2025 Preparatory Examination Study Notes for English First Additional Language Paper 2

Examination Protocol and Structure for English First Additional Language Paper 2

The Preparatory Examination for 2025, specifically the English First Additional Language Paper 2, is a comprehensive assessment totaling 70 marks with a duration of two and a half hours. The examination is structured into four distinct sections: Novel, Drama, Short Stories, and Poetry. Each section is worth 35 marks. Candidates are instructed to answer exactly two questions, selecting one from any two sections. For the novel and drama sections, students must answer the question set on the specific text they have studied. For the short stories and poetry sections, students are required to answer questions on both selected extracts or poems provided within those sections.

Administrative instructions emphasize that students should not attempt to read the entire paper but should use the Table of Contents to navigate to their chosen texts. Time management suggests approximately 75 minutes per section. Answers must be numbered according to the system used in the paper, and each section must begin on a new page. The document consists of 28 pages and is distributed through various educational platforms such as Matric Exam Papers, Matric Study Guides, and online portals including ultradeep.co.za, tvetpapers.co.za, and mynated.co.za.

Section A: Comprehensive Review of the Novel Study

The novel section focuses on two primary texts: Alan Paton's Cry, the Beloved Country and Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. In Alan Paton's work, the social and emotional landscape of South Africa is explored through character interactions. Key figures include John Harrison, who supports James Jarvis after Arthur's death; Dubula, who organizes bus boycotts to protest fare increases; Mr Mafolo, who accompanies the reverend to the mission house; and Barbara Smith, who dismisses Sibeko’s daughter for brewing liquor. Extracts from the text highlight the emotional reunion between Stephen Kumalo and his sister Gertrude in Johannesburg. Gertrude, living in a state of distress, admits to being a liquor seller and a prostitute, expressing deep shame. Kumalo, initially mastered by anger, eventually shows deep gentleness, lifting her from the floor as she expresses a desire to leave the sickness of Johannesburg.

Further analysis of Cry, the Beloved Country involves the dialogue between John Harrison and James Jarvis regarding the cultural divide and the atmosphere of fear in Johannesburg. Harrison describes the constant threat of native crime and physical attacks, such as the home invasion at the Phillipsons' residence. He mentions how his son Arthur believed the white population was somehow to blame for these social conditions. Arthur Jarvis is presented as a visionary man whose journeying in strange waters went further than his parents recognized. The theme of fear is pervasive, manifesting in the physical barricading of houses and the emotional distance between characters of different racial and social backgrounds.

In Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, the narrative examines the duality of human nature and the limits of scientific exploration. Character associations place Mr Utterson with Gaunt Street, Mr Enfield with Queer Street, Dr Lanyon with Cavendish Square, and Mr Hyde with Soho or Blackmail House. In one extract, Mr Enfield describes a scene where a medical professional, or "Sawbones," becomes physically ill with the desire to kill a prisoner who had trampled a child. The man, Edward Hyde, is described as having a black, sneering coolness and carrying himself like Satan, yet remaining pragmatically helpless when faced with the threat of a public scandal that would make his name stink. He ultimately offers a hundred pounds to the child's family to avoid a scene.

The physical setting of the novel involves symbolic locations, such as the door which represents transformation. The final moments of the narrative reveal a scene of domestic normalcy—a glowing fire, a singing kettle, and tea laid out—contrasted sharply with the contorted body of Edward Hyde lying in the midst of the lab. Hyde is found dressed in Dr Jekyll's large clothes, having committed suicide via a crushed phial, as evidenced by the strong smell of kernels in the air. Mr Utterson identifies him as a self-destroyer, arriving too late to punish or save him. Dr Jekyll is viewed as a tragic figure whose experiments pushed beyond the safe boundaries of scientific knowledge, leading to his eventual displacement by the persona of Hyde.

Section B: Analysis of Selected Dramatic Works

The drama section covers William Shakespeare's Macbeth and Athol Fugard's My Children! My Africa!. In Macbeth, the character dynamics are defined by roles such as Lennox, the loyal and cautious nobleman; Lady Macbeth, the strong and ruthless wife; Young Siward, the brave young soldier; and Lady Macduff, the protective mother. Following the murder of King Duncan at Inverness, Macbeth experiences profound psychological distress, claiming that he has murdered sleep and that his hands are so bloodied they would turn the green seas red. Lady Macbeth, in contrast, chides his infirmity of purpose, suggesting that a little water clears them of the deed and that the dead are but pictures that should only frighten the eye of childhood. She masks her own guilt with a white heart, even as she smears the grooms with blood to frame them.

