Grade 11 Engfa Short Stories Study Guide
Grade 11 Engfa Short Stories Study Guide
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Grade 11 Short Stories Study Guide
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Pages
1. LITERARY TERMS……………………………………….……………………..3
2. GEMINI …………………………………………………….…………..……….. 4
3. MONDAY’S TALE………………………………………………………………. 12
7. SCARED……………………………………………….…………………………50
8. REFERENCES………………………………………….……………………….63
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Grade 11 Short Stories Study Guide
LITERARY TERMS
TERMS DEFINITION
Background A brief biography of the author.
Summary A brief statement of the main points of a literary work.
Title Description of how the events in the story relate to the title.
To determine whether the title is literal or figurative.
Themes The main idea or underlying meaning of a literary work.
Setting Place and time of the literary work.
Plot Sequence of events within the literary work. This includes:
Exposition
Rising Action
Climax
Falling Action
Denouement / Resolution
Character People, animals, or figures represented in a literary work.
Characters are analysed for their physical appearance,
personalities and actions.
Characterisation Traits, attributes, or characteristics that build up a character.
Point of View A perspective from which a story is narrated.
Style Style is a literary element that describes the ways that the
author uses words-The author’s choice of words, sentence
structure, figurative language, and sentence arrangement,
all work together to establish mood, images and meaning in
the text. The style may be literal, figurative, formal, informal,
simple or detailed
Diction Use of words such as idioms, symbols and figures of speech.
Tone Tone is the author’s attitude towards a subject. The tone can be
identified by looking at word choices and phrases. It is manner in
which the author expresses himself or herself.
Mood The pervading feelings that the reader experiences.
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1. GEMINI
A. SUMMARY
The short story is about Siva, the main character (protagonist) who works as a waiter,
at the Constellation Hotel, and his son, Krishna, a Standard Six pupil (learner) at Alpha
Primary School. Siva feels that he is not living the life he is was destined to live. He
hopes that his son will be ambitious and achieve more in his life to mend “the tear in
his life”. However, it appears that Krishna’s life is pre-destined to follow on his father’s
footsteps, as his academic performance is similar to that of his father during his
schooling years.
B. TITLE
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C. THEMES
I. FATE/DESTINY
In this short story, the father was optimistic that his son would be successful and live
a better life. However, as fate would have it, at the end of the short story, the son, like
his father, failed his studies and ruined chances of him ever becoming more
successful. They were both destined to fail. (Remember; Gemini symbolises a pair of
twins)
II. LOVE
The strong bond of love between father and son is reflected throughout the story. The
father plays both the maternal and paternal role to his son. Even when he discovered
that his son had failed Standard Six, he continued to be affectionate and touched him,
“his limbs softened…stretched out his hand to touch him” (p. 79).
III. FEAR
Krishna decides to give Mrs. Rudy his report card to give to his father, instead of him
giving it to his father. This clearly indicates that the boy was scared, firstly, to see the
disappointment on his father’s face, or secondly, to see his reaction when he receives
and sees the report card.
Siva also fears the worst when he learns that his house was on fire. He is convinced
and wants to believe that his son has died in the fire until Mrs. Rudy rescues him from
his imagination.
IV. DISGRUNTLEMENT
Siva feels like he is living the life that he was not born for. His imagination with the
faces of people he served, and the uneaten remains that always filled him with nausea
is a reflection that he was dissatisfied with his job. “…he was filled with a sense of self-
pitying bitterness.” (p. 75). This suggests how Siva’s life was full of regrets and only
could hope his son will fill in the void he has in his heart by achieving more in life.
V. LETTING GO
After Siva failed his Standard Six exams, his teachers abandoned him. Something that
stays with Siva. He struggles to let go of the past. The fact that Siva has retained his
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Grade 11 Short Stories Study Guide
The fact that Siva did not listen to his teachers, resulted in him being a failure. He
spent most of his time in cafes and cinemas, smoking in corners and roaming with the
gang instead of focusing on his schoolwork. His teachers abandoned him because of
rebelliousness.
D. SETTING
The setting of the short story is during apartheid, in Soweto. Other settings of the short
story are at Park Station, in the morning, at the hotel, Siva’s house, in the streets, in
the bedroom and mostly in the evenings.
E. PLOT
Climax
(the turning point of the story where the conflict
reaches its peak)
I. Exposition
The narrator introduces Siva, as the main character who works at Constellation Hotel.
He believes that he was born to achieve greater things in life, but ‘fate’ proves him
otherwise, as he ends up being just a waiter. Krishna, Siva’s son is likely to live a life
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that is similar to that of his father’s if he continues to take his studies for granted. The
story mostly take place at Siva’s house, in the mornings and evenings.
Siva struggles to like his job, and regrets for not working hard towards his academic
performance. He gets limited opportunities due to his limited education but finds solace
in his son as the only hope to mend the tear in his heart by achieving more in life.
III. Climax
Siva discovers that his house was on fire, and all he can think of is the life of his only
hope, Krishna. Siva’s internal conflicts are show when he still struggles to accept his
living conditions, playing both maternal and paternal role to his son after losing his
wife, and now the burning of his house. Mrs. Rudy hand over Krishna’s report card to
Siva, and he starts to tremble before he opens Krishna’s report as if he foreshadows
the outcomes.
Mrs. Rudy alerts Siva that only few items burnt from his house and his son is
unharmed. Siva reads Krishna’s report card only to notice that he failed his studies.
V. Denouement / Resolution
Siva discovers that his son did not only take his physique, but everything about him,
including the fact that he also failed Standard Six with almost similar comments from
their teachers. However, Siva could only express love, care and support to his son,
Krishna.
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The short story is narrated from a third person point of view. , e.g. the use of pronouns:
he, his, him. Events unfold mainly through the eyes of the main character, Siva.
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STYLE
DICTION
In the short story, we encounter the use of rhetorical questions – a question that does
not require an answer, e.g., “Was he born for this – to be at the beck and call of sirs
and madams and to assist in satisfying their appetites?”
FIGURES OF SPEECH
- SIMILE
E.g., “the paper slipped…like some wounded bird”, note how the slipping of the papers
from Siva’s fingers to the floor is compared to the falling of a wounded bird.
- TONE
Self-pitying - The author shows pity for what Siva is going through.
