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FACULTY OF BUSINESS COMPUTER SCIENCE AND COMMUNICATION

STUDIES
BACHELOR OF ARTS IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES

SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER 2021 SEMESTER

DISTANCE LEARNING EXAMINATION

COM 108: SURVEY OF WORLD LITERATUR

LECTURER NAME: SHADRACK MWANTHI

STUDENT REG NO: BACSDIST293522

QUESTION ONE

Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow.
The Lady Of The Rose
I would love the bliss and the kiss
The crystal crown and the red wine
The spotless gown that’s worn by queens
But I am not the lady of the rose
 
I fancy a day in this palace so fine
Counting the stars with the king in sight
Waving my hand to the people of mass
But this is designed for the lady of the rose
 
To dance I long by the oval ball
To live I want in the royal court
The meat that roasts on a silver plate
But let me serve the lady of the rose
 
Still I walk on this dusty road
Wash my feet by this ancient well
Dress in clothes that are torn and old
Because am not the lady of the rose

But in my crib there’s a lot of peace

I somehow believe in a lot of things
Maybe someday my time will come
And I will be the lady of the rose

a) Assess the view of royal life and common life by the persona in each verse (6 mks)
1st verse

From the first stanza, the persona conveys the impression that royals live a happy life, dress elegantly, a
nd sip expensive wine. 

This isn't the situation for ordinary folks, who can't help but wish.
2nd Verse

Shows how royals live in palaces and large residences, are often full of pride, and are on the lookout for 
popularity. 

Of course, the common people do not live in palaces, nor are they popular enough.

3rd verse
Royals enjoy opulent lifestyles, such as roast beef served on silver plates. They frequently remain in roya
l courts, dancing and enjoying themselves.

4th Verse

Walking on dusty roads, drinking from ancient wells, and dressing in tattered garments are all examples 
of the difficulties and hardships that ordinary people encounter.

5th Verse

It conveys the impression that common life is more serene than royal life, presumably because common
people have less worries. It also emphasizes the idea that ordinary people rely on hope and can only
desire to live like royalty one day.

b) Comment on the tone of the poem (2 mks)

This poem has a real and upbeat tone to it. 

The persona is quite aware of the differences between royalties and non-royalties, and she is confident t
hat one day she will be one of them.

c) Assess the lessons that Africans can derive from African-American literature with respect to
the circumstances in which they live in the post-independence era. (2 mks)

I Contentment- we learn from African American literature that being content with what you have is imp
ortant, and that we shouldn't always be striving to live beyond our means.

ii) Another lesson we may learn from this is that hardship is real, and that we must always work hard for 
all we have. 

Nothing comes easily, and enormous effort and devotion should be included in the quest for a better life
.

QUESTION TWO
Analyze how Mathilde Loisel life, character and struggle portrays the vanity of social class
in the story, ‘The Necklace’ by Guy de Maupassant
(10 mks)
"The Necklace" is a story about a necklace.
Mathilde Loisel, a fascinating character, is introduced in this story.
We learn early on in the novel that Mathilde is unhappy and dissatisfied with her current life
situation. She despises her lowly station in life and is consumed by the desire to rise to the upper
crust.

Her husband is pleased with their current situation, and while he appreciates the "excellent soup"
they had for dinner, Mathilde continues to fantasize about a rich, high-class lifestyle. Greed
makes her believe she was born for greater things, such as gowns and jewels. Her husband tries
everything he can to win her a spot at the prime minister's ball, but she feels bad about it and is
on the verge of canceling because she thinks her outfit isn't beautiful enough.
Her desire to live above her means causes her husband to give up his savings of 400 francs to
buy her a suitable gown to match the other rich women at the ball. She next goes to Madame
Forestier to borrow jewelry, and she once again chooses a diamond necklace from the jewelry
box because of its lovely appearance.

