91-2
Sir I.... .... I said sheepishly.
TRIUMPH IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY'
EXTRACT J
[The narrator is confronted by her teacher for her poor academic performance.]
One day, one of my teachers called me to the staff room. He was very
concemed and angry with me because I
had failed my class test again
and he knew that I had lots of
potential to do better.
Thulisile, you really can't continue like this! What is going on? Have
you
forgotten that getting an education
is the most important thing in
life?" the teacher said.
ACTIVITY 2
5.2.5
Refer to lines, 10-13 ("So I told him... control your situation").
Explain the irony in the teacher's reaction to the narrator's confession
about her home situation.
(2)
5.2.6
State ONE difference between the attitude of the narrator and her mother
concerning their home situation.
(2)
5
know now," he said.
"Don't give me that, I want to know what is going on and I want to
5.2.8
So I told him, I expected him to feel sorry for me and offer his help
but
instead he said:
10
5.2.7 Explain what this extract reveals about the narrator's state of mind.
The teacher's treatment of the narrator is justified.
Discuss your view.
(2)
(3).
"You cannot allow your home situation to control you. You have
to control your situation." I was very angry. How could he say that? It
was so easy for him to judge me when he lived in a nice house, drove
a
nice
car and didn't worry about where his next meal was going to come
from.
"But how?" was all I could manage to say to him.
"Focus,"
he said, and that drove me up the wall.
15
"Sir I really think that I should leave now; it is one thing to act
concerned but making a mockery of me is more that I am willing to
take.
20
5.2.1 Describe the setting of this extract
5.2.2
Explain the kind of man that Thulisile's father is.
5.2.3 Explain the reason for the narrator's poor performance.
5.24
Refer to lines 8-9 ("Don't give me that, I want to know what is going on
and I want to know now,' he said").
(a) What tone would the teacher use in this line?
(b) Why would the teacher use this tone in this line?
(2)
(2)
(2)
(1)
(1)
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