Dissatisfaction – Siva sounds discontent with his life.
- MOOD
TOTAL: [17]
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ANSWERS
1.1. Mrs Rudy had already resolved that she would not tell the father that his boy
had accidentally started the fire while lighting a cigarette. √
1.2.
1.2.1. Place – Park Station, on a bus. √
Time – Around 10 p.m. √
1.2.2. Siva was a waiter / Siva was a waiter √ at Constellation Hotel. √
1.3. She is not narrated much in the short story, as she is dead, however, we learn
that she was a very stubborn person√ and extremely religious. √
1.4.
1.4.1. Siva is agonised / worried / scared / nervous, √ to learn that his only hope and
reason to live, Krishna, could be dead by the fire. √
1.4.2. It clearly indicates that Siva cares and loves his son, Krishna. √ His concern is
proof that he does not want anything to happen to his only son because he is
the reason for his existence and be optimistic for him. √
1.5. They both failed Standard Six. √
1.6. Siva was struggling to let go. √He believed that he deserved a better life than
the one he was currently living and could not accept that he cannot change the
past. Hence, he kept his report card, and would constantly go through it, even
when it made him feel sad. √
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1.7. Gemini is a zodiac sign symbolised by the twin-like lifestyle. Therefore, the title
“Gemini” serves as a metaphor for the lives of the father and son. It is used as
an example of how the father and son pursued similar twin-like paths. √√√
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2. MONDAY’S TALE
SUMMARY
The short story is about a young girl Lindele, (protagonist), and her ever-intoxicated
mother. Lindele experiences a confusing world around her. She questions things that
we would take for granted and she takes for granted things that we would question.
On her way to school, Lindele comes across one white who injured himself in a car
accident. Unfortunately, Lindele she could not assist, as she was too young to come
up with a solution. She could only rely on her mother to assist the dying man. However,
her mother, in her drunken stupor, could not help and tragedy occurs.
A. TITLE
The title is literal in the sense that the narrator highlights the stories that usually would
happen on Mondays. Lindele’s mother and the white man are still hungover, which led
to one of them dying. The rushing of children to school and incidents that happen on
the road reflect Monday stories.
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B. THEMES
I. TRAGEDY
On her way to school, Lindele comes across a white man who, because of
drunkenness got involved in a car accident. He smelled of liquor and that could have
caused him to lose control of the vehicle. Nothing much is said about motives that
drove him to overindulge in drinking. Being unable to help the man. Lindele went back
home to ask her mother to assist who was too drunk to listen. Her mother took to
drinking after her husband fell for a younger mistress; the affair which broke their
marriage. Lindele then went back to school and told one of the nuns, Sister Margaret,
who hurried to inform the storeowner near the accident scene and the police.
Unfortunately, by the time the police arrived at the scene, the driver was dead.
Lindele’s mother seems to find it hard to accept the fact that her husband married a
young wife. She started drinking to numb the pain and neglected her child in the
process. Her actions also affect her daughter. In Lindele’s flashbacks, we learn that
she misses how she used to have good times with her mother and how she invested
in her studies. In contrast, the white man driver of the yellow car suffers from pain of
being involved in a car accident.
It was ironical for Lindele to witness that a white person can also be involved in a car
accident, let alone seeking assistance from her. To her it was a taboo for white people
to even have feelings, cry, hunger, shame, and happiness as she did. The division
between white and black people created inequality and unjust to generations during
and after apartheid, and hence, Lindele believed that only the blacks are subjected to
pain and suffering. Even the skills black people acquired in schools were on morals
instead of being taught skills to deal with real life issues, hence, Lindele could not have
come up with an instant solution to assist the white driver. Through Lindele’s
experiences, the division indirectly suggested that black and white people are different.
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IV. EQUALITY
Regardless of colour, race, age, and gender, all people are equal. The story highlights
the thoughts of this young girl, Lindele, about white and black people. She finds herself
in a confusing world. The world that she thought was true to her comes crumbling as
she realises that we are all equal as we share the same pain, suffering, feelings,
shame, or even death. When the white man seeks help from her, she realised that all
human beings experience feelings of pain and helplessness.
V. SUBSTANCE ABUSE
The impact of alcohol plays a vital role in the short story. Both Lindele’s mother and
the white driver are examples of substance abusers. For instance, Lindele’s mother
only started drinking after her husband abandoned them and married a young wife. As
a mother, she fails to raise her daughter properly. Her drunkenness resulted in the
white driver dying because she could not assist him since she was too drunk to care.
In addition, the white driver had an accident due to heavy drinking and driving while
under the influence.
C. SETTING
D. PLOT
Exposition
The short story introduces Lindele, as the main character (protagonist), and her
mother. The young girl, Lindele, is on her way to school on a very uneven road that
passes by the side of the river. It gives a fairly life background of Lindele, who resides
with her mother. The mother has a history of drinking a lot.
Rising action
Lindele departs for school in the morning, but she comes across an unfamiliar scene.
She found an injured white man in the car that had nose-dived into the river.
Climax
The white man is in pain and desperately seeks assistance from Lindele. She battles
with her thoughts on whether black and white people experience the same feelings,
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pain, and suffering. Therefore, Lindele’s naivety and lack of knowledge led to her
indecisiveness.
Falling Action
Lindele decides to return home and seek help from her mother. Unfortunately, she
finds her mother under the influence of alcohol. Lindele then went back to school to
report the incident to one of the nuns, Sister Margaret.
Resolution
Sister Margaret informs the nearest storeowner and the police to rescue the white man
driver. Unfortunately, they found that the he was already dead.
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G. STYLE
H. DICTION
I. The Dress
The colour blue of the dress symbolises, determination to be good like
the nuns, intuition, confidence, and wisdom.
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“She swung her head from side to side like the bad – tempered humped
bull” (P.68)
I. TONE
Depressing/bleak tone – girl’s level of poverty/ struggle through rugged terrain
going to school
Of pity – the author draws the girl-child’s poverty challenges to us. She
sympathizes with the child for having to wear one garment for the whole
week and for all activities
Of empathy - girl feels sorry for the man injured in the accident. She
wants to save his life
Respectful- child speaks with respect towards her mother and Sister
Margaret
Appreciation- appreciates food the mother cooks for her
Tone of urgency- the injured driver desperately wants the child to go
seek help for him
Tone of anger/indifference- mother shouts at the child when she asks
her to come help the injured man.
