Opening Worlds Revision Booklet

OCR Short Stories Revision Booklet

Page 1 of 37

Opening Worlds Short Story Anthology

Revision Booklet

Opening Worlds “Short Stories From Different Cultures” Stories 1 - 6

Sandfields Comprehensive School English Department


Page 2 of 37

For your English Literature exam Paper 2: Poetry and Prose, you need to know the plot, characters, settings and themes of all twelve stories. This booklet covers the first six stories (‘Dead Men’s Path’ to ‘The Tall Woman and Her Short Husband). The second group of six stories (‘The Pieces of Silver’ to ‘The Winter Oak’) is used in Paper 2 of the English exam as well as the Literature exam. These are covered in a separate booklet. Questions can be about character, theme or culture. You also need to be able to say how the language the author uses adds to the reader’s understanding of character, theme etc, or how it adds to the overall enjoyment of the story, so you will be finding and explaining quotations. Questions always focus on two stories so it is useful to know some of the links between stories stories so you can see which ones are are likely to be paired. paired. The ‘Connections’ heading will help you here. You will have a choice of of three questions. questions. The first is always a context question, which prints prints an extract for you to focus on. on. Other questions questions may allow you to choose which stories you answer on. You will have a copy of Opening Worlds in the exam, but it will not be your own annotated copy; you will therefore need to get to know the stories well beforehand. 1900 English GCSE: The six stories you need to know for your English GCSE are: The Pieces of Silver The Red Ball

The Young Couple Leela’s Friend

Games at Twilight The Winter Oak

The main assessment objective you will cover is to read literature from other cultures and traditions.

1901 English Literature GCSE: You need to know all twelve short stories:



1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Dead Men’s Path The Train from Rhodesia Two Kinds Snapshots of a Wedding The Gold-Legged Frog Tall Woman and her Short Husband

Page 3 of 37

7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

The Pieces of Silver The Young Couple Games at Twilight The Red Ball Leela’s Friend The Winter Oak

The main assessment objective you will cover is to relate texts to their social, cultural and historical contexts and literary traditions. It is important to be aware of the different cultures and ways of living presented in these stories. However, it is more important to be aware of how each writer presents the different cultures to us in the stories. You must, therefore, read the stories carefully and more than once!



Page 4 of 37

Dead Men’s Path by Chinua Achebe Plot:

Dead Men’s Path begins with Michael Obi being appointed Head Master of Ndume Central School. He wanted the school to be progressive and modern; he scorned traditional cultural beliefs. Mr Obi saw an old woman hobbling in the hedges and noticed that there was a path running through the school. He decided to ignore the cultural history of the path and cover it with fences and barbed wire. The village priest visited the Mr Obi to discuss the closure of the path; he said the closure of the path would prevent spirits entering and leaving the village. The priest asked Mr Obi to reopen the path to prevent quarrels. Mr Obi refused the proposal and said that the path was ‘against our regulations’. He suggested they build a new path that skirted the premises. A woman died in the village in childbirth and the villagers were angry that the closure of the path had angered their ancestors. They ransacked the school and tore down the fences and flowerbeds surrounding the path. An inspector came to the school and criticised Obi’s handling of the situation.

Characters: Michael Obi is the main character in the story. While he has positive qualities like being well educated, young and enthusiastic, his arrogance, unwillingness to listen and refusal to compromise are his downfall. He believes that just because ideas are modern they are right and he laughs at and insults anything that he sees as old fashioned. In the end, this makes him look stupid; the story starts with him saying ‘what a grand opportunity we’ve got at last to show these people how a school should be run’ (43/44) and ends with the report which describes the tribal war situation developing between the school and the village, arising in part from the misguided zeal of the new headmaster’ (112/114). •

•

• •

‘Young and energetic’ (5), ‘many wonderful ideas’ (6), ‘with enthusiasm’ (6), sound secondary school education’ (7/8) ‘He was outspoken in his condemnation of the narrow views of these older and often less-educated (teachers).’ (10/11) ‘His passion for modern methods’ (17) ‘The whole purpose of this school is to eradicate just such beliefs … Our duty is to teach your children to laugh at such ideas’ (90/91).



Page 5 of 37

Obi’s wife shares his beliefs. She is a shallow person, more interested in showing off her status and impressing other people than making their lives better. •

‘She began to see herself already as the admired wife of the young headmaster, the queen of the school. The wives of the other teachers would envy her position. She would set the fashion in everything…’ (19-23)

The village priest represents tradition and good sense. He is polite, reasonable and offers a compromise so that everyone can get along together, everything that Obi is not. • •

‘What you say may be true, but we follow the practices of our fathers’ (94/95) ‘What I always say is: let the hawk perch and let the eagle perch’ (96/97)

Themes: The story is mainly about the clash between the modern and traditional ways of life, two different cultures, with Obi representing the modern and the village priest the traditional. Seen in this way, the story seems to support the traditional way of life, as it is more tolerant and seems to want to help and support people. The story is also about education. As Obi presents it, the school is there to destroy what people believe and replace it with what he thinks they should believe. The author, by making Obi fail at the end of the story, obviously does not believe this to be right – education is there to support and help people, not to criicise and destroy. This last point leads to another theme – the abuse of power or authority. As a headmaster, Obi has the trust of the community; children are society’s most valuable possession. His job is to support and serve the villagers, but because he is so arrogant and believes himself to be better educated, he thinks he knows what these people need and imposes it on them, which is why they rebel. He shows no respect for the beliefs of others (‘Our duty is to teach your children to laugh at such ideas’), in fact he is very insulting.

Connections: •

•

•

•

Education and teachers: Mr Chase in The Pieces of Silver; Anna Vasilevna in The Winter Oak; Neo in Snapshots of a Wedding Abuse of Power: The Deputy District Officer in The Gold-Legged Frog; the Tailor’s wife in The Tall Woman; Mr Chase in The Pieces of Silver; the Police Inspector in Leela’s Friend Conflict between traditional and modern: Neo in Snapshots of a Wedding; Jing-mei and her mother in Two Kinds. Pride: Neo in Snapshots of a Wedding; the young man in Train From Rhodesia; Mr Chase in The Pieces of Silver; Ravi in Games at Twilight Sandfields Comprehensive School English Department


Page 6 of 37

Snapshots of a Wedding by Bessie Head Plot: Snapshots of a Wedding is about a man called Kegoletile and two women, Neo and Mathata. They form a love triangle. Both women are pregnant but Kegoletile chooses Neo over Mathata because she is educated and therefore likely to earn more money. Neo is disliked by most of the people around her because she is arrogant and opinionated. Mathata, on the other hand, is a pleasant girl who is well-liked. An aunt, who can’t stand Neo’s behaviour any more, tells her how unpopular she is. This shocks Neo into trying to be more agreeable, so that she doesn’t lose her husband to Mathata. After the wedding, Kegoletile’s mother says to Neo “Be a good wife”.

