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It was a bad one, the winter of 1933. Wading home that night through flames of snow, my toes burning, my ears on fire, the snow swirling around me like a flock of angry nuns, I stopped dead in my tracks. The time had come to take stock. Fair weather or foul, certain forces in the world were at work trying to destroy me.

Dominic Moilse, I said, hold it. Is everything going according to plan? Examine your condition with care, take an impartial survey of your situation. What goes on here Dom?

There I was in Roper, Colorado, growing older by the minute. In six months I would be eighteen and graduated from high school. I was sixty-four inches tall and had not grown one centimeter in three years. I was bowlegged and pigeon-toed and my ears protruded like Pinnocchio’s. My teeth were crooked, and my face was as freckled as a bird’s egg.

I was the son of a bricklayer who had not worked in five months. I didn’t own an overcoat, I wore three sweaters, and my mother had already begun a series of novenas for the new suit I needed to graduate in June.

1933 Was a Bad Year, John Fante, Chapter 1

Sample questions and answers

Question

In this extract, list four details that describe the physical appearance of Dominic Molise. (4 marks)

Answer

1. He is 64 inches tall.
2. His ears stick out.
3. His teeth are crooked.
4. His face is freckled.

Analysis

This response answers the question precisely, using the text to pick out the four details.

The details focus on physical appearance, rather than other information about the character.

If details of the character’s family were included in the answer, this would not have been relevant.

There were other details about physical appearance that could have been selected (for example he is bowlegged and pigeon-toed), but the question only asks for four.

The details are not explained or analysed – the question does not require a developed response.

Question

In the first paragraph of the extract, how does the writer use language to create a strong sense of setting? (8 marks)

Sample opening paragraph

The writer uses a surprising image, “…flames of snow…” to describe the snowy setting. This choice of metaphor allows the reader to vividly imagine the extreme temperature. The image is further developed with the phrases “…toes burning, my ears on fire…”; the verb ‘burning’ giving the reader an even stronger sense of the physical effects of the cold weather.

Analysis

• This paragraph gets straight into the close analysis; no introduction is needed for this type of question.
• The response is focused on the task, analysing language and setting.
• Every point is supported by evidence from the first paragraph of the extract.
• Details of the language are linked and the effect is analysed closely.
• At least one more paragraph would be needed to fully answer this question. The 8 marks suggests a longer answer is appropriate here.