A detailed and Comprehensive Answers to Literature-in-English Questions
Literature-in-English 2
Section I
Let me Die Alone
Question 1: Give an account of the ascension of Yoko to Chiefdom in the text.
Yoko is one of the thirty-seven wives of Gbanya, the Chief of Senehun Chiefdom and she is the youngest and the favorite.
Though Gbanya has earlier promised Yoko that the Chiefdom would be passed to her on his death, she is seen as being ambitious to become the ruler of the Chiefdom.
This makes her demand from Gbanya to pass the Chiefdom to her when he reveals to her the premonition of his death.
Gbanya, in the first instance, does not agree with her on the ground that a woman cannot rule Senehun in the midst of the raging wars. Gbanya plans to pass on the Chiefdom to Ndapi whom he believes would be able to rule over the Chiefdom effectively.
Yoko is so desperate to rule Senehun that she joins “Poro,” the male secret society and remains childless for her to be eligible for the post.
The process of termination of Gbanya’s life by Lamboi and Musa heralded the ascension of Yoko to the throne. Yoko also remains loyal to her husband when the latter has a case with the Governor.
These make Gbanya change his mind when he discovers the evil plans of Lamboi and Musa and pronounces Yoko as his successor.
Lamboi in conjunction with Musa poisons Gbanya for the former to achieve his inordinate ambition to rule Senehun after the demise of Gbanya. Against all odds, Yoko is installed as the head of Senehun Chiefdom.
Question 2: How does the character of Musa contribute to the development of the play?
Musa is the chief priest of Senehun Chiefdom who is trusted with the divination and the sacrifices of the Chiefdom.
But the reverse is the case of Musa; Lamboi, Yoko’s brother, connives with him to terminate the life of Gbanya for him to ascend the throne as the chief of the Chiefdom. Lamboi is not comfortable with Gbanya’s promise to pass the power on to Yoko.
Musa initially doesn’t want to cooperate with Lamboi on the evil plans, but Lamboi coerced him by blackmailing him.
Musa has some skeletons in his cupboard; Lamboi reminds him of the killings of the children of some people in the Chiefdom and that he used their blood for his charm. This is how Musa succumbed and agreed with Lamboi to carry out the dastardly acts.
Unfortunately for Lamboi, Yoko appears at the point of death of Gbanya and he pronounces Yoko as his successor.
Lamboi is not happy with Yoko’s ascension to the throne. He still continues with his evil plan. He approaches Musa again to hatch another evil plan.
They plan to kidnap and kill Jeneba, Ndapi’s daughter who is loved by everybody, and lay it on the doorstep of Yoko that she has killed Jeneba and used her for sacrifice.
Lamboi wants Yoko dethroned and sent into exile for him to have a smooth ride to the throne. Musa doesn’t want to participate in this again, but Lamboi used the instrument of blackmail to win him again.
Musa as the seer and the mouthpiece of the gods makes the people believe him that Yoko has killed Jeneba, and used her as a sacrifice by burying her in a big pot alive. This single act from him develops the play further.
Though the truth is later revealed that Lamboi and Musa are responsible for the disappearance and the death of Jeneba; Yoko eventually poisoned herself and died childless.
The contributions of Musa make Lamboi successful in his evil plans as the people believe whatever he says because of his position in the Chiefdom. His character thereby contributes a lot to the development of the play.
The Lion and the Jewel
Question 3: Discuss the character and role of Lakunle in the text.
Character:
Lakunle is a twenty-three-year-old teacher in the village of Ilujinle. He is presented as a half-baked educated fellow in the text. This also reflects in the way he dresses.
He is in love with Sidi, the village belle but the issue of bride price is the bone of contention.
Lakunle shows that he really loves Sidi when he still promises to marry her, despite the fact that she is defiled by Baroka the Baálè.
Lakunle is a gender equality jingoist; he goes against the payment of the bride prince as he considers it as buying a heifer from the market. He says that women should not be treated like slaves.
Lakunle warns Sidi against going to Baroka’s palace to mock him, he perceives trickery in it since he knows Baroka to be a trickish character.
Lakunle is seen as a blunt character in his dealings with Sidi and his perception of the villagers. He uses derogatory language on Sidi and refers to the villagers as uncivilized. He says that Sidi has a small brain and that females are generally the weaker sex.
ROLE:
Lakunle represents modernity that goes against the payment of the bride price and other uncivilized things in the Ilujinle community.
He plans to transform Ilujinle into a civilized community like Lagos. He tries to educate Sidi on the dress code and that it is not good to carry heavy loads on the head.
Lakunle is a lover of Sidi, the village Jewel in the text. He loves her to the extent that he promises to marry her after the defilement by Baroka.
The only bone of contention between him and Sidi is the bride price. He promises Sidi a modern marriage where the woman would be treated equally with man; their marriage would be like that of the people in Lagos.
He takes part in the play with Sidi and other girls to mime the coming of the visitor to the village. Lakunle is used in the play to expose Baroka as a tricky character; he narrates how Baroka tricked the railway contractors out of Ilujinle.
Question 4: How does the cunning act of Baroka trap Sidi?
Baroka is a sixty-two-year-old Baálè of Ilujinle village and he is known to be a tricky and cunning man. Lakunle exposes him for playing a prank on the railway contractors and the rail track was diverted out of Ilujinle.
