Insert
The source that follows is:
- Source A: 19th-century prose fiction
- Germinal by Émile Zola
An extract from a work first published in 1885.
This extract is from Émile Zola's Germinal (1885) and shows Maheude visiting the wealthy Grégoires for help; their patronising charity contrasts with a refusal to give money, exposing class attitudes, moral judgements about workers, and the harsh poverty endured by mining families.
Source A
1 "What is she doing, then?" exclaimed Cécile impatiently. "Mélanie, go up and tell her that the parcel is at the bottom of the cupboard, on the left." In the meanwhile, M. Grégoire repeated aloud the reflections inspired by the sight of these starving ones.
6 "There is evil in this world, it is quite true; but, my good woman, it must also be said that workpeople are never prudent. Thus, instead of putting aside a few sous like our peasants, miners drink, get into debt, and end by not having enough to support their families."
11 "Monsieur is right," replied Maheude sturdily. "They don't always keep to the right path. That's what I'm always saying to the ne'er-do-wells when they complain. Now, I have been lucky; my husband doesn't drink. All the same, on feast Sundays he sometimes takes a drop too much; but it never goes farther.
16 It is all the nicer of him, since before our marriage he drank like a hog, begging your pardon. And yet, you know, it doesn't help us much that he is so sensible. There are days like to-day when you might turn out all the drawers in the house and not find a farthing."
21 She wished to suggest to them the idea of the five-franc piece, and went on in her low voice, explaining the fatal debt, small at first, then large and overwhelming. They paid regularly for many fortnights. But one day they got behind, and then it was all up. They could never catch up again. The gulf widened, and the men became disgusted with work which did not even allow them
26 to pay their way. Do what they could, there was nothing but difficulties until death. Besides, it must be understood that a collier needed a glass to wash away the dust. It began there, and then he was always in the inn when worries came. Without complaining of any one it might be that the workmen did not earn as much as they ought to.
31 "I thought," said Madame Grégoire, "that the Company gave you lodging and firing?" Maheude glanced sideways at the flaming coal in the fireplace.
36 "Yes, yes, they give us coal, not very grand, but it burns. As to lodging, it only costs six francs a month; that sounds like nothing, but it is often pretty hard to pay. To-day they might cut me up into bits without getting two sous out of me. Where there's nothing, there's nothing."
41 The lady and gentleman were silent, softly stretched out, and gradually wearied and disquieted by the exhibition of this wretchedness. She feared she had wounded them, and added, with the stolid and just air of a practical woman:
46 "Oh! I didn't want to complain. Things are like this, and one has to put up with them; all the more that it's no good struggling, perhaps we shouldn't change anything. The best is, is it not, to try and live honestly in the place in which the good God has put us?"
51 M. Grégoire approved this emphatically. "With such sentiments, my good woman, one is above misfortune."
56 Honorine and Mélanie at last brought the parcel. Cécile unfastened it and took out the two dresses. She added comforters, even stockings and mittens. They would all fit beautifully; she hastened and made the servants wrap up the chosen garments; for her music mistress had just
61 arrived; and she pushed the mother and children towards the door. "We are very short," stammered Maheude; "if we only had a five-franc piece--" The phrase was stifled, for the Maheus were proud and never begged. Cécile
66 looked uneasily at her father; but the latter refused decisively, with an air of duty. "No, it is not our custom. We cannot do it."
71 Then the young girl, moved by the mother's overwhelmed face, wished to do all she could for the children. They were still looking fixedly at the brioche; she cut it in two and gave it to them. "Here! this is for you."
76 Then, taking the pieces back, she asked for an old newspaper: "Wait, you must share with your brothers and sisters."
81 And beneath the tender gaze of her parents she finally pushed them out of the room. The poor starving urchins went off, holding the brioche respectfully in their benumbed little hands.
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 Who exclaims, "What is she doing, then?"
- Mélanie
- M. Grégoire
- Cécile
[1 mark]
1.2 Who is told to "go up"?
- Cécile
- Mélanie
- M. Grégoire
[1 mark]
1.3 According to the extract, what is M. Grégoire doing while Cécile gives instructions to Mélanie?
- M. Grégoire is speaking his thoughts aloud about the starving people.
- M. Grégoire is retrieving an item from a cupboard.
- M. Grégoire is instructing Mélanie to go upstairs.
[1 mark]
1.4 According to the narrator, what is M. Grégoire doing at this time?
- Voicing thoughts aloud after seeing the starving people
- Retrieving a parcel from a cupboard for Cécile
- Directing Mélanie to deliver a message
[1 mark]
Question 2
Look in detail at this extract, from lines 21 to 30 of the source:
21 She wished to suggest to them the idea of the five-franc piece, and went on in her low voice, explaining the fatal debt, small at first, then large and overwhelming. They paid regularly for many fortnights. But one day they got behind, and then it was all up. They could never catch up again. The gulf widened, and the men became disgusted with work which did not even allow them
26 to pay their way. Do what they could, there was nothing but difficulties until death. Besides, it must be understood that a collier needed a glass to wash away the dust. It began there, and then he was always in the inn when worries came. Without complaining of any one it might be that the workmen did not earn as much as they ought to.
How does the writer use language here to show the pressures on the mining families? 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 middle of a novel.
How has the writer structured the text to create a sense of alienation?
You could write about:
- how alienation 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 21 to the end.
In this part of the source, the father lectures Maheude on how miners should save money. The writer suggests the father is completely unaware that it is impossible for the poor to save anything.
To what extent do you agree and/or disagree with this statement?
In your response, you could:
- consider your impressions of how the hyena behaves
- comment on the methods the writer uses to present the hyena
- support your response with references to the text.
[20 marks]
Question 5
A national charity that protects wildlife is running a creative writing competition.
Choose one of the options below for your entry.
-
Option A: Describe a bird nesting in an unusual place from your imagination. You may choose to use the picture provided for ideas:
-
Option B: Write the opening of a story told from the point of view of an animal.
(24 marks for content and organisation, 16 marks for technical accuracy)
[40 marks]