Desai frequently portrays people who live in a state of irritation and anger. Explore how she does this so memorably in Private Tuition by Mr Bose or Pigeons at Daybreak.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2010). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [25] Mr. Bose, a man of deep sensibility, lives in a state of perpetual irritation as he attempts to make a very basic living as a tutor, constantly faced by the lazy, the dim, the socially superior and the sexually alluring.
2. [25] Mr. Basu is a memorable picture of the terrors of an asthmatic whose illness has led him into making constant demands on those around him.
3. [25] As usual the key word in the task is memorable.
4. [25] Hopefully most candidates will be able to chart some of the relevant detail of their chosen story but even for reasonable reward candidates should offer more than description.
5. [25] We should be able to discern some understanding of how the writer's words bring to life the frustrations of these lives, frustrations which breed such anger.
6. [25] The more that is central to the answer, the higher the reward.
7. [25] Refer to the band descriptors in arriving at your mark.