June Holiday Assignment.

1a) Add 5 memorable quotes from Off Centre and you MUST identify the Act, Scene and the page numbers of the quotes.

• "She watched his eyes. The sadness behind them." - ACT ONE/SCENE1, Pg 10 line 22.


• "I still have your essays the others always photostat." - ACT TWO/SCENE1, Pg 45 line 13.


• "It's fine, Saloma. [he puts down the pills] Everything is fine." - ACT TWO/SCENE4, Pg 79 line 3.


• "Datta. Dayadhvam. Damyata. Give. Sympathise. Control." ACT FOUR/SCENE1, Pg 103 line 20.


• "Saloma, the robbery...it's a sign." ACT FIVE/SCENE1 Pg 118 line 15.

1b)Answer Questions 1 to 6 on page 91 between 150 to 300 words each. Your answer must be complete with at least 2 quotes from the book. Again, you MUST identify the Act, Scene and page numbers of the quotes.


1. In your opinion, how key is the parent-child relationship to Vinod's inevitable end?
In my opinion, the parent-child relationship to Vinod's inevitable end is the main cause of it. Vinod come from a rich family with his father working as a judge, and mother a chairperson of a corporation. Both his parents have high expectations of Vinod. They wants him to be the best in everything. They love Vinod, but doesn't show it in a way that Vinod want. According to Vinod, his parents are nice, educated, intelligent, intellectual, pragmatic, upright and cold. They don't hug him and show him love they way he wanted.
Vinod mentioned 'bout alway getting top in everything. He didn't want to be part of the rat race anymore. But in act 5 scene 4, he told Saloma that his parents will be sending him away to the states to study. This shows that his parents doesn't know what he wants.
Maybe it's because of their lack in communication, Vinod doesn't see his parents often, he rarely mentions them in the play. Vinod should have try talking to them.
"They are top people. So high you cannot see them anymore." ACT TWO SCENE3 Pg, 74 line 16
"He wants a hug." ACT TWO SCENE3 Pg, 75 line 18


2. "Vinod's high expectations of himself caused his downfall." To what extent do you agree with this analysis of Vinod's predicament and tragedy?
I agree with this analysis of vinod's predicament and tragedy. From the beginning of the play, we know that Vinod is chatty and likes to talk. He is smart too and met Saloma at the Oasis club function. Before that, Vinod was the smartest, the best, top in everything. Something happened during his army days and he was to spend some months of his life in the woodbridge hospital. Then he met Saloma, he sees her as a little kitten which needed somebody to take care of, he sees himself as a statue, where Saloma "the bird" can rest on his shoulders when she's tired from singing. He expects himself to take care of her.
But he failed to protect Saloma during the robbery, he found himself useless.
Saloma don't really need his care, but she still cares for him. Vinod took advantage of her because he wasn't happy. So in my opinion, it was vinod's own fault for his predicament and trgedy.
"Saloma had become the stray kitten he found in the middle of the expressway." ACT TWO SCENE3 Pg, 63 line 19
"Everyone was afraid of me. I loved it." ACT FIVE SCENE 3 Pg 131 line 11

