08 Isi Pelajaran

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH
TOPIC 1
INTRODUCTION TO THEORIES OF LITERARY CRITICISM
SYNOPSIS In this unit, you will learn about the various theories of literary criticism and apply these forms of criticism whilst anlysing a number of literary texts.You will also see how a text can be interpreted in many ways based on the critical theory applied and the context in which the text is read.
OBJECTIVES By the end of this unit, you will be able to Explain the concepts of historical, cultural and social literary criticism Analyse short texts based on these forms of criticism
FRAMEWORK
Theories of iterary !riticism
"istorical
#ocial
!ultural
Literature
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Before we loo$ at the various forms of literary criticism, let us loo$ at some views on literature.
iterature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life re%uires and provides& and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become. !. #. ewis Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original' whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring two pence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it. !. #. ewis The difference between literature and *ournalism is that *ournalism is unreadable and literature is not read. +scar ,ilde
iterature is my -topia. "ere I am not disenfranchised. .o barrier of the senses shuts me out from the sweet, gracious discourses of my boo$ friends. They tal$ to me without embarrassment or aw$wardness. "elen /eller
All modern American literature comes from one boo$ by 0ar$ Twain called Huckleberry Finn . Ernest "emingway
1o you agree with the views above2 ,hich suits your view of literature best2 oo$ up other views on literature. !ollect at least 3 and add them to your portfolio.
In literature, there are many genres. #ome are listed below. The two main categories separating the different genres of literature are fiction and nonfiction. et4s loo$ at non5fiction first. 6 Narrative N !"i#ti ! is information based on fact that is presented in a format which tells a story. 7 8 A Bi $ra%&' is a written account of another person4s life. An Aut (i $ra%&' gives the history of a person4s life, written or told by that person.
.ow let4s loo$ at some examples of fiction. 6 Dra)a is stories composed in verse or prose, usually for theatrical performance. 7 P etr' is verse and rhythmic writing with imagery that evo$es an emotional response from the reader. 8 Fa!ta*' is the forming of mental images with strange or other worldly settings or characters& fiction which invites suspension of reality. 9 A Fa(+e is a story about supernatural or extraordinary people usually in the form of narration that demonstrates a useful truth. 3 Fair' Ta+e* or wonder tales are a $ind of fol$tale or fable. #ometimes the stories are about fairies or other magical creatures, usually for children. : S#ie!#e Fi#ti ! is a story based on impact of potential science, either actual or imagined.
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Rea+i*ti# Fi#ti ! is a story that can actually happen and is true to real life. F +,+ re are songs, stories, myths, and proverbs that were handed down by word of mouth.
Hi*t ri#a+ Fi#ti ! is a story with fictional characters and events in a historical setting.
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H rr r is fiction in which events evo$e a feeling of dread in both the characters and the reader.
?efer to the Oxford English Dictionary for further definitions of different genres of literature.
?efer to various sources to collect examples of various literary genres. Add these to your portfolio.
!ompare your collection with your course5mates.
W&at i* +iterar' #riti#i*)According to ?oger ,ebster (6==:),

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iterary criticism involves reading, interpretation of and commentary on a specific text or texts which have been designated as literature. iterary theory provides us with a range of criteria for identifying literature and an awareness of these criteria should inform our critical practice.
iterary criticism iterary Text iterary @ critical theory
iterary critics as$ these %uestions' 1oes a text have only one correct meaning2 Is a text always didactic2 !an a text be read only for en*oyment2 1oes a text affect readers in the same way2 "ow is a text influenced by the culture of its author and the culture in which it is written2 !an a text become a catalyst for change in a given culture2
AThe most valuable criticism is not that which sha$es its finger at faults but that which calls our attention to interesting things going on in the wor$ of art.B ,.". Auden'
1o you agree with Auden2 ,hy or why not2
#ome of the functions of a critic are to introduce authors we don4t $now encourage us to re5evaluate a wor$ compare different wor$s @ ages @ cultures increase our understanding of a wor$ relate art to life @ religion etc.
ets loo$ at some of the differences between layman critics and professional critics. ayman critics read literature to D $ill time D D D D en*oy fanciful visions be amused explore different ways of feeling learn about self D D Crofessional critics read literature to D wor$ from assumptions that are highly conscious read through the lens of a particular theory focus on particular details
If we are reading a novel, we are more often than not, reading it as a layman. "owever, if we are reading it based on a particular theory, then we must be more conscious of that particular theory and focus on particular aspects and details.
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.ow, let us loo$ at how we can summariEe the views above D iterary criticism is mainly concerned with interpretation (meaning) and analysis (relationship among the parts, causes F effects) D Evaluation can be conveyed through words (successful, trivial, wea$ G) #tandards of truth D D D D Cersonal truth ?ealism 0oral content Aesthetic %ualities
Literature as &!"te(t S!&ial as%e&ts !' literature Literature as stimulus
ers!"al #e$el!%me"t
et us loo$ at some of the theories in greater detail. Hi*t ri#a+ Criti#i*) In "istorical criticism, D D #tudies wor$ within historical context (e.g. attitude towards women during Austen4s time, #ha$espeare4s world of fairies etc.) Belief that the writer is influenced by social context of the time (B-T we need to as$ ourselves' what if the writer has a different attitude reflected in his wor$ but it doesn4t reflect his society2) Ne. Hi*t ri#i*)
D D D D D
.o AhistoryB H only our version @ narrative of past events "ow do we view colonial rule today2 1id !olumbus discover America2 (#tephen Ireenblatt' 6=<7) ,or$s of literature used as a basis for a criticism of a society !onnected past and present @ offered value *udgement !onsider AThe only thing more uncertain than the future is the past.B
Cu+tura+ #riti#i*)
!ultural critics want to ma$e the term culture refer to popular culture as well as to that culture we associate with the so5called classics. !ultural critics are as li$ely to write about J#tar Tre$J as they are to analyEe Kames KoyceLs Ulysses. They want to brea$ down the boundary between high and low, and to dismantle the hierarchy that the distinction implies. They also want to discover the (often political) reasons why a certain $ind of aesthetic pro duct is more valued than others.
The emergence and evolution of cultural studies or criticism are difficult to
separate entirely from the development of 0arxist thought. 0arxism is, in a sense, the bac$ground of most cultural criticism, and some contemporary cultural critics consider themselves 0arxist critics as well. (Kohanna 0. #mith F ?oss !. 0urfin)
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The #tate of iterary !riticism. ?oger #hattuc$. +ct. 6==3. http'@@www.mrbauld.com@#hatuc$6.html. Approaches to ?eading and Interpretation. http'@@www.assumption.edu@users@ady@""Iateway@ Iateway@Approaches.html.
.ow read up in 0arxist theories.
http'@@www.subverbis.com@essays@marxistlitcrit.rtf.
S #ia+ Criti#i*) /Mar0i*)1 D #ees history as a struggle between socioeconomic classes and literature is a product of economic forces of the period Belief D that literature is a material product for consumption in a particular society (comics, westerns, romantic novels G ) D iterature celebrates the values of the society it represents e.g. bourgeois values
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0arxist critic exposes the fallacy of these values and replaces them with M0arxist Truths4 H to change society
Nor 0arxist critics, wor$s of literature often mirror the creatorLs own place in society, and they interpret most texts in relation to their relevance regarding issues of class struggle as depicted in a wor$ of fiction
D D
Although 0arx did not write extensively on literature, he did detail the relationship between economic determinism and the social superstructure 0ost scholars view the relationship between literary activity and the economic center of society as an interactive process
Ta$e a brea$ before you continueO TOPIC 2 INTRODUCTION TO THEORIES OF LITERARY CRITICISM
SYNOPSIS In this unit, you will learn about the various theories of literary criticism and apply these forms of criticism whilst anlysing a number of literary texts.You will also see how a text can be interpreted in many ways based on the critical theory applied and the context in which the text is read. OBJECTIVES By the end of this unit, you will be able to Explain the concepts of political, gender and post5modern criticism Analyse short texts based on these forms of criticism
FRAMEWORK
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Theories of iterary !riticism
Colitical
Iender
Cost5modernism
P +iti#a+ #riti#i*)
.ew !riticism, in some sense, can become political because it ma$es the readers realiEe that meaning is not always found outside of the text, but inside. Nurthermore, it forces readers4 imaginativeness to expand by ma$ing them to focus and create commentaries about a little material and thus the readers become aware how much they can produce from less data. A wor$ can be political in three different ways' culturally, formally or textually .
A literature that does not discuss political issues, gender issues, racial
issues, class issues is not really about politics. #imultaneously, because it does not tal$ about it, it then also becomes political because it does not tal$ about it. ,hy does it not want to tal$ about2Pbecause it does not want to disturb the peaceful order of the society, does not want to disturb the ruling class4s power.
(1r. ?odney #har$ey)
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Ben*amin, ,alter. A,or$ of art in the age of mechanical reproductionB. A !ultural #tudies ?eader' "istory, Theory, Cractice. Ed. Kessica 0unns and Iita ?a*an. ondon and .ew Yor$' ongman, 6==3. Eagleton, Terry. iterary Theory. +xford' Blac$well' 6==; Noucalt, 0ichel. AThe #ub*ect and CowerB. 0ichel Noucault' !ollected Essays. .ew Yor$' Qintage Boo$s, 6===.
