Read the extract and answer the following questions.
Extract:
I cried aloud, shaking my head all the while until I felt the cold blades of the scissors against my neck, and heard them gnaw off one of my thick braids. Then I lost my spirit. Since the day I was taken from my mother I had suffered extreme indignities. People had stared at me. I had been tossed about in the air like a wooden puppet. And now my long hair was shingled like a coward’s! In my anguish I moaned for my mother, but no one came to comfort me. Not a soul reasoned quietly with me, as my own mother used to do; for now I was only one of many little animals driven by a herder.
(Memories of childhood)
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Question (i)
What is the main event that happens in the extract?
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
The main event that happens in the extract is that the narrator's long hair is cut off by the paleface woman.
Step-by-step explanation:
- To answer this question, we need to identify and describe the main event that happens in the extract, based on the narrator's words and actions.
- Some evidence that shows that the main event that happens in the extract is that the narrator's long hair is cut off by the paleface woman are:
- She says that she felt the cold blades of the scissors against her neck, and heard them gnaw off one of her thick braids, which shows that she experienced the physical sensation and sound of her hair being cut.
- She says that he r long hair was shingled like a coward's, which shows that she saw and compared the result of her hair being cut.
- She says that she lost her spirit, moaned for her mother, and suffered extreme indignities , which shows that she expressed and felt the emotional impact of her hair being cut.
Question (ii)
Why did the narrator cry aloud and shake her head in the extract?
- Because she was happy and excited
- Because she was scared and nervous
- Because she was angry and defiant
- Because she was sad and depressed
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
(c) Because she was angry and defiant
Step-by-step explanation:
- To answer this question, we need to look for evidence in the extract that supports one of the given options.
- The option that is supported by the extract is C. Because she was angry and defiant.
- Some evidence that shows that the narrator cried aloud and shook her head because she was angry and defiant are:
- She says that she cried aloud, which shows that she made a loud and vocal protest against her hair being cut.
- She says that she shook her head all the while , which shows that she made a physical and nonverbal gesture of refusal or disagreement with her hair being cut.
- She says that she lost her spirit after her hair was shingled, which implies that she had a strong and determined spirit before her hair was cut.
Question (iii)
Complete the sentence appropriately.
The extract belongs to the genre of _______________.
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
The extract belongs to the genre of memoir.
Step-by-step explanation:
- The genre of a text is the category or type of literature that it belongs to, based on its form, style, content, and theme.
- To identify the genre of the extract, we need to look for clues that indicate its characteristics and features.
- Some clues that suggest that the extract belongs to the genre of memoir are:
- The use of firstperson narration , which is a common feature of memoir texts.
- The focus on personal experiences and memories, such as being taken to a boarding school and losing her cultural identity, which are typical of memoir texts.
- The portrayal of historical events and contexts , such as the assimilation of Native American children in white schools, which create a sense of authenticity and relevance.
Question (iv)
Give one reason why the extract can be called a dramatic introduction to the theme.
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
One reason why the extract can be called a dramatic introduction to the theme is that it uses intense language and imagery to convey the narrator's feelings and situation.
Step-by-step explanation:
- Dramatic means exciting or impressive in a way that arouses strong emotions or reactions.
- The theme of a text is the main idea or message that the author wants to convey through their work.
- To explain why the extract can be called a dramatic introduction to the theme, we need to give an example of how it uses intense language and imagery to convey the narrator's feelings and situation.
- One example of how the extract does this is:
- It uses intense language and imagery such as "cold blades", "gnaw off", "lost my spirit", "extreme indignities", "tossed about in the air like a wooden puppet", etc. , which appeal to the feelings of pain, anger, shame, and sorrow.
- It conveys the narrator's feelings and situation such as being forced to change her appearance and identity against her will; being humiliated and dishonored by losing her hair; being oppressed and powerless by being in a boarding school; being isolated and comfortless by having no one to reason with her.😱