3. Discuss the reasons for Saloma's transformation in the play.
The reasons for Saloma's transformation in the play could be because she learn to be alittle independent after being robbed. she went to report to the police on her own and even applied for a nursing job. This was a big difference as compared to the earlier part of the play when she was being so paranoid in the restaurant celebrating their annivasary and insisted that they go to the void deck as she felt that everybody was staring/looking at her. Also, Saloma wanted to be strong like the statue she and Vinod was talking about, and she wants to help people.
"I want to become statue. Very strong." ACT ONE SCENE3 Pg 29 line 11
"I go to police station. They still not yet catch the theif." ACT5 SCENE1 Pg 110 line 29
4."Though minor role in the play, the character Razali is key to the plot of off centre."To what extent do you agree with this assessment?
I do not agree with this assement to a large extend. To Saloma, Razali plays a role that is like her dad, he is the one who buys epok epok (curry puff) for her, one who talks to her & gives her advices. He fufills the role of showing fatherly love to Saloma. However, to Vinod, he is one that protects the community as he is a guard, he must protect everyone in the community. However during the robber incident , he fails and Vinod blames him for not being there to protect the both of them, both Vinod and Saloma. Vinod is tested against his manhood when the robber said "Your boyfriend coward ah?" and "Your boyfriend got balls anot?", he breaks down and this series of events is similar to the one he faced when he went back to army. Pc asked Vinod, "Are you a man or not Vinod"? Razali plays a role to help both Vinod and Saloma, however, he is not the key to the plot of off centre.
"Are you a man or not Vinod ?" Act 3 , Scene 1 , Page 85
"Eh , your boyfriend coward ah ?" Act 3 , Scene 3 , Page 96
5."Datta Dayadhvam, Damyatta"means to "Give, Sympathise, Control". How did the major characters in the play exert control in their environment and/ or their lifes? Support your answer with evidence from the text.
Major characters like Vinod exert control in their environment by his intelligence. As a person who thought that his life was over when he didn't get straight As for his A levels, met Saloma whose education level was only up till VITB, he uses his intelligence to "show off" to Saloma as he feels that Saloma had become the stray kitten he found in the middle of the expressway. He would give his reasons/lectures to Saloma on why the Gods are not good. Eg: The indian boy whose head got chop off by his own father because he didn't allow him into the house because he obey his mother because she said not to allow anybody to the house when she's taking a bath.
Vinod exert control in his live by being the better/smarter person between the both off centre person, namely himself and Saloma.
As for Saloma, she exerts control by asking Vinod to take his medication. Like the medicine could help him get better but he think otherwise. She also exerts control at the last part of the play by asking Vinod to go the the dance with her when he didn't want to as he felt useless after the robbery. In her life, Saloma exert control when mak ask her to stop taking the medicine as she feel that her own daughter is not mad at all and taking the medicine would not help. Saloma didn't listen to mak and this is how she exert control.
"Pray to who? What God?" ACT5 SCENE1 Pg114 line 9
"I want to work. Rose also say" ACT1 SCENE4 Pg 39 line1

6. Based on the text off centre, discuss how peer acceptance and family support are vital to social status and mental well-being.
Vinod's parents' marked absence in the play reveals their non-involvement in Vinod's life . They always leave Vinod alone to his own devices most of the time. Instead of being worried that Vinod has been shutting himself in room for weeks, they feel annoyed because they think that Vinod is taking advantage of their patience. He desires love and warmth but they are very proper and distant because of their high status. Therefore, Vinod is unable to get love and warmth from his parents and this is one of the reason that led to his death because of the abandonment from his parents. During Vinod's JC days, Charlie, Denise and Johnson were close to Vinod as they were in the same class. They associated with him because of his literary brillance and often made photocopies of his excellent work as model essays to learn from. However, after Vinod's nervous breakdown, they ceased contact with him. When Vinod met them at the NUS, Vinod realises that people will always remember and remind him of his breakdown. This is why Vinod believes he will never be able to get past his history and move on normally as he gets negative reactions from ex-classmates. From here, we can state that peer acceptance and family support is very important.
"Johnson tells his family he's not in whenever I call" ACT2 SCENE1 Pg 50 line29
"I don't want to go. They stabbed me." ACT5 SCENE4 Pg 134 line 17

2) Add on 2 more quotes from each story and remember to add the page number of the quotes.

