Grade 11 Short Stories Guide

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LITERARY TERMS
TERMS DEFINITION
Background A brief autobiography of the author.
Summary A brief statement of the main points of a literary work.
Title Description of how the events in the story relate to the title.
To determine whether the title is literal or figurative.
Themes The main idea pr underlying meaning of a literary work.
Setting Place and time of the literary work.
Plot Sequence of events within the literary work. This includes:
 Exposition
 Rising Action
 Climax
 Falling Action
 Denouement / Resolution
Character People, animals, or figures represented in a literary work.
They are studied and analysed for their physical
appearance, personalities and actions.
Characterisation Traits, attributes, or characteristics that build up a character.
Point of View A perspective from which a story is told.
Style The manner in which the work has been written. The style
may be literal, figurative, formal, informal, simple, detailed
etc.
Diction Use of words. Such as idioms, symbols, and figures of
speech.
Tone The manner in which the author expresses himself or
herself.
Mood The pervading feelings that the reader experiences.
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1. GEMINI
by Ahmed Essop
Ahmed Essop was born in India but grew up in

Johannesburg. He began his professional life as a
teacher and retired in 1986 to pursue writing full time.
He has written novels, poetry and collections of short
stories. His work often explores racial tension, the
experiences of India people in South African society,
and life under apartheid.
(1931 – 2019)
A. SUMMARY
The short story is about Siva, the main character (protagonist) who works as a waiter,
at the Constellation Hotel, and his son, Krishna, a Standard Six pupil (learner) at Alpha
primary school. Siva feels that he is not living the life is he meant to live and hopes
that his son will be ambitious and achieve more in his life to mend “the tear in his life”.
However, it appears that Krishna’s life is pre-destined to follow on his father’s footsteps
as his academic performance results as that of his father during his schooling year.
B. TITLE
Gemini is a zodiac sign symbolized by the twin-like

lifestyle.
Therefore, the title “Gemini” serves as a metaphor for the lives

of the father and son. It is used as an example of how the father
and son pursued similar twin-like paths. Nonetheless, the title
is literal.
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C. THEMES
I. FATE
It appears in the short story that the father of the son had high hopes that his son
would be successful and live a life he was born for. However, as fate is inescapable, it
is clear at the end of the short story that Krishna failed his studies and ruined chances
of him doing better than his father, which tell us that they were both destined to fail.
II. LOVE
The strong bond of love between father and son is reflected throughout the story. The
father plays both the maternal and paternal role to his son. Even when he discovered
that his son had failed Standard Six, he continued to be affectionate and touched him,
“his limbs softened…stretched out his hand to touch him” (p. 79).
III. FEAR
Krishna decides to give Mrs Rudy his report card to give to his father, instead of him
giving it to his father. This clearly indicates that the boy was scared, firstly, to see the
disappointment on his father’s face, or secondly, to see his reaction when he receives
and sees the report card. These allusions are subjected to fear.
Siva also fears the worst when he learns that his house was on fire. He is convinced
and wants to believe that his son has died in the fire until Mrs Rudy rescues him from
his imagination.
IV. DISCONTENT
Siva feels like he is living the life he was not born for. His imagination with the faces of
people he served, and the uneaten remains that always filled him with nausea is a
reflection that he was dissatisfied with his job. “…he was filled with a sense of self-
pitying bitterness.” (p. 75). This suggests how Siva’s life was full of regrets and only
could hope his son will fill in the void he has in his heart by achieving more in life.
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V. LETTING GO
After Siva failed his Standard Six exams, his teachers abandoned him. Something that
stays with Siva. He struggles to let go of the past. The fact that Siva has retained his
Standard Six examination report among other significant documents serves as a
metaphor for this idea. Siva is unable to let go of the past despite the passing of time.
VI. DISOBEDIENCE / REBELLION
The fact that Siva did not listen to his teachers, resulted in him being a failure. He
spent most of his time in cafes and cinemas, smoking in corners and roaming with the
gang instead of focusing on his schoolwork. His teachers abandoned him as a result
of being rebellious.
D. SETTING
The setting of the short story is during apartheid, in Soweto. Other settings of the short
story are at Park Station, in the morning, around 10 p.m., at the hotel, Siva’s house, in
the streets, in the bedroom and mostly in the evenings.
E. PLOT
Climax
(the turning point of the story where the conflict
reaches its peak)
Rising Action Falling Action

(part of the story that develops the problem or
conflict) (the events of the story that lead to the resolution)
Exposition Denouement / Resolution

(an introduction that provides details of characters
and setting) (the conclusion to the story that reveals the solution)
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I. Exposition
The narrator introduces Siva, as the main character of the story who works at
Constellation Hotel. He believes that he was born to achieve greater things in life, but
‘fate’ proves him otherwise, as he ends up being just a waiter. Krishna, Siva’s son is
likely to live a life that is similar to that one of his father’s if he continues to take his
studies for granted. The story mostly take place at Siva’s house, in the mornings and
evenings.
II. Rising Action
Siva struggles to like his job, and regrets for not working hard towards his academic
performance. He gets limited opportunities due to his educational background but finds
solace in his son as the only hope to mend the tear in his heart by achieving more in
life.
III. Climax
Siva discovers that his house was on fire, and all he can think of is the life of his only
hope, Krishna. Siva’s internal conflicts are depicted when he still struggles to accept
his living conditions, playing both maternal and paternal role to his son after losing his
wife, and now the burning of his house. Mrs Rudy hand over Krishna’s report card to
Siva, and he starts to tremble before he opens Krishna’s report as if he foreshadows
the outcomes.
IV. Falling Action
Mrs Rudy alerts Siva that only few items burnt from his house and his son is safe and
sound. Siva reads through Krishna’s report card only to notice that he failed his
studies.
V. Denouement / Resolution
Siva discovers that his son did not only take his physique, but everything about him,
including the fact that he also failed Standard Six with almost similar comments from
their teachers. However, Siva could only express love, care and support to his son,
Krishna.
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F. CHARACTER AND CHARACTERIZATION

 Siva
 He is a round character.
 He is easily influenced. This is shown in his early stages when
he was still young, as he enjoyed hanging out with the gang,
dropping out of school after failing Standard Six twice, wasting
time on cigarettes, going to cafes and cinemas. These are
examples of someone who is not well grounded and focused.
 He is full of regrets, especially when he thinks about how his life
would have turned out, if he had listened to his teachers.
 He appears to be someone who loves his son. This is reflected
from the way he thinks about his son, and the way the author
portrays his love for his son.
 Krishna
 He is a flat character.
 He is a son to Siva and narrated to be more like his father, both
physically and intellectually.
 He is a rebellious boy, who tried to set his home on fire because
he failed his Standard Six.
 Mrs Rudy
 She is a flat character.
 She is a neighbour to Siva and a good woman who cared for his
son.
 Siva’s Wife (Krishna’s mom)
 She is not narrated much in the short story, as she is dead.
 She was a very stubborn person.
 She was extremely religious.
G. NARRATOR’S POINT OF VIEW
The short story is narrated from a third person point of view. E.g., the pronouns: he,
his, him are used. We see the events unfold mainly through the eyes of the main
character, Siva.
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H. STYLE
An informal, straightforward, simple style is used throughout the story.
I. DICTION
In the short story, we encounter the use of rhetorical questions – a question that does
not require an answer. E.g., “Was he born for this – to be at the beck and call of sirs
and madams and to assist in satisfying their appetites?”
The following are examples of literary devices:
 FIGURES OF SPEECH
- SIMILE
E.g., “the paper slipped…like some wounded bird”, note how the slipping of the papers
from Siva’s fingers to the floor is compared to the falling off of a wounded bird.
J. TONE
 Self-pitying - The author shows pity for what Siva is going through.
 Dissatisfaction – Siva sounds discontent with his life.
K. MOOD
Examples of mood include:
 Pity / Sadness / Anxious / Suspense
ACTIVITY TOTAL: [17]
1.1. Why is the following statement FALSE?

Mrs Rudy told Siva that his son set his house on fire. 1
1.2. Refer to page 75, paragraph 1.
1.2.1. Describe the setting of the story in this paragraph. 2
1.2.2. “He closed his eyes…faces of people he has served…” Write down
where Siva was working, and the kind of job he was doing. 2
1.3. Refer to page 76, lines 1 – 4.
Discuss the character of Siva’s wife. 2
1.4. Refer to page 77, lines 7 – 10 (Siva entered…in white linen).
1.4.1. What do these lines tell us about Siva’s state of mind? Substantiate
your answer. 2
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1.4.2. Explain what these lines reveal about Siva’s character towards his son.
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1.5. Mention one aspect that Krishna and his father, Siva, share in common
(page 78). 1
1.6. Explain why you think Siva still kept his Standard Six report for so many
years. 2
1.7. Refer to the short story as a whole.
The title, Gemini, is suitable for the story.
Discuss your view. 3
ANSWERS
1.1. Mrs Rudy had already resolved that she would not tell the father that his boy
had accidentally started the fire while lighting a cigarette. √
1.2.
1.2.1. Place – Park Station, on a bus. √
Time – Around 10 p.m. √
1.2.2. Siva was a waiter / Siva was a waiter √ at Constellation Hotel. √
1.3. She is not narrated much in the short story, as she is dead, however, we learn
that she was a very stubborn person√ and extremely religious. √
1.4.
1.4.1. Siva was agonized / worried / scared / nervous, √ to learn that his only hope
and reason to live, Krishna, could be dead by the fire. √
1.4.2. It clearly indicates that Siva cares and loves his son, Krishna. √ His concern is
proof that he does not want anything to happen to his only son because he is
the reason for his existence and have high hopes for him. √
1.5. They both failed Standard Six. √
1.6. Siva was struggling to let go. √He believed that he deserved a better life than
the one he was currently living and could not accept that he cannot change the
past. Hence, he kept his report card, and would constantly go through it, even
when it made him feel sad. √
1.7. Gemini is a zodiac sign symbolized by the twin-like lifestyle. Therefore, the title
“Gemini” serves as a metaphor for the lives of the father and son. It is used as
an example of how the father and son pursued similar twin-like paths. √√√
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2. MONDAY’S TALE
by Jenny Hobbs
Jenny Hobbs is a novelist and freelance journalist who lives