3e!4er Criti#i*) /Le*(ia!53a' 6 Fe)i!i*t1 There are two main issues 6. 1o men and women read in different ways2 7. 1o they write in different ways2
This critical theory grew out of the ,omen4s 0ovement in 6=:>s where e%uality was an issue. Today, it explores the differences between men and women (different experiences @ values @ sensibilities @ responses). Neminist criticism states that men have established the literary conventions @ canons etc. 0en are expected to be strong @ active (Kac$ F the Beanstal$) while women are seen as wea$ @ passive (!inderella). #o you would have to as$ yourself the %uestion, is A!inderellaB a tale of oppression or a romantic tale2 3e!4er
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(as opposed to sex biological differences) D #ignifies the socially constructed differences between men and women which operate in most societies and which lead to forms of ine%uality, oppression and exploitation between the sexes. D iterature has arguably tended to subordinate or marginaliEe the position of women D D There are many facets to feminism ,or$s of writers li$e /ate !hopin were banned as they presented a viewpoint not acceptable to critics then. Fe)i!i*) To spea$ of JNeminismJ as a theory is already a reduction. "owever, in terms of its theory (rather than as its reality as a historical movement in effect for some centuries) feminism might be categoriEed into three general groups' D theories having an essentialist focus (including psychoanalytic and Nrench feminism)& D theories aimed at defining or establishing a feminist literary canon or theories see$ing to re5interpret and re5vision literature (and culture and history and so forth) from a less patriarchal slant (including gynocriticism, liberal feminism)& and D theories focusing on sexual difference and sexual politics (including gender studies, lesbian studies, cultural feminism, radical feminism, and socialist@materialist feminism). D Nurther, women (and men) needed to consider what it meant to be a woman, to consider how much of what society has often deemed inherently female traits, are culturally and socially constructed.
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#imone de BeauvoirLs study served as a groundbrea$ing boo$ of feminism, that %uestioned the JotheringJ of women by western philosophy.
Early pro*ects in feminist theory included resurrecting womenLs literature that in many cases had never been considered seriously or had been erased over.
#ince the 6=:>s the writings of many women have been rediscovered, reconsidered, and collected in large anthologies such as The Norton Anthology of iterature by !omen"
Le*(ia! 6 3a' Criti#i*) D D D D D 1o gays@lesbians read differently from straight people2 1o they write differently2 "ow do they ma$e their wor$ acceptable2 !an they portray straight people2 !an straight people portray them2 #ome critics %uestion sexual categoriEing H see it as a historical construct rather than a biological @psychological absolute
Stru#tura+i*) D #tructuralism is a way of thin$ing about the world which is predominantly concerned with the perceptions and description of structures. D At its simplest, structuralism claims that the nature of every element in any given situation has no significance by itself, and in fact is determined by all the other elements involved in that situation.
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The full significance of any entity cannot be perceived unless and until it is integrated into the structure of which it forms a part
#tructuralists believe that all human activity is constructed, not natural or Jessential.J
Tas$6' ?efer to reliable internet resources and identify the $ey features of "istorical, !ultural, #ocial, Colitical, Iender and Cost5modern theories of literary criticism. Cresent the information in the form of a mind5map.
Tas$ 7' 1iscuss the importance of literary theory for readers.
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TOPIC 7
CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF SHORT STORIES /28t& 6 21*t Ce!tur' Fi#ti !1
SYNOPSIS In this unit, you will read short stories written by American, British and Australia writers. You will use some of the literary criticism theories you have studied to analyse the texts. You will also have the opportunity to read other stories to ma$e comparisons. OBJECTIVES By the end of this unit, you will be able to 1emonstrate an understanding of theories of literary criticism Analyse short stories based on various theories of literary criticism Analyse the differences that historical perspective, literary form and culture generate.
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FRAMEWORK
!ritical Analysis of #hort #tories
American #cott NitEgerald Three hours bet#een $lanes
British Iraham Ireene A little $lace off the Edg#are %oad
Australian "enry awson The house that #as ne&er built
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You are going to read three short stories in this unit. After you have read each short story, wor$ on the tas$ sheet given. You will need to bring these to your tutorial session.
?ead the short story below.
THREE HOURS BETWEEN PLANES (#cott NitEgerald) It was a wild chance but 1onald was in the mood, healthy and bored, with a sense of tiresome duty done. "e was now rewarding himself. 0aybe. ,hen the plane landed he stepped out into a midwestern summer night and headed for the isolated pueblo airport, conventionaliEed as an old red Jrailway depot.J "e did not $now whether she was alive, or living in this town, or whether that was her present name. ,ith mounting excitement he loo$ed through the phone boo$ for her father who might be dead too, somewhere in these twenty years. .o. Kudge "armon "olmes H "illside 86=9. A womanLs amused voice answered his in%uiry for 0iss .ancy "olmes. J.ancy is 0rs. ,alter Iifford now. ,ho is this2J But 1onald hung up without answering. "e had found out what he wanted to $now and he had only three hours. "e did not remember any ,alter Iifford and there was another suspended moment while he scanned the phone boo$. #he might have married out of town. .o. ,alter Iifford5"illside 66=6. Blood flowed bac$ into his fingertips. J"ello2J J"ello. Is 0rs. Iifford there 5 this is an old friend of hers.J JThis is 0rs. Iifford.J "e remembered, or thought that he remembered the funny magic in the voice. JThis is 1onald Clant. I havenLt seen you since I was twelve years old. J+h5h5hOJ The note was utterly surprised, very polite, but he could distinguish in it neither *oy nor certain recognition.
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J5 DonaldOJ added the voice. This time there was something more in it than struggling memory. J. . . when did you come bac$ to town2J Then cordially, J,here are you2J JILm out at the airport 5 for *ust a few hours.J J,ell, come up and see me.J J#ure, youLre not *ust going to bed.J J"eavens, noOJ she exclaimed. JI was sitting here5having a highball by myself. Kust tell your taxi man . . .J +n his way he analyEed the conversation. "is words Jat the airportJ established that he had retained his position in the upper bourgeoisie. "er aloneness might indicate that she had matured into an unattractive woman without friends. L"er husband might either be away or in bed. And5because she was always ten years old in his dreams5the highball shoc$ed him. But he ad*usted himself with a smile. #he was almost close to thirty. At the end of a curved drive he saw a dar$5haired little beauty standing against the lighted door, a glass in her hand. #tartled by her materialiEation, 1onald got out of the cab, saying' J0rs. Iifford2J #he turned on the porch light and stared at him wide5eyed and tentative. A smile bro$e through the puEEled expression. J1onald, it is you. ,e all change so. +h, this is remarkableOJ As they wal$ed inside, their voices *ingled the words Jall these years,J and 1onald felt a sin$ing in his stomach. JThis derived in part from their last meeting5when she rode past him on a bicycle, cutting him dead5and from the fear that lest they have nothing to say. It was li$e a college reunion5but there the failure to find the past was disguised by the hurried boisterous occasion. Aghast, he realiEed that this might be a long and empty hour. "e plunged in desperately. JYou were always a lovely person. But ILm a little shoc$ed to find you as beautiful as you are.J It wor$ed. The immediate recognition of their changed state, the bold complement, made them interesting strangers instead of fumbling childhood friends. J"ave a highball2J she as$ed. J.o2 Clease donLt thin$ ILve become a secret drin$er, but tonight was a blue night. I expected my husband but he wired that heLd be two days longer. "eLs very nice, 1onald and very attractive. ?ather your type and coloring.J #he hesitated, J5 and I thin$ heLs interested in someone in .ew Yor$5and I donLt $now.J JAfter seeing you it sounds impossible,J he assured her. JI was married for six years, and there was a time I tortured myself that way. Then one day I put *ealousy out of my life forever. After my wife died, I was very glad of that. It left a very rich memory5nothing marred or spoiled or hard to thin$ over.J #he loo$ed at him attentively, then sympathetically as he spo$e. JILm very sorry,J she said. And after a proper moment, JYouLve
