. She constantly nags him and reminds him to do things, which leaves him feeling weak and inadequate. For example:

• She scolds him for driving too fast.
• She nags him to wear his gloves.
• She reminds him to buy some overshoes.
• She is cross when she can’t find him in the hotel.
• At the end of the story she makes him wait for her in the rain.

Whenever Mitty does try and answer his wife she implies that he is old or ill:

• When he says he doesn’t need overshoes, she says: “We’ve been all through that … You’re not a young man any longer.”
• When he asks her, “Does it ever occur to you that I am sometimes thinking?” her response is: “I’m going to take your temperature when I get you home.”

The character of Mrs Mitty is a good example of a caricature, which is an exaggerated representation of a type of person. She is a typical nagging, bossy wife. She is also an example of a stereotype. She is a stereotype because the writer has not given any additional features to her character.
By contrast, all the characters in Mitty’s fantasies are distinguished by their youth, inexperience or reverence for Mitty:

• In fantasy 1 the crew of the hydroplane believe that, “The Old Man’ll get us through … The Old Man ain’t afraid of Hell!”
• In fantasy 2 the doctor, Mr Pritchard-Mitford, in the operating theatre compliments him on a book he has written, saying it was a “brilliant performance”. Dr Remington says that he and Pritchard-Mitford are not worthy to be compared to Mitty. Dr Renshaw feels that the situation in the theatre is beyond his control, so he asks Mitty to take over.
• In fantasy 3 Mitty gets the better of the District Attorney and the Judge in the courtroom.
• In fantasy 4 Mitty tells the sergeant that he will fly the plane alone even though the sergeant believes it is too hard a task.
• In fantasy 5 Mitty bravely faces the firing-squad.

The other characters we meet in the story besides Mitty and his wife in the real world are mainly like his wife – they are authority figures who make him feel small and pathetic. These are:

• Traffic cops who order him to watch how he is driving;
• The parking attendant who has to park his car;
• The young garageman who has to help him with his snow tyres; and
• The passerby who laughs at him.

At the end of the story Mitty finally escapes from all this torment to a world where he will face the firing squad heroically.

4.4 Style

The strength of the story lies in the writer’s use of contrasts.
For example, Walter Mitty is a timid, inadequate, forgetful, absent-minded man who is constantly being picked on by his wife. By contrast, his wife has an attitude of certainty and control. Whereas he listens to her without comment, Mrs Mitty constantly comments on his behaviour, as she thinks he does everything wrong and she knows better.

She often treats him as if he were a child. For example:“I’m going to take your temperature when I get you home.”
She gives the impression that it is she who will get him home, but in reality it is he who will drive. As a result of being controlled in this way, Mitty feels humiliated and seeks to find an escape from her demands. It is not surprising that his fantasy world forms a pleasurable contrast to his real world. Here, at least, he is the brilliant, brave and dependable hero who saves the day and whom everyone admires.

4.5 Narrator and point of view

The narrator is not one of the characters in the story. The narrative is told using the third person.

4.6 Diction and figurative language

The way the writer uses figurative language and literary devices is very effective in the story.
The story can be read as a satire revealed to us by the fantasies that Walter Mitty has about himself. The satire works through the irony used throughout the story because, in his fantasy life, Mitty is completely different from what he is in reality. In his fantasies he is always respected and admired for his bravery and ability to save others in dangerous situations. In his real life he is the opposite of this.
Onomatopoeia (words that imitate real-life sounds) is always used in the fantasies. Sounds like “pocketa-pocketa” are used to show the reader that Mitty is in his “secret life”. It indicates the sound of the hydroplane and the aneasthetiser. The “rat-tat-tatting” indicates the sound of guns and flame throwers used by bomber pilots.
Note also the use of grammatical punctuation marks, namely the ellipsis, to indicate when Mitty is entering or coming out of one of his fantasies.
In order to add humour to the story the writer makes use of a number of malapropisms (words that sound like the correct one but are wrong) and neologisms (made-up words). For example, in Mitty’s hospital fantasy the malapropisms “Obstreosis of the ductal tract” and “streptothricosis” sound like medical conditions, but they are not the correct terms. The gun in the courtroom fantasy is called by the neologism “Webley-Vickers 50.80”, but there is no gun with that name in reality.

4.7 Tone and mood

When the story starts we are in the middle of one of Mitty’s fantasies. The tone in this fantasy is excited and optimistic, conveyed by the writer’s use of multiple exclamation marks:

“We’re going through!”
“Rev her up to 8500!”
“Full strength in No. 3 turret!”

The next fantasy has Mitty in the middle of a life-threatening situation, so the tone is serious, but confident. Later, when he imagines himself facing a firing squad, the tone is scornful, “proud and disdainful”.
This contrasts with the tone Mitty’s wife uses when she speaks to him. She is usually irritable and scolding:

“What are you driving so fast for?”
“Why don’t you wear your gloves? Have you lost your gloves?”
“Why do you have to hide in this old chair? How do you expect me to find you?”

The dreariness of Mitty’s real life is emphasised when Mitty’s wife leaves him waiting in the cold rain while she goes shopping. This creates a tone of sadness – we feel pity for poor, clumsy Mitty as he tries to create a richer life for himself. We almost welcome his last fantasy, when he faces a firing squad, because at least he is strong and brave even though he is facing death.
Mood: How does this story makes you feel? Happy, sad, angry or indifferent? What are the reasons it make you feel this way?

Summary
The secret Life of Walter Mitty

1. Title
   • “Secret life” makes the reader want to read the story to find out about the “secret”
2. Themes
   • Conflict between fantasy and reality
   • The power of fantasy and imagination
3. How is the story told?
   3.1 Setting
   • An American town called Waterbury. Much of the action occurs in thecar.
     3.2 Structure and plot development
   • First story layer: Walter Mitty’s fantasy life
   • Second story layer: Walter Mitty’s boring life and nagging wife
   • Crisis points/climaxes: Occur in each of his five fantasies, although not all reach a resolution
   • Complications: Occur in Walter Mitty’s real life because he is forgetful and inadequate
   • Anti-climax: The end of the story, as Walter Mitty is left standing in the rain waiting for his wife
     3.3 Characterisation
   • Protagonist: Walter Mitty, the main character
   • Antagonist: Mrs Mitty, who opposes him in most things. She is presented as a caricature and a stereotype.
   • Characters in Walter Mitty’s fantasies: All treat him as a hero
   • Characters in Walter Mitty’s real life: All make him feel small and pathetic
     3.4 Style
   • Contrasts: Between the characters of Walter Mitty and his wife; between Walter Mitty’s fantasy life and real life
     3.5 Narrator and point of view
   • Third person
     3.6 Diction and figurative language
   • Satire: The irony in the complete contrast between Walter Mitty’s character in his fantasy life and his character in real life
   • “pocketa-pocketa”, “rat-tat-tatting”
     Onomatopoeia
   • “Obstreosis of the ductal tract”, “streptothricosis”
     Malapropisms
   • “Webley-Vickers 50.80”
     Neologism
     3.7 Tone and mood
   • Tone: In Walter Mitty’s fantasy life the tone is excited and optimistic, serious, confident and proud. In his real life the tone is irritable and scolding. The anti-climax at the end creates a sad tone.
   • Mood: How does this story make you feel? Happy, sad, angry or indifferent? Give reasons for your answer.

 Activity 13

Read the extract below and answer the questions that follow.

Extract A

[Walter waits for his wife.]

1. Where is Walter Mitty and why is he there? (2)
2.  What is he doing? (1)
3.  Explain the meaning and significance of “Can Germany Conquer the World Through the Air?” (2)
4.  What grammatical signs do we have to show that he begins to fantasise? (2)
5.  What is the challenge or problem facing Mitty in this fantasy?
   Give a reason for your answer. (2)
6. Which THREE words could be used to describe Mitty as he is in his secret world. Choose the correct words from the list below.
   Sick, Heroic, Anxious, Brave, Respected, Fearful. (3)
7.  Briefly explain why Mitty has this fantasy. (4)  [16]

Activity 14

Read the extract below and answer the questions that follow.

Extract B

[Walter and his wife drive in to town.]

1. What evidence does this passage give that Mrs Mitty is a nagging wife? (2)
2. What evidence does this passage give to show that Mitty tries to do things his way. (2)
3. What else does he usually do to escape his wife? (2)
4. What does driving past the hospital make him think of? Describe his thoughts in detail. (4)
5. What word in the passage tells us that he is bored? (1)
6. Answer TRUE or FALSE and give a reason for your answer. Do you agree that Walter Mitty is a good driver? (2) [13]

Words to Know

DEATH BE NOT PROUD BY JOHN DONNE GRADE 12 NOTES – LITERATURE; POETRY STUDY GUIDE ‘Death Be Not Proud’ (1633) is a metaphysical poem by John Donne. It inverts the human fear of death in a mocking and ironic way by suggesting that Death’s reputation as all powerful is a little inflated. Explore our app and discover over 50 million learning materials for free.