in the Western Cape, South Africa. She reviewed books for
many years and has also written for radio and worked on TV
book programmes as organiser, scriptwriter, presenter and
interviewer. She was part of the team that created the first
Franschhoek Literary Festival in 2007 and was FLF Director
for four years before stepping down in May 2014. Jenny’s
short stories have been published in Contrast to New South
African Writing, and those overseas.
(1937 - )
A. SUMMARY
The short story is about Lindele, the main character who is a young girl, and her ever
intoxicated mother. Lindele experiences a confusing world around her. She questions
things that we would take for granted and she takes for granted things that we would
question. We learn that Lindele observes that one white man was involved in a car
accident, and she could not assist him as she was too young to come up with a solution
She can only rely on her mother to assist her. However, her mother’s drinking
condition resulted in tragedy.
B. TITLE
The title is literal in a sense that the narrator highlights the stories that usually would
happen on Mondays. We learn from the short story that Lindele’s mother and the white
man are still hungover, which led to tragedy. Usually on Mondays, people are reluctant
and lazy to wake up in the early mornings, which is what Lindele’s mother portrays in
the story. The rushing of school children to school, and incidents which happen on the
road reflect Monday stories.
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C. THEMES
I. TRAGEDY
An event causing grief and suffering, destruction, and distress, such as

serious accident, crime, or natural catastrophe.
Lindele observes a white man who was involved in an accident by the bush on her
way to school. The driver had too much to drinking and lost control of the car. We
envisage serious motives in the man’s life that drove him to overindulging in drinking.
As a young girl with no knowledge of how to assist the victim, she thought of going
back home to ask her mother to assist. Her mother was too drunk to bother. The
husband’s resort to having a young mistress broke the marriage. Lindele’s mom then
took to drinking too much. Lindele went back to school and told one of the nuns, Sister
Margaret, who hurried to inform the store owner near the accident scene and the
police. Unfortunately, by the time the police arrived at the scene, the driver was dead.
II. PAIN AND SUFFERING
Lindele’s mother seems to find it hard to accept the fact that her husband married a
young wife. She started drinking to numb the pain and neglected her child in the
process. Her actions also affect her daughter. In Lindele’s flashbacks, we learn that
she misses how she used to have good times with her mother and how she was always
invested in her studies. Contrarily, the white man driver of the yellow car, suffers from
pain of being involved in a car accident.
III. DIVISION / SEGREGATION
It was ironical for Lindele to witness that a white person can also be involved in a car
accident, let alone seeking assistance from her. To her it was a taboo for white people
to even have feelings, cry, hunger, shame, and happiness as she did. The division
between white and black people created inequality and unjust to generations during
and after apartheid, and hence, Lindele believed that only the blacks are subjected to
pain and suffering. Even the skills black people acquired in schools, were on morals
instead of being taught how to deal with real life issues, hence, Lindele could not have
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come up with an instant solution to assist the white driver. Through Lindele’s
experiences, the division indirectly suggested that black and white people are different.
IV. EQUALITY
Regardless of colour, race, age, and gender, all people are equal. The story highlights
the thoughts of this young girl, Lindele, about white and black people. She finds herself
in a confusing world. The world that she thought was true to her comes crumbling as
she realizes that we are all equal as we share the same pain, suffering, feelings,
shame, or even death. We see this when the white man seeks help from her, and
realizing that she also experiences the same sentiments like everyone of us.
V. SUBSTANCE ABUSE
The impact of alcohol plays a vital role in the short story as both Lindele’s mother and
the white driver experience melancholy. For instance, Lindele’s mother only started
drinking after her husband abandoned them and married a young wife. Her drinking
condition caused the ceasing of raising Lindele properly and resulted in the white
driver dying because she could not assist him since she was drunk to even bother
listening to what her daughter had to say. In addition, the white driver had an accident
due to drinking and driving.
D. SETTING
The setting is a rural place in Kwa-Zulu Natal on a Monday morning.
E. PLOT
 Exposition
The short story introduces Lindele, as the main character (protagonist), and her
mother. The young girl, Lindele, is on her way to school on a very uneven road that
passes by the side of the river. It gives a fairly life background of Lindele, who resides
with her mother. The mother has a history of drinking a lot.
 Rising action
Lindele departs for school in the morning, but she comes across an unfamiliar scene.
She found an injured white man in the car that had nose-dived into the river.
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 Climax
The white man is in pain and desperately seeks assistance from Lindele. She battles
with her thoughts on whether black and white people experience the same feelings,
pain, and suffering. Therefore, Lindele’s naiveness and lack of knowledge led to her
indecisiveness.
 Falling Action
Lindele decides to return home and seek help from her mother. Unfortunately, she
finds her mother under the influence of alcohol. Lindele thought of going back to school
and report the incident to the nuns, Sister Margaret.
 Resolution
Sister Margaret informs the nearest store owner and the police to rescue the white
man driver. Unfortunately, they found that the driver was already dead.
F. CHARACTER AND CHARACTERISATION

I. Lindele
 She came from a poor family (She had only one dress, P.64)
 She was naïve and innocent (P.66) - Thinking that a car is in
pain.
 She was concerned about cleanliness (P.65) - She was
ashamed of wearing a dress that is dirty.
 She was time conscious (P.65) - Running to school to avoid
arriving late.
 She hated to see other people and animals suffer (P. 66) - She
could not tolerate to see her father slaughtering a goat.
 She was ignorant (P.67) - She had no knowledge about white.
II. Lindele’s mother
 She was a poor woman. (P.64) - She was not able to buy clothes
for her daughter.
 She was taking care of her daughter (P.64) - Ensuring that her
daughter’s one and only dress was clean.
 Preparing food for her daughter.
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 She was a drunkard (P.65) - “Clearly she had drunk too much beer
again last night”
 She was negligent and careless (P.69) - She could not respond to
Lindele’s call to help the injured white man.
III. The car driver

 He was a reckless driver (P.68) - He plunged his car off the road.
 He was drunken driver (P.68) - He was drunk when got involved
in an accident.
IV. Sis Margaret
 She was caring and loving (P.71)
- She gave Lindele a dress
- She called the police to come and help the injured white
man.
G. NARRATOR’S POINT OF VIEW
The short story is narrated from a third-person’s point of view.
H. STYLE
The author executes informal language, deeper connotations, and dialogue.
I. DICTION
Symbolism: the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities
I. The Dress
 The colour blue of the dress symbolizes, determination to be good like
the nuns, intuition, confidence, and wisdom.
The following are examples of figures of speech:
II. Personification: Attribution of personal nature or human qualities to

something non-human
 “As she turned to run away, the car groaned” ( P.66)
 “The car was in pain” (P.66)
 “ … as it lay dying with glazing eyes, made her stomach sick” (P.66)
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III. Simile: comparison of one thing with another of a different kind through
the use of “like”, “as”, “than”.
 “A car, tossed down there like an old bottle” (P.66)
 “… a ridge of hard – packed earth as rough as a cheese – grater” (P.67)
 “The bloody head slumped forward again and disappeared like a snuffed
candle” (P.68)
 “She swung her head from side to side like the bad – tempered humped
bull” (P.68)
IV. Hyperbole (Exaggeration)

 “She froze” (P.67)
J. TONE
Depressing/bleak tone – girl’s level of poverty/ struggle through rugged terrain
going to school
 Tone of pity – the author draws the girl-child’s poverty challenges to us.
She sympathizes with the child for having to wear one garment for the
whole week and for all activities
 Tone of empathy - girl feels sorry for the man injured in the accident.
She wants to save his life
 Respect tone- child speaks with respect towards her mother and Sister
Margaret
 Tone of appreciation- appreciates food the mother cooks for her
 Tone of urgency- the injured driver desperately wants the child to go
seek help for him
 Tone of anger/indifference- mother shouts at the child when she asks
her to come help the injured man.
K. MOOD
 Melancholy – poverty level of the family through the girl who wears one
dress throughout
 Anger- father shirking his responsibility by parting with the wife.
Mother for not holding on for the sake of the child and resorting
Alcohol
 Sympathy – with the respectful girl who walks barefooted to school/
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Has to take seriously overwhelming decisions at her young

age
 Empathy – we put ourselves in the shoes of the girl and imagine how
we would fare in life it was us.
ACTIVITY TOTAL: [16]
1. Refer to lines 1 – 5.
(a) Who is “she” referred to in the extract? (1)
(b) Explain what has happened to the man. (2)
(c) What indicates to us that the man is in pain? (1)
(d) The word puzzled means ______________
A. Frightened.
B. Confused. (1)
C. Happy.
D. Eager.
(e) Explain the following statement “The side of his face was masked in blood”
(2)
2. Refer to lines 6
Quote Two consecutive words from this line that suggests that injured character in
the extract was an old man. (1)
3. Refer to line 9 (“… motionless as a buck that has just lifted its head from
grazing”
(a) Identify the figure of speech used in this line. (1)