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changed a lot. Turn you head. I remember father saying, LThat boy has a brain.LJ JYou probably argued against it.J JI was impressed. -p to then I thought that everybody had a brain. ThatLs why it stic$s in my mind.J J,hat else stic$s in your mind,J he as$ed smiling. #uddenly .ancy got up and wal$ed %uic$ly a little away. JAh, now,J she reproached him. JThat isnLt fair. I suppose I was a naughty girl.J JYou were not,J he said stoutly. JAnd I #ill have a drin$ now.J As she poured it, her face still turned from him, he continued' J1o you thin$ you were the only little girl who was ever $issed2J J1o you li$e the sub*ect2J she demanded. "er momentary irritation melted and she said' J,hat the hellO ,e did have fun. i$e in the song.J J+n the sleigh ride.J JYes 5 and somebodyLs picnic 5Trudy KamesL. And at Nrontenac that 5 those summers.J It was the sleigh ride he remembered the most and $issing her cool chee$s in the straw in one corner while she laughed up at the cold white stars. The couple next to them had their bac$s turned and he $issed her little nec$ and her ears and never her lips. JAnd the 0ac$sL party where they played post office and I couldnLt go because I had the mumps,J he said. AI don4t remember that.B A+h, you were there. And you were $issed and I was craEy with *ealousy li$e I never have been since.B JNunny, I donLt remember. 0aybe I wanted to forget.J JBut why2J he as$ed in amusement. J,e were two perfectly innocent $ids. .ancy, whenever I tal$ed to my wife about the past, I told her you were the girl I loved almost as much as I loved her. But I thin$ I loved you *ust as much. ,hen we moved out of town I carried you li$e a cannonball in my insides.J J,ere you that much stirred up2J J0y Iod, yesO I 5 J "e suddenly realiEed that they were standing *ust two feet from each other, and he was tal$ing as if he loved her in the present, that she was loo$ing up at him with her lips half5parted and a clouded loo$ in her eyes. JIo on,J she said, JILm ashamed to say 5 I li$e it. I didnLt $now you were upset then. I thought that it was me who was upset.J JYouOJ he exclaimed. J1onLt you remember throwing me over at the drugstore.J "e laughed. JYou stuc$ your tongue out at me.J JI donLt remember at all. It seemed to me you did the throwing over.J "er hand fell slightly, almost consolingly on his arm. JILve got a photograph boo$ upstairs I havenLt loo$ed at for years. ILll dig it out.J 1onald sat for five minutes with two thoughts 5 first the hopeless impossibility of reconciling what different people remembered about the
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same event 5 and secondly that in a frightening way .ancy moved him as a woman as she had moved him as a child. "alf an hour had developed an emotion that he had not $nown since the death of his wife 5 that he had never hoped to $now again. #ide by side on the couch they opened the boo$ between them. .ancy loo$ed at him, smiling and very happy. J+h this is such fun, she said. #uch fun that youLre so nice, that you remember me so5beautifully. et me tell you 5I wish ILd $nown it thenO After youLd gone I hated you.J J,hat a pity,J he said gently. JBut not now,J she reassured him, and then impulsively, J/iss and ma$e up.J J. . . that isnLt being a good wife,J she said after a minute. JI really donLt thin$ ILve $issed two men since I was married.J "e was excited5but most of all confused. "ad he $issed .ancy2 +r a memory2 +r this lovely trembly stranger who loo$ed away from him %uic$ly and turned a page of the boo$2 J,aitOJ he said. I donLt thin$ I could see for a few seconds.J J,e wonLt do this again. I donLt feel so very calm myself.J 1onald said one of those trivial things that cover so much ground. J,ouldnLt it be awful if we fell in love again2J J#top itOJ #he laughed, but very breathlessly, JItLs all over. It was a moment. A moment ILll have to forget.J J1onLt tell your husband.J J,hy not2 -sually I tell him everything.J JItLll hurt him. 1onLt ever tell a man such things.J JAll right I wonLt.J J/iss me once more,J he said inconsistently, but .ancy had turned a page and was pointing eagerly at a picture. J"ereLs you,J she cried. J?ight awayOJ "e loo$ed. It was a little boy in shorts standing on a pier with a sailboat in the bac$ground. JI remember 5 J she laughed triumphantly, J 5 the very day it was ta$en. /itty too$ it and I stole it from her.J Nor a moment 1onald failed to recogniEe himself in the photo5then, bending closer5he failed to utterly recogniEe himself. JThatLs not me,J he said. J+h yes. It was Nrontenac 5 the summer we 5 we used to go to the cave.J J,hat cave2 I was only three days in Nrontenac.J Again he strained his eyes at the slightly yellowed picture. JAnd that isnLt me. ThatLs 1onald 'o#ers. ,e did loo$ rather ali$e. .ow she was staring at him 5 leaning bac$, seeming to lift away from him. JBut youLre 1onald BowersOJ she exclaimed& her voice rose a little. J.o, youLre not. JYou4re 1onald (lant.J
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JI told you on the phone.J #he was on her feet5her face faintly horrified. JClantO BowersO I must be craEy. +r it was that drin$2 I was mixed up a little when I first saw you. oo$ hereO ,hat have I told you2J "e tried for a mon$ish calm as he turned a page of the boo$. J.othing at all,J he said. Cictures that did not include him formed and reformed before his eyes H Nrontenac 5 a cave 5 1onald Bowers 5 JYou threw me overOJ .ancy spo$e from the other side of the room. JYouLll never tell this story,J she said. J#tories have a way of getting around.J JThere isnLt any story,J he hesitated. But he thought' so she #as a bad little girl. And now he was full of wild raging *ealousy of 1onald Bowers 5 he who had banished *ealousy from his life forever. And in the five steps he too$ across the room he crushed out twenty years and the existence of ,alter Iifford with his stride. J/iss me again, .ancy,J he said, sin$ing to one $nee beside her chair, putting his head on her shoulder. But .ancy strained away. JYou said you had to catch a plane.J JItLs nothing. I can miss it. ItLs of no importance.J JClease go,J she said in a cool voice. JAnd please try to imagine how I feel.J JBut you act as if you donLt remember me,J he cried, A5 as if you donLt remember 1onald (lant)J JI do. I remember you too ... But it was all so long ago.J "er voice grew hard again. The taxi number is !restwood <9<9.J +n his way to the airport 1onald shoo$ his head from side to side. "e was completely himself now but he could not digest the experience. +nly as the plane roared up into the dar$ s$y and its passengers became a different entity from the corporate world below did he draw a parallel from the fact of its flight. Nor five blin$ing minutes he had lived li$e a madman in two worlds at once. "e had been a boy of twelve and a man of thirty5two, indissolubly and hopelessly commingled. 1onald had lost a great deal, too, in those hours between plan 5 but since the second half of life is a long process of getting rid of things, that part of the experience probably didnLt matter.
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oo$ at the %uestions that follow. Try to answer these %uestions. You will need to present your answers during your tutorial session.
A #oman*s amused &oice ans#ered his in+uiry for ,iss Nancy Holmes" -Nancy is ,rs" !alter .ifford no#" !ho is this/'ut Donald hung u$ #ithout ans#ering" He had found out #hat he #anted to kno# and he had only three hours" He did not remember any !alter .ifford and there #as another sus$ended moment #hile he scanned the $hone book" 0he might ha&e married out of to#n"
6. 1onald hangs up %uic$ly. ,hy2 ,hat does the reader learn about him2
He remembered1 or thought that he remembered the funny magic in the &oice"
7. ,hat does the narrator imply2
His #ords -at the air$ort- established that he had retained his $osition in the u$$er bourgeoisie" Her aloneness might indicate that she had matured into an unattracti&e #oman #ithout friends" *Her husband might either be
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a#ay or in bed" And2because she #as al#ays ten years old in his dreams2 the highball shocked him" 'ut he ad3usted himself #ith a smile" 0he #as almost close to thirty"
8. The narrator analyses 1onald4s thoughts. ,hat effect does this have on the reader2 1o we $now .ancy4s2
-Donald1 it is you" !e all change so" Oh1 this is remarkable)-4 -'ut you*re Donald 'o#ers)- she exclaimed5 her &oice rose a little" -No1 you*re not" -6ou7re Donald (lant"-4 -(lant) 'o#ers) 8 must be cra9y" Or it #as that drink/ 8 #as mixed u$ a little #hen 8 first sa# you" ook here) !hat ha&e 8 told you/-
9. 1oes .ancy remember 1onald Clant2 ,hat did 1onald Bowers mean to her2 ,hat did 1onald Clant mean to her2 ,hy is .ancy suddenly worried2
-6ou #ere al#ays a lo&ely $erson" 'ut 8*m a little shocked to find you as beautiful as you are"-
3. ,hat was 1onald4s intention in saying these words2 ,hat was .ancy4s reaction2 ,as 1onald4s intention realiEed2
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-Ha&e a highball/- she asked" -No/ (lease don*t think 8*&e become a secret drinker1 but tonight #as a blue night" 8 ex$ected my husband but he #ired that he*d be t#o days longer" He*s &ery nice1 Donald and &ery attracti&e" %ather your ty$e and coloring"- 0he hesitated1 -2 and 8 think he*s interested in someone in Ne# 6ork2and 8 don*t kno#"-
:. ,hy does .ancy tal$ about her husband4s M.ew Yor$ interest42 ,hat effect will the comparison between himself and her husband have on 1onald2
:8 su$$ose 8 #as a naughty girl"-
;. ,hat new information does the reader get of .ancy2 Is that how 1onald remembers her2
-Do you think you #ere the only little girl #ho #as e&er kissed/-Do you like the sub3ect/- she demanded" Her momentary irritation melted and she said; -!hat the hell) !e did ha&e fun" ike in the song"-
<. ,hy does 1onald ma$e this comment2 ,hy is .ancy initially irritated2 ,hat can we ma$e of her :!hat the hell/< remar$2
-Funny1 8 don*t remember" ,aybe 8 #anted to forget"-
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-'ut #hy/- he asked in amusement" -!e #ere t#o $erfectly innocent kids" Nancy1 #hene&er 8 talked to my #ife about the $ast1 8 told her you #ere the girl 8 lo&ed almost as much as 8 lo&ed her" 'ut 8 think 8 lo&ed you 3ust as much" !hen #e mo&ed out of to#n 8 carried you like a cannonball in my insides"-
=. ,hat doesn4t .ancy remember the things that 1onald did2 ,hy does she say she Mwanted to forget42 ,ere .ancy and 1onald perfectly innocent then2 ,hat about now2 ,hat effect does Mli$e a cannonball4 have on the reader2 ,hy did 1onald use that simile to describe his feelings2
-8*&e got a $hotogra$h book u$stairs 8 ha&en*t looked at for years" 8*ll dig it out"-
6>.
