Insert
The source that follows is:
- Source A: 20th-century prose fiction
- Victory by Joseph Conrad
An extract from a work first published in 1915.
This extract is from Joseph Conrad’s Victory (1915): in a tense night scene on a remote island, Ricardo, having glimpsed Heyst’s cigar, returns to tell Mr Jones, and their guarded conversation heightens the atmosphere of vigilance, unease, and impending confrontation.
Source A
1 He noted the stars, and stepped back again into the dense darkness. He resisted the growing impulse to go out and steal towards the other bungalow. It would have been madness to start prowling in the dark on unknown ground.
6 And for what end? Unless to relieve the oppression. Immobility lay on his limbs like a leaden garment. And yet he was unwilling to give up. He persisted in his objectless vigil. The man of the island was keeping quiet. It was at
11 that moment that Ricardo's eyes caught the vanishing red trail of light made by the cigar--a startling revelation of the man's wakefulness. He could not suppress a low “Hallo!” and began to sidle
16 along towards the door, with his shoulders rubbing the wall. For all he knew, the man might have been out in front by this time, observing the veranda. As a matter of fact, after flinging
21 away the cheroot, Heyst had gone indoors with the feeling of a man who gives up an unprofitable occupation. But Ricardo fancied he could hear faint footfalls on the
26 open ground, and dodged quickly into the room. There he drew breath, and meditated for a while. His next step was to feel for the matches on the tall desk, and to light the candle. He had to communicate to his
31 governor views and reflections of such importance that it was absolutely necessary for him to watch their effect on the very countenance of the hearer. At first he had thought that these matters could have waited till daylight;
36 but Heyst's wakefulness, disclosed in that startling way, made him feel suddenly certain that there could be no sleep for him that night. He said as much to his governor. When the little dagger-like flame had
41 done its best to dispel the darkness, Mr. Jones was to be seen reposing on a camp bedstead, in a distant part of the room. A railway rug concealed his spare form up to his
46 very head, which rested on the other railway rug rolled up for a pillow. Ricardo plumped himself down cross-legged on the floor, very close to the low bedstead; so that Mr. Jones--who perhaps had not been so very profoundly
51 asleep--on opening his eyes found them conveniently levelled at the face of his secretary. “Eh? What is it you say? No sleep for you tonight? But why can't you let me sleep? Confound your fussiness!”
56 “Because that there fellow can't sleep--that's why. Dash me if he hasn't been doing a think just now! What business has he to think in the middle of the
61 night?” “How do you know?” “He was out, sir--up in the middle of the night. My own eyes saw it.”
66 “But how do you know that he was up to think?” inquired Mr. Jones. “It might have been anything--toothache, for instance. And you may have dreamed it for
71 all I know. Didn't you try to sleep?” “No, sir. I didn't even try to go to sleep.” Ricardo informed his patron of his vigil on the veranda, and of the
76 revelation which put an end to it. He concluded that a man up with a cigar in the middle of the night must be doing a think. Mr. Jones raised himself on his elbow. This sign of interest comforted
81 his faithful henchman. “Seems to me it's time we did a little think ourselves,” added Ricardo, with more assurance. Long as they had been together the moods of his governor were still a source of
86 anxiety to his simple soul. “You are always making a fuss,” remarked Mr. Jones, in a tolerant tone. “Ay, but not for nothing, am I? You can't say that, sir. Mine may not be a gentleman's way of looking round a thing, but it isn't a fool's way,
91 either. You've admitted that much yourself at odd times.” Ricardo was growing warmly argumentative. Mr. Jones interrupted him without heat. “You haven't roused me to talk about yourself, I presume?”
96 “No, sir.” Ricardo remained silent for a minute, with the tip of his tongue caught between his teeth. “I don't think I could tell you anything about
101 myself that you don't know,” he continued. There was a sort of amused satisfaction in his tone which changed completely as he went on.
Questions
Instructions
- Answer all questions.
- Use black ink or black ball point pen.
- Fill in the boxes on this page.
- You must answer the questions in the spaces provided.
- Do not write outside the box around each page or on blank pages.
- Do all rough work in this book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked.
- You must refer to the insert booklet provided.
- You must not use a dictionary.
Information
- The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
- Time allowed: 1 hour 45 minutes
- The maximum mark for this paper is 80.
- There are 40 marks for Section A and 40 marks for Section B.
- You are reminded of the need for good English and clear presentation in your answers.
- You will be assessed on the quality of your reading in Section A.
- You will be assessed on the quality of your writing in Section B.
Advice
- You are advised to spend about 15 minutes reading through the source and all five questions you have to answer.
- You should make sure you leave sufficient time to check your answers.
Section A: Reading
Answer all questions in this section. You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on this section.
Question 1
Read again the first part of the source, from lines 1 to 5.
Answer all parts of this question.
Choose one answer for each question.
1.1 What was noted?
- the stars
- the dense darkness
- the other bungalow
[1 mark]
1.2 According to the narrator, what would have been madness?
- Beginning to prowl in darkness on unfamiliar ground
- Creeping towards the other bungalow
- Pausing to look up at the stars
[1 mark]
1.3 According to the narrator, why would going out stealthily at this moment have been unwise?
- Because it was dark and the ground was unfamiliar.
- Because a storm had started and the path was slippery.
- Because companions had warned against it.
[1 mark]
1.4 According to the narrator, why is prowling towards the other bungalow a bad idea?
- Because the night was dark and the ground was unfamiliar
- Because a storm was breaking and the rain would betray footsteps
- Because guards were alert outside the bungalow
[1 mark]
Question 2
Look in detail at this extract, from lines 6 to 15 of the source:
6 And for what end? Unless to relieve the oppression. Immobility lay on his limbs like a leaden garment. And yet he was unwilling to give up. He persisted in his objectless vigil. The man of the island was keeping quiet. It was at
11 that moment that Ricardo's eyes caught the vanishing red trail of light made by the cigar--a startling revelation of the man's wakefulness. He could not suppress a low “Hallo!” and began to sidle
How does the writer use language here to show Ricardo’s state of mind and the tense mood? You could include the writer’s choice of:
- words and phrases
- language features and techniques
- sentence forms.
[8 marks]
Question 3
You now need to think about the structure of the source as a whole. This text is from the middle of a novel.
How has the writer structured the text to create a sense of ambiguity?
You could write about:
- how ambiguity deepens throughout the source
- how the writer uses structure to create an effect
- the writer's use of any other structural features, such as changes in mood, tone or perspective.
[8 marks]
Question 4
For this question focus on the second part of the source, from line 46 to the end.
In this part of the source, the way Ricardo wakes up his boss makes him seem nervous and fussy. The writer suggests that all the real power belongs to Mr. Jones, who is simply lying in bed.
To what extent do you agree and/or disagree with this statement?
In your response, you could:
- consider your impressions of how the hyena behaves
- comment on the methods the writer uses to present the hyena
- support your response with references to the text.
[20 marks]
Question 5
A popular podcast about unexplained events is asking for creative submissions from its listeners.
Choose one of the options below for your entry.
-
Option A: Describe a room full of forgotten technology from your imagination. You may choose to use the picture provided for ideas:
-
Option B: Write the opening of a story about a strange message appearing on a screen.
(24 marks for content and organisation, 16 marks for technical accuracy)
[40 marks]