Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasyThemes and Thematic Interpretation in Prose

Read the prose extract below:

"For years, the villagers of Kanta had watched the old iron bridge rust away, relying instead on the wooden canoes built by their ancestors. When the new road was finally paved through the forest, connecting Kanta directly to the capital, the youth abandoned their paddles to drive imported motorbikes, while the elders sat quietly by the riverbank, fearing that the village had traded its soul for speed."

Which of the following central themes is primarily expressed in the passage?

  1. The tension between traditional values and modern developmentAnswer
  2. B
    The environmental destruction caused by industrial pollution
  3. C
    The personal grief of a first-person narrator recounting lost youth
  4. D
    The complete triumph of ancestral spiritual forces over technology

Answer

The tension between traditional values and modern development
The passage contrasts ancestral wooden canoes and watchful elders with a new paved road and motorbikes. The elders' concern that the village 'traded its soul for speed' directly illustrates the thematic tension between preserving traditional heritage and embracing modern progress.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify key thematic symbols in the extract
Wooden canoes and elders symbolize traditional culture, while paved roads and motorbikes represent modern development.
Themes in prose are established through contrasting motifs and societal reactions.
2
Analyze the central concern of the passage
The concern that the village 'traded its soul for speed' conveys anxiety over losing cultural identity.
The final statement synthesizes the primary thematic focus of the passage.

Key Concept

Themes and Thematic Interpretation in Prose
Estimated Time:45s
Rate this question

Topics

Themes and Thematic Interpretation in Prose

More questions from this topic