"ow will this, change things2
-Oh this is such fun1 she said" 0uch fun that you*re so nice1 that you remember me so 2 beautifully" et me tell you 2 8 #ish 8*d kno#n it then) After you*d gone 8 hated you"-
66.
"ow is this ironical2
-'ut not no#1- she reassured him1 and then im$ulsi&ely1 -=iss and make u$"-
28
-" " " that isn*t being a good #ife1- she said after a minute" -8 really don*t think 8*&e kissed t#o men since 8 #as married"-
67.
Is the narrator ma$ing a social commentary here2 If so, what2
-!ouldn*t it be a#ful if #e fell in lo&e again/-0to$ it)- 0he laughed1 but &ery breathlessly1 -8t*s all o&er" 8t #as a moment" A moment 8*ll ha&e to forget"-
68.
,ere they in love before2 Crovide evidence. ,hy does .ancy need to forget the moment2
-Don*t tell your husband"- 4 -8t*ll hurt him" Don*t e&er tell a man such things"-
69.
1oes this suggest that men and women see things differently2 Elaborate.
-(lant) 'o#ers) 8 must be cra9y" Or it #as that drink/ 8 #as mixed u$ a little #hen 8 first sa# you" ook here) !hat ha&e 8 told you/-
63.
,hat does tell this you about .ancy2
2)
-6ou*ll ne&er tell this story1- she said" -0tories ha&e a #ay of getting around"-There isn*t any story1- he hesitated" 'ut he thought; so she #as a bad little girl"
6:.
If .ancy was a Mbad4 girl4, what was 1onald2 Elaborate.
-8 do" 8 remember you too """ 'ut it #as all so long ago"- Her &oice gre# hard again" The taxi number is >rest#ood ?@?@"-
6;.
1o you thin$ .ancy ever intended carrying through with the dalliance2 Elaborate.
oo$ up the internet for information on #cott NitEgerald. 1o you thin$ his life experiences influenced his writing2 You should also read Hills like ele$hants by Ernest "emingway. !ompare the way the two writers use dialogue.
Ta$e a brea$ before you move on to the next section of this unit.
30
.ow, let us loo$ at another writer, this time, British. ?ead A little $lace off the Edg#are %oad.
31
Iraham Ireene A Little Place off the Edgware Road !raven came up past the Achilles statue in the thin summer rain. It was only *ust after lighting5up time, but already the cars were lined up all the way to the 0arble Arch, and the sharp ac%uisitive Kewish faces peered out ready for a good time with anything possible which came along. !raven went bitterly by with the collar of his mac$intosh tight round his throat' it was one of his bad days. All the way up the par$ he was reminded of passion, but you needed money for love. All that a poor man could get was lust. ove needed a good suit, a car, a flat somewhere, or a good hotel. It needed to be wrapped in cellophane. "e was aware all the time of the stringy tie beneath the mac$intosh, and the frayed sleeves' he carried his body about with him li$e something he hated. (There were moments of happiness in the British 0useum reading5room, but the body called him bac$.) "e bore, as his only sentiment, the memory of ugly deeds committed on par$ chairs. Ceople tal$ed as if the body died too soon, that wasnLt the trouble, to !raven, at all. The body $ept alive55and through the glittering tinselly rain, on his way to a rostrum, passed a little man in a blac$ suit carrying a banner, JThe Body shall rise again.J "e remembered a dream he had three times wo$en trembling from' "e had been alone in the huge dar$ cavernous burying ground of all the world. Every grave was connected to another under the ground' the globe was honeycombed for the sa$e of the dead, and on each occasion of dreaming he had discovered anew the horrifying fact that the body doesnLt decay. There are no worms and dissolution. -nder the ground the world was littered with masses of dead flesh ready to rise again with their warts and boils and eruptions. "e had lain in bed and remembered as Jtidings of great *oyJ55that the body after all was corrupt. "e came up into the Edgware ?oad wal$ing fast55the Iuardsmen were out in couples, great languid elongated beasts55the bodies li$e worms in their tight trousers. "e hated them, and hated his hatred because he $new what it was, envy. "e was aware that every one of them had a better body than himself' indigestion creased his stomach' he felt sure that his breath was foul55but who could he as$2 #ometimes he secretly touched himself here and there with scent' it was one of his ugliest secrets. ,hy should he be as$ed to believe in the resurrection of this body he wanted to forget2 #ometimes he prayed at night (a hint of religious belief was lodged in his breast li$e a worm in a nut) that his body at any rate should never rise again. "e $new all the side streets round the Edgware ?oad only too well ' when a mood was on, he simply wal$ed until he tired, s%uinting at his own image in the windows of #almon F Iluc$stein and the A.B.!.Ls. #o he noticed at once the posters outside the disused theatre in !ulpar ?oad. They were not unusual, for sometimes Barclays Ban$ 1ramatic #ociety
32
would hire the place for an evening, or an obscure film would be trade5 shown there. The theatre had been built in 6=7> by an optimist who thought the cheapness of the site would more than counter5balance its disadvantage of lying a mile outside the conventional theatre Eone. But no play had ever succeeded, and it was soon left to gather rat5holes and spider webs. The covering of the seats was never renewed, and all that ever happened to the place was the temporary false life of an amateurLs play or a trade show. !raven stopped and read55there were still optimists it appeared, even in 6=8=, for nobody but the blindest optimist could hope to ma$e money out of the place as JThe "ome of the #ilent Nilm.J The first season of JprimitivesJ was announced (a high5brow phrase)' there would never be a second. ,ell, the seats were cheap, and it was perhaps worth a shilling to him, now that he was tired, to get in somewhere out of the rain. !raven bought a tic$et and went in to the dar$ness of the stalls. In the dead dar$ness a piano tin$led something monotonously recalling 0endelssohn' he sat down in a gangway seat, and could immediately feel the emptiness all round him. .o, there would never be another season. +n the screen a large woman in a $ind of toga wrung her hands, then wobbled with curious *er$y movements towards a couch. There she sat and stared out li$e a sheep5dog distractedly through her loose and blac$ and stringy hair. #ometimes she seemed to dissolve altogether into dots and flashes and wiggly lines. A sub5title said, JCompilia betrayed by her beloved Augustus see$s an end to her troubles.J !raven began at last to see55a dim waste of stalls. There were not twenty people in the place55a few couples whispering with their heads touching, and a number of lonely men li$e himself wearing the same uniform of the cheap mac$intosh. They lay about at intervals li$e corpses55 and again !ravenLs obsession returned' the toothache of horror. "e thought miserably55I am going mad' other people donLt feel li$e this. Even a disused theatre reminded him of those interminable caverns where the bodies were waiting for resurrection. JA slave to his passion Augustus calls for yet more wine.J A gross middle5aged Teutonic actor lay on an elbow with his arm round a large woman in a shift. The J#pring #ongJ tin$led ineptly on, and the screen flic$ered li$e indigestion. #omebody felt his way through the dar$ness, scrabbling past !ravenLs $nees55a small man' !raven experienced the unpleasant feeling of a large beard brushing his mouth. Then there was a long sigh as the newcomer found the next chair, and on the screen events had moved with such rapidity that Compilia had already stabbed herself55or so !raven supposed55and lay still and buxom among her weeping slaves. A low breathless voice sighed out close to !ravenLs ear, J,hatLs happened2 Is she asleep2J J.o. 1ead.J J0urdered2J the voice as$ed with a $een interest.