(b) Explain its effectiveness. (2)
4.Refer to lines 10 – 15
(a) Why was the girl familiar with the nuns? (1)
(b) Why is the following statement False?
The girl in the extract is familiar with the white people. (1)
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5. One of the themes evident in this extract is the effect of drunkenness. Discuss.
(3)
ANSWERS
1.
(a) Lindele. (1)
(b) The man was involved in car incident. (2)
(c) The man was groaning. (1)
(d) B. Confused.
(e) It means that the man’s face could not be recognized because it was covered
with blood. (2)
2. Wrinkled skin. (1)

3.
(a) Metaphor. (1)
(b) To emphasise how stationary the girl was. (2)
4.
(a) The girl attended the mission school where she was taught by the nuns. (1)
(b) She had no knowledge about white people. (1)
4. The injured man who was driving a yellow car in the extract was under the
influence of alcohol as discovered by the young girl who sensed the smell
that is similar to her drunkard mother. It appeared that due to drunkenness the
man lost control of the car and plunged off the road. (3)
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3. PINK BOW TIE
by Paul Jennings
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paul Jennings (born 30 April 1943) is an English-born

Australian writer. He is best known for his short stories that
lead the reader through an unusual series of events and end
with a twist.
He was born in Heston, Middlesex (London). In 1949 his

family emigrated to Australia.
A. SUMMARY
The story opens with a 14-year-old boy (who is the narrator) sitting outside the
Principal’s office, waiting for the principal to call him in for punishment. This was the
boy’s second day at the school and the second day that he was called to the principal’s
office to be punished. On the first day, he was punished for making fun of an old man’s
pink bow tie. He was not aware that the man was in fact the principal of the school,
Old Splodge, who always wore that pink bow tie and was due to retire the following
year but did not want to. The boy believed that the punishment he got that day was
unfair. To him, his utterances were just a joke and did not deserve to be punished.
On this second day, as he sat outside the principal’s office waiting to be called, he
looks at the principal’s secretary (Miss Newham) in admiration. She was a very
beautiful girl and the boy had a crush on her. He dismisses any hope of him being in
love with her as she was seventeen and he was only fourteen. It was during his
conversation with the secretary that we get to know the reason why he was called to
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the office again. This time around he was called in for dying his hair blond, which was
against the rules of the school.
When finally called into the principal’s office and asked why he dyed his her, he tells
the principal a long and unbelievable story of his of his way back home from school
the previous day. He starts the story by telling the principal that he (the boy) was a
very nervous and sensitive person who is easily scared. He goes on to tell the principal
that he was in a train carriage with a teenage boy who was smoking, an older women
who was bent over and had a walking stick and mean-looking man. When the ticket
collector told the boy to put out the cigarette, the boy took out some machine (later on
in the story we learn that this machine is called ‘Age Rager’) and turned himself into
an older man, which left everybody amazed. The old lady takes the Age Rager and
changes herself into a pretty young girl and gives the Age Rager to the boy. The mean-
looking man takes the Age Rager from the boy and changes himself into a baby, then
a very old man, before they knew it, he dies and his body rots only the skeleton was
left.
He tells the principal that he was so much frightened by that experience to the extent
that his hair turned white. He tried to alight the train, but the door was jammed. He
eventually got off the train and walked the remainder of the distance home. The
principal does not believe the story and tells the boy that he (the principal) will write a
letter to the boy’s parents to inform them of the boy’s suspension from school. Before
the boy could leave the principal’s office, he leaves the Age Rager on the principal’s
desk. After two weeks, the principal disappears, and Miss Newham (the principal’s
secretary) gets a good-looking boyfriend who is about eighteen years old.
The ending leaves the reader wondering if the principal used the time Age Rager to
make himself younger and date Miss Newham. If it is true that the principal used the
Age Rager, then the reader is bound to believe the boy’s story about the Age Rager.
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B. TITLE`
At the time the story was written, Australia had a patriarchal system where there were
things expected from men, and things expected from women. The color pink
symbolizes love, nurture and compassion (characters that were not associated with
men). It evokes feelings of comfort, warmth and hope. Men were expected to be men
(tough, strong and ‘manly,’ ‘unemotional,’ etc.). In the story, the principal (Old Splodge)
puts on a Bow tie that is Pink in color (a color for women). The boy sees this as funny
for a man to put on that color. He makes fun of it and lands himself in trouble with the
principal.
C. THEMES
I. Appearance (Desire to be of a certain age)
If anyone were to believe the boy’s story about the Age Rager, then this theme
would be evident. Everyone, except the mean-looking man, used the rager to
their advantage. The old lady in the train and the principal used it to look
younger so that they could date younger people. The principal dated Miss
Newham and the old lady wanted to date John McEnrue. (“John McEnrue, look
out”)
II. What is the truth?

The narrator tells the principal a long, ‘far-fetched’ (not likely to have happened)
story about how his hair turned blonde. The narrator proves his story by leaving
the AGE RACER on the principal’s desk. The reader is left questioning the truth.
The boy tells the principal the story of the AGE RACER. The reader is
transported into a different scene, setting and context while he is telling the
story to the principal. This is an example of a story inside of a story. Even though
you are reading about one story, through clever storytelling and narration, it is
very easy to read about a different story within the main one.
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III. Rebellion
Miss Newman, the secretary, asks the narrator why he has dyed his hair blonde
even though it’s against school rule. This again shows that the character is
rebellious and does not follow rules / authority. This makes the reader curious
as to why he dyed his hair.
The narrator, a teenage boy, laughs at a man for wearing a pink bow tie. The
boy is not scared to laugh at the man even though he is older than him. In that
time, children were taught to respect their orders, and keep their opinions to
themselves. We immediately see the narrator’s rebellious attitude.
D. SETTING
We can say The Pink Bow Tie is set in an unnamed school in Australia because the
author is Australian and uses mainly Australian slang. During that time, Australia had
firm patriarchal systems. During this time, people were expected to play certain ‘roles’.
A man’s role was to be ‘manly,’ ‘tough,’ ‘unemotional,‘ ‘a leader,’ etc. These systems
encouraged ‘gender norms’ which claimed that women and men should look and act
certain ways. If a man wore pink, he was seen as a feminine, strange or weak. At the
time, physical punishment was still allowed in Australian schools. Caning used to be
common in schools for both boys and girls.
E. PLOT
The story is not presented in its chronological order. The author started the story on
the second day. The actual order of events is as follows:
 The narrator goes to school on the first day. It is also his first day at that school.
 He sees a man in a pink bow tie and makes fun of it. (He did not know that the
man was actually the principal of the school – Old Splodge).
 He is called to the principal to be punished.
 After being punished, he goes home using a train.
 In the train, a small boy is smoking and the ticket collector gets to the carriage
and tells the boy to put out the cigarette.
 The boy does not, instead he takes out a Age Rager and turns himself older.
 An old woman takes the Age Rager and turns herself younger.
 An old man takes the Age Rager and turns himself into an infant, then old again
and eventually dies and in no time turns into a skeleton.
23
 The narrator is frightened by the death of the death of the man and tries to alight
the train but could not.
 The narrator finally got out of the train, where he was not supposed to, and
walks the remainder of the distance home.
 On the second day, he is called again to the principal’s office.
 As he waited outside the principal’s office, he looks at the principal’s secretary
(Miss Newham) in admiration.
 The secretary asks the narrator, with a smile, why he dyed his hair.
 Before he could respond, the principal calls him into the office and asks him
why he dyed his hair.
 The narrator tells the principal his story from the previous day (What happened
in the train that made his hair turn white)
 The principal does not believe him but he proves it by taking out the Age Rager
and put it on the principal’s table.
 The principal tells the narrator that a letter will be written to his parents informing
them of his suspension and allows him to leave.
 For two weeks nothing happened.
 The principal disappears and is never seen and Miss Newham finds herself a
boyfriend who wears a pink bow tie as well.
F. CHARACTERS AND CHARACTERISATION
I. The Narrator (14 years old school boy – The main character)
The boy is troublesome and does not have respect for the elderly. This is
evident in from his conversation with the principal. When the principal wanted
to know what he is staring at, he tells the principal in his eyes that he is staring
at “your bow tie” “It is ridiculous. It looks like a pink vampire”. Small kids cannot
talk like that to elderly people.
He is not honest. He tells the principal that he is “a very nervous person, Very
sensitive. I get scared easily”. The truth is he only these to find his way out of
trouble.
24
II. Old Splodge (The Principal)

He is a disciplinarian who prides himself in it, and speaks with authority. This is
evident in his conversation with the boy on the second day. He says to the boy,
“Yesterday when I gave you six of the best ..”
“Then tell me, lad, how is it that your hair is white today?”
“Tell me the long story, and it had better be good”
III. Miss Newham (The principal’s Secretary)
A seventeen years old girl. Very beautiful, considerate and friendly. She asks
the narrator why he dyed his hair knowing that it was against the rules. She
does all these with a smile.
IV. The boy smoking in the train.

He is only about fourteen but is smoking already. This shows that he is not
mannered and has no respect. He is also arrogant. This is evident from his
conversation with the ticket collector. The ticket collector asks him to put out his
cigarette, instead, he takes out the Age Rager and turns himself older and asks,
“How’s that, am I old enough now?”
V. An old lady in the train.

She is bent and uses a walking stick. Has a crush for John McEnroe. This
became evident after she turned herself into a younger.
VI. A mean-looking guy.

