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Table of Contents The Importance of Topic Sentences In Essay Writing  When writing a literature essay, after introducing your essay, you should then focus on unpacking the question fully in each paragraph. In order to do so effectively, you should always include a topic sentence  in each paragraph. The topic sentence, also known as the focus sentence  informs the examiner about the specific aspect of the question you are addressing in that paragraph. If your paragraph does not contain a topic sentence, it means that you want the examiner to rearrange your ideas and come up with a properly crafted paragraph. As you know, this is impossible, so, the topic sentence is a must! Why is The Topic Sentence Important The topic sentence ensures that each paragraph answers the essay question in a well structured way. The topic sentence acts as a summary of your answer for that paragraph. For example, if the question asks you to discuss the presentation of a char...

Table of Contents How to Analyse Characters Analysing characters involves examining how they are portrayed through their actions, words, thoughts, descriptions and what other characters say about them. In your analysis, you should use evidence from the text and apply appropriate adjectives to describe their traits. While adjectives may look simple, they are powerful tools used for summarising character traits.  Characters' Actions Focus on the characters' actions. What characters do will help you to understand their traits. For example, in the story Shadows on the Wall,  the child narrator deliberately chooses not to listen to his father. This action indicates defiance, making "defiant" an appropriate adjective for the narrator. In, The Crow,  two boys pursue the crow with intent to kill it. This action shows cruelty and bloodthirstiness. Therefore, you should say the boys are "cruel" and "bloodthirsty." Do not just mention what...

Table of Contents Summary of Coming of The Dry Season Studying Coming of The Dry Season?  This quick revision guide is designed to help you to grasp the key thematic concerns of the text in just a few minutes. Exploring the themes of the text will simplify your revision process and make it easy to group stories with similar themes for better understanding. You will also be able to establish the centrality of the titular story, Coming of The Dry Season and its key thematic concerns. Your understanding of the themes will also make it easy for you to understand the narrative style employed by the writer. Shadows   This story explores the theme of dysfunctional families , highlighting estranged relationships between spouses and parents and children. It also delves into issues about emotional and physical pain . The child narrator endures cruelty and child abuse within a loveless family characterised by child abuse and domestic violence . The Crow The Crow ...

Table of Contents An Analysis of The Tribe of Graves By Basil Diki: Act 1 Scene 2  Plot Overview The scene opens with the celebration of a wedding, with the couple seated on a mat as guests present gifts, share snuff, and ululate in joy.  The festive atmosphere is heightened by the rhythm of drums, and people compete to outdo each other in dancing. A remarkable unnamed young female dancer dominates the stage, leaving many young men too tired to keep up with her. Suddenly, the herdboy interrupts the merriment, rushing in to stop the drummers. He brings terrifying news of the arrival of Europeans, who he describes as "ghosts." Mushore, a staunch believer in traditions, interprets this as divine punishment for the lenient punishment given to Chikwete's son for committing bestiality. There's is a debate on how to respond, with Wedenga suggesting hiding from the Europeans while Zindonga and the herdboy refuse, considering it cowardice. Duri arrives to th...

Table of Contents The Tribe of Graves: Act 1, Scene 1 Introduction Are you studying  The Tribe of Graves   for the  ZIMSEC  A Level Literature  exam or another exam? This guide is designed to help you understand the key elements of the play such as the plot, characters, themes and dramatic techniques. The guide aims to deepen your understanding of the play and bolster your literary skills for the exam. Plot overview The scene is set in pre-colonial Zimbabwe, before the arrival of the whites, the play opens with the King of the Rozvi people and his wife, Vahosi, in their bedroom. The King is restless, tossing and sweating in his sleep. Vahosi is concerned and asks him about his troubled sleep. The king reveals that he had had disturbing "enigma" but did not wake her up. He then reveals his dream. In the dream, his late father, his grandfather and some men were building a hut which was soon attacked by termites. Despite the advice to sto...

