Gce Model Questions Vol1 2024 Literature In English Question 6

Read the following passage from the novel *The Silent Market*: > The rain had turned the cobbled streets into a mirror, reflecting the flickering lanterns that hung like reluctant stars above the stalls. Amid the clamor, **Nadia**, a young woman with soot‑stained hands, moved with a quiet determination. Her eyes, dark and observant, missed nothing – the way a merchant tucked a stolen coin into his coat, the way an old man lingered longer at the spice stall, as if searching for a memory. > > Though she never spoke of her past, the scar that traced a thin line across her left cheek whispered of a fire she had once escaped. When the market’s bell tolled, announcing the closing hour, Nadia lingered, not to rest, but to gather the discarded scraps of cloth that children had tossed aside. She stitched them together, creating a patchwork cloak that seemed to carry the weight of the city’s untold stories. Discuss how the author develops **Nadia’s character** through **direct and indirect characterization**, and evaluate the impact of these techniques on the reader’s perception of her role within the community.