Death be not proud by John Donne

This poem was written by John Donne (1572-1631) who lived at the same time as Shakespeare. Donne had an adventurous early life. He travelled by sailing ship on two expeditions to the New World (the United States). He also ran away with his employer’s 16-year-old niece, Anne, whom he married, and so he was fired from his job. Donne was a Christian and became an Anglican priest and later the Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

1. Themes

The theme of this poem is death. The poet speaks directly to Death, in person, and tells Death not to think that he is important and powerful because Death is really just a kind of sleep – and rest and sleep are pleasant. We all wake from sleep: even people who die will wake from death – in heaven! The poet points out that actually death brings us benefits and that it has no power. There is therefore no reason for people to be afraid of death.
This poem is based on the Christian paradox that in order to live forever you have to die. In the Christian belief, physical death is the gateway to eternal or everlasting life in heaven.
The poet makes a clever argument in this poem. His idea is set out like this:

• When we die, it looks as if we are asleep.
• When we sleep, we will eventually wake up.
• If death looks like sleep, then we will also wake up from death.
• If we wake up from death, we cannot be dead.
• Death is destroyed by eternal life.

Vocab: A paradox is a statement made of two opposite ideas that seems to make no sense but may be true.

2. Type and form

The poem is an Italian or Miltonic sonnet. This is because its 14 lines are made up of:

• An octave of eight lines made up of two quatrains; and
• A sestet of six The sestet is made up of one quatrain and arhyming couplet at the end of the poem.

The rhyming scheme in this sonnet is abba abba cddc ee.
Hint: “Octo” (in octave) means eight “ses” means six, so a sestet has six lines

3.  Analysis

The speaker talks to Death as if Death was a person. This is a figure of speech called personification. By personifying Death, and giving it a human quality – pride – the poet makes death less scary. Death then only has the same power as people like you and me.
The speaker is using another figure of speech here called apostrophe – no, not the punctuation mark! Apostrophe is when you speak directly to an absent person or thing as if he or she was standing in front of you.

The poet orders Death not to be “proud” (arrogant) because people do not really get defeated (“overthrown”) by Death. In fact, Death cannot kill anyone – not even the speaker. The poet explains in the rest of the poem why Death cannot really “kill” anyone.
The poet, however, says that only “some” people consider death “mighty and dreadful” (line 2). In line 3, he goes on to tell Death that people it thinks it has destroyed do not die, and Death cannot kill him, the poet. He mocks Death by pretending to be feel sorry for Death, calling it “poor death”.
The poet is using the word “poor” in an ironical way here, as he does not really pity death.

Vocab: Poor can mean financially poor; or someone undeserving pity. In this poem, the word “poor” is used scornfully. The poet does not really pity death.
Also: Note how the rhyme scheme here is abba. ” Be” rhymes with “delivery” and “flow” with “go”.

People who die look like they are resting and sleeping – both rest and sleep are enjoyable (they give us “much pleasure”). Death is just a copy of these pleasant experiences.
The poet continues to mock Death by saying that if sleep is great and death is like a big sleep – then what an even greater pleasure death must be. Even more, the quicker people die, the better for them (“soonest our best men with thee do go” in line 7)!
The poet gives his evidence for this in lines 7 and 8, where he says the “best men”, those with true faith, welcome death because it rests their bodies (“bones”) and delivers their souls to God.

 Note: The rhyme in the sestet is cddc ee
The speaker continues to criticise Death. He says that Death does not have the power to kill people on his own. Death is a servant (a “slave”) to many horrible “masters” such as destiny (“Fate”) and accidents (“Chance”), which may kill us. Death also works for “desperate men” – this would be men who may rob and murder. Death also has to live (“dwell”) with very nasty companions that will do the actual killing: “poison, war, and sickness” (line 10).
Hint: Connotation of a word are extra meanings or the associations with that word. By using the word “Slave”, the poet is saying that Death is not free and has no control over his life.
The poet personifies Death as a slave who has no freedom to act on his own. He is used by other forces which cause death. The poet uses capital letters (F and C) for Fate and Chance as if they are important people; and Death is their slave.
In line 12, the poet reminds Death that even simple sleeping drugs (opium, made from the “poppy”) and charms (“magic”) can make us “sleep” better than Death can (“…better than thy stroke”). The poet asks: if these things do the same work as Death, why is Death is so full of self-importance, “why swell’st thou then?” There is an expression “swell with pride” that describes the feeling of being filled with pride, which gives us an image of a proud, arrogant person pushing his chest out to look big and important! The poet suggests that Death has nothing to be proud of.

The last two lines of the poem are a rhyming couplet. Although the words “eternally” and “die” do not seem to rhyme – they would have rhymed in the English accent of that time.
Notice that now the speaker uses a small “d” for death in the last line of the poem (line 14). Death is not important anymore and does not get the capital “D” of a proper noun.

4. Tone and mood

The poet’s tone in the poem is scornful and mocking in the way that he gives orders to Death, which is often considered a terrifying mystery. The tone is also critical of death.
In the end, the speaker uses a triumphant tone because he has won a victory over Death, as Death is conquered and destroyed by eternal life.
The mood of a poem is how it makes the reader feel. How does this poem make you feel? For example, happy, sad, angry, or indifferent.

Summary
Death be not proud by John Donne

1. Theme
   Death is not a terrifying mystery, but a force without real power.
2. Type and form
   
3. Tone and mood
   • Tone: Scornful, mocking, triumphant
   • Mood: How does this poem make you feel? Happy, sad, angry or indifferent? Always give reasons for your answer.

Activity 2 

Refer to the poem on page 10 and answer the questions below.

1. Refer to the following words in line 1 (“Death be not proud”):
   Identify the figure of speech used (1)
2. Explain why the poet has used this figure of (2)
   Hint: to explain this figure of speech, think of how and why the poet talks to Death as a person.
3. Which three words from the list below could be used to describe Death? (3)
   

   arrogant; clever; proud; friendly; over-confident; loving

4. Is the following statement TRUE or FALSE?
   Everyone fears Death.
   Quote ONE word from the poem to support your answer.       (2)
   note: Write down either true or false and then your one word answer. Remember that this is a quote so make sure you spell the word exactly as it is in the poem.
5. Complete the following sentences by using the words provided in the list Write down only the words next to the question number.
   

   entertainment; temporary; relaxation; end; look; final

   The poet says that “rest and sleep” are “pictures” of Death, meaning they only (5.1) … like death. However, people rest and sleep for (5.2) …                                                                                   (2)

6. Using your own words, write down THREE causes of death statedin the poem.                                                                          (3)
7. Refer to the following words in line 12 (“why swell’st thou then?”) Explain the meaning of these words as they are used in the (1)
8. Refer to lines 10-14. Name two things which have the sameeffect as Death.                                                                     (2)
9. Write down the correct tone word in brackets for each of the lines below:
   1. “Death be not proud for, thou art not so” (lines 1- 2) (triumphant/critical/ mocking)
   2. “Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men” (line 9) (triumphant/critical/mocking)
   3. “And poppy, or charms can make us sleep as well, And better than thy stroke” (lines 11-12)
      (triumphant / critical / mocking)
   4. Death, thou shalt die.” (line 14) (triumphant/critical/mocking)                                               (4)
10. In the last two lines (13–14) the speaker’s tone is …
    1. triumphant and victorious
    2. submissive and angry.
    3. sad and disappointed.
    4. thoughtful and fearful.                                                       (1)
11. Discuss the message the poem has for its (2)   [23]

To get 2 marks, you must give 2 points.

Answers to Activity 2

1. Personification OR apostrophe ✓ (1)
2. Personification: The poet gives Death human qualities in order to mock/poke fun at/ridicule/laugh at Death/ to show that Death is like an ordinary human/mortal/ not powerful ✓✓
   OR
   Apostrophe: He addresses Death as if Death is present/ in front of him. ✓✓ (2)
3. arrogant ✓/proud ✓/over-confident ✓ (3)
4. False. “some” ✓✓ (2)
5. 5.1 look ✓ (1)
   5.2 relaxation ✓ (1)
6. • You are destined to die in a certain way (Fate). ✓
   • You can die in an accident (Chance). ✓
   • Your death can be ordered by kings/powerful people. ✓
   • You can die in a war. ✓
   • You can be murdered. ✓
   • You can kill yourself/ suicide. ✓
   • You can die by taking poison. ✓
   • You can die from illness/disease. ✓ (3)
7. The poet is questioning/asking why Death is filled with pride/proud/OR why Death is arrogant/pompous/haughty/ swollen with pride. ✓ (1)
8. “poppy” ✓ and “charms” ✓ (2)
9. 1. critical ✓
   2. critical ✓
   3. mocking ✓
   4. triumphant ✓ (4)
10. A / triumphant and victorious ✓ (1)
11. • You should not be afraid to die. ✓
    • Death has no power. ✓
    • Death is temporary/does not last forever. ✓
    • There is life after death. ✓ (2)  [23]

NOTE:

•  In question 4, a mark is awarded only if both parts of the answer are correct: False and “some”.
• Any three of the answers in question 6 are acceptable
• Any 2 of the answers n question11 are acceptable

The Sisters by Pauline Smith

Pauline Janet Smith (1882–1959) was born in Oudtshoorn, in the Western Cape. Her father was a British doctor who came to South Africa in the hope of curing his ill-health. When Pauline Smith was 13, she and her sister were sent away from their beloved Karoo to boarding school in England.
Although she never lived permanently in South Africa again, she visited many times over the next 40 years. During her extended visit from 1913- 1914, she kept a journal which she used later as the basis for her first collection of short stories, called The Little Karoo, for her novel, and The Beadle. Her stories describe the isolated rural areas of the Little Karoo and the lives of the farming people who lived there.

