2024 NECO GCE LITERATURE IN ENGLISH: 2024 NECO GCE LITERATURE IN ENGLISH (OBJECTIVE&PROSE) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (1624)

(1)
The theme of women liberation is centered on feministic approach of Adah in liberation of some hinderance attached to women. Feminism is the belief and aim that women should have the same right and opportunities as men, and the struggle to achieve this aim. Adah as a feminist character is basically created to alter the circumstance surrounding her childhood and that of the foreign land (London) she finds herself. For instance, female children are less relevant and of low value in Ibuza, therefore, they are not given equal opportunities ascribed to the male children. Adah was given birth when everyone including her parents was expecting and predicting a boy. So she is seen as a disappointment to her parents and her tribe and that is why no one bothers to record her date of birth.

However, Adah who is not moved by any form of gender bias, inequality, or what her society thinks about her gender braces the odd to challenge the status quo. At first, she forces herself to school when she is already eight years old since her parents have refused to register her in a school based on their notion about her gender. Her parents, Pa and Ma sincerely believe that education for the girl-child makes her irresponsible and pompous. At this time, Boy, Adah’s brother is already a student of Ladi-Lak institute, the most expensive school in Lagos. She envies Boy initially which later grows to frustration and sadness.

She derives joy in disobeying her parents just to 'copied from e x a m p l a z a . c o m free' draw their attention to her plight of not being registered in a school with Boy, until her parents become less considerate a bit and have her registered in a Methodist school around the corner which is very cheap. This is made possible through ceaseless feminist protest and women libration, especially when Ma is punished by police for child neglect.

As a feminist, Adah extends her silent and harmless protest to her marriage to a man who is brainwashed by African traditional belief that has relegated the women to the background. Francis's notion about women is narrow and drab. He sees women as sub-humans, to be explored, exploited, used, and abandoned to wallow in misery. It is true that Adah decides to be the breadwinner of her family at the inception of their union, the role that is meant for the male folks. She sustains her family, (husband and four children), pays all the bills as well. This is because she learns very early to be responsible for herself, even when nobody is interested in her for her own sakes, only in the money she is fetching for the family.

Her sojourn to a foreign land and unfortunate marriage to Francis seems like misery slavery and bondage in totality. Her determination, desire, and freedom from male-dominated society which has subjugated the womenfolk and treats them as merchandise make her a true feminist. Also, her ability to detach herself from the shackles of Francis maltreatment is another attribute that warrants attention.

(5)
(i)Hyperbole. Hyperbole is an extreme exaggeration used for effect and not meant to be taken literally: He's as strong as an ox; I've told you a million times. Examples in the novel include Scofield pulling a quart bottle of Scotch out of his hip pocket and the woman carrying a whole side of beef on her back.

(ii)Humor. Ellison coins new terms and creates his own language. Having established the traits and eccentricities of a character, the character's name conveys a certain action or activity. Examples include "Bledsoing," referring to his sunglasses as "Rineharts" and expressing his intent to "out-Tobitt Tobitt."

(iii)Repetition. The refrain of the line "What Did I Do to Be So Black and Blue?" as well as various takes on the song "Poor Robin" ("They picked poor robin clean") and numerous references to "buckets" in a variety of contexts, ranging from the metaphorical buckets in Booker T. Washington's "Cast Down Your Bucket" speech to paint buckets at the Liberty Paint Factory and buckets of coal oil at the Harlem Riot, all provide examples of repetition.