He is mean and appears to be cruel. “He looks like he would slit your throat for
two bob” (20-cent coin – the man can kill a person for something of a trivial little
value). He is arrogant and a bully. He tried to grab the Age Rager from the old
woman. He bullies the narrator when he says, “Give that to me”.
G. POINT OF VIEW
Pink Bow Tie is narrated in the first-person narrative by an unnamed boy who is a
learner in a school. We get to know all the events that happened and his thought and
responses to them and the people around him.
25
First person narration is seen in the use of first person pronouns ‘I’.
e.g. “Well, here I am again, …”
H. STYLE
In this story, the author uses surprising twists, bizarre incidents, and element of humor,
to keeps the readers engaged and invested in the story. Despite the fantastical
elements, the narrative remains plausible enough to keep readers guessing and adds
to the story’s thrill.
In some instances the author uses dialogue format to illustrate the character’s real
words and feelings.
I. DICTION
Symbolism: the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities
1. The bow tie. The bow tie is pink in color.

The color pink symbolizes love, nurture and compassion. It evokes feelings of
comfort, warmth and hope.
The following are examples of figures of speech used in the story:
1. Simile: comparison of one thing with another of a different kind through the use
of “like”, “as”.
When looking at the principal’s bow tie, the narrator says: “It looks like a great
pink butterfly attacking his neck”
“Your bow tie, it is ridiculous. It looks like a pink vampire”

J. TONE
Paul Jennings uses a simple, colloquial tone in “Pink Bow Tie”, making the narrative
sound like a personal recounting of an actual incident.
K. MOOD
The principal creates a suppressive and hostile environment. The boy feels that he
was unfairly punished the day before, but is not free to express his feelings to the
principal. On the second day, he had to come up with a very good and impressive story
26
to get himself out of trouble. Even the principal’s secretary knows that whenever a
child is called to the office, it’s going to be tough for them.
SOURCES:
1. A guide by NECT: Literature Module: Short Stories Lesson Plan Grade 11.
2. htttp://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org>pink-bow-tie.
3. https://mycourses.co.za/pink-bow-tie-short-story-questions-and-answers-pdf/.
ACTIVITY
1. Why was the boy called to the principal’s office? (1)

2. Why did all the boys like the principal’s secretary? (1)
3. Why did the ticket collector tell the smoking boy to put off his cigarette? (1)
4. Refer to the following statement by the old, now young lady in, the train.
“John McEnroe, look out!”
What impression do you get of the woman towards John McEnroe? (1)
5. Explain why the following statement is false.
The young boy smoking in the train put his cigarette off when told to do so. (2)
6. From your knowledge of the story as a whole: Write down ONE good thing and
ONE bad thing that happened at the end of the story. (2)
7. How does the narrator justify his violation of school rules? (2)
8. Would you say the narrator was being mischievous by making fun of the
principal’s bow tie? (2)
9. Refer to the following lines from paragraph 1.
“Two lots of trouble in two days! Yesterday … Nothing at all.”
What is the narrator’s tone in these lines? Substantiate your answer. (2)
10. One of the themes in this story is rebellion. Discuss the theme. (2)
11. The title of the story is “Pink Bow Tie”. Is it suitable for the story? Discuss. (3)
27
POSSIBLE ANSWERS
1. The boy was called to the principal’s office because he dyed his hair. √
2. All the boys liked the principal’s secretary because she was young and
pretty. √
3. The ticket collector told the boy to put off his cigarette because he was still
young to smoke. √
4. The woman has a crush for John McEnroe. √
5. False, the young boy took out the age rager√ and made himself older. √
6. Spodge disappeared. √ Miss Newham got a boyfriend. √
7. The narrator justifies his blonde hair by recounting an extraordinary story involving
an Age Rager that resulted in his hair turning white with fear√, which then turned
blonde. √
8. Open ended. Accept any well substantiated answer, e.g
Yes. A young boy like him cannot make fun of an elderly person. √ That is a sign
of disrespect. √
OR
No. The boy was only making an innocent joke√, unfortunately for him, the
principal could not see the humor. √
9. Tone of anger. The narrator strongly feels that what he did the previous day was
not an offence at all√, yet he got punished for that√. / He feels that was he said the
previous day was meant to be an innocent joke but the principal saw it
otherwise. / He feels that what he said the previous day was indeed the truth
(the bow tie was ridiculous) and he got punished for telling the truth.
10. The boy dyes his hair blond√, although it is against the school policy√. He also
laughs at an older man for wearing a pink bow tie√. The boy does not show respect
for the elderly and is not scared to laugh at the man even though he is older than
him√. This shows a rebellious attitude.
11. “The Pink Bow Tie” is a suitable title for the story.
The Pink Bow Tie is what gets the narrator in trouble in the first place√. At the end
of the story it is also the clue to the reader that the principal used the Age Rager√.
It leads to the twist and dramatic irony. The color pink symbolizes love, nurture
and compassion√. These characteristics were not expected from men then √.
28
For a man to put on anything pink, he was thought to be weak. That is why the
boy made a joke out of it√.
The narrator compares the bow tie to a pink butterfly because of its color and
Shape/ butterfly is seen as a gentle insect that It portrays beauty and tenderness√
instead of being harsh and attacking (what is expected from men√.
NOTE: Accept any three points. (3)
29
4. RAYMOND’S RUN
by Toni Cade Bambara
She was born in 1939 and died in 1995 at the age of 56.
She was an African American author, social activist, film
maker and college professor. She grew up in Harlem,
New York and was involved in the Civil Rights Movement
in the 1960’s. Her first book of short stories was called
Gorilla, my Love and was published in
1972.Raymond’s Run is a story from that collection.
Most of the stories were written using the first-person
narrator: a sassy young girl who is tough, brave and
caring.
(1939 – 1995)
A. SUMMARY
This a story of Hazel Parker (also called Squeaky) and her older brother Raymond
who has intellectual disabilities. Squeaky is not expected to do chores at home. Her
core responsibility is minding her older brother Raymond. When Raymond is mocked
by people, Squeaky comes his aid. When the confrontation is very tough, she
recourses to running as she has the fastest legs in Harlem. She is a responsible girl
who goes a mile to ensure that his brother does not cause a ruckus due to his disability.
She endures beatings from her parents or has to apologize to the community when
Raymond gets out of control. She is fiercely competitive in her running and wins
trophies in every race. She sees the new runner, Gretchen, as an adversary. She
eventually decides to drop out of running to coach Raymond as the next champion
because of the running skill she witnessed from him.
B. TITLE
Raymond’s Run as a title foreshadows the talent that is exposed through Hazel
running with Raymond daily as a close monitoring caring technique which shifts
our stereotypical focus on Raymond’s disability to his raw running talent
30
C. THEMES
I. CARETAKING
Hazel’s role is to take care of Raymond despite her also still being a teenager in need
of care. Notwithstanding the role being overpowering, Hazel finds a sense of pride and
dignity in diligently executing it. She fights with her peers who try to bully Raymond
and also has to apologize where her brother causes a ruckus that offends community
people.
Hazel absorbs all the pressure that caring for Raymond brings to her. Her relationship
with Raymond helps her to develop self-reliance and a positive and caring attitude in
life. Care taking is a model for her for good relationships. It leads to her discovery that
winning championships is not everything in life. Caretaking makes her develop a
compassionate attitude towards cooperation, support and coaching.
II. SIBLING RELATIONSHIP
This brings to light the fact that a good relationship between siblings is important. The
tight relationship between Hazel and Raymond developed a sense of pride and identity
in Hazel. She was proud to look after Raymond as her own despite the community
regarding him as disabled. She identified with him on a sister-brother level as
everybody needs support from their own. This close-knit relationship helped Hazel to
discover the talent to run that her brother possessed and the need to nurture it
(coaching) to turn him into the next champion.
III. RIVALRY BETWEEN GIRLS

There is stiff, but positive competition between Hazel and Gretchen at
the May Day celebration. Both of them want to work hard to win. Despite
efforts by Gretchen and her sidekicks to put her off course (Gretchen
and Louise and Rosie mock Raymond’s intellectual disabilities), she is
steadfast and focused in her training, and conquers in the next
competition. However, hazel becomes the bigger person by not holding
31
grudges against Gretchen by considering co-coaching Raymond with

her.
IV. WHAT MATTERS MORE THAN WINNING

Hazel’s isolation by girls pains her to the level of consideration that the
world was against her. In the last part of the story when she won with
Raymond running by her side, it was then she realized that winning was
not everything. She discovered that Raymond had running talent that
she could collaborate with Gretchen to nurture.
V. FEMININITY AND FEMALE RELATIONSHIP

Hazel does not participate in the May pole dancing.
She does not want to put on fancy dresses that other girls put on to
Maypole dancing extravaganza. She hates all of the activities and
prefers running. She always acts tough and fights any emotions of
femininity like other girls. She hides her pain of rejection by girls with a
pretense that all girls-stuff do not matter to her. She believes that girls
should just be themselves without outside influence.
VI. PRIDE AND IDENTITY
Hazel pride herself as a runner-cum-caretaker. Her mother and dad did

not support her races; her teacher did not take pride in her running
success; Gretchen and her assistances mocked her brother’s intellectual
disability. Her pride was winning trophies through working hard and
believing in herself. She does not wear fancy girl’s dresses to participate
in May dances. She identifies herself as a runner and nothing else. Her
pride is also the discovery of Raymond’s talent that she would like to
nurture with the help of Gretchen.
D. SETTING
The story takes place in Broadway, Harlem New York.
E. PLOT
I. EXPOSITION
32
We are introduced to an adolescent girl named Hazel who is a staunch

runner. She lives in Harlem city and is assigned with taking care of her
brother Raymond, who has intellectual disabilities (Down syndrome).
II. CONFLICT
Hazels is confronted by Gretchen and her assistance (Louise and Rosie)
while running. Hazel discovers that Gretchen intends to beat her in the
next fifty-yard May dash.
III. RISING ACTION

The taunting of Raymond by Gretchen’s assistants about his mental
disabilities prompts Hazel to develop a negative attitude towards the
girls. The dare by Gretchen to win the next race gets Hazel to become
even determined to victor in the next race.
IV. CLIMAX
Hazel and Gretchen cross the finish line together and have to wait for
the announcement of who won. She further realizes that Raymond ran
along with her throughout the race.
V. FALLING ACTION
Hazel realizes that Raymond is a very talented runner who should be
nurtured to become the next Harlem fifty-yard dash champion.
VI. RESOLUTION
She smiles at Gretchen and realizes that it is better to be friends than
rivals with Gretchen. She gains respect for her passion and
determination to succeed. Hazel considers collaborating with Gretchen
to coach Raymond into becoming the next running champion.
F. CHARACTER AND CHARACTERISATION
Round Character: A complex character

that undergoes development throughout
the story. E.g., Hazel was negative
towards girls at the beginning of the
story. However, at the end she smiles
with Gretchen and wants to train
Raymond with her.
Flat Character: A character 33
that does
not change throughout the development
of the story. Hazel’s parents do not
change their view about Hazel
throughout the story
6.1 SQUEAKY/HAZEL
 She is the protagonist in the story.

