CSEC ENGLISH B (PROSE ESSAY QUESTIONS)

N.B: Consists of Essay Questions for Animal Farm, The

Life of Laetitia and A World of Prose

PROSE:

ANIMAL FARM ESSAY QUESTIONS

1. "Change is the only constant in life.”

Write an essay in which you describe three major changes that happened on the farm after
the rebellion. In your essay, you must also discuss how some of these changes affected the
animals. Finally, comment on Orwell's use of one narrative technique to examine the theme
of change.

2. "The oppressed are allowed once every few years to decide which particular
representatives of the oppressing class are to represent and repress them."

Write an essay in which you prove the validity of this statement in Orwell's Animal Farm
with reference to two incidents. You must also compare and contrast the oppressive class
before the Rebellion with the one after the rebellion. Comment on the use of one technique
which illustrates oppression.

3. "Political power, properly so called, is merely the organised power of one class for
oppressing another."

Write an essay in which you prove the validity of this statement in Orwell's Animal Farm
with reference to two incidents. You must also compare and contrast the different classes
Comment on the use of one technique which illustrates oppression.

4. "History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce."

Write an essay in which you explain two ways how history is repeated in the novel. You
must also examine how history is changed for the benefit of dictators. Finally, comment on
the effective utilisation of one narrative technique to examine the repetition of historical
events in the novel.

5. "Revolutions are the locomotives of history."

Write an essay in which you describe two revolutions in the novel. You must also examine
the effect the specified rebellions have on the farm. Discuss the effectiveness of one
narrative device used to examine the significance of rebellion in the novel.
 6. "Religion is the opium of the masses."

Write an essay in which you examine the role of Moses in the novel. Discuss the significance
of religion and how it is used in the novel. Examine the significance of one device used to
explore religion in the text.

7. "Take away a nation's heritage and they are more easily persuaded."

Write an essay in which you examine the heritage of Animal farm. You must also explore
how traditions are changed for the benefit of those in power. Discuss Orwell's use of a
literary device examining change and transformation of the society.

8. "The existence of the state is inseparable from the existence of slavery."

Write an essay in which you compare the hierarchical structure of Animal farm to the
system of slavery. You must examine one character as the coloniser and one as the
colonised with specific examples. Finally, elaborate on the author's use of one device to
delineate the theme of oppression.

9. "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."

Write an essay in which you provide three examples of inequality in the novel.
You must also discuss the hierarchy evident on the farm with specific reference to two
animals who were oppressed. Comment on the effectiveness of one device used to explore
inequality in the text.

10. "Man serves the interests of no creature except himself."

Write an essay in which you explore the selfishness of humans as portrayed in the novel.
You must also examine the selfishness of the pigs in the novel. Finally, comment on Orwell's
use of irony to explore selfishness as a common trait of oppressors.

11. "Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear."

Write an essay in which you examine two examples of freedom of speech in Animal farm.
Moreover, you must also explore the two incidents of the oppression of freedom of speech
and censorship in Orwell's novel. Discuss the effectiveness of one technique used to
examine either censorship in the text.

12. "Power does not corrupt. Fear corrupts... perhaps the fear of a loss of power."

Write an essay in which you examine two incidents of power being used for abuse of others
in Animal farm. You must also explain how fear of losing power over others may serve as a
motivation in dictatorship. Comment on the effectiveness of one device used to examine
fear or power in Orwell's Animal Farm.

13. "Animal Farm can be regarded as an allegorical commentary on politics."

Write an essay in which you examine the Animal Farm as a literary retelling of political
corruption using farm animals by describing two incidents which can be considered
examples of political corruption. You must also examine the pigs and dogs as corrupt
politicians and two other animals as the misguided public. Finally, explore one device used
by the author to portray corruption in the text.

14. "Power is not a means; it is an end."

Write an essay in which you examine the power struggle evident among the farm animals in
Orwell's text. You must also discuss the two examples of dictatorial power in the text.
Comment on the effectiveness of one device used to illustrate power in the text.

15. "The end was contained in the beginning."

Write an essay in which you explore the cyclic structure of the novel by comparing the state
of the farm at the beginning and end of the novel.
Moreover, you must also discuss the similarities between Mr. Jones and the pigs and how
they treat the animals. Comment on the effectiveness of irony in depiction the circular
nature of oppression.

16. “Who controls the past controis the future. Who controls the present controls the
past."

Write an essay in which you describe two incidents of the pigs changing history in the novel.
Moreover, you must also discuss two key incidents that were changed to favour those in
power. Finally, comment on the use of irony to explore the theme of control in the text.