Baálè displays his trickish character on Sidi, the village beauty and defiles her.
A stranger comes to Ilujinle from Lagos with a motorcycle and camera. He takes photographs of Sidi, Baroka and some places in the village.
The visitor later comes back to the village with the magazine where Sidi’s beautiful picture is embossed at the front page. While Baroka’s picture shares a corner with the village latrine.
Sidi is now famous in the village. This goes into her head and sees herself as being more important than Baroka the Baálè. It is this Sidi’s picture in the magazine that makes Baroka admire Sidi. He then says that it is five months since he took his last wife.
Baroka then sends Sadiku, his wife, to woo Sidi for him. Sadiku tries all possible means of convincing Sidi; all to no avail. She tells Sidi that Baálè would love to have dinner with her, but Sidi rejects the offer.
Since Sidi even sees herself as being above everybody in the village because of her latest fame brought to her by her picture on the front page of the magazine. She says that Baroka is too old for her.
Sadiku reports back to Baroka the responses of Sidi. This annoys Baroka and plans a trick to lure Sidi to the palace.
Baroka knows Sadiku to be a gossip that cannot keep any secret. He thereby lies to her that he has lost his manhood and that Sadiku should not tell anybody. He knows that she wouldn’t keep the secret.
The trick works as planned by Baroka; Sadiku goes ahead and tells Sidi that Baroka has lost his manhood. Sidi then rushes to the palace to go and mock Baroka but pretends to come to honour the earlier dinner invitation.
When she gets to the palace, Baroka, a trickster plays another one on Sidi by engaging her with the magazine and tells her that her picture would soon be on postal postage and would be famous worldwide.
In the course of this, Sidi dozes off and falls on Baroka’s arm on the bed; Baroka the Lion then defiles Sidi the village Jewel. She lost her virginity to Baroka and joined his harem.
Section II: Non-African Drama
Look Back in Anger
Question 5: Write on Osborne’s view of religion in the play.
Look Back in Anger chronicles the lives of the working class in British society and the reactions of the people in this class.
Jimmy represents the people in this class in the text; he is angry and dissatisfied at the world which offers them little or no social opportunities. Even religion could not give them any satisfaction.
The play opens on a Sunday when Jimmy and Cliff read the Sunday paper. Jimmy complains that the Sunday papers are boring and don’t offer something beneficial. He says further that he hates Sundays because the same sets of events are repeated.
Jimmy is annoyed when Helen comes in with prayer books as his postures are anti-religion. Though Jimmy and Alison’s marriage took place in the church, it wasn’t for the fulfillment of any religious rite, just to avoid Alison’s parents stopping the solemnization when discovered.
They couldn’t also go to the registry; Jimmy’s father-in-law, Colonel Redfem’s friend is the registrar. The marriage plan might be aborted by him.
Osborne presents religion in the play as something irritating. Jimmy feels inconvenient at the sound of the church bell that he yells at them to stop.
Alison cautions him to be quiet while shouting at the sound of the church bell because it might attract the attention of the landlady to come upstairs.
Also, Bishop Bromley’s articles read by Cliff don’t discuss religion as a topic but make an appeal to all Christians to do all they can to assist in the manufacture of the H-bomb. Being a man of God, religion is supposed to be the main topic of the discourse.
Jimmy and Cliff are surprised when Helena says she is going to church with Alison. Jimmy then tells Helena that Alison was last seen in the church on their wedding day and there was a reason for that.
Osborne tries to portray how religion was during the age; it has lost its relevance. As seen in the play, it is only Helena who talks about religion and this is due to her upper-class background.
Question 6: Discuss the character and role of Jimmy Porter in the play.
Character:
Jimmy Porter is a major character in the play and he is about twenty-five years old. He is from the working class of the society but educated and married to Alison who is from the high class.
Jimmy is aggressive, this is a result of his inability to get a decent job that suits his status as an educated person and takes him to the upper class of the society.
Jimmy is always angry at anything that comes his way including his wife. He vexes his anger at her which at times leads to physical combat.
He hates her family and most of the time uses abusive language on the family, especially his mother-in-law who he refers to as a bitch.
He is disgusted with the church’s operation, government, and all the classes, especially the upper class. He hates Sundays, including the Sunday papers, he says they are always the same ritual. He yells at the sound of the church bell to stop.
Jimmy plays trumpet and jazz music; it is an expression of freedom from his frustration as he plays it when he is just out of a tense situation.
It also symbolizes domination. The sound of the trumpet dominates everywhere whenever Jimmy plays it. Even if he is not seen, the sound of his trumpet is heard and dominates.
Jimmy is a wicked character to some extent; his death wishes which come to pass to the unborn child of Alison make him to be wicked.
Roles:
Jimmy is the hero of the play whom the events are centred around. The feelings of the working class of the society are x-rayed through him. He is the husband of Alison and Cliff’s friend.
Jimmy represents Bear and Alison is the Squirrel. Jimmy is capable of protecting Alison and at the same time can frighten her at will, this is the nature of a bear.
Question 7: How does the character of Bono contribute to the development of the play?
Jim Bono is an African-American, a husband of Lucille for eighteen years and Troy’s friend for thirty years. Bono is a responsible husband to his wife.
