Questions below are based on Bolaji Abdullahi's "Sweet Sixteen" The novel places emphasis on the

Step 1: Analyze the question This is a literature-in-English question on the JAMB recommended text Sweet Sixteen by Bolaji Abdullahi. It asks about the novel's main emphasis, which means its central theme.

Step 2: Recall the concept (the novel's plot) Sweet Sixteen follows Ebele (also known as Ebi), a teenage girl who is about to turn sixteen. The story shows:

• Her struggle with adolescence, her desire for independence, and the pressures she faces from peers and society.
• Strained relationships with her parents, who often don't understand her, and her reluctance to confide in them.
• Misunderstandings that arise because the adults and the young people do not talk openly.

The key thread is that the home life, the trouble the teenager faces, and the resolution all depend on how well parents and children communicate.

Step 3: Evaluate the options

• A. Strict parenting and schooling: The novel does not argue for strictness. Strictness is part of the problem, not the solution.
• B. Social disparity between rich and poor: This appears as a side detail at most, not the main emphasis.
• C. Bridging the communication gap between children and parents: This matches the central message. Parents should listen to and guide their children, and children should be able to talk openly with their parents.
• D. Abnormalities of society and the confusion of childishness: This is vague and does not reflect the novel's focus.

Step 4: Answer The correct option is C.

Step 5: Exam tip For JAMB literature questions on themes, choose the option that reflects the story's main conflict and its resolution, not a minor detail. In Sweet Sixteen, the conflict is between a teenager and the adults around her, so the theme is communication between parents and children. Eliminate extreme options (like "strict parenting") and vague ones first.