Edexcel GCSE English Literature Refugee Boy Exam Questions

About Edexcel GCSE English Literature Refugee Boy

Refugee Boy, Lemn Sissay's 2013 stage adaptation of Benjamin Zephaniah's novel, is one of the post-1914 plays for Edexcel GCSE English Literature Paper 1, Section B. You answer one essay question from a choice of two, from memory, each opening with a short quotation. Alem Kelo has an Ethiopian father and an Eritrean mother, so with the two countries at war his family is unsafe in either. His father brings him to London and leaves him in a hotel for his safety. Alem faces a children's home, foster care and the asylum system. Marks are awarded for a well-supported response (AO1), context (AO3) and accurate writing (AO4).

Key themes, characters and context

• Alem Polite, thoughtful and resilient. He must adapt to a strange country while longing for his parents, and by the end he speaks out at a rally, calling for a new generation of peacemakers.
• Mr and Mrs Kelo Alem's parents campaign for peace between their countries. Alem learns that his mother has been killed; his father returns to seek asylum with him but is murdered near the end.
• The children's home Mustapha befriends Alem, while Sweeney is hostile and violent. Later Sweeney steps in to help Alem and warns him against a life of crime.
• The Fitzgeralds Alem's foster parents offer warmth and stability. Their daughter Ruth becomes his close friend and helps organise the campaign against his deportation.
• The asylum system Hearings before an adjudicator show how hard it is to prove danger at home, and Alem and his father's appeal is rejected. The play shows both the coldness of the system and the kindness of individuals.
• Context The story is set against the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Sissay, who has Ethiopian heritage and grew up in care in England, brings his own understanding of identity and belonging to the adaptation.

Common mistakes in Refugee Boy

• Treating Alem as a passive victim. He shows resilience, choices and agency, especially in the campaign.
• Getting the family background wrong. Alem's father is Ethiopian and his mother Eritrean, which is why neither country is safe for them.
• Treating Sweeney as simply a bully. His change shows that hostility can come from his own hard experiences in care.
• Writing context in general terms rather than linking it to Alem's experiences of care, hearings and loss.
• Retelling events. Each paragraph should make a point that answers the question, supported by references to the play.

Try three Refugee Boy practice questions