Debbie, Sandy and Pepe is a story from the literary ‘Cockrow’ meant for Junior High School students in Ghana. This commentary has been simplified to its simplest form for every students to get the best of understanding.
The Commentary Of Debie, Sandy and Pepe Below!
Summary – Debbie, Sandy and Pepe
Sandy and Debbie were two biological sisters who along a path, found a baby bird. They then decided to take care of the bird. They built a house for it and tried to feed it but it would not eat.
That night, Debbie, who’s so compassionate about almost everything thought so much about the bird and realised how fondly she was with her new found friend, Pepe, the bird. All day in school, Debbie felt so much happy and even informed her class teacher about the little bird. She went to the extent of gathering some worms for the bird thinkkbg it would eat it.
From school, Sandy and Debbie went to feed the bird with the worms but unfortunately, it was dead. Debbie was much affected by the death of her friend, Pepe. Sandy then blamed her sister for being emotionally weak. Debbie went to her mother and broke the news about the death of her bird and asked if Pepe will go to heaven. Her mother was not sure of herself. But a calendar on the wall made her realise that, God knew and cared for the bird and all creations so she believed that, the bird would be in safe hands.
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Characters:
Sandy, Debbie, Pepe
Point Of View:
Third person narrative
Theme:
- Care and compassion about people who are emotionally sane.
- God cares for everyone and everything.
- God loves and cares for the weak and helpless.
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About Our Main Characters (Character Analysis)
DEBBIE
Debbie was a 17 year old girl and a sister to Sandra also called Sandy in the story ‘Debbie, Sandy and Pepe’. Debbie poses an act of compassion, care and soft heart. This is shown when she and her sister, Sandy found the bird along the path. Both sisters tried their possible best to get a place for the bed to sleep but Debbie was so concerned than her sister She tried all possibilities on earth to make sure Pepe eats the little food they find for him but it wouldn’t. She felt so worried and concerned. Also, it is also revealed when the bird died. She could barely control herself.
This made Sandy say;
“You’re very stupid.
You cry about everything!
You even cry even when mom threw boiling water on the ants”
After finding a soothing place to bury the bird, Debbie who’s compassionate about the bird really felt it down within. During the burial, it is a clear evidence to show that Debbie really loved the bird wholeheartedly; the bird was wrapped in a tissue before it was buried. After the burial, Debbie went ahead to ask her mother if Pepe will go to heaven.
“Do birds go to heaven, Mum?”
SANDY/SANDRA
Sandy is the opposite of her sister, Debbie.Even though Sandy was caring but not as Debbie. This is because she assisted Debbie to cater(shelter & food) for the bird, Pepe. Also, according to the story, it was Sandy who brought up the idea of mushing up the worms for the bird when almost all attempts to feed it proved void.
Aside being caring, also, Sandy was insensitive and do not have quick emotions about someone or something. This is related to the time Pepe died. She immediately asked where the bird should be buried without having any feeling of remorse. This action of hers made Debbie angry because she realised Sandy had not shown any sign of sympathy for the bird.
Aside the traits mentioned, Sandy was also not judgemental. She had to take a critical look at Pepe before confirming that it was dead.
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Literary Devices
Imagery:
“She cranes her neck upwards to search the tree above their head”
Mood:
“With her ears full of bird songs and the beating of many wings, Debbie ran and hugged her surprised mother”
Personification:
“…but she know that when he grows up, he would be very handsome“.
Metaphor:
“she craned her neck upwards”
“that oversize yellow plastic beak”
Simile:
1. “It felt like a great weight on her heart”
2. “It looks like yellow plastic”
3. “I could tie notes to his legs and send messages to my friends like they used to do with pigeons during the wars”
Alliteration:
- “Your mother must be so worried”
- fallen from
- fluttered from
Hyperbole:
“I’ve been waiting for ages”
“the blue lsky above…filled with…pigeons”
“so many birds! Millions of them…”
“yellow plastic beak taking up all his face”
Onomatopoeia:
- She wriggled her finger like a worm.
- Sandra held a twisting worm close to its beak.
- The half-fledged, ugly little creature nestled down with eye closed, then jerked its beak open and squawked for food.
- “,..crooned Debbie
- fluttered
- sobbing
- sniffing
- squabbling
- giggled
Synecdoche:
“Little bundle of feathers”
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Exercise 1
- How did Debbie refer to the bird?
- “Your mother must be so worried”, this refers to……….
- “It looks like yellow plastic”, what is being referred to here?
- Where did the girls nest the bird?
- What statement in the story supports the idea that the bird had few feathers?
- “Perhaps he fluttered here from somewhere else”, what literary device is used with the underlined word?
- Identify the part of speech in “yellow plastic beak taking up all his face”
- In your view, why did the bird die?
- “Bird was happier outside, being free,” who said this?
- “It felt like a great weight on her heart” What part of speech is used here?
Exercise 2
- “I have been waiting for ages,” what is the literary device used here?
- Who said the above statement?
- “He was cold and stiff,” what word best describes this situation?
- What coffin did Debbie make for the bird?
- “Dragging her feet,” shows what figure of speech?
- “Indeed the very hairs of your head are numbered,” who said this and what does it mean?
- What device is found in, “a wheeling crowd of pigeons?”
- What device is found in, “poured his song into the air?”
- “The wattle tree tilted back,” what figure of speech is found in this statement?
- Where was the biblical quotation written?
Read ‘Tell My Son To Hold Onto His Gun Commentary’ Below. Click on image