He vows, while in Troy’s house, to fulfill his promise of buying a refrigerator for Lucille if Troy also fulfills his promise of constructing a fence round the house.
Also, during dinner in Troy’s house, he is persuaded to have dinner with them, he decides to go home to his wife to eat the pig feet she prepared for dinner. This is a sign of love for his wife.
Bono is a responsible father; he avoids giving birth to children so as not to be irresponsible like his father. He is a co-worker with Troy at the sanitation department where they haul garbage into trucks throughout the neighborhood and alleyways of Pittsburgh.
Troy later agitated that the black Americans should also be allowed to drive the trucks and Troy is promoted as a truck driver. Troy is Bono’s role model in the play, he sees Troy as being dedicated and hardworking.
He drinks together with Troy, especially on their pay days. They drink beer, gin and discuss. Their conversation on Friday, their pay day contributes immensely to the development of the play.
The discourse is on the racial discrimination taking place at their place of work where the Black-Americans are restricted to loading garbage into the trucks.
Troy goes against this and he is summoned by Mr. Randi, his white boss. Bono fears for Troy here that he might be sacked for agitating for equalities for the blacks and whites.
Bono encourages and helps his friend to work on the fence as Rose, Troy’s wife, wants the fence for the love of her family and their safety.
He expresses his happiness that Troy picked and married Rose out of all the ladies that were following him then.
He stands as a good adviser to Troy, he advises him against disloyalty to Rose; he is not in support of Troy’s love relationship with Alberta but Troy turns deaf ears. This makes the tempo of their friendship go downward.
Question 8: Discuss the theme of victimization and inhumanity in the text.
The theme of victimization and inhumanity in the text is geared towards the way the African-Americans are treated, how they are discriminated against.
The African-Americans are only allowed to lift garbage into the truck, while the whites drive the truck in Troy’s working place. This is so until Troy agitated that the African-Americans should also be allowed to drive like their white counterparts.
Troy, an African-American and the protagonist of the play is victimized and denied the opportunity to play in the major leagues of baseball by the whites.
This is why he also victimizes his son, Cory, to play in college football; he refuses to sign him off for college football. He goes to the school to tell coach Zellman that Cory would not play football again.
The effects of racism on Troy mars the relationship between him and Cory, his son. He becomes more authoritative on Cory without any consideration for the boy.
The relationship between Troy and Cory gets worse when Rose reveals the inhuman treatment of Gabriel by Troy. He signs him off to be committed to a mental hospital while living in the house bought with Gabriel’s money.
Gabriel was involved in an accident where he sustained a fatal head injury during World War 2 and a metal plate was planted in his head.
He was then paid off by the government. Cory sees this as an inhumane treatment on Gabriel. Rose then compares the treatments of Cory and Gabriel by Troy thus;
“You did Gabe just like you did Cory. You wouldn’t sign the paper for Cory… but you signed for Gabe. You signed that paper.”
It is believed that Troy treats both Gabriel and Cory inhumanly. Though Troy argued that he signed Gabriel’s paper ignorantly as he is not educated enough to read what is written on the paper before signing it.
This theme also reflects in the ugly experience Troy had with his father. His father beat him blue black when he leaves his duty and fools around with Joe Canewell’s daughter whom his father is interested in and tries to sleep with.
Troy fights back at his father and when his father faces him again he then sees the devil in his father who beats him into unconsciousness.
Bono also narrates how many African American people are displaced. Slave owners forced them to live far apart from friends and relatives when the family members were sold to different and distant plantations. This is gross inhumanity.
Section III
African Poetry
Question 9: Examine Leopold Sedar Senghor’s “Black Woman” as a negritude poem.
The poem “Black Woman” was written by Leopold Sedar Senghor in 1945 originally in French before it was translated to English language. In the poem, the poet shows his passion and love for Africa, his beloved continent.
He wrote the poem in condemnation of brutalities and segregation against the black race all over the world. He showers encomium on Africa bringing out the beauties.
The title of the poem “Black Woman” is a personification. The poet personifies Africa as a woman to transfer the amazing qualities of African women to Africa.
The first five lines, the poet praises the beauty of African women which the color “black” which he refers to as life helps in bringing out the beauty. He also expresses how caring Africa is in lines 4 and 5. He expresses how he was taken care of as a baby to illustrate how motherly Africa is.
“Naked woman, black woman
Clothed with your color which is life,
with your form which is beauty!
In your shadow I have grown up; the
gentleness of your hands was laid over my eyes.”
After the motherly care, he has traveled far and near and looks upon Africa as his promised land where he is returning to because of the beauty that he compares to the flash of an eagle.
“And now, high up on the sun-baked
pass, at the heart of summer, at the heart of noon.
I come upon you, my Promised Land,
And your beauty strikes me to the heart
like a flash of an eagle.”
Leopold Senghor further expresses his love for Africa by showering encomium on her and calling her all sorts of lovely names and equating her to everything beautiful. She radiates beauty and happiness.
He compares her to a limitless savannah that shudders beneath the caresses of the east wind; a good drum that sounds very well when beaten; a woman with a lovely sonorous voice.
The poet greatly adores African Woman in this poem that he turns her to a goddess in the course of praising her. She compares her skin to that of an athlete and the princes of Mali.
Her limbs are compared to that of an antelope and describe how beautiful the skin is. Africa is presented here as a strong willed being, that nobody or any challenge can overcome.