1. Summary

Two sisters, Marta and Sukey, live on a farm called Zeekoegatt with their father, Burgert de Jager. Their mother has recently died of a disease of the heart caused, in part, by their father’s “water-cases”. Their father is always trying to get water from a neighbouring farmer, Redlinghuis, and has spent a great deal of money on legal fees.
In his last attempt to get water their father loses more money than ever and, in order to get water from Redlinghuis’s farm, has to bond some of his lands to Redlinghuis. That means that instead of paying the money he owes, he gives the neighbour some of his land with the intention of buying it back when he has money again. When their father is unable to pay to get the land back again Redlinghuis tells him that he will take Marta as a wife instead.
Sukey is very angry that Marta is being offered to Redlinghuis, but Marta assures her that it is the right thing to do – it will save their father’s farm. When Sukey confronts Redlinghuis and tells him that Marta is too good for him, and that she will offer herself up instead, Redlinghuis tells her that if he can’t have Marta he will take their farm.
When Marta marries Redlinghuis he buys a tent-cart so that he can drive around all day and show off his new wife to everyone – “the wife that Burgert de Jager sold to me”. Marta never complains about her husband, but she is clearly not happy and grows weaker and becomes sickly, until it is obvious she is dying. Before Marta dies, Redlinghuis disappears into the mountains with his gun. His body is found six days after Marta dies.
The story ends the night after the burial, with Burgert de Jager blaming himself for the deaths because of his demands for water. Sukey, however, tells him she will not judge him.

2. Title

The title of the story indicates that the focus is on the two sisters, Marta and Sukey, who are devoted to each other.

3. Themes

The themes in the story are land, patriarchy, tradition, devotion, obedience, submission, female self-sacrifice, compassion, bitterness, the meaning of sin and the right to judge.
In this quiet rural world the most important source of wealth is land. Owning land for generations is a sign of wealth and standing in society. It is not difficult to understand why Burgert de Jager is so obsessed with keeping his land, and why Marta is ready to sacrifice herself to help her father keep it. However, one of the underlying messages of the story is that it is destructive to attach more importance to land than to the welfare of people.

4. How is the story told?

4.1 Setting

The setting of the Little (Klein) Karoo is important, even though there are few descriptions in the story. We know that it is a very harsh, drought- stricken world where a strong belief in tradition and obedience to God and family rules the lives of the people. These are also important themes in the story.

4.2 Structure and plot development

The complication in the story arises from the fact that Burgert de Jager has tried for many years to get water from the Ghamka river through a neighbouring farm owned by Jan Redlinghuis and has spent a great deal of money on legal fees. He is so obsessed with this that he does not notice how it is affecting his wife, who dies in his “bitterness and sorrow”.
The conflict between the two farmers creates the tension in the story. Burgert de Jager eventually owes Redlinghuis so much money for allowing the water to pass through his farm that he is forced to make a deal with him – Redlinghuis will either marry Marta or take over the De Jager’s farm. This tension rises in the story when De Jager decides that Marta must marry Redlinghuis to save the farm.
The story reaches a climax when Marta becomes weaker and weaker from the humiliation of her position, and eventually dies. Sukey is very unforgiving towards her father and blames him for the deaths of both her mother and sister. This causes tension and conflict between Sukey and her father.
The resolution to the story only comes after Marta has died and Redlinghuis has shot himself. Sukey comes to understand the goodness of Marta, and she finds some compassion for her father and tells him:

“Do now as it seems right to you … Who am I that I should judge you?”

4.3 Characterisation

The main characters in the story are the sisters, Marta and Sukey, and their father, Burgert de Jager, who are the protagonists. The antagonist is Jan Redlinghuis, the farmer who opposes them and lives next door.
The two sisters are very different from one another, but they have great affection for each other.
Marta is very loving, gentle, unselfish and accepting. She shows this by agreeing to do as her father asks in order to help him save the farm. She tells Sukey:

“if I do right, right will come of it, and it is right for me to save the lands of my father.

Marta is willing to accept her fate. She does not even blame Redlinghuis for demanding that she marry him:

“There is not one of us that is without sin in the world and old Jan Redlinghuis is not always mad. Who am I to judge Jan Redlinghuis?”

Sukey is also prepared to sacrifice herself to save her gentle and passive sister, when she tries to persuade Redlinghuis to take her instead of Marta, but she is much tougher and more judgemental. She believes her father has done wrong in sacrificing both his wife and his daughter, and she tells him that he is at fault. She says to her father:

“It is blood that we lead on our lands to water them. Did not my mother die for it? And was it not for this that we sold my sister Marta to old Jan Redlinghuis?”

Sukey is also very judgemental of Redlinghuis, based on what people say about him. She says to him:

“it is said that you are a sinful man, Jan Redlinghuis, going at times a little mad in your head”

Sukey loses her faith in God as she cannot believe that God would allow the marriage of Marta and Redlinghuis. She tells her father:

“There is no God or surely He would have saved our Marta.”

Burgert de Jager’s obsession with getting water for his farm leads to the death of his wife and his daughter Marta. It also causes the break in the relationship between himself and his daughter Sukey.
Burgert de Jager and Jan Redlinghuis are mostly seen through the eyes of Sukey. They are both seen as obsessive and greedy. However, near the end of the story they both seem to realise they have been wrong and feel sorry about it. Burgert de Jager says to Sukey:

“It is true what you said to me, Sukey. It is blood that I have led on my lands to water them, and this night will I close the furrow that I built from the Ghamka river. God forgive me, I will do it.”

Jan Redlinghuis becomes remorseful when Marta is at the point of death. He says to Sukey before he goes into the mountains and takes his own life:

“Which of us now had the greatest sin – your father who sold me his daughter Marta, or I who bought her? Marta who let herself be sold, or you who offered yourself to save her?”

By saying this, he points to the fact that no one should judge, as everyone has played some part in the tragic events.

4.4 Style

The story is told through a combination of dialogue and description of the events, but only from the point of view of the narrator, Sukey. We are not told by the writer what the characters look like, or what the land looks like, or how they view their surroundings, because the focus is on the attitudes and reactions of the characters to the troubles that they experience.
The style of the language in the dialogue is old-fashioned and mimics (copies) the sentence structure of Afrikaans to give us a closer impression of the speakers’ context and culture. An example of this is: “this night will I” instead of ‘tonight I will’ as the writer wants to follow the Afrikaans word order, namely ‘sal ek’.

4.5 Narrator and point of view

The first person narrator, Sukey de Jager, is a young girl living on a farm in the Little Karoo. She is strong-willed and the story is told from her point of view.

4.6 Diction and figurative language

The way the writer uses words and word order emphasises the meaning she wants to convey to the reader.
For example, repetition is used throughout the story for emphasis:

• To emphasise the pain of their lives due to her father’s obsession with water-rights, Sukey repeats “bitterness and sorrow” when she says:
  With each new water-case came more bitterness and sorrow to us all. Even between my parents at last came bitterness and sorrow. And in bitterness and sorrow my mother died.
• When Redlinghuis puts Burgert de Jager under pressure to pay him back, Sukey emphasises the growing pressure by saying: And from that day Jan Redlinghuis pressed him, pressed him, pressed him, till my father did not know which way to turn.
• Marta explains why she will marry Redlinghuis:
  “if I do right, right will come of it, and it is right for me to save the lands of my father.”

This emphasises the idea of loyalty and what is appropriate behaviour.
Repetition is therefore used to focus on key themes in the story.
Sukey also uses sarcasm when answering her father’s questions. For example, when he says:

“Is it not wonderful, Sukey, what we have done with the water that old Jan Redlinghuis lets pass to my furrow?”

Sukey answers:

“What is now wonderful? It is blood that we lead on our lands to water them.”

It is also interesting that Redlinghuis’s farm is called “Bitterwater” which
symbolises that his water is not a source of goodness.
The writer also uses an idiom (a clichéd saying) in the story:

“my father’s back was up against the wall”

This means that the father has no options left, he has nowhere to turn.
The writer also uses figurative language in the story. For example:

• Simile
  I went back to my father’s house with my heart heavy like lead.
  Sukey’s heart is compared to lead.
• Metaphor
  “It is blood that I have led on my lands to water them”

Here, Sukey’s father compares the water from Jan Redlinghuis to blood because in order to get this water, lives have been lost. ‘Blood’ here could also refer to ‘flesh and blood’ or family.