J. MOOD
Gloomy – poverty level of the family through the girl who wears one
dress throughout
Anger- Irresponsible father parting with the wife for another.
Mother for not holding on for the sake of the child and resorting
to alcohol
Sympathy – with the respectful girl who walks barefooted to school/
Has to take seriously overwhelming decisions at her young
age
Empathy – The reader cannot help but emphathise with
the protagonist.
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1. Refer to lines 1 – 5.
(a) Who is the “she” referring to in the text? (1)
(b) Explain what has happened to the man. (2)
(c) What indicates to us that the man is in pain? (1)
(d) The word puzzled means ______________
A. Frightened.
B. Confused. (1)
C. Happy.
D. Eager.
(e) Explain the following statement “The side of his face was masked in blood”
(2)
2. Refer to lines 6
Quote two consecutive words that suggest that man is old. (1)
3. Refer to line 9 (“… motionless as a buck that has just lifted its head from
grazing”
(a) Why was the girl familiar with the nuns? (1)
The girl in the extract is familiar with the white people. (1)
5. One of the themes evident in this extract is the effect of drunkenness. Discuss.
(3)
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(d) B. Confused.
(e) It means that the man’s face could not be recognised because it was covered
with blood. (2)
(a) The girl attended the mission school where the nuns taught her. (1)
5. The injured man who was driving a yellow car in the extract was under the
influence of alcohol as discovered by the young girl who sensed the smell
that is similar to her drunkard mother. It appeared that due to drunkenness the
man lost control of the car and plunged off the road. (3)
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A. SUMMARY
The story opens with a 14-year-old boy (who is the narrator) sitting outside the
Principal’s office, waiting for the principal to call him in for punishment. This was the
boy’s second day at the school and the second day that he summoned. On the first
day, he was punished for making fun of an old man’s pink bow tie. He was not aware
that the man was in fact the principal of the school, Old Splodge, who always wore
that pink bow tie and was due to retire the following year but did not want to. The boy
believed that the punishment he got that day was unfair. To him, his utterances were
just a joke and did not warrant any punishment.
On this second day, as he sat outside the Principal’s office waiting and looking at his
beautiful secretary (Miss Newham) in admiration. Every boy’s crush! He dismisses any
hope of him being in love with her as she was seventeen and he was only fourteen. It
was during his conversation with the secretary that the reason he was called to the
office again is revealed. This time, he was called in for dying his hair blond, which was
against the rules of the school.
He was finally called into the Principal’s office and asked why he dyed his her, he tells
the principal a long and unbelievable story of his way back home from school the
previous day. He starts the story by telling the Principal that he (the boy) was a very
nervous and sensitive person who is easily scared. He goes on to tell the Principal
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that he was in a train carriage with a teenage boy who was smoking, an older woman
who was bent over and had a walking stick and mean-looking man. When the ticket
collector told the boy to put out the cigarette, the boy took out some machine, (later on
in the story we learn that this machine is called ‘Age Rager’) and turned himself into
an older man, which left everybody amazed. The old woman takes the Age Rager,
changes herself into a pretty young girl, and gives the Age Rager to the boy. The
mean-looking man takes the Age Rager from the boy and changes himself into a baby,
then a very old man, before they knew it, dies and his body rots only the skeleton was
left.
He tells the Principal that he was so frightened by that experience to that his hair turned
white. He tried to alight the train, but the door was jammed. He eventually got off the
train and walked the remainder of the distance home. The Principal does not believe
the story and tells the boy that he (the Principal) will write a letter to the boy’s parents
to inform them of the boy’s suspension from school. Before the boy could leave the
Principal’s office, he leaves the Age Rager on the principal’s desk. After two weeks,
the Principal disappears, and Miss Newham (his secretary) gets a good-looking
boyfriend who is about eighteen years old.
The ending leaves the reader wondering if the Principal used the time Age Rager to
make himself younger and date Miss Newham. If it is true that the Principal used the
Age Rager, then the reader is bound to believe the boy’s story about the Age Rager.
B. TITLE`
At the time the story was written, Australia had a patriarchal system. The color pink
was associated with woman, which symbolises love, nurture and compassion
(characters that were not associated with men). It evokes feelings of comfort, warmth
and hope. Men were expected to be men (tough, strong and ‘manly,’ ‘unemotional,’
etc.). In the story, the Principal (Old Splodge) puts on a Bow tie that is Pink in color (a
color for women). The boy sees this as funny for a man to put on that color. He makes
fun of it and lands himself in trouble with the principal.
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C. THEMES
I. Appearance (Desire to be of a certain age)
Characters in this short story wished to be other people and use Age Rager to
their advantage. The old woman in the train and the principal used it to look
younger so that they could date younger people. The Principal dated Miss
Newham and the old woman wanted to date John McEnrue. (“John McEnrue,
look out”)
III. Rebellion
Miss Newman, the secretary, asks the narrator why he has dyed his hair blonde
even though it is against school rule. This again shows that the character is
rebellious and does not follow rules / authority. This makes the reader curious
as to why he dyed his hair.
The narrator, a teenage boy, laughs at a man for wearing a pink bow tie. The
boy is not scared to laugh at the man even though he is older than he is. In
those times, children were taught to respect their orders, and keep their
opinions to themselves. We immediately see the narrator’s rebellious attitude.
D. SETTING
The Pink Bow Tie is set in an unnamed school in Australia. The author is
Australian and uses mainly Australian slang. During that time, Australia had firm
patriarchal systems. Each gender was expected to play certain ‘roles’. A man’s
role was to be ‘manly,’ ‘tough,’ ‘unemotional, ‘‘a leader,’ etc. These systems
encouraged ‘gender norms’ which claimed that women and men should look
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and act certain ways. If a man wore pink, he was seen as a feminine, strange
or weak. At the time, physical or corporal punishment was still allowed in
Australian schools. Caning used to be common in schools for both boys and
girls.
E. PLOT
The story is not presented in its chronological order. The author started the story on
the second day. The actual order of events is as follows:
The narrator goes to school on the first day. It is also his first day at that school.
He sees a man in a pink bow tie and makes fun of it. (He did not know that the
man was actually the Principal of the school – Old Splodge).
