Grade 12 Literature Setwork
NSC and SC Examination
Question Papers and Memoranda
(Marking Guidelines)
English Home Language:
Novels
Title Author Page
The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde 2
The Life of Pi Y Martel 46
All Examination Question Papers and Marking Guidelines:
©Department of Basic Education
,English Home Language/P2 12 DBE/2021
SC/NSC
SECTION B: NOVEL
Answer ONLY on the novel you have studied.
THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY – Oscar Wilde
Answer EITHER QUESTION 6 (essay question) OR QUESTION 7 (contextual
question).
QUESTION 6: THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY – ESSAY QUESTION
Dorian Gray must take responsibility for his own fate.
Critically discuss the extent to which you agree with the above statement.
Your response should take the form of a well-constructed essay of 400–450 words
(2–2½ pages). [25]
QUESTION 7: THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY – CONTEXTUAL QUESTION
Read the extracts below and then answer the questions that follow.
EXTRACT A
[Dorian Gray] sighed, and, having poured himself out some tea, opened Lord Henry's
note. It was simply to say that he sent him round the evening paper, and a book that
might interest him, and that he would be at the club at eight-fifteen. He opened The St
James's languidly, and looked through it. A red pencil-mark on the fifth page caught his
eye. It drew attention to the following paragraph: 5
Inquest on an actress. – An inquest was held this morning at the Bell
Tavern, Hoxton Road, by Mr Danby, the District Coroner, on the body of
Sibyl Vane, a young actress recently engaged at the Royal Theatre,
Holborn. A verdict of death by misadventure was returned. Considerable
sympathy was expressed for the mother of the deceased, who was greatly 10
affected during the giving of her own evidence, and that of
Dr Birrell, who had made the post-mortem examination of the deceased.
He frowned, and, tearing the paper in two, went across the room and flung the pieces
away. How ugly it all was! And how horribly real ugliness made things! He felt a little
annoyed with Lord Henry for having sent him the report. And it was certainly stupid of 15
him to have marked it with red pencil. Victor might have read it. The man knew more
than enough English for that.
Perhaps he had read it and begun to suspect something. And, yet, what did it matter?
What had Dorian Gray to do with Sibyl Vane's death? There was nothing to fear.
Dorian Gray had not killed her. 20
[Chapter 10]
7.1 Suggest why Lord Henry has drawn Dorian's attention to the inquest into
Sibyl's death. (3)
Copyright reserved Please turn over
,English Home Language/P2 13 DBE/2021
SC/NSC
7.2 Refer to lines 13–14: 'He frowned, and … the pieces away' and line 16: 'Victor
might have read it.'
Account for Dorian's response in these lines. (3)
7.3 Lord Henry's note makes reference to 'a book that might interest
[Dorian Gray]' (lines 2–3).
Using your knowledge of the novel as a whole, comment on the role this book
plays in Dorian's life. (3)
7.4 Refer to line 14: 'How ugly it … ugliness made things!'
Discuss how Dorian's avoidance of ugliness ultimately leads to his
destruction. (3)
AND
EXTRACT B
'It's no use,' sighed Adrian Singleton. 'I don't care to go back. What does it matter?
I am quite happy here.'
'You will write to me if you want anything, won't you?' said Dorian, after a pause.
'Perhaps.'
'Good-night, then.' 5
'Good-night,' answered the young man, passing up the steps, and wiping his parched
mouth with a handkerchief.
Dorian walked to the door with a look of pain in his face. As he drew the curtain aside
a hideous laugh broke from the painted lips of the woman who had taken his money.
'There goes the devil's bargain!' she hiccoughed, in a hoarse voice. 10
'Curse you!' he answered, 'don't call me that.'
She snapped her fingers. 'Prince Charming is what you like to be called, ain't it?' she
yelled after him.
The drowsy sailor leaped to his feet as she spoke, and looked wildly around.
The sound of the shutting of the hall door fell on his ear. He rushed out as if in pursuit. 15
Dorian Gray hurried along the quay through the drizzling rain. His meeting with Adrian
Singleton had strangely moved him, and he wondered if the ruin of that young life was
really to be laid at his door, as Basil Hallward had said to him with such infamy of
insult. He bit his lip, and for a few seconds his eyes grew sad. Yet, after all, what did it
matter to him? One's days were too brief to take the burden of another's errors on 20
one's shoulders. Each man lived his own life, and paid his own price for living it.
Copyright reserved Please turn over
, English Home Language/P2 14 DBE/2021
SC/NSC
The only pity was one had to pay so often for a single fault. One had to pay over and
over again, indeed. In her dealings with man Destiny never closed her accounts.
[Chapter 16]
7.5 Place the above extract in context. (3)
7.6 Refer to line 14: 'The drowsy sailor … looked wildly around.'
Comment on the sailor's reaction in this line. (3)
7.7 Refer to line 23: 'In her dealings with man Destiny never closed her accounts.'
Comment on the effectiveness of this image in the context of the novel. (3)
7.8 Dorian is referred to as both 'the devil's bargain' (line 10) and 'Prince
Charming' (line 12).