4.7 Tone and mood

In this story the narrator’s tone mostly emphasises the sorrow and despair that the characters experience. For example, when Sukey refers to Marta, she remembers her only as having a “still, sad face”.
The writer emphasises this tone of despair near the end of the story when Marta dies at sun-down. It is as if Sukey and her father are entering an emotional night-time.
However, the story ends with a more hopeful tone when both Burgert de Jager and Sukey come to deeper emotional insights. Burgert de Jager finally realises that his actions have caused the deaths of his wife and his daughter, and he asks for God’s forgiveness. Sukey doesn’t scold her father, but says what her sister Marta would say:

“Who am I that I should judge you?”

Mood: How does this story make you feel? Happy, sad, angry or indifferent? What are the reasons it makes you feel this way?

Summary
The Sisters by Pauline Smith

1. Title
   • Focuses on the two sisters, Marta and Sukey
2. Themes
   • Land, patriarchy and tradition
   • Devotion, obedience and submission
   • Female self-sacrifice
   • Compassion and bitterness
   • The meaning of sin
   • The right to judge
3. How is the story told?
   3.1 Setting
   • The Little (Klein) Karoo
     3.2 Structure and plot development
   • Complication: The legal cases brought by Burgert de Jager against Jan Redlinghuis
   • Conflict: Between Burgert de Jager and Jan Redlinghuis because of the water issue and then the money owed due to the expensive legal cases
   • Rising tension: Grows when De Jager decides that his daughter Marta must marry Redlinghuis
   • Climax: Marta becomes weaker and weaker because of her humiliation, and then dies
   • Resolution: Sukey comes to understand the goodness of Marta and finds compassion for her father
     3.3 Characterisation
   • Protagonists: Marta, Sukey and Burgert de Jager are the main characters
   • Antagonist: Jan Redlinghuis opposes their actions
     3.4 Style
   • Dialogue: Uses the sentence structure of Afrikaans to give a better impression of the speakers’ context and culture
   • Description: Of events, not the land or the people
     3.5 Narrator and point of view
   • First person narrator (Sukey de Jager)
     3.6 Diction and figurative language
   • “With each new water-case came more bitterness and sorrow to us all. Even between my parents at last came bitterness and sorrow. And in bitterness and sorrow my mother died.”
     Repetition
   • “What is now wonderful? It is blood that we lead on our lands to water them.”
     Sarcasm; Afrikaans sentence structure; metaphor
   • “my father’s back was up against the wall”
     Idiom
   • “I went back to my father’s house with my heart heavy like lead.”
     Simile
   • “It is blood that I have led on my lands to water them.”
     Metaphor
     3.7 Tone and mood
   • Tone: Mostly a tone of sorrow, bitterness and despair; ends with a more hopeful tone.
   • Mood: How does this story make you feel? Happy, sad, angry or indifferent? Give reasons for your answer.

Activity 15

Read the extract below and answer the questions that follow.

Extract A

[Marta agrees to marry Jan Redlinghuis.]

1. Complete the following sentences by using the words provided in the list below. Write only the words next to the question numbers (1a) – 1d)).
   

   orange; Jan Redlinghuis; Sukey; Grootkops; Ghamka; Marta; Burgert de Jager; Platkops

   This short story is set near the a) … river in a place called b) … The narrator of the story is c) … and her father is d) … (4)

2. Why does Marta’s father ask her to marry Jan Redlinghuis? State TWO points. (2)
3. Using your own words, explain why Marta agrees to marry Jan Redlinghuis. (2)
4. Choose the correct answer to complete the following sentence. Write only the answer (A–D).
   Sukey’s father’s agreement with Jan Redlinghuis proves that he is …
   1. arrogant.
   2. careful.
   3. selfless.
   4. selfish. (1)
5. Sukey thinks that Jan is “a sinful man” and often “a little mad” (line 5).
   In your opinion, is he mad? Give a reason for your answer. (2)
6. Briefly describe the relationship between the two sisters, Marta and Sukey. Give an example to substantiate your answer. (2)
7. Name TWO aspects of Marta’s character that are shown in this extract. (2)
8. Sukey goes to see Jan Redlinghuis the next day.
   1. Explain why Sukey goes to see Jan Redlinghuis. (2)
   2. Identify the theme which is shown here. (1)
9. Discuss your views on Marta’s decision to marry Jan Redlinghuis. (2) [20]

Activity 16

Read the extract below and answer the questions that follow.

Extract B

[Marta has died.]

1. Which aspect of her personality caused Sukey’s mother to be severely saddened and upset by the feud between her husband and Jan Redlinghuis? (1)
2. Is the following statement TRUE or FALSE? Write “true” or “false” and give a reason for your answer.
   Mrs de Jager died of cancer. (2)
3.  Give ONE reason why the people are looking for Jan Redlinghuis (lines 1–3). (1)
4. Explain why Jan Redlinghuis goes to the mountain. (2)
5. Refer to line 8 (“It is blood … on my lands”).
   1. Identify the figure of speech used here. (1)
   2. Explain the meaning of this line in the context of the story. (2)
6. Briefly explain how Burgert de Jager changes in this story. (2)
7. Quote a sentence which proves that Sukey is submitting to her father. (1)
8. In your opinion, who is to blame for Marta’s death? Explain your choice. (3) [15]

Words to Know

SONNET 116 BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE GRADE 12 NOTES – LITERATURE POETRY STUDY GUIDE This sonnet attempts to define love, by telling both what it is and is not. In the first quatrain, the speaker says that love—”the marriage of true minds”—is perfect and unchanging; it does not “admit impediments,” and it does not change when it find changes in the loved one.

Sonnet 116  by William Shakespeare

Sonnet 116: Let me not to the marriage of true minds was written by William Shakespeare (1564-1616). He lived in England at the time of Queen Elizabeth I and he is one of the most famous English writers. He wrote many plays and over 150 poems. Like this one, most of the poems are sonnets which deal with themes of love, time, and their effect on people and relationships.

 1. Themes

The main theme of Sonnet 116 is love. Shakespeare is saying that nothing can stop true love and that it never changes, no matter what happens in life. True love can survive even during life’s problems and can guide you through difficult times. Not even time can destroy true love, which lasts forever.
The poet is so sure of what true love is that he says that, if he is wrong, then he has never written anything, including this poem! This is how he concludes his argument that true love is constant and everlasting.

Note: This poem is written in Elizabethan English. The glossary after the poem gives the deunitiono of Elizabethan words.

2. Type and form

Sonnet 116 is an Elizabethan sonnet. It has 14 lines in one verse that is made up of:

• Three quatrains of four lines each; and
•  A rhyming couplet of two lines at the end of the poem.

The rhyming scheme for Sonnet 116 is abab cdcd efef gg
Rhyme: Words at the end of the lines which have the same sound such as “minds” and “finds”.

3. Analysis 

In the first quatrain, the poet suggests what love is not. Nothing should get in the way (“impediments”) of people who are united (perhaps by love or marriage) and have the same values (“true minds”). People who have true minds share the same beliefs, values and ideas. They may be close friends or family members, not only lovers or people who are married in an official way.

Note: Marriage can also mean a closeness or union between two people who love each other.

He celebrates this kind of love and explains that true love does not change (“alters”) when circumstances change (“it alteration finds”). True love stays constant (steady or even) and stable and it does not weaken (“bend”) when there are difficult times, or the loved one does not seem to love any more.
The poet emphasises that love which changes or weakens is not true love by repeating “alter” and “alteration”; and “remover” and “remove” – these words suggest things that take love away or change love.

Note: Notice how “work” amd “bark” rhyme as do “shaken” and “taken”.

In this quatrain, the poet suggest what love is. The poet explains that he thinks the love of true minds is stable and permanent. His exclamation, “O, no!” indicates how strongly the poet rejects the idea that anything can change true love. The poet then uses metaphors based on ships and sailing to tell us what love really is.
In the first metaphor the poet says that true love is an “ever-fixèd mark”, perhaps like a lighthouse. It stays shining and constant as a guide even during the worst storms (“tempests”). This metaphor tells us that true love is faithful and steady and will help you to manage even the worst of life’s problems.
In the second metaphor, Shakespeare says that true love is the “star” that guides a ship that has gone off course or got lost (“wand’ring bark”). This star refers to the North Star, which was used by a ship’s captain to steer a ship in the right direction as it is a constant star, always in the same place in the sky. He is saying that true love is constant and never changes its nature. It can be trusted to guide you through life, like the North Star guides a “wand’ring bark” or a ship lost at sea.
Shakespeare also says that, although the position of a star can be measured, we cannot know the worth or value of the star. In the same way, the value of true love is something which cannot be measured, so its worth is “unknown” (line 8), although it can give us direction and meaning in life.

Did you know:  In Shakespear’s day, sailing ships were made of wood. The captain steered the ship by measuring the position of the stars to guide the ship across the sea.

In the third quatrain, the poet tells us that such love is timeless – it cannot be measured and lasts to the end of the world.
The passing of time has no effect on true love. The use of a capital letter in “Time” tells us that this is personification, that Time is a person. Shakespeare is writing about time as if it is a man, so he writes “his” not “its”.