He is called to the Principal to be punished.
After being punished, he goes home using a train.
In the train, a small boy is smoking and the ticket collector gets to the carriage
and tells the boy to put out the cigarette.
The boy does not; instead, he takes out Age Rager and turns himself older.
An old woman takes the Age Rager and turns herself younger.
An old man takes the Age Rager, turns himself into an infant, then old again,
eventually dies, and in no time turns into a skeleton.
The narrator is frightened by the death of the man and tries to alight the train
but could not.
The narrator finally got out of the train, where he was not supposed to, and
walks the remainder of the distance home.
On the second day, he is called again to the Principal’s office.
As he waited outside the Principal’s office, he looks at the principal’s secretary
(Miss Newham) in admiration.
The secretary asks the narrator, with a smile, why he dyed his hair.
Before he could respond, the Principal calls him into the office and asks him
why he dyed his hair.
The narrator tells the Principal his story from the previous day (What happened
in the train that made his hair turn white)
The Principal does not believe him but he proves it by taking out the Age Rager
and put it on the principal’s table.
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The Principal tells the narrator that a letter will be written to his parents informing
them of his suspension and allows him to leave.
For two weeks, nothing happened.
The Principal disappears and Miss Newham finds herself a boyfriend who
wears a pink bow tie as well.
I. The Narrator (14 years old school boy – The main character)
The boy is troublesome and has no respect for the elderly. This is evident in
from his conversation with the principal. When the principal wanted to know
what he is staring at, he tells the principal in his eyes that he is staring at “your
bow tie” “It is ridiculous. It looks like a pink vampire”. Small kids cannot talk like
that to elderly people.
He is not honest. He tells the principal that he is “a very nervous person, Very
sensitive. I get scared easily”. The truth is he only these to find his way out of
trouble.
II. Old Splodge (The Principal)
He is a disciplinarian who prides himself in it, and speaks with authority. This is
evident in his conversation with the boy on the second day. He says to the boy,
“Yesterday when I gave you six of the best.”
“Then tell me, lad, how is it that your hair is white today?”
“Tell me the long story, and it had better be good”
III. Miss Newham (The Principal’s Secretary)
A seventeen years old girl. Very beautiful, considerate and friendly. She asks
the narrator why he dyed his hair knowing that it was against the rules. She
does all these with a smile.
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cigarette, instead, he takes out the Age Rager and turns himself older and asks,
“How’s that, am I old enough now?”
G. POINT OF VIEW
An unnamed boy who is a learner in a school narrates pink Bow Tie in the first-person
narrative. We get to know all the events that happened and his thought and responses
to them and the people around him.
H. STYLE
In this story, the author uses surprising twists, bizarre incidents, and element of humor,
to keeps the readers engaged and invested in the story. Despite the fantastical
elements, the narrative remains plausible enough to keep readers guessing and adds
to the story’s thrill. In some instances, the author uses dialogue format to illustrate the
character’s real words and feelings.
I. DICTION
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1. Simile: comparison of one thing with another of a different kind using “like”,
“as”.
When looking at the principal’s bow tie, the narrator says: “It looks like a great
pink butterfly attacking his neck”
“Your bow tie, it is ridiculous. It looks like a pink vampire”
J. TONE
Paul Jennings uses a simple, colloquial tone in “Pink Bow Tie”, making the narrative
sound like a personal recounting of an actual incident.
K. MOOD
The Principal creates a suppressive and hostile environment. The boy feels that he
was unfairly punished the day before, but is not free to express his feelings to the
principal. On the second day, he had to come up with a very good and impressive story
to get himself out of trouble. Even the Principal’s secretary knows that whenever a
child is called to the office, it is going to be tough for them.
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8. Would you say the narrator was being mischievous by making fun of the
Principal’s bow tie? (2)
9. Refer to the following lines from paragraph 1.
“Two lots of trouble in two days! Yesterday … Nothing at all.”
What is the narrator’s tone in these lines? Substantiate your answer. (2)
10. One of the themes in this story is rebellion. Discuss the theme. (2)
11. The title of the story is “Pink Bow Tie”. Is it suitable for the story? Discuss. (3)
POSSIBLE ANSWERS
1. The boy was summoned to the Principal’s office because he dyed his hair. √
2. All the boys liked the principal’s secretary because she was young and
pretty. √
3. The ticket collector told the boy to put off his cigarette because he was still
young to smoke. √
4. The woman has a crush for John McEnroe. √
5. False, the young boy took out the age Rager√ and made himself older. √
6. Splodge disappeared. √ Miss Newham finds a boyfriend. √
7. The narrator justifies his blonde hair by recounting an extraordinary story involving
an Age Rager that resulted in his hair turning white with fear√, which then turned
blonde. √
8. Open ended. Accept any well substantiated answer, e.g.
9. Yes. A young boy like him cannot make fun of an elderly person. √ That is a sign
of disrespect. √
OR
No. The boy was only making an innocent joke√, unfortunately for him, the
Principal could not see the humor. √
10. Tone of anger. The narrator strongly feels that what he did the previous day was
not an offence at all√, yet he got punished for that√. / He feels that was he said the
previous day was meant to be an innocent joke but the principal saw it
otherwise. / He feels that what he said the previous day was indeed the truth
(the bow tie was ridiculous) and he got punished for telling the truth.
11. The boy dyes his hair blond√, although it is against the school policy√. He also
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laughs at an older man for wearing a pink bow tie√. The boy does not show
respectfor the elderly and is not scared to laugh at the man even though he is older
than him√. This shows a rebellious attitude.
12. “The Pink Bow Tie” is a suitable title for the story.
The Pink Bow Tie is what gets the narrator in trouble in the first place√ At the end
of the story it is also the clue to the reader that the principal used the Age Rager√.
It leads to the twist and dramatic irony. The color pink symbolises love, nurture
and compassion√. These characteristics were not expected from men then √.
For a man to put on anything pink, he was thought to be weak. That is why the
boy made a joke out of it√.The narrator compares the bow tie to a pink butterfly
because of its color and
Shape/ butterfly is seen as a gentle insect that It portrays beauty and tenderness√
instead of being harsh and attacking (what is expected from men√.
NOTE: Accept any three responses. (3)
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4. RAYMOND’S RUN
She was born in 1939 and died in 1995 at the age of 56.
