Welcome to “Naijaclass Academy“ For Neco GCE 2025 Literature Drama & Poetry Answer

If you’re preparing for the NECO GCE 2025 Commerce exam, this updated guide from Naijaclass.com will help you score high with verified questions and solved answers.

Saturday 6 December
Literature II (Drama & Poetry) – 2:00 pm – 3:40 pm
=====================================

Neco GCE 2025 Literature Drama And Poetry Answer

(1)
Ndapi is one of the most forceful and emotionally charged characters in John Kargbo’s Let Me Die Alone. He is introduced as the chief warrior of the Mendeland, a man whose reputation has been built on bravery, physical strength and unquestioned loyalty to the chiefdom. This public image makes him respected in the community, but it does not hide the deep personal flaws that shape his private life and influence his behaviour throughout the play.

As a husband to Jilo and father to Jeneba, Ndapi’s character reveals a troubled domestic life. He is described as hot-tempered, harsh and frequently violent toward his wife. The playwright uses his relationship with Jilo to expose the theme of domestic oppression and the inability of some men to separate their public power from their home responsibilities. Ndapi’s routine beating of Jilo, often for trivial reasons such as returning home to find no food, shows a man who allows anger and ego to control him rather than reason.

Ndapi is also deeply insecure and jealous, even though he does not value or appreciate his wife. This contradiction heightens the emotional tension around him. His jealousy becomes more obvious when he catches Jilo with Lansana. Instead of self-reflection, Ndapi reacts with violence once again, beating her mercilessly. His inability to manage his emotions paints him as a tragic figure who destroys the peace in his home because he does not understand love, patience or communication.

One of the most significant turning points involving Ndapi is his reaction to the rumour surrounding Jeneba’s disappearance. When he hears that Yoko may have sacrificed his daughter for ritual purposes, Ndapi becomes consumed by anger and grief. In this moment, he represents the raw emotional reaction of a parent faced with the possibility of losing a child. His rage is so blinding that he almost kills Yoko himself, demonstrating how dangerous unchecked anger can be in a communal setting.

Ndapi’s behaviour toward Yoko also reveals his tendency to speak and act without evidence. He ridicules and accuses Yoko publicly, adding to the pressure and emotional weight she carries as a female leader. Through Ndapi, the playwright shows how rumours and misinformation can easily undermine leadership and create conflict within a community. Ndapi’s accusations serve as a dramatic tool to intensify the surrounding tension and highlight the challenges Yoko faces as a ruler.

However, Ndapi’s character is not left one-dimensional. When the mutilated body of Jeneba is eventually discovered, the truth becomes clear, and Ndapi’s behaviour shifts. He realises that Yoko was innocent and that his accusations were unjust. This moment of recognition shows a softer and more remorseful side of Ndapi. He apologises to Yoko, demonstrating that despite his flaws, he is capable of acknowledging his mistakes. This apology marks his emotional growth and allows the audience to see that he, too, is a victim of pain and misunderstanding.

Ndapi’s overall role in the play is therefore both dramatic and thematic. Dramatically, he adds tension, conflict, and emotional intensity. His actions contribute directly to plot development, especially in the story of Jeneba and in the pressure placed on Yoko’s leadership. Thematically, he represents the destructive power of anger, the difficulty of handling grief, and the social issue of domestic violence that affects many traditional families.

Ndapi is a complex character who embodies both strength and weakness. He is a warrior in the public eye but a troubled man in his private life. Through his actions, the playwright successfully explores themes of anger, jealousy, misunderstanding, and eventual remorse. Ndapi’s journey from aggression to apology makes him one of the most realistic and emotionally layered characters in Let Me Die Alone, and his role is essential in shaping the emotional direction of the play.

=================================

 

(2) Intrigue drives the themes of betrayal, power, and leadership in John Kargbo’s Let Me Die Alone. Secret plots unravel trust and show how greed corrupts communal bonds, highlighting the fragility of authority under pressures like Governor Rowe’s influence. The play critiques the destructive cycle of conspiracy that threatens even strong rulers, In other words the three instances of intrigue in the play.
(i)The Poisoning of Gbanya: Lamboi and Musa conspire to murder Chief Gbanya to prevent him from handing power to his wife, Yoko, whom they believe is unfit to rule. They poison Gbanya’s “medication” while pretending to treat his wounds after he is humiliated by Governor Rowe.
(ii)The Murder of Jeneba: To oust Yoko from power, Lamboi and Musa kidnap Ndapi’s daughter, Jeneba, kill her, and remove her vital parts. They then plant rumors among the women and lie that the Poro oracle revealed Yoko used the girl for a ritual sacrifice to gain power and favor with the Governor. This intrigue successfully turns the people and Ndapi against Yoko temporarily.
(iii)The Governor’s Final Message: The British Governor, Dr. Samuel Rowe, is also involved in political maneuvering. After Yoko has expanded the chiefdom and maintained peace, he sends a messenger to inform her that a “Boundary Order” has been laid, effectively reducing the size of her domain and stripping her of power. This final act of colonial betrayal and humiliation, after all her sacrifices, leads Yoko to commit suicide.