However, the speaker in the poem says that love is not the “fool” of Time. He says that love is not a servant that has to obey Time’s rules and so, although Time destroys youth and beauty (cuts down “rosy lips and cheeks” with his “sickle”), love does not change. The poet says that love will last forever, even until the end of the world (“the edge of doom”).

Did you know: Father Time is also called the Grim Reaper or Death. He carries a sickle to harvest people, as a farm worker cuts grass with a sickle. He destroys our youth and beauty so that we get old and wrinkled.

After telling us that love does not change (first quatrain), that love gives us guidance (second quatrain) and finally that love never ends (third quatrain), the poet ends the poem with a little joke. He says that if anyone can prove that his views of love are wrong then it would mean that he didn’t write anything and that no one has ever loved anyone.
This is a clever argument to end the poem with because we all know that Shakespeare has written – we are studying one of his poems right now – and of course people have loved before, and so what he says about love must be correct.

4. Tone and mood

The tone of the poem is generally confident. Shakespeare believes so strongly in love that he does not say love is “like” anything (a simile). Instead, he uses metaphors to say that love IS that thing: love IS a “star” and love IS an “ever-fixèd mark”.
In the third quatrain, Shakespeare’s tone is scornful of Time’s “brief hours and weeks” because true love is not affected by time. Time passes and we grow old and die but love does not die.
The tone of the rhyming couplet is persuasive. The poet or speaker wants to persuade the reader to agree with his views about true love.
The mood of a poem is how it makes the reader feel. How does this poem make you feel? For example, happy, sad, angry, or indifferent?

Note: Scournful is an expression of digust towards someone or something that is seen as unworthy.
Also have you noticed that there are no similies in this poem, only metaphors?

Summary
Sonnet 116 : Let me not to the marriage of true minds by William Shakespeare

1. Theme
   • Love is constant and everlasting.
     
2. Type and form
3. Tone and mood
   • Tone: Confident, scornful, persuasive
   • Mood: How does this poem make you feel? Happy, sad, angry or indifferent? Always give reasons for your answer.

Activity 1

Refer to the poem on page 2 and answer the questions below.

1. Complete the following sentence by using the words provided in the list below.
   

   Petrarchan; sestet; Elizabethan; Couplet; quatrains; octave

   This is a typical (1.1) … sonnet because of the three (1.2) … and the (1.3) … that rhymes.  (3)

2. Quote a word in the first line which has connotations of love and unity. (1)
3. Refer to the following words in line 1 (“… the marriage of true minds”).
   To what do these words refer?                                                (2)
4. Refer to lines 2-4 (“Love is not love … remover to remove”).
   Using your own words, explain the meaning of these lines.   (2)
5. Choose the correct answer to complete the following In line 5, the words “O, no …” show that the speaker is …
   1. uncertain.
   2. arrogant.
   3. doubtful.
   4. convinced.                (1)
6. Refer to line 7 (“It is the star to every wand’ring bark”).
   Give the literal meaning of the underlined words.                 (1)
7. Is the following statement TRUE or FALSE? Quote THREE consecutive words to support your answer.
   It is impossible to measure the value of love.                        (2)
8. Refer to the following words in line 9 (“Love’s not Time’s fool”). Identify the figure of speech used (1)
9. Refer to lines 13 and 14 (“If this be … man ever loved”).
   How does the poet use the last two lines to make his argument on true love convincing?   (2)
10. Do you agree with the speaker’s view of love? Explain your (2)  [17]

Note:

• Connotations – words with meanings linked to a key word. For example, the connotations of “morning” are fresh,new,early.
• Consecutive words – words that directly follow after one another.

 Hint ; In question 7, one mark will be given if the first part of the answer (true) is correct. To get 2 marks, give the correct answer and quote the correct three words.
Note: When a question asks for your own view or opinion, you must say if you agree or not and then give a reason for your viewpoint to get 2 marks.

The Coffee-cart Girlby Es’kia Mphahlele

Es’kia Mphahlele (1919 – 2008) was born in the slums of Pretoria and went on to become a world famous writer, educationist, artist and activist.
He only began attending school regularly when he was 15 and went on to finish high school by private study. In 1945 he taught at Orlando High School in Soweto. As a result of his protests against Bantu Education he was fired from his teaching post. He eventually joined Drum magazine in 1955, where he made a name for himself as a serious writer.
In 1957 Mphahlele went into exile, at first in Nigeria. Here he completed his first autobiography, Down Second Avenue (1959), which was banned in South Africa.
Mphahlele went on to get his doctorate from the University of Denver, USA, in 1968 and was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1969.
He finally returned home from exile in 1977, where he went on to found the University of the Witwatersrand’s African Literature Department – the first department of African Literature in the country – in 1983. He is widely celebrated as being the Father of African Humanism.

1. Summary

The story takes place in the industrial part of a city during apartheid, where a young woman called Zodwa works at a coffee-cart. She sells coffee and pancakes to the workers who pass by. One day there is a strike at the nearby Metropolitan Steel Windows Ltd factory. The striking workers march in the street where Zodwa’s coffee-cart stands. She is so absorbed in the strike that she doesn’t realise that the marching crowd is getting bigger and more restless. There is conflict between the apartheid police and the black people who are striking.
One of the strikers, a young man named Ruben (whose nickname is China), helps to move Zodwa’s coffee-cart away from danger of the crowd. Zodwa is very grateful to him and offers him coffee and food. This is the start of the friendship between Zodwa and Ruben. After the strike China loses his job. As their relationship develops, China gives Zodwa the nickname Pinkie, because her skin is peach-coloured. China finds another job at a shoe factory. When he gets paid by his new employer China takes Pinkie to choose a gift from a cheapjack’s shop. The cheapjack is a man named Naidoo. Naidoo clearly likes Pinkie and he starts coming to her cart for coffee. One day when he cannot pay he gives Pinkie a ring in exchange for coffee and cakes. When China sees the ring on Pinkie’s finger he gets very jealous and accuses Pinkie of being in love with Naidoo.
China pulls out a knife and points it at Pinkie’s throat. She thinks he is going to kill her. But then China realises that he is frightening Pinkie. He apologises to her and leaves. He never sees Pinkie again, as three days after this, Pinkie and all the coffee sellers are chased away from the area by the police. When China comes back to visit her she is gone. All he can do is hope that one day they will meet again.

Note:

• Cheapjack – a seller of cheap goods.

2. Title

The story is focused on Pinkie, the coffee-cart girl in the title of the story. Although the title is about Pinkie, everything that happens to her is caused by the realities of the apartheid system. For example, she is caught up in the conflict between the apartheid police and the oppressed black workers, and it is only because of China that she is not hurt. Later in the story she is forced by apartheid laws to move to another place to sell her coffee and pancakes.

3. Themes

The main themes are:

• Life affected by apartheid: The strike takes place because of the political situation where white-owned businesses and apartheid laws work together to oppress and impoverish black people. It is because of the strike that the two young people meet. If it had not been for the difficult working conditions China would not have met Pinkie. At the end of the story the political situation interferes again in their lives by forcing Pinkie to work elsewhere, preventing them from meeting again.
• Violence against women/women’s powerlessness: Pinkie is the only female character. The story shows her to be very vulnerable both to the general violence of the strike and to personal violence from China. She has no control over her own life and is pushed around by individuals like China, and by the apartheid state.
• Love: A young man meets a young woman and a bond is established between them.
• Jealousy: When another man, Naidoo, shows an interest in Pinkie, China becomes violently jealous. China’s uncontrolled emotion becomes an obstacle in his relationship with Pinkie.
• Loss: China loses his job and he loses Pinkie. We lose Pinkie at the end of the story, because she is chased away by the police. Like China, we don’t know what happens to her.

4. How is the story told?

4.1 Setting

The story is set in an industrial area in a city during apartheid. Throughout the story the harshness of apartheid shapes the lives of the characters. We are constantly aware of the poverty in the city and the fact that the lives of the people are worth little. Pinkie tells China that unless he accepts her coffee and buns he will “starve to death in this cruel city”.

4.2 Structure and plot development

The story starts with the strikers marching. The writer’s description of the march already gives a sense of tension. In the middle of the chaos is Zodwa, who seems calm as she watches the marchers from her coffee- cart. It is only when one of the coffee-carts gets knocked over that she reacts. “She climbed down from her cart, looking like a bird frightened out of its nest.” China helps to move Pinkie’s coffee-cart before it gets damaged.
Against the background of the strike and unrest China and Pinkie start a quiet friendship. When China finds another job he promises to buy Pinkie a gift. They go to a cheapjack’s shop to choose the gift. Naidoo, the cheapjack, takes a liking to Pinkie and starts to visit her to buy coffee. The complication in the story is that Pinkie has two admirers: China and Naidoo. China is shy and is not able openly to tell Pinkie that he loves her. Naidoo is more direct and able to chat and joke with Pinkie more easily.

