adminI DEDICATE this week’s Literature Corner to Pamushana High School in Masvingo, Biriiri High- Chimanimani, St Columba’s-Honde Valley, Hartzell High and other schools whose Literature teachers and students were a pleasure to be with during my literature consultancy outreach- programmes in Manicaland. Knowledge is power! I love you all and wish you the best in your examinations.
Remember you are ‘investigators’ in the exploration of real life. What are you investigating? Each particular question in each paper will clearly guide you to what aspects of literature to investigate. Make sure you are clear what issues the question asks you to discuss, explore, justify, analyse, comment on, compare, contrast, debate, identify, illustrate, show, relate, summarise, assess etc. Make sure you understand what these INSTRUCTION WORDS mean. . . all of them.
Every question demands that you draw conclusions, that you make intelligent evaluations and offer perceptive opinions and judgments? How do you achieve this? You are responding to the examiner’s given statement, aren’t you? Please structure your response as a logical and persuasive argument. To do so supply proof, evidence of your debated issues and quote chapter and verse, line, stanza, paragraph, whatever contains your proof.
Don’t fall into the temptation of over-relying on the plot/narrative/story and get carried away re-telling it because you know it very well. Many candidates lose marks for doing this. Debate issues. Investigate issues. That is the point. Don’t relate the story the marker knows better than you. He or she is interested in your personal response, your depth of understanding of issues asked; your conclusions, sensitivity and judgment of writers, their thoughts and intentions. Read the question very carefully and stick to the issues therein, not a summarization of the plays, novels or plot structures.
In case you have forgotten what this course demands that you investigate, here are eleven (11) roots of literature every student must be able to identify and investigate: 1.Title. This is critically important because it is the title which encapsulates, identifies and introduces the piece of work. 2. Setting. This refers to the framework of time and place. This is important in making you understand the values and culture of the characters you are reading and studying.3. Characters-this refers to protagonists, antagonists, foils (those that are used by the writers to set off other characters to advantage or disadvantage), round characters (fully developed) and flat characters (undeveloped). Make sure you understand how each one of them is used by the author to convey a particular message in the piece of work. Remember characters cannot be studied in isolation. They must always be seen in the context of the backdrop of their settings and the other characters in the plays or stories. 4.The Plot /Narrative 5. Themes and Sub-themes 6.Style 7. Tone 8. Mood (also called Atmosphere) 9. Register (appropriateness of style, tone, and word choice), 10.Intention / Purpose: eg to entertain, to inform, to educate, to share some value or perception, to arouse a particular response etc. and 11. Comparative Literature/ Inter-textual Reading: (This refers to the flexibility to allude to other literary works, eg. to compare and contrast with other literary works: Example> referring to Julius Caesar, Macbeth and The Merchant of Venice when analyzing King Lear or Othello on some aspect or aspects). Please carefully note that while Zimsec examiners credit inter-textual reading or external evidence, Cambridge Examination Board does not. They emphasize that you stick to the issues asked in the question and stop boasting extra knowledge or parallel ‘parables’.
In the process of engaging the marker / examiner as guided by the issues articulated in each question, it is important to illustrate that you are enjoying the thinking game. Engagement means addressing the issues as required and involving the marker’s own thought processes. You are displaying your own depths of sensitivity to the issues and the question through a clear application of your powers of Concentration, Observation, Imagination, Reflection and Judgment. Never forget or ignore to utilize these powers in every question of each paper you are answering. But I’m also saying in doing so display analytical enjoyment, interest in intellectual engagement. How do you do so? Use the following phrases from time to time: It is interesting to observe that Desdemona (OTHELLO) . . . / Another interesting point to take note of is. . . / Is it not fascinating that King Lear displays. . . ? / It is indeed fascinating to see the protagonist crumbling under his personality weakness of poor personal judgment etc.
The examiner is also interested in identifying your writing style. Remember, like the authors you are studying, you are also a writer, are you not? What is your style? Do you use rhetoric, paraphrasing, figurative language etc to advantage? Do you use questions, engaging questions to provoke thought and sustain argument and or logical persuasion? The question method is itself an engaging tool. Examples: Why does Othello choose to believe his circle of friends and not his wife Desdemona?
Is it not strange that the hero stoops so low as to kill his beloved wife without proof she had cheated on him? What has activated the beast in him? Why does King Lear fail to depend on his own power of decision-making? Why does he not bla bla? Who would have thought this or that possible? Certainly nobody/ We wonder!/ Many of course!
These questions followed by leading answers engage the marker. They are bound to persuade him, draw him or her where you want. . . more than if you were simply arguing and ‘telling’ things. Do you see my point teachers of literature and students? Thank you. You better see the point.
There is no way one column can cover all aspects the examination tests. But if you have tightly grasped these few tips of advice, you are already far ahead of a candidate who has not had the opportunity to read this article on DO’s and Don’ts during the examination.
I want to wish all of you intelligent displays of thought, analysis and judgment in your final examinations. Don’t forget to read and understand every question and stick to the issues therein. Stop straying away from these issues. Remember you earn marks for answering what the examiner is asking, and not what you think he is asking or what you want him to ask.
Sandra Crewe, one of my best private Literature students, I wish you the very best. Show them! Shine baby, but remember your handwriting. I will not ‘sell’ you out here but trust me, no marker will award you marks for what he or she cannot read. Do not say I didn’t warn you. You know how many times I’ve.
Literature students at Pamushana High-Masvingo, St Columbas-Honde Valley, Hartzell High, Biriiri High-Chimanimani and many others I had the privilege of visiting on my consultancy symposia around the country, here is to wish you the very best. Mt Selinda High in Chipinge, beat your 2014 record of 11 As in Literature. I hope the strike-dust has settled. Poor chaps! When will your warring factions learn that even enemies do work together to achieve a common goal? We are ashamed.
Tobaadhana peya peshe petiri munyika kuti madhodhaya epaChipingepo aana shwiro mani! How can civilized men and women allow a wonderful school to crumble under their nose? Intelligent / civilized people rise above differences and unite for a common cause. That is the most important ingredient of developmental achievement and success; not infighting, backbiting and intriguing.
Online Reporter