notes
Grade A (10 marks)
George Alafia has clearly been struck in a powerful way by what he encountered in Somalia. He wants to make his readers see what terrible conditions existed there and how fortunate we are to live in such a different world. He also shows that journalists often just start out by looking for the best stories they can find. But in this case, the stories really got to him on a deeply emotional level.
The most powerful effect of Alafia’s writing is the way he focuses on particular individuals and their tragedies. He describes the death of the ten year-old Habitat in a graphic way: ‘No rage, no whimpering, just a passing away’. He is also skilled at creating not only images of the terrible sights he saw but also uses the other senses to convey the horror, as when he writes: ‘the smell of decaying flesh’.
One of the striking ways he presents his experiences is by drawing attention to a particular moment or sight. He does this especially when writing about the smile of the unknown man. His translator’s explanation that he was ‘embarrassed to be found in this condition’ disturbed him and he could not get it out of his mind. He also realizes that he never even found the man’s name and feels guilty about that, too. He almost seems ashamed of his life as a journalist and the way in which he was normally able to report on such events in a detached way.
Overall, then, Alafia brings across to the reader the way in which people in that situation lack basic necessities and human respect. However, he also reflects on how he felt to be witnessing and reporting on these events.
Examiner’s comments
This is a well-focused response which makes very thoughtful points about the writer’s views and experiences. There are excellent examples focusing on the detail of Alafia’s language. The writing is accurate, with only a few minor errors.
14 Teacher’s guide – Edexel IGCSE in English Language (Specification A) (4EA0) – Issue 2 – January 2010 © Edexcel Limited 2010
George Alafia has clearly been struck in a powerful way by what he encountered in Somalia. He wants to make his readers see what terrible conditions existed there and how fortunate we are to live in such a different world. He also shows that journalists often just start out by looking for the best stories they can find. But in this case, the stories really got to him on a deeply emotional level.
The most powerful effect of Alafia’s writing is the way he focuses on particular individuals and their tragedies. He describes the death of the ten year-old Habitat in a graphic way: ‘No rage, no whimpering, just a passing away’. He is also skilled at creating not only images of the terrible sights he saw but also uses the other senses to convey the horror, as when he writes: ‘the smell of decaying flesh’.
One of the striking ways he presents his experiences is by drawing attention to a particular moment or sight. He does this especially when writing about the smile of the unknown man. His translator’s explanation that he was ‘embarrassed to be found in this condition’ disturbed him and he could not get it out of his mind. He also realizes that he never even found the man’s name and feels guilty about that, too. He almost seems ashamed of his life as a journalist and the way in which he was normally able to report on such events in a detached way.
Overall, then, Alafia brings across to the reader the way in which people in that situation lack basic necessities and human respect. However, he also reflects on how he felt to be witnessing and reporting on these events.
Examiner’s comments
This is a well-focused response which makes very thoughtful points about the writer’s views and experiences. There are excellent examples focusing on the detail of Alafia’s language. The writing is accurate, with only a few minor errors.
14 Teacher’s guide – Edexel IGCSE in English Language (Specification A) (4EA0) – Issue 2 – January 2010 © Edexcel Limited 2010