Characters: Neo, the bride, is the main character. She is an unpopular figure in the village – people feel her modern education makes her feel superior to others and she is spoiled by her mother. She gets a shock in the middle of the story when she realizes that Mathata, a girl that her future husband has made pregnant is a possible rival to her, and this causes her to try to behave more acceptably. •

•

‘She was an impossible girl with haughty, arrogant ways. Of all her family and relatives, she was the only one who had completed her ‘O’ Levels and she never failed to rub in this fact.’ (37-39) ‘(The shock) wiped the superior smile off her face and brought her down a little. She developed an anxiety to greet people and also an anxiety about securing Kegolitile as a husband. That was why she became pregnant…’(112-115)

Kegoletile is the man that Neo will marry. He is rich and seems nice enough – a good catch for a young woman. Although he prefers Mathata, he decides to marry Neo as she will be a money earner – perhaps a wife isn’t as important to him as the status money will bring. •

•

‘He had about him an engaging humility and eagerness to help and please that made him loved and respected by all who knew him’ (90/91) ‘He knew what he was marrying…a new kind of girl with false postures and aquired, grand-madame ways. And yet, it didn’t pay a man these days to look too closely into his heart. They all wanted as wives, women who were big money earners and they were so ruthless about it!’ (84-88)



Page 7 of 37

Mathata is a very pleasant young woman, but he social status is much lower that the others. She is independent and practical, telling Kegoletile not to bother bringing her expensive dresses as she can’t wear them. She represents the poorer members of society; not as well off in terms of money, but a lot happier in themselves. •

•

She was a very pretty girl with black eyes like stars; she was always smiling and happy; immediately and always her own natural self. (82/83) For Mathata, he (Kegoletile) agreed to a court order to pay a maintenance of R10.00 a month until the child was twenty years old. Mathata merely smiled too. Girls like her offered no resistance to the approaches of men; when they lost them, they just let things ride. (64-68)

Themes: The story centres on the arrogance of Neo and how pride could have led to a fall. Her way of thinking that an education made her superior to others makes Neo an unpopular figure, and shows that an education on its own does not necessarily improve a person; Mathata is uneducated but is a much nicer and more popular figure. The power of the family is also important. They are all involved in the preparations for the wedding and ceremony itself. It is one of Neo’s relatives that tells her what people think. Although she didn’t like what she heard, Neo believed the aunt and changed her behaviour as a result. The story ends with the aunt telling Neo to be a good wife – perhaps with the support of her family, she can be. There is also the idea of a conflict between traditional and modern. The bride and groom want a modern wedding, but there is a suggestion that they are ill-matched and the marriage will not be successful. It is the traditional role of the aunts that provides the opportunity for success, so maybe there is a case for keeping the traditional qualities of the marriage process.

Connections: •

•

•

•

Education and teachers: Mr Chase in The Pieces of Silver; Anna Vasilevna in The Winter Oak; Michael Obi in Dead Men’s Path Conflict between traditional and modern: Jing-mei and her mother in Two Kinds; Obi and the priest in Dead Men’s Path Couples: Cathy and Naraian in The Young Couple; The Tall Woman and her Short Husband; the couple in Train From Rhodesia Family: Jing Mei’s family in Two Kinds; Bolan’s family in The Red Ball; the Dovecots in The Pieces of Silver; Naraian’s family in The Young Couple; Leela’s family in Leela’s Friend; Ravi’s family in Games at Twilight



Page 8 of 37

The Train from Rhodesia by Nadine Gordimer Plot:

A train pulls up at a remote African station. Local people wander over in curiosity, selling goods and trying to get money from the people on the train. A newly married woman sees a wooden lion and admires its splendour and beauty. She does not buy it, however. She has a flashback of the first few weeks of married life. It seems that she does not know her husband particularly well. The train pulls off, and slowly crawls along the track. The woman’s husband dashes into her cabin and waves the lion in her face. He has bought it despite her wishes for him not to. They start arguing about the cost of the lion; she believes its worth more. He does not understand that she handed the loin back to the vendor out of respect for its beauty and can’t understand why she is so angry that he got it so cheaply. Their lack of understanding suggests that this marriage won’t work.

Characters: The young woman on the train is at the centre of the story; the reader is told her thoughts and feelings. She is quite a sensitive person, admiring the beauty of the carved lion and appreciating the skill that went into making it. She seems to be unhappy with herself and her life; she suffers a feeling of emptiness that she thought was to do with being single and lonely. Her recent marriage doesn’t seem real to her, just part of the holiday experience. She feels powerless and frustrated. The end of the story suggests that marriage was a mistake. Of all the whites in the story, she alone has a conscience, feeling shame at the way the black artist is treated by her new husband. Her feelings suggest that the whites have little culture or spiritual happiness in their lives; they are empty people unlike the blacks who seem full of life. •

•

If you wanted the thing, she said, her voice rising and breaking with the shrill impotence of anger, why didn’t you buy it in the first place? If you wanted it, why didn’t you pay for it? Why didn’t you take it decently, when he offered it? (151-154) The heat of shame mounted through her legs and body and sounded in her ears like the sound of sand pouring…She sat there, sick. A weariness, a tastlessness, the discovery of a void made her hands slacken their grip, atrophy emptily…She was feeling like this again…(171-178)



Page 9 of 37

Her husband, the young man, is a shallow figure in the story. He perhaps represents the majority of white men who don’t care about the native population and who happily take advantage of them. He is not a particularly sensitive person; he doesn’t appreciate the carving or understand his new wife’s frustration. He has little in the way of integrity or soul. •

• •

‘The young man swung in from the corridor, breathless. He was shaking his head with laughter and triumph’ (134/135) ‘He laughed. I was arguing with him for fun, bargaining’ ‘He was shocked by the dismay of her face’ (148/149) ‘He stood astonished, his hands hanging at his sides’ ( 158)

