Question 2 – When the Village Sleeps (Marks: 50)
“When the Village Sleeps offers a tragic and hopeful tale of four generations of women contending with the particularly harsh challenges of life in contemporary South Africa. It uses these deeply- etched characters, mainly Khulu, her granddaughter, Busi, and her great granddaughter, Mandlakazi, to explore iniquities and injustices faced by the most oppressed category of the population – the poor black woman.”

Source: Naidu, S. 2021. Hope, inspiration in a time of plague. Grocott’s Mail, 12 June. [Online]. Available at: https://grocotts.ru.ac.za/2021/06/12/hope-inspiration-in-a-time-of-plague/ [Accessed 02 April 2024].

Using the above quotation as context, write an essay (1200 – 1500 words) critically discussing the ways in which Busi’s actions, dialogue and overall characterisation are influenced by the place(s) and culture(s) she inhabits in the novel – and the effects thereof on the novel’s message(s) and theme(s).

To support your argument, refer to relevant evidence from the novel, from the Ujang and Zakariya (2015) reading, as well as from at least two additional credible sources.

Question 3 – Tsotsi (Marks: 50)
Answer Q.3.1 and Q.3.2 to complete this question.

Q.3.1 “…it is only through our consciousness, actions, and interactions that the physical landscape is brought into existence. By focusing on embodiment – that is, on the mutually constitutive relationship between place and the body – we underscore the notion that a physical environment cannot exist without the human inhabitants who experience it in their everyday lives, and its meaning is dependent upon the larger political and economic contexts within which these individuals operate in any specifc location” (Sen & Silverman: 2013: 3). (25)

Using the above quotation as context, create a PowerPoint presentation (7 – 10 slides) critically examining the significance of the relationship between place and power for the characters in the final scene of Tsotsi (i.e., the full scene in which the above screenshot appears).

Structure your presentation as follows:

• Appropriate cover page (1 slide).
• Overview of what happens in Tsotsi’s final scene (1 slide).
• How the use of film techniques in the scene emphasises the relationship between place and power for the characters within it (3 – 5 slides).
• Why this relationship is significant for the film’s overall message and themes (1
– 2 slides).
• Reference list (1 slide).

Make sure you support your critical examination by referring to relevant evidence from Tsotsi’s final scene, as well as at least two other credible secondary sources. All sources used – including all images – must be referenced accurately.

Follow the guidance provided in Section 12.3 of Siewierski’s (2020) Introduction to Scholarship textbook available on EBSCOhost on the following link to help you to
formulate your PowerPoint presentation:
https://ezproxy.iielearn.ac.za/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=
true&db=nlebk&AN=2653750&site=ehost-live&scope=site&ebv=EK&ppid=Page- -195

Q.3.2 Write a critical film review (800 – 1000 words) of Tsotsi in which you comment on the continued relevance and significance of this film for South African audiences today.

To do this, you need to provide:

• An introduction.
• A brief plot summary.
• A descriptive thesis statement regarding your position on the continued relevance and significance of this film for South African audiences today.
• A critical analysis that focuses on key aspects of the film (scenes, characters, dialogue, actions, and/or film techniques, etc.) which support your thesis position.
• Your overall conclusion about the film – i.e., how and why you reached your thesis position based on your critical analysis.

Make sure you support your thesis and opinions in your review by referring to relevant evidence from Tsotsi, as well as at least two other credible secondary sources. All sources used must be referenced accurately.

Follow the guidance provided on the following link to help you to formulate your book review: https://twp.duke.edu/sites/twp.duke.edu/files/file-attachments/film- review-1.original.pdf (25)

Question 4 – The Promise (Marks: 50)
Engage in a close reading of the following extract from near the beginning of The Promise, and then answer Q.4.1, Q.4.2, and Q.4.3 to complete this question.
The extract begins with “Then Rachel is gone, truly gone. She came here as a pregnant bride, twenty years ago and hasn’t left since, but she will never walk back in through the front door again…” (Dalgut, 2021: 21).

The extract ends with “…Instead she can smell her mother, or a mix of smells she thinks of as her mother, but are actually the traces of recent events, involving puke, incense, blood, medicine, perfume and an underlying dark note, perhaps the smell of sickness itself. Exhaled by the walls,
hovering in the air” (Dalgut, 2021: 27).

Q.4.1 Write two to three paragraphs (400 – 600 words) discussing the significance of the Swart Family Farm – both the land and the houses/buildings – for the novel’s characters.

To support your argument, refer directly to specific examples of character interactions with, and perceptions of, the Farm in the given extract. In addition, refer to relevant evidence from at least one of your prescribed LU4 readings.

Q.4.2 Write two to three paragraphs (400 – 600 words) discussing the significance of “the promise” as a narrative device that both establishes and critiques the relationships between the characters in the novel.

To support your argument, refer directly to specific examples of character relationships in the given extract. In addition, refer to relevant evidence from at least one of your prescribed LU4 readings.

Q.4.3 Write one to two paragraphs (200 – 400 words) discussing the relationship between race and power in the novel.

To support your argument, refer directly to specific examples of how that relationship is evident in the given extract.

Answers to Above Questions on South African Literature

Answer 1: An analysis of the novel when the village sleeps indicates that it is all about the experiences that were gained by four generations of women that faced the harsh realities of contemporary South Africa. Busi is one of the character whose actions dialogue and entire characterization are directly affected by the places and cultures she inhabits. The early life of Busi in the rural village has significantly affected her identity, as the lack of enough opportunities in the rural areas has affected Busi into a resilient and resourceful individual.

Hire the best English literature expert from the team of writers of Student Life Saviour in South Africa to get best answers to above questions.