Dictionary meaning

inaudible
– “He speaks with a very thin, subtle voice, so inaudible that it is hard to tell if he is
speaking at all.”
Anachronistic
– “He only owns one shirt -- the one he wore for the first time on the day of his marriage
-- and it has an anachronistic plastic collar.”
Extortionate
– “In view of the extortionate outlay this involves, Luke has stopped buying his
newspaper and (an even greater sacrifice) The Reader's Digest, his two favourite
publications.”
reproachful
– “If four are already seated and Luke is standing up, he demands permission, in an
Indignant and reproachful tone, to sit down…”

Inaudible
Quiet, silent, faint, hushed
Anachronistic
– Old-fashioned, old, outdated, obsolete, dated
Extortionate
– Expensive, exorbitant, overpriced, extravagant
Reproachful
– Disapproving, judgmental, reproving, critical
Summarise the story in 3 sentences

1. The story follows the character of Luke

who is bullied in both his married life and
his workplace
2. Due to his timid character, he remains
acquiescent most of the time
3. However, when he stepped on the bus,
his personality turns for the worse as he
rebelled to release his stress.
Off the bus
1. Shy
Instead of saying 'Excuse me', he prefers
to glide by one side.
2. Timid
He speaks with a very thin, subtle voice, so
inaudible that it is hard to tell if he is
speaking at all.
3. Has no interest in sports
Luke is a tiny, sedentary, squalid person
and has never been interested in sports.
On the bus
1. Not shy at all
Then, with breadcrumbs and threads of
salami still between his teeth and pointing
his mouth towards the other passenger's
noses, he walks along the vehicle shouting
loudly, 'Excuse me'.
2. Vocal
Later he usually makes some recriminatory
remark against those that kept their seats.
His eloquence is always effective, and
some mortally ashamed passenger gets off
at the next stop
3. Feigned interest in sports
…Saturday evening, he switches on his
portable radio and turns the volume up full
in order to follow the boxing match.
Sundays he dedicates to football and
tortures the rest of the passengers with the
noisy broadcasts.
4. Dislike to inconvenience others
In order not to inconvenience anyone,
he always walks sideways.
5. Patient
If the gap is so narrow that it will not
allow him to pass, Luke waits patiently
until the obstruction -- be it animate or
inanimate, rational or irrational --
moves by itself
Purposely inconvenience others
If four are already seated and Luke is
standing up, he demands permission,
in an indignant and reproachful tone, to
sit down -- which he then does,
managing to take up an excessive
amount of space.
Trying the driver’s (& passengers’)
patience
• In fact, I would say that the driver's
impatience gives him a certain
amount of pleasure. Then he pays
with the largest possible number of
small coins, which he delivers a few
at the time, in varying amounts and
at irregular intervals
 Q4- Themes
Themes Explanation
1. Identity Crisis • Dichotomy of human nature: Good Vs Bad
• Normally, Luke is a very shy, timid man who
succumbs to his family’s and his employer’s
demands. However, every time he rides the bus, his
personality turns 180 degree.

2. Roles of men • As a husband- conventionally a domineering role-

leader of family, a bread winner and decision
maker- Does Luke fulfill all these?
• Expectation of man- machismo, strong,
courageous- what about Luke?
Family ties • Willingness to sacrifice for the good of the family
• Mutual support for happiness
• In the story, do these happen?

Respect • As a human being, as an employee, as a husband, as a

father

Right vs. Wrong • Duality of Luke’s attitude

• How the family and the employer treat Luke

Rebellion • Luke’s way of venting his anger and frustration

 Explain Luke’s character
briefly
• Luke is the oldest and the least important employee of a dismal company that imports
cloth. It operates out of a very dark building with black-stained wooden floors situated in
Alsina street. The owner -- I know him personally -- is called don Aqueróntido -- I don't
know whether that is his first name or his surname -- and he has a ferocious moustache,
is bald and has a thunderous voice. He is also violent and greedy. My friend Luke goes to
work dressed all in black, wearing a very old suit that shines from age. He only owns one
shirt -- the one he wore for the first time on the day of his marriage -- and it has an
anachronistic plastic collar. He also only owns one tie, so frayed and greasy that it looks
more like a shoelace. Unable to bear the disapproving looks of don Aqueróntido, Luke,
unlike his colleagues, does not dare work without his jacket on and in order to keep this
jacket in good condition he wears a pair of grey sleeve-protectors. His salary is ludicrously
low, but he still stays behind in the office every day and works for another three or four
hours: the tasks don Aqueróntido gives him are so huge that he has no chance of
accomplishing them within normal hours. Now, just after the don Aqueróntido cut his
salary yet again, his wife has decided that Juan Manuel must not do his secondary
studies in a state school. She has chosen to put his name down for a very costly
institution in the Belgrano area. In view of the extortionate outlay this involves, Luke has
stopped buying his newspaper and (an even greater sacrifice) The Reader's Digest, his
two favourite publications. The last article he managed to read in the Reader's Digest
explained how husbands should repress their own overwhelming personality in order to
make room for the actualisation of the rest of the family group.
• a) What does the company Luke work for do?
Describe his workplace using your own words