Critically discuss what these names suggest about the contradictory nature of
Dorian's character. (4)
[25]
Copyright reserved Please turn over
NSC and SC Examination
Question Papers and Memoranda
(Marking Guidelines)
English Home Language:
Novels
Title Author Page
The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde 2
The Life of Pi Y Martel 46
All Examination Question Papers and Marking Guidelines:
©Department of Basic Education
,English Home Language/P2 12 DBE/2021
SC/NSC
SECTION B: NOVEL
Answer ONLY on the novel you have studied.
THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY – Oscar Wilde
Answer EITHER QUESTION 6 (essay question) OR QUESTION 7 (contextual
question).
QUESTION 6: THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY – ESSAY QUESTION
Dorian Gray must take responsibility for his own fate.
Critically discuss the extent to which you agree with the above statement.
Your response should take the form of a well-constructed essay of 400–450 words
(2–2½ pages). [25]
QUESTION 7: THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY – CONTEXTUAL QUESTION
Read the extracts below and then answer the questions that follow.
EXTRACT A
[Dorian Gray] sighed, and, having poured himself out some tea, opened Lord Henry's
note. It was simply to say that he sent him round the evening paper, and a book that
might interest him, and that he would be at the club at eight-fifteen. He opened The St
James's languidly, and looked through it. A red pencil-mark on the fifth page caught his
eye. It drew attention to the following paragraph: 5
Inquest on an actress. – An inquest was held this morning at the Bell
Tavern, Hoxton Road, by Mr Danby, the District Coroner, on the body of
Sibyl Vane, a young actress recently engaged at the Royal Theatre,
Holborn. A verdict of death by misadventure was returned. Considerable
sympathy was expressed for the mother of the deceased, who was greatly 10
affected during the giving of her own evidence, and that of
Dr Birrell, who had made the post-mortem examination of the deceased.
He frowned, and, tearing the paper in two, went across the room and flung the pieces
away. How ugly it all was! And how horribly real ugliness made things! He felt a little
annoyed with Lord Henry for having sent him the report. And it was certainly stupid of 15
him to have marked it with red pencil. Victor might have read it. The man knew more
than enough English for that.
Perhaps he had read it and begun to suspect something. And, yet, what did it matter?
What had Dorian Gray to do with Sibyl Vane's death? There was nothing to fear.
Dorian Gray had not killed her. 20
[Chapter 10]
7.1 Suggest why Lord Henry has drawn Dorian's attention to the inquest into
Sibyl's death. (3)
Copyright reserved Please turn over
,English Home Language/P2 13 DBE/2021
SC/NSC
7.2 Refer to lines 13–14: 'He frowned, and … the pieces away' and line 16: 'Victor
might have read it.'
Account for Dorian's response in these lines. (3)
7.3 Lord Henry's note makes reference to 'a book that might interest
[Dorian Gray]' (lines 2–3).
Using your knowledge of the novel as a whole, comment on the role this book
plays in Dorian's life. (3)
7.4 Refer to line 14: 'How ugly it … ugliness made things!'
Discuss how Dorian's avoidance of ugliness ultimately leads to his
destruction. (3)
AND
EXTRACT B
'It's no use,' sighed Adrian Singleton. 'I don't care to go back. What does it matter?
I am quite happy here.'
'You will write to me if you want anything, won't you?' said Dorian, after a pause.
'Perhaps.'
'Good-night, then.' 5
'Good-night,' answered the young man, passing up the steps, and wiping his parched
mouth with a handkerchief.
Dorian walked to the door with a look of pain in his face. As he drew the curtain aside
a hideous laugh broke from the painted lips of the woman who had taken his money.
'There goes the devil's bargain!' she hiccoughed, in a hoarse voice. 10
'Curse you!' he answered, 'don't call me that.'
She snapped her fingers. 'Prince Charming is what you like to be called, ain't it?' she
yelled after him.
The drowsy sailor leaped to his feet as she spoke, and looked wildly around.
The sound of the shutting of the hall door fell on his ear. He rushed out as if in pursuit. 15
Dorian Gray hurried along the quay through the drizzling rain. His meeting with Adrian
Singleton had strangely moved him, and he wondered if the ruin of that young life was
really to be laid at his door, as Basil Hallward had said to him with such infamy of
insult. He bit his lip, and for a few seconds his eyes grew sad. Yet, after all, what did it
matter to him? One's days were too brief to take the burden of another's errors on 20
one's shoulders. Each man lived his own life, and paid his own price for living it.
Copyright reserved Please turn over
, English Home Language/P2 14 DBE/2021
SC/NSC
The only pity was one had to pay so often for a single fault. One had to pay over and
over again, indeed. In her dealings with man Destiny never closed her accounts.
[Chapter 16]
7.5 Place the above extract in context. (3)
7.6 Refer to line 14: 'The drowsy sailor … looked wildly around.'
Comment on the sailor's reaction in this line. (3)
7.7 Refer to line 23: 'In her dealings with man Destiny never closed her accounts.'
Comment on the effectiveness of this image in the context of the novel. (3)
7.8 Dorian is referred to as both 'the devil's bargain' (line 10) and 'Prince
Charming' (line 12).
Critically discuss what these names suggest about the contradictory nature of
Dorian's character. (4)
[25]
Copyright reserved Please turn over
