Dreaming of Light

Grade 11 First Additional Language

Compiled by Elaine Ridge

DREAMING OF LIGHT– FINALE PP 26-11-2015.indd 3 2015/11/26 12:23 PM

 CONTENTS
SECTION A: HELPFUL INFORMATION

DEAR GRADE 11 LEARNER 10

1. Overview 11
2. The author 11
3. Background information 11
4. Literary elements 12
4.1 Setting 12
4.2 Narrative 12
4.3 Structure and plot 12
4.4 Conflict 13
4.5 Mood or atmosphere 13
4.6 Tone 13
4.7 Characterisation 13
4.8 Dialogue 16
4.9 Imagery and figurative language 16
4.10 Symbols 17
4.11 Themes 17

SECTION B: EXPLORING THE CHAPTERS

HOW TO EXPLORE EACH CHAPTER 22

1. Identify the kind of answer you are being asked to give 22

1.1 Literal questions 22
1.2 Reorganization questions 23
1.3 Inference question 23
1.4 Evaluation questions 25
1.5 Response questions 25
2. Outline of the chapters 26
3. Chapter by chapter 27

Chapter 1 27
Development of the plot 27
Question 27
Definition of useful words 28
Symbols 29
Themes 29

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Chapter 2 30
Development of the plot 30
Questions 30
Definition of useful words 32
Symbols 32
Themes 32

Chapter 3 33
Development of the plot 33
Questions 34
Definition of useful words 35
Symbols 35
Themes 35

Chapter 4 36
Development of the plot 36
Questions 36
Definition of useful words 38
Symbols 38
Themes 38

Formal Assessment Activity 1 39

Chapter 5 41
Development of the plot 41
Questions 41
Definition of useful words 43
Symbols 44
Themes 44

Chapter 6 46
Development of the plot 46
Questions 46
Definition of useful words 47
Symbols 47
Theme 47

Chapter 7 48
Development of the plot 48
Questions 48
Definition of useful words 50
Symbols 50
Themes 50
Chapter 8 51
Development of the plot 51
Questions 51
Definition of useful words 52
Symbols 52
Themes 52

Chapter 9 54
Development of the plot 54
Questions 54
Definition of useful words 55
Symbols 55
Themes 55

Chapter 10 56
Development of the plot 56
Questions 56
Definition of useful words 58
Symbols 58
Themes 58

Formal Assessment Activity 2.1 59

Formal Assessment Activity 2.2 61

ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES 64

1. Diary entry 64
2. Story 64
3. Dialogue 64
4. Review 65
5. Postcard 65
6. Newspaper article 65

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 E xploring the chapters

How to explore EACH CHAPTER

This section of the study guide works through the chapters, one by one.

• There is a brief summary of each chapter.

• There are questions on each chapter. These are not to test you, but to help you get the most
out of the book.

The pre-reading questions invite you to use your personal knowledge and experience and
what you know about the novel to predict what is going to happen. You gain the most in-
sights when you see how your predictions are right or are surprised by a turn the story takes.

The during-reading questions are there to alert you to some important elements and also to
help you notice things as you read. It is probably a good idea to skim through the chapter first
to gain a broad idea of what happens, and then to read more slowly so you can take in more.
Jot down your answers in point form as you read.

The post-reading questions are for you to work on when you have read the chapter. They are
meant to let you see how well you have understood the chapter, and to help you read better
and with richer understanding.

• There is a list of definitions of useful words from each chapter.

• There is a brief description of the symbols and themes of each chapter.
• There are also two opportunities to practise doing formal assessment of the kind that you will have
to do in tests and examinations. The first comes after Chapter 4 and the second after Chapter 10.

1. Identify the kind of answer you are being asked to give

There are five basic levels of questions: literal, reorganization, inference, evaluation and appre­
ciation.

1.1 Literal questions

Literal questions ask you to give information that is explicitly in the extract or in another part of
the novel. Give only the required information, do not discuss or comment on it.

Keywords Examples

Name the things/people/places/ideas … Who finds the newspaper report on Spike?

