Observation

Most candidates only narrated events relating to Jimmy’s violent outbursts.

Candidates were expected to discuss:

• The central theme of the marital conflicts.
• Character Identification: Jimmy is an angry young man from a lower middle-class family; He is educated, went to the University; He is husband to Alison; Alison is tall, slim and dark; she is 25 years; she comes from the Upper-Class family and is Jimmy’s wife; Hugh and Cliff are Jimmy’s friends who affect the marriage between Jimmy and Alison; Helena is Alison’s friend and a temporary usurper of Jimmy, her friend’s husband.
• Jimmy’s unpleasant behaviours: Jimmy takes out his frustrations on his young wife, Alison, subjecting her to verbal, emotional and psychological abuse.
• Friends’ involvement: Jimmy is always confrontational in his dealings with Cliff, especially regarding his wife Alison; Helena, Alison’s friend, walks into the conflict between Jimmy and Alison and soon becomes part of it.
• Resolution:  Alison returns home to Jimmy after she has lost her child; Jimmy can now reconcile with her because he believes she is in a position to understand his frustration, having suffered the loss of a loved one; Cliff, in spite of Jimmy’s verbal abuse, stays on as a true friend; Helena replaces Alison in Jimmy’s bed but comes back to her senses on Alison’s return and gracefully leaves the house.

Candidates’ performance in this question was good.