33
JI donLt thin$ so. #tabbed herself.J .obody said J"ushJ' nobody was enough interested to ob*ect to a voice' they drooped among the empty chairs in attitudes of weary inattention. The film wasnLt nearly over yet' there were children somehow to be considered' was it all going on to a second generation2 But the small bearded man in the next seat seemed to be interested only in CompiliaLs death. The fact that he had come in at that moment apparently fascinated him. !raven heard the word JcoincidenceJ twice, and he went on tal$ing to himself about it in low out5of breath tones. JAbsurd when you come to thin$ of it,J and then Jno blood at all.J !raven didnLt listen' he sat with his hands clasped between his $nees, facing the fact as he had faced it so often before, that he was in danger of going mad. "e had to pull himself up, ta$e a holiday, see a doctor (Iod $new what infection moved in his veins). "e became aware that his bearded neighbour had addressed him directly. J,hat2J he as$ed impatiently, Jwhat did you say2J JThere would be more blood than you can imagine.J J,hat are you tal$ing about2J ,hen the man spo$e to him, he sprayed him with damp breath. There was a little bubble in his speech li$e an impediment. "e said, J,hen you murder a man55J JThis was a woman,J !raven said impatiently. JThat wouldnLt ma$e any difference.J JAnd itLs got nothing to do with murder anyway.J JThat doesnLt signify.J They seemed to have got into an absurd and meaningless wrangle in the dar$. JI $now, you see,J the little bearded man said in a tone of enormous conceit. J/now what2J JAbout such things,J he said with guarded ambiguity. !raven turned and tried to see him clearly. ,as he mad2 ,as this a warning of what he might become5 babbling incomprehensibly to strangers in cinemas2 "e thought, By Iod, no, trying to see' ILll be sane yet. I will be sane. "e could ma$e out nothing but a small blac$ hump of body. The man was tal$ing to himself again. "e said, JTal$. #uch tal$. TheyLll say it was all for fifty pounds. But thatLs a lie. ?easons and reasons. They always ta$e the first reason. .ever loo$ behind. Thirty years of reasons. #uch simpletons,J he added again in that tone of breathless and unbounded conceit. #o this was madness. #o long as he could realiEe that, he must be sane himself55relatively spea$ing. .ot so sane perhaps as the Kews in the par$ or the Iuardsmen in the Edgware ?oad, but saner than this. It was li$e a message of encouragement as the piano tin$led on. Then again the little man turned and sprayed him. J/illed herself, you say2 But whoLs to $now that2 ItLs not a mere %uestion of what hand holds the $nife.J "e laid a hand suddenly and confidingly on !ravenLs' it was damp and stic$y' !raven said with horror as a possible meaning came
34
to him, J,hat are you tal$ing about2J JI $now,J the little man said. JA man in my position gets to $now almost everything.J J,hat is your position2J !raven said, feeling the stic$y hand on his, trying to ma$e up his mind whether he was being hysterical or not& after all, there were a doEen explanations55it might be treacle. JA pretty desperate one youLd say.J #ometimes the voice almost died in the throat altogether. #omething incomprehensible had happened on the screen5ta$e your eyes from these early pictures for a moment and the plot had proceeded on at such a paceO +nly the actors moved slowly and *er$ily. A young woman in a night dress seemed to be weeping in the arms of a ?oman centurion' !raven hadnLt seen either of them before. JI am not afraid of death, ucius55in your arms.J The little man began to titter, $nowingly. "e was tal$ing to himself again. It would have been easy to ignore him altogether if it had not been for those stic$y hands which he now removed& he seemed to be fumbling at the seat in front of him. "is head had a habit of lolling suddenly sideways, li$e an idiot childLs. "e said distinctly and irrelevantly, JBayswater Tragedy.J J,hat was that2J !raven said sharply. "e had seen those words on a poster before he entered the par$. J,hat2J JAbout the tragedy.J JTo thin$ they call !ullen 0ews Bayswater.J #uddenly the little man began to cough, turning his face towards !raven and coughing right at him' it was li$e vindictiveness. The voice said bro$enly, J et me see. 0y umbrella.J "e was getting up. JYou didnLt have an umbrella.J J0y umbrella,J he repeated. J0y55J and seemed to lose the word altogether. "e went scrabbling out past !ravenLs $nees. !raven let him go, but before he had reached the billowy dusty curtains of the exit the screen went blan$ and bright55the film had bro$en, and somebody immediately turned up one dirt5cho$ed chandelier above the circle. It shone down *ust enough for !raven to see the smear on his hands. This wasnLt hysteria' this was a fact. "e wasnLt mad' he had sat next a madman who in some mews55what was the name !olon, !ollin... !raven *umped up and made his own way out' the blac$ curtain flapped in his mouth. But he was too late' the man had gone and there were three turnings to choose from. "e chose instead a telephone box and dialled, with an odd sense for him of sanity and decision, ===. It didnLt ta$e two minutes to get the right department. They were interested and very $ind. Yes, there had been a murder in a mews, !ullen 0ews. A manLs nec$ has been cut from ear to ear with a bread $nife55a horrid crime. "e began to tell them how he had sat next the murderer in a cinema' it couldnLt be anyone else' there was blood now on his hands55and he remembered with repulsion as he spo$e the damp beard. There must have been a terrible lot of blood. But the voice from the Yard interrupted
35
him. J+h, no,J it was saying, Jwe have the murderer5no doubt of it at all. ItLs the body thatLs disappeared.J !raven put down the receiver. "e said to himself aloud, J,hy should this happen to me2 ,hy to me2J "e was bac$ in the horror of his dream 55the s%ualid dar$ening street outside was only one of the innumerable tunnels connecting grave to grave where the imperishable bodies lay. "e said, JIt was a dream, a dream,J and leaning forward he saw in the mirror above the telephone his own face sprin$led by tiny drops of blood li$e dew from a scent5spray. "e began to scream, JI wonLt go mad. ,onLt go mad. ILm sane. I wonLt go mad.J Cresently a little crowd began to collect, and soon a policeman came. 6=8=
.ow loo$ at the %uestions below. Try to answer these %uestions and then compare your answers with those of your coursemates.
36
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH 1. Why is the name Craven significant? 2. In the first two paragraphs, the narrator sets the scene. How does this prepare the reader for the events that unfo d? !. Craven does not seem to "e a happy person. #rovide evidence of this. $. What is the significance of the "anner %he &ody sha rise again. '. He hated them, and hated and his hatred "ecause he (new what it was, envy. What does this te us a"out Craven? ). We are aware of what Craven thin(s and fee s. How does this inf uence our reading of the story? *. + , there were sti optimists it appeared, even in 1-!-, + .rom a historica perspective, how is this comment significant? /. Craven seems to "e o"sessed "y the dead and dying and a fear of going mad. Comment on this "ased on a psycho ogica perspective. -. + the tooth,ache of horror.0 + the screen f ic(ered i(e indigestion. 1 are some of the images descri"ed "y Craven. How effective are images used in this story in setting the scene and deve oping the p ot? 12.3h no, + we have the murderer 1 no dou"t of it at a . It4s the "ody that4s disappeared. What effect does this statement have on Craven and on the reader? 11.I won4t go mad. I won4t go mad. I4m sane. I won4t go mad. What were Craven4s thoughts at this time? 12.Comment on the use of irony and suspense in 37
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH this short story.
oo$ up the internet for information on Iraham Ireene. You might want to read stories by other British writers. You could read from the wor$s of #omerset 0augham, #ylvia Townsend ,arner and Anthony Burgess.
38
Analyse this story based on psychological criticism. Crepare your answer for your tutorial session.
Ta$e a brea$ before you go on to the next section.
3)
In this section, you are going to read a story by "enry awson, an Australian writer. Before that, read a little about the writer below. The information is from ,i$ipedia. Early life "enry awson was born in a town on the Irenfell goldfields of .ew #outh ,ales. "is father was .iels "erEberg arsen, a .orwegian5born miner who went to sea at 76, arrived in 0elbourne in 6<33 to *oin the gold rush. awsonLs parents met at the goldfields of Cipeclay (now Eurunderee, .ew #outh ,ales) .iels and ouisa married on ; Kuly 6<::& he was 87 and she, 6<. +n "enryLs birth, the family surname was anglicised and .iels became Ceter awson. The newly5married couple were to have an unhappy marriage. Ceter arsenLs grave (with headstone) is in the little private cemetery at "artley Qale .ew #outh ,ales a few minutes wal$ behind what was !ollittLs Inn. "enry awson attended school at Eurunderee from 7 +ctober 6<;: but suffered an ear infection at around this time. It left him with partial deafness and by the age of fourteen he had lost his hearing entirely. "e later attended a !atholic school at 0udgee, .ew #outh ,ales around < $m away& the master there, 0r. /evan, would teach awson about poetry. "e was a $een reader of 1ic$ens and 0arryat and serialised novels such as ?obbery under Arms and Nor the Term of his .atural ife& an aunt had also given him a volume by Bret "arte. ?eading became a ma*or source of his education because, due to his deafness, he had trouble learning in the classroom. In 6<<8, after wor$ing on building *obs with his father and in the Blue 0ountains, awson *oined his mother in #ydney at her re%uest. ouisa was then living with "enryLs sister and brother. At this time, awson was wor$ing during the day and studying at night for his matriculation in the hopes of receiving a university education. "owever, he failed his exams. In 6<=:, he married Bertha Bredt Kr., daughter of Bertha Bredt, the prominent socialist. They had two children, son Kim (Koseph) and daughter
40
