Insert
The source that follows is:
- Source A: 19th-century prose fiction
- The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
An extract from a work first published in 1886.
This extract is from the opening of Thomas Hardy’s The Mayor of Casterbridge, where a drunken hay-trusser tries to auction his wife at a country fair; when a sailor offers five guineas, the crowd’s amusement turns to shock as the deal suddenly seems real.
Source A
1 “Five shillings,” said someone, at which there was a laugh. “No insults,” said the husband. “Who’ll say a guinea?” Nobody answered; and the female dealer in staylaces interposed.
6 “Behave yerself moral, good man, for Heaven’s love! Ah, what a cruelty is the poor soul married to! Bed and board is dear at some figures ’pon my ’vation ’tis!”
11 “Set it higher, auctioneer,” said the trusser. “Two guineas!” said the auctioneer; and no one replied. “If they don’t take her for that, in ten seconds they’ll have to give more,”
16 said the husband. “Very well. Now auctioneer, add another.” “Three guineas—going for three guineas!” said the rheumy man. “No bid?” said the husband. “Good Lord, why she’s cost me fifty times the
21 money, if a penny. Go on.” “Four guineas!” cried the auctioneer. “I’ll tell ye what—I won’t sell her for less than five,” said the husband,
26 bringing down his fist so that the basins danced. “I’ll sell her for five guineas to any man that will pay me the money, and treat her well; and he shall have her for ever, and never hear aught o’ me. But she shan’t go for less. Now then—five guineas—and she’s yours. Susan, you agree?”
31 She bowed her head with absolute indifference. “Five guineas,” said the auctioneer, “or she’ll be withdrawn. Do anybody give it? The last time. Yes or no?”
36 “Yes,” said a loud voice from the doorway. All eyes were turned. Standing in the triangular opening which formed the door of the tent was a sailor, who, unobserved by the rest, had arrived there within the last two or three minutes. A dead silence followed his affirmation.
41 “You say you do?” asked the husband, staring at him. “I say so,” replied the sailor.
46 “Saying is one thing, and paying is another. Where’s the money?” The sailor hesitated a moment, looked anew at the woman, came in, unfolded five crisp pieces of paper, and threw them down upon the tablecloth. They were Bank-of-England notes for five pounds. Upon the face of this he clinked down
51 the shillings severally—one, two, three, four, five. The sight of real money in full amount, in answer to a challenge for the same till then deemed slightly hypothetical had a great effect upon the spectators. Their eyes became riveted upon the faces of the chief actors, and then upon
56 the notes as they lay, weighted by the shillings, on the table. Up to this moment it could not positively have been asserted that the man, in spite of his tantalizing declaration, was really in earnest. The spectators had indeed taken the proceedings throughout as a piece of mirthful irony
61 carried to extremes; and had assumed that, being out of work, he was, as a consequence, out of temper with the world, and society, and his nearest kin. But with the demand and response of real cash the jovial frivolity of the scene departed. A lurid colour seemed to fill the tent, and change the aspect of all therein. The mirth-wrinkles left the listeners’ faces, and they waited
66 with parting lips. “Now,” said the woman, breaking the silence, so that her low dry voice sounded quite loud, “before you go further, Michael, listen to me. If you touch that money, I and this girl go with the man. Mind, it is a joke no longer.”
71 “A joke? Of course it is not a joke!” shouted her husband, his resentment rising at her suggestion. “I take the money; the sailor takes you. That’s plain enough. It has been done elsewhere—and why not here?”
76 “’Tis quite on the understanding that the young woman is willing,” said the sailor blandly. “I wouldn’t hurt her feelings for the world.” “Faith, nor I,” said her husband. “But she is willing, provided she can have the child. She said so only the other day when I talked o’t!”
81 “That you swear?” said the sailor to her. “I do,” said she, after glancing at her husband’s face and seeing no repentance there.
86 “Very well, she shall have the child, and the bargain’s complete,” said the trusser. He took the sailor’s notes and deliberately folded them, and put them with the shillings in a high remote pocket, with an air of finality.
91 The sailor looked at the woman and smiled. “Come along!” he said kindly. “The little one too—the more the merrier!” She paused for an instant, with a close glance at him. Then dropping her eyes again, and saying nothing, she took up the child and followed him as he made towards the door. On reaching it, she turned, and pulling off her wedding-ring, flung it across the booth in the
96 hay-trusser’s face. “Mike,” she said, “I’ve lived with thee a couple of years, and had nothing but temper! Now I’m no more to ’ee; I’ll try my luck elsewhere. ’Twill be better for me and Elizabeth-Jane, both. So good-bye!”
101 Seizing the sailor’s arm with her right hand, and mounting the little girl on her left, she went out of the tent sobbing bitterly.
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 After the first offer prompts amusement, what happens when the husband asks for a higher amount?
- The crowd falls silent until a woman trader steps in.
- Several people immediately raise their offers and the bidding becomes lively.
- The husband accepts the first offer and brings the matter to an end.
[1 mark]
1.2 After an anonymous low offer prompts laughter, what happens next when the husband asks for a higher amount?
- No one responds, and the female dealer in staylaces intervenes
- Several people immediately increase the amount
- The husband walks away from the gathering
[1 mark]
1.3 When the husband asks for a guinea, what is the general reaction of the crowd?
- The crowd remains silent
- Several people immediately bid a guinea or more
- The crowd laughs and jeers at the husband
[1 mark]
1.4 After a five-shilling offer draws laughter, what does the husband do next?
- The husband rejects the offer and invites a higher bid of a guinea
- The husband accepts the offer and ends the bidding
- The husband says nothing and walks away
[1 mark]
Question 2
Look in detail at this extract, from lines 51 to 60 of the source:
51 the shillings severally—one, two, three, four, five. The sight of real money in full amount, in answer to a challenge for the same till then deemed slightly hypothetical had a great effect upon the spectators. Their eyes became riveted upon the faces of the chief actors, and then upon
56 the notes as they lay, weighted by the shillings, on the table. Up to this moment it could not positively have been asserted that the man, in spite of his tantalizing declaration, was really in earnest. The spectators had indeed taken the proceedings throughout as a piece of mirthful irony
How does the writer use language here to show the change in mood in the tent? 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 suspense?
You could write about:
- how suspense intensifies by the end of 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 36 to the end.
In this part of the source, where Susan throws her wedding ring at her husband, it could be seen as her finally taking back some control. The writer suggests that even after being sold, she is not just a helpless victim.
To what extent do you agree and/or disagree with this statement?
In your response, you could:
- consider your impressions of Susan throwing the ring at her husband
- comment on the methods the writer uses to suggest Susan is taking back control
- support your response with references to the text.
[20 marks]
Question 5
A careers website is inviting creative writing from students about workplaces and the people in them.
Choose one of the options below for your entry.
-
Option A: Describe a bicycle repair workshop from your imagination. You may choose to use the picture provided for ideas:
-
Option B: Write the opening of a story about mending what everyone else has given up on.
(24 marks for content and organisation, 16 marks for technical accuracy)
[40 marks]