gce model questions vol1 2019 literature_in_english | Essay

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Question 1 View Details
Read the following excerpt taken from a short narrative: "The night was dark and the wind howled through the deserted streets, as the detective lit his cigarette and surveyed the crime scene. The faint glow of the streetlamp revealed a single, blood‑stained glove lying on the cobblestones. He knew the case would not be solved by chance." Answer the questions that follow.
Question Parts
(a)
Identify the literary genre of the excerpt and give two specific reasons for your choice.
(b)
Outline two key characteristics of this genre, illustrating each with a brief example (either from the excerpt or from another well‑known work).
(c)
Give the title and author of another literary work that belongs to the same genre and briefly explain why it fits the genre.
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Question 2 View Details
Read the following extract from Robert Frost’s poem *The Road Not Taken*: "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,\ And sorry I could not travel both\ And be one traveller, I stood…" Answer the questions that follow.
Question Parts
(a)
Identify three literary devices employed in the extract and explain the effect each device creates.
(b)
Discuss how the combined use of these devices reinforces the overall theme of choice and its consequences.
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Question 3 View Details
Read the following excerpt from the poem **"River of Dreams"** by A. Okafor. *Midnight mist drapes the silent quay, Echoes of oars fade into night’s sigh, Lost lanterns flicker, ghosts of the tide, Dreams drift downstream, where hopes abide.*
Question Parts
(a)
Explain how the poet uses imagery to convey a sense of loss.
(b)
Discuss the effect of enjambment and the poem’s rhyme scheme on the overall mood.
(c)
Evaluate how the poem reflects broader social issues in contemporary Nigeria.
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Question 4 View Details
Read the following passage from the short story **"The Market Woman"** by L. Adeyemi. *The market awoke before the sun, stalls already spilling colours onto the dusty lane. Mama Bola arranged her wares—spices, woven mats, and the bright red peppers that seemed to pulse with the day’s promise. As the first customers arrived, her voice rose, a melodic chant that blended with the clatter of metal pots. Yet, when the council’s new tax notice arrived, her smile faltered; the weight of the extra levy pressed against the rhythm of her trade, turning each barter into a silent negotiation.*
Question Parts
(a)
Analyse how the narrator’s tone reveals attitudes towards tradition and change.
(b)
Examine the role of setting in shaping the characters’ decisions within the passage.
(c)
Discuss how the author uses dialogue to develop the central conflict.
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Question 5 View Details
Read the following excerpt from Shakespeare’s tragedy *Macbeth* (Act 1, Scene 7).\n\n*“If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well\nIt were done quickly: if the assassination\nCould trammel up the consequence, and that\nStoop to the same, I would have done it.\nBut here, upon this bank, we have the very\nThing we have sworn to do.”*\n\nBased on this passage and your knowledge of the play, answer the questions below.
Question Parts
(a)
Analyse how Shakespeare creates tension in the excerpt. In your answer, consider the use of language, rhetorical devices and the dramatic situation.
(b)
Discuss how the theme of ambition is developed through the characters’ language in this passage.
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Question 6 View Details
In Chinua Achebe’s novel *Things Fall Apart*, Okonkwo is portrayed as a complex figure whose actions are shaped by personal and cultural forces. Answer the following questions.
Question Parts
(a)
Explain how Achebe reveals Okonkwo’s inner conflict through narrative techniques such as free indirect discourse and symbolic events.
(b)
Evaluate the effectiveness of secondary characters (e.g., Nwoye, Ekwefi, Obierika) in shaping the reader’s understanding of Okonkwo’s character.
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Question 7 View Details
The short story “The River’s Secret” follows Ama, a young girl from a remote village who discovers a hidden spring that can heal the sick. As word of the spring spreads, the village elders clash with a powerful businessman who seeks to commercialise the water. Ama must decide whether to protect the spring’s sanctity or allow the village to benefit from its healing powers.
Question Parts
(a)
Identify the five main stages of the plot – exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution – and give a brief description of each stage as it occurs in the story.
(b)
Explain how the author uses foreshadowing to build tension leading up to the climax.
(c)
Evaluate the effectiveness of the resolution in tying together the central themes of tradition versus modernity and the moral responsibility of power.
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Question 8 View Details
The novel “Shadows over Lagos” is set in Lagos during the early 1990s, a period marked by military rule, curfews, and widespread political unrest. The protagonist, Tunde, is a university student who becomes involved in underground activism while navigating the city’s crowded streets, noisy markets and oppressive surveillance.
Question Parts
(a)
Describe how the physical setting of Lagos – its climate, urban landscape and daily rhythms – influences Tunde’s choices throughout the novel.
(b)
Analyse how the socio‑political setting reflects the novel’s themes of oppression and hope.
(c)
Discuss the author’s use of sensory imagery (sight, sound, smell) to create atmosphere and convey the emotional tone of the city.
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Question 9 View Details
The novel *Things Fall Apart* by Chinua Achebe examines the clash between traditional Igbo culture and the forces of change brought by colonialism. Discuss how the theme of cultural conflict is developed through the novel’s characters, events and symbols. In your answer, analyse at least two characters and two symbols, and evaluate the overall effectiveness of Achebe’s presentation of this theme.
Question Parts
(a)
State the central theme of cultural conflict in the novel.
(b)
Analyse how Okonkwo’s actions and fate illustrate the theme of cultural conflict.
(c)
Analyse how Nwoye’s transformation reflects the theme of cultural conflict.
(d)
Discuss the significance of two symbols – the locusts and the yam – in developing the theme of cultural conflict.
(e)
Evaluate the overall effectiveness of Achebe’s presentation of the theme of cultural conflict.
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Question 10 View Details
In Guy de Maupassant’s short story *The Necklace*, the author uses narrative techniques such as free indirect discourse, irony, and structural pacing to shape the reader’s perception of Madame Loisel. Discuss how each of these techniques contributes to the overall impact of the story, providing specific examples from the text.
Question Parts
(a)
Identify the narrative techniques employed by Maupassant in the story.
(b)
Explain how free indirect discourse influences the reader’s understanding of Madame Loisel’s inner life.
(c)
Analyse the role of irony in the story and its effect on the reader’s perception of the protagonist’s choices.
(d)
Discuss how Maupassant’s control of pacing contributes to tension and the story’s climax.
(e)
Evaluate the overall impact of these techniques on the story’s theme of appearance versus reality.
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