PAPER:
"He wanted it, he dreamed of it, he hankered after it." Pg1
" The shares were not worth the paper of the certificates." Pg6
The martyrdom of Helena Rodrigues:
"A Steely flicker in those ong-lashed eyes." Pg11
"Helena trained her husband into near perfect punctuality for meal." Pg11
Sundowner:
"Old familiar smell of woodsmoke" Pg 19
"The screams of women beaten by men drunk on cheap liquor" Pg19
Tanjong Rhu:
"Silvers of sunlight streaked the oily waters of the Singapore Harbour" Pg27
"Talking in an empty room to an old photograph" Pg46
Evening Under Frangipani:
"A few carefully trimmed hibuscus bushes, their leaves verigated shades of green" Pg50
"His hands. They're like beetles." Pg62
Lee:
""Oh my God" and Can this be real?"" Pg 87
"The walls plastered with pictures from head to toe." Pg 92
A History of Tea:
"Tall mug with blue on white bamboo patterns" Pg108
"We'll keep in touch" Pg122
A Dream of China:
"The red guards took over all of china and overseas chinese sent money" Pg127
"The october night was chilly" Pg135
Release:
"Just do it" Pg142
"Her heart froze" Pg148
An Obituary for Fifth Aunt Come Late:
"My aunt. My father's sister." Pg 149
"Garment stained with the residual ink from pen-grasping fingers." Pg155
Corridor:
"Chicken wings in oily plastic bags"Pg 163
"Don't forget to kiss your grandmother's hand here" Pg63
Mid-Autumn:
"Red bean paste, sunflower seeds." Pg 176
"It was water from the dripping clothes." Pg 181
Hamid and the Hand of Fate:
"Cigrette dropping from his turned-down mouth." Pg 189
"Twisted silvers of flesh, skin and white splintery bones." Pg193
The Move:
"Boxes.SLippers.Bamboo poles for clothes drying." Pg208
"Blue darkness of her two-room flat." Pg 209
Pastime:
"Made up stories." Pg 212
"The stories were about anything." Pg212

Blogs that i've commented on:

• Denise
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• Nasirah
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Do the respective authors use these traditional Chinese rituals (eating paper dissolved in drin, burnning of paper money and houses, lighting joss-sticks and praying to the dead anestors) just for irony or for more profound purposes? What are there purposes?



In Paper, tay soon's mother us these traditional chinese rituls for more profound purposes. While the young people get carried away by the promise of easy riches and the prospect of a mansion that would satisfy their yearnings for comforst and luxury, the old woman has held on in a steadfast manner to her terrace house, her savings and her conservative satisfaction with life as it is. In Tanjong Rhu, it's irony. Because Mr Li is a successfull businessman and he was more mordenised.



Would you yourself, as a modern young Singaporean, see the relevance of such cultural rituals in your society as a necessary still, or are a hindrance to progress and enlightened thinking?



No. I don't see a need to do these cultural rituals. Not like i think it's outdated. My family have not done any joss-sticks praying before, or visiting any graveyard to show respect to our ancestors. Doing these rituals are not a hindrance of progress. It depends on how people see it. Like in South Korea, the people there are still very traditional and as a country, they are progressing very well.



Do you think the elderly in Singapore are out of touch with the contemporary world? How far is it a virtue to remain contented like old Mrs Li and think that there is nothing more that a person, especially an elderly one, can want?



In my opinion, not all elderlys in Singapore are out of touch with the contemporary world. Some elderly are very close to their Grandchildren, so they know what's in and not. To have a virtue to remain contented like old Mrs Li, you need to be easily satisfied, and not materialistic.



Is looking back at the past necessarily a good thing? This particular story uses the past to affirm strong ties, emotion and sentiment, but when can it become a negative habit?

Looking back at the past is a good thing. It shows that the person cherish every moment that they'd spend what the other party. But it can become a negative habit when one become to emotional, and doesn't want to move on. Moving on shows that a person is strong, moving on doesn't mean that one doesn't treassure what happens.

Choose two stories that reveal the thinking of an older generation of Singaporeans. What new insights have you gained from such a revelation.

Lee
In the story, Lee came back to Singapore after 8 years of staying in the states because her mother accidentally drowned in her friend's swimming pool. Lee basically doesn't like being Asian or Chinese because she thinks that it is a neurotic culture, due to the western influence, Lee has forgotten all about Singapore and started criticizing on everything that she sees. Her father thinks that Lee should be interested in her Chinese culture, attend school at a convent, start believing in a religion, stop swearing. From this, i've learn that we must know our roots from the family tree and not get influence easily by anything.

Tanjong Rhu
Before Ah-ma left the house to see the view from Mr Li's office, she went to the alter and "tell" Mr Li's father. She said "If i am to visit your place of work, i must tell your father of it properly." Mr Li's mother is also very particular 'bout the the praying process, what candles to light, which wine to offer, what incense does she burn.

