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Mr Lutchman's Photography Misadventures

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211 views5 pages

Mr Lutchman's Photography Misadventures

Uploaded by

syed.5093
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Passage A – Mr Lutchman takes some photographs

In this passage, Mr Lutchman’s traditional camera needs a roll of film inside it to take
photographs. This roll of film has to be sent away and developed into photographs.

1 Mr Lutchman’s interest in photography came about suddenly. Wilkie, a friend at the office,
had mentioned casually that he had a camera which he would like to sell. An idea caught Mr
Lutchman’s fancy, and soon became a temptation. ‘Look at that sunset,’ he exclaimed
enthusiastically to his wife one evening, after the idea had floated alluringly in his mind for a
few days. ‘Wouldn’t it be really nice to take a photograph of it?’ 5

2 Mrs Lutchman was taken aback by the strangeness of this question. She glanced briefly at the sky
and at her husband. ‘You need to have a camera before you do a thing like that.
Photographs don’t just drop down out of the sky,’ she said. ‘Don’t do anything foolish.’

3 The following morning, Mr Lutchman offered twenty dollars for the camera. Wilkie laughed
loudly, telling him the camera was an excellent one with flash bulbs and light meters. ‘Twenty 10
dollars!’ he exclaimed. ‘I must remember to tell the boys that one.’ The ‘boys’ played a large
and mysterious role in Wilkie’s life. He referred constantly to them. Mr Lutchman regretted
having asked him about the camera. He was afraid of what the ‘boys’ would say when they
heard of his offer, but it was too late now to turn back. ‘The price is a hundred dollars,’ said
Wilkie. ‘That camera cost me two hundred dollars and is in perfect condition.’ Against his 15
better judgement, Mr Lutchman bought the camera.

4 That evening, Mr Lutchman turned the camera delicately in his hands and, glancing at the instruction
booklet, decided it contained only incomprehensible words and baffling drawings. The next day he
bought a large and impressively illustrated book on photography. In particular,
one photograph of a sunset delighted him and he cut it out and plastered it onto the sitting 20
room wall, followed soon by others, all equally dramatic, of skies being ripped apart by flurries of
lightning and fields of flowers bending before the wind.

5 At last Mr Lutchman felt ready to tackle what he described as a ‘subject’. He bought his first
roll of film and drove out into the countryside. He sent his roll of film away to be developed,
and awaited the return of his photographs with mounting excitement. Eventually a little 25
packet arrived, which Mr Lutchman ripped open. ‘The first one hasn’t come out properly,’
he murmured. When his wife came in an hour later, Mr Lutchman was sitting at the table,
his head buried in his hands and his spoiled photographs scattered around him. ‘Nobody is
perfect right away,’ Mrs Lutchman said consolingly. Mr Lutchman moaned softly, moving his
head from side to side in the palms of his hands. Mrs Lutchman warmed to her theme. ‘Maybe 30
it was the fault of the people who developed them. I would suggest you develop your own
photographs.’

6 With the next roll of film, Mr Lutchman was less ambitious, confining himself to photographs
of his children on the pavement in front of the house. A group of curious neighbours had
gathered to watch as Mr Lutchman arranged the children in a line. Strained expressions 35
settled on their faces. ‘Grin! Grin!’ he howled at them. Mr Lutchman was beginning to lose
his temper. The strained expressions continued.

7 When the roll of film was finished, it was time to develop the photographs with the equipment
Mr Lutchman had now bought. Explaining that photographs needed darkness to be
developed properly, Mr Lutchman took the roll of film to a bedroom, where he pulled shut 40
the curtains. ‘It’s not dark enough,’ he told his wife disconsolately. Mrs Lutchman suggested
developing the photographs under the bed. She brought in the developing equipment and several
saucers and basins of water as instructed. Mr Lutchman could feel his confidence ebbing away from
him as he crawled under the bed. Mrs Lutchman handed him the items
one by one, finally draping a blanket over his head. She sprawled on the floor and peeped at 45
© UCLES 2017
1123/21/INSERT/M/J/17 [Turn over
the huddled mass. Then she heard the first splash. The basins clanged against each other, followed by
a steady muffled roar of anger and distress. Water began flowing across the floor. Mrs
Lutchman pulled the blanket away to reveal the drenched body of her husband. After this episode Mr
Lutchman neglected his camera. He did make one or two passing references to
it, but only when something else had gone wrong and he was feeling depressed. 50

Section A

Read Passage A in the Insert and answer all the questions below.