 She is a round character. At the beginning of the story she holds a
negative attitude towards the girls as she feels the world isolates her. At
the end of the story she smiles at Gretchen and wants to be more of a
friend than a rival.
 She is assigned an overwhelming task of caring for his older brother
Raymond.
 Her mother and father do not contribute much towards her identity and
pride attainment in life. Both parents criticize her choice of running to
participating in girls’ dance in the May dance.
 Hazel has to overcome a lot of challenges on her own while she cares
for Raymond.
 She is a staunch, fast and successful runner with many trophies
 She is skinny and has a squeaky voice (that is why she is nicknamed
Squeaky).
6.2.SQUEAKY’S MOM

 She assigns overwhelming task of looking after Raymond to Hazel
making
her feel inadequate.
 She is a negligent mom as she does not support Hazel’s running hobby.
 She prescribes to Hazel what to do, e.g. she wants Hazel to be feminine
by participating in the Maypole celebration for the annual May Day
celebration.
 She humiliates Hazel by discouraging her from practicing her breathing
exercises in public.
34
6.3. GRETCHEN

 She is the antagonist in the story as she competes with Hazel for title of
the
fifty-yard.
 She is a bully as she taunts Raymond because he has Down Syndrome.
 She has passion to run and win in her races.
 She has short legs and freckles.
 She pretends to be tough even though she is not tough enough to stand
her ground against Hazel.
6.4. HAZEL’S FATHER

 A good runner (faster than Hazel as secretly revealed by Hazel).
 Provides for the family.
 Delegates the heavy caring duty to Hazel.
 Encourages Hazel to be feminine by dancing in the May dance
celebration.
 Embarrassed to run with girls as revealed by Hazel.

6.5. RAYMOND
 Hazel’s older brother.

 Has Down syndrome (mental/intellectual disability).
 Continuously mocked by Gretchen and her sidekicks about his
mental limitations.
 Protected and cared for by Hazel.
 He possesses a lot of talent to run despite his mental limitations.
 Inspires Hazel to quit running to coach him.
6.6.GEORGE
 Hazel’s other older brother.

 Failed in his caretaking responsibility as he could not protect
Raymond entirely from being picked upon.
35
 Spends most of his time doing family errands and selling

Christmas
cards to earn pocket money.
6.7. MARY LOUISE
 Gretchen’s sidekick.
 Talks badly about Raymond’s intellectual disabilities from
Gretchen’s influence.

6.8. CYNTHIA
 Squeaky’s classmate.
 Resented by Squeaky for pretending to have natural skill for doing
things and not going through hard practice first to achieve them.
6.9. MR. PEARSON
 Hazel’s teacher whose duty is to pin runners’ numbers at the

annual May celebration races.
 He is clumsy.
 Nicknamed Beanstalk because he loves walking on stilts.
 Dishonest/corrupt as he encourages Hazel to let Gretchen and
other athletes to win without hard competition.
6.10. ROSIE
 Gretchen’s sidekick
 Taunts/mocks Raymond’s mental disabilities.
 Humiliated by Hazel by calling her fat when she attacks
Raymond.
G. POINT OF VIEW
 Raymond’s Run is narrated in the first-person through the protagonist
Hazel. First person narration is realized through the use of the pronoun
“I” e.g., “I do not...”
 This allows us to follow up the experiences of Harlem in the 70s through
the eyes of Hazel, a poor, but confident and hardworking Black
adolescent girl.
36
H. STYLE
The author uses simple informal language to address the normal day-to-day
challenges that a young adolescent girl (Squeaky/Hazel) endures in her training
for her Mayday fifty-yard race, whilst caring for her intellectually disabled
brother Raymond.
I. DICTION AND FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

 The writer used idiomatic expression in order to emphasize meaning.
 Some examples of figures of speech in the story include.
I. SIMILE
A figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another of
a different kind using comparison words such as ”like”, ”as”, “so”, or
“than”.
“I see Gretchen standing at the starting line, kicking her legs like a pro.”
(P.131).
II. HYPERBOLE
Hyperbole is exaggeration
“I’m the fastest thing on two feet.” (P.127)
III. ONOMATOPOEIA
Onomatopoeia is the formation of a sound associated with what is
named or described.
“Then I hear Raymond yanking at the fence and calling me, and I wave
to shush him.” (P.132).
IV. METAPHOR
J. TONE
Tone is the manner in which the author expresses himself or herself.
There is a tone of anger from Hazel when she is not supported by her parents.
She develops anger at all girls who mock her brother. This anger leads to her
isolation form all feminine activities in Harlem. There is a tone of happiness and
37
peace at the end after Hazel discovers that her brother has running talent. She
strives to make her to brother show off his talent by coaching him with the help
of Gretchen to become champion.
K. MOOD
Mood/atmosphere is the pervading feelings that the reader experiences.
There is a tense mood full of strife at the beginning of the story where Hazel
has to confront Raymond’s tormentors. There is strife when a young, but
confident and hardworking girl, Squeaky has to balance between training and
caring for her older brother. There is also a sad mood when she gets beaten
whenever Raymond gets out of control. There also a mood of sympathy
propagated by the fact that caring for her brother is an overwhelming task for
an adolescent like Hazel.
There is a happy mood when hazel wins her races from her own effort. There
is even extreme excitement when she wins against Gretchen, and also
discovers Raymond’s talent to run. She also discovers that winning is not
everything.There is a peaceful mood at the end when she reconciles with
Gretchen and become friends
LITERATURE ACTIVITY
1. What is the setting of Raymond’s Run?

(1)
2. What is the conflict in Raymond’s Run?
(1)
3. IN Raymond’s Run before the race, Squeaky is all about “I run.
that is all I’m about,” but after the race, what is Squeaky all about?
(2)
4. Describe the relationship between Raymond and Squeaky in a
38
Raymond’s Run.
(2)
5. What is the mood and tone of Raymond’s Run?
(2)
6. Identify one figure of speech in Raymond’s Run (P131, paragraph 1) and
comment on its significance.
(3)
7. What is the conflict between Squeaky and Gretchen in the story?
(2)
8. How does Squeaky feel when she sees Raymond run parallel to her in the
race?
(2)
9. Form the story Raymond’s Run, describe Squeaky’s personality.
(2)
10. According to you, do you think the title Raymond’s Run is relevant to its
Content? Elaborate.
(3)
[20]
ANSWERS
1. Broadway Avenue, Harlem.√
2. Gretchen tells Hazel/Squeaky that she is going to win the next May fifty-yard
dash.√
3. She is about coaching Raymond with Gretchen’s cooperation to become the
next champion√√
4. Squeaky/Hazel loves and cares for Raymond. She will do everything to protect
39
Raymond against anyone who wants to pick on him.
5. Tone
 Hazel is harsh and angry at Gretchen and her sidekicks for taunting Raymond
for
his intellectual disabilities.√
 She is friendly at the end and reconciles with Gretchen√√
Mood
 The mood is of anger at the beginning where Hazel is not supported by her
parents.√
 She is angry at people who mock Raymond.√
 She isolated herself from all feminine community activities as felt the world was
against her.√
 At the story’s end Squeaky is happy after discovering that winning was not
everything and reconciles (smile) with Gretchen to coach the next champ
(Raymond).√
 She is happy to discover Raymond’s running talent.√
NB: Take one answer for mood and one tone
6. “I get up and slip off my sweat pants and then I see Gretchen standing at the starting
Line, kicking her legs like a pro.”
This figure of speech is a simile.√
The author compares Gretchen’s race preparation tactics to be like those of a
professional racer, as she was still a beginner in racing.√√
7. Gretchen and her sidekicks torment Raymond about his intellectual disabilities.√/
She challenges her in racing and swears to beat her.√
40
8. She is filled with pride, love and realization that Raymond has talent.√
She feels that it her time to quit running to coach Raymond and provide for his need
to become the next champion.√
9. She is caring and protective.√
She stands by what she believes in.√
She does not allow anyone to coerce her into doing what she does not like.
10.
THIS IS AN OPEN-ENDED ANSWER. NO MARK WILL BE AWARDED FOR YES

