Bac 1ère L Blanc Français 2006 : La poésie nous éloigne-t-elle du réel ou le dévoile-t-elle ?

NOTE IMPORTANTE AUX CANDIDATS :

Les candidats traiteront le sujet sur la copie qui leur sera fournie en respectant l'ordre des questions et en faisant apparaître la numérotation, (numéro et lettre repère le cas échéant, ex: 15b - voir en particulier les questions 3, et 9). Ils composeront des phrases complètes chaque fois qu'il leur est demandé de rédiger les réponses. Le nombre de mots indiqué constitue une exigence minimale. En l'absence d'indication, les candidats répondront brièvement à la question posée. Les citations seront limitées aux éléments pertinents et précédées de la mention de la ligne.

1. What do you learn about the narrator: occupation, country of origin and sex?

2.  In what country does the scène take place?

3.  (lines 1-2) "I understand this is the place at which I should present myself for a position in that particular profession."

a.  In the passage "the place" is not described in detail. What could the underlined words refer to?

b.  Explain what the narrator has come there for.

4.  (line 7). I handed her the two letters of recommendation...

Who does the underlined pronoun refer to? Suggest what that character's status or job may be.

5. What does the narrator expect the other character to do with the letters?

6. What does the narrator feel these letters prove?

Questions 7 and 8. Focus on lines 8 to 37. She politely hold out... reached out for the letters.

7. There are three stages in the way the other character deals with the letters. Describe what these stages are.

8.  Pick out two quotations from the text which show how this character justifies such an attitude.

9.  Focus on the passage from line 30 to the end of the text. Are the following statements true or false? Justify each answer with a quotation from the text.

a. This character is impressed by the narrator's professional experience.

b. This character is helpful towards the narrator.

c. This character is insulting about the narrator's mastery of the English language.

10.  (line 44). Her face now in its normal repose...

In what way have her face and attitude changed throughout the whole scène? Use elements from the whole text to justify your answer. (40 words, quotations not included)

11. What do these changes reveal about this character's true feelings? (30 words)

12.  Using the following quotations, analyse the changes in the narrator's state of mind and show the different stages the narrator has gone through. (30 words)

(line 6)         My own smile was causing me some pain behind the ears...
(line 36)       My hand shook...