Literature Questions

How is Motherhood presented in any two or three stories in the collection?
Tanjong Rhu
In Tanjong Rhu, motherhood was presented in a homely way. When Mr Li was a little boy, he and his mother would catch soft-shelled crabs on the beach and bring them home to cook with scallions and dried chilli, until their shells turned as red as chilli. Motherhood was also presented when she did everything step by step with no shortcuts. Example, when Mr Li's mother gave her offering to her late husband, she did it step by step.

The Martyrdom of Helena Rodrigues
In The Martyrdom of Helena Rodrigues, Motherhood was presented in a manipulative and possesive way which one might not know that he/she is threatened. Helena had the meek gentle face of a nun and the force of personality of an Empress Tzu Hsi. For example, when Aloysius came home late for work. Helena insisted that an entirely new dinner be cooked, since the warmed-over steaks had toughened. And when Aloysius died, Helena devoted all of her to George and George was kept tied to Helena's side. When George met a girl, Caroline, whom he was attracted to, she objected as George was cloe th his mother and so, he left Caroline.

Select two stories in which there is conflict between parent and child, and show how far there is some resolution if these differences at the end of the story
Lee
Lee was brought up in the states when her mother won custoday of her eight years ago, when she was an eight year old child. So having been brought up in the states, Lee is too used to the Western culture and was criticizing the people here in Singapore about their tacky dressing and how dull singapore is. And her dad, who wasn't as open as her. Tried his best to change her, to stop her swearing and tried to make her interested in the chinese culture. And so, they can't keep a converstaion for long. And in the end, he still thinks that ther is a little hope for Lee to change.

A history Of Tea
In history of tea, Beverly's real Grandfather was Reginald Jones, a real Englishman and wooed Beverly's Grandmother in spite of all her parents ovjections. When Grandmother was young, she wanted to be modern rather than languishing in the seculsion of her father's house. When Aunt Sherrie, Grandmother's child by Jones wanted to get married to Uncle Raja, a ceylonese, Grandmother objected that and told a story about Uncle Raja to the children that he was an oily man. And now, Beverly met this guy at Oxford and wanted to get engaged until her parents found out that his family was part jewish, and objected to a mixed marriage.

With reference to suitable stories, discuss how far change is shown to be either welcomed or, feared.

Lee

The relationship between a Singaporean father and his Americanized daughter, the eponymous character he hardly knows and who re-enters his life following the death of his ex-wife. The awkward, uneasy relationship between father and daughter dramatizes the clash between so-called "Asian" and "Western" culture. It suggest that as shorthand ways of understanding the world, these categories have both enabling and restrictive aspects. It is Lee's presence, moreover, that forces her father to confront and justify his life choices, to question things that he has hitherto passively and unthinkingly accepted.

How are young people and their ideals(perfect thinking/goal/perfect aim) presented in two stories in the collection? How far do you identify with these young people?

Evening Under Frangipani

At one level at touching love story that *bemoans the "barriers of pride that isolates each and every human being", the story also indicates the class and racial prejudice that keeps two people apart. In the face of intransigent social barriers, the individual has little choice but to confront the option of a lifetime to compromise and loneliness.

Hamid and the Hand of Fate

The tale of Hamid whose life is forever changed by a freaked accident which claims his right arm. A simple, lowly-educated young man, Hamid decides to be "sabar" and accepts his fate stoically. this decision does not prevent him from sensing that people around him are merely making use of him, hoping to benefit from his compensation money.

Literature Holiday Assignment

Story: Evening Under Frangipani
Conflicts External: Prakash laughed about Elaine’s and her father’s hand when Elaine was trying to be romantic to him. As they remind him of beetles.
External: Elaine’s mother is very judgemental. She sees class difference. And Prakash wasn’t employed even though he had only just passed his diploma.
Internal: Prakash wanted to give up, but he still went to look for Elaine.
Climax When Prakashed laughed about Elaine’s and her father’s beetle-like hands.
Resolution Complete Resolution.
Elaine didn’t want to see Prakash again. And Prakash decided not to be so dependent on Elaine. He would not meet Elaine, and it was up to fate to see if they’ll be able to meet again. That’s the end of their relationship.