She was an African American author, social activist,
filmmaker and College Professor. She grew up in
Harlem, New York and was involved in the Civil Rights
Movement in the 1960’s. Her first book of short stories
was called Gorilla, my Love and was published in 1972.
Raymond’s Run is a story from that collection. Most of
the stories were written using the first-person narrator.
A. SUMMARY
This a story of Hazel Parker (also called Squeaky) and her older brother Raymond
who has intellectual disabilities. Squeaky’s core responsibility is to take care of her
older brother Raymond and was as a result, exempted from doing house chores.
When people mock Raymond, Squeaky comes his aid. When the confrontation is very
tough, she resorted to running as she has the fastest legs in Harlem. She is a
responsible girl who goes an extra mile to ensure that his brother does not cause a
ruckus due to his disability. She endures beatings from her parents or has to apologise
to the community when Raymond gets out of control. She is fiercely competitive in her
running and wins trophies in every race. She sees the new runner, Gretchen, as an
adversary. She eventually decides to drop out of running to coach Raymond as the
next champion because of the running skill she witnessed from him.
B. TITLE
Raymond’s Run as a title foreshadows the talent that is exposed through Hazel
running with Raymond daily as a close monitoring caring technique, which shifts
our stereotypical focus on Raymond’s disability to his raw running talent.
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C. THEMES
I. UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
Hazel’s role is to take care of Raymond despite her still being a teenager in need of
care. Notwithstanding the role being overpowering, Hazel finds a sense of pride and
dignity in diligently executing it. She fights with her peers who try to bully Raymond
and has to apologise where her brother causes a ruckus that offends community
people.
Hazel absorbs all the pressure that caring for Raymond brings to her. Her relationship
with Raymond helps her to develop self-reliance and a positive and caring attitude in
life. Care taking is a model for her for good relationships. It leads to her discovery that
winning championships is not everything in life. Caretaking makes her develop a
compassionate attitude towards cooperation, support and coaching.
This brings to light the fact that a good relationship between siblings is important. The
tight relationship between Hazel and Raymond developed a sense of pride and identity
in Hazel. She was proud to look after Raymond as her own despite the community
regarding him as disabled. She identified with him on a sister-brother level as
everybody needs support. This close-knit relationship helped Hazel to discover the
talent to run that her brother possessed and the need to nurture it (coaching) to turn
him into the next champion.
There is stiff, but positive competition between Hazel and Gretchen at the May Day
celebration. Both of them want to work hard to win. Despite efforts by Gretchen and
her sidekicks to put her off course (Gretchen and Louise and Rosie mock Raymond’s
intellectual disabilities), she is steadfast and focused in her training, and conquers in
the next competition. However, hazel becomes the bigger person by not holding
grudges against Gretchen by considering co-coaching Raymond with her.
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Hazel’s isolation by girls pains her to the level of consideration that the world was
against her. In the last part of the story when she won with Raymond running by her
side, it was then she realised that winning was not everything. She discovered that
Raymond had running talent that she could collaborate with Gretchen to nurture it.
Hazel does not participate in the May pole dancing. She does not want to put on fancy
dresses that other girls put on to Maypole dancing extravaganza. She hates all of the
activities and prefers running. She always acts tough and fights any emotions of
femininity like other girls. She hides her pain of rejection by girls with a pretense that
not all girls-stuff matter to her. She believes that girls should just be themselves without
outside influence.
Hazel pride herself as a runner-cum-caretaker. Her mother and dad did not support
her races; her teacher did not take pride in her running success; Gretchen and her
assistances mocked her brother’s intellectual disability. Her pride was winning trophies
through working hard and believing in herself. She does not wear fancy girl’s dresses
to participate in May dances. She identifies herself as a runner and nothing else. Her
pride is also the discovery of Raymond’s talent that she would like to nurture with the
help of Gretchen.
D. SETTING
The story takes place in Broadway, Harlem New York.
E. PLOT
I. EXPOSITION
The reader is introduced to an adolescent girl named Hazel who is a steadfast runner
and lives in Harlem City. At home, she is assigned with the responsibility of taking care
of her brother Raymond, who has intellectual disabilities (Down syndrome).
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II. CONFLICT
Hazels is confronted by Gretchen and her assistants (Louise and Rosie) while running.
Hazel discovers that Gretchen intends to beat her in the next fifty-yard May dash.
III. RISING ACTION
IV. CLIMAX
Hazel and Gretchen cross the finish line together and have to wait for the
announcement of who won. She further realizes that Raymond ran along with her
throughout the race.
V. FALLING ACTION
Hazel realizes that Raymond is a very talented runner who should be nurtured to
become the next Harlem fifty-yard dash champion.
VI. RESOLUTION
She smiles at Gretchen and realises that it is better to be friends with Gretchen than
rivals. She gains respect for her passion and determination to succeed. Hazel
considers collaborating with Gretchen to coach Raymond into becoming the next
running champion.
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6.3. GRETCHEN
6.5. RAYMOND
6.6. GEORGE
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Gretchen’s sidekick.
Talks badly about Raymond’s intellectual disabilities from
Gretchen’s influence.
6.8. CYNTHIA
Squeaky’s classmate.
Resented by Squeaky for pretending to have natural skill for doing
things and not going through hard practice first to achieve them.
6.10. ROSIE
Gretchen’s sidekick
Taunts/mocks Raymond’s mental disabilities.
Humiliated by Hazel by calling her fat when she attacks
Raymond.
G. POINT OF VIEW
Raymond’s Run is narrated in the first-person through the protagonist
Hazel. First person narration is realised using the pronoun “I” e.g., “I do
not...”
This allows us to follow up the experiences of Harlem in the 70s through
the eyes of Hazel, a poor, but confident and hardworking Black
adolescent girl.
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H. STYLE
The author uses simple informal language to address the normal day-to-day
challenges that a young adolescent girl (Squeaky/Hazel) endures in her training
for her Mayday fifty-yard race, whilst caring for her intellectually disabled
brother Raymond.
II. HYPERBOLE
Hyperbole is exaggeration
“I’m the fastest thing on two feet.” (P.127)
III. ONOMATOPOEIA
Onomatopoeia is the formation of a sound associated with its name or
description.
