EXCERPT 2 Answers
(a) Briefly explain what happens just before this excerpt. (3 marks)
• Kimani goes to Mr Walomu's office to confront him about his stealing of his wife, Asiya.
• He derogatorily greets Walomu, referring to him as "fat baboon".
• Mr Walomu warns Kimani that he would rather use nothing but civil language while in his office.
• Walomu offers Kimani a seat in his office but he declines and remains standing.
• Walomu guesses that Kimani had come to ask him why he wanted to marry Asiya.
(b) Identify and illustrate two character traits of Walomu in the excerpt.(4marks)
• He is sarcastic:
He sarcastically tells Kimani that he wants his wife because she is much older than he is and that old is gold.
• He is immoral/amoral/lustful:
He has had numerous illicit sexual relationships. The writer says that Walomu had already eaten three pigeons and now had in his paws a fourth: Asiya. Strewn along his path, lay many others he had killed but not eaten.
• He is greedy:
Already, he has three beautiful wives and still wanted to snatch a fourth, Asiya. His greed is summarized when he says, "A real bull dies with green grass in its mouth."
(c)
(i)Then hear my answer. (Add a question tag) (1 mark).
• Then hear my answer, will you?
(i)"Why do you want to steal my wife?" (Rewrite in reported speech) (1 mark).
• Kimani asked Walomu why he wanted to steal his wife.
(d) Discuss two themes raised in the excerpt. (4 marks)
• Moral decay/immorality
Walomu is morally decayed. He has an uncontrolled desire for women. The writer says that Walomu had already eaten three pigeons and now had in his paws a fourth: Asiya. Strewn along his path, lay many others he had killed but not eaten. He also wants to marry a woman much older than he is.
Greed
Walomu already has three wives, all beautiful, but he is still looking forward to adding a fourth: Asiya.
Conflict/antagonism
There is deep conflict between Kimani and Walomu, emanating from Walomu's move to snatch Kimani's wife, Asiya, for marriage. Kimani asks Walomu, "Why do you want to steal my wife?"
(e) Identify and illustrate three stylistic devices used in the excerpt. (6 marks)
Use of sarcasm:
Walomu sarcastically tells Kimani he wants to marry his wife because she is much older than he is, and that old is gold. He also tells Kimani that his wives will still remain young and beautiful until the day he dies.
Proverbs/sayings
Walomu tells Kimani: A real bull dies with green grass in its mouth. The writer also says: When a cat gets into a pigeon coop, it kills all the pigeons it finds there, not just those it will eat. Walomu tells Kimani: Old is gold.
Borrowed words and expressions.
E.g. Na hivyo ndivyo ilivyo (Swahili for
'And that's how cookie crumbles').
Simile.
E.g. Had he not sounded like an envious loser? Rhetorical questions. E.g. What good is she to you? / Had he not sounded like an envious loser?
(f)
(i) To help it along, he gave an approximate English equivalent. (Rewrite beginning with the main clause) (1 mark).
• He gave an approximate English equivalent to help it along.
(ii) This was a silly start, as even he realised. (Replace the underlined with a
phrasal verb) (1 mark).
• This was a silly start, as even he took in/pulled in
For answers to Fathers of Nations Excerpt 2 answers, click here
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