“Oil that no breath ruffles, calm oil on the
athlete’s flanks of the Princes of Mali
Gazelled limbed in Paradise, pearls are stars on the
Night of your skin”
The encomium continues in the remaining lines of the poem, referring to her as his love, adoring the skin, the hair as well as the eyes. He further tells her that he is celebrating her in his poem before the other races destroy her.
Question 10: Discuss any three themes portrayed in Chibuike Onu’s “A Government Driver on His Retirement.”
Faithfulness: The driver in this poem achieves this feat as a result of his faithfulness to the service of driving for thirty-five years. He is being rewarded and celebrated for being faithful.
Maybe if he was not faithful, this day wouldn’t have come. He might have been sacked from service before now for going against the rules and regulations of his duty.
“Many years on wheels.
In faithful service to his fatherland”
Happiness: The driver is extremely happy that he invites his friends to come and celebrate his success with him.
He also takes a lot of alcoholic drinks to celebrate his freedom, because he is happy that there are no more duty rules to hold him back from doing what he likes; he can sleep and wake up as he likes.
To crown it up, he is given a brand-new car to appreciate the “undented thirty-five years of service. “He feels on top of the world for the honor done to him that he feels like a king.
“come friends and rejoice more,
Joy till no more joy to joy
Today frees and make me a king”
Retirement: The subject matter of this poem is retirement. The poem is didactic in nature as it teaches a lot of virtues on good service to one’s fatherland. The driver is presented as being faithful, dedicated and patient.
These virtues lead to the success of the driver to have a glorious retirement. This teaches us that retirement comes with dedication, faithfulness and patience.
Celebration: The driver celebrates his success at the end of the thirty-five years’ service. He invites friends and well-wishers to celebrate with him on his glorious retirement. There are lots of drinks on the ground for him and the invited guests.
Freedom: The driver gains his freedom after thirty-five years of active service. He is free from the duty rules and regulation; from “early to duty tomorrow.” He can sleep and wake up as he likes.
Reward: There is reward for everything done on this earth, whether good or bad. The driver in the poem is being rewarded for good service done to his fatherland. He is well celebrated and honored after a faithful and dedicated thirty-five years’ service. He is also appreciated with a brand-new car to cap it up.
Endurance: Endurance and patience is needed to be successful, because the road to success is rough. This is illustrated in the poem as the driver is presented as somebody that is patient and endures.
He has to obey the rules and regulations of his duties, even if he is not convenient with it; this is responsible for his success at the end of the thirty-five years’ service.
Section IV
Non-African Poetry
Question 11: Write on any three poetic devices in Dylan Thomas’ “Do not Go Gentle into that Good Night.”
Refrain: This is the repetition of some lines of the poem in the stanzas. The device is used in the poem for emphasis and to call the attention of the people hence, it enriches the poem and brings about better understanding of the subject matter.
The title, “Do not go gentle into that good night” is repeated in lines 1,6,12 and 18. “Rage, rage against the dying of the light” is repeated in lines, 3,9,15,19
Metaphor: This is the comparison of two things without the use of like and as. The comparison here is direct. “Good night, close of day, dying of the light” as used in the poem are metaphorically referring to death.
Metonymy: This is the use of a characteristic of a thing or an object to identify it. Something related to it is used to identify the object or thing. “Old age” as used in the poem is an example of metonymy making reference to the elderly.
Simile: This is the comparison of two things with the use of “as” or “like.” It is used in line two of stanza five.
“Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,”
Alliteration: This is the repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of two or more words in a line of poem or expression. We have this in lines, 1,3,4,6,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,18,19.
Mood: This is the state of mind of the poet while composing his or her poem. Considering the content of the poem, we see that the poet doesn’t want to lose his dying father and he is making all forms of appeal. The mood is that of sadness.
Structure: The poem is in the form of villanelle which has five stanzas of a tercet (3 lines) each; followed by a quatrain (a stanza of four lines).
It is structured by two repeating rhymes and two refrains wherein the first line of the first stanza serves as the last line of the second and fourth stanzas, and the third line of the first stanza serves as the last line of the third and fifth stanza.
Language: The poet makes use of the appropriate figures of speech to bring home the subject matter.
The language of a poem goes beyond whether it is simple or complex, it depends on the appropriate use of figures of speech and other poetic devices which bring beauty and better understanding to the poem.
Oxymoron: This is the use of contradictory words side by side in an expression. A good example is in line 13″…blinding sight. ” which means that the old people with failing eyes see with illuminating. Also, in line 14,” Blind eyes which means that grave men’s eyes are blind but men can “see.”
Question 12: Discuss any three themes portrays in Maya Angelo’s “Caged Bird.”
Freedom: This is seen in the first stanza where the life of a free bird is described. The bird is full of life and happy as it flies about from one place to another.
Isolation: This is also explained in the second stanza. The caged bird is isolated with its leg tied and the wing clipped. It hardly sees beyond the cage hence, it cries for freedom.
Agony: The caged bird is in agony, it is not convenient in the cage with the tied leg and the clipped wings. As we all know that a bird is lively when it is free to fly about. Though the bird sings, the song is agonizing; crying for freedom.
Optimism: The free bird in this poem is still thinking of better days ahead. This is seen in the fourth stanza where it is optimistic of another interesting flight, fat worms to feed on. This makes the bird happier.