The carved lion, although not a human, is still a powerful figure in the story. It symbolises the culture of the local black population, powerful, dignified, fearless, proud. •

‘Between its vandyke teeth, in the mouth opened in an endless roar too terrible to be heard, it had a black tongue…round the neck of the thing, a piece of fur; a real mane, majestic, telling you somehow that the artist had delight in the lion’ (36-41)

Themes: An obvious theme in the story is the difference between rich and poor. The whites live very comfortably; they drink beer and eat chocolate. The smell of their cooking food tortures the starving dogs. The locals, however, have no luxuries. The children go barefoot, dried meat hangs from the roofs, dogs and chickens have ‘their skin stretched like parchment over their bones’. This situation is reversed in terms of culture; the black artists produce work that celebrates their heritage and the landscape and wildlife around them, they laugh and joke, showing signs of enjoying life – despite their poverty they are rich in life. The whites seem poor in culture. They don’t seem particularly happy with each other or themselves, they are cut off and isolated from the real world, being behind glass on the train, the flower meant to be decorating the window is dead. For all their money, they are poor in spirit.

Connections: •

Poverty: Nak in The Gold-Legged Frog; the Dovecot family in The Pieces of Silver; Bolan’s family in The Red Ball Sandfields Comprehensive School English Department

OCR Short Stories Revision Booklet •

•

Page 10 of 37

Isolation: The couple in The Tall Woman; Bolan in The Red Ball; Cathy in The Young Couple; Ravi in Games at Twilight Couples: Cathy and Naraian in The Young Couple; The Tall Woman and her Short Husband; Neo and Kegoletile in Snapshots of a Wedding



Page 11 of 37

The Gold-Legged Frog by Khamsing Srinawk Plot: The Gold-Legged Frog begins with a man sitting against a tree trunk in the blazing heat of a large expanse of land. We learn that this is Nak Na-ngam, making his way back to his village. In flashback, we learn the events of the day: • •

•

Nak’s son was bitten by a snake while hunting for frogs. Nak was forced to leave his dangerously ill son due because the government was handing out money to families with five or more children. If he didn’t go, not only would he lose the money, but apparently might be jailed too. While collecting the money, he was made to wait and then humiliated by the government officials there.

Nak gets up from the tree to cover the remaining distance to the village. He meets a group of neighbours who tell him he is lucky. Nak’s hopes are raised; he thinks his son has survived. What they mean is that he was lucky to get the money; if he’d waited he wouldn’t have got the 200 baht as his son has died.

Characters: Nak is clearly a loving and committed father. He finds it extremely difficult to make the decision about whether to go to the district office whilst his boy is in such a perilous situation. Only the threat of jail if he doesn’t go, which would put the rest of his family at risk, decides him. He shows a proper respect for authority in keeping with his position at the bottom of the social scale, showing him to be decent, law-abiding family man. This makes what happens to him even more unfair. As a good father he doesn’t deserve to lose his son; as a decent citizen, he doesn’t deserve the abuse he gets from the deputy district officer. He seems used to his hard life, though, when he thinks, ‘All you do is suffer if you’re born a rice farmer and a subject. You’re poor and helpless, your mouth gets stained from eating roots when the rice has run out, you’re at the end of your tether and you turn to the authorities only to be put down.’ (103-106) •

‘”I won’t go”’ he yelled. “My kid can’t breathe and you tell me to go…It’s true I’ve never had two hundred baht since I was born, but I’m not going. I am not going.” ‘(72-75) Sandfields Comprehensive School English Department


Page 12 of 37

The deputy district officer is the story’s other main character. He is described as having a ‘fat face’, suggesting that, unlike Nak, he has plenty to eat. Rather than being helpful to the needy peasants, he is rude and uncaring. •

‘The deputy district officer raised his fat face to stare at him for a moment, then spoke heavily. “Idiot, don’t you have eyes to see people are working. Get out! Get out and wait outside.”’

Themes: Poverty is perhaps the main theme of the story. Nak is so poor that his family is forced to hunt frogs, snails and clams to survive. When his son is bitten, he does not forget to take the frogs he has found with him – food is too important to abandon even in these circumstances. Back at the village, there is no question of finding a doctor and anti-venom; he must rely on faith healers and folk remedies, with little success. His lack of money means he has little importance in society and the deputy district officer treats him with little respect. There is evidence of luck and misfortune in the story. The first piece of luck is when the children find the large Gold-Legged frog, which then turns to bad luck when the snake bites the young boy. Another incident of luck and misfortune is when Nak collects his 200 Baht, against the contrasting with the devastating misfortune of Nak learning that his son has died. The theme of family is also present. Nak is a caring father who is horrified when his son is bitten and is later devastated when his son dies. His instincts as a father are to stay with his boy and it takes some serious persuasion, threats really, to get him to leave. Finally, the deputy district officer abuses his power. As a public servant, his job is to help, support and guide the people living in his area. Instead he abuses them and treats them as if they were nothing.

Connections: •

Poverty: Nak in The Gold-Legged Frog; the Dovecot family in The Pieces of Silver; Bolan’s family in The Red Ball


OCR Short Stories Revision Booklet •

•

Page 13 of 37

Family: Neo’s family in Snapshots of a Wedding; Jing Mei’s family in Two Kinds; Bolan’s family in The Red Ball; the Dovecots in The Pieces of Silver; Naraian’s family in The Young Couple; Leela’s family in Leela’s Friend; Ravi’s family in Games at Twilight Conflict between traditional and modern: Neo in Snapshots of a Wedding; Jing-Mei and her mother in Two Kinds; Michael Obi and the priest in Dead Men’s Path



Page 14 of 37

Two Kinds by Amy Tan Plot: Jing-mei’s mother, an immigrant from China, believes in the American Dream, that anyone can become what they want with some talent and a lot of hard work. The mother had left everything, including her family, behind in China and wanted only the best for her remaining daughter. After some false starts, and resistance on the part of the daughter, it is decided that Jing-mei would become a famous pianist. When the lessons start, however, the girl quickly becomes bored and finds shortcuts, partly made possible by having a deaf piano teacher. When she has to play in public for the first time she is awful and embarrasses her parents in front of friends and neighbours. After this humiliation, her mother is strangely silent. A major row soon follows, however, when Jing-mei refuses to play the piano again. Her mother insists on having a dutiful Chinese daughter but Jing-mei, in her anger, shouts that she wishes she didn’t have her mother, that she wished she’d never been born. This causes her mother to back away, shocked. This difficult relationship lasted until the mother died. When clearing out her mother’s clothes, Jing-mei finds and keeps some old Chinese silk dresses. She also finds the sheet music that she had failed to play years before. She realizes that the song is in two halves ‘Pleading Child’ and ‘Perfectly Contended’, and realizes there is a message in this about her own life; perhaps the two halves of the song represent two aspects of her personality.