State the facts/reasons/points/ideas … State/Give two reasons why Taiba wanted to

learn English.
Identify the reasons/persons/causes…
Why is Papa Mavuso so bitter?
 D reaming of light – J ayne B auling

3. Chapter by chapter

Chapter 1

Development of the plot

Setting the scene and introducing the main characters, Regile and Taiba. The problem is
also introduced. Regile is in charge of the team of boys who have been trafficked into South
Africa to work underground at this mine. He survives the horrors of being underground by
being aloof and refusing to hope for anything different or better. It becomes difficult to keep
this up when Taiba begins to ask him questions about the things he has not allowed himself
to think about and to express his hope that they will be rescued.

Questions

Pre-reading
Thinking about the way Regile is pictured on the cover, how happy do you think he is with the life
he leads?

During-reading
1. A shoot-out usually means injury or even death. Why is Taiba excited when he hears the sound
of shooting?

2. Regile says that he uses a harsh voice.

What words tell us that Regile has not always spoken in a harsh voice?

3. Regile says he can hear Taiba smiling.

(a) How would you be able to hear that someone is smiling?

(b) Why would it be unusual for someone to smile underground (in this mine)?

4. Refer to page 33. Regile tells Taiba to stop talking. Why does he use a harsh voice to do so?
 E xploring the chapters : chapter 1

Post-reading
1. In what ways are the men better off than the boys?

2. What is Taiba’s reason for thinking it would be good to learn to speak English well?

3. Why do you think that Aires is always tired?

4. Are Regile’s lies to his mother justified? Explain your view.

5. (a) “I’m not supposed to want anything. It’s weak and dangerous” (p. 34). List the TWO things
you think that Regile wants most. Explain your choices.

(b) If you were in Regile’s situation, what would you miss most?

6. The South African zama zamas come back to work in the mines no matter how many times
they are jailed. What is the reason for this?

Definition of useful words

shoot-out (noun) a gunfight between two forces (here the security

forces and the illegal miners are shooting at
each other)

signifies (verb) means or is a sign of (Taiba knows that gun fire

means that the security guards must be in the
mine. He hopes that this means a chance of
rescue.)

puffed up (verb, past tense) enlarged, swelled (Taiba’s cheeks became bigger
when he smiled)
 D reaming of light – J ayne B auling

trapped (verb, past tense) unable to get out (the gases are contained behind
the rocks until a rockfall, when they are able to
escape and do harm to the men nearby)

obstinate (adjective) not willing to change his mind (Taiba continues to

believe that he and Aires will escape, no matter
how many times Regile tells him it is impossible)

intruder (noun) someone who has no right to be there (Regile be-

lieves that men should not go underground, the
private space of the earth)

capering (participle functioning as an jumping about, dancing (in the dark, the shadows
adjective) seem like creatures that are wildly moving about)

listening-sleep (compound noun) sleeping lightly enough to be able to listen (Regile

(neologism) knows how dangerous it is to be underground so
he feels he needs to be on the alert all the time)
clustered (participle functioning as an A number of things grouped together (the stars seem
adjective) so close together that they form a group)

Symbols

Light
Light symbolises all that brings comfort, security and pleasure as opposed to the heat, darkness
and danger of the world underground.

Darkness
Darkness (and excruciating heat) represents the forces of evil. Underground in the mine, it feeds
fear, diminishes confidence and allows bad things to go undetected.

Themes

Caring and love

Taiba constantly makes sure that Aires’s spirits are kept up. He comforts and encourages him.

This is contrasted with Regile’s attitude to his team. He is hard and unfriendly. In the two months
he has worked with this team of “recruits”, he has made no effort to learn their names or anything
about them. His relationship with them is limited to overseeing their work.

Good and evil

The syndicates break into the disused mines and operate illegally. The law does not act against
illegal mining. It seems that the police feel they are not paid enough for the kind of danger they
would face. It seems all of the adult miners are armed. Papa Mavuso claims to have bribed some
of the police to ignore the mining operations.