Question 1

(a) What caused Mr Lutchman’s sudden interest in photography?

...................................................................................................................................[1]

(b) ‘An idea caught Mr Lutchman’s fancy, and soon became a temptation.’ What was Mr
Lutchman tempted to do?

...................................................................................................................................[1]

(c) Pick out and write down the single word used later in the paragraph which continues
the idea of ‘temptation’.

...................................................................................................................................[1]

(d) Describe in your own words Mrs Lutchman’s reaction to her husband’s question.

........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................[2]

(e) Mrs Lutchman says: ‘Don’t do anything foolish.’ What advice do you think she is
giving her husband?

........................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................[1]

(f) When Mr Lutchman offered a low price for the camera, Wilkie ‘laughed loudly’. What
emotion do you think Wilkie wanted Mr Lutchman to feel?

........................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................[1]

(g) Wilkie ‘laughed loudly’ at Mr Lutchman. Give two other ways in which he
persuades Mr Lutchman to pay a hundred dollars for the camera.

(i).....................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
(ii).....................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................[2]

(h) Pick out and write down the four-word phrase from the paragraph which shows
that Mr Lutchman realised that the price of the camera was too high.
........................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................[1]

(i) (a) Explain in your own words why Mr Lutchman disliked the camera’s instruction
booklet.

........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................[2]

(j) Explain fully how Mr Lutchman’s use of the ‘large and impressively illustrated
book’ was different from the way it was meant to be used.

........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................[2]

(k) In what two ways does Mrs Lutchman try to comfort her husband over the failure of
his photographs?

(i)............................................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................................
(ii)...........................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................[2]

(l) Give two reasons why the Lutchman children had ‘strained expressions’ on their
faces while they were being photographed.

(i)............................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................
(ii)...........................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................[2]

(m) Mr Lutchman ‘could feel his confidence ebbing away’. What effect does ‘ebbing
away’ have which would not be achieved by, for example, ‘left him’?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Question 2

(a) Read this sentence from the text:

‘Mrs Lutchman pulled the blanket away to reveal the drenched body of her husband.’
(line 48)

What does the writer want to suggest to us about the situation at this point in the
story?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………
(b) Explain why the writer uses the words “awaited the return of his photographs with
mounting excitement’ rather than ‘awaited the return of his photographs with
excitement’?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
………

(c) What two impressions does the writer want to convey to the reader in the
sentence:

‘May be it was the fault of the people who developed them. I would suggest you
develop your own photographs’.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…….......

(d) Read this sentence from the text:

‘Mr Lutchman could feel his confidence ebbing away.’ (Lines 53–54)

What effect does the writer suggest by using the words ‘ebbing away’ which would
not be achieved by, for example, ‘left him’??
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………….......
..........

(e) Identify one example from the text below of how the writer uses language
effectively to convey children’s feelings while they were being photographed:

‘A group of curious neighbors had gathered to watch as Mr Lutchman arranged the


children in a line. Strained expressions settled on their faces. Grin! Grin! He howled at
them. Mr Lutchman was beginning to lose his temper. The strained expressions
continued.’ (lines 54–59)

Explain the impression the writer creates in the example you have identified.
example ..........................................................................................................................
..........
explanation......................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................[3].

[9 marks]

[Total marks: 25]

Common questions

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The narrative is driven by the stark contrast between Mr. Lutchman's idealized vision of photography and the harsh realities he encounters. Initially, he envisions capturing beautiful sunsets marvelled from his sitting room, inspired by a book of dramatic photographs . The reality sets in when his first set of photographs fail, followed by an embarrassing attempt at self-developing under a bed that ends in a wet disaster . This persistent clash between expectation and outcome provides tension and humor, shaping his journey through disillusionment and ultimately his retreat from the hobby.