“Then I hear Raymond yanking at the fence and calling me, and I wave
to shush him.” (P.132).
IV. METAPHOR
J. TONE
Tone is the manner in which the author expresses himself or herself.
There is a tone of anger from Hazel when she felt not supported by her parents.
She develops anger at all girls who mock her brother. This anger leads to her
isolation form all feminine activities in Harlem. There is a tone of happiness and
peace at the end after Hazel discovers that her brother has running talent. She
strives to make her to brother show off his talent by coaching him with the help
of Gretchen to become champion.
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K. MOOD
Mood/atmosphere is the pervading feelings that the reader experiences.
There is a tense mood full of strife at the beginning of the story where Hazel
has to confront Raymond’s tormentors. There is strife when a young, but
confident and hardworking girl, Squeaky has to balance between training and
caring for her older brother. There is also a sad mood when she gets a hiding
each time Raymond gets out of control. There also a mood of sympathy
propagated by the fact that caring for her brother is an overwhelming task for
an adolescent like Hazel.
There is a happy mood when Hazel wins her races from her own effort. There
is even extreme excitement when she wins against Gretchen, and discovers
Raymond’s talent to run. She also discovers that winning is not everything.
There is a peaceful mood at the end when she reconciles with Gretchen and
become friends
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POSSIBLE ANSWERS
2. Gretchen tells Hazel/Squeaky that she is going to win the next May fifty-yard
dash.√
next champion√√
4. Squeaky/Hazel loves and cares for Raymond. She will do everything to protect
5. Tone
Hazel is harsh and angry at Gretchen and her sidekicks for taunting Raymond
for
Mood
The mood is of anger at the beginning where Hazel is not supported by her
parents.√
She is angry at people who mock Raymond.√
She isolated herself from all feminine community activities as felt the world was
against her.√
At the story’s end Squeaky is happy after discovering that winning was not
everything and reconciles (smile) with Gretchen to coach the next champ
(Raymond).√
She is happy to discover Raymond’s running talent.√
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6. “I get up and slip off my sweatpants and then I see Gretchen standing at the starting
kicking her legs like a pro.”
7. Gretchen and her sidekicks torment Raymond about his intellectual disabilities.√/
8. She is filled with pride, love and realization that Raymond has talent.√
She feels that it her time to quit running to coach Raymond and provide for his need
to become the next champion.√
She does not allow anyone to coerce her into doing what she does not like.
10.Yes. Raymond’s Run as a title foreshadows the talent that is exposed through
Hazel running with Raymond daily as a close monitoring caring technique that shifts
our stereotypical focus on Raymond’s disability to his raw talent√√√
NO. The story concentrates mostly on the racing talent and success of
Squeaky. Raymond only runs with Hazel because she cares for him.√√√
[20]
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5. THE JOURNEY
A. THE SUMMARY
The short story is about a romantic relationship between a white boy called
Johan and an African girl named Thembi.
The two teenagers attended the same school together during the post –
Apartheid era shortly after the first democratic elections in South Africa.
Their relationship started as a friendship and graduated into a romantic one
after a hard long journey that Johan went through.
Johan has a stammering problem that jeopardised his chances of winning
Thembi’s love from the beginning as she clearly states to him that a boy who
stutters could not kiss her.
Thembi instructed him to follow a certain plan that would cure his stammering.
The two agreed to meet at the rugby field and started moving to each other
from different goal posts. Johan should start shouting and when they are about
to meet in the middle, he should slow down his voice until he whispers and this
will cure his stammering.
He was initially reluctant to follow her instructions but he ultimately agreed.
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The story has a happy ending as the two celebrated their love, hugging each
other and bursting in laughter.
B. THE TITLE
The title “The Journey” is relevant and it has been used figuratively, that is
metaphorically.
This journey refers to the process that Johan had to go through before he could
ultimately win Thembi’s love and became her boyfriend.
C. THEMES
a. STAMMERING (STUTTERING)
b. LOVE AFFAIR
The short story deals with a romantic relationship between a white boy, Johan
and an African girl, Thembi.
Johan went through a difficult journey of his love being rejected by Thembi
because of his stammering before his proposal was ultimately accepted.
c. PERSEVERANCE AND PERSISTENCE
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From the onset, Thembi told Johan unequivocally that a boy who stutters could
not kiss her. (P.141)
Johan, however, did not give up on his mission of winning Thembi’s love. He
stood the test of time and had to suffer and endure all the negative comments
that Thembi made that insinuate that his stammering was voluntary. (‘Why don’t
you stammer when you shout?’,(P.141)
d. RACIAL INTEGRATION
The short story tackles the issue of racial integration through the romantic
relationship between a white boy, Johan and an African girl, Thembi as takes
place during the post – Apartheid era.
With the suggestion from Johan, his parents invited Thembi to a Sunday lunch.
Thembi and Johan’s mother got well with each other and she then became a
regular visitor to the family (P.141).
e. ASSERTIVENESS
5. THE SETTING
The short story is taking place in a former model C school environment during
the post – apartheid era in South Africa.
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6. THE PLOT
6.1. EXPOSITION
The story opens up when Johan and Thembi are sitting on a bench at school.
As he tries to kiss her, she refuses on the basis that he is stammering.
6.2. RISING ACTION
One day Johan got angry with Thembi for putting pressure on him and shouted
at her.
6.3. CLIMAX
Johan’s problem reached the highest point when Thembi outlined her plan that
they should follow in order to cure his stammering problem.
6.4. FALLING ACTION
After Johan and Thembi spent some weeks practising, his stammering got
better.
6.5. RESOLUTION
Johan’s problem was finally resolved when one afternoon his attempt to kiss
her was gladly accepted.
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7.1. Johan
He is an Afrikaans – speaking boy.
He had a stutter (‘B –b – but that is d – discrimination,’ he laughed) P.141.