Characters: Jing-Mei, as her mother calls her, is in many ways a typical western teenager. Whereas, in China, a daughter would be expected to be obedient, she wants to be more independent, make her own decisions and go her own way, to escape the control of her parents. This perhaps reflects the fact that she has grown up in America where children can expect more freedom, but this desire to be independent and escape the control of parents is typically adolescent.

She is half way between childhood and adulthood. While she wants to be famous, like any child would, she lacks confidence in herself, but more importantly, she does not realize that success comes only with practice and hard work. Childishly, she takes shortcuts and as a result makes a fool of herself.



Page 15 of 37

At the end of the story, as an adult, Jing-Mei understands her mother better. She realizes that, old fashioned and heavy handed as she may have been, her mother had her best interests at heart, not wanting her daughter to cruise along and become lost in obscurity but to stand out and make the best of her opportunities. She also feels more comfortable with her Chinese heritage, shown by the fact that she holds onto the silk dresses. Perhaps these are also a reminder of her mother. • •

•

•

• •

•

•

‘In the beginning I was just as excited as my mother, maybe even more so’ (36) ‘In all of my imaginings, I was filled with a sense that I would soon become perfect. My mother and father would adore me. I would be beyong reproach.’ (44-46) ‘And after seeing my mother’s\disappointed face once again, something inside me began to die’ (77/78) ‘The girl staring back at me was angry, powerful. This girl and I were the same. I had new thoughts, willful thoughts, or rather thoughts filled with won’ts. I won’t let her change me, I promised myself. I won’t be what I’m not’ (86-89) ‘And right then, I was determined to put a stop to her foolish pride’ (217) ‘My mother’s expression was what devastated me: a quiet blank look that said she had lost everything’ (292/293) ‘No accusations. No blame. And in a way, I felt disappointed. I had been waiting for her to start shouting, so I could shout back and cry and blame her for all my misery (300-303) ‘For unlike my mother, I did not believe I could be anything I wanted to be. I could only be me’ (353/354)

The mother in this story holds onto the life style and culture that she knew in China – it is hard for ‘an old dog to learn new tricks’. She slaps and nags her daughter which seems old fashioned. She does want Jing-Mei to do well, though, and to have the life and opportunities that she never had.

She makes sacrifices for her daughter, doing extra cleaning jobs to afford the piano and lessons and has already made the considerable sacrifice of leaving her first family back in China, an unhappiness she hides most of the time but which is dragged to the surface during their final row – her response suggests that she is as human as anyone else. She wants to be proud of her daughter and her success, and if there is a little showing off competition going on with Auntie Lindo, it just shows that the mother is just as human as the rest of us. •

‘America was where my all mother’s hopes lay. She had come here in 1949 after losing everything in China: her mother and father, her family home, her first husband, and two daughters, twin baby girls. But she never looked back with regret. There were so many ways for things to get better’ (9-13) Sandfields Comprehensive School English Department

OCR Short Stories Revision Booklet • •

•

Page 16 of 37

‘Just like you’ she said. ‘Not the best. Because you are not trying.’ (129) ‘My mother had traded housecleaning services for weekly lessons and a piano for me to practice on every day’ (139/140) ‘Only two kinds of daughters,’ she shouted in Chinese. ‘Those who are obedient and those who want to follow their own mind! Only one kind of daughter can live in this house. Obedient daughter!’ (332-334)

Themes: The story examines the relationship between mother and daughter. There is both love and conflict as the daughter grows up in a different culture to that of her mother. Both sides have their faults and their strengths, but the story reflects the struggle that growing up, and being a parent, can be. The story is told from the child’s perspective; we get to know her thoughts and feelings, see things from her point of view. Having said this, the mother is described in some detail – we get a good impression of her response to major events like the rows and the concert. The mother is the dominant figure in the story. We see and hear relatively little of Jing-Mei’s father. This would be normal for the Chinese community, where men would take the main responsibility for working and the women for running the household.

Connections: •

•

•

Conflict between traditional and modern: Neo and her aunt in Snapshots of a Wedding; Obi and the priest in Dead Men’s Path Family: Neo’s family in Snapshots of a Wedding; Bolan’s family in The Red Ball; the Dovecots in The Pieces of Silver; Naraian’s family in The Young Couple; Leela’s family in Leela’s Friend; Ravi’s family in Games at Twilight Experience of Childhood: Clement in The Pieces of Silver; Bolan in The Red Ball; Leela in Leela’s Friend; Ravi in Games at Twilight; Savushkin in The Winter Oak



Page 17 of 37

The Tall Woman and Her Short Husband by Feng Ji-cai Plot: A Tall Woman and her Short Husband starts with some thoughts on the force of habit something, the writer suggests, that shouldn’t be underestimated. The unusual couple at the heart of this story is an object of ridicule for their neighbours. One neighbour in particular, the tailor’s wife, can’t leave them alone and would love to know how such an apparently mismatched couple got together; she thinks that the wife must be a gold-digger after her husband’s money and that he couldn’t find anyone that would marry him. The couple themselves, however, is happy enough to produce a child. When the Cultural Revolution strikes China, the husband is suspected of antirevolutionary behaviour. The couple is put through a kind of trial, although no-one can find any kind of evidence against them, despite the best efforts of the tailor’s wife. Mr Short is imprisoned and his wife continues to survive as best she can. Eventually he is released, but the year of solitary hardship had its effect on Mrs Tall who suffers a stroke. The community begins to realise that they were not freaks and try to be nicer to them. Mr Short does all he can to help her, but he health fails and she dies soon afterwards. The story ends with Mr Short missing his wife, holding his umbrella high to protect her out of habit.

