Discussion on Tanjong Rhu

Theme: Traditional habits and ceremonies vs. modish patterns and behavior Tanjong Rhu is one
of the famous ASEAN short stories wrote by Minfong Ho. This story is focusing on Singaporean
Chinese life which contrasts in terms of traditional and modern. Tanjong Rhu is a port in
Singapore where the writer sets as the place that the protagonist of the story spent his childhood
in. The main theme of this story is the distinction between traditional habits and ceremonies and
modish patterns and behavior. In the story, Chinese tradition as praying to the ancestor and the
dead has been mentioned as an important element. From the description of the writer, we know
that the protagonist, Mr. Lis mother values the importance of this traditional practice. This can
be proved by paragraph 5, line 1 to 8 at page 118 in the textbook. If something is to be done,
she said with the loud solemnity which she reserved for the altar room, it must be done
properly. If I am to visit your place of work, I must tell your father properly. Carefully, she
unlocked the top drawer of her mother-of-pear inlaid cabinet, where she kept all the
paraphernalia for tending the altar: tiny porcelain wine cups, gold-leafed sheets of ceremonial
money, candles and joss sticks and countless packets of incense. As we read through the story,
we know that father of the main character, Mr.Li has passed away long ago. The lines mentioned
above shows that Grandma pays attention on praying to the ancestor and dead as she keeps all
the necessary things for praying and arrange in the drawer. As a traditional thinker, she thinks
that it is important to let Mr. Lis father know what those livings do even though he has dead as
she says I must tell your father properly. In Chinese traditions, praying to the ancestor and the
dead is important to every family. This is a practice whereby Chinese believes that the ancestor
and the dead will bless the living family. This...
Continues for 2 more pages
Full access is free for premium users
English Essay
Island Voices
The use of symbolism is interestingly used to express the theme of seeing and the effects of
modernism in Tanjong Rhu and Lee
The stories in Island Voices were compiled to highlight the consequences faced by Singaporean
as the city transformed from a traditional society to a cosmopolitan Asian city. Many of the
authors of these short stories use literary devices to emphasize their message. I feel that Tanjong
Rhu and Lee both use symbolisms to emphasize the speed at which our world is changing. It also
tells us how the different generations view or see their culture. Tanjong Rhu tells us of the
relationship between a successful executive named Mr Li and his mother. Tanjong Rhu also
looks into the different meanings of seeing. We learn about this when we read how Mr Li buys
a pair of binoculars for his mother, who has cataract, to see clearly. Lee, on the other hand, is a
story of how a Singaporean Chinese father explains to his Americanized, street-wise daughter
how Singaporeans and immigrants have to try extremely hard to be respected in a competitive
world.
The theme of seeing is prevalent in the entire story of Tanjong Rhu. The first example of
symbolism used to express this theme of seeing in Tanjong Rhu is the binoculars itself. When

he first informs his mother about the binoculars, he is instantly rebuffed. This is one of the
effects of modernism. Modernism causes us to look at material goods as sources of happiness
and a better life. Mr Li assumes his mother wants a pair of binoculars to see more clearly and
will ensure that the rest of her time spent of earth would be much better. Later she finally relents
in the hope of seeing Tanjong Rhu, If they can see as far away as Tanjong Rhu, I will try
them.
Also, later in the story, we find out that his mother had not meant seeing in the literal sense but
seeing, metaphorically, back into the past, I see our attap hut the sea, among the half-built...
Continues for 4 more pages
Full access is free for premium users

Tanjong Rhu
The literary techniques of symbolism and images/ideas are discussed in this worksheet

Sight/binoculars - it is interesting that the binoculars meant to encourage his mother to

peer into the present was eventually used by Mr Lee himself to have a clearer glimpse of
his past. Although the old lady's eyes were likened to the blank windows of the
skyscrappers, her vision of the past was vivid; in contrast to Mr Lee who could not see
the essence (ie his childhood) of the view in front of him even though he frequently
peered through those skyscrapper windows and even looked into his mother's blank eyes.