He has perseverance and persistence (He did not give up his love on Thembi
even when at first it appeared that his love was not accepted due to his
stammering)
He is warm and friendly (P.141)
He is loving and caring (He sensed her loneliness and asked his parents to
invite Thembi to Sunday lunch, P.141)
He is protective (No one could say offensive things to Thembi, P.141 & 142)
He is very obedient (He agreed to follow Thembi’s instructions on what to do
in order to stop stammering, P.143 & 144)
7.2. Thembi
She is insensitive / inconsiderate (‘Why don’t you stammer when you shout?,
P. 141)
She is assertive (‘I refuse to kiss a boy who stutters’, P.141)
She is regarded as cruel (But her cruelty cut into his heart, P.141)
She is cheeky and sharp (P. 142)
She has a strange Afrikaans pronunciation but perfect in English (P.142)
She is an intelligent girl (Thembi was clever, especially in Science and Biology,
P.142)
She is very ambitious (She wanted to do things, make a difference, P. 142)
She dislikes politicians (Politicians were breed she dislikes, P. 142)
She could lose her temper (And when someone made her angry, she let off
steam in Setswana, P.142)
She could be emotional (She wiped away some tears when they were watching
the inauguration of President Nelson Mandela, P. 142)
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9. STYLE OF WRITING
The author used a formal register and there is a bit of informal language in his
writing such as the use of contractions, such as “don’t.”
The author also included a dialogue format in some instances to illustrate the
characters’ real words and feelings.
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11. TONE
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“Thembi opened his fist and squeezed his hand gently” (P.141).
“During Maths he imagined he could still catch the sweet scent of her braids”.
12. MOOD
The mood in the short story could be described from the beginning as irritable
(Thembi indicating that she could not be kissed by a boy who stutters),
desperate and frustrating (Johan could feel frustrated by Thembi’s initial
rejection of his love).
At the end the mood is happy and cheerful (Thembi and Johan finally ended
up hugging each other and celebrating their love).
Johan tried to catch her eye but she was listening intently to Miss Cooke. He couldn’t
speak to her during the last period either. But when he got to the rugby field, Thembi
was waiting for him.
‘If you can shout without a stammer, you should also be able to speak and whisper
fluently’, she said. ‘I have a plan. You go to one set of goal posts; I go to the other.5
We walk slowly towards each other. At first, you’ll have to shout so that I can hear you.
Then, as you approach me, you tone down until you speak, and eventually whisper’.
Johan exploded. ‘You can all go jump in the bloody lake!’ he shouted. ‘I have been
trying for years. 10
Speech therapists and shrinks since I’ve been this high. On the phone, I struggle.
Orals are a n- nightmare. In primary school the kids used to laugh at me. Always looked
at me as though I moron.
Everybody in the family always gave advice. “Give him a good skrik. Put pebbles in
his mouth. Make him sing”. ‘I’ve had it, do you hear! I’ve had it. And now you!’ 15
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QUESTIONS
4. Refer to lines 1 – 2
(a) Who is Miss Cooke? (1)
(b) Explain the following phrase “tried to catch her eyes” (2)
(c) Quote TWO consecutive words that suggest that Johan is a sport person. (1)
5. Refer to lines 6 – 8
(a) Identify TWO words from the lines that show an element of contrast. (1)
(b) What is the purpose of Thembi’s plan? (1)
4. One of the themes evident in this extract is stammering. Discuss your views. (2)
POSSIBLE ANSWERS
1.
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4. Johan has a problem of stammering states that he was subjected to some form of
discrimination from certain learners at Primary school, laughing at him as he spoke.
He also experienced some form of unfair treatment from Thembi who initially rejected
his kiss because of his stammering problem. (2)
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6. SCARED
1. AUTHOR’S BACKGROUND.
2. SUMMARY
Gary Wilson is a rude, aggressive and selfish teenager from London. He bullies
children at school and disrespects his mother. His mother takes him to visit his
grandmother in a village in Suffolk for a week. He hates being there. He is bored and
one day he decides to go for a walk. In his walk, he breaks all the rules that he is
supposed to follow. He walks through the fields instead of sticking to the footpaths. He
picks wild flowers and tears them up; he leaves gates open, hoping that the farmers’
animals will run away; he throws his Coke can into a field; he breaks the branch of an
apple tree; and he leaves his lit cigarette butt in the grass, which could cause a fire.
He gets lost and bad things start to happen to him. His feet get wet. He sprains his
ankle. When he turns around, the landscape has changed, and he cannot find his way
home. In a small forest, he scratches his shoulder and cuts his leg. He tears his jacket.
He falls into a stream. He gets stung by nettles and by a wasp. It seems as if nature
is attacking him as revenge for his terrible treatment of it.
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Eventually, he sees his grandmother’s house. He gets halfway across the field. He
feels hot and tired. He decides to rest and holds onto a pole in the middle of the field.
He magically turns into a scarecrow. When he does not come home that evening, his
mother calls the police. They searched for him for five days. None of them realise that
he is the scarecrow in the field next to his grandmother’s cottage. His mother decides
to go back to London. As she leaves, she notices the scarecrow in the field. She
realises that it looks like Gary.
However, she decides not to look at it more closely. We realise that she is relieved not
to have Gary in her life anymore.
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3. TITLE
SCARED
When Gary realises that he is lost, he starts to feel a little bit scared. The narrator says,
‘He was also beginning to feel the first stirrings of… something. He was not actually
scared. He was too angry for that. He was beginning to wonder just how much further
he would have to walk before he knew where he was. And how much further could he
walk?” (pg.156) Even though Gary does not admit that he is scared, we realise that
he is starting to feel that way. Gary is not used to feeling scared. Usually, he is the one
who makes other people feel scared. ‘He actually enjoyed hurting other kids… But
scaring them was just as much fun’ (pg. 154). His mother is scared of him: ‘He was as
tall as she was now and he knew that in her own, quiet way, she was scared of him
too’ (pg. 155).
At the end of the story, Gary is turned into a scarecrow. The job of a scarecrow is to
scare away the birds. It is funny and satisfying for the reader that now Gary scares
things in order to protect nature.
4. THEMES
The story deals with themes of isolation, bullying, bribery, selfishness, struggle, hate,
respect for nature, and justice.
4.1. Isolation.
Gary lived a life in isolation as learners avoided him.
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Gary’s grandmother expresses the idea that nature is good for us.
She notices that his mother does not look well. She says, “‘You
don’t look well. But a week in the country will soon sort you out’”
(pg. 156). She often talks about the peace and fresh air in the
country. She also reminds Gary to remember the “‘country code’”
(pg. 158). This is the set of rules in England that tell people how
to treat nature respectfully. However, Gary does not care about
this. He thinks it is nonsense. He does everything he can to
destroy and disrespect nature. In real life, nature could not take
revenge. In this story, however, Horowitz imagines what it would
be like if nature had magical powers and could take revenge on
people who treat it badly.
