Comprehension: Pimento Season

This article references the extract on page 1 of “A Comprehensive English Course for CXC: Book 5.”

Pimento Season is an extract taken from the novel “Interim” by Neville Dawes. In the 4-paragraph passage, the author describes his childhood experiences during the pimento season. Pimento is a kind of pepper. The author (or narrator) goes on the explain that pimento was the most profitable of all crops.

The novel from which this passage was extracted was written a long time ago. Consequently, some of the words are archaic which means they have lost their original meaning, taken on a new meaning, or are no longer used. A few words are also misspelled.

Vocabulary from the Passage

• Pimento (noun) – a small red pepper with a mild taste.
• Mild (adjective) – not severe, serious, or harsh
• vividly (adverb) in a way that produces powerful feelings or strong, clear images in the mind.
• Misty (adjective) – smoky white fog or dew.
• Haze (noun) – fine dust, smoke, light vapor, etc which causes poor visibility in the air.
• Stealthy (adjective) – moving in a quiet and careful way to as to avoid being detected.
• Expectant (adjective) – having or showing excited feelings that something good is about to happen.
• Squadron (noun) – a military group consisting of two or more soldiers, aircraft, warships, etc.
• Misty (adjective) full or covered with or accompanied by mist.
• Mist (noun) – a cloud of tiny water droplets suspended in the atmosphere at or near the earth’s surface.
• Pitchary (noun) – a kind of bird which is known to be very aggressive.
• Odour (noun) – a distinctive smell, especially an unpleasant one.
• Tang (noun) – a strong taste, flavour, or smell
• Decay (verb) – to rot or decay through the action of bacteria or fungi
• Marl (noun) – a kind of loose, crumbly rock
• Swoop (verb) to move rapidly downwards through the air.
• Assault (noun) a violent physical verbal attack
• Spangle (noun) – a small, thin piece of glittering material – many of which are sewn on clothing for decorations. Example: The American flag is called a “star spangled banner” because it is decorated with shiny, sparkly, star-shaped spangles.
• Callus (noun) – a hardened part of flesh that develops on or near to the fingers due to friction or irritation over prolonged period of time.
• Callous (adjective) – having or showing an insensitive or cruel disregard for others.
• Empathetic (adjective) – 1. having or showing an ability to understand and share the feelings of others. 2. Being able to relate to the suffering of others. Synonym: compassionate. Antonym: callous.
• Shad (noun) – a kind of edible fish.
• Mortar (noun) – a mixture of sand, water, and cement or lime that is used to fix bricks or stones to each other when building walls.
• Aroma (noun) – a strong, pleasant smell, usually from food or drink.
• Crocus (noun) – a small,flowering plant which bears bright yellow, purple, or white flowers.
• Blight (noun) – something that spoils, destroys, or causes damage. 2. a disease that damages and kills plants.
• Geography (noun) – the study of the systems and processes involved in the world, weather, mountains, seas, lakes, etc. 2. the study of the ways in which countries and people organize life within an area. Example: The geography of an area refers to the way all the parts are arranged within that particular area.
• Mood (noun) – the way a person is feeling at a particular time. Examples of mood include: festive, joyful, irritable, good, bad, cheerful, happy, agreeable, disagreeable.
• Barren (adjective) – 1. unable to produce plants or fruits. 2. unable to have children or young animals. 3. not creating or producing anything new. Example: the savannas are barren.
• Bloom (verb) – to produce flowers. Example: The trees bloomed in the spring. 2. to change, grow or develop fully. 3. to have good health, strength, and beauty. Example: Rosanna bloomed in her twenties.
• Characteristic (adjective) – typical or a particular person, place, or thing. Example: Coffee is characteristic of Brazilian culture. 2. Beautiful scenery is characteristic of the Rupununi.
• Intoxication (noun) the state of being intoxicated.
• Intoxicated (adjective) drunk or under the influence of drugs. Metaphorical meaning: feeling excited, happy, and slightly out of control.

Questions and Answers

1. Describe the atmosphere on mornings during the pimento season. Answer: The atmosphere on mornings during the pimento season were misty and cool.
2. Identify one example of figurative language in paragraph two (2). Answer: One example of figurative language in paragraph two (is) “…sunny spangled afternoons….” 2 (a) Say what figure of speech it is. Answer: The figure of speech used is the metaphor. 2 (b) Yes, it is appropriate and striking. 2 (c) The metaphor used is very effective because it paints a great picture of the effects of the sun’s rays passing through objects and touching parts of the surfaces while leaving other parts in shadow
3. What odours of pimento season does the writer mention? Answer: The odours of pimento season that the writer mentions are: 1) The biting tang of the green leaves. 2) The lingering decay of the overripe berries. 3) the harsh peppery assault of the dried berries.
4. What difference is there between the corn season and the pimento season? Answer: The difference between the corn season and the pimento season i the kind of food that was usually present. during the corn season, the villagers consumed bowls of cornmeal porridge, but during the pimento season, they ate roasted yellow breadfruit with salty shad.
5. What is the meaning of each of the following expression. A) The geography of the village. Answer: The expression “the geography of the village” refers to the layout of the village and the arrangement of the land, farms, trenches, roads, etc. B) The undersong of bowls of porridge. Answer: The expression, “the undersong of bowls of porridge” suggests that bowls of porridge were regularly consumed during the corn season. C) Callouses (calluses) that bloomed on our thumbs. Answer: The expression, “callouses that bloomed on our thumbs” means that the calluses appeared on the thumbs of the persons who were shelling the corn in greater numbers of a short period of time.
6. Comment on the use of the word “assault.” Answer: The word “assault” is used metaphorically to convey the strength and intensity of the odour. It also expresses that the dour caused some amount of pain or discomfort to the narrator.
7. Why does the writer say, “And there was the miracle of pimento”? Answer: The writer says, “And there was the miracle of pimento” to express that the pimento season brings joy, prosperity, and wealth to the village, whereas other crops were generally less successful. The expression also expresses the superiority of the pimento crop to other crops such as yams and bananas.
8. A) What is the mood of the people in the pimento season? Answer: The mood of the people in the pimento season is festive, cheerful, or happy. B) How is the mood demonstrated? Answer: The