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Rufus Okeke – Roof, for short – was a very popular man in his village. Although ...


Question

Rufus Okeke – Roof, for short – was a very popular man in his village. Although the villagers did not explain it in so many words, Roof’s popularity was a measure of their gratitude to an energetic young man who unlike most of his fellows nowadays, had not abandoned the village in order to seek work, any work, in the towns. Roof was not villages tout either. Everyone knew how he had spent two years as a bicycle repairer’s apprentice in Port-Harcourt and had given up of his own free will a bright future to return to his people and guide them in these political times. Not that Umuofia needed a lot of guidance. The village already belong en masse to the People’s Alliance Party, and its most illustrious son, Chief the Honorable Marcus Ibe, was Minister of Culture in the outgoing government (which was pretty certain to be the incoming one as well). Nobody doubted that the Honorable Minister would be elected in his constituency. Opposition to him was like the proverbial fly trying to move a dung-hill. It would have been ridiculous enough without coming, as it did now, from a complete nonentity.

As was to be expected, Roof was in the service of the Honourable Minister for the coming elections. He had become a real expert in election campaigning at all levels – villages, local government or national. He could tell the mood and temper of the electorate at any given time. For instance, he had warned the Minister months ago about the radical change that had come into the thinking of Umuofia since the last national election

The reference to Okeke's 'bright future' in Port-Harcourt can be described as being

Options

A)
sarcastic
B)
true
C)
untrue
D)
irrelevant
E)
impossible

The correct answer is A.

Explanation:

This question is asking about a story that talks about Rufus Okeke, who is also called "Roof", and how he is a popular man in his village because he did not leave to seek work in the towns like most people. Instead, he returned to his village and helped his people during political times. The story mentions that Roof had given up a bright future in Port-Harcourt to help his people. The question asks how the reference to Roof's "bright future" can be described.

The correct answer is Option A: sarcastic. This means that the reference to Roof's "bright future" is not meant to be taken literally or seriously, but is meant to be mocking or ironic. This is because Roof had decided to give up his future in Port-Harcourt to return to his village and help his people during political times. So, the reference to his "bright future" is not meant to be taken at face value, but rather to highlight the sacrifice that Roof made for his village.

In English Language, sarcasm is a literary device that is often used to mock or ridicule something. It is a type of irony that is used to convey the opposite of what is actually meant. In this case, the reference to Roof's "bright future" is meant to be sarcastic because it is not a positive thing, but rather a way of highlighting the sacrifice that Roof made for his people.

To learn more about sarcasm and other literary devices, please see the relevant sections of the recommended textbooks.


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