OR NO.
Yes. Raymond’s Run as a title foreshadows the talent that is exposed through
Hazel running with Raymond daily as a close monitoring caring technique which
shifts our stereotypical focus on Raymond’s disability to his raw talent√√√
NO. The story concentrates mostly on the racing talent and success of
Squeaky. Raymond only runs with Hazel because she cares for him.√√√
[21]
The Journey by Barrie Hough
41
THE AUTHOR’S BACKGROUND
The author was a South African, born in 1953, lived in

Johannesburg and died in 2004 at the age of 51.
He attended Helpmekaar Boys High and went to Rand Afrikaans

University where he obtained a Masters degree in English.
He was a lecturer, theatre and art critic and an author of

Afrikaans youth novels.
He wrote about controversial issues such as AIDS, homosexuality, teenage sex,

suicide and drug abuse. As he had a stammer himself, he used stammering as a theme
in some of his writings.
1. THE SUMMARY
 The short story is about a romantic relationship between a white boy called
Johan and an African girl named Thembi.
 The two teenagers attended the same school together during the post –
Apartheid era shortly after the first democratic elections in South Africa.
 Their relationship started as a friendship and graduated into a romantic one
after a hard long journey that Johan went through.
 Johan has a stammering problem that jeopardized his chances of winning
Thembi’s love from the beginning as she clearly indicated to him that she could
not be kissed by a boy who stutters.
 Thembi instructed him to follow a certain plan that would cure his stammering.
 The two have to go to the rugby field and started moving to each other from
different goal posts. Johan should start shouting and when they are about to
meet in the middle, he should slow down his voice until he whispers and this
will cure his stammering.
 He was initially reluctant but he ultimately succumbed to it.
 The story had a happy ending as the two celebrated their love, hugging each
other and bursting in laughter.
42
2. THE TITLE
 The title “The Journey” is relevant and it has been used figuratively, that is
Metaphorically.
 This journey refers to the process that Johan had to go through before he could
ultimately win Thembi’s love and became her boyfriend.
3. THE THEMES
3.1. STAMMERING (STUTTERING)
 The short story addresses the issue of stammering as experienced by one of

the main characters, Johan.
 He suffered some form of emotional abuse from his primary school mates who
laughed at his stuttering and regarded him as stupid. (P.143)
 He also experienced some challenges of rejection when proposing love to
Thembi because of his stammering (Thembi indicated that she could not be
kissed by a boy who stutters, P.141).
4. 2. LOVE AFFAIR
 The short story deals with a romantic relationship between a white boy, Johan
and an African girl,Thembi.
 Johan went through a difficult journey of his love being rejected by Thembi
because of his stammering before his proposal was ultimately accepted.
4.3. PERSEVERANCE AND PERSISTANCE
 The short story illustrates an element of perseverance and persistence as

depicted by Johan.
43
 From the onset, Johan was told unequivocally by Thembi that she refuses to
be kissed by a boy who stutters. (P.141)
 Johan, however, did not give up on his mission of winning Thembi’s love. He
stood the test of time and had to suffer and endure all the negative comments
that Thembi made that insinuate that his stammering was voluntary. (‘Why don’t
you stammer when you shout?’, P.141)
4.4. RACIAL INTEGRATION
 The short story tackles the issue of racial integration through the romantic
relationship between a white boy, Johan and an African girl, Thembi as takes
place during the post – Apartheid era.
 With the suggestion from Johan, his parents invited Thembi to a Sunday lunch.
Thembi and Johan’s mother got well with each other and she then became a
regular visitor to the family (P.141).
4.5. ASSERTIVENESS
 The short story illustrates a character trait of assertiveness as depicted by

Thembi.
 Thembi indicated her stand point from the beginning that she could not allow a
boy who stutters to kiss him (P.141).
 She stood by her words despite sounding insensitive and cruel to Johan
(P.141).
5. THE SETTING
 The short story is taking place in a former model C school environment during
the post – apartheid era in South Africa.
44
6. THE PLOT
6.1. EXPOSITION
 The story opens up when Johan and Thembi are sitting on a bench at school.
As he tries to kiss her, she refuses on the basis that he is stammering.
6.2. RISING ACTION
 One day Johan got angry with Thembi for putting pressure on him and shouted
at her.
6.3. CLIMAX
 Johan’s problem reached the highest point when Thembi outlined her plan that
they should follow in order to cure his stammering problem.
6.4. FALLING ACTION
 After Johan and Thembi spent some weeks practising, his stammering got
better.
6.5. RESOLUTION
 Johan’s problem was finally resolved when one afternoon his attempt to kiss
her was gladly accepted.
45
7. CHARACTER AND CHARACTERISATION
7.1. Johan
 He is an Afrikaans – speaking boy.
 He had a stutter (‘ B –b – but that’s d – discrimination,’ he laughed) P.141.
 He has perseverance and persistence (He did not give up his love on Thembi
even when at first it appeared that his love was not accepted due to his
stammering)
 He is warm and friendly (P.141)
 He is loving and caring (He sensed her loneliness and asked his parents to
invite Thembi to Sunday lunch, P.141)
 He is protective (No one could say offensive things to Thembi, P.141 & 142)
 He is very obedient (He agreed to follow Thembi’s instructions on what to do
in order to stop stammering, P.143 & 144)
7.2. Thembi
 She is insensitive / inconsiderate (‘Why don’t you stammer when you shout?,
P. 141)
 She is assertive (‘I refuse to kiss a boy who stutters’, P.141)
 She is regarded as cruel (But her cruelty cut into his heart, P.141)
 She is cheeky and sharp (P. 142)
 She has a strange Afrikaans pronunciation but perfect in English (P.142)
 She is an intelligent girl (Thembi was clever, especially in Science and Biology,
P.142)
 She is very ambitious (She wanted to do things, make a difference, P. 142)
 She dislikes politicians (Politicians were breed she dislikes, P. 142)
 She could lose her temper (And when someone made her angry, she let off
steam in Setswana, P.142)
 She could be emotional (She wiped away some tears when they were watching
the inauguration of President Nelson Mandela, P. 142)
46
8. POINT OF VIEW (NARRATION)
 The story is narrated from the third person point of view.

 The narrator is an omniscient person who seems to know everything.
 This is evident from the story because the narrator uses the pronouns such as
he, she, his, her to describe the characters.
9. STYLE OF WRITING
 The author used a formal register and there is a bit of informal language in his
writing such as the use of contractions, such as “don’t.”
 The author also included a dialogue format in some instances to illustrate the
characters’ real words and feelings.
10. DICTION AND FIGURITIVE LANGUAGE
10.1 “But her cruelty cut into his heart” (P.141)

 Personification/Metaphor. Her reactions hurt him deeply, compared to a
sharp object or person using a sharp object.
10.2. “Whisper sweet nothings” (P.141)
 Idiomatic expression, meaning romantic words used by lovers.
10.3. “He could still catch the sweet scent of her braids” (P.141)
 Metaphor. Sweet scent given a tangible status.
10.4 “He sensed her loneliness” (P.141)
 Metaphor. The loneliness is compared to something that could be sensed.
10.5. “Thembi and his mother hit it off well …” (P.141)
 Idiomatic expression, meaning getting well with each other.
10.6.“At school Johan had kept his ear to the ground. (P.141)
 Idiomatic expression, meaning watched out for certain things.
10.7. “But the expression in their eyes wounded more than words would have”
(P.141).
47
 Personification. The expression is given a human character.

10.8. “His understanding of this language drew him closer to Thembi…” (P.142)
 Personification. The understanding of the language is given a human
character of been able to draw another person.
10.9. “And when someone made her really angry, she let off steam in Setswana”
(P.142)
 Idiomatic expression, meaning expressing strong emotions.
10.10. “Politicians are words pedlars, she scoffed”
 Metaphor. Politicians are compared to people who sell words.
10.11.“Politicians use them to pull the wool over people’s eyes”
 Idiomatic expression, meaning deliberately misleading people
10.12. “Thembi had joined the group in hooting with laughter…” (P.142).
 Metaphor. Their laughter is compared to hooters.
10.13. “Marike de Kerk, they agreed, looked a little like Meryl Streep…” (P.142)
 Simile. Her dress is compared to someone else’s.
10.14.“Their words pour like cream from a jug” (P.142)
 Simile. The sweetness of words is compared to cream.
10.15.“Suka! She said with a sweeping gesture of her hand” (P.142).
 Metaphor. Her gesture is compared to a broom.
10.16. “Johan roared …” (P.143)
 Metaphor. Johan is compared to a lion by the sound he made.
10.17.“And sometimes he lost heart because the journey took so long” (P.144)
 Idiomatic expression, meaning becoming discouraged.
11. TONE
 “I refuse to kiss a boy who stutters” (P.141)
48
 “ … whisper sweet nothings, then you can kiss me” (P.141).

