WAEC GCE 2024 Literature In English Drama & Poetry Question & Answer Now Available

WAEC GCE LITERATURE

(7)
Rose and Alberta represent two distinct roles in the life of Troy Maxson and highlight different aspects of his character and choices. Through their contrasting roles, Wilson examines themes of love, family, sacrifice, and escapism.

Rose is the devoted wife and moral compass of the Maxson family. Her role is centered on stability, unity, and selflessness. She represents loyalty and resilience, enduring Troy’s flaws and failures while striving to hold the family together. Rose’s request to build a fence symbolizes her desire to protect and nurture her loved ones, even as Troy’s actions threaten the family’s cohesion. Her decision to care for Raynell, Troy’s illegitimate child, exemplifies her deep compassion and ability to rise above betrayal for the sake of innocence and familial responsibility. Rose is a beacon of understanding and forgiveness, embodying a commitment to the family despite her personal suffering.

In contrast, Alberta functions as a symbol of escape for Troy. She represents freedom from the burdens of responsibility and the challenges of his everyday life. Unlike Rose, Alberta exists outside the structure of Troy’s family, offering him a temporary reprieve from his struggles. However, her relationship with Troy ultimately leads to further complications, including the birth of Raynell and the subsequent breakdown of the Maxson family. Alberta’s role is pivotal in exposing Troy’s flaws, such as his inability to confront his problems directly and his tendency to seek solace in destructive ways.

While Rose represent the enduring strength and sacrifices necessary to maintain a family, Alberta highlights Troy’s vulnerabilities and his inclination to avoid accountability. Together, these two women illuminate the complexity of Troy’s character and the consequences of his choices, contributing to the play’s exploration of love, betrayal, and redemption. Through their contrasting roles, Fences underscores the challenges of navigating relationships and the impact of personal decisions on family dynamics

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In The Lion and the Jewel by Wole Soyinka, Lakunle represents the idea of a “modern man” through his embrace of Western ideals and rejection of traditional African customs. As a schoolteacher in the village of Ilujinle, Lakunle adopts the mannerisms, speech, and philosophies of the West, which he views as superior to his community’s traditional ways.

One of Lakunle’s defining traits is his desire to modernize the village. He openly criticizes traditional practices such as bride price, which he sees as barbaric and outdated. His refusal to pay Sidi’s bride price is a key example of his modernity, as he equates the practice with the oppression of women, even though Sidi sees it differently. His views on gender equality, though progressive, are often clumsily expressed and patronizing, reflecting his limited understanding of the culture he’s trying to change.

Lakunle also strives to adopt a Westernized demeanor, from his formal, over-the-top language to his disdain for what he considers the “backwardness” of traditional life. He envisions a future where Ilujinle is industrialized, with motorcars replacing bullock carts and modern schools educating the villagers. However, his ideas often come across as impractical and disconnected from the realities of village life.

What truly makes Lakunle a “modern man” is his identity as a cultural hybrid—caught between his admiration for Western values and his inability to fully abandon his roots. While he represents progress and change, his efforts are undermined by his arrogance and lack of sensitivity to his community’s traditions. Lakunle’s character is both a critique of blind modernization and a humorous exploration of the tensions between tradition and modernity in postcolonial Africa.

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The relationships between Cliff and Alison, and Jimmy and Helena, serve to illustrate varying dynamics of affection, power, and loyalty within the broader themes of class struggle, gender inequality, and emotional instability.

The relationship between Cliff and Alison is characterized by warmth, care, and a sense of mutual understanding that contrasts starkly with Alison’s tumultuous marriage to Jimmy. Cliff, though somewhat unambitious and easygoing, provides Alison with emotional support and tenderness, qualities lacking in her relationship with her husband. Cliff’s affection is demonstrated when he tends to Alison’s physical wounds, such as bandaging her arm after she burns herself. This care reflects a gentle and protective bond, though it remains platonic. Cliff’s presence offers Alison a refuge from Jimmy’s aggression and verbal abuse. His kindness serves as a counterbalance to the hostility she endures, highlighting a more nurturing and egalitarian connection.

On the other hand, the relationship between Jimmy and Helena is rife with tension and ideological conflict, underscored by Jimmy’s disdain for Helena’s upper-class background and moral principles. Helena, much like Alison, becomes a target of Jimmy’s anger and scorn, particularly because she represents the societal values and class that he vehemently opposes. However, their relationship takes a surprising turn when they develop a romantic connection after Alison leaves Jimmy. This union is marked by a mixture of passion and conflict, as Jimmy’s underlying resentment toward Helena’s values never fully dissipates. Helena’s eventual decision to leave Jimmy demonstrates her unwillingness to compromise her principles, signaling a more assertive and self-respecting stance compared to Alison’s earlier passive endurance.