===================================
(8)
August Wilson employs flashbacks sparingly but effectively in Fences to provide crucial context and insight into Troy Maxson’s character and the events that have shaped his life. While the play is primarily set in the present, Troy’s stories and recollections of the past serve as a form of flashback, revealing key moments and experiences that have influenced his worldview.

(i)Troy’s Baseball Career: Troy frequently recounts his experiences as a talented baseball player who was denied the opportunity to play in the major leagues due to racial discrimination. These stories provide insight into his bitterness and his resentment towards the white establishment.
(ii)Troy’s Time in Prison: Troy’s stories about his time in prison reveal the hardships he faced and the lessons he learned. He describes how he learned to play baseball in prison and how he developed his strong sense of self-reliance.
(iii)Troy’s Relationship with His Father; Troy’s recollections of his abusive and neglectful father provide insight into his own struggles as a parent. He describes how his father abandoned him and how he was forced to fend for himself at a young age.
(iv)Troy’s Encounter with Death: Troy recounts his near-death experience when he contracted pneumonia. This experience shapes his attitude towards death and his determination to fight for his life.
(v)Troy’s Courtship of Rose: Troy’s stories about how he met and courted Rose reveal his capacity for love and his desire for a stable and fulfilling relationship. These stories also highlight the sacrifices that Rose has made for Troy and their family.
===========================================

(6)
Alison Porter is one of the most important characters in Look Back in Anger, even though she speaks very little. She is tall, slim and dark, and she comes from a comfortable upper-middle-class background. Her father was a Colonel in the British Colonial Service, her brother attended Sandhurst, and her family lived in India during the colonial era. This upbringing shapes her personality. She is gentle, quiet and very controlled, which makes her completely different from Jimmy, whose behaviour is loud, emotional and often aggressive.

Her marriage to Jimmy is already filled with tension because she married him against the expectations of her family and against the values of her social class. Even though she truly loves him, Jimmy constantly uses her background against her. He sees her as a symbol of the privileged class he dislikes, and he often attacks her with hurtful words. Because she rarely fights back, Alison becomes the one who suffers most in the relationship. Her silence is not weakness. It is the only way she has learned to protect herself. She withdraws whenever the pressure becomes too much and sometimes refuses to respond at all, especially when Jimmy is trying to provoke her into an emotional reaction.

Her experiences throughout the play begin to change her. Leaving Jimmy and returning to her parents’ home marks an emotional breaking point for her. Losing her pregnancy becomes an even deeper wound. This loss finally makes her understand the kind of pain Jimmy always talks about. For the first time, she sees the world through his eyes and understands the emotional struggles he carries within himself. Her tragedy becomes the moment that brings clarity to her relationship with him.

Alison’s connection with other characters reveals even more about her nature. She is fond of Cliff because he treats her with gentleness and respect. Their friendship is warm and sincere, and he provides the comfort she needs in a very stressful home. When Helena arrives and advises her to leave Jimmy, Alison does not resist. She reaches a point where she can no longer endure the emotional storms around her, and Helena’s support gives her the strength to step away.

In the end, Alison returns to Jimmy after the loss of her baby. Her return is not an act of submission. It is the decision of someone who has gone through real pain and now understands Jimmy in a deeper way. Their reunion shows how complicated their love is. Alison becomes the emotional balance of the play. She represents patience, endurance and the quiet kind of strength that often goes unnoticed. Through her, the play explores themes of class conflict, emotional suffering and the struggle to hold a broken relationship together.
=========================================

(7)
Raynell Maxson enters the play as an innocent child who has no idea of the storm that existed before her birth. She is the daughter of Troy and Alberta, born out of the affair that deeply wounded Rose and shook the Maxson household. Alberta dies while giving birth, leaving the newborn Raynell with no mother and a father struggling with guilt. From the moment she arrives, she becomes a silent reminder of Troy’s mistakes and the complicated choices he has made.