Pessimism: The caged bird is pessimistic because it is in danger of any possible occurrence. That is why it sings for freedom and the song is heard in a distant place.
Discovery: The caged bird is able to discover itself that it could sing while in castration. It sings that the voice is heard from a far distance. This is borne out of the experiences of the poet Maya Angelou; Maya Angelou could not utter a word for a complete five years due to shock.
It was during those years that she developed a love for books and Literature. Her listening, memorizing, and observing skills were also developed hence, she became a renowned poet and writer.
Literature-in-English IV
Section I
African Prose
Question 1: Discuss the theme of girl-child education in Second Class Citizen.
Girl-child education is one of the prominent themes in Second-class Citizen. It further explains the discrimination against the girl-child as it affects the education of Adah, the protagonist of the novel. A male-child is more valued in all aspects than female.
Right from the birth of Adah, she has been experiencing one discrimination or the other; her date of birth was not recorded because she came a girl-child.
Her younger brother, Boy is given preference above her, he is enrolled in Ladi-Lak Institute and Adah takes him to school every morning while Adah’s case is put on debate whether it is right for her to go to school.
It has even been considered that if she has to go to school at all, it would be for a short period.
Adah is interested and determined to go to school and travel to the United Kingdom. This is borne out of the reception given to lawyer Nweze, the first lawyer of the village that trained in London.
She leaves home one day and sneaks into Mr. Cole’s class. The latter encourages her to come to his class and if not allowed by the parents, he promises to teach her alphabet at home.
The death of Adah’s father is a cog in the wheel of progress of her education. She has to go and live with her mother’s elder brother who treats her as a servant.
Somebody later advises the family that the longer she stays in school, the bigger the dowry during the marriage.
Ma’s sister-in-law and other people have been envisaging how Adah would get the money for the entrance examination into the secondary school.
Due to her determination, she converts the money she is sent to buy meat to pay for the examination. Adah is severely punished for this, but she endures all the pains to make her dream a reality.
When Adah is eleven, there is an attempt to stop her education and get her married to pave the way for Boy, her younger brother’s education. The plan is to use the dowry paid on her for the boy’s education.
After Adah’s secondary school education, she secures a job in a library and her salary is spent on training her husband’s seven sisters in school. Adah also sponsors Francis’ education from the salary.
While in London, Adah’s education is also disturbed by her husband who depends on him and makes her a baby factory.
She experiences a lot of frustrations from Francis; he frustrates her efforts to become a writer by burning her manuscript. This singular act leads to the separation of Adah and Francis.
Question 2: Give an account of Adah’s cold welcome to London in Second Class Citizen.
Adah has been nursing the ambition of travelling to the United Kingdom right from her younger age. She is influenced by the reception given to lawyer Nweze when he arrived from London.
She is determined to realize this dream and sells the idea to Francis, her husband. Francis is of the opinion that he travels first while Adah and the children join him later.
Adah is welcomed into London with too much cold on her arrival at Liverpool. The English people were surprised as they were shouting on the ship deck which alerted Adah and also rushed to the deck.
Adah, on arrival in London, is disappointed by the expectations and the realities on the ground. She experiences unfriendly weather; the environment is dry and smoky. Her expectation is that the United Kingdom is a perfect place where everything comes with ease.
The reception she receives from Francis is below her expectations. She is surprised that he kisses her in public; she is seeing a new Francis. Francis is also not convenient with Adah and the children coming to the United Kingdom because of his selfish gains.
The accommodation falls below the expectation of Adah. The accommodation in Nigeria is more convenient than the one she meets in London. The house is without a kitchen or bathroom.
The toilet is on the fourth-floor downstairs. She complains that the place is not conducive to rear children. She is amazed by the structure of the buildings that look like churches and monasteries.
Their neighbours in London are equivalents of Adah’s domestic servants in Nigeria. This nearly results in physical combat but Francis explains to him that she is a second-class citizen in London.
Question 3: Discuss the character and role of Tally O in Unexpected Joy at Dawn.
Character:
Tally O is a street guy who is introduced to the illegal gold mining group (Daga) by Joe. He is a close friend to Joe and without Joe in his life, his life seems meaningless.
Tally O could be referred to as a cat with nine lives as he has faced many disasters and overcame it. He is a con man; he is involved in selling fake gold to the people. He is suspected to be the one that duped Mama Orojo on board flight HT954.
He is chameleonic in nature as he keeps on changing his identity as he is involved in one crime or the other so as not to be detected by the security agents. The controversies generated around the bearer of I-Put-it-to-me point towards Tally O as the bearer.
Tally O is not deterred by the dangers in the activities of the Daga group as an illegal mining group. While others entertain fears, he is ready to continue the illegal activities.
Due to the economic crunch in Ghana that leads to the freezing of some people’s accounts, Tally O is one of the citizens who have their accounts frozen.
Tally O is shot at the mine by the security agents and he could not move any longer.
When his colleagues feel that they could be traced through him by the security agents if he is left there alive, one of them splits his head with an axe, and the dead body is covered up with pieces of wood and leaves.
ROLES:
Tally O is a member of Daga Group that is involved in illegal mining. It is through him that the various activities as well as the operations of the group is made known to the readers.