Table of Contents An Analysis of Tomorrow's People By Raisedon Baya: Scene 6 Plot overview  The scene introduces Bomba, a ruling party official meeting with Father to discuss Nimrod and Yakhani's relationship. Bomba is concerned about this relationship because Yakhani is a member of the opposition party, which he views as a threat. Father expresses his disapproval, stating that he has already "asked him to stop immediately." Their brief interaction ends with both men chanting ruling party slogans, showcasing their loyalty to their political party. However, the atmosphere shifts dramatically when Ndiweni bursts into Father's house unannounced, "brandishing his knobkerrie," and angrily objects to Nimrod and Yakhani's relationship. The tension escalates, but the scene abruptly ends when Miss Jubane interrupts, ordering the students to stop improvising the drama and return to performing  Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.  Setting The sc...

Table of Contents An Analysis of Tomorrow's People By Raised Baya: Scene 5 The scene focuses on Yakhani's home. It opens with yakhani's mother, referred to as Mother, rearranging the furniture. This action is symbolic as Mother is one of the characters who are determined to change the status quo by challenging the tribal and political stereotypes prevailing in the society.  Themes The scene explores ethnicity-based stereotypes. Ndiweni's refusal to let yakhani continue with her relationship with Nimrod is based on the stereotype that everyone from the Shona ethnic group is "popularised by corruption." This portrays Ndiweni as a character with poor judgement because he fails to make a distinction between individuals. He believes that "bonke bayafanana" (they are all the same). It is ironic that Ndiweni does not even know who his daughter's boyfriend is as he asks "who is Nimrod." This question exposes him as a shallow ...

Table of Contents Tomorrow's People: Scene 4 Plot Overview The scene opens with a restless and agitated tone as opposition youth are seen toys-toying, reflecting the political tensions in the country. Barnabas, the leader of the youth, states that the opposition is here to lead the "people of tomorrow." The scene emphasises the need for revolution as a solution to the country's political and economic challenges. Barnabas tries to persuade Yakhani to conform to party's views, but she remains assertive, showing her independence. The unresolved conflict between Barnabas and Yakhani hints at future confrontations in the play. Meanwhile, Yakhani's forbidden love with Nimrod, despite their political and tribal differences, illustrates love triumphing over adversity. Themes Corruption and Violence The scene highlights corruption, political violence, and the impact of propaganda. The opposition youth express their disgust towards these vices through...

Table of Contents Peace Corpses  Peace Corpses by Bvuma is a paradoxical dirge that laments the devastating effects of AIDS during times of peace. The title itself is an oxymoron. The poem uses various literary devices to convey the loss, contrasting it with the deaths that occurred during Zimbabwe's liberation struggle. Themes Contrasting Deaths The poem contrasts deaths during war, which "made sense" because they brought about freedom, with the seemingly senseless deaths in times of peace caused by AIDS. The conjunction "but" emphasises this sharp contrast. Sexuality and Death The poem reflects on sexual intercourse, metaphorically referred to as the "sweet apple that Eve and Adam shared." This alludes to copulation that leads to HIV infection, described as "invisible wriggling devils." Literary Devices The metaphor of the "sweet apple" is an innuendo that refers to copulation which leads to infection by HIV. B...

Table of Contents Tomorrow's People: Scene 3 The scene takes place in the schoolyard, highlighting the relationship between the teachers and the students. Despite the headmaster walking around "with a stick in his hand, symbolising authority and discipline, there are instances of student misbehaviour as some students can be heard "shouting and playing" during lessons. The chaotic setting indicates the headmasters's ineffective leadership, as his strict methods fail to control the students. The scene thus mocks the education system by presenting the head of the school as failure. As the plot develops, the headmaster asserts his authority through shouting and hurling vitriol at the students. The semantic field used by the headmaster such as "fool" and "lecherous bastard" suggests that the school is not a safe environment as it exposes children to verbal, psychological and emotional abuse. Why is the Scene Brief?  The whole scene...