China’s jealousy of Naidoo creates the rising tension in the story. One day China notices that Pinkie is wearing a ring. She says Naidoo gave it to her to pay for three days’ worth of coffee and cake. China’s jealousy becomes so great that he accuses Pinkie of being in love with Naidoo and threatens her with a knife. This is the climax or crisis point in the story.
China then realises that he is scaring Pinkie, and he apologises to her. He leaves.
The story does not have a clear resolution as Pinkie is forced by apartheid laws to leave the area three days later. When China comes back some days later she is gone and he is left with his dreams of how things might have been.

4.3 Characterisation

The main characters in the story are Pinkie, China and Naidoo.
Pinkie is the main character or protagonist in the story. She is called “Pinkie” by China because she has a “peach-coloured face”. This is ironic, because apartheid oppressed black people on the basis of the colour of their skin, and yet here is a black woman with light-coloured skin. It points to how unworkable the system of racial oppression really was.
Pinkie is a shy and gentle woman and seems to accept the harshness of her life. She is small and seems fragile. The writer uses descriptions of small creatures when describing her:

looking like a bird frightened out of its nest
She panted like a timid little mouse cornered by a cat.

China is the antagonist in the story. He too has had a hard life. In the past he was in jail. He is not able to express his emotions well with words. Instead, he is quick to get angry and use violence. He seems to feel that he ‘owns’ Pinkie and is jealous of her having any other friends. His jealousy causes him to threaten Pinkie.

However, China is able to show some remorse for the way he treats Pinkie.
He is sorry for frightening her and says to her:
“I pray you never in your life to think about this day.”

Both Pinkie and China have difficulty letting each other know how they feel about each other. This is mainly because of the cruelty and hardships of the apartheid city in which they live. It makes gentle emotions like love seem dangerous and they both “panicked at the thought of a love affair”.
From the start, Pinkie is a bit afraid of China – he attracts and repels (drives her away) her at the same time:

She felt “a repelling admiration”.
She felt he was the kind of man who could be attractive as long as he remained more than a touch away from the contemplator;

China also carried on “a dumb show”, by not telling Pinkie that he loved her:

Pinkie and China panicked at the thought of a love affair and remained dumb.

The seriousness of China and Pinkie’s relationship is contrasted with Naidoo’s ability to chat easily and joke with Pinkie. His anecdotes “sent Pinkie off into peals of laughter”. Naidoo’s relationship is a source of jealousy for China. He suspects that Naidoo likes Pinkie and thinks that Pinkie is in love with Naidoo.
Naidoo also gives some comic relief to the story, as he mispronounces words for comic effect.

4.4 Style

The relationship between Pinkie and China is explored through the use of dialogue and descriptions.
Dialogue works to give us an immediate idea of the characters’ thoughts, feelings and attitudes. Another technique that the writer makes use of is contrasts. For example, the love of China and Pinkie contrasts with the harshness of their world.
In addition, the writer also contrasts aspects of their personalities. For example, at first China seems frightening to Pinkie:

There was something sly in those soft, moist, slit eyes, but the modest stoop at the shoulders gave him a benign appearance; otherwise he would have looked twisted and rather fiendish.
There was something she felt in his presence: a repelling admiration.

The violence of China as opposed to the sweetness of Pinkie is shown right at the beginning of the story when, even though he helps Pinkie, China is seen as one of the violent strikers:

Almost rudely he pushed her into the street, took the cart by the stump of a shaft and wheeled it across the street,

When China first looks carefully at Pinkie he notices her fragility:

His eyes travelled from her small tender fingers as she washed a few things, to her man’s jersey which was a faded green and too big for her, her thin frock, and then to her peach-coloured face, not well fed, but well framed and compelling

Another contrast between China and Pinkie is when China takes her to choose a gift for herself. It is typical of her character that she would buy something pretty such as “a beautiful long bodkin, a brooch, and a pair of bangles”. It is also in character for China to buy something harsher for himself such as “a knife, dangling from a fashionable chain”.
Note the contrasting images and personification in the description which follows, which shows the many emotions China and Pinkie feel for each other:

Within, heaven and earth thundered and rocked, striving to meet; sunshine and rain mingled; milk and gall pretended friendship; fire and water went hand in hand; tears and laughter hugged each other in a fit of hysterics; the screeching of the hang-bird started off with the descant of a dove’s cooing; devils waved torches before a chorus of angels.

At the end of the story the writer uses ellipsis twice to emphasise the incompleteness of the story:

• “I’ll tell her all about myself, all about my wicked past; she’ll get used to me, not be afraid of me any more …” Here the ellipsis indicates that we will never know whether this wish of China comes
• “And still he sat in the coffee-cart which was once Pinkie’s all through the lunch hour …” Here the ellipsis emphasises that we, like China, do not know whether they will ever see each other

4.5 Narrator and point of view

The writer uses a third person point of view to tell the story. This approach allows the reader to learn about the characters from what they say and do. It also allows us to appreciate how the political setting explains so much about them.

4.6 Diction and figurative language

The way the writer uses words and descriptions helps to convey meaning in the story. For example, the writer uses many figures of speech and sound devices in the story:

• Similes and metaphors
  In the first line of the story the writer uses two similes to describe the striking marchers: “The crowd moved like one mighty being, and swayed and swung like the sea.”
  Pinkie is described as having “a peach-coloured face” (a metaphor is used to compare her face to a peach).
  Later, Pinkie realises that China is angry:
  “She sensed a gathering storm” (in this metaphor, China’s anger is compared to a coming storm).
  When China threatens Pinkie with a knife a simile is used to compare Pinkie to a frightened mouse being hunted by a cat:
  “She panted like a timid little mouse cornered by a cat.”
• Personification
  One example of personification used in the story is “the law was brandishing batons”. This image of the law being armed shows that apartheid laws were not about justice or equality, but about violence and oppression.
• Oxymoron
  The writer uses oxymorons for effect in the writing, especially when writing about the confused feelings that China and Pinkie have for each other. Pinkie is described as having “a repelling admiration” for China. ‘Repelling’ means something that is distasteful or repulsive, while ‘admiration’ means something to respect and approve of.

4.7 Tone and mood

Right from the beginning of the story we are made aware of the harshness of life.
The tone created by the strike is one of confusion and danger:

The crowd moved like one mighty being, and swayed and swung like the sea.
Grimy, oily, greasy, sweating black bodies squeezed and chafed and grated.

We are constantly aware of the poverty and grime in this part of the city. The tone of the words the writer uses to describe the area and the people is despairing:

A dreary smoky mist lingered in suspension, or clung to the walls; black sooty chimneys shot up malignantly

The old shopkeepers are described as having:

a vague grimace on their faces, seeming to sneer at the world in general

Later in the story the tone of fear is emphasised by the writer’s description of China threatening Pinkie with a knife:

At that very moment she realised fully the ghastliness of a man’s jealousy, which gleamed and glanced on the blade and seemed to have raised a film which steadied the slit eyes.

At the end of the story the coffee-carts are empty and deserted. Their emptiness emphasises China’s loss of Pinkie. Yet the story ends on a hopeful tone as we read that China hopes that one day he will see Pinkie again:

We’ll meet in town some day, China thought. I’ll tell her all about myself, all about my wicked past; she’ll get used to me, not be afraid of me any more …

Mood: How does this story make you feel? Happy, sad, angry or indifferent? What are the reasons it makes you feel this way?

Summary
The Coffee-cart Girl by Es’kia Mphahlele

1. Title
   • Focuses the story on Pinkie, the coffee-cart girl, surviving in apartheid South Africa
2. Themes
   • Life affected by apartheid
   • Violence against women/women’s powerlessness
   • Love
   • Jealousy
   • Loss
3. How is the story told?
   3.1 Setting
   • An industrial area in a city during apartheid
     3.2 Structure and plot development
   • Complication: Pinkie has two admirers
   • Rising tension: China’s jealousy of Naidoo
   • Climax/crisis point: China threatening Pinkie with a knife
   • Resolution: None; the reader is left wondering what happens to the characters next.
     3.3 Characterisation
   • Protagonist: Pinkie is the main character
   • Antagonist: China opposes her
   • Naidoo: A source of tension (China’s jealousy) and comic relief
     3.4 Style
   • Dialogue and descriptions: Used to explore Pinkie and China’s relationship
   • Contrasts: The love of Pinkie and China compared to their harsh world; China’s violence compared to Pinkie’s sweetness; China choosing a knife compared to the pretty things that Pinkie chooses from Naidoo’s shop
   • Ellipsis: Emphasises the incompleteness of the story
     3.5 Narrator and point of view
   • Third person
     3.6 Diction and figurative language
   • “peach-coloured face”
     Metaphor
   • “She sensed the gathering storm”
     Metaphor
   • “The crowd moved like one mighty being, and swayed and swung like the sea.”
     Two similes
   • “She panted like a timid little mouse cornered by a cat.”
     Simile
   • “repelling admiration”
     Oxymoron
   • “the law was brandishing batons”
     Personification
   • “fire and water went hand in hand”
     Personification
     3.7 Tone and mood
   • Tone: Begins with a tone of despair and danger in the strike; tone of fear increases at the point of Pinkie being threatened by China; ends on a hopeful note as China imagines meeting up with Pinkie again
   • Mood: How does this story make you feel? Happy, sad, angry or indifferent? Give reasons for your answer.