17. "Freedom is slavery."

Write an essay in which you examine two examples of how the system of the pigs was a
form of slavery. You must also examine two examples of how the pigs were no different
from Mr. Jones. Comment on the effectiveness of the use of contrast to examine the freedom
of the pigs and the slavery of the other animals.

18. "Ignorance is strength."

Write an essay in which you examine two examples of the ignorance of the other farm
animals who serve the pigs. Moreover, you must also discuss how the ignorance of the
others brought strength to the pigs. Comment on the effectiveness of contrast in the
exploration of oppression in the text.

19. "Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy."

Write an essay in which you examine two examples of dictatorship in the novel.
You must also discuss the movement from democracy to dictatorship in the novel with
reference to the pigs. Finally, comment on the effectiveness of irony. in the delineation of
dictatorship in the text.

20. "Betrayal is rife in Orwell's Animal Farm."

Write an essay in which you examine the theme of betrayal through the description of two
examples from the novel. You must also examine how two specific animals were betrayed
by Napoleon. Comment on the effectiveness of one device used to explore betrayal in
Orwell's novel.

21. “In Animal Farm, Napoleon struggles for power for selfish gains."

Write an essay in which you describe Napoleon's struggle for power in the novella. In this
essay, you must discuss how this struggle impacted the lives of the animals on the farm, and
examine one literary device that the writer uses to highlight the issue of power and greed.

22. “The vision for the animals at the start of the novella is a stark contrast to the
onding."

Write an essay in which you describe the dream of the animals on Animal Farm. In your
essay, you must also discuss the structures that are put in place.

FOR THE LIFE OF LAETITIA ESSAY QUESTIONS

1. "The oppression of women in society is a major issue in Merle Hodge's For the Life
of Laetitia"

Write an essay in which you describe the oppression of two major female characters in the
novel. You must also describe how each character reacts to and copes with the oppression
that they have to endure. Finally, comment on the effectiveness of one narrative technique
used to explore the theme of oppression.

2. "Education can be a great equaliser or another tool of oppression within society."

Write an essay describing TWO teacher-student relationships in the novel. One relationship
must capture the empowerment of students while the other delineates the oppression of
students. You must also describe how the different rapports between teachers and students
reflect the issues in wider society. Finally, comment on the author's use of one narrative
technique used to examine either empowerment or oppression by teachers.

3. "The family is a major preoccupation in Merle Hodge's "For the Life of Laetitia"

Write an essay in which you describe TWO families in the novel. You must also discuss how
the family relationship influences the academic performance of students. Finally, comment
on Merle Hodge's use of one narrative device in the thematic development of family.

4. "The construction of gender is a central concern in the novel form."

Write an essay discussing how ONE character constructs his masculinity and ONE character
constructs her femininity. The way the male character above influences the female
characters and how the before-mentioned female character influences or is influenced by
male characters must also be analysed. Finally, comment on the effectiveness of ONE
narrative technique used to explore the theme of gender.

5. "Power relationships are evident in the novel."

Write an essay in which you describe TWO power relationships in Hodge's For the Life of
Laetitia. You must also describe how the oppressed character or characters are affected by
the power relationship. Finally, comment on the effectiveness of one narrative technique
used to delineate power in the novel.

6. "In For the Life of Laetitia, the Social Studies teacher presents to the class a picture
of the happy family."

Write an essay in which you discuss the theme of family as presented in the novel. You must
identify the characteristics that make for a happy family life, and show how the technique of
contrast contributes to the effectiveness of the discussion.

7. "The education of women is an important theme in the novel For the Life of Laetitia."

Write an essay exploring this theme. You must compare the experiences of Laetitia and her
friend, Anjanee, and suggest reasons for the inclusion, in the narrative, of Mama Patsy and
Anjanee's mother.

8. "Perhaps home is not a place."

Write an essay in which you discuss the theme of home by describing two different homes
in the novel. In your essay, you must also discuss the definition of home and how it is
portrayed through the protagonist. Finally, comment on the effective use of one narrative
device to develop the theme of home.

9. "Friendship is a central preoccupation in the novel, For the Life of Laetitia."

Write an essay in which you describe Laetitia and Anjanee's friendship. In your essay, you
must also discuss how Mr. Cephas and Mrs. Lopez view their friendship. Finally, comment
on the effective use of the theme of friendship to explore education as an issue in the text.

10. "Racism plagues the actions of certain characters in Hodge's For the Life of Laetitia."