This distinguishes her as the most exceptional guest at the ball, to the point where the minister
compliments her. She subsequently realizes that she has misplaced the necklace and considers
replacing it. This puts her husband in the position of having to borrow money to replace the
housegirl, and their financial situation forces her to fire her. As a result, she is responsible for the
majority of the household work, and as a result, she grows old and loses her beauty.
She realizes the necklace she had borrowed was a fake, worth only 500 francs, after a ten-year
battle to pay off the loans. As a result, she discovers she's lost everything, including her little
resources and the beauty she'd always adored. She discovers that all is vanity, and that she should
have valued her position in life rather than living beyond her means.

QUESTION THREE

Medea is a study of injustice, betrayal and revenge. Discuss (10 mks)

Medea is a fictional character based on Greek mythology. Medea is an interesting character in

the play. She is a symbol of female resistance, as evidenced by the fact that she exclusively prays
to goddesses rather than gods. Her devotion to yet another character, Jason, drives her to give up
everything for him. She aids and advises him using her magical abilities and the power of
prophecy.

Several instances in the play highlight the themes of injustice, betrayal, and vengeance. Despite
Medea's sacrifices for Jason, he eventually betrays her, turning her love and passion into fury.
We see the face of betrayal in its prime through Jason's deeds. Following Jason's betrayal, Medea
is willing to go to any length to ensure that her vengeance on Jason is complete. She's definitely
intent on destroying Jason and just wants to do whatever that will completely harm him.

Medea commits a form of injustice when she murders her own children, who are completely
innocent, in order to harm Jason and to shield them from her enemies' retaliation.

Out of terror, Creon exiles Medea and her children from the city, but Medea begs for mercy and
is granted a one-day reprieve before being forced to leave. She takes advantage of the
opportunity to plot the deaths of Glause, who must die as a result of the poison in Medea's
clothing, and Creon, who prefers to die beside his daughter. Glause had done nothing to deserve
to die, thus this is completely unjust.

Medea appears to be obsessed with vengeance against everyone who has wronged her in the past,
particularly Jason, whom she is determined to kill. This she does at the expense of the sorrow she
is experiencing as a result of her loss.

QUESTION FOUR

a) Discuss any three dominant themes that Ngugi wa Thiong’o rnovel, ‘The River
Between’.

(I )Religion, Christianity, and Tradition

Makuyu and Kamene are the two villages in the story. These are settlements in Agikuyu area that
lived a traditional agrarian lifestyle until white men colonized them. Kamene is adamant about
maintaining traditional purity and refuses to let whites influence their ways, whereas Makuyu is
prepared to adapt to the Christianity that comes with whites.

(ii) Change
Waiyaki, a character in the story, is a believer in Christianity and the white revolution that has
occurred. He's willing to embrace the shift and merge the two towns because he believes it's
preferable to adapt to the challenge at hand than to be overrun by it. This emphasizes the
importance of change and the shift from traditional to Christian ways of life.
(iii) Cohesion and Discord
As previously stated, the two ridges, Makuyu and Kamene, hold opposing views on western
culture. The divide is visible because Makuyu are willing to accept and adapt to Christianity,
whilst Kamene are not. Waiyaki's desire to bring them all together and share the same viewpoint
is what depicts oneness.
(6 mks)

b) Marriage as an institution has been going through challenges since time immemorial.
Discuss this statement as depicted by Kate chopins’ 18 C story, The story of an Hour. (4
mks)

We learn from Chopin's account that marriage has always had difficulties, and that these
difficulties are not new.
The story, which was written in 1894, is based on the idea that women yearn for self-
determination and freedom, which is similar to present feminist movements.
We learn from it that Mrs Mallard's freedom was somewhat restricted by her husband, Bretly.
This is clear when she believes the false report that Bretley died in a train accident and is
suddenly soothed and delighted at the prospect of being free and on her own afterward, with no
opposition.

She has a heart attack and dies after learning the truth that her spouse is still alive. This plainly
demonstrates that people have a lot to persevere through in marriage, and some problems reach
deadly proportions, as in the case of Mrs Mallard, who dies.