When Troy brings Raynell home, Rose chooses to raise her, not because of Troy, but because the child is innocent and deserves love. This decision shows Rose’s strength, compassion, and sense of responsibility. Raynell grows up under Rose’s guidance and becomes a symbol of her kindness and ability to rise above betrayal. In many ways, Raynell represents the second chance that Rose gives herself, a chance to nurture someone without anger or bitterness.

As Raynell grows, she becomes a bright and curious girl, full of life and free from Troy’s heavy expectations. Unlike Cory, who constantly battles with Troy’s rules and authority, Raynell does not inherit the emotional scars that Troy passed down. Her childhood is lighter, happier, and filled with the little joys of ordinary life. Through her, the audience sees what the Maxson family might have looked like if Troy had chosen differently or loved more gently.

Raynell also plays an important role in showing the passage of time in the play. She appears first as a baby and later as a young girl on the morning of Troy’s funeral. Her presence reminds the audience that life continues even after conflict, loss, and disappointment. She belongs to a new generation, one that is not weighed down by the past in the same way Troy and Cory were.

In the final scenes, Raynell unintentionally becomes the bridge that brings Cory and the rest of the family together again. When Cory returns home, filled with bitterness toward his father, it is Raynell’s openness and innocence that soften the atmosphere. Her simple conversation with Cory helps him see that Troy also left behind something pure—something untouched by the mistakes of the past.

The moment Raynell and Cory sing Troy’s old song, “Please Mr. Engineer,” is one of the most emotional scenes in the play. Through the song, Raynell connects Cory back to the memories he tried to reject. This gentle moment helps Cory let go of his anger and finally step into the funeral to honor his father. Raynell, without even knowing it, becomes the key to healing the broken bond between father and son.

By the end of the play, Raynell stands as a symbol of hope, renewal, and new beginnings. She represents the possibility that the next generation can rise above the pain and failures of those before them. In her innocence and simple joy, she brings a sense of balance to the story and reminds the audience that even in a house marked by grief and struggle, there is still room for growth and healing.

Overall, Raynell’s character and role show that while Troy’s life was filled with conflict, his legacy does not end in bitterness. Through Raynell, August Wilson suggests that the future can be brighter, that wounds can heal, and that the cycle of pain can be broken. She is the quiet promise that life goes on and that something good can still grow from difficult soil.
====================================

 

(9) The poem relates to the central theme of labor, societal duty, and the search for personal meaning as it captures the reflections of a government driver nearing retirement. Alienation is the feeling of being isolated or disconnected from one’s work or environment. In the poem, the driver contemplates the countless miles he has driven and the people he has served, questioning whether his efforts have truly mattered, suggesting a sense of detachment from the significance of his labor. Societal expectations refer to the pressures to conform to norms and fulfill roles deemed necessary by the community. The driver reflects on the need to provide for his family and meet the obligations imposed upon him by society, wondering if he has succeeded in living up to these expectations. The poet uses imagery and reflection to convey these literary concepts, as seen when the driver evaluates his life and work, pondering the value of a career spent in service without personal recognition. The significance lies in highlighting the dignity inherent in ordinary labor, showing that meaning and fulfillment are not solely derived from fame or extraordinary achievements but from responsibility, integrity, and contribution to others, culminating in the driver’s acceptance and peace as he approaches retirement.

=====================================

(12)
Maya Angelou’s Caged Bird explores the central theme of freedom and oppression by presenting two contrasting experiences through powerful symbolic representations. The poem uses symbolism as a literary device to deepen the emotional force of its message. Symbolism refers to the use of objects, characters, or actions to stand for abstract ideas beyond their literal meaning, and Angelou employs this device by presenting the free bird and the caged bird as symbolic opposites. The free bird represents those who move through life with privilege, ease, and access to opportunities, as shown in lines where it “leaps on the back of the wind” and “dares to claim the sky,” symbolizing unrestricted freedom and unchallenged ambition. In contrast, the caged bird symbolizes the oppressed, those bound by discrimination and denied basic rights, illustrated through lines describing how “his wings are clipped and his feet are tied,” which signifies both physical and psychological confinement. The cage itself symbolizes the societal barriers that restrain the marginalized, while the caged bird’s song symbolizes unbroken hope and resistance, captured in the line where “the caged bird sings of freedom,” revealing that even in suffering, the desire for liberation remains powerful. These explanations are significant because the symbolic contrasts intensify the poem’s emotional and political message, reveal Angelou’s critique of inequality, and highlight the enduring strength of the human spirit despite oppression.