11 Likely Questions From The Novel In dependence:Jamb 2017/18

1. Why do you think the novel was
entitled In Dependence?
2. Tayo is a scholarship boy. What are
the details that inform us that his family,
friends and teachers are very proud of his
achievements?
3. Tayo leaves Nigeria at a moment of
great optimism following the country's
independence, as you read the book,
compare Tayo's trajectory with that of his
country.
1. What are Tayo's impressions of
Oxford upon arrival? What are the striking
differences between his home, his country
and this old city and university? What, if any,
are the similarities.
2. The novel is set in the sixties. What
do we learn about his era, both in England
in and in Nigeria?
3. The novel begins in 1963, three
years after Nigeria achieved its
independence, politics is very much in the
air: how does Tayo engage with Nigerian
politics when he is at Oxford?
4. 8. Ike says,'... independence came
far too early' (p.29) What do you think leads
him to this opinion?
5. 9. Compare and contrast the
characters of Christine, Vanessa and Miriam.
6. 11. Race is often seen as the main
stumbling block in developing
7. Compare and contrast Tayo's
attitude towards Nigeria, his home, his
family, his culture, and the politics of the
country before he leaves for Oxford, and
after he returns. How do you account for
any differences?
8. To what extent does being an
outsider allow a person unique insights into
a culture?' (p. 206) Consider's Vanessa's
views as a journalist writing about Africa,
what informs her values?
9. 16. Travel can open's one's mind,
make one less judgemental, or it can do the
reverse. Who do you think is the most
broadminded character in the novel? Explain
your answer with reference to the.......
10. 17. Sarah Manyika uses letters to
move the story forward, but what else does
the epistolary style achieve? Supplement
your an- swer with examples from the text.
10. 17. Sarah Manyika uses letters to
move the story forward, but what else does
the epistolary style achieve? Supplement
your an- swer with examples from the text.
11. It is said of Tayo, 'If he had
followed his heart, and not his head, he
would have chosen differently.' (p.221) How
true is this? Give reasons for your argument.


SUCCESS TO ALL JAMB 2017/18 CANDIDATES