This questions is base on Jerry Agada's The successes From the novel, David thought Ifenne should be involved in politics because he wanted him to

Analyze the question This is a literature-in-English question on Jerry Agada's The Successors. It asks why David wanted Ifenne to get involved in politics, which is a question about a character's motive.

Explain the concept In literature questions, motive questions are best answered by working out the character's overall attitude and the theme of the text. Ask yourself: is the character portrayed as corrupt or as honourable? Does he want personal gain or a lasting legacy?

Work through the options

• A. Rig the election: This is dishonest, and David is not presented as pushing Ifenne toward electoral fraud.
• B. Take part in the election process: This only restates "be involved in politics". It does not give a purpose, so it doesn't answer "because he wanted him to...".
• C. Extort money from the people: This is corrupt and contrary to the positive tone of David's encouragement.
• D. Make a name for posterity: This is a purposeful, positive motive. David wanted Ifenne to build a lasting reputation and legacy through public service, so that he would be remembered by future generations.

Answer The best choice is D. make a name for posterity.

Exam tip For "why did a character want...?" questions, eliminate options that merely repeat the question (like B) and options that describe criminal behaviour (A and C) unless the text is clearly about corruption. Also, always read the prescribed novel's summary and character motives before JAMB, since these questions test themes rather than small details.