Lesson 6: Practice Questions on Prose

📚 Literary Appreciation of Novels and Short Stories

🟦 Introduction
Now that you’ve learned about plot, setting, characterization, themes, language, and literary techniques, it’s time to apply that knowledge. This lesson will help you practice WASSCE-style questions, improve your ability to analyze prose, and prepare confidently for Paper 1 (Part B). You’ll answer questions based on short prose excerpts, just like in the exam.

🟩 Question Types in WASSCE Prose Section

You will be tested on your ability to:

1. Identify and explain themes and messages.

2. Analyze character behavior and motivation.

3. Discuss narrative techniques like point of view or dialogue.

4. Examine language use, including tone and imagery.

5. Recognize literary devices and their effects.

🧭 Sample Passage for Analysis

“The house groaned as the storm outside reached its peak. Auntie Lizzy stood in the doorway, her arms folded, lips pursed. ‘You promised to return early,’ she said, not raising her voice but striking something deeper than a shout ever could. I looked down at my muddy shoes, unsure if it was the rain or her disappointment that made me shiver.”

🟨 Practice Questions with Answers

Question 1: What is the mood of the passage? Support your answer with evidence.

✅ Answer:
The mood is tense and uncomfortable. This is shown by the storm outside (“the house groaned”) and the quiet disappointment of Auntie Lizzy (“not raising her voice but striking something deeper”).

Question 2: Identify and explain one literary device used in the passage.

✅ Answer:
Personification is used—“the house groaned.” This gives human qualities to the house to emphasize the intensity of the storm and reflect the tension inside the home.

Question 3: What does the sentence ‘…her disappointment that made me shiver’ reveal about the narrator’s feelings?

✅ Answer:
It shows that the narrator feels guilt and fear, not just from the storm, but from Auntie Lizzy’s quiet anger. It reveals an emotional reaction to her disapproval.

Question 4: Comment on the use of dialogue in this scene.

✅ Answer:
The dialogue is minimal but powerful. Auntie Lizzy says only one line, but it is loaded with emotion and conveys her disappointment. The indirect approach (calm tone) makes the impact stronger than if she had shouted.

Question 5: Which point of view is used in the passage? What is its effect?

✅ Answer:
The passage is told from the first-person point of view (“I looked down…”). This helps the reader experience the narrator’s guilt and discomfort more directly and personally.

🟧 Short Answer Practice:

Read the excerpt and respond in 2–3 sentences.

“Every morning, he watered the dying flowers. He never spoke of her, but we all knew he did it for her.”

Prompt:

1. What can be inferred about the man and his relationship with “her”?

2. Identify one theme suggested in this excerpt.

✅ Sample Response:

1. The man likely lost someone important to him (perhaps a wife), and watering the flowers is his quiet way of remembering or honouring her.

2. A theme of grief and memory is suggested—how love continues even after loss.

🔁 Recap

In this lesson, you’ve:

• Practised interpreting mood, tone, and point of view.

• Identified literary devices and their effect.

• Explained character emotions using evidence from the text.

• Strengthened your ability to answer WASSCE-style short and paragraph questions.

🪞 Reflection Prompt

After completing this module, which areas do you feel strongest in—plot, character, language, or theme? Which areas do you want to revise more?
How can you apply this analytical skill to stories, films, or everyday conversations around you?