Activity 9

Read the extract below and answer the questions that follow.

Extract A

[China and Pinky meet again after the violent strike.]

1. Describe the events that lead to China saving Pinkie’s cart
   Give THREE points.                                                                       (3)
2. Why does Pinkie refer to China as “uncle” in line 2 of extract A? (1)
3. Choose the correct answer to complete the following In line 3, China says: “Don’t uncle me, please.” His tone in this line is one of:
   1. happiness.
   2. satisfaction.
   3. annoyance.
   4. sadness.                                                                                     (1)
4. Refer to lines 6-9 of extract A (“His eyes travelled … soiled black beret”). What do these lines show you about Pinkie’s circumstances?  (1)
5. In lines 11–14 of extract A (“There was something .. a repelling admiration”), Pinkie has mixed feelings about China. What are these feelings? (2)
6. Refer to lines 17 of extract A (“just like those … chamber of horrors”).
   1. Identify the figure of speech in these (1)
   2. In what way does China remind Pinkie of the wax figures? (1)
7. How is China affected by the strike? (1)
8. How are Pinkie and China victims of apartheid prejudice? (2)
9. Later, Pinkie gives China coffee and pancakes. What does this behaviour tell us about the kind of person Pinkie is? State TWO points(2)
10. At the end of the story Pinkie disappears because the police no longer allow her to operate her coffee-cart on the street. In your opinion, is the action of the police justified? Discuss your view (2)  [17]

Activity 10

Read the extract below and answer the questions that follow.

Extract B

[China attacks Pinky in her coffee-cart.]

1. Complete the following sentences by using the words in the list below;
   

   jersey; guilty; ring; happy; compassionate; jealous; aggressive

   China sees Pinkie wearing a (a) …. He is (b) … because Naidoo gave it to her. China becomes (c) … towards Pinkie. Later, he feels (d) … about this behaviour.                       (4)

2. How does Naidoo make a living? (1)
3. Is the following statement TRUE or FALSE? Write “true” or “false” and give a reason for your answer.
   Pinkie accepted the gift from Naidoo as a token of his love.        (2)
4. Refer to line 6 of extract B (“She panted like … by a cat”).
   Why does the writer compare Pinkie to a mouse and China to  a cat?            (2)
5. Refer to lines 7-8 of extract B (“He had sent … a knife before”).
   What does this line show you about China’s past behaviour?       (1)
6. Refer to line 12 of extract B (“She looked at him, mystified”). Explain why Pinkie feels this way.      (2)
7. Refer to the last paragraph of extract B (“The following day … him any more”).
   1. Why does China’s behaviour change at this stage in the story? (1)
   2. In your opinion, is China being realistic when he hopes that Pinkie will not be afraid of him anymore?    (2)
8. Does Pinkie really forgive China? Give a reason for your answer (1)
9. Pinkie and China do not meet Is this an effective conclusion to this story? Discuss your view.    (2) [18]

Words to know

AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLASSROOM IN A SLUM BY STEPHEN SPENDER GRADE 12 NOTES – LITERATURE; POETRY STUDY GUIDE As per the Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Summary, the poet saw the kids coming from different families living in the slum to study. They had bright eyes but were marred by malnutrition and poverty, just like their parents. They have the eyes to dream but not the platform to make them come true.

An elementary school classroom in a slum by Stephen Spender

This poem was written by Stephen Spender (1909-1995). He was a modern English poet and writer.
Much of his writing is about human rights and social justice. He was politically left-wing and was a member of the Communist Party in Britain in the 1930s. He was actively involved in the anti-Nazi and anti-Fascist politics of that time.
Later in life he edited literary magazines and taught at many institutions. He became Professor of English at University College in London in the 1970s.

1. Themes

The two main themes are a protest against social inequality and againstpoor quality education.
The poet describes some children in a classroom in a very poor area. Most of them look unhealthy and unhappy. The pictures on the walls of the gloomy classroom show an interesting world outside the slum, but the children are trapped in a world of poverty and may never experience a better life unless something is done to change their future.
The poet calls upon the people responsible for education to free these children from their poverty and give them the opportunity to live a better life.

VOCAB: In the title of the poem, an ‘elementary school’ is a primary school (grade 1-7). A ‘slum’ is a very poor area of a city or town with few facilities or services.

An elementary school classroom in a slum by Stephen Spender

 Words to know:

2. Type and form

This poem is divided into four stanzas of eight lines each. It is written in an informal style with no words that rhyme at the ends of the lines, which is typical of modern poetry.
This is known as free verse.

3. Analysis

Note: Rhyming lines of poetry end in words that sound the same.
In stanza 1, the poet describes some of the children in the classroom. The opening lines of the poem are not complete sentences and have an unusual word order:

Far far from gusty waves these children’s faces
Like rootless weeds, the hair torn round their pallor. (lines 1 and 2)

In ordinary English, the first two lines would be written: “These children’s faces are far, far from gusty waves and they look like rootless weeds. ” By changing the word order, the poet repeats “Far far” to start the poem. This emphasises the poet’s frustration about how far the children’s environment is from what it should be. His tone is angry. The words “gusty waves” (line 1) suggest wind and sea – a healthy, fresh and beautiful place, unlike the gloomy slum they are living in.
In a simile, the poet compares the children to “rootless weeds” (line 2). Weeds are small, unwanted plants. The word “rootless” gives us an even more powerful image of how weak the children are: plants cannot grow without roots to take in water and nutrients, and without roots, they do not even seem to belong in one place in the ground. The simile “like rootless weeds” suggests these children are thin, weak and underfed, but also that they do not have a place in the world. The children’s “pallor” (line 2) makes them look pale and sickly, while the metaphor “torn hair” (line 2) suggests that their hair is messy and they are not well cared for.
The poet goes on to describe some of the children in the class. One girl is tall for her class, but instead of standing tall and proud, she hangs her head (“weighed-down head” in line 3). This suggests she is thin and her head feels too heavy for her body, or that she feels depressed and is not concentrating on the lesson. A boy is “paper-seeming” (line 3 and 4). This metaphor suggests that he is as pale and thin as a piece of white paper. The poet uses hyperbole here to emphasise how thin the boy is.
The metaphor “rat’s eyes” (line 4) paints a picture of little eyes moving quickly around, like a rat’s – perhaps always looking for danger or a way to survive. Some rats have red eyes, so perhaps the boy has an eye disease, or has been crying. The image of this boy is of a thin, pale, frightened, unhealthy child.
A third boy suffers from a disease he has inherited from his father that has left him undeveloped (“stunted”) with “twisted bones” (line 5). To “recite” is to repeat something and learn it off by heart. The poet uses irony by saying the boy “recites” his “disease”, instead of his schoolwork. The poet could be suggesting that the child will repeat the disease by passing it on to his own children one day. The emphasis is on the repetition of disease and ill health.
We are also given the impression that the children are taught to learn things off by heart, without really understanding what they are learning about.
In the final three lines of this stanza, the poet introduces a contrast. The last child mentioned, sitting at the back of the dull, poorly-lit room, is different from the others and looks younger than they do. “Sweet and young” (line 7) suggests he is innocent and has not yet been as badly affected by slum life as the other children and still has dreams of something better. Instead of listening to the lesson, he is dreaming of playing in a different place, somewhere outside in nature (“tree room”). A squirrel is a little animal with bright eyes and a bushy tail that runs freely up and down trees. The child perhaps imagines playing as freely as a squirrel in a beautiful place.

Note:

• A simile is a direct comparison between two things using ‘like’ or ‘as’
• Hyperbole: An overstatement used for emphasis. Here, the boy is not really as thin as a piece of paper.
• A metaphor is a way of comparing two things without using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’.

In the second stanza, the poet describes the classroom. The colour of the classroom walls is “sour cream” (line 9). The connotations of this are of cream that has gone bad, which suggests the walls are dull and not very clean.
The walls are decorated with what the poet calls “donations” (line 9) – which are gifts to the school, but these gifts may not improve the children’s lives. Ironically, these gifts suggest a world that the children may never be able to experience because of their poverty. The speaker uses a bitter tone when he tells us that these children have a life which is a contrast to these pictures. Their world is dirty, polluted, grey and without much freedom.
Note:

• Imagine some connotations of ‘sour cream’. They may include ‘rotten’, ‘horrible tatse’ or ‘ old’.
• Irony:  A statement with an underlying meaning different from its surface meaning.

Look at what is on the walls and note the irony of these “donations”:

• A picture of Shakespeare: he represents the world of culture, of theatres and plays that, ironically, the children may never see. The phrase “cloudless at dawn” (line 10) suggests a new day, a new life, and contrasts with the grey skies of the slum outside the classroom “Civilised dome” (line 10) may refer to Shakespeare’s bald head in the shape of a dome. It could also refer to buildings with domes in cities that suggest other cultures and faraway places.
• A poster of the Tyrol: The Tyrolean mountains in Austria have beautiful valleys that are green and filled with wild flowers in summer. Cows graze and wear bells around their Many tourists travel there on holiday, but these children may never get a chance to do that.
• A map of the world: This seems “open-handed” (generous), as if it offers the children the whole, exciting world with its wonderful opportunities, but most of them may never leave the slum in which they live.

