Question

literature signpost: words of the wiser
signpost explained
a wiser, often older, character shares his or her experiences, or lesson about life with the protagonist, hoping to guide him or her through a difficult situation.
signpost purpose
words of the wiser suggest the theme within the context of the character’s life and how it affects his/her development.
ask: “how could this advice affect the character?”
what advice or insight did the wiser character share?
textual evidence (para. #)
nnaemeka seems to be the wiser character, telling nene that she is uninformed of the traditional ways of rural tribes.
what did you read that told you this was going to be a words - of - the - wiser moment?
nnaemeka and nene are together talking to one another about telling nnaemeka’s father and their engagement
how will this advice affect the main character and influence the plot?
this advice might “derail” their marriage plans if nnaemeka’s father doesn’t approve.
(handwritten notes in the image: nnaemeka and nene are together talking to one another about telling nnaemeka’s father and their engagement; nnaemeka seems to be the wiser character, telling nene that she is uninformed of the traditional ways of rural tribes; this advice might “derail” their marriage plans if nnaemeka’s father doesn’t approve.)

Explanation:

This worksheet analyzes a "Words-of-the-Wiser" literary signpost from a text featuring Nnaemeka and Nene.

1. The key moment is Nnaemeka (the wiser character) informing Nene about rural tribal traditions, specifically that his father will likely oppose their engagement (Paras. 6-11).
2. The shared insight is that Nene is unaware of the strict traditional marriage customs of Nnaemeka's rural tribe, which will create conflict with his father.
3. This advice prepares Nene for the upcoming family opposition, and it threatens to derail their marriage plans if Nnaemeka's father refuses to approve, creating central conflict for the plot and the characters' relationship.

Answer:

1. Words-of-the-Wiser Moment: Nnaemeka and Nene talk about telling Nnaemeka's father their engagement (Paras. 6-11)
2. Wiser Character's Advice/Insight: Nnaemeka tells Nene she is uninformed of his rural tribe's traditional marriage rules, which will lead his father to oppose their engagement.
3. Impact on Character/Plot: This insight prepares Nene for future conflict, and the potential disapproval of Nnaemeka's father could derail their marriage plans, driving the story's central conflict around tradition vs. personal choice.