Keys to the cabinet - Towards the end of the story, Mr Lee could not locate the keys.
However, the lighting up of the altar photographs seems to suggest that his parents were
'happy' that he attempted to connect with his lost self and rekindle the fading relationship
with them.

Language - the oscillitating use of the English language and Cantonese is effective as it
acts as a barrier as well as a bridge between the three generations.

Chapter 4
Mourners gather at Azreens house to pay their last respects to Madhuri before burial.
The women folk gossip among themselves that Madhuri was murdered and she had put
a curse on everyone on the island. Azreen arrives late to pay her last respects to her
late sister. Azreen brings her sickly mother to the burial ground to bid farewell to
Madhuri. She meets Mohd. Asraf and flashbacks of her schooling years fills the scene.
Chapter 5
Azreen meets Asraf. She enquires about Madhuris death but is only given vague
details of the incident. Normala, the rumour monger, spreads rumours about what had
happened to Madhuri. Awang, the bomoh, makes an appearance as he dreams that a
disaster is about to hit the village soon. Awang recalls the incident when he stole a
chicken at Encik Mohans farm causing a bull to escape. Asraf was blamed for the
fiasco but Azreen bravely took the blame on his behalf. Back to the present, Azreen
looks for the Old Lady in the jungle to catch up on old times. The Old Lady discloses
that Madhuri was murdered.

The Curse - Character : Which character do you like the most?

The novel I have studied is 'The Curse' by Lee Su Ann. The novel is about the main character,
Azreen, who returns from England after she finds out about her sister's death. Upon her return,
she is surrounded by many secrets. She discovers the circumstances of Madhuri's death later in
the story. At the end of the story she finds out the truth and leaves for London an orphan but
more resilient and wise.
The character I like most is Azreen Salleh. She is a 20-year-old student who is studying in a
university college in London on an exchange programme. She is short, bespectacled, rather
bookish and outspoken.
I like Azreen because she is outspoken and she is not afraid to spoke her mind. She is vocal and
says her opinions although sometimes she says the wrong things at the wrong time. She also
hates her father's treatment of her foster parents and Madhuri's burial ceremony that is conducted
without her presence. In handling the village gossip, Pn Normala, Azreen tells her off that the
rain has started even before the Old Lady comes into town.
The second quality she has is she is courageous. As a child, she plays hockey and football with
the boys. In the bull's incident, she is brave enough to accept the blame for the bull's escape
instead of blaming someone else. Azreen also shows her courage by taking up the dare to knock
on the Old Lady's door when none wants to do it. In another instance, Azreen confronts her
father about Madhuri's murder despite her young age.
Azreen also has strength of character. When she returns to her village, she hears a lot of gossip
surrounding her sister's death such as as Madhuri having white blood and her death signals a
curse to the villagers. Azreen feels upset but she never retaliates. She shows patience and strengh
because she knows that whatever she does, she cannot stop the villagers from gossiping about
her family. In another instance, Azreen is told that her sister is murdered. She should have been
very upset about this news but she takes it calmly and does not become hysterical. Later, when
she finds out that her father is the culprit who kills Madhuri, she feels no anger but regrets that it
has to happen. She understands her father's anger and shame because Madhuri has been having
an illicit affair with Ashraf although she is already married to Hj Ghani. Azreen also shows a lot
of strength because after all that has happened to her family, she stays composed and strong and
returns to England for her examinations. Clearly/In conclusion, there are many qualities in
Azreen that I admire and she is the character that I like most in the story.

2.

Which character do you like the most?

