LESSON NOTE ON LITERATURE-IN-ENGLISH SSS1 2ND TERM
CLASS: SSS1 Second Term
Based on 2026-2030 WAEC/JAMB approved reading texts
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WEEK 1-2: ———————————————————– page2 Revision of First term Work & Introduction of the 2nd Term Scheme. African Prose – “Redemption Road” by Elma Shaw Background and Setting of the Novel Plot Summary Evaluation Questions WEEK 3 – 4: ———————————————————– page4 WEEK 5: ———————————————————– page10 WEEK 6: ———————————————————– page15 WEEK 7: ———————————————————– page25 WEEK 8: ———————————————————– page26 WEEK 9: ———————————————————– page30 WEEK 10: ———————————————————– page37 WEEK 11: ———————————————————– page41 |
WEEK ONE
AFRICAN PROSE – “REDEMPTION ROAD” BY ELMA SHAW
CONTENT:
• Revision of First term Work & Introduction of the 2nd Term Scheme.
• African Prose – “Redemption Road” by Elma Shaw
• Background and Setting of the Novel
• Plot Summary
BACKGROUND AND SETTINGS
Redemption Road is set in Monrovia during the administration of Liberia’s former president, Charles Taylor, this riveting debut is a story of recovery, atonement, and the continuing quest for peace and justice in a nation plagued by conflict and inequalities since its founding by free blacks and former American slaves.
PLOT SUMMARY
Redemption Road: The Quest for Peace and Justice in Liberia (2008) tells the redemptive story of Bendu and other victims of the Liberian civil war as they navigate the murky waters of a traumatic past they shared with their country, in pursuit of closure, justice, and peace. We see these characters confront their troubling past in order to heal from the scars the war has left them with. The novel focuses on Bendu in particular as she navigates her way towards redemption. The story is set during the Charles Taylor’s government in Liberia when Liberians are still recovering from the scars of the civil war.
At the beginning of Redemption Road, we encounter the character of Bendu Lewis. She is in her late twenties. Her family is commemorating the ten years remembrance of their matriarch, Granny May, who died at Charlue Town during the war. Bendu was the only one with her when she died. She gives the reader a graphic description of the circumstances surrounding her grandmother’s tragic death. She, however, can’t tell her family how her grandmother died, partly because of the blame she has apportioned herself and because this would mean she has to relate her wartime experiences at Duluma camp: the atrocities she committed and several others committed against her.
Close to a decade after these horrible experiences, Bendu is still…Download the full lesson note here
EVALUATION 1
1. Who is the author of the novel “Redemption Road”? A) Chinua Achebe B) Elma Shaw C) Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie D) Wole Soyinka
2. The story is set in Monrovia during the administration of which former president? A) Samuel Doe B) William Tolbert C) Charles Taylor D) Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
3. What is the name of the NGO run by the protagonist, Bendu Lewis? A) Peace in Practice B) Redemption Initiative C) Women of Liberia D) Healing Hands
4. Whose ten-year remembrance is being commemorated at the beginning of the novel? A) Benji B) Eva Lewis C) Granny May D) Tenneh
5. At which location did Granny May die during the war? A) Duluma Camp B) Charlue Town C) Gardnersville D) Freetown
6. Who is the antagonist known by the alias “Commander Cobra”? A) Terrance B) Calvin C) Moses Varney D) Benji
7. Why is Bendu unable to successfully prosecute Moses Varney through the police initially? A) He has diplomatic immunity B) The police are working for him C) She is technically unable to pin any crime on him D) He has already fled the country
8. Which camp is the source of Bendu’s traumatic wartime memories? A) Gbarnga Base B) Duluma Camp C) Coca-Cola Factory D) Sophie’s Place
9. What dark secret does Bendu reveal to her family to prevent Varney from blackmailing her? A) She was a child soldier B) She stole money from the government C) She had a daughter at the camp and abandoned her D) She was responsible for her grandmother’s death
10. Where does Moses Varney take Bendu after kidnapping her? A) A thick forest B) An abandoned warehouse C) A lagoon D) A police station
11. Who is Bendu’s friend and the co-director of her NGO? A) Siatta B) Agnes C) Tenneh D) Eva
12. From which country does Eva Lewis fly in to support her daughter Bendu? A) United Kingdom B) Sierra Leone C) United States of America D) Ghana
13. Which character divorces her unfaithful husband, Terrance? A) Bendu B) Tenneh C) Agnes D) Siatta
14. What health condition does Tenneh reveal she is living with? A) Tuberculosis B) HIV C) Cancer D) Malaria
15. How did Bendu’s brother, Benji, die? A) During the 1980 coup d’état B) In the crossfire at Gardnersville C) From starvation during the war D) He was killed by Commander Cobra
16. Where does Calvin travel to cover a war crimes tribunal? A) Monrovia B) Freetown, Sierra Leone C) The Hague D) Abuja, Nigeria
17. Through which organization does Bendu eventually reunite with her daughter? A) UNICEF B) Save the Children C) International Committee of the Red Cross D) Peace in Practice
18. What role does Tenneh take on at the NGO “Peace in Practice”? A) Director B) Peer Counselor C) Secretary D) Medical Officer
19. What symbolic act does Bendu perform at the end of the novel to ease her pain? A) She visits the graves of the fallen B) She writes a letter to all the people who hurt her C) She testifies in court D) She writes a memoir
20. What initiative does Calvin set up upon returning to Liberia? A) A scholarship scheme for Liberian children B) A political party C) A new housing estate D) A medical clinic
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