The Ultimate Safari

THE ULTIMATE SAFARI NADIME GORDIMER The word ‘ultimate’ describes the final result of a long and often complicated series of events. Here in the life of a family such events occur in quick succession and force the family member to leave their country for a new strange land. 1. Give a brief account of the circumstances under which the refugees were forced to leave their native land. 2. Identify two qualities of the Grandmother, which helped her and her family to survive the hostile conditions they faced before, during and after their journey through Kruger Park. Give evidence in support of your answer. 3. In the story the grandmother is shown as a person who is very particular about appearance. Give two instances to support this statement from the text. 4. Why did the narrator wish to go back to her village even when she got everything in the refugee camp? 5. Where had the children’s father gone and who was he fighting? 6. How id the children lose their mother? 7. Why was there fear and terror in the village? 8. What was the reaction of the people to the civil war in Mozambique? 9. What was the reaction of the children as revealed through the narrator? 10. Bring out the fear of the badits as experienced by the children? 11. What kink of a woman was the grandmother? 12. ‘We were in the war too’. Who says this and why? 13. How did the grandparents reach Mozambique village> How did they help the children? 14. What kind of a man was Grandfather? 15. Where did the grandparents take the children? What was it like for them there? 16. Who decided to leave the village and why? 17. Where did they decide to go? What arrangements did Grandmother make for the journey? 18. What did the narrator know about Kruger Park? 19. Where did the refugees decided to go and why? How did they plan to reach ther destination? 20. What was the difference in the white people’s being in the Kruger Park with that of the narrator being there? 21. Who led the narrator and others through Kruger Park? How? 22. On what food did the refugees survive on their journey? 23. What were the fears of the people regarding animals and officials in the Kruger Park? 24. Why was it risky to go near the fence at Kruger Park? 25. How did they dodge the lions?

Your passion will define your limits…..strive for more.

26. What happened to Grandfather? 27. Why did Grandmother decide to continue the journey without Grandfather? 28. What was the first medical aide given to the people on reaching the camp? 29. What did the Grandmother do to help the children to a better future? 30. What did grandmother tell the children that disappointed them? 31. Why does the narrator want to go back? 32. In the story grandmother is shown as a person who is very particular about appearances. Give two instances form the text to support this statement. 33. Why did the people have to leave their village and seek shelter in a neighbouring country?] 34. Why did the grandparents of the narrator come their village and take the children home? 35. What do you think might have happened to the mother? 36. Describe the Kruger Park. How did the narrator know about it? 37. Give brief account of the frightful experience of the displaced persons as they walked across the Kruger Park 38. While walking through the Kruger Park, what could the refugees not do and why? 39. Why did the narrator differ from the grandmother on the issue of returning to their home in Mozambique? 40. Why do you think the grandfather went into the grass and never came back? 41. What sort of reception did the displaced persons receive in the village they sought shelter after they crossed the Kruger Park? 42. How did the grandmother maintain the family? 43. Why did the grandmother decide to leave the village? 44. Pick out two instances form the story to show that the grandmother was a women of grit and determination. 45. What did the grandmother do to earn some money for the children at the camp? 46. Why did the people in the village allow the refugee children to join their school? Give two reasons. 47. Why did the children want to leave their grandmother’s place for somewhere? 48. Discuss the role of the man who led the narrator and others through the Kruger Park? 49. Why was the narrator frightened and why did she pick up a palm leaf during her journey through Kruger Park. 50. The narrator says that she squealed because she was the first to hear cracking branches. What was the reason of her squealing and what did she see? 51. ‘It was hard to be like the animals’ says the narrator. Describe her feelings at this point of the story? 52. Write in brief what struggle the grandmother went thorough for the reestablishment of her grandchildren and herself, at the refugee camp. 53. Why did the white people come to the refugee camp? 54. Justify the title Ultimate Safari. 55. Describe the scene inside the refugee camp. 56. What happened to the mother and the grandfather of the narrator?

Lali Mathew M.A.M.Ed Sheesh Mhal Apartment, D.A.564 9810312549 57. “Our grandmother looked away from her and spoke – there is nothing. No home” Why did the grandmother say so? Was she happy there in the camp? How do you know? Did she have no hope for the future if returned home after the war was over? Why? 58. Why does Nadime Gordimer call her narrative “The Ultimate Safari” 59. You are one of the refugees who crossed the Kruger Park. You appreciate the efforts taken by the grandmother to take care of her family. Write a letter to your friend describing the traits of the grandmother. 60. Imagine you are grandmother. Everyone who hears your story admires and respects you for your strength. But deep within your heart you are sad because of all that you have lost. Yet you do not want to give up and pray to God to help you to be successful in bringing up your grandchildren. Write diary entry expressing your feelings. 61. Imagine yourself to be the little girl. Make a diary entry on how you reached the refugee camp and mention your hopes for the future. 62. Where does the story start from and how does it end? Does it really end? The narrator, the young girl, writes a letter to a friend on what happened, answering the above question. Write that letter. 63. Imagine that you are the little girl. Make a diary entry on how your grandmother was different from the other refugees. 64. Imagine that you are the young girl narrating the story. Write a letter to your friend describing your grandmother’s role in bringing you up and your appreciation of her. 65. Imagine you are the reporter who interviewed the grandmother. Write a brief report on the refugees and the journey they had to undertake. 66. You are the narrator. Write a letter to your friend describing your life in the refugee camp and how it different from the life in Mozambique. 67. The grand mother didn’t want to go to Mozambique, her own country, though living as a refugee in the tent. She had her own reasons. But young girl had her own reasons to think to go back. Write one paragraph dealing with the grandmother’s viewpoint and the other with your own reasons to return. Your paragraphs should be linked. 68. You are the older of the children and now have a respectable job. On an occasion when you are honoured for your achievements, you wish to tall the people about your grandmother and her sacrifices to help you achieve your goals. Write a speech that you intend to give on that occasion. 69. Supposing you are the narrator of the story. Describe your woeful tale in first person. 70. “I’ll go back. I’ll go back through that Kruger Park.” Years later, Nadime Gordmier goes back down the trail. Describe the journey for her and what she finds. Write it in the form of an article. 71. Imagine yourself as the grandmother. You appear to be very brave and you have struggled hard to save your family. But at times you do feel disturbed and nervous. Write a page of diary expressing your feelings and efforts made by you to put up a bold front.

72. Imagine you are the reporter who had interviewed the grandmother. Write an article on the refugees’ life in the camp and their journey through the jungle. Now, the narrator is a grown up young woman. She remembers her childhood and the contribution made by her grandmother She decides to write an article for the Newspaper-paying tribute to the great woman. Write the article in about 150 words. 73. Identify two qualities of the Grandmother, which helped her and family survive the hostile condition they faced before, during and after their journey through Kruger Park. 74. ‘I say grandmother before grandfather, because it is like that” Give two instances from the story to bring out the characteristic traits of grandmother. 75. Imagine you are Grandmother. Everyone, who hears your story, admires and respects you for your strength. But deep within your heart you are sad because of all that you have lost. Yet you do not want to give up and pray to God to help you to successful in bringing up your grand children. Write a diary entry expressing your feelings.

Your passion will define your limits…..strive for more. Lali Mathew M.A.M.Ed

Sheesh Mhal Apartment,

D.A.564 9810312549