[2 marks]

• In your own words, describe Luke at his

workplace . Provide evidence from the text.

[4 marks]

• What is the MAIN theme in this excerpt? Explain

how this theme is conveyed in the excerpt.

[4 marks]
Answer.

• A) The company Luke works for imports cloth [1]. His workplace appears to
be in a gloomy and dirty building on Alsina Street [1]

*penalize 1 mark if student uses words from the text.

B) Luke is overworked [1/2] and underpaid [1/2]. This can be seen as Luke
works overtime every day [1/2] to complete the huge tasks his boss leaves him
[1/2] as shown in the words “he still stays behind in the office every day and
works for another three or four hours: the tasks don Aqueróntido gives him are
so huge that he has no chance of accomplishing them within normal hours”/
lines 12-15 [1]. His pay is also very small as seen in the line “His salary is
ludicrously low” [1].

award ½ marks for each description of Luke at the workplace if student uses own
words only.
*accept similar answers
*make sure students use (“”) for evidence from text.
c) The main theme in this excerpt is the role of men [1]. This theme is
shown through Luke as the working man [1/2] who works hard to provide
for his family [1/2] as is expected of a man. However, Luke is
disrespected/ overworked and underpaid as an employee despite being
the oldest one there [1]. This suggests Luke is not a man who can stand
up for himself and therefore a failure as one [1].

• *accept similar/logical answers

There is, however, one remarkable aspect to Luke: his behaviour as soon as he steps
on a bus. Generally, this is what happens:
He requests a ticket and begins to look for his money, slowly. He holds up one hand to
ensure that the driver keeps waiting, unsure of what to do. Luke does not hurry. In fact,
I would say that the driver's impatience gives him a certain amount of pleasure. Then
he pays with the largest possible number of small coins, which he delivers a few at the
time, in varying amounts and at irregular intervals. For some reason, this disturbs the
driver, who, apart from having to pay attention to other cars, the traffic lights, other
passengers getting on or off, and having to drive the bus itself, is forced to perform
complicated arithmetic. Luke aggravates the problem by including in his payment an
old Paraguayan coin that he keeps for the purpose and which is invariably returned to
him. This way, mistakes are usually made in the accounts and an argument ensues.
Then, in a serene but firm manner, Luke begins to defend his rights, employing
arguments so contradictory that it is impossible to understand what point he is actually
trying to make. Finally, the driver, at the end of the last tether of his sanity and in an
act of final resignation, chooses to throw out the coins -- perhaps as a means of
repressing his wish to throw out Luke or, indeed, himself.
Question

• A) Based on Luke’s interaction with the bus driver, what is the main
difference in Luke’s characteristic when he steps on the bus as opposed
to him off the bus?

[2 marks]
B) In not more than THREE (3) words, determine the meanings of the
following:

• intervals
• aggravates
• serene
• tether [4 marks]

C ) One of the themes from “My Friend Luke” is respect. Describe how this
theme is conveyed in the excerpt above.

[3 marks]
 Answer

A) The main difference is Luke is much more vocal about his rights/ defensive/
speaks up for himself/ loud on the bus [1], but is usually timid/ quiet/ speaks in a
low voice off the bus [1]
• *do not accept other Luke’s characteristics than the ones stated above as the
question refers to the above excerpt which only discusses Luke’s arguments
with the driver.

B) In not more than THREE (3) words, determine the meanings of the following:
• intervals breaks/pauses [1]
• aggravates worsens [1]
• serene calm [1]
• tether rope/chain [1]

C )The theme respect is shown in the way Luke disrespects the bus driver [1]. In
this excerpt, Luke is deliberately rude to the driver, testing his patience and
purposely picking fights with him. Therefore we see a lack of respect towards the
bus driver on Luke’s behalf. [2]