Excerpt Questions and Answers on The Samaritan By John Lara
The Samaritan Excerpt 2 (Page 31- page 33)
Read the following extract from the play “The Samaritan" by John Lara and then answer the questions after. (25 marks)
Seymour: Money, money, money! And more money.
Ted: You mean we give money to the two students and the teacher?
Seymour: No, mobilise enough money to fight any cases that might be brought up against us and if necessary, enough for dealing in other ways with those who insist on pursuing us.
Ramdaye: Good idea, but I have loans and projects. I don't think I can raise any money now.
Bembe: I, too, just finished the Madingo Golf Club recently. I am as broke as a church mouse.
Ted: I cannot raise a meaningful amount, either.
Harvester: If that is the case, they why can't we find a way of averting the court cases from coming up in the first place?
Bembe: How will that work?
Harvester: We will announce a grace period within which everyone in the Municipality should come clean, confess their mistakes. Give back what they have acquired irregularly, forgive one another and then open up a new chapter of honesty in the conduct of our municipal affairs.
Ted: (Chuckling) That has never happened anywhere in the world!
Harvester: It can be our local initiative. I know the truth can set us free.
Harvester: Isn't restitution an admission of guilt? How can I incriminate myself? And in any case, what if you are accused of crimes other than acquiring wealth irregularly?
Ted: I doubt whether restitution is a good idea.
Ramdaye: That takes us back to the idea of raising money to fight the cases. We may have to procure loans or sell some of our properties.
Seymour: Since we all do not have money, why can't we find a way of getting that money from the Municipal Fund?
Mossi: Municipal Fund? How?
Seymour: We just need to do some reallocation of budget line items.
Ted: I agree. We must set aside some money to take care of investigators, lawyers, prosecutors and judges if things go wrong.
Seymour: You see, the waste disposal system in our town is in terrible state. There is garbage all over the place and the drains are broken As we speak, it is a serious health hazard We can justify reallocation of funds on the need to address this problem in reality, we will use some of the funds to fight off cases that are without a doubt coming.
Mossi: (Surprised and in disbelief) What?
Excerpt questions and answers on The Samaritan by John Lara excerpt 3
(a) Briefly explain what happens just before the events in the excerpt. (3 marks)
- Justice Jaden absolves himself of the criminal proposals the Municipal Council leaders are making about messing up The Samaritan
- Mayor Mossi tells the Council members that they need to do something. urgently, for they are all in danger of prosecution
- Hon. Seymour proposes about persuading Alvita and Montano (the students behind The Samaritan) to drop The Samaritan matter.
- Mayor Mossi proposes they better deal with the Ethics and Innovation Teacher who has been assisting Alvita and Montano, instead of the students.
- Hon Ramdaye suggests they just get the information shared on The Samaritan out of there.
(b) What does Hon. Seymour imply when he says they need to mobilise enough money, if necessary, enough for dealing in other ways with those who insist on pursuing them? (2 marks)
Hon. Seymour (presumably) runs a murderous gang. Black Swan. He could, therefore, be implying that they could mobilise enough money to pay the members of this murderous gang to deal with their insistent pursuers.
(c) Identify with appropriate illustrations two character traits of Hon. Seymour brought out in the excerpt.
Hon Seymour is:
•Evil/villainous/iniquitous: He feels the Council leaders should mobilise enough money to deal with their persistent pursuers in other ways.
•Doubting/questioning/skeptical: He is doubtful if M. Harvester's proposed restitution is a good
idea, for he feels it is an admission of guilt.
• Selfish/egocentric/egomaniacal: He proposes they find a way of getting money from the Municipal Fund to fight their corruption cases.
• Admitting/genuine/ceding: He admits to the Mayor that the waste disposal system in their town is in a terrible state.
(d) (i)I doubt whether restitution is a good idea. (Rewrite in the reported speech) (1 mark)
• Ted said (that) he doubted whether/if restitution was a good idea.
(ii) It can be our local initiative. (Add a question tag) (1 mark)
•It can be our local initiative, can't it?
(iii) We just need to do some reallocation of budget line items. (Rewrite in the passive) (1 mark)
Some reallocation of budget line items need to be one (by us).
(e) Discuss two thematic concerns of the writer raised in the excerpt. (4 marks)
Corruption: Hon Seymour suggests the Council leaders need to mobilise enough money to fight cases that might be brought against them money to take care of (bribe) investigators, lawyers, prosecutors and judges if things go wrong.
Bad governance/ineffective leadership: Out of negligence by the Municipal Council leadership, the waste disposal system in the town is in a terrible state: there is garbage all over the place and the drains are broken
(f) Pick out and illustrate two stylistic devices used in the excerpt. (4 marks)
- Use of similes eg. I am as broke as a church mouse.
- Use of rhetorical questions e.g Isn't restitution an admission of guilt? /How can I incriminate myself? And in any case, what if you are accused of crimes other than acquiring wealth irregularly?
- Suspense: When Hon Seymour says they need money enough for dealing in other ways with those who insist on pursuing them, the audience is left wondering what he means with "other ways".
(g) Explain the meanings of the following words used in the excerpt. (3 marks)
• Broke - beggared/destitute/penniless
• Incriminate - accuse/indict/charge
• Procure - acquire bag draw/attain
(h) Briefly explain what happens shortly after the events in the excerpt. (2 marks)
• Mayor Mossi informs Hon Seymour that doing some budget reallocation will only get them deeper into problems.
• Mayor Mossi swears not to approve a budget reallocation,terming it illegal.
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