Bertha. "owever, the marriage ended unhappily. Coetry and prose writing awsonLs first published poem was LA #ong of the ?epublicL which appeared in The Bulletin, 6 +ctober 6<<;& his motherLs radical friends were an influence. This was followed by LThe ,rec$ of the 1erry !astleL and then LIolden Iully.L In 6<=>56<=6 awson wor$ed in Albany. "e then received an offer to write for the Brisbane Boomerang in 6<=6, but he lasted only around ;5< months as the Boomerang was soon in trouble. "e returned to #ydney and continued to write for the Bulletin which, in 6<=7, paid for an inland trip where he experienced the harsh realities of drought5affected .ew #outh ,ales. This resulted in his contributions to the Bulletin 1ebate and became a source for many of his stories in subse%uent years. Elder writes of the tre$ awson too$ between "ungerford and Bour$e as Jthe most important tre$ in Australian literary historyJ and says that Jit confirmed all his pre*udices about the Australian bush. awson had no romantic illusions about a Lrural idyllL.J As Elder continues, his grim view of the outbac$ was far removed from Jthe romantic idyll of brave horsemen and beautiful scenery depicted in the poetry of LThe Ban*oL RCatersonSJ. "is most successful prose collection is ,hile the Billy Boils, published in 6<=:. In it he Jcontinued his assault on Caterson and the romantics, and in the process, virtually reinvented Australian realismJ. Elder writes that Jhe used short, sharp sentences, with language as raw as Ernest "emingway or ?aymond !arver. ,ith sparse ad*ectives and honed5to5the5bone description, awson created a style and defined Australians' dryly laconic, passionately egalitarian and deeply humane.J 0ost of his wor$ focuses on the Australian bush, such as the desolate JCast !arinLJ, and is considered by some to be among the first accurate descriptions of Australian life as it was at the time.Rcitation neededS JThe 1roverLs ,ifeJ with its Jheart5brea$ing depiction of blea$ness and lonelinessJ is regarded as one of his finest short stories. It is regularly studied in schools and has often been adapted for film and theatre. awson was a firm believer in the merits of the s$etch story, commonly
41
$nown simply as Lthe s$etch,L claiming that Jthe s$etch story is best of all. awsonLs Kac$ 0itchell story, +n The Edge +f A Clain, is often cited as one of the most accomplished examples of the s$etch. i$e the ma*ority of Australians, awson lived in a city, but had had plenty of experience in outbac$ life, in fact, many of his stories reflected his experiences in real life. In #ydney in 6<=< he was a prominent member of the 1awn and 1us$ !lub, a bohemian club of writer friends who met for drin$s and conversation. ater years 1uring his later life, the alcohol5addicted writer was probably AustraliaLs best5 $nown celebrity. At the same time, he was also a fre%uent beggar on the streets of #ydney, notably at the !ircular Tuay ferry turnstiles. In 6=>8 he sought a room at 0rs Isabella ByersL !offee Calace in .orth #ydney. This mar$ed the beginning of a 7> year friendship between 0rs Byers and awson. 1espite his position as the most celebrated Australian writer of the time, awson was deeply depressed and perpetually poor. "e lac$ed money due to unfortunate royalty deals with publishers. "is ex5wife repeatedly reported him for non5payment of child maintenance, resulting in gaol terms. "e was gaoled at 1arlinghurst Iaol for drun$enness and non5payment of alimony, and recorded his experience in the haunting poem J+ne "undred and ThreeJ 5 his prison number 5 which was published in 6=><. "e refers to the prison as J#tarvinghurst IaolJ because of the meagre rations given to the inmates. At this time, awson became withdrawn, alcoholic, and unable to carry on the usual routine of life. 0rs Byers (nee ,ard) was an excellent poet herself and although of modest education, had been writing vivid poetry since her teens in a similar style to awsonLs. ong separated from her husband and elderly, 0rs Bryers was, at the time she met awson, a woman of independent means loo$ing forward to retirement. Bryers regarded awson as AustraliaLs greatest living poet, and hoped to sustain him well enough to $eep him writing. #he negotiated on his behalf with publishers, helped to arrange contact with his children, contacted friends and supporters to help him financially, and assisted and nursed him through his mental and alcohol problems. #he wrote countless letters on his
42
behalf and $noc$ed on any doors that could provide "enry with financial assistance or a publishing deal. It was in 0rs Isabella BryersL home that "enry awson died, of cerebral haemorrhage, in Abbotsford, #ydney in 6=77. "e was given a state funeral. "is death registration on the .#, Births, 1eaths F 0arriages index is ref. 6>936@6=77 and was recorded at the Cetersham ?egistration 1istrict. It shows his parents as Ceter and ouisa. "is funeral was attended by the Crime 0inister ,. 0. "ughes and the Cremier of .ew #outh ,ales Kac$ ang (who was the husband of awsonLs sister5in5law "ilda Bredt), as well as thousands of citiEens. "e is interred at ,averley !emetery. awson was the first person to be granted a state funeral. "enry awson was featured on the first (paper) Australian ten dollar note issued in 6=:: when decimal currency was first introduced into Australia. This note was replaced by a polymer note in 6==8. awson was pictured against scenes from the town of Iulgong in .#,.
.ow read the story. Based on yur $nowledge of the writer, do you thin$ his own experiences influenced his writing2
43
The House that #as Ne&er 'uilt "enry awson T"E?E had been heavy rain and landslips all along the branch railway which left the Ireat ,estern ine from #ydney *ust beyond the Blue 0ountains, and ran through thic$ bush and scrubby ridgy country and along great alluvial sidingsPwhere the hills on the opposite side of the wide valleys (misty in depths) faded from deep blue into the pale aEure of the s$yPand over the ends of western spurs to the little farming, mining and pastoral town of #olong, situated in a circle of blue hills on the ban$s of the willow5fringed !udgegong ?iver. The line was hopelessly bloc$ed, and some publicans at #olong had put on the old coach5road a couple of buggies, a wagonette, and an old mail coachPrelic of the days of !obb F !o., which had been resurrected from some bac$yard and tin$ered upPto bring the train passengers on from the first brea$ in the line over the remaining distance of forty miles or so. !apertee #tation (old time, A!apertee !ampBPa teamster4s camp) was the last station before the first washout, and there the railway line and the old road parted company for the last time before reaching #olongPthe one to run round by the ends of the western spurs that spread fanli$e, and the other to go through and over the rough country. The train reached !apertee about midnight in broad moonlight that was misty in the valleys and round the blue of !rown ?idge. I got a Abox5 seatB beside the driver on the old coach. It was a grand old roadPone of the old main coach5roads of .ew #outh ,alesPbroad and white, metalled nearly all the way, and in nearly as good condition as on the day when the first passenger train ran into #olong and the last5used section of the old road was abandoned. It dated bac$ to the bushranging daysP right bac$ to convict times' it ran through tall dar$ bush, up over gaps or AsaddlesB in high ridges, down across deep dar$ gullies, and here and there across grey, marshy, curlew5haunted flats. !obb F !o4s coach5and5 six, with A?oyal 0ailB gilded on the panels, had dashed over it in ten and twelve5mile stages in the old days, the three head5lamps flashing on the wild dar$ bush at night, and maybe twenty5four passengers on board. The biggest rushes to richest goldfields in the west had gone over this old road on coaches, on carts, on drays, on horse and bulloc$ wagons, on horsebac$, and on foot& new chums from all the world and from all stations in life. ,hen many a step was on the mountains, 0arching west to the land of gold.
44
And a few came bac$ richPred, round5faced and *ollyPon the box5seat of !obb F !o4s, treating the driver and all hands, Agoing homeB to sweethearts or families. ("ome people will never feel the meaning of those two words, Agoing home,B as it is felt in a new land.) And many came bac$ bro$en men, tramping in rags, and carrying their swags through the dusty heat of the drought in 1ecember or the bitter, pelting rain in the mountains in Kune. #ome came bac$ grey who went as boys& and there were many who never came bac$. I remembered the old mile5trees, with a section of bar$ cut away and the distances cut in ?oman letters in the hardened sapPthe distance from Bowenfels, the railway terminus then. It was a ghostly old road, and if it wasn4t haunted it should have been. There was an old decaying and nearly deserted coaching town or two& there were abandoned farms and halfway inns, built of stone, with the roofs gone and nettles growing high between the walls& the remains of an orchard here and therePa few gnarled %uince5treesPand the bush reclaiming its own again. It was a haunted ride for me, because I had last ridden over this old road long ago when I was youngPgoing to see the city for the first timePand because I was now on my way to attend the funeral of one of my father4s blood from whom I had parted in anger. ,e slowly climbed, and almost as slowly descended, the steep siding of a great hill called Aaron4s Cass, and about a mile beyond the foot of the hill I saw a spot I remembered passing on the last *ourney down, long ago. ?ising bac$ from the road, and walled by heavy bush, was a s%uare clearing, and in the bac$ground I saw plainly, by the broad moonlight, the stone foundations for a large house& from the front an avenue of grown pines came down to the road. :!hy)< 8 exclaimed1 turning to the dri&er1 :# as that house burnt down2B A.o,B he said slowly. AThat house was never built.B I stared at the place again and caught sight of a ghostly5loo$ing light between the lines of the foundations, which I presently made out to be a light in a tent. AThere4s someone camping there,B I said. AYes,B said the driver, Asome old swaggy or Mhatter.4 I seen him comin4 down. I don4t $now nothing about that there place.B (I hadn4t AshoutedB for him yet.) I thought and remembered. I remembered myself, as a boy, being sent a coach *ourney along this road to visit some relatives in #ydney. ,e passed this place, and the women in the coach began to tal$ of the fine house that was going to be built there. The ground was being levelled for the foundations, and young pines had been planted, with sta$es round them to protect them from the cattle. I remembered being mightily interested in the place, for the women said that the house was to be a two5storied one. I thought it would be a wonderful thing to see a two5