Characters: Mr Short is described as ‘a rubber rolypoly’ (29). Although he is quite flat, he is full of life and energy. He is a devoted and caring husband; after his wife’s stroke he works hard to rehabilitate her. After her death he continues on alone. He loved his wife and no-one can replace her; ‘There is a big empty space under that umbrella, a vacuum that nothing on earth can fill.’ (333/334) • •

‘Solid and radiant…His eyes were like two high-voltage little lightbulbs’ (29…33) Every morning and every evening Mr Short helped her twice round the yard, painfully and slowly. By hunching up his shoulders he was able to grip her crooked arm in both hands. It was hard for him, but he smiled to encourage her…This was a pathetic yet impressive sight, and the neighbours were touched by it. (297…303)

Mrs Tall is described less flatteringly; ‘dried up and scrawny with a face like an unvarnished ping-pong bat.’ (24/25) She seems to be the opposite of her husband in every respect; tall where he is short, thin where he is fat, dull where he is bright. The author does this to show that, although they don’t seem suited at all, their genuine love for each other makes physical differences irrelevant. She says nothing but understands a great deal, behaving with quiet dignity. Sandfields Comprehensive School English Department


•

Page 18 of 37

Mrs Tall neither nodded nor shook her head. She had seen through the tailor’s wife, too. Her eyes glinted with derision and contempt. (206-208)

The author makes these two quite distant characters. They don’t say anything, either reported or direct, during the story and we learn little of their feelings. They are private, keeping themselves to themselves – probably they are used to being ridiculed and keep themselves apart to avoid it. The writer makes us view the couple from the same distance as their neighbours in the story; we are being invited to judge them on the same amount of information. Will we laugh at them or can we realize a loving, devoted couple? In this way, the story tests our own bias and prejudice. The tailor’s wife, on the other hand, is an open and obvious character – most likely, we know someone like her ourselves. She is a gossip, nosing in and interfering with other peoples’ lives. She judges other people by her own low standards, which is why she can’t accept the fact that the couple loves each other and there is nothing more sinister than that going on. The writer often uses irony to describe her – what sounds like a compliment is really an insult •

•

If she was unclear about anything she would leave no stone unturned to get at the truth. The thirst for knowledge makes even the ignorant wise. In this respect she was outstanding.(69-71) For some reason or other, ever since the sixties each housing estate had chosen someone like this as a “neighbourhood activist”, giving legal status to these nosyparkers so that their officiousness could have full play. It seems the Creator will never waste any talent. (75-79)

Themes: This is, at heart, a love story, describing a couple who stick together through thick and thin, who society has made outcasts but who have found belonging with each other. The two forget about usual conventions in order to best suit themselves; Mrs Tall holds the umbrella, Mr Short picks up anything dropped. They are victims of bullying, both the casual variety of neighbours mocking them, but also of the organized force of the Cultural Revolution. They are publicly humiliated, shunned and Mr Short is beaten and imprisoned, all without good cause; as the Revolution dies down he is released and his confiscated belongings returned. It would seem that their oddness makes them an obvious target.



Page 19 of 37

Connections: •

•

•

Abuse of Power: The Deputy District Officer in The Gold-Legged Frog; Michael Obi in Dead Men’s Path; Mr Chase in The Pieces of Silver; the Police Inspector in Leela’s Friend Couples: Cathy and Naraian in The Young Couple; Husband and wife in The Train From Rhodesia; Neo and Kegoletile in Snapshots of a Wedding Isolation: The young woman in The Train From Rhodesia; Bolan in The Red Ball; Cathy in The Young Couple; Ravi in Games at Twilight



Page 20 of 37

Short Stories 7 - 12 The Pieces of Silver - Karl Sealy The story: Pieces of Silver begins as the school bell is rung and the boys line up in the playing field for inspection by their teachers. An assembly is called where the acting head, Mr. Chase, asks for contributions to the retiring head’s present. The retiring head is called Mr. Megahey. The boys give their contributions, although many of them are poor and their families cannot afford to part with any money. The boys who do not contribute are brought up onto the stage and humiliated by being marked with a white X on their foreheads. They are told that if they do not contribute to the collection the following day they will suffer further humiliation. Clement, who is one of the boys singled out by Mr. Chase, goes home to his family to ask for some money. His father refuses, however, because they are poor and need all the money they have for themselves. Evelina is Clement’s sister; they are close and she cares for her brother like a mother. She supports him by suggesting that they go singing to raise some money. They do this and raise a decent sum of money. The last house they call at is a pretentious red brick building which turns out to be the home of the retiring headteacher, Mr. Megahey. He gives them a generous donation of sixpence, their biggest of the night. The next day at school Mr. Chase eyes the boy’s bowed heads’ as they stand on the platform in anticipation of further humiliating them. To his surprise, Clement presents eight pieces of silver to him saying ‘there is one for each of us’. The final impression we are left with is one of hope and triumph. The action of this story covers twenty-four hours in the life of Clement Dovecot from one morning at school to the next.

Themes: • • • •

poverty family relationships the cruelty of officials unfairness

• •

suffering and hardship education/pupil/teacher relationships



Page 21 of 37

Impressions of Clement’s school: the boys are reluctant to attend and live in fear of punishment the teachers are casual, self-important and badly educated themselves the pupils are drilled as if they are in the army the discipline is violent and unfair the teachers enjoy humiliating their pupils • • • • •

Impressions of Clement’s home: his family has very little to eat their home is tiny and run down they have very little money to spend the children have to make do with what they have got Evelina was unable to carry on with her schooling • • • • •

Language: • • • •

the use of contrast – different characters and settings irony simile and metaphor adjectives/verb phrases

Links with other stories: • •

the presentation of the Headmaster in ‘Dead Men’s Path’. the effects of poverty on family life in ‘The Gold-Legged Frog’.

