The Dube Train Flashcards
By using your own words, briefly describe how the narrator feels on a Monday morning. State TWO points.
He feels sick/ill/bad. He feels cold. / He shivers. He feels like vomiting. His chest is tight / has difficulty breathing. He is not interested in anything. He feels miserable. He feels irritated. He feels unhappy. He feels scared.
In your view, why does the narrator feel like this?
He does not like Monday mornings. He is face with a bleak prospect of the coming week.
He probably has a hangover / has consumed too much alcohol during the weekend.
The thought of getting on the Dube train scares him / sends shivers down his spine. / He is afraid.
He is faced with his dismal surroundings.
Refer to the first 3 paragraphs of the story, and write down two consecutive words to show that the narrator has a negative outlook on life.
“sour-smelling humanity”
“its malevolence”
“hostile life”
“Despairing thoughts”
Refer to the story as a whole. Is the following statement TRUE or FALSE. Give a reason for your answer.
The narrator’s journey was dull and uneventful.
False. The journey was full of drama, with a tsotsi attacking a girl, and then the tsotsi being thrown out of the train by a strong man.
What point is the narrator making by including the description of the train carriage and the station? State TWO points.
The narrator is showing how unfriendly and dirty his world is. The trains are full with sour-smelling people, and at the station seemed unfriendly and confusing.
A girl boards the train at Phefeni station. Explain what the narrator finds unusual for a girl of her age. State TWO points.
She has an adult manner / she seems to know all about the world . She is precocious.
She is arrogant. She has an air about her that scares / intimidates even the adults.
Explain why the narrator is surprised by the girl’s reactions later, when the tsotsi attacks her. State TWO points.
Later in the story, she suddenly reacts like the young girl that she is. She panics.
She looks around for help. / She hopes the other passengers will come to her aid. / Her arrogance suddenly disappears.
She whimpers.
She runs away / tries to get off the train.
Who is “our caveman lover”?
The tsotsi / the man attacking the girl.
Why is this person described as a “caveman”?
His behaviour is vicious / primitive / savage / barbaric.
Quote ONE word from the story that shows that the narrator is comparing the “caveman” to an animal?
“paw”
What caused the “caveman” to reel?
The movement of the train.
Using your own words, explain why the woman calls the men “poltroons”?
They behaved like cowards. They did not help the girl.
They should have intervened. They should have given him a beating.
What does the use of the word “Sies!” suggest about the woman’s feelings?
She is angry / disgusted / disapproving.
Later in the story the attacker draws a knife when the big man confronts him. How do the following people react when they see the knife?
a) The woman
b) The male passengers.
The woman: She shouts / screams.
The male passengers: They move out of the way.
The big man, who has been sitting quietly all the time, comes to life because the tsotsi lash out at the old woman. Why, do you think, does he not react when the tsotsi attacks the young girl? State TWO points.
He is used to incidents like this. He does not want to get involved in this incident / he has been minding his own business, humming a song.
He probably thinks the two young people know each other. He feels she deserves such treatment / her arrogance when boarding / the way she is dressed invited such treatment.