The poet’s tone is sad when he says, “these windows, not this world, are world” (line 13). “These windows” refer to the classroom windows that look out on the slum. They do not look out on “this world”, which is the wonderful world shown in the pictures and the map. Instead, the windows “are [their] world”; in other words, the children’s world is the slum that they see through the windows.
The speaker goes on to describe the slum outside the classroom and what it means for the lives of the children. The “narrow” street suggests that the area is built up and crowded. It is “sealed” (line 15) or closed in by the grey, cloudy, heavy (“lead”) sky. The words “lead”, which is a heavy grey metal, and “sealed” make it seem almost as if the children are trapped in a lead coffin. The alliteration of the “s” sound that links the words “street/sealed/ sky” adds to the trapped, closed-in feeling.
As he did at the start of the poem, the poet uses the repetition, “Far far …” (line 16) to emphasise how the children are cut off from nature and the beautiful world beyond the slum. The metaphor “stars of words” (line 16) is interesting. The stars are beautiful and represent dreams, great ambitions and things that are bright and fine. “Stars of words”, therefore, make us think not only of a beautiful night sky, but also of the wonderful ways words can be used: words express wisdom and knowledge, they can inspire us, they can empower us. But perhaps these children have no experience of words used in this way.
Notice that in this stanza, the word “world” is repeated four times, each time with a slightly different meaning or connotation.

In this stanza, the poet uses an indignant tone. His anger about injustice increases when he thinks about the children’s future.
“Wicked” (line 17) seems a very strange word to use to describe a great and inspiring writer like Shakespeare, and how, we may wonder, can a map be “a bad example” (line 17) ? We are answered in the next line. Great art and literature, maps of the world, together with a life of travel and adventure (ships) in warm, sunny places belong to a life these children may never have – unless they turn to crime to escape from their poverty. The poet’s diction (his choice of words, such as “wicked/bad”) and the strong rhythm of these lines show how strongly he feels. The poet’s unhappiness is shown again in the next two lines when he describes what the future holds for these children. Their homes are “cramped holes” (line 19) and their lives are dull (“fog”) and without a bright future (“endless night”).

Lines 20 to 24 paint a tragic picture of the children’s future. If you have ever seen a place where coal is mined, you will have seen the slag heaps which are huge dumps of black waste from the coal mines. The children in the poem do not literally live on a slag heap (although their slum may be close to one) but this strong metaphor tells us that their lives are not pleasant, and are without joy or hope.
The poet uses personification in “wear skins peeped through by bones” (line 20) to emphasise how thin the children are. Their bones are “peeping” or looking through their skin. This is also an example of hyperbole as the bones would not actually be sticking out through the skin. The children who wear the broken glasses cannot even see properly – “With mended glass, like bottle bits on stones” (line 21). This simile may refer to the children’s future as well as their physical condition. Is the future they see ahead of them as broken as their glasses? They have nothing good to look forward to as “All their time and space are foggy slum” (line 23).
The last line of stanza 3 shows how angry the poet feels about the future to which these children are condemned. He speaks in a direct, angry andaccusing tone to us and all those people in authority. He says that we may as well condemn the children to endless unhappiness and paint the “map” of their future with a picture of a huge slum, “as big as doom” (line 24).
You met the word “doom” in the Shakespeare sonnet, when it meant 0the end of time/the world, the Day of Judgement. Here “doom” has the connotation of being condemned to suffering and death from which there is no escape. Notice the rhythm of this line, with five short, strong, heavy words following one another, almost like beats of a drum – “So blot their maps with slums as big as doom”.
Note:

• Read this line out loud and hear how it expresses the poet’s anger. ‘ So blot their maps with slums as big as doom’.

In the last stanza, the poet introduces hope to a hopeless situation. He calls on those in authority to change these children’s lives and give them a better future. He calls on the school governor (many South African schools have governing bodies), teachers, school inspectors and visitors to take action. To express his excited tone about what he wants to happen, the poet has written this stanza as one long sentence that builds to a climax. However, to make it easier to discuss, it will be divided into two.

Unless, governor, teacher, inspector, visitor,                     25
This map becomes their window and these windows
That shut upon their lives like catacombs,
Break O break open, till they break the town

Note: The poet does not mean the authorities must literally break the windows. He means they must  Uguratively help to open up the children’s minds and lives.

The first word, “Unless” (line 25), offers the authorities an alternative to “blot[ting] their maps with slums as big as doom”. Instead, the “map” on the classroom wall should no longer be a “temptation” to steal, but become an offer of real opportunities for the children. It should be a “window” (line 26) to all the world has to offer. The authorities must, figuratively, break open the windows for the children and offer them a different future.
At present they are imprisoned as if they were in a grave (“catacomb”). The poet emphasises the need to free the children from this future by his urgent tone. He repeats “break o break” (line 28) and the excited exclamation “o”; he wants the children to be able to escape their dull and lifeless future and even the town itself.

And show the children to green fields and make their world
Run azure on gold sands, and let their tongues                                                                    30
Run naked into books, the white and green leaves open
History theirs whose language is the sun.

In the last four lines, the poet’s tone is a passionate plea for the authorities to give the children a different life and a better environment. He wants them to enjoy the green countryside and nature, to play freely and explore the sea and the beach (“run azure on gold sands”) – in other words, they need to experience an unlimited world. He wants them to discover the joy of reading books, which are a source of knowledge, delight and wisdom. He uses the metaphor “their tongues run naked” (line 30 and 31), which suggests drinking up the contents of books the way we drink water if we are thirsty.
The poet wants them to show the same enthusiasm for books and knowledge that are relevant and make sense to them. Here the poet makes it clear that it is only through a good education and a better environment that the children will have the opportunities that at present they do not have. He wants them to have access to “white” leaves (a leaf also means a page, so white leaves are the pages of books) and “green leaves” (nature, the wider world) so that they will have a different future.
The poem reaches its climax in the last line with a powerful metaphor: the new “history” of their lives should be written in the “language of the sun” (line 32). The sun is the source of life, warmth, brightness, energy. These are the qualities that should be part of these children’s lives.

4. Tone and mood 

In stanza 1, the tone is angry and frustrated because of the hardship the children face.
In stanza 2, the speaker uses a bitter and sad tone when he contrasts the pictures on the classroom wall with the hard realities the children face.
In stanza 3, the tone is indignant and accusing about the injustice the children face in the future.
In stanza 4, the tone is excited and urgent about the need to improve the children’s situation. The final tone is a passionate plea to do so.
The mood of a poem is how it makes the reader feel. How does this poem make you feel? For example, happy, sad, angry, or indifferent.

Summary 
An elementary school classroom in a slum by Stephen Spender

1. Theme
A prootest against social inequality and against poor quality education
2. Type and form

3. Tone and mood
Tone: Moves from angry, frustrated, bitter, sad, indignant and accusing; to excited, urgent and passionate.
Mood: How does this poem make you feel? Happy, sad, angry or indifferent? Always give reasons for your answer.

Activity 3 

Refer to the poem on page 19 and answer the questions below.

1. Complete the following sentences by using the words provided in the list Write down only the words next to the question number (1 – 3).
   

   good; primary; children; resources; high; poor

   The setting (background) of the poem is a (1) … school in a (2) … area. There are very few (3) … in the classroom.                                                                        (3)

2. Using your own words, describe the children in the classroom
   State THREE points.                                                              (3)
   NOTE: in this question use your own words. Do not quote directly from the poem. For 3 marks, give 3 points.
3. Refer to lines 6-8.
   In your OWN words, say how this child is different from the rest of the children in his class.                              (1)
4. Refer to stanza
   How does the speaker feel about the “donations”? Give a reason for your answer.                                                                     (2)
   Note: When you are asked to give a reason, the reason must be based on the poem.
5. Refer to line 15 (“A narrow street sealed in with a lead sky”).
   5.1 Identify the figure of speech used (1)
   5.2 Explain why the poet has used this figure of (2)
6. Refer to stanza
   Is the following statement TRUE or FALSE? Quote TWO consecutive words to support your answer.
   The children’s homes are large and comfortable.                  (2)
7. Choose the correct answer to complete the following sentence: In stanza 4, the speaker’s tone shows that he is …
   1. commenting critically.
   2. pleading passionately.
   3. complaining bitterly.
   4. demanding forcefully.                                                                                                (1)
8. Refer to stanza
   Name ONE experience the speaker wishes the children to have.                                                                                   (1)
9. In your view, how does the speaker (poet) feel about the children? Using your OWN words, give TWO reasons for your (3)  [19]
   Note: When asked for your view, the answer requires your emotional response and understanding of the poem. For 3 marks, make 1 point about the speaker,s feeling (1 mark) and then give 2 reasons (2 marks).