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storied house there in the bush. The height of my ambition was to live in a house with stairs in it. The women said that this house was being built for young Brassington, the son of the biggest s%uatter then in the district, who was going to marry the daughter of the next biggest s%uatter. That was all I remember hearing the women say. Three or four miles along the road was a public5house, with a post office, general store, and blac$smith shop attached, as is usual in such placesPall that was left of the old pastoral and coaching town of Ilford. I AshoutedB for the driver at the shanty, but got nothing further out of him concerning the fate of the house that was never built. I wanted that house for a story. "owever, while yarning with some old residents at #olong, I mentioned the Brassingtons, and pic$ed up a few first lin$s in the story. The young couple were married and went to #ydney for their honeymoon. The story went that they intended to ta$e a trip to the old country and Caris, to be away a twelve5month, and the house was to be finished and ready for them on their return. Young Brassington himself had a big sheep5run round there. The railway wasn4t thought of in those days, or if it was, no Brassington could have dreamed that the line could have been brought to #olong in any other direction than through the property of the ABig Brassingtons,B as they were called. ,ell, the young couple went to #ydney, but whether they went farther the old residents did not $now. All they $new was that within a few wee$s, and before the stone foundations for the bric$ walls of the house were completed, the building contract was cancelled, the wor$men were dismissed, and the place was left as I last saw it& only the ornamental pines had now grown to trees. The Brassingtons and the bride4s people were English families and reserved. They $ept the story, if there was a story, to themselves. The girl4s people left the district and s%uatted on new stations up5country. The Big Brassingtons came down in the world and drifted to the city, as many smaller people do, more and more every year. .either young Brassington nor his wife was ever again seen or heard of in the district. I attended my relative4s funeral, and next day started bac$ for #ydney. Kust as we reached Ilford, as it happened, the pin of the fore under5carriage of the coach bro$e, and it too$ the blac$smith several hours to set it right. The place was dull, the publican was not communicativePor else he harped on the old local grievance of the railway not having come that wayPso about half an hour before I thought the coach would be ready, I wal$ed on along the road to stretch by legs. I wal$ed on and on until I came, almost unaware, to the site of the house that was never built. The tent was still there, in fact, it was a permanent camp, and I was rather surprised to see the man wor$ing with a trowel on a corner of the unfinished foundations of the house. At first I thought he was going to build a stone hut in the corner, but when I got close to him I saw that he was wor$ing carefully on the original plan of the building' he
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was building the unfinished parts of the foundation walls up to the re%uired height. "e had bric$layer4s tools, a bag of lime, and a heap of sand, and had wor$ed up a considerable %uantity of mortar. It was a rubble foundation' he was $noc$ing off the thin end of a piece of stone to ma$e it fit, and the clanging of the trowel prevented his hearing my footsteps. AIood day, mate,B I said, close beside him. I half expected he4d start when I spo$e, but he didn4t' he loo$ed round slowly, but with a haunted loo$ in his eyes as if I might have been one of his ghosts. "e was a tall man, gaunt and haggard5eyed, as many men are in the bush& he may have been but little past middle age, and grey before his time. AIood day,B he said, and he set the stone in its place, carefully flush with the outer edge of the wall, before he spo$e again. Then he loo$ed at the sun, which was low, laid down his trowel, and as$ed me to come to the tent5fire. AIt4s turning chilly,B he said. It was a model camp, everything clean and neat both inside the tent and out& he had made a stone fireplace with a bar$ shelter over it, and a table and bench under another little shed, with shelves for his tin cups and plates and coo$ing utensils. "e put a box in front of the fire and folded a flour5bag on top of it for a seat for me, and hung the billy over the fire. "e sat on his heels and po$ed the burning stic$s, abstractedly I thought, or to $eep his hands and thoughts steady. AI see you4re doing a bit of building,B I said. AYes,B he said, $eeping his eyes on the fire& AI4m getting on with it slowly.B I don4t suppose he loo$ed at me half a doEen times the whole while I was is his camp. ,hen he spo$e he tal$ed *ust as if he were sitting yarning in a row of half a doEen of us. Cresently he said suddenly, and giving the fire a vicious dig with his po$er' AThat house must be finished by !hristmas.B A,hy2B I as$ed, ta$en by surprise. A,hat4s the hurry2B ABecause,B he said, AI4m going to be married in the .ew YearPto the best and dearest girl in the bush.B There was an aw$ward pause on my part, but presently I pulled myself together. AYou4ll never finish it by yourself,B I said. A,hy don4t you put on some men2B ABecause,B he said, AI can4t trust them. Besides, how am I to get bric$layers and carpenters in a place li$e this2B I noticed all through that his madness or the past in his mind was mixed up with the real and the present. A!ouldn4t you postpone the marriage2B I as$ed. A.oOB he exclaimed, starting to his feet. A.oOB and he loo$ed round wildly on the dar$ening bush. There was madness in his tone that time, the last A.oOB sounding as if from a man who was begging for his life. A!ouldn4t you run up a shanty then, to live in until the house is
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ready2B I suggested, to soothe him. "e gave his arm an impatient swing. A1o you thin$ I4d as$ that girl to live in a hut2B he said. A#he ought to live in a palaceOB There seemed no way out of it, so I said nothing' he turned his bac$ and stood loo$ing away over the dar$, low5lying sweep of bush towards sunset. "e folded his arms tight, and seemed to me to be holding himself. After a while he let fall his arms and turned and blin$ed at me and the fire li$e a man *ust wo$e from a daEe or rousing himself out of a deep reverie. A+h, I almost forgot the billyOB he said. AI4ll ma$e some teaPyou must be hungry.B "e made the tea and fried a couple of slices of ham& he laid the biggest slice on a thic$ slice of white ba$er4s bread on a tin plate, and put it and a pint5pot full of tea on a box by my side. A"ave it here, by the fire,B he said& Ait4s warmer and more comfortable.B I too$ the plate on my $nee, and I must say I thoroughly en*oyed that meal. The bracing mountain air and the wal$ had made me hungry. The hatter had his meal standing up, cutting his ham on a slice of bread with a clasp5$nife. It was bush fashion, and set me thin$ing of some old times. "e ate very little, and, as far as I saw, he didn4t smo$e. .on5smo$ers are very scarce in the bush. I saw by the way his tent was pitched and his camp arranged generally, and by the way he managed the coo$ing, that he must have $noc$ed about the bush for some years. "e put the plates and things away and came and sat down on the other empty gin5case by my side, and fell to po$ing the fire again. "e never showed the least curiosity as to who I was, or where I came from, or what I was doing on this deserted trac$' he seemed to ta$e me as a matter of coursePbut all this was in $eeping with bush life in general. Cresently he got up and stood loo$ing upwards over the place where the house should have been. AI thin$ now,B he said slowly, AI made a mista$e in not having the verandas carried all round the house.B AIPI beg pardonOB AI should have had the balcony all round instead of on two sides only, as the man who made the plan suggested& it would have loo$ed better and made the house cooler in summer.B I thought as I listened, and presently I saw that it was a case of madness within madness, so to spea$' he was mad on the idea that he could build the house himself, and then he had moods when he imagined that the house had been built and he had been married and had reared a family. AYou could easily get the balcony carried round,B I said& Ait wouldn4t cost muchPyou can get good carpenters at #olong. A AYes,B he said. AI4ll have it done after !hristmas.B Then he turned from the house and blin$ed down at me.
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AI am sorry,B he said, Athat there4s no one at home. I sent the wife and family to #ydney for a change. I4ve got the two boys at the #ydney Irammar #chool. I thin$ I4ll send the eldest to /ing4s #chool at Carramatta. The girls will have to get along with a governess at home and learn to help their mother.B And so he went on tal$ing away *ust as a man who has made money in the bush, and is married and settled down, might yarn to an old bachelor bush mate. AI suppose I4ll have to get a good piano,B he went on. AThe girls must have some amusement' there4ll be no end of balls and parties. I suppose the boys will soon be tal$ing of getting Mfivers4 and Mtenners4 out of the Mguvner4 or Mold man.4 It4s the way of the world. And they4ll marry and leave us. It4s the way of the world.B It was awful to hear him go on li$e this, the more so because he never smiledP*ust tal$ed on as if he had said the same thing over and over again. Cresently he stopped, and his eyes and hands began to wander' he sat down on his heel to the fire again and started po$ing it. I began to feel uneasy& I didn4t $now what other sides there might be to his madness, and wished the coach would come along. AYou4ve $noc$ed about the bush a good deal2B I as$ed. I couldn4t thin$ of anything else to say, and I thought he might brea$ loose if I let him brood too long. AYes,B he said, AI have.B ABeen in Tueensland and the Iulf country, I suppose2B AI have.B "is tone and manner seemed a bit more natural. "e had $noc$edabout pretty well all over Australia, and had been in many places where I had been. I had got him on the right trac$, and after a bit he started telling bush yarns and experiences, some of them awful, some of them very funny, and all of them short and good& and now and then, loo$ing at the side of his face, which was all he turned to me, I thought I detected the ghost of a smile. +ne thing I noticed about him& when he spo$e as a madman, he tal$ed li$e a man who had been fairly well educated (or sometimes, I fancied, li$e a young fellow who was studying to be a school5teacher)& his speech was deliberate and his grammar painfully correctPfar more so than I have made it& but when he spo$e as an old bushman, he dropped his g7s and often turned his grammar bac$ to front. But that reminds me that I have met English college men who did the same thing after being a few years in the bush& either they dropped their particular way of spea$ing because it was mimic$ed, because they were laughed and chaffed out of it, or they fell gradually into the habit of tal$ing as rough bushmen do (they learnt Australian), as clean5mouthed men fall, in spite of themselves, into the habit of swearing in the heat and hurry and rough life of a shearing5shed. And, coming bac$ into civiliEed life, these men, who had been well brought up, drop into their old manner and style of