Key terms: • • • • • •

dialogue irony contrast characterisation dialect/non-standard English rhetorical questions



Page 22 of 37

Characters – what are they like? Mr. Chase: he is ‘stout and pompous’ the smaller boys ‘straightened and stiffened under his cold gaze’ when he sings he emits ‘an untrue, faltering note’ he shows the ‘gleaming gold of his teeth’ he is ‘fierce-eyed and unsmiling’ he threatens the boys with the ‘lash’ he enjoys making the ‘hapless boys the laughing stock of their schoolfriends’ he eyes their ‘bowed heads in enjoyment’ • • • • • • • •

Evelina: she picks at her ‘coarse food’ she has a ‘close bond of understanding and companionship’ with Clement Clement feels the ‘cheering warmth of her arms’ she listens to him ‘as attentively as a mother’ she puts her lips down to his ‘harsh curls’ her voice is ‘clear and true’ she lets out the laughter that has been ‘welling inside her’ she says ‘Now I going to tell you how we’ll fix that brute, Mr. Chase.’ • • • • • • • •

The plot – conflicts and twists: Clement has to stand on the platform in assembly, with a cross drawn on his forehead, and is made to recite a speech on ingratitude in front of 400 pupils. In view of this you should consider: Mr. Chase’s treatment of Clement the idea of forcing children to give money for the Headmaster’s leaving present the reasons why Clement is unable to make a contribution The irony of a boy like Clement giving money to a man like Mr. Megahey • • • •



Page 23 of 37

The Red Ball - Ismith Khan The story: The Red Ball is about Bolan, a young boy who moved to Port of Spain, (the capital city of Trinidad), with his parents. The story begins with Bolan sitting in Woodford Square on his own. Some other boys ask him to play cricket. Bolan hesitates at first but then he accepts the offer to join in the game in the park. When everyone agrees that Bolan is a good player they ask him to play with them again the following day; Bolan feels that he has been accepted by the boys. Bolan takes money from his dad to buy a cricket ball which he uses to play cricket with his friends. Bolan is happy that he has become part of the group. However, Bolan’s family is very poor and his father beats him for taking the money. This is one of the themes of the story – poverty. Bolan’s mother explains to his father why he took the money and Bolan’s father apologies to him. He does this in his own unique way by going to Bolan in the middle of the night and telling him that he loves him. The story is presented to us almost entirely from Bolan’s point of view. However, in line 286 we are given his mother’s point of view; this gives us insight into her character and her understanding of her son.

Themes: • • • •

poverty and hardship – the suffering which poverty brings. feeling left out – the need of the individual to belong. adjusting to new situations – the difficulty of adapting to a new home. parents and children (love and conflict) – the need to be loved and appreciated; the differences between fathers and mothers.

Language: •

• • •

• •

extreme poverty suggested through dialogue – conversations about money, the names Bolan is called, Bolan’s admiration for the cricket set, descriptions of living conditions. negative verbs/adjectives that suggest unhappiness contrast – between unhappiness and joy. i.e. the grace and power of Bolan’s bowling. symbolism (the use of one thing to represent another) – the use of the green statue at the start of the story which we are reminded of again at the end. detailed descriptions similes Sandfields Comprehensive School English Department


Page 24 of 37

Key terms: • • • • •

symbolism imagery personification characterisation contrast

• • • •

antithesis point of view alliteration repetition

Characters – what are they like? Bolan: • • • • • •

lonely - He watches the boys playing cricket every night. dignified - He refuses to answer to the names the boys give him. sensitive -He touches the powerful-looking statue. proud - He refuses free black pudding from the vendor. desperate – he takes the money to buy the red ball. generous – he pays for black pudding for all the boys.

Bolan’s mother: defends her son strongly. stands up to her husband and stops him from taking out his frustrations on Bolan. a loving and protective mother. she knows Bolan is unhappy in the city. her character is in strong contrast to Bolan’s father. • • • • •

Bolan’s father: a drunken and violent bully. he is just as miserable as Bolan. he is embarrassed by his poverty and lack of education. has his family’s best interests at heart – he has moved to Port of Spain for their sake. proud of the honest reputation of his family. hard working. worries about money and feels a sense of failure. loves his son deeply but finds it hard to show his feelings. • • • • • • • •

Links with other stories: Games at Twilight – the presentation of childhood and the feelings of the children. The Pieces of Silver – poverty and the feelings of children. Sandfields Comprehensive School English Department


Page 25 of 37

The Young Couple – Ruth Prawer-Jhabvala The story: The story begins on a happy note when Cathy and Naraian go to India. They are full of hope and have great plans for the future. On arrival they look for somewhere to live and seek work for Naraian as they wish to be dependent and not live in the family home. They see life in India as a challenge and they are envied by all their friends. However, the seeds of discontent have already been sown as we see Cathy’s role as being a traditional one with her staying at home while her husband goes out to work. We also see the beginning of ‘the family’s’ influence. The couple enjoy a varied and exciting social life which revolves around Naraian’s friends. For Naraian this is nothing new; it is simply an extension of the life he enjoyed while he was single when he and his friends used to sit around discussing politics and other issues surrounding the country. We soon see signs that Cathy is beginning to tire of this life. Naraian’s behaviour with her begins to change and he becomes less affectionate towards her, particularly when he is with his friends. These friends irritate Cathy and we become aware of the difference in culture that Cathy has to get used to. The men in India are not used to treating women as equals socially. They are polite to her but no more than that, and Cathy finds this difficult to deal with. The irony is that she sees it as an insult whereas the men are simply showing her the respect they would give any woman in her position. This shows how behaviour expected in one country is completely different to that expected in another country. Naraian does not notice any of this because he is used to it. He also treats Cathy differently to when they were in England. He is less affectionate in public and criticises her for the way she dresses, especially if he considers it inappropriate. These things irritate Cathy no end and as all the original excitement she felt wears off she begins to feel trapped. Naraian’s family do not help the situation. They see themselves as a modern and progressive family and the fact that they have accepted Cathy into the family proves this, but they still like to maintain control on their son’s life and despite his independence they still have a strong influence on the decisions he makes. Every Sunday Cathy and Naraian go to the family home for lunch and there is usually and argument about Naraian living away from the family home and him not being involved in the family business. Cathy begins to feel oppressed and claustrophobic in a way that she never felt in England. Not surprisingly, their relationship begins to deteriorate. They start to bicker about things and Naraian becomes dissatisfied with Cathy’s housekeeping. Cathy’s pregnancy is the turning point in the story and the point at which the family start to take control over their lives. Cathy allows them to do this and willingly takes part in family ceremonies. The next stage is Naraian’s acceptance of a job with the family which Sandfields Comprehensive School English Department


Page 26 of 37

Cathy doesn’t know about. Cathy’s misery in conveyed by the fact that when she closes her eyes she can still see the family in her mind. Naraian also becomes frustrated and less tolerant of Cathy. He has failed in his dream to be independent and has had to compromise instead. Cathy knows she will be out-witted in any protests against the family and so she goes along with everything to keep the peace. The family is presented to us as being all powerful. We see the family as being intrusive, yet they are only doing what they think is right for the young couple. Despite all their problems, however, Cathy and Naraian still love each other. They realise that it doesn’t matter where they live as long as they are together. At the end of the story the couple kiss passionately but even as they are locked in each other’s arms we get the impression that Cathy is still not happy. She is trapped within this claustrophobic existence with this family because of her love for Naraian. At the end it is still Cathy who has had to accept the change, not her husband. ***

Most of the story is told from Cathy’s point of view. This helps us to share her feelings and sympathise with her. We also share Cathy’s standpoint as an outsider and it also helps build suspense in that information is withheld from us as well as Cathy.

