HOW TO SET KCSE 101/3 SET BOOKS LITERATURE QUESTIONS

HOW TO SET KCSE 101/3 LITERATURE QUESTIONS

The only predictable thing in the world is change. We must change with changing times. The setting of KCSE English Paper 3 essay questions changed in 2006 when the syllabus changed. 

Since the goal of teaching literature is the inculcation of universal moral values, the questions have taken a predictable pattern whereby the focus is on the identification of virtues and vices. Virtues attract rewards whereas vices lead to retribution. 

Before, the setting focused on mastery of the plot, characters and characterization, themes and language use. While these factors are still indispensable in the teaching and learning of literature, the cardinal focus should be on the take-home messages students can pick from the set text. 

When preparing candidates to sit English Paper 3, set accessible questions. The questions should be straight forward and relatable to the learners’ experiences. The phrasing of the questions must be clear so that the learner can understand its demands easily. After all, this is form four level literature. Avoid setting ambiguous questions. 

Literature rewards virtues and punishes vices. In the 2016 question from Bertolt Brecht's Caucasian Chalk Circle, Grusha is rewarded for her acts of selflessness after she rescues and raises Natella's son Michael. Judge Azdak decides to give the baby to Grusha and not Natella who is his biological mother, since Grusha is more motherly. In the evaluation, the learners can conclude that compassionate and altruistic acts attract approbation and rewards. 

In the 2019 question from John Steinbeck’s The Pearl, Kino causes agony to himself and his family members due to his excessive desires to escape the shackles of poverty and colonial oppression. He ends up losing his prized possessions and his son. As much as it is good to have ambitions, they may cause misery to us and our loved ones when unchecked.

The 2019 question on Blossoms of the Savannah dwelt on the repugnant ramifications of making unwise choices. On page 114 of the heavily patriarchal tale, the author says “... it was the man who made decisions as to which direction their lives took. When he took a wrong decision, the family was the one to bear the brunt of its unpalatable consequences.” Ole Kaelo loses his daughters when he makes two irresponsible decisions-doing business with a rogue businessman and refusing his daughters a chance of pursuing university education.  He insists on getting Resian circumcised and married off to a man who is almost his age mate yet she has ambitions of joining Egerton University to study veterinary medicine. He loses his daughter’s trust and filial affection when she runs away from home. To avoid adverse consequences such as these, we must heed wise counsel and make prudent decisions. 

In all these questions, an action leading to an outcome is par for the course. The good deeds by Grusha are rewarded while the evil deeds by Ole Kaelo lead to punishment. This is a universal idea. 

As we set literature questions based on set texts, our primary focus should be on the author’s intended message. Characterization, themes and styles are not tested in isolation, at least not for paper three. We can use themes to teach the moral values. For example the 2018 and 2019 questions from The Pearl highlighted the theme of the destructive nature of greed. We don’t focus on greed singly but on its evil nature and its power to cause affliction. Students are given to understand that being greedy may cause adversity to them. 

Questions on styles rarely see the light of day but language use can still be taught as part of literary appreciation. 

We ought to encourage learners to read the actual set text themselves so that they can acquire an unqualified mastery of the events in the novels, plays and short stories. They should do their own piercing analysis under the keen supervision of teachers. Imposing our own understanding on them only serves to hamper critical thinking. Also, the marking of English Literature demands that the students support every assertion with unerring textual illustrations. 

Once the student grasps the author’s intended message and the actions of the characters and their upshot, they can comfortably respond to the exam questions. They should single out the fruits of Nora's selflessness in A Doll's House, the impotence of Oloisudori’s callousness and pomposity in Blossoms Of Savannah, the futility of blind religious piety and joy of contentment in Folded Leaf, the danger of failure to listen to wise advice in The Pearl or the importance of having steely determination or willpower like Resian in Blossoms of the Savannah or Rolf Schmidt in No Need To Lie. 

The questions generally revolve around pertinent issues like effects of war, the importance of environmental and nature conservation, different levels of conflict in the society, illegal immigration, remorsefulness etc.

Teachers must therefore set questions in line with the demands of the syllabus and that meet the requirements of the Kenya National Examination Council. 

How to answer KCSE English Essay Questions