A Passage to Africa (Edexcel IGCSE English Language A)
Revision Note
Written by: Deb Orrock
Reviewed by: Kate Lee
A Passage to Africa Analysis
Students studying the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English Language A qualification must study all ten of the non-fiction texts in Part 1 of the Edexcel IGCSE English Language Anthology in preparation for Paper 1. You will be given one of the ten texts in your exam, along with another unseen text, which are thematically linked. Section A, Question 4 will specifically be about the anthology text, and Question 5 will ask you to compare the anthology text with the unseen text.
The following guide to A Passage to Africa by George Alagiah contains:
A Passage to Africa overview
A Passage to Africa summary
Themes, ideas and perspectives in A Passage to Africa
A Passage to Africa language
A Passage to Africa overview
A Passage to Africa was written by British newsreader and journalist George Aligiah, who passed away in 2023. It is about Aligiah’s experiences as a television reporter in Somalia, Africa, during the war in the early 1990s, and specifically how an encounter in a village near Gufgaduud affected him more than anything else he witnessed on his journey.
A Passage to Africa summary
This personal and reflective piece of writing begins by establishing the impact of the war in Somalia on ordinary people. It then focuses on a hamlet just outside of Gufgaduud, a remote village which had not yet been reached by any aid agencies. Aligiah describes moving from hut to hut, looking for stories more shocking than what he had already witnessed in order to “move people in the comfort of their sitting rooms”. He describes the quiet and lonely death of a ten-year-old girl while her mother was out searching for food, and an old woman who had been left to die slowly of decay as her relations could not support her to continue.
Aligiah’s writing then focuses on a specific encounter with a man who smiled at him before entering another hut. Aligiah reflects that normally, in these situations, journalists observe and their subjects are merely observed, but that by smiling an embarrassed, apologetic smile, the man had affected Aligiah in a way that all of the horrific sights he had seen could not. This life-changing incident led him to resolve to write the story of Gufgaduud for the world to know.
Themes, ideas and perspectives in A Passage to Africa
Paper 1, Question 4 will ask you to explore how the writer has used language and structure to present a theme or idea within their text. Paper 1, Question 5 will ask you to compare how the writer presents their ideas and perspectives with the unseen text.
What are the key themes in A Passage to Africa?
Theme | Analysis |
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The realities of war |
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The observer and the observed |
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How does Aligiah present his ideas and perspectives?
Aligiah uses a variety of techniques to present his ideas and perspectives. These also include how he structures his writing in order to achieve his desired effects.
Technique | Analysis |
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First-person perspective |
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Note-form |
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Detachment |
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Tone |
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Single-line paragraph |
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Simple sentences |
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Rhetorical questions |
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Direct address |
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A Passage to Africa language
The language choices made by a writer contribute to the overall effect they wish to portray.
Language | Analysis |
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Imagery |
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Simile |
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Rule of three |
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Emotive language |
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For more guidance on how to get top marks in your exam, check out our comprehensive revision notes on Paper 1, Question 4:
Question 4 Skills: Language and Structure Analysis
And see our guides for the other IGCSE English Language Anthology texts here:
Explorers or boys messing about? Either way, taxpayer gets rescue bill |
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