The novel I have studied is The Curse by Lee Su Ann. The novel is about the main character, Azreen,
who returns from England after she finds out about her sisters death. Upon her return, she is
surrounded by many secrets. She discovers the circumstances of Madhuris death later in the story. At
the end of the story she finds out the truth and leaves for London an orphan but more resilient and wise.
The character I like most is Azreen Salleh. She is a 20-year-old student who is studying in a university
college in London on an exchange programme. She is short, bespectacled, rather bookish and
outspoken.
I like Azreen because she is outspoken and she is not afraid to spoke her mind. She is vocal and says
her opinions although sometimes she says the wrong things at the wrong time. She also hates her fathers
treatment of her foster parents and Madhuris burial ceremony that is conducted without her presence. In
handling the village gossip, Pn Normala, Azreen tells her off that the rain has started even before the Old
Lady comes into town.
The second quality she has is she is courageous. As a child, she plays hockey and football with the
boys. In the bulls incident, she is brave enough to accept the blame for the bulls escape instead of
blaming someone else. Azreen also shows her courage by taking up the dare to knock on the Old Ladys
door when none wants to do it. In another instance, Azreen confronts her father about Madhuris murder
despite her young age.
Azreen also has strength of character. When she returns to her village, she hears a lot of gossip
surrounding her sisters death such as as Madhuri having white blood and her death signals a curse to the
villagers. Azreen feels upset but she never retaliates.

Sheshows patience and strengh because

she knows that whatever she does, she cannot stop the villagers from gossiping about her family. In
another instance, Azreen is told that her sister is murdered. She should have been very upset about this
news but she takes it calmly and does not become hysterical. Later, when she finds out that her
father is the

culprit

who kills Madhuri, she feels no

anger but

regrets

that

it has to

happen.

She understands her fathers anger and shame because Madhuri has been having an illicit affair with
Ashraf although she is already married to Hj Ghani. Azreen also shows a lot of strength because after all
that has happened to her family, she stays composed and strong and returns to England for her
examinations.
In conclusion, there are many qualities in Azreen that I admire and she is the character that I like most in
the story.

THE CURSE: A CHARACTER I LIKE/ADMIRE

The Curse showcases a number of characters. The character I like/admire is Azreen. She is
described as a tomboy, is short, bespectacled, and fiery tempered.
I like/admire Azreens character because for someone who is just 20 years old, she is matured
and she shoulders many responsibilities. I like/admire her sense of independence. She displays
this character trait throughout the novel. In school, she used to play hockey and football with the
boys. Although this was frowned upon by other students and the villagers, she never allowed
their opinion to prohibit her sense of freedom, enjoyment and independence. Azreen also
displays a sense of independence when she goes to Penang on a student exchange programme.
Azreen is also hardworking, intelligent and resilient. I admire these characteristics in her. She
may come from a poor background but through sheer hard work, intelligence and resilience in
her studies and sports, she emerges as the top student of her school and secures a scholarship to
study in London. This is quite an achievement for a girl who comes from a poor and remote
village in Pulau Langkawi.
Furthermore, I also admire her ability to think rationally under distressing situations. She never
allows herself to be influenced by gossip. In fact, she courageously stands her ground against the
villagers prejudices against her friend, the Old Lady. She defends the Old Lady against the angry
mob of villagers who want to burn down her house.
More importantly, I admire Azreen for her bravery in her quest for the truth. Despite the strange
incidents following Madhuris death, she continues courageously to investigate. This leads to her
confronting her father who finally breaks down and admits that in a fit of rage he had killed
Madhuri.
It is my opinion therefore, that Azreen is truly a likeable/admirable character as she possesses all
the characteristics we need to be successful in life.

From the novel you have read, identify a character that you like the most.
Justify your answers with close reference with the tent.
The novel that i have read in Form 5 is The Curse by Lee Su Ann. The character
that i like is Azreen Saleh. I like Azreen because of many reasons.Firstly, she is a
smart and intelligent girl. This can be seen when she was offered a scholarship to
study in London.
Besides, I also like Azreen because she is a responsible daughter and sister. This
can be seen when she took care of her ill mother and cooked food for her father
who was not in good terms with her. As a sister, she wanted to dig out the truth
behind her sister's death.
Azreen is also a person who value her friends. his can be seen when Azreen was
willing to take risk to help old lady who was in a burning house. Meanwhile, as for
Asraf, she took care of grandmother when she was sick.These traits in Azreen made
me to like her.
I also like Azreen because of her self determination and caurage that she has.
She really wanted to identify the murderer who killed her sister, even though she
knew it was quite hard.
Azreen is a character that has many good values in her. All those values can be
used in our daily life.In all, Azreen has wonderful character traits and for that reason
I like her.