Characters
1. Prakash • He is a nervous-wreck(during job interview)
• Competent. ( He was a platoon comander)
• Forgetful( fumbled out the lines he had learned)
Pg 27
Pg 48
Pg 49
2. Elaine • Feminist(Believes that women are equal to men)
• Very casual(how she dresses)
• Does not like conventioned way( Study = work, work, work)
• Caring( Cheered Prakash up if he was depressed by an afressive unsympathetic interview)
• Petty( Didn’t speak to Prakash after the incident)
• Strong willed( Doesn’t want to talk to him even though she misses him)
• Persistent( Continues to ignore his calls)
Pg 49
Pg 51
Pg 52
Pg 53
Pg 62,63
Pg 63
Pg 64
3. Mother • Highly successful( Lawyer)
• Judgemental( See class difference)
• Arrogant( She’s a successful lawyer whereas Prakash had just only passed his diploma)
• Condescending( Trying to appear not smug but concerend)
Pg 54
Pg 48, 83
Pg 84
4. Father • Not judgemental( Was gentle to Prakash)
• Passionate( Towards insects and bugs)
• Humble/ Easy going(anxious for a quiet life)
Pg 60
Pg 55

The most interesting segment was when how Prakash and Elaine lead their life sperately and differently, when they were still thinking of each other after that incident.

Story: Lee
Conflicts External: Li Wen and her father couldn’t get along with each other.
External: Li Wen was too westernised. Her dressing and attitude.
Internal: Li Wen’s father tried to make her local but it was harder than he thought.
Climax During the family reunion at her Grandmother’s.
Resolution Open ended Resolution.
We do not know if Li Wen had finally listen to her father in the end, as it said he could still see the lighted window hovering in a corner of his mind. And in literature, a light could mean anything.

Characters
1. Li Wen • Rude( She keeps swearing, eg. What the hell, Jesus Christ.)
• Rebellious(She lost her temper and gave her father a twisted, half sneer, James Dean scorching look, heavily nasty)
• Straight forward (When her father mentioned about her mother, blaming her mother for his daughter’s behaviour, she just answered back: “That’s sick.” without thinking)
Pg 103
Pg 97
Pg 103
2. Father • Caring (He allowed Li Wen to live with him, instead of leaving her alone after her mother, which was his ex-wife, drowned accidently)
• Patient (When Li Wen shouted at him, he endured and did not make a huge fuss out of it)
• Traditional (He tried to interest Li Wen in her culture and talk about Chinese stories during dinner)
Pg 85,86
Pg 98
Pg 102

The most interesting segment was when it was always Lee who broached a reconciliation. And they have something in common which was their same taste in music and how they couldn’t study even though Lee was reunited with her father after 8 years.
Story: A history of Tea
Conflicts External: Beverly and Tien Yee are half-cousins.
External: They always talk with a cup of tea or more.
Internal: How Beverly granmother disapprove of her mother’s marriaged to a ceylonese.
Climax When Reginald Jones, Beverly mother’s father died because he drank tea to regain heat from hot water and then losing it all too quickly.
Resolution Complete Ending.
All the conflicts are resolved and when the narrator opened his cup of tea, he saw his relatives and the life that would appear before him before it happened.

Character
1. Narrator • Very simply( Used a tall mug with blue on white bamboo patterns whereas beverly used a pot, trimmed at the top and base in a blue and gold pattern-Japanese imitating Royal Doultan)
Pg 108
2. Beverly • Tall
• High-class( Wears a Calvin Klein shirt)
• Mixed blood( English, Chinese, Ceylonese)
Pg 109
Pg 109
Pg 109
3. Grandmother • Likes to make up story(‘bout how Beverly’s father became the oily man)
• Disapproved of Bevery’s parents marriage when she her own married an Englishman
Pg 112
Pg 116,117

The most interesting segment was when they revealed their family tree how they were related to each other.