As a result of the economic downturn in Ghana society, many atrocities are being perpetrated in the society. It is through Tally O and the members of his group that these are revealed to the readers.
Tally O is suspected to be the person that duped Mama Orojo by selling fake gold to her on Flight HT954.
He is used in the novel to reveal the activities of street children in Ghana. Tally O is also used in the novel to expose the British miners as being insincere; some holes in the mine have been declared exhausted which are found out to be untrue.
The role of Tally O is used in the novel to bring home the saying “what you sow, you reap.” Tally O is involved in many crimes that lead to loss of life; he also ends the same way eventually.
Question 4: Write on any three themes in Unexpected Joy at Dawn.
Themes
Religion Intolerance– Mama Orojo is out with Ibuk, a member of her church on evangelism. She complains about religious intolerance of the Sahm brotherhood that does not want to see them preaching among the people.
With this, they are not recording much success in their evangelism. (Page 12)
When Mama and Ibuk get to Tom Monday’s house to preach, the man tells them about her daughter of twenty-eight years that married to a member of the Sahm brotherhood who has injected the teachings of the brotherhood into her head.
He advises them not to be embarrassed if she interrupts them as a result of her intolerance of other religions. (Page17)
The riot that led to the burning of the house where Mama saved a child is said to be caused by the Sahm brotherhood, a religious fundamentalist group.
Some people are killed in this riot including Ibuk who is slaughtered, while the chairman nearly lost his life. (Page263)
Hardworking– Nii Tackie is seen as a hardworking somebody. He is the Assistant Manager of Expense Bank and at the same time serves as a part-time teacher in an extramural class in the town.
He also engages in Susu collection from the market women. He does all these to make ends meet. (Pages 28&29)
Economic Depression– As a result of the mis-management of the resources of the country by the various governments, there is an economic crunch in the country that affects the majority of the citizens.
Somebody like Aaron is greatly affected because his Ant Hill project does not see the light of the day when the loan he applies for is not approved as a result of the economic depression.
This leads to his decision to leave Ghana for Nigeria where he eventually loses his life. Aaron is not the only person affected by this policy; some other loan applications are also rejected.
This also affects Joe who cannot access his account in the bank because of the government policy; anybody that has above fifty thousand Cedis is not allowed to access the account unless there is a clearance from the Attorney General that the money is gotten from a clean source.
This measure is taken because of the economic depression in the country.
The head of Susu contribution embezzles the contribution of the market women and runs to Nigeria as a result of the economic depression. He at the end hangs himself in Nigeria.
There is also a reduction in the number of customers that transact business with the bank as there is not much money in the circulation. This also affects the market women, they experience low patronage.
The economic depression also leads to the thriving of illegal deals in the society. That is why people like Joe and his cronies engage in illegal mineral business. The robbery that takes place frequently is also as a result of the economic crunch. (Pages 31,32&37)
Xenophobia– This is a situation whereby war or hatred is being shown to the people from other countries. This is shown in the orders given by the governments of Ghana and later Nigeria that all aliens must leave the country.
It also reflects in the response of the bank manager of Expense Bank to Nii that if he had his way, he would sack all aliens. (Page 25)
Blasphemy- Mama Orojo is presented as a religious person based on her activities in the Amen Kristi church. It is then blasphemous of her to desecrate the Holy Bible while preparing to travel to Ghana.
She hides six hundred naira in a twenty-naira denomination in the cover of the Bible and glues it back. She then puts a wooden chair on the Bible and sits on it. She later puts a heavy box on the Bible and leaves it there. (Page48)
Bribery and Corruption– The connection between Joe and Naidoo is a form of corruption in the ministry. For somebody that works with the mineral board having connection with Joe who deals in illegal mining is absurd.
Naidoo visits Joe to divulge the official secrets and the plans of the board to Joe for material gains. (Page 97)
There is also a police corporal that introduces Mama to Joe when Mama is looking for real gold to buy. A custodian of law and order like this police should not have anything to do with somebody like Joe who deals in illegal minerals.
He tells Mama that he knows where she can get real gold and he takes her to Joe’s office in Beyeeman’s Building. (Page96)
Also, in the church scene where Mama and Joe go to look for Nii, Mama’s thought is on the whereabouts of Nii and shifts to pastors and their activities nowadays. She remembers the story in the paper the previous day about a pastor that defiled a girl of seven.
There is also a deaconess that caught a pastor stealing from the day’s offertory. Mama concludes that the development is part of the corruption in the society. (Page 197)
The security agents are also bribed by the people that engage in this illegal mine business according to Joe.
Nii Tackie and some of the migrants buy their way out by surrendering their money to the security agents while trying to cross the border. Some of the crossers also robbed them of their money. (Page 138)
Cheating– The encounter between Mama Orojo and the man she meets on the plane that sells a fake gold ring to her, I-Put-it-to-me is cheating. The man has presented and convinced Mama that the gold ring is genuine.
He sells it for two thousand cedis. It is the driver, Jackie who carried her from the airport that discovered that it is a fake gold ring. (Pages 78&79)
Justice and fairness– The interaction between the landlord of Beyeeman Building preaches justice and fairness.