Themes: • • • • •

family relationships culture clash love power money

Characters: Cathy: independent; determined; loving; ungrateful; discontented. Naraian: idealistic; determined; loving; weak; dependent; selfish. Naraian’s parents: interfering; possessive; bossy; devoted; generous; unselfish.

Language: • • • •

powerful descriptions – of food, the parents, furniture. powerful imagery, especially water imagery metaphor vocabulary choices Sandfields Comprehensive School English Department


Links with other stories: The Red Ball – family relationships

Key terms: • • • • • • • •

irony reversal/twist contrast point of view imagery symbolism repetition characterisation


Page 27 of 37


Page 28 of 37

Leela’s Friend – R.K. Narayan The story: The story begins when the Sivasanker family hire a servant called Sidda. Sidda is a likeable boy who gets on well with the family and becomes particular friends with Leela, the daughter. Sidda and Leela play together and after a while they become close. One day the family notices that Leela’s necklace has gone missing. After some thought they realise that Sidda must be to blame and the mother accuses him of stealing the piece of jewellery. She is so convinced of his blame that she even tells the police what he has done. Sidda is arrested and charged with theft even though there is no proof of him having done anything wrong. Leela is very upset. She doesn’t care about the necklace. She just wants her friend back so they can carry on playing the way they used to. Sometime later Leela finds her necklace hidden in a pot. She tells her family what has happened and everyone realises that Sidda is not a thief after all. However, the story ends without Sidda receiving an apology.

Themes: • • •

family relationships prejudice poverty and class divisions

• •

unfairness the cruelty of officials

Characters: Sidda: • • • • • • • •

he is vague about his previous employer he makes false claims about the moon and misleads Leela he is uneducated and illiterate he is guilty at the mention of the chain and then runs away Mrs. Sivasanker thinks of him as a ‘villain’ he has a criminal record for stealing jewellery from children the inspector calls him a ‘devil’ Mrs. Sivasanker calls him ‘a rough fellow’

Leela’s parents: they are generous with their daughter – they give her a gold chain they give her many things – books, crayons, a companion to play with they are concerned for the safety of their daughter • • •

Leela: • •

spoilt thoughtless

• •

bossy naïve



Page 29 of 37

Links with other stories: The Gold-Legged Frog – injustice and poverty The Train from Rhodesia – class divisions Games at Twilight – childhood experiences

Key terms: • • • •

Irony Reversal/twist Contrast Point of view

• • •

Characterisation Hyperbole Dialogue



Page 30 of 37

Games at Twilight – Anita Desai The story: At the beginning of the story it is a very hot day and all the children are confined indoors. The language used conveys the sense of restriction and claustrophobia they are experiencing and the impatience of childhood is effectively conveyed to us through the choice of verbs the writer uses. The children are finally allowed to play outside because the mother is also feeling the heat of the day and can no longer struggle against the children when they are wailing so horrendously. Most parents would give in under such insistence; they know they are being manoeuvred and yet give in for a quiet life. The children’s behaviour when let loose is typical of children anywhere. This gives us some idea of the relief that they felt at escaping their confinement. The main business of their day is play. This reminds us that play is a serious business to children. They decide to play hide and seek. This game is played everywhere all over the world and the way the children behave is also universal. They argue about who should be ‘it’ and when the playful fighting gets more serious we are reminded of how we have all at some time in our lives been told that it ‘will all end in tears’. As in any group there is always a peacemaker, in this case, Mira. She is the oldest sister. She splits them up and makes the play fair by splitting the group up and deciding who should be‘it’ by chanting a count down sequence. In this we feel the intensity of such games and in the way children behave. Raghu still protests, however, accusing the other children of cheating and again, we see this as typical children’s behaviour. The children are selfish; they are all for themselves. ‘Small Manu’ is left behind and we feel the loneliness he experiences at being the youngest. He is undecided and cannot make up his mind where to hide. We share his sense of panic and fear and empathise with him at being caught so quickly. The behaviour of the oldest, Raghu also strikes a chord and we understand what it is also like to be the older child who treats the younger ones with disdain in order to assert their authority. He wants to strike fear in the others and make them tremble. Much of the story concerns Ravi. Again we can identify with the way he behaves whatever our background. We are given images of Ravi’s sense of smallness as he tries to decide where to hide and his inferiority. He sees himself as a small burrowing animal seeking security in his hole. He also compares himself to his older brother who he clearly admires. He admires Raghu’s skill as a footballer and envies him in the way that any younger boy would see his older brother as a role model. However, his smallness is also conveyed; we sense his dejection, the way he cannot reach things and the way he hides amongst discarded household items as if he has been thrown away as a lower form of life. Sandfields Comprehensive School English Department


Page 31 of 37

When he realises that he isn’t going to be eaten alive we also see his confidence grow and we experience his delight in success and the mixture of exhilaration and fear that we all experience in childhood, whatever country we are brought up in. Ravi has a vivid imagination and this also typifies childhood. His biggest fear is snakes, a fear universal to all mankind regardless of whether or not you happen to live in a country where snakes abound. Children everywhere terrify themselves with their vivid imagination. Once Ravi has survived these fears he starts to imagine what it would feel like to be the winner. Again we can identify with the fantasies that children build up around an imagined success. This is a natural defence mechanism against our smallness and unimportance. He imagines himself as the centre of attention, surrounded by older children and again we see the universality of this sort of behaviour. When Ravi realises that he has forgotten one of the most important rules of the game his sense of smallness sets in again. He feels frustrated and disappointed with himself. He ends up behaving like the baby he was trying so hard not to be. His reception by the adults and the other children make him realise how ordinary he is. The game is over and he hadn’t even been missed. He feels that when he was hidden it was as if he didn’t even exist. No one gave him any thought at all. The enormity of this smallness and lack of importance overwhelms him. At the end of the story Ravi refuses to join in the game even though the others try to include him. He is too proud. It is not a game he likes and is too much of a contrast to the triumph he had hoped for. The final sentence in the story effectively conveys his misery. However, despite the fact that he is miserable he is no longer crying. We know that Ravi has grown up and we can all identify with this situation with an experience of our own that makes us do that. Once more we see why childhood experience in this story is so universal.