Story: Release
Conflict External: The neighbour compared Eileen together with their dog as they were both pregnant, this showed a form of disrespect.
External: Her husband was irritated by the fact that Eileen forgotten to collect his suit .
External: Eileen’s neighbours cut down her guava tree while she was at the supermarket.
External: Philip was angry over the fact that Eileen were taking trival matters so seriously.
Climax When Eileen couldn’t take it any more, she decided to do something about it, she decided to wait for the person who gave the dogs their food, to do something to solve the problem.
Resolution Open – Ended.
The problem is only partially solved. It is only partially solved because, the dogs are quiet now, but they are already dead as the man used the tools to kill them.

Character
1. Eileen • Friendly (She went over to say hi to her new neighbours when they were moving in )
• Petty( Her neighbour only intruded a small section of her garden and she became agitated)
• Patient( She talks and rock the baby even though it keeps crying)
Pg 139
Pg 142
Pg 144
2. Philip • Petty(Just because it slipped Eileen’s mind to collect his suit , he became angry )
• Understanding ( He was telling Eileen to let their neighbours to have that tiny bit of space since they don’t do gardening anyway )
Pg 141
Pg 143
3. The man
Who took care of the dog • Kind(He offered to carry Eileen’s baby , and he even stroked the baby’s cheek )
• Understanding( He agreed to shift the dogs to another place, to help Eileen solve her problem)
• Evil( He killed the puppies one by one to silence them)
Pg 146
Pg 147
Pg 148

The most interesting segment was when Eileen got very frustrated / angry with the dog’s noise. She couldn’t take it anymore for any longer; she called the police to help & even thought of calling the spca to help resolve the problem. Calling the police to solve this trival matter is a little uncommon. She was showing signs that she was slowly becoming mad because all she wanted, is to let her & her baby to catch some sleep.

Story: An Orbituary for Fifth Aunt Come Late
Conflict External - Their mother continually bewailed her lot – nine children, thirteen if you counted the dead babies, the endless chores, the drudgery.
Internal - Aunt shocked herself with her power of speech. She could only calm herself then with a trip to the kitchen sink, plowing her hands into dishes and dish-soiled water.
Climax




Resolution





Characters
1. Narrator • Disrespectful ( She was my aunt but I didn’t make a point to be her niece )
• Had an air of nonchalance (I suppose since I couldn’t be heard I didn’t try to think very much either.)
Pg 149
Pg 149,150
2. Fifth Aunt • Filial ( She was in her fifties. She lived in my grandmother’s house. )
• Apologetic ( One day she fell off her stool because she shifted her weight wrong, and she said, “Oh sorry, oh sorry, I’m very clumsy.” )
• Put others before herself (Who filled every soup bowl before her own.)
Pg 149
Pg 149
Pg 150
3. Grandmother • Whiny ( Their mother continually bewailed her lot )
• Traditional – prefer boys ( Don’t waste out sugar, her mother admonished, your brothers need the sugar for their school sandwiches. )
Pg 152
Pg 152

The most interesting segment was when


Story: Pastime
Conflict External - There was a psychological conflict as Mr Lee and Tai Poh try to trick each other into admitting to something .
Internal - Mr Lee was laughing on the inside as he thinks that he thinks that Tai Poh has failed in trying to fool him .
Climax The start of the climax is when Mr. Lee started on his own “Story”
Resolution Nothing changed as its just a story, it was just a past time and nothing was real .

Characters
1. Tai Poh • Quiet ( He did not talk to the passengers nor disturb them in any way. )
• Observant ( He watched and carefully considered before he picked the person to feature in his story . )
• Secretive ( He stopped to check his face , it betrayed nothing nor let anyone know anything through his face expressions. )
Pg 212
Pg 212
Pg 217
2. Mr Lee • Vigilant ( He was prepared . )
• Cunning ( It betrayed nothing and he expected it , he was not simple minded . After living through so many years this way , he could not be simple minded )
Pg 216
Pg 217
The most interesting segment is when Mr Lee started his story about the man that works as a security manager in a large wafer fab plan . He talked about how important the job of a security guard is and he then goes on about the plan to make a lot of money ,which is enough for a few people to retire . I think it’s the most interesting part of the story is when Mr Lee was telling his story , we can see how Tai Poh’s expressions change from laid back to guilty and frightened . As though he was scared of being tricked into admitting to something he shouldn’t .