Characters and Characteristics

Mr T.W. LI

Also called `Ah-Wah by his mother and `Edward by his wife

A 63 years old Singaporean businessman
Successful and wealthy
Has humble beginnings grew up in a little wooden hut in Tanjong
Rhu

Character traits

Examples of textual
evidence

Ashamed of background

Organised and logical

Prefers the simple life

A filial and loving son

Split between traditional and

modern values and beliefs

Wants to look like `a man who

had inherited his money ,not
earned it (p.19)
Likes to count ships and find
stability and security in
numbers. (p.19)
Thinks the rooms in his house
are too big and too many. (p.20)
Dislikes his wifes gatherings
with her friends where they eat
cakes made with expensive
foreign fruit. (p.20)
Bought binoculars for his
mother too see better. (p.20)
Makes sure that his mothers
burial is done the right way.
(p.19)
Decides to take care of the
family altar as his mother would
want him to. (p.35)
Proud of the modern life he has
built but tries to keep tradition
alive in his home. (p.35)
His children have Chinese
names. (p.20)
He addresses his mother as
`Ah-Ma. (p.20)

Ah-Ma

Mr T.W. Lis mother

Yings grandmother, `Popo (Cantonese for grandmother)
Mother of nine children, grandmother of thirty-four and great-grandmother
of seventeen
Small, thin ,with grey hair and a bent back

Character traits

Examples of textual
evidence

Treasures family

Stubborn

Remembers the time when she

was poor but happy, when she
was close to her son (p.28)
Refuse to go for an eye
operation to remove her eye
cataracts (P.19)
Insisted on using real candles
for years (p.26)
Takes care of the family altar
(p.25)
Makes sure that the ancestral
worship customs are followed
properly (p.25)
Understands her son who is
trying to distance himself from
his past and keep quiet (p.23)

Traditional

Kind and understanding

Ying

Mr Lis daughter
Going to further her studies in New York

Character traits
Loving and caring

Examples of textual
evidence

Strong-headed

Takes care of her ill

grandmother in the hospital
(p.31)
Donate blood to her
grandmother (p.31)
Argues with her grandmother

Split between traditional and

modern values and beliefs

(p.25)
Argues with her Second Aunt
over the burial clothes for her
grandmother (p.31)
Argues with her father in the
hospital (p.32)
She call her father and
grandmother by their
traditional Chinese address ,
`Baba and `Popo and she
speaks in Cantonese (p.25-26)
Does not see the importance of
following traditions properly
and keeps telling her
grandmother that ` it doesnt
metter (p.26)

Helen

Mr Lis wife
She does not seem to have much respect for Mr Li.
Loves socialising with her friends

Mr Lis father

Used to be a boat builder in Tanjong Rhu

Setting

Tanjong Rhu used to be a small shipyard for small fishing boats. The
protagonists father used to be a boat builder there. The story unfolds eighty
years down the road. Tanjong Rhu is filled with multi-stories office building. The
protagonist Mr Li has his office in the one of the buildings.
The ancestral altar is an important location for the story. With a photograph of his
late father installed in the altar, Lis mother Ah-Ma talks to her late husband after

formally lighting joss sticks and bowing ritually while telling him of the events in
her life.
Physical setting
Place
Mr Lis office overlooking the
Singapore harbour

A big and modern house with a

swimming pool in the garden

The altar room

The hospital room

Tanjong Rhu

Key events
Ah-Ma visits the office to try
and see Tanjong Rhu where her
children grew up
Mr Li presents the new
binoculars to his mother in the
garden
Ying argues with her
grandmother because she will
not let Ying help with the joss
sticks.
After Ah-Ma death, Mr Li tries to
take care of the altar and
continue the tradition of
ancestral worship.
Mr Li visits his dying mother
and tries to ask her about his
childhood in Tanjog Rhu
Ying looks after her
grandmother
Mr Li scolds Ying for threating
Ah-Ma with disrespect
Mr Lis father worked in the
shipyard building fishing boats
Ah-Wah played on the beach,
went for walks with mother and
dug for crabs

Social setting
Modern day Singapore

Success and keeping up appearance are important.

People have little time and patience for one another
People distance themselves from old tradition they adopt foreign names,
have a taste for fine imported fare such as foreign fruit cake
Modern and traditional lifestyles and values clash

Early 20th century Singapore

Life was hard

People enjoyed simple pleasures
People had time for family

Theme

The conflict between traditional and modern values and beliefs

Importance of adhering to customs and cultural traditions
The importance of remembering ones root
Change is inevitable

Moral values

We must not forget our root

Family is more important than wealth and success
We must always be dutiful sons and daughters
We must learn, understand and continue our culture and customs
We must respect the elders

Plot

Mr Li is a
successful
businessm
an who has
conducted
his
mother's
funeral to
the best of
his ability.

Exposition

He has a
distinct
Rising
feeling
action
that he
has
forgotten
somethin
g
importan
t. The
binocular
s evoke
many
memorie
s.

looking at
the horizon
philosopjica
lly, Mr Li
realises
what he
has
forgotten.

Climax

Falling
Mr Liaction
places
his late
mother's
photogra
ph on the
ancestral
altar

Mr Li
talks to
his
mother
at the
altar. He
continue
s the
tradition
of
ancestral
worship
and his
mother's
habit of
talking to
ancestor
s who
have
Resolution
passed
away.

Synopsis

Mr T.W. Li is a wealthy businessman who lives in Singapore. The day after his
mothers burial, Mr Li is in his modern office, feeling tired and worried. As he
looks out of the window through a pair of binoculars to count the ships in the
harbour, he recall some recent events. The first is his mothers visit to his office.
Ah ma wants to visit his office and use the binoculars to see Tanjong Rhu where
they used to live a long time ago. On the day of the visit, Mr Lis daughter is
impatient with Ah Ma for taking her time over a ritual at the family altar. Mr Li
dutifully scolds his daughter for being rude to her grandmother. At the office, Ah
Ma cannot see the harbour properly. However, she remembers the happy days at
Tnjong Rhu when her son was a child. Mr Li then recalls visiting Ah Ma in the
hospital and how he scolded Ying whom he thought was not threating her
grandmother with proper respect. Mr Li realises that he ought to take care of the
altar now that his mother is gone. He hurries home to the altar room to perform
his duty as a filial son.

Tanjong Rhu
By: MInfong Ho

Literature Component
Short Stories

Tanjong Rhu
And

Leaving
Name: Nurul Diyana Shahirah bt Noor
Azmi
Class: 4 Ibnu Haitham
Teachers Name: Pn. Feizatul Akmar Nor
bt Nurbi