The story highlights the fragile nature of pursuing personal interests, particularly how initial enthusiasm can quickly dissipate under the weight of unforeseen challenges and setbacks. Mr. Lutchman's initial excitement about photographing sunsets contrasts with his disillusionment following repeated failures and embarrassing situations, such as the bungled developing process and his children's uncooperative photoshoot . The narrative suggests that perseverance and resilience are critical when exploring new hobbies and implies that a lack of these attributes can lead to abandonment of pursuits at the first sign of difficulty.

Societal perception plays a significant role as it implicitly pressures Mr. Lutchman. His offer on the camera was influenced by his fear of what Wilkie's 'boys' would think, suggesting societal judgment had an impact on his decisions . Similarly, when photographing his children, the presence of curious onlookers, resulting in strained expressions from his children, indicates that societal scrutiny added pressure to perform well and affected the overall experience . Thus, societal perceptions and reactions created additional psychological burdens for him.

Wilkie's frequent references to 'the boys' serve as a social pressure mechanism that influences Mr. Lutchman's decision-making process by inducing fear of ridicule and judgment. The anticipation of being mocked by 'the boys' for his low offer creates an internal conflict within Mr. Lutchman, compelling him to increase his offer and eventually agree to Wilkie's set price, despite recognizing it as too high . This illustrates how social peer pressure can override individual assessments of value or logic.

Mr. Lutchman's decision to buy the camera was influenced by a combination of factors including his sudden interest sparked by Wilkie's casual mention of selling a camera, and perhaps a sense of temptation fueled by the perceived value and features of the camera, such as the flash bulbs and light meters, as Wilkie described . His fear of the opinion of Wilkie's 'boys' and their potential reaction to his offer also pressured him to act against his better judgment . Furthermore, the alluring idea of capturing beautiful moments like a sunset added to his temptation .

Humor is used effectively through exaggerated scenarios and slapstick elements, such as Mr. Lutchman's desperate attempts at directing his children to 'Grin! Grin!' with strained results and the chaotic under-the-bed developing mishap leading to his drenching . These scenarios highlight the gap between his romanticized expectations and the complicated reality of photography. The humorous portrayal of his struggles serves to underscore the inherent challenges and learning curves novice photographers face while softening the underlying themes of failure and frustration.

Mr. Lutchman's approach using the instruction booklet was characterized by confusion and a lack of comprehension, as he found the content incomprehensible and the drawings baffling . In contrast, his use of the large illustrated book was more visually oriented and less instructional; he was captivated by the images rather than learning techniques or concepts, as evidenced by his action of cutting out pictures of sunsets to paste on the wall . This suggests he was more inspired by visual appeal than instructional content.

The situation under the bed represents a turning point through its culmination of frustration and failure, symbolized by the physical mess and emotional outburst when the basins clanged and water flooded the floor, revealing the 'drenched body of her husband' . This event demarcates the end of his active pursuit of photography, marked by his subsequent neglect of the camera. It indicates how a singular disastrous attempt can mark the cessation of interest in an activity, thus highlighting a significant change in his narrative arc.

The metaphor 'ebbing away' conveys a gradual, almost natural decline in Mr. Lutchman's confidence, suggesting a more profound and pervasive loss of self-assurance over time, unlike the abrupt finality implied by a direct phrase like 'left him' . This choice of wording enhances the reader's understanding of his lingering disappointment and ongoing disillusionment with his photography endeavors.

Mrs. Lutchman supported her husband first by offering consoling words, saying, 'Nobody is perfect right away' . She also suggested a practical solution by implying that the fault might lie with the developers, encouraging him to develop his own photographs . This behavior suggests that she is supportive, empathetic, and pragmatic in dealing with failures, providing emotional support while also proposing constructive solutions.

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