Write an essay in which you describe TWO racist characters in the novel and discuss how
their racist views affected the other characters around them. Finally, discuss the author's
ues of one device to examine racial prejudice in the text.

11. “Hodge's presentation of the classroom in the novel portrays it as a microcosm of

wider society."

Write an essay in which you examine the validity of the statement above by discussing TWO
incidents which prove that the classroom was a reflection of the wider society. In this essay,
you must also examine how Ms. Hafeez tried to help the students to become better people
and how Mr. Twearie brought out the worst in the students. Finally, comment on Hodge's
effective use of one device in the thematic development of social inequality in the novel.

12. "There is an interesting intersection between social class and education in Hodge's
For the Life of Laetitia."

Write an essay in which you describe TWO incidents in which social class and education
were interlocked. You must also discuss how these overlapping issues were portrayed in
the novel using ONE teacher and ONE student.
Finally, comment on the use of one device in the effective delineation of either social class
OR education in the novel.

13. "Women are portrayed as being central in the Trinidadian familial unit in For the
Life of Laetitia."

Write an essay in which you describe TWO female characters who were essential in the
proper management of their families in the novel. In this essay, you must also discuss the
authority of Mr. Cephas in his family and how it differs from the family structures examined
above. Finally, comment on the effective utilisation of ONE technique used to portray the
issue of family in the novel.

14. "The fragility of the adolescent mind is a haunting concept weaved into the
background of For the Life of Laetitia."

Write an essay in which you describe TWO incidents of how a teacher contributed to the
mental and psychological deterioration of Anjanee in the novel. You must also discuss how
her fellow classmates responded to these incidents and how they tried to support her.
Finally, examine Hodge's use of irony to delineate how teachers negatively impact the
mental health of students.

WORLD OF PROSE ESSAY QUESTIONS

1. Select TWO stories in which setting plays a significant part in the development of the
storyline. Write an essay in which you describe the setting of EACH story. You must
also explain the significance of the setting in the development of the story. Finally,
discuss ONE other narrative element that is used to develop the story.

2. The difference between how children and adults see the world is highlighted in the
stories “Berry” and “Raymond Run”, but readers are encouraged to prefer how the
children see the world. Write an essay in which you outline the views held by
children which are highlighted in each story. You must also explain the adults’ views
on the matter. Finally, say which view you prefer and justify your answer.

3. In the stories, “The Man of the House” and “What Happened?”, there is a focus on
ambiguity in male-female relationships. Write an essay in which you describe ONE
male-female relationship presented in each story. You must also show how the
ambiguity is presented in EACH of these male-female relationships and discuss ONE
theme that each writer portrays through these relationships.

4. Select TWO stories in which a love relationship is presented. Write an essay in which
you describe the love relationship and discuss how the attitudes displayed by TWO
characters who are involved in this relationship affect the outcome of it. Finally,
identify and comment on ONE device used by the writer to convey his/her view of
the relationship.
5. The narrators in “Berry” and “Mom Luby and the Social Worker” help us to
understand the nature of injustice. Write an essay in which you outline what
happens in EACH story and describe the injustice in each story. Finally, state which
narrator contributes more to your understanding of the nature of injustice and
justify your selection.

6. “An effective story holds the interest of the reader” Choose TWO stories that you
have studied from the prescribed list. For each story, describe a memorable event or
incident and comment on ONE character’s reaction to the event or incident you
described above. Finally, discuss how the writer keeps the reader interested in this
story.

7. From the prescribed list, choose TWO stories which deal with relationships. For
EACH story, describe the nature of ONE of the relationships and discuss how the
persons involved are affected by the relationship. Finally, comment on ONE way in
which the writer sustains the reader’s interest in his or her portrayal of the
relationship.

8. The stories “Berry” and “Georgia and Them There United States” focus on racism and
its consequences. For each story, describe an incident in which racism occurs and
discuss the consequences of this incident. Finally, discuss how the writer uses
dialogue OR characterization to present the theme of racism.

9. In the stories “The Two Grandmothers” and “To Da-Duh in Memoriam”

grandmothers have great influence. Write an essay in which you describe what
happens in EACH story and compare the grandmothers’ influence on the
granddaughters’ view of herself. Finally, of the three grandmothers presented in the
two stories above, comment on the effectiveness of the writer’s presentation of ONE
of the grandmothers.

10. Choose TWO stories from the prescribed list which focuses on conflict. For EACH
story, describe the nature of the conflict and discuss the development and resolution
of the conflict examined above. Finally, examine the writer’s use of dialogue in
developing the conflict.