In the later acts of Macbeth, the setting shifts to the fortification of Dunsinane as English forces approach Birnam Wood. The thines, including Menteith, Caithness, and Angus, discuss Macbeth’s descent into what some call mad and others call valiant fury. The tyrant's title is said to hang loose about him like a giant's robe upon a dwarfish thief, a simile illustrating his unfitness for kingship. The theme of order and disorder is central, as the Scottish noblemen pledge their drop of blood to purge the country and dew the sovereign flower, referring to Malcolm, the rightful heir. Macduff is characterized as a noble figure who stands against the secret murders and faith-breach of Macbeth's reign.

Athol Fugard's My Children! My Africa! focuses on the intersection of education and politics in a South African township school. Characters include Renee Vermaas and Hillary Castle, members of the debating team, and Oom Dawie, an inspector of education. The conflict centers on Mr M, a teacher, and his star pupil Thami. Thami views the classroom as a political reality tied to an oppressive system he is fighting against, leading to his involvement in school boycotts. Isabel, a student from a different background, attempts to mediate, noting the sadness of Mr M’s failed attempts to reach out to Thami. She is deeply hurt when Thami rejects her advice and insists that she does not understand his life.

The tension culminates in a discussion about the utility of boycotts. Mr M reveals he has been instructed by the department to create a list of students participating in the boycott, which could lead to them being denied re-admission. Thami views this as a betrayal, while Mr M argues from a position of paternalistic authority, asserting his status as a man over Thami's status as a boy. The play explores the theme of generational conflict and the differing philosophies of change: Mr M’s belief in education and traditional structures versus Thami’s commitment to activist struggle and the immediate political reality of the township.

Section C: Short Stories and Societal Narratives

The short story section features Agnes Sam's ‘A Bag of Sweets’ and Ama Ata Aidoo's ‘The Girl Who Can’. In ‘A Bag of Sweets’, the narrative focuses on the strained relationship between sisters Khadija and Kaltoum. Khadija returns to the family shop after three years, radiating joy, yet Kaltoum remains cold and moves out of her reach, refusing to engage in social niceties. Kaltoum observes that Khadija has discarded traditional Muslim dress by leaving her legs bare, though she still wears a chiffon scarf and peach lipstick. The shop itself becomes a place of tension and unresolved issues following the death of their parents. While Khadija is described as being blessed with humility, the interaction suggests deeper conflicts regarding traditional family values and past grievances.

In ‘The Girl Who Can’, the protagonist Adjoa reflects on the constant criticism of her physical appearance by her grandmother, Nana. Nana frequently complains that Adjoa's legs are too thin and too long for a woman, suggesting they lack the strength required for traditional roles. Adjoa’s mother, Maami, attempts to defend her with small amounts of courage, noting that some people have no legs at all. Nana uses a special, silencing voice to dominate these discussions, rooted in societal expectations of what a woman's body should look like. The irony of the story lies in Adjoa’s ultimate success, as her thin legs prove to be an asset in running, allowing her to win competitions and gain Nana's eventual, if silent, pride. The story highlights the theme of determined insight against the weight of tradition.

Section D: Comprehensive Poetry Analysis

Poetry analysis includes ‘The night-jar and Inkosazana Yasezulwini’ by Chris Mann and ‘What life is really like’ by Beverly Rycroft. Mann’s poem is a lyric piece based on a Zulu myth concerning the Princess of the Heavens. The night-jar is a nocturnal bird, speckled and brown as dust, which roosts by day and wakes at midnight to glide across the curtained town. The speaker describes a supernatural encounter where the bird speaks of a grass-house in the hills where the Princess rinses dreams in rainbow water. She is described as being as old as she is young, with feet dark as honey. The poem uses the oxymoron ‘waking sleeper’ to address the speaker, emphasizing the thin line between reality and the world of dreams and myth. The theme of hope is central, as the Princess is viewed as the essential source of love and human dreaming.

Beverly Rycroft’s ‘What life is really like’ explores a daughter’s relationship with her father and the concept of resilience. The father, a man characterized by a harsh, pragmatic worldview, frequently told the speaker to ‘toughen up’ when she was small. He used the graphic image of chickens being decapitated as a lesson on the brutality of survival. The speaker was forced to assist him in the pigeon loft, holding birds with pumping chests while he stitched their throats. The father compared life to a fight for survival, using boxing metaphors like ‘roll with the punches,’ treatment he might normally reserve for his students or inaugural addresses.

The poem shifts in tone when the speaker returns from the hospital with a wound of her own—a ‘bulldozed chest’ resulting from surgery. In this moment, the father’s behavior changes; he becomes silent and tender, using practiced hands to change her bandages. He does not repeat his mantras about life being a bastard or the need to toughen up. This silence reveals a change in his state of mind, shifting from a lecturer on survival to a father providing care. The figure of speech ‘bulldozed chest’ serves as a powerful metaphor for the physical and emotional trauma of the speaker's surgery, and the ‘breathing silence’ of the final scene contrasts with the angry shouting of her childhood.