 “Thembi opened his fist and squeezed his hand gently” (P.141).
 “During Maths he imagined he could still catch the sweet scent of her braids”.
12. MOOD
 The mood in the short story could be described from the beginning as irritable
(Thembi indicating that she could not be kissed by a boy who stutters),
desperate and frustrating (Johan could feel frustrated by Thembi’s initial
rejection of his love).
 At the end the mood is happy and cheerful (Thembi and Johan finally ended
up hugging each other and celebrating their love).
13. ACTIVITY
Read the following extract and answer the set questions.
Johan tried to catch her eye but she was listening intently to Miss Cooke. He couldn’t
speak to her during the last period either. But when he got to the rugby field, Thembi
was waiting for him.
‘If you can shout without a stammer, you should also be able to speak and whisper
fluently’, she said. ‘I have a plan. You go to one set of goal posts, I go to the other.5
We walk slowly towards each other. At first you’ll have to shout so that I can hear you.
Then, as you approach me, you tone down until you speak, and eventually whisper’.
Johan exploded. ‘You can all go jump in the bloody lake!’ he shouted. ‘I have been
trying for years. 10
Speech therapists and shrinks since I’ve been this high. On the phone I struggle. Orals
are a n- nightmare. In primary school the kids used to laugh at me. Always looked at
me as though I moron.
Everybody in the family always gave advice. “Give him a good skrik. Put pebbles in
his mouth. Make him sing”. ‘I’ve had it, do you hear! I’ve had it. And now you!’ 15
49
QUESTIONS
5. Refer to lines 1 – 2 .
(a) Who is Miss Cooke? (1)
(b) Explain the following phrase “tried to catch her eyes” (2)
(c) Quote TWO consecutive words that suggest that Johan is a sport person. (1)
6. Refer to lines 6 – 8 .
(a) Identify TWO words from the lines that show an element of contrast. (1)
(b) What is the purpose of Thembi’s plan? (1)
3. Refer to lines 9 – 10 (“You can all go jump in the bloody lake!”)

(a) Identify the tone used in this line. (1)
(b) Explain why that tone is justifiable. (1)
4. One of the themes evident in this extract is stammering. Discuss your views. (2)
ANSWERS
1.
(a) Miss Cooke is an English teacher. (1)

(b) It means getting her attention. (2)
(c) Rugby field. (1)
2. (a) Shout and whisper. (1)

(b) To cure Johan’s stammering problem. (1)
3.
(a) Angry tone. (1)
(b) Johan is being unfairly treated for his stammering problem which is not
50
voluntary. (1)
4. Johan who has a problem of stammering indicated that he was subjected to some
form of discrimination from certain learners at Primary school, laughing at him as he
spoke. He also experienced some form of unfair treatment from Thembi who initially
rejected his kiss because of his stammering problem. (2)
51
SCARED by ANTHONY HOWRITZ
1. AUTHOR’S BACKGROUND.
Anthony Horowitz, in full Anthony John

Horowitz, (born April 5, 1955, Stanmore,
Middlesex, England), prolific British author and
screenwriter known for his popular young adult
fiction. An English novelist and screenwriter
specialising in mystery and suspense. Horowitz
has also written for an adult audience and has
created and written several television shows
that were originally telecast in Great Britain but
have since been shown in other countries.
2. SUMMARY
Gary Wilson is a rude, aggressive and selfish teenager from London. He bullies
children at school and treats his mother without respect. His mother takes him to visit
his grandmother in a village in Suffolk for a week. He hates being there. He is bored
and one day he decides to go for a walk. On his walk, he breaks all the rules that he
is supposed to follow. He walks through the fields instead of sticking to the footpaths;
he picks wild flowers and tears them up; he leaves gates open, hoping that the farmers’
animals will run away; he throws his Coke can into a field; he breaks the branch of an
apple tree; and he leaves his lit cigarette butt in the grass, which could cause a fire.
He gets lost and bad things start to happen to him. His feet get wet. He sprains his
ankle. When he turns around, the landscape has changed, and he cannot find his way
home. In a small forest, he scratches his shoulder and cuts his leg. He tears his jacket.
He falls into a stream. He gets stung by nettles and by a wasp. It seems as if nature
is attacking him as revenge for his terrible treatment of it.
52
Eventually, he sees his grandmother’s house. He gets halfway across the field. He
feels hot and tired. He decides to rest and holds onto a pole in the middle of the field.
He magically turns into a scarecrow. When he does not come home that evening, his
mother calls the police. They searched for him for five days. None of them realise that
he is the scarecrow in the field next to his grandmother’s cottage. His mother decides
to go back to London. As she leaves, she notices the scarecrow in the field. She
realises that it looks like Gary.
However, she decides not to look at it more closely. We realise that she is relieved not
to have Gary in her life anymore.
NOTTING HILL GATE
53
54
Poplar trees/PYE HALL COTTAGE
55
3. TITLE
SCARED
 Fearful and frightened

 The title is literal as it directly speaks of the fear that people had over
the boy (Gary)
 Nobody wanted to associate with him, the family feared him to the
extent that they would at times bribe him with CD’s.
 The crows ran away / scared by his lonely figure in the middle of the
field.
56
When Gary realises that he is lost, he starts to feel a little bit scared. The narrator
says, ‘He was also beginning to feel the first stirrings of… something. He wasn’t
actually scared. He was too angry for that. But he was beginning to wonder just how
much further he would have to walk before he knew where he was. And how much
further could he walk?” (pg.156) Even though Gary does not admit that he is scared,
we realise that he is starting to feel that way. Gary is not used to feeling scared.
Usually, he is the one who makes other people feel scared. We are told earlier, ‘He
actually enjoyed hurting other kids… But scaring them was just as much fun’ (pg.
154). We are also told that his mother is scared of him: ‘He was as tall as her now
and he knew that in her own, quiet way, she was scared of him too’ (pg. 155).
At the end of the story, Gary is turned into a scarecrow. The job of a scarecrow is to
scare away the birds. It is funny and satisfying for the reader that now Gary scares
things in order to protect nature.
4. THEMES
In Scared by Anthony Horowitz we have the theme of isolation, bullying,

bribery, selfishness, struggle, hate, respect for nature, and justice. Taken from
his collection of the same name it becomes clear to the reader after reading
the story that Horowitz may be exploring the theme of isolation.
4.1. Isolation.
 Gary lived a life in isolation as learners avoided him.
 We learn that many of the learners didn’t want to be associated
with Gary.
 His behaviour made him a loner wherever he is; and was
comfortable about it.
4.2. Bullying
 A qualified bully
 Gary enjoyed hurting other kids, taking their lunch money, or
ripping pages out of their books.
 He derived pleasure in seeing other kids being persecuted.
57
4.3. Bribery
 His mother would give him CDs as a way of bribing him.
 When he has done something wrong and the mother wants to
soothe his emotions; CDs will be given to him,
4.4. Selfishness.
 Enjoyed being in control.
 No person may ever laugh at him but he will enjoy hurting other
kids.

4.5. Struggle.
 During a walk he gets lost and finds it difficult to locate where
the house is.
 All the things he had thrown on the way during a walk were not
there to assist him with tracing the grandmother’s place.
 He ends up being like a scarecrow in the middle of the fields;
when he couldn’t continue with his walk towards the house.
4.6. Hate
 His peers never wanted to associate with him.
 We start seeing no person wanting to be with him or be
associated with him.
4.7. Respect for nature
 Nature has in it all the things we need to survive: food, water,
sunlight, etc. However, when we do not show respect for nature,
we can destroy it. This will affect us negatively in the
long run. We have destroyed a lot of nature already through
littering, building cities, and running factories that release carbon
dioxide into the atmosphere.
EVIDENCE OF THEME IN TEXT
 Gary’s grandmother expresses the idea that nature is good for
us. She notices that his mother does not look well. She says,
“‘You don’t look well. But a week in the country will soon sort you
out’” (pg. 156). She often talks about the peace and fresh air in
the country. She also reminds Gary to remember the “‘country
58
code’” (pg. 158). This is the set of rules in England that tell
people how to treat nature respectfully. However, Gary does not
care about this. He thinks it is nonsense. He does everything he
can to destroy and disrespect nature. In real life, nature could
not take revenge. In this story, however, Horowitz imagines what
it would be like if nature had magical powers and could take
revenge on people who treat it badly.
4.8. Justice
 This is the idea that things need to be fair. If someone does
something bad, they need to be punished according to what
they did wrong.
EVIDENCE OF THEME IN TEXT
 Gary treats everyone badly: his classmates, his mother, and his
grandmother. He is mean, selfish, and violent. No one is able to
control him. Therefore, the reader is satisfied at the end of the
story when Gary is punished by nature. He cannot hurt anyone
anymore because he is a scarecrow and he cannot move.
Not only is Gary punished, but he is punished in a way that feels
like the right kind of punishment. He hates nature, and now he is
forced to spend the rest of his life in nature. This is called poetic
justice because the punishment is so right, it feels like poetry.
5. SETTING
The story is set in the countryside (a rural area) in Suffolk, England. (Suffolk is
pronounced ‘Suf-fik’), which is not far from London. In the countryside, there
are forests of trees, vast (big) landscapes and many hills. It is set in the
current day.
59
6. PLOT
EXPOSITION
The story presents a very troublesome character (Gary), who is a natural bully
for both his peers and mother. It is this Gary whom no one wants to associate
with him under any circumstances.
RISING ACTION
Gary travels with his mother from London to Pye Hall (outside the little village
of Earl Soham) to visit his grandmother. It is a two-hour journey from where
they stay to the grandmother’s place. Gary does not like the place like
London.
CLIMAX
During his walk he experiences a few setbacks (losing track of the path,
injuring his ankle, stepping into a swamp of water with shoes, bitten by an
insect). He was exhausted and unable to continue walking back home.
FALLING ACTION
When Gary had walked he came to a point where he couldn’t
locate his way back home and ended –up being stuck on a pole like a
scarecrow.
RESOLUTION
He was reported as a missing person to the police. His mother left the place in
a taxi. Despite the mother seeing something like Gary, she didn’t bother to
stop the taxi and verify if it was indeed her son. This left the mother with
freedom as she was always bullied by Gary.
7. CHARACTER & CHARACTERISATION.