Themes: • • •

family relationships death feeling left out

• •

growing-up achievement or disappointment

Characters: There are many children in this story – brothers, sisters and cousins – and there is a clear hierarchy as the children compete for attention. Main children – Ravi, Raghu, Mira, Manu.



Language: • • •

detailed descriptions images of life, death and time images of violence

Links with other stories: Leela’s Friend – the presentation of childhood The Red Ball – the presentation of childhood games and the boy’s feelings

Key terms: • • • • • • •

irony reversal/twist contrast point of view characterisation symbolism repetition


Page 32 of 37


Page 33 of 37

The Winter Oak – Yuri Nagibin. The story: It starts when Anna Vasilevna begins her lesson and greets the pupils. Her attitude towards the children is firm but respectful; there is a friendly atmosphere in the classroom. She begins work immediately and has clearly grown in confidence as a teacher since last year when she was new and unsure of herself. Her voice is calm and she seems to be enjoying her job. She realises that one of her pupils, Savushkin, is not in the room and when he walks in late we see that her reaction is one of disappointment rather than annoyance. His lateness reminds her of similar occasions when he has behaved in this way and this, in turn, causes her to think of similar complaints she has had about the boy from the geography mistress. Anna Vasilevna appears to be critical of this older woman’s classroom discipline and the content of her lessons. This shows us that Anna is quick to judge people and feels very self-assured about her own skills as a teacher. Anna’s lesson is about naming nouns; the children appear confident and quickly move from naming things they are immediately familiar with to those outside the classroom. They name things like, ‘wheel’, tractor, and well’. This tells us something about the agricultural environment in which the children live. Eventually they start naming things in the wider world and Anna’s encouragement in this again shows us her skill as a teacher in developing their confidence. It is at this point that Savushkin, (who has been quiet up until now), appears to wake up out of a dream to offer his contribution of ‘winter oak’. The rest of the class respond with laughter, but Anna is intrigued by his response, noticing the passion with which he spoke which was unlike the other children. By the end of the story Anna Vasilevna has more understanding of what this tree means to Savushkin. In the meantime she must correct him as he has also used an adjective in his answer and she does this politely asking Savushkin to see her at break. During this conversation we learn more about Anna. She is exasperated with Savushkin when he cannot give a straight answer to any of her questions and we realise that she is more concerned with his correct use of grammar than what the boy is actually saying. However, we are also shown how concerned she is about her pupils when she offers to visit Savushkin at home. From the moment they enter the wood Anna Vasilevna takes on a different role. She begins to discover a whole new world – the world of nature – and her response becomes one of excitement and wonder and child-like enthusiasm. When she makes an incorrect observation it is Savushkin who corrects her and she realises that in the forest it is she who is the pupil and



Page 34 of 37

Savushkin the teacher. When Anna sees the ‘winter oak’ she continues to be delighted by the world revealed to her by her pupil and her interest increases. It is Savushkin who reminds her of their appointment with his mother and she is quickly brought back into her role as teacher. She realises how she has been ‘taken in’ by her experience and reminds Savushkin that the route through the forest is clearly not the quickest one. It is at this point that she has her moment of truth and realisation. She reflects on her lessons in the classroom and realises how ‘dry’ they are and how she needs to look at the beauty and richness of the wider world in order to bring new meaning to them. At the beginning of the story Anna Vasilevna was feeling pleased and slightly selfsatisfied about her skills as a teacher and was even critical of other teachers in the school. She now realises that she has a lot more to learn and her understanding of the children reaches a new level. She thanks Savushkin for the walk and assures him that he can continue to use the pathway as a route into school. When she loos at the ‘winter oak’ for the last time she realises that the most amazing thing in the forest is not the tree itself but the small human being at the foot of it – Savushkin. She has learnt a powerful lesson about the children she teaches – that they are wonderful, future citizens of the world. ***

The plot appears to be based on the conflict between a dedicated teacher and a difficult pupil. However, the plot changes direction in the forest section.

Themes: • • • • • •

prejudice poverty education unfairness the cruelty of officials a culture clash

Characters: The story has two main characters, Anna Vasilevna and Savushkin. Anna Vasilevna: hard-working dedicated serious about teaching •

•

•

•

•

•

young inexperienced quick to judge



Savushkin: polite self-assured confident different – he belongs to the world of nature

Page 35 of 37

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

observant understanding modest protective

Language: • • • • • • • •

vivid descriptions imagery personification – of the forest symbolism dramatic short sentences onomatopoeia metaphor alliteration

Links with other stories; Dead Men’s Path – the presentation of the Headteacher The Pieces of Silver – education The Young Couple – the change in Cathy’s character

Key terms: • • • • • • •

irony contrast point of view characterisation symbolism personification dialogue



Page 36 of 37

Bringing the stories together The exam questions will invite you to refer to more than one story, so you need to do some grouping of the stories as part of your revision. The questions are likely to focus on thematic links between the stories, for example, similar problems, conflicts, ways of life. Remember that for English you only have to work on the final six stories.

Revision tips: •

•

•

•

Read the stories again then write a summary of each to remind you what they are about (or use the summary contained in this booklet). Give each story a new title that helps to remind you of its themes. e.g. The Young Couple could become Family Domination. Construct a mind-map that maps out all the stories’ titles and all the links you are able to make between them. Try to group the stories under broad thematic headings. For example, stories with a theme, and therefore under a heading of Family Relationships, might include: 1. Pieces of Silver 2. The Red Ball 3. The Young Couple 4. Leela’s Friend 5. Games at Twilight Other headings to consider are: • • • • • •

the world of the child culture clashes unfairness poverty school fitting in

You can also establish links between the ways in which the stories are written. This is more difficult but you will gain more marks in the exam if you can make a connection between the styles of different writers and the effects they achieve. Remind yourself of the stories which use: Sandfields Comprehensive School English Department

Opening Worlds Revision Booklet

Recommend Documents