4.8. Justice
This is the idea that things need to be fair. If someone does
something bad, they need to be punished according to what they
did wrong.
EVIDENCE OF THEME IN TEXT
Gary treats everyone badly: his classmates, his mother, and his
grandmother. He is mean, selfish, and violent. No one is able to
control him. Therefore, the reader is satisfied at the end of the
story when Gary is punished by nature. He cannot hurt anyone
anymore because he is a scarecrow and he cannot move.
Not only is Gary punished, but he is punished in a way that feels
like the right kind of punishment. He hates nature, and now he is
forced to spend the rest of his life in nature. This is called poetic
justice because the punishment is so right, it feels like poetry.
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5. SETTING
The story is set in the countryside (a rural area) in Suffolk, England (Suffolk is
pronounced ‘Suf-fik’), which is not far from London. In the countryside, there
are forests of trees, vast (big) landscapes and many hills. It is set in the current
day.
6. PLOT
EXPOSITION
The story presents a very troublesome character (Gary), who is a natural bully
towards both his peers and mother. It is this Gary whom no one wants to
associate with under any circumstances.
RISING ACTION
Gary travels with his mother from London to Pye Hall (outside the little village
of Earl Soham) to visit his grandmother. It is a two-hour journey from where they
stay to the grandmother’s place. Gary does not like the place like London.
CLIMAX
During his walk he experiences a few setbacks (losing track of the path, injuring
his ankle, stepping into a swamp of water with shoes, bitten by an insect). He
was exhausted and unable to continue walking back home.
FALLING ACTION
When Gary had walked, he came to a point where he could not locate his way
back home and ended –up being stuck on a pole like a scarecrow.
RESOLUTION
He was reported as a missing person to the police. His mother left the place in
a taxi. Despite the mother seeing something like Gary, she did not bother to
stop the taxi and verify if it was indeed her son. This left the mother with freedom
as Gary always bullied her.
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SCARECROW
7.2. Jane Wilson
Wife to Edward and mother to Gary.
Lived together with her bully son (Gary) in London
Widow (Lost her husband)
Denies that she is thinner, tired, and has “no colour” / is pale.
(denial of emotional and physical suffering as seen by the mother)
Bribes her son with CD’s.
Got pension payouts and insurance policies after her husband’s
death.
Leaves her mother after Gary had gone missing.
Does not bother to look at the figure that looks like the scarecrow,
even when she feels like it is her son. She now becomes free from
the troubles she used to have at the hands of Gary.
7.3. Edward Wilson
Worked as a bank clerk at a local bank.
He one day fell and died suddenly at work after getting a massive
heart attack (which might probably be as a result of what Gary did
to the young and old).
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Left some insurance policies and his pension funds paid to his
wife.
7.4. Grandmother
Mother to Jane.
Stayed at Pye Hall (approximately two-hour journey from
London).
Her assessment of her daughter (Jane) is not pleasing. She was
thin, tired, and bad skin tone / pale (colour).
Despite her age, she still cares about her child’s welfare and truly
loves nature.
8. POINT OF VIEW
The story has a third-person narrative voice. This means that the narrator, who
tells the story, is just a voice. He is not a character in the story. Gary does not
tell his own story, even though he is the main character.
9. STYLE
The writer uses informal language and the plot is not complex as it unfolds. The
events unfold clearly from the beginning up to the end.
10.1. FORESHADOWING:
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past you. You can stand out here and imagine how things were
before people spoiled everything with their noise and their
machines. You can still feel the magic in the countryside. The
power of Mother Nature. It’s all around you. Alive. Waiting…’” (pg.
157). This comment gives us three clues. Firstly, she describes
how you can “‘stand out here’”. When Gary is turned into a
scarecrow, all he can do is stand out in the field. Secondly, she
says there is “‘magic in the countryside’”. At the end of the story,
something magical really does happen when Gary turns into a
scarecrow. Thirdly, she personifies nature as Mother Nature and
says that Mother Nature is alive. We see how nature comes alive
to take revenge on Gary during his walk, by hurting him in different
ways. Therefore, his grandmother’s comment acts as
foreshadowing and gives the reader clues about what will happen
later on in the story.
10.2. PERSONIFICATION
Personification is a figure of speech in which things that are not human are
described as if they have human characteristics. In this story, nature is
personified as Mother Nature. Gary’s grandmother describes nature as if it is a
woman. She says, “‘the power of Mother Nature. It’s all around you. Alive.
Waiting…” (p. 157). Nature is not really a person. It cannot wait, because only
human beings and animals can wait. Nature is often personified as Mother
Nature to express the idea that nature will care for us if we protect it. Nature
gives us everything we need to survive: food, water, sunlight, and shelter.
However, in this story, the personification becomes real: nature is actually able
to do something that only human beings can do: take revenge. This is where
the story becomes supernatural, or magical.
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10.3. IRONY
Irony occurs when what happens is the opposite of what you expected to
happen Gary sneers at his grandmother when she says that there is magic in
the countryside. This means that he laughs at her in a mean, cruel way. He
does not believe in magic. In particular, he does not believe that there is
anything good about the countryside. It is therefore surprising when he
discovers that there is actually magic in the countryside. In this story, nature is
able to magically trap him in the field and turn him into a scarecrow. This is
ironic. Discovering magic in nature is the opposite of what Gary expected.
Staying outside in the countryside is also the opposite of what he expected to
happen.
11. TONE
The tone is descriptive of an unbecoming behaviour in the child. Sympathetic
with the mother and other kids over what they are going through. Demonstrates
the extent to which how this kind of behaviour can lead in someone suffering
the consequences in the near future.
12. MOOD
Nature is able to correct certain things by itself when it punishes Gary at the
end. Too much suspense keeps the reader intrigued and filled with fear of the
unknown that might reach out to Gary as he continues his walk in the fields.
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POSSIBLE ANSWERS.
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A guide by NECT: Literature Module: Short Stories Lesson Plan Grade 11.
htttp://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org>pink-bow-tie.
https://mycourses.co.za/pink-bow-tie-short-story-questions-and-answers-pdf/.
Docs.google com.viewer
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