Literature-In-English Paper 3 WASSCE (PC 2ND), 2020

Question 7

    OLIVER GOLDSMITH: She Stoops to Conquer

    Examine the conduct of Young Marlow in the Hardcastle home.


Observation

 

 

A good number of candidates attempted this question. Most of the candidates’ responses were filled with mere narration.

 

The required answers should include:

 

  • Relation to the themes of love and marriage in a typically Upper/Middle class society; deception and reconciliation.
  • Character identification: Marlow is the son of Sir Charles Marlow; He is a close friend of George Hastings
  • Young Marlow has come to woo Kate by his father’s arrangement;
  • The deception by Tony Lumpkin, stepson of Mr. Hardcastle who describes Mr Hardcastle‘s home as an inn
  • Young Marlow takes Mr Hardcastle for an inn keeper and behaves insolently towards him.
  • He meets with Kate Hardcastle whom he mistakes to be a barmaid and talks down to her
  • Mr Hardcastle is confounded by the dismissive attitude of Mr Hastings and Young Marlow’s attitude towards him

 

Candidates’ performance in the question was good.