Parent-child relationships

Kezia is the young central character in ‘The Little Girl’. She is initially afraid of her strict-looking father, but later begins to understand his affection. Alice, Meg, and Mary are not the name of the little girl in this story. Exam tip: For character-based questions, remember the main characters’ names and relationships.

Kezia was frightened by her father's strict appearance. In exams write his serious behaviour as the reason for her fear.

Kezia stammered because she was afraid of her father. Remember the link between fear and stammering for exams.

In Kezia's eyes her father was very big and frightening. Understand the father's image from the child's view for exams.

Grandmother sent Kezia to meet her father. Remember the grandmother's role as one that connects the family.

Grandmother wanted Kezia to talk to her father. In exams see it as an effort to increase family closeness.

Kezia felt afraid when her father came home. In exams write the effect of his presence on her mind.

Kezia tried to make a pin cushion for her father. This is a simple example of her love in exams.

Kezia unknowingly tore her father's papers. Remember that her mistake was not intentional.

The torn papers were her father’s important speech papers. Kezia tore them up to fill her doll’s pillow, which made her father very angry. Her grandmother had asked Kezia to fetch papers, but the papers did not belong to her. Exam tip: Remember the event and its consequence together—the torn speech papers and the father’s anger.

Kezia accidentally tore up the important papers of her father’s speech. In anger, he hit her on the palms with a ruler. Therefore, option D is correct. He did not merely send her out, reward her, or caress her. Exam tip: Link this incident with Kezia’s initial fear of her father.

Kezia tore the papers into small pieces to stuff a pin cushion that she was making as a gift for her grandmother. She did not know that the papers contained her father’s important speech. Therefore, she did not tear them to trouble her father. Exam tip: distinguish between a character’s intention and the consequence of the action in the story.

Kezia made the pin cushion lovingly as a birthday gift for her father. Although she was generally afraid of him, her purpose in making the gift was to please him. Thus, fear describes her usual feeling towards him, not the feeling behind making the pin cushion. Exam tip: Distinguish between a character’s general emotion and the motive behind a specific action.

After the punishment Kezia became sad and frightened. Read the child's feelings carefully for exams.

Kezia was frightened by bad dreams at night and would wake up crying. Therefore, frightening dreams is the correct answer. She was also afraid of her father's scolding, but that was not the immediate cause of her fear at night. Exam tip: Notice time clues such as “at night” in comprehension questions.

A butcher appeared in Kezia's frightening dream. Kezia was deeply afraid of her father, and in her imagination his stern figure became as frightening as a butcher. The gardener, doctor, and teacher are not connected with this dream. Exam tip: Connect Kezia's fear in the early part of the story with her changing feelings towards her father later.

When Kezia woke up frightened after a nightmare, her grandmother comforted her. Alice was the cook, but it was Kezia’s grandmother who soothed her at night. Exam tip: link each character with their specific role in the story.

In the story, Alice was the cook in the house; her role was to prepare food for the family. A housemaid may do other household work, but Alice is specifically identified as the cook. Exam tip: revise each character’s name along with their role or relationship.

Grandmother went to the hospital when Mother fell ill. This is why Kezia feels lonely at home.

Kezia was with Alice when Mother and Grandmother were away. Connect this incident with the night event in exams.