The interplay of these relationships underscores the complexity of human connections in a setting defined by class antagonism and emotional instability. Cliff and Alison’s bond highlights the possibility of compassion and support amidst chaos, while Jimmy and Helena’s relationship reflects the destructive potential of unresolved anger and ideological clashes. Together, these dynamics enrich the play’s exploration of love, loyalty, and the challenges of bridging personal and societal divides.

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(6)

In Look Back in Anger, Jimmy Porter’s relationship with Madeline, though not directly depicted, sheds light on his emotional depth and inner conflicts. Madeline was a former lover who seems to have shared Jimmy’s passion and intellect, traits he desperately seeks in a partner. Unlike Alison, his wife, Madeline likely came from a background closer to Jimmy’s working-class roots, which may have given their relationship a sense of equality and mutual understanding that Jimmy craves.

Madeline’s influence looms in the background, hinting at a time when Jimmy felt more connected and validated. Her departure, however, underscores Jimmy’s destructive tendencies in relationships. His sharp wit and fiery personality often mask a deep vulnerability, but his inability to manage his anger and emotional needs ultimately drives people away.

For Jimmy, Madeline represents a lost ideal—someone who could meet him on his terms. Her absence leaves a void that Jimmy projects onto Alison, criticizing her for not being as passionate or engaged as he believes Madeline was. This comparison highlights Jimmy’s unresolved feelings and adds to the tension in his marriage, where class differences and emotional distance already strain the relationship.

Madeline’s presence in Jimmy’s past humanizes him. It shows that he’s not just an angry, bitter man but someone who once had a meaningful connection, which he struggles to replicate. Her role in the story, though indirect, helps us understand Jimmy’s flaws and the pain driving his often cruel behavior. It also reminds us of the universal longing for relationships that feel authentic and equal.

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(9)

In Grieved Lands by José Craveirinha, alliteration plays a crucial role in emphasizing the poem’s emotional weight and rhythmic intensity. By repeating consonant sounds, the poet reinforces the themes of pain, resistance, and connection to the land, making the imagery more vivid and memorable.

For example, Craveirinha uses alliteration to underscore the land’s suffering and its intimate relationship with its people. The repeated consonant sounds create a musical quality that mirrors the lament of the oppressed. Phrases like “grieving ground” or “scorched soil” (depending on the translation) intensify the sense of loss, allowing the reader to feel the emotional depth of the land’s anguish. This stylistic choice also reflects the oral traditions of African poetry, where sound and rhythm play essential roles in storytelling and evoking shared emotions.

Alliteration also highlights the tension between destruction and hope. In moments where Craveirinha shifts focus to resistance and resilience, the repetition of strong, forceful sounds mirrors the determination of the people to reclaim their identity and fight against oppression. For instance, the repeated use of “b” or “d” sounds might evoke the drumbeat of rebellion, grounding the poem in the cultural and spiritual heartbeat of the land.

Ultimately, the alliteration in Grieved Lands is not just a decorative device—it serves to unify the poem’s form and meaning. It draws the reader’s attention to the emotional resonance of the words, making the land’s grief and the people’s struggle palpable. Through this technique, Craveirinha captures the enduring spirit of Mozambique and other colonized nations, weaving together pain and defiance in a way that deeply moves the reader.

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(11)
In “Binsey Poplars” by Gerard Manley Hopkins, nature is presented as beautiful and majestic, with vivid descriptions of the poplars. However, this beauty is also shown to be fragile and ephemeral, as the poplars have been felled.

The poem highlights the interconnectedness of nature and human life, with the speaker expressing a sense of loss and melancholy at the destruction of the poplars. This emphasizes the idea that nature is not separate from human experience, but is closely tied to our emotions and well-being.

The poem also touches on the cyclical nature of life, where growth and decay are intertwined. The felled poplars will eventually give rise to new life, symbolizing the eternal cycle of nature.

Furthermore, Hopkins presents nature as sacred and symbolic, with the poplars representing a connection to the divine. The destruction of the poplars is thus not just a physical loss, but also a spiritual one.

In conclusion, Hopkins’ portrayal of nature in “Binsey Poplars” is complex and multifaceted. Through the poem, he highlights the beauty, fragility, and interconnectedness of nature, as well as its cyclical and symbolic significance. Ultimately, the poem presents a powerful argument for the importance of preserving and respecting the natural world, and reminds us of the profound impact that human actions can have on the environment.