7.1. Gary Wilson
 Fifteen-year-old boy, tall for his age.
 A qualified school bully, who disrespects people and nature.
60
 Not heavily built, had long arms, hard fists, and knew how to use
them (something that possibly made him angry).
 Liked to be in control and was able to look after himself.
 No one would ever laugh at him.
 Everyone avoided him and was fine with it (lived a life of
isolation).
 Enjoyed hurting other kids, taking their lunch money or ripping pages
out of their books. He enjoys hurting and scaring people.
 His mother bribed him with CDs.
 Got lost while on a walk during a visit to the grandmother.
 The only child of Jane Wilson.
 He never got on well with his father (considering him not a man
of the family).
 Turns to be like a scarecrow.
 Reported to the police as a missing person.
SCARECROW
61
7.2. Jane Wilson

 Wife to Edward and mother to Gary.
 Lived together with her bully son (Gary) in London
 Lost her husband.
 Denies that she is thinner, tired, and has “no colour” / is pale.
(denial of emotional and physical suffering as seen by the
mother)
 Bribes her son with CD’s
 Got pension pay-outs and insurance policies after her husband’s
death.
 Part with mother after Gary had gone missing.
 Doesn’t bother to look at the figure that looks like the scarecrow,
even when she feels like it is her son. She now becomes free
from the troubles she used to have at the hands of Gary.
7.3. Edward Wilson

 Worked as a bank clerk at a local bank.
 He one day fell and died suddenly at work after getting a
massive heart attack (which might probably be as a result of
what Gary did to the young and old).
 Left some insurance policies and his pension funds were paid to
his wife.
7.4. Grandmother
 Mother to Jane.
 Stayed at Pye Hall (approximately two hour journey from
London).
 Her assessment of her daughter (Jane) is not pleasing. E.g.
Thin, tired, and bad skin tone / pale (colour).
 Despite her age she still cares about her child’s welfare and truly
loves nature.
62
8. POINT OF VIEW
The story has a third-person narrative voice. This means that the narrator,
who tells the story, is just a voice. He is not a character in the story. Gary does
not tell his own story, even though he is the main character.
9. STYLE
The writer uses informal language and the plot is not complex as it unfolds.
The events unfold clearly from the beginning up to the end.
10. DICTION / FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE.
10.1. FORESHADOWING:
Foreshadowing is when the writer gives us clues about what will

happen later on in the story. Horowitz gives us the following clues:
 As they arrive at his grandmother’s cottage a ‘couple of crows

swooped overhead and landed in a nearby field’ (pg. 156). In
stories, crows are often used as symbols of death. This is a clue
that something bad is going to happen.
 Gary’s grandmother says “‘Everything is different in the

country…You float along with time. You don’t feel time rushing
past you. You can stand out here and imagine how things were
before people spoiled everything with their noise and their
machines. You can still feel the magic in the countryside. The
power of Mother Nature. It’s all around you. Alive. Waiting…’”
(pg. 157). This comment gives us three clues. First, she
describes how you can “‘stand out here’”. When Gary is turned
into a scarecrow, all he can do is stand out in the field. Secondly,
she says there is “‘magic in the countryside’”. At the end of the
story, something magical really does happen when Gary is turned
63
into a scarecrow. Thirdly, she personifies nature as Mother

Nature and says that Mother Nature is alive. We see how nature
comes alive to take revenge on Gary during his walk, by hurting
him in different ways. Therefore, his grandmother’s comment acts
as foreshadowing and gives the reader clues about what will
happen later on in the story.
10.2. PERSONIFICATION:
Personification is a figure of speech in which things that are not human are
described as if they have human characteristics. In this story, nature is
personified as Mother Nature. Gary’s grandmother describes nature as if it is
a woman. She says, “‘The power of Mother Nature. It’s all around you. Alive.
Waiting…” (p. 157). Nature is not really a person. It cannot wait, because only
human beings and animals can wait. Nature is often personified as Mother
Nature to express the idea that nature will care for us if we protect it. Nature
gives us everything we need to survive: food, water, sunlight, and shelter.
However, in this story, the personification becomes real: nature is actually
able to do something that only human beings can do: take revenge. This is
where the story becomes supernatural, or magical.
10.3. IRONY:
Gary sneers at his grandmother when she says that there is magic in the
countryside. This means that he laughs at her in a mean, cruel way. He does
not believe in magic. In particular, he does not believe that there is anything
good about the countryside. It is therefore surprising when he discovers that
there is actually magic in the countryside. In this story, nature is able to
magically trap him in the field and turn him into a scarecrow. This is ironic.
The irony is that what happens is the opposite of what you expected to
happen. Discovering magic in nature is the opposite of what Gary expected.
Staying outside in the countryside is also the opposite of what he expected to
happen.
64
11. TONE
The tone is descriptive of an unbecoming behaviour in the child. Sympathetic
with the mother and other kids over what they are going through.
Demonstrates the extent to which how this kind of behaviour can lead in
someone suffering the consequences in the near future.
12. MOOD
People’s daily life is governed by fear of the bully in town. Behind this scary life,
nature is able to correct certain things by itself when it punishes Gary at the
end. Too much suspense keeps the reader intrigued and filled with fear of the
unknown that might reach out to Gary as he continues his walk in the fields.
65
13. ACTIVITY.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE.
1. What do you understand by a bully?
2. Who is a bully in the story?
3. Identify the two tactics that the bully would use towards other learners.
4. How would you explain a scarecrow?
5. The bullying is not only at school; but also at home. How was this soothed
by the mother at home?
6. Explain how the title relates to the main character in the story?
7. What does the writer achieve / lessons you learned from this story?
Substantiate with an example from the text.
8. Explain why ‘Heavy Metal Hits’ (pg. 156, line 17) is written in italics.
9. Do you have feelings of empathy towards the bully in this story?
Substantiate your response.
(Accept any reasonable position that a learner may present to
substantiate the response)
10. The boy ends up like a scarecrow. How does this indicate the effect that
nature has on his fate?
ANSWERS.
1. a person who purposely hurts, intimidates, threatens, or ridicules another

usually more vulnerable person especially repeatedly.
2. Gary Wilson.
3. - taking their lunch-money
- ripping pages out of their books
4. An object that looks like a person in old torn clothes and placed in the
garden or field to scare/frighten the birds.
5. The mother at times gives the bully CDs to avoid being bullied.
6. The character bullies kids and the mother
Scared by everyone around.
66
He was scared when nature was dealing with him and left like a
scarecrow.
7. When you do bad things to others they come to haunt you in the near
future.
Gary enjoyed hurting kids /bullying kids and his mother but he finally finds
himself like a scarecrow leaning against the pole.
8. It is the name of a CD/album.
9. No. He was bullying young and old people around, deriving pleasure/fun
out of it.
Yes. He is still a young child of fifteen years old and is still learning how to
relate with other people around him.
(Accept any reasonable position that a learner may present to
substantiate the response)
10. He ends up in the field leaning against the pole after he gets lost. Nature
is in a way showing that it can be more powerful than he is and it
demonstrates the punishment that nature gives him on behalf of the
people he had hurt/harassed.
67

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Confidential Information - This is for official consumption

Ahmed Essop was born in India but grew up in

Gemini is a zodiac sign symbolized by the twin-like

Therefore, the title “Gemini” serves as a metaphor for the lives

VI. DISOBEDIENCE / REBELLION

Rising Action Falling Action

Exposition Denouement / Resolution

II. Rising Action

IV. Falling Action

F. CHARACTER AND CHARACTERIZATION

G. NARRATOR’S POINT OF VIEW

An informal, straightforward, simple style is used throughout the story.

The following are examples of literary devices:

Examples of mood include:

 Pity / Sadness / Anxious / Suspense

ACTIVITY TOTAL: [17]

1.1. Why is the following statement FALSE?

Jenny Hobbs is a novelist and freelance journalist who lives

An event causing grief and suffering, destruction, and distress, such as

II. PAIN AND SUFFERING

III. DIVISION / SEGREGATION

The setting is a rural place in Kwa-Zulu Natal on a Monday morning.

F. CHARACTER AND CHARACTERISATION

III. The car driver

The short story is narrated from a third-person’s point of view.

The author executes informal language, deeper connotations, and dialogue.

Symbolism: the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities

The following are examples of figures of speech:

II. Personification: Attribution of personal nature or human qualities to

IV. Hyperbole (Exaggeration)

Has to take seriously overwhelming decisions at her young

we would fare in life it was us.

ACTIVITY TOTAL: [16]

(a) Identify the figure of speech used in this line. (1)

(b) Why is the following statement False?

2. Wrinkled skin. (1)

(b) She had no knowledge about white people. (1)

3. PINK BOW TIE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul Jennings (born 30 April 1943) is an English-born

He was born in Heston, Middlesex (London). In 1949 his

II. What is the truth?

II. Old Splodge (The Principal)

III. Miss Newham (The principal’s Secretary)

IV. The boy smoking in the train.

V. An old lady in the train.

VI. A mean-looking guy.

e.g. “Well, here I am again, …”

Symbolism: the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities

1. The bow tie. The bow tie is pink in color.

The following are examples of figures of speech used in the story:

“Your bow tie, it is ridiculous. It looks like a pink vampire”

1. Why was the boy called to the principal’s office? (1)

by Toni Cade Bambara

II. SIBLING RELATIONSHIP

III. RIVALRY BETWEEN GIRLS

grudges against Gretchen by considering co-coaching Raymond with

IV. WHAT MATTERS MORE THAN WINNING

V. FEMININITY AND FEMALE RELATIONSHIP

Hazel pride herself as a runner-cum-caretaker. Her mother and dad did

We are introduced to an adolescent girl named Hazel who is a staunch

Hazels is confronted by Gretchen and her assistance (Louise and Rosie)

next fifty-yard May dash.

III. RISING ACTION