From the novel you have read, identify a character that you like the most.
Justify your answers with close reference with the tent.
The novel that i have read in Form 5 is The Curse by Lee Su Ann. T he character
that i like is Azreen Saleh. I like Azreen because of many reasons.Firstly, she is a
smart and intelligent girl. This can be seen when she was offered a scholarship to
study in London.
Besides, I also like Azreen because she is a responsible daughter and sister. This
can be seen when she took care of her ill mother and cooked food for her father
who was not in good terms with her. As a sister, she wanted to dig out the truth
behind her sister's death.
Azreen is also a person who value her friends. This can be seen when Azreen
was willing to take risk to help old lady who was in a burning house. Meanwhile, as

for Asraf, she took care of grandmother when she was sick. These traits in Azreen
made me to like her.
I also like Azreen because of her self determination and caurage that she has.
She really wanted to identify the murderer who killed her sister, even though she
knew it was quite hard.
Azreen is a character that has many good values in her. ll those values can be
used in our daily life.In all, Azreen has wonderful character traits and for that reason
I like her.

THE CURSE ~ CHARACTER I LIKE

The novel that I have read is The Curse by Lee Su Ann. In this novel there are a few admirable characters that I
like. Among these characters, the character that I like the best is the Old Lady of the forest. There are a few
reasons why I like her.
The first reason why I like the Old Lady is because she is an educated person who has a rich knowledge of
herbal medicine. She is willing to help to cure Asrafs grandmother despite being outcast by the people of that
village. With her medicine, Asrafs grandmother got cure but she did not live for long.
The second reason why I like the Old Lady compared to the others is because she has a pure heart and a clear
conscience. Although she is alienated by the villagers, she does not blame them or complains about her situation.
Instead she believes that there is nothing more liberating than receiving or giving forgiveness so then one is free and
can move on.
Lastly, I like her because she is a good person who has empathy for others. When Azreen comes to her for
advice, the Old Lady advises her to be honest and truthful. When Azreen feels she is being neglected by her parents,
distanced and rejected by the villagers, the Old Lady shows her empathy towards Azreen. She also teaches Azreen
the importance of forgiving and moving on with life.
Based on the above reasons and evidence, the Old Lady is definitely the character that I like as I find her to be
an honest, trustworthy and helpful especially towards the end before she perishes in the fire.

THE CURSE ~ CHARACTER I LIKE

The novel that I have read is The Curse by Lee Su Ann. In this novel there are a few admirable characters that I
like. Among these characters, the character that I like the best is the Old Lady of the forest. There are a few
reasons why I like her.
The first reason why I like the Old Lady is because she is an educated person who has a rich knowledge of
herbal medicine. She is willing to help to cure Asrafs grandmother despite being outcast by the people of that
village. With her medicine, Asrafs grandmother got cure but she did not live for long.

The second reason why I like the Old Lady compared to the others is because she has a pure heart and a clear
conscience. Although she is alienated by the villagers, she does not blame them or complains about her situation.
Instead she believes that there is nothing more liberating than receiving or giving forgiveness so then one is free and
can move on.
Lastly, I like her because she is a good person who has empathy for others. When Azreen comes to her for
advice, the Old Lady advises her to be honest and truthful. When Azreen feels she is being neglected by her parents,
distanced and rejected by the villagers, the Old Lady shows her empathy towards Azreen. She also teaches Azreen
the importance of forgiving and moving on with life.
Based on the above reasons and evidence, the Old Lady is definitely the character that I like as I find her to be
an honest, trustworthy and helpful especially towards the end before she perishes in the fire.