JAMB 2015 Literature in English · Question 31
This question is based on J.C. De Graft's Sons and Daughters The Major issues at hand in the Sons and Daughters play is that
Options
- A.Laboratory attendant is trying to act as a nurse
- B.The medical doctor is in love with Maanan
- C.James sees Awere as a bad influence
- D.Lawyer B is trying to Kiss Maanan.
Answer: C. James sees Awere as a bad influence
Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key
Analyzing the question
The question asks for the major issue in J.C. de Graft's Sons and Daughters. It is a thematic question, so we need the central conflict of the play, not a minor incident.
The concept
Sons and Daughters (1964) is a Ghanaian play about the generation gap and parental control over children's career choices. The central conflict is between parents who want to decide their children's futures and young people who want to follow their own talents and passions.
Key characters:
- James Ofosu: a successful, strict father who wants his son Aaron to study medicine and his daughter Maanan to be trained in a "respectable" profession.
- Aaron (Aaron Ofosu): James's son, who wants to be a painter and is forced toward medicine.
- Maanan: Aaron's sister, who wants to be an actress/performer and not fit her father's plan.
- Mr. Aweré: the artist who is a friend and mentor to the children and encourages their talent. James blames him as a bad influence and fears he is leading his children away from respectable careers.
Working through the options
- A. Laboratory attendant acting as a nurse: a minor, incidental detail, not a central issue.
- B. The medical doctor is in love with Maanan: not the play's central conflict.
- C. James sees Awere as a bad influence: this ties directly to the main conflict. James believes Aweré is corrupting his children and pushing them toward art, and this fuels the clash between father and children over their careers.
- D. Lawyer B trying to kiss Maanan: a trivial incident, not a theme.
Conclusion
Option C is the only one connected to the core theme of parental authority versus children's ambitions.
Exam tip: For "major issue" or theme questions in literature, eliminate options describing small incidents and pick the one tied to the central conflict. In Sons and Daughters, remember: James vs. children, with Aweré as the "bad influence."
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