The old man insists that a political leader should be of mature mind, have integrity, and have proven track records of industry and honesty. The man is supporting a pragmatic leader who is reasonable. (Page 119)
Poor standard of living– The people of Ghana’s standard of living is very poor at this period. Imagine the status of Nii Tackie, an Assistant Bank Manager living in such a dilapidated building. (Page 193)
This is why Mama argues with the messenger that takes them to Nii’s house. According to Mama, a Manager deserves decent accommodation.
The roads are not also fixed, they are in bad shape; they are full of pot-holes and are not tarred.
There is also the epileptic supply of electricity to the people and this affects the artisans that make use of electric sources of power in their establishments. The people are not enjoying any social amenities.
Saadness-The atmosphere of Sampa, Massa’s village is tense and sad when her corpse is taken there for burial as should be expected. There are even storms and strong winds that morning that signal a sad moment in the village.
Massa is said to be an illustrious daughter of the village, though she has not visited the village in a long time. (Pages 204&205)
Poverty– In a society where there is economic recession, there is bound to be poverty. And where there is poverty, there is bound to be crime.
This is one of the reasons stated by Joe for going into the illegal mining business. He claims that he wants to break the jinx of poverty in his family.
Hazard of journalism– The hazard in the work of the journalists is expressed when the soldiers are chasing Nii and his friends when they are trying to locate ABC Street where K.K’s friend lives.
The journalists run after the soldiers to cover the scenes but they are harassed and intimidated by the soldiers.
They query the journalist for following them and the journalist responds that they want to cover the scene for the people to know what is going on. The soldiers seize their cameras, break it and ask them to leave immediately. (Page 274)
Selfless Service– The exemplary service rendered by Mama when she saved the life of a baby girl is well recognized in the novel. Everybody is showering encomium on her for this including the morning papers.
Paleo, the father of the child, also shows his appreciation to Mama and says he cannot be grateful enough. The pastor of her church also praises her to high heaven saying Mama is selfless.
This event also brings to an end the objections that some members of the church have against Mama marrying Joe.
Persecution– This is seen when Nii Tackie, his friends and others are detained by the security agents at the Hajj camp. The inmates are there for several days under the sun without food or water.
Nii cries out for water when they are there and those he meets there tell him that they have been in the camp for days without water or food. This is a great persecution and inhumanity of the highest order. (Page279)
Death– Massa, the girlfriend of Nii Tackie who has been sick for months eventually dies in a hospital while she is being taken to a faith healer that his friends advised him to take her to. (Page 126)
Nii Tackie also lost his second girlfriend Marshak mysteriously. She died in her hotel room. Nii crosses to the bed and lifts Marshak’s body to carry her to hospital; he later discovers that she is dead. (Page 228)
Also during the riot caused by the Sahm brotherhood where houses were burnt, many people lost their lives including Ibuk, Mama’s church member.
The last is the death of Aaron, Nii’s companion. He died from the complications of the injury he sustained at the building site. (Page 318)
Question 5: With copious reference to the text, write on the theme of racial discrimination in Invisible Man.
Racial discrimination is the unfair treatment of people who belong to a different race. This really affects the narrator who is invisible to the people as a result of his colour. The race he belongs to haunts him anywhere he goes.
This puts him in problems right from the beginning of the novel starting from Dr. Bledsoe to his membership of the Brotherhood. According to the narrator, Tod Clifton was killed by the white policeman because he was black.
In the novel, the social lives of the blacks are affected. This is seen in the events of the Battle Royal.
The black students including the narrator are forced to a nude white lady dancing without showing any sign of sexual arousal. The white business owners are there watching to entertain themselves.
These students are also made to scramble for fake gold on an electrified rug and at the end given five dollars each; Tatlock is given ten dollars as the winner. The black students are used here as a source of their entertainment while being demeaned.
The whites believe in the inequality of the blacks and the whites. When the narrator is given a chance to deliver his speech that he mistakenly says “social equality” when he meant to say “social responsibility,” he is almost killed.
Racial discrimination also reflects in the bus when the narrator and the veteran doctor board a bus to New York, they are asked to sit at the back of the bus that is almost empty. This is the height of racial segregation.
The whites see the blacks as animals. This is seen in the support given by the whites to Trueblood who sleeps with his wife and daughter. The blacks condemn the act by ostracizing Trueblood while the whites come to his aid.
On the founder’s day of the college, Reverend Homer Barbee delivers a lengthy speech on the founding of the college but the name of the founder of the college is not mentioned because he is black.
After the narrator is expelled from the college for “defection from our strictest rules of deportment” according to Mr. Bledsoe. He is given seven letters which the content reads that he should always be put on his toes so as not to return to the college as a student.
It is the son of Mr. Emerson, one of the addresses of the letters that reveals this to him. He thereby advises him to take up a job.
The narrator then gets employed at the Liberty Paint where the blacks form the engine room of the factory are poorly paid. It is established that without the efforts of the blacks in the factory, it is dead. This shows the dehumanization of the blacks.
The treatment meted out to the old couple who are evicted on Harlem Street is a clear case of racial discrimination. Mr. Provo and his wife are evicted, throwing their belongings on the street and denying them entry to the house even to pray. This prompts the speech delivered by the narrator that endeared him to the Brotherhood.
Tod Clinton is also killed by the police when he resists being arrested. His only offense for being killed is that he is black.
Question 6: Discuss the character and role of Ras the Exhorter.in Invisible Man.
