Insert
The source that follows is:
- Source A: 19th-century prose fiction
- The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
An extract from a work first published in 1848.
This extract is taken from Anne Brontë’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Narrator Gilbert Markham, out shooting near Wildfell Hall, rescues a small boy and meets the reserved new tenant, Mrs Graham, whose wary reaction hints at social friction and mystery.
Source A
1 I had succeeded in killing a hawk and two crows when I came within sight of the mansion; and then, relinquishing further depredations, I sauntered on, to have a look at the old place, and see what changes had been wrought in it by its new inhabitant. I did not like to go quite to the front and stare in at the gate; but I paused beside the garden wall, and looked, and saw no
6 change—except in one wing, where the broken windows and dilapidated roof had evidently been repaired, and where a thin wreath of smoke was curling up from the stack of chimneys. While I thus stood, leaning on my gun, and looking up at the dark gables, sunk
11 in an idle reverie, weaving a tissue of wayward fancies, in which old associations and the fair young hermit, now within those walls, bore a nearly equal part, I heard a slight rustling and scrambling just within the garden; and, glancing in the direction whence the sound proceeded, I beheld a tiny hand elevated above the wall: it clung to the topmost stone, and then another
16 little hand was raised to take a firmer hold, and then appeared a small white forehead, surmounted with wreaths of light brown hair, with a pair of deep blue eyes beneath, and the upper portion of a diminutive ivory nose. The eyes did not notice me, but sparkled with glee on beholding Sancho, my
21 beautiful black and white setter, that was coursing about the field with its muzzle to the ground. The little creature raised its face and called aloud to the dog. The good-natured animal paused, looked up, and wagged his tail, but made no further advances. The child (a little boy, apparently about five years old) scrambled up to the top of the wall, and called again and again; but
26 finding this of no avail, apparently made up his mind, like Mahomet, to go to the mountain, since the mountain would not come to him, and attempted to get over; but a crabbed old cherry-tree, that grew hard by, caught him by the frock in one of its crooked scraggy arms that stretched over the wall. In attempting to disengage himself his foot slipped, and down he tumbled—but not
31 to the earth;—the tree still kept him suspended. There was a silent struggle, and then a piercing shriek;—but, in an instant, I had dropped my gun on the grass, and caught the little fellow in my arms. I wiped his eyes with his frock, told him he was all right and called Sancho
36 to pacify him. He was just putting little hand on the dog’s neck and beginning to smile through his tears, when I heard behind me a click of the iron gate, and a rustle of female garments, and lo! Mrs. Graham darted upon me—her neck uncovered, her black locks streaming in the wind.
41 “Give me the child!” she said, in a voice scarce louder than a whisper, but with a tone of startling vehemence, and, seizing the boy, she snatched him from me, as if some dire contamination were in my touch, and then stood with one hand firmly clasping his, the other on his shoulder, fixing upon me her large, luminous dark eyes—pale, breathless, quivering with agitation.
46 “I was not harming the child, madam,” said I, scarce knowing whether to be most astonished or displeased; “he was tumbling off the wall there; and I was so fortunate as to catch him, while he hung suspended headlong from that tree, and prevent I know not what catastrophe.”
51 “I beg your pardon, sir,” stammered she;—suddenly calming down,—the light of reason seeming to break upon her beclouded spirit, and a faint blush mantling on her cheek—“I did not know you;—and I thought—”
56 She stooped to kiss the child, and fondly clasped her arm round his neck. “You thought I was going to kidnap your son, I suppose?” She stroked his head with a half-embarrassed laugh, and replied,—“I did not
61 know he had attempted to climb the wall.—I have the pleasure of addressing Mr. Markham, I believe?” she added, somewhat abruptly. I bowed, but ventured to ask how she knew me.
66 “Your sister called here, a few days ago, with Mrs. Markham.” “Is the resemblance so strong then?” I asked, in some surprise, and not so greatly flattered at the idea as I ought to have been.
71 “There is a likeness about the eyes and complexion I think,” replied she, somewhat dubiously surveying my face;—“and I think I saw you at church on Sunday.” I smiled.—There was something either in that smile or the recollections it
76 awakened that was particularly displeasing to her, for she suddenly assumed again that proud, chilly look that had so unspeakably roused my aversion at church—a look of repellent scorn, so easily assumed, and so entirely without the least distortion of a single feature, that, while there, it seemed like the natural expression of the face, and was the more provoking to me, because
81 I could not think it affected. “Good-morning, Mr. Markham,” said she; and without another word or glance, she withdrew, with her child, into the garden; and I returned home, angry and dissatisfied—I could scarcely tell you why, and therefore will not attempt it.
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 Which birds had the narrator killed?
- a hawk and two crows
- two hawks and a crow
- a hawk and a rook
[1 mark]
1.2 What did the narrator come within sight of?
- the mansion
- the gate
- the garden wall
[1 mark]
1.3 From where does the narrator choose to view the mansion?
- From a position next to the garden wall
- From right in front of the gate, looking in
- From the middle of the drive near the main door
[1 mark]
1.4 Where did the narrator pause?
- beside the garden wall
- at the gate
- to the front
[1 mark]
Question 2
Look in detail at this extract, from lines 6 to 25 of the source:
6 change—except in one wing, where the broken windows and dilapidated roof had evidently been repaired, and where a thin wreath of smoke was curling up from the stack of chimneys. While I thus stood, leaning on my gun, and looking up at the dark gables, sunk
11 in an idle reverie, weaving a tissue of wayward fancies, in which old associations and the fair young hermit, now within those walls, bore a nearly equal part, I heard a slight rustling and scrambling just within the garden; and, glancing in the direction whence the sound proceeded, I beheld a tiny hand elevated above the wall: it clung to the topmost stone, and then another
16 little hand was raised to take a firmer hold, and then appeared a small white forehead, surmounted with wreaths of light brown hair, with a pair of deep blue eyes beneath, and the upper portion of a diminutive ivory nose. The eyes did not notice me, but sparkled with glee on beholding Sancho, my
21 beautiful black and white setter, that was coursing about the field with its muzzle to the ground. The little creature raised its face and called aloud to the dog. The good-natured animal paused, looked up, and wagged his tail, but made no further advances. The child (a little boy, apparently about five years old) scrambled up to the top of the wall, and called again and again; but
How does the writer use language here to present the narrator’s idle reverie and the small child’s sudden appearance? 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 beginning of a novel.
How has the writer structured the text to create a sense of alienation?
You could write about:
- how alienation deepens 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 36 to the end.
In this part of the source, where Mrs Graham snatches the child back, her reaction seems extreme and hostile. The writer suggests that this powerful response is driven by her instinct as a mother rather than any real anger at the narrator.
To what extent do you agree and/or disagree with this statement?
In your response, you could:
- consider your impressions of Mrs Graham's extreme and hostile reaction
- comment on the methods the writer uses to suggest Mrs Graham's powerful maternal instinct
- support your response with references to the text.
[20 marks]
Question 5
To celebrate the opening of a new nature reserve, organisers are inviting creative writing to display in the visitor centre.
Choose one of the options below for your entry.
-
Option A: Describe a wildlife observation hide from your imagination. You may choose to use the picture provided for ideas:
-
Option B: Write the opening of a story about a long wait.
(24 marks for content and organisation, 16 marks for technical accuracy)
[40 marks]