Insert
The source that follows is:
- Source A: 19th-century prose fiction
- The Lady with the Dog by Anton Chekhov
An extract from a work first published in 1899.
This extract is taken from a Chekhov short story where a young governess returns to chaos after a valuable brooch goes missing and endures a humiliating search. It highlights class tension, suspicion, and the powerlessness of those dependent on wealthy employers.
Source A
1 MASHENKA PAVLETSKY, a young girl who had only just finished her studies at a boarding school, returning from a walk to the house of the Kushkins, with whom she was living as a governess, found the household in a terrible turmoil. Mihailo, the porter who opened the door to her, was excited and red as a crab.
6 Loud voices were heard from upstairs. "Madame Kushkin is in a fit, most likely, or else she has quarrelled with her husband," thought Mashenka.
11 In the hall and in the corridor she met maid-servants. One of them was crying. Then Mashenka saw, running out of her room, the master of the house himself, Nikolay Sergeitch, a little man with a flabby face and a bald head, though he was not old. He was red in the face and twitching all over. He passed the governess without noticing her, and throwing up his arms, exclaimed:
16 "Oh, how horrible it is! How tactless! How stupid! How barbarous! Abominable!" Mashenka went into her room, and then, for the first time in her life, it was her lot to experience in all its acuteness the feeling that is so familiar to
21 persons in dependent positions, who eat the bread of the rich and powerful, and cannot speak their minds. There was a search going on in her room. The lady of the house, Fedosya Vassilyevna, a stout, broad-shouldered, uncouth woman with thick black eyebrows, a faintly perceptible moustache, and red hands, who was exactly like a plain, illiterate cook in face and manners, was
26 standing, without her cap on, at the table, putting back into Mashenka's workbag balls of wool, scraps of materials, and bits of paper.... Evidently the governess's arrival took her by surprise, since, on looking round and seeing the girl's pale and astonished face, she was a little taken aback, and muttered:
31 "Pardon. I ... I upset it accidentally.... My sleeve caught in it ..." And saying something more, Madame Kushkin rustled her long skirts and went out. Mashenka looked round her room with wondering eyes, and, unable to
36 understand it, not knowing what to think, shrugged her shoulders, and turned cold with dismay. What had Fedosya Vassilyevna been looking for in her work- bag? If she really had, as she said, caught her sleeve in it and upset everything, why had Nikolay Sergeitch dashed out of her room so excited and red in the face? Why was one drawer of the table pulled out a little way? The
41 money-box, in which the governess put away ten kopeck pieces and old stamps, was open. They had opened it, but did not know how to shut it, though they had scratched the lock all over. The whatnot with her books on it, the things on the table, the bed--all bore fresh traces of a search. Her linen-basket, too. The linen had been carefully folded, but it was not in the same order as
46 Mashenka had left it when she went out. So the search had been thorough, most thorough. But what was it for? Why? What had happened? Mashenka remembered the excited porter, the general turmoil which was still going on, the weeping servant-girl; had it not all some connection with the search that had just been made in her room? Was not she mixed up in something dreadful? Mashenka
51 turned pale, and feeling cold all over, sank on to her linen-basket. A maid-servant came into the room. "Liza, you don't know why they have been rummaging in my room?" the governess
56 asked her. "Mistress has lost a brooch worth two thousand," said Liza. "Yes, but why have they been rummaging in my room?"
61 "They've been searching every one, miss. They've searched all my things, too. They stripped us all naked and searched us.... God knows, miss, I never went near her toilet-table, let alone touching the brooch. I shall say the same at the police-station."
66 "But ... why have they been rummaging here?" the governess still wondered. "A brooch has been stolen, I tell you. The mistress has been rummaging in everything with her own hands. She even searched Mihailo, the porter, herself.
71 It's a perfect disgrace! Nikolay Sergeitch simply looks on and cackles like a hen. But you've no need to tremble like that, miss. They found nothing here. You've nothing to be afraid of if you didn't take the brooch." "But, Liza, it's vile ... it's insulting," said Mashenka, breathless with
76 indignation. "It's so mean, so low! What right had she to suspect me and to rummage in my things?" "You are living with strangers, miss," sighed Liza. "Though you are a young lady, still you are ... as it were ... a servant.... It's not like living with
81 your papa and mamma."
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 How is Mihailo described when opening the door to Mashenka Pavletsky?
- Excited and very flushed
- Calm and smiling
- Fearful and pale
[1 mark]
1.2 Mashenka was returning from a walk to which house?
- the Kushkins' house
- the Pavletskys' house
- the porter's house
[1 mark]
1.3 What state did Mashenka find the household in?
- a terrible turmoil
- a calm and quiet scene
- a lively celebration
[1 mark]
1.4 How is Mihailo described when opening the door?
- excited and red as a crab
- calm and pale as a sheet
- angry and red as a beetroot
[1 mark]
Question 2
Look in detail at this extract, from lines 6 to 10 of the source:
6 Loud voices were heard from upstairs. "Madame Kushkin is in a fit, most likely, or else she has quarrelled with her husband," thought Mashenka.
How does the writer use language here to describe the turmoil in the house and Nikolay Sergeitch’s reaction? 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 start of a story.
How has the writer structured the text to create a sense of chaos?
You could write about:
- how chaos intensifies from beginning to end
- 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 16 to the end.
In this part of the source, Madame Kushkin's clumsy lie and plain appearance could make her seem more foolish than powerful. The writer suggests that having wealth doesn't automatically make a person respectable or intelligent.
To what extent do you agree and/or disagree with this statement?
In your response, you could:
- consider your impressions of Madame Kushkin
- comment on the methods the writer uses to portray her foolish character
- support your response with references to the text.
[20 marks]
Question 5
On a weekend trip to the coast, you plan to write a creative piece to share with your year group.
Choose one of the options below for your entry.
-
Option A: Write a description of a wild seal colony from your imagination. You may choose to use the picture provided for ideas:
-
Option B: Write the opening of a story about a stranded traveller.
(24 marks for content and organisation, 16 marks for technical accuracy)
[40 marks]