Characters:
‘Ras’ is a self-given name that is said to be a title of respect in the East. (Page 348) Ras the Exhorter is a self-acclaimed Black Nationalist leader who believes that black association with the white is impossible and that is why he is against the Brotherhood.
He is against the collaboration of the blacks and whites; that is why he engages the narrator and moves against his association with the Brotherhood. (Pages 442,443&445)
He is one of the memorable characters in the novel. He could be referred to as a radical considering his role against the Brotherhood.
‘Ras the Exhorter’ which later changes to ‘Ras the Destroyer’ is a passionate character, especially on anything that joins the blacks with the whites. (Page 442)
He is presented as a charismatic racial separatist who dresses flamboyantly depicting the quality of the blacks’ attire. (Page 514)
ROLES:
Ras the Exhorter is a self-acclaimed Black Nationalist that wages war against the members of the Brotherhood including the narrator whom he believes is being used by the white majority in the group.
He campaigns against the activities of the Brotherhood and anybody that has a link with the group. He engages Tod Clifton and the narrator in physical combat in the novel and calls the crowd out to hang the narrator. (Pages 442,443&445)
He sees the narrator and the Brotherhood as traitors who are out to sell the blacks to the whites. That is why he called on the crowd to deal seriously with the narrator in the novel. (Page 443)
He is presented in the novel as a foil to the narrator; his main concern is nation-building for the Black-American while the narrator believes in equality for all. This is seen in his various agitations against the narrator and the Brotherhood
He changes his name to “Ras the Destroyer” later in the novel while calling on the people to chase the narrator and the members of the Brotherhood out of Harlem. (Page 447)
He queries the narrator on the shooting of Tod Clifton.” What are you doing about the shooting? “(Page 444) Tod Clifton who suddenly disappears from the activities of the Brotherhood is suddenly seen by the narrator displaying dolls by the road-side.
He is engaged in a scuffle with a cop and the latter shoots him and dies. (Pages 402-403)
He takes an active part in the riot that follows the killing of Tod Clifton.” He incites the people and masterminds the execution of the riot towards the end of the novel.
Question 7: Write on the theme of Death in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights.
Death is one of the prominent themes of this novel; most of the major characters die before the novel ends. Mr. Earnshaw is the first to die in the novel.
The following characters are also in the novel; Catherine Earnshaw, Frances, Hindley, Mrs. Earnshaw, Linton, Edgar, Isabella, and Heathcliff who dies last.
Death is first introduced in the novel when Lockwood has to pass the night in Wuthering Heights that Catherine’s ghost haunts him in the night. This is very strange to Lockwood and wakes Heathcliff up.
Frances, Hindley’s wife also dies as well as Mr. and Mrs. Linton who die of illnesses that may be attached to the atmospheric condition of the environment.
Death is used in this novel to reveal the love bond between Heathcliff and Catherine. It shows that the love between them goes beyond this terrestrial world; even in death, the love still continues.
This is inferred from this statement from Heathcliff. “… Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest as long as I am living! You said I killed you…haunt me then….
Mrs. Isabella Heathcliff also dies. The death of Edgar Linton paves way for Heathcliff to take over the Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange, hence he becomes the master of the two houses.
The death of Heathcliff serves as a conflict resolution. The conflicts reach the climax as the problems on the ground seem insurmountable; the death of Heathcliff brings an end to the conflict in the novel.
Question 8: Discuss the character and role of Isabella in Wuthering Heights.
Isabella is the daughter of Mr and Mrs Linton the landlord and landlady of Thrushcross Grange and the younger sister of Edgar Linton.
Character:
She is introduced as a naïve character in the novel. This reflects in her relationship with Heathcliff, a nobody whom she is infatuated with in order to compete with Catherine.
This singular act also presents her as a jealous character.; she is jealous of the love shown to Catherine by Heathcliff. Isabella later regrets the union between the two of them as she is maltreated by Heathcliff.
This results in the letter she wrote to Nelly (Pages 98&99) Her naivety also reflects in the way Heathcliff easily convinces her to run off with him. (Pages 95&96)
Isabella is seen as a spoilt child; she is always involved in one argument or the other with his brother Edgar Linton arguing about some of the gifts they received. A good example is that of the puppy. (Page 33)
Isabella is from the upper class in Yorkshire hence, she is sophisticated and elegant compared to characters like Nelly, Zillah, and others who are from the lower rung of the society.
Roles:
Isabella is the daughter of Mr and Mrs Linton who own Thrushcross Grange. She is Heathcliff’s wife; she falls in love with him at the age of eighteen and the marriage produces Linton Heathcliff, a sickly boy. (Pages 119&120) She is also the younger sister of Edgar Linton.
Isabella is seen as an instrument in the hand of Heathcliff to achieve his inordinate ambition of acquiring the properties of the Lintons and Earnshaws in order to avenge the perceived wrong done to him.
She is seen as a foil on Heathcliff as she helps in revealing the type of character the former is in the novel.
Heathcliff doesn’t love Isabella, he only married her for his inordinate ambition. Isabella’s marriage to Heathcliff brings out more of the bad character of Heathcliff.
Isabella is used in the novel to reveal more of the characters of Heathcliff. This is shown when she regrets ever marrying him. “He is not a human being… I gave him my heart, and he took and pinch it to death.”(Page 125)