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spea$ing as readily as the foulest5mouthed man in a shed or campPwho, amongst his fellows, cannot say three words without an oathPcan, when he finds himself in a decent home in the woman5and5girl world, yarn by the hour without letting slip a solitary little damn. The hatter warmed up the tea5billy again, got out some currant buns, which he had ba$ed himself in the camp5oven, and we were yarning comfortably li$e two old bushmen, and I had almost forgotten that he was Aratty,B when we heard the coach coming. I *umped up to hurry down to the road. This seemed to sha$e him up. "e gripped my hand hard and glanced round in his frightened, haunted way. I never saw the eyes of a man loo$ so hopeless and helpless as his did *ust then. AI4m sorry you4re going,B he said, in a hurried way. AI4m sorry you4re going. ButPbut they all go. !ome again, come againPwe4ll all be glad to see you.B I had to hurry off and leave him. A,e all,B I suppose, meant himself and his ghosts. I ran down between the two rows of pines and reached the road *ust as the coach came up. I found the publican from Ilford aboardPhe was ta$ing a trip to #ydney. As the coach went on I loo$ed up the clearing and saw the hatter standing straight behind the fire, with his arms folded and his face turned in our direction. "e loo$ed ghastly in the firelight, and at that distance his face seemed to have an expression of listening blindness. I loo$ed round on the dar$ bush, with, away to the left, the last glow of sunset fading from the bed of it, li$e a bed of reddening coals, and I loo$ed up at the blac$ loom of Aaron4s Cass, and thought that never a man, sane or mad, was left in such a depth of gloomy loneliness. AI see you4ve been yarning with him yonder,B said the publican, who seemed to have relaxed wonderfully. AYes.B AYou $now these parts, don4t you2B AYes. I was about here as a boy.B "e as$ed me what my name might be. I told him it was #mith. "e blin$ed a while. AI never heard of anyone by the name of #mith in the district,B he said. .either had I. I told him that we lived at #olong, and didn4t stay long. It saved time. AEver heard of the Big Brassingtons2B MYes.B AEver heard the yarn of the house that wasn4t built2B I told him how much I had heard of it. AAnd that4s about all any of 4em $nows. "ave you any idea who that man bac$ yonder is2B AYes, I have.B A,ell, who do you thin$ it is2B A"e is, or rather he was, young Brassington.B
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AYou4ve hit itOB said the publican. AI $nowPand a few others.B AAnd do you $now what became of his wife2B I as$ed. AI do,B said the shanty5$eeper, who had a generous supply of whis$y with him, and seemed to have begun to fill himself up for the trip. "e said no more for a while, and when I had remained silent long enough, he went on, very deliberately and impressively. A+ne yarn is that the girl wasn4t any good& that when she was married to Brassington, and as soon as they got to #ydney, she met a chap she4d been carrying on with before she married Brassington (or that she4d been married to in secret), an4 she cleared off with him, leaving her fortnight5old husband. That was one yarn.B A,as it2B I said. AYes,B said the publican. AThat yarn was a lie.B "e opened a flas$ of whis$y and passed it round. AThere was madness in the family,B he said, after a nip. A,hose2B I as$ed. ABrassington4s2B A.o,B said the publican, in a tone that implied contempt at my ignorance, in spite of its innocence, Athe girl4s. "er mother had been in a 4sylum, and so had her grandmother. It wasPit was heridited. #ome madnesses is heridited, an4 some comes through worry and hard graft (that4s mine), an4 some comes through drin$, and some through worse, and, but as far as I4ve heard, all madnesses is pretty much the same. 0y old man was a warder in a 4sylum. They have their madnesses a bit different, the same as booEers has their d.t4s different& but, ta$in4 it by the lump, it4s pretty much all the same. The difference is accordin4 to their natures when they4re sane. All men arePPB ABut about young 0rs Brassington,B I interrupted. AYoung 0rs Brassington2 ?osy ,ebb she was, daughter of ,ebb the s%uatter. ?osy was the brightest, best, good5heartedest, an4 most ladyli$e little girl in the district, an4 the heriditry business come on her in #ydney, about a wee$ after she was married to young Brassington. #he was only twenty. "erePB "e passed the flas$ round. AAnd what happened2B I as$ed. A,hat happened2B he repeated. Then he pulled himself together, as if conscious that he had shown signs of whis$y. AEverything was done, but it was no use. #he died in a year in a 4sylum.B A"ow do you $now that2B A"ow do I $now that2B he repeated in a tone of contempt. A"ow do I $now that2 ,ell, I4ll tell you how. 0y old wife was in service at Brassington4s station at the timePthe oldest servantPan4 young Brassington wired to her from #ydney to come and help him in his trouble. +ld 0rs Brassington was bedridden, an4 they $ep4 it from her.B AAnd about young Brassington2B AAbout young Brassington2 "e too$ a swag an4 wandered through the bush. ,e4ve had him at our place several times all these years, but he always wandered off again. 0y old woman tried everything with him,
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but it was all no use. Years ago she used to get him to tal$ of things as they was, in hopes of bringin4 his mind bac$, but he was always worse after. #he does all she can for him even now, but he4s mighty independent. The last five or six years he4s been ta$en with the idea of buildin4 that cursed house. "e4ll stay there till he gets short of money, an4 then he4ll go out bac$, shearin4, stoc$5ridin4, drovin4, coo$in4, fencin4P anything till he gets a few pounds. Then he4ll settle down and build away at that bloody house. "e4s $noc$ed about so much that he4s a regular old bushman. ,hile he4s an old bushman he4s all right an4 amusin4 an4 good company& but when he4s Brassington he4s madP1on4t you ever let on to my old woman that I told you. I allers let my tongue run a bit when I get out of that hole we4re living in. ,e4ve $ept the secret all these years, but what does it matter now2PI as$ you.B AIt doesn4t matter much,B I said. A.othing matters much, it seems to me, nothing matters a damn. The Big Brassingtons come down years ago& the old people4s gone, and the young scattered Iod $nows where or how. The ,ebbs (the girl4s people) are away up in new country, an4 the girls (they was mostly all girls) are married an4 settled down by this time. ,e $ept the secret, an4 the ,ebbs $ept the secretPeven when the dirty yarns was goin4 roundPso4s not to spoil the chances of the other girls. ,hat about the chances of their husbands2 #ome on 4em might be in the same hell as Brassington for all I $now. The Brassingtons $ept the secret because I suppose they rec$oned it didn4t matter much. .othing matters much in this worldPB But I was thin$ing of another young couple who had married long ago, whose married life was twenty long years of shameful %uarrels, of useless brutal recriminationPnot because either was bad, but because their natures were too much ali$e& of the house that was built, of the family that was reared, of the sons and daughters who Awent wrong,B of the father and mother separated after twenty years, of the mother dead of a bro$en heart, of the father (in a lunatic asylum), whose mania was not to build houses, but to obtain and secrete matches for the purpose of burning houses down.
.ow loo$ at the %uestions below. Try to answer them. ?efer to the text.
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6. ,ho is the narrator2 ,hat details do we get that help us establish a Mpicture4 of him2 7. "ow does the narrator present the setting2 1oes this description help us understand the characters and the events better2 If so, how2 8. A"ome people will never feel the meaning of those two words, Mgoing home4, as it is felt in a new land.B !onsidering the time in which this was written, explain this line. 9. AAnd a few came bac$ rich 5 G and many came bac$ bro$en men, G and there were many who never came bac$.B Analyse this comment from a historical perspective. 3. ,hat does the narrator learn about the Mhouse4 from people in #olong2 ,as it enough to satisfy him2 "ow can you tell2 :. AI wal$ed on along the road to stretch my legs. I wal$ed on and on until I came, almost una#are, to the site of the house that was never built.B Nrom a psychological perspective, do you thin$ the narrator was unaware of his actions2 Kustify your view. ;. AThat house must be finished by !hristmas. G Because G I4m going to be married in the .ew Year H to the best and dearest girl in the bush.B ,hat do you thin$ the narrator felt on hearing this2 ,hat effect do these words have on you as
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the reader2 Elaborate. <. The narrator gives some Mcharacteristics4 of bush people. ,hat are they2 =. AG it was a case of madness within madness, GB ,hat does the narrator mean2 6>. AI sent the wife and family to #ydney for a change.B ,hat does this tell you about the house builder2 66. AG when he spo$e as a madman, he tal$ed li$e a man who had been fairly well educated, G but when he spo$e as an old bushman, he dropped his g7s and often turned his grammar bac$ to front.B ,hat do you understand from this2 67. ,hy is the narrator unwilling to give his true identity to the publican2 68. ,hat are the various versions to the story about the young Brassingtons2 69. !omment on the last paragraph of this story2 ?ead up on "enry awson to see if you understand this last paragraph better.
Analyse this story based on one of the literary perspectives you studied earlier. Crovide textual support for your answer.
You have come to the end of this unit. If you have been able to answer
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the %uestions, IoodO If not, you might want to go through this unit again.
TOPIC 7
CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF SHORT STORIES /28t& 6 21*t Ce!tur' Fi#ti !1
SYNOPSIS
In this unit, you will read short stories written by African, Asian and 0alaysian writers. You will use some of the literary criticism theories you have studied to analyse the texts. You will also have the opportunity to read other stories to ma$e comparisons.
OBJECTIVES
By the end of this unit, you will be able to 1emonstrate an understanding of theories of literary criticism Analyse short stories based on various theories of literary criticism Analyse the differences that historical perspective, literary form and culture generate.
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FRAMEWORK
!ritical Analysis of #hort #tories
African !hinua Achebe
Asian Anita 1esai 0alaysia #hirley Ieo$5 in im
>i&il (eace
.ames at T#ilight
0hame
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?ead the short story below.
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!hinua Achebe
Civil Peace
Konathan Iwegbu counted himself extra5ordinarily luc$y. L"appy survivalOL meant so much more to him than *ust a current fashion of greeting old friends in the first haEy days of peace. It went deep to his heart. "e had come out of the war with five inestimable blessings55his head, his wife 0ariaLs head and the heads of three out of their four children. As a bonus he also had his old bicycle55a miracle too but naturally not to be compared to the safety of five human heads. The bicycle had a little history of its own. +ne day at the height of the war it was commandeered Lfor urgent military actionL. "ard as its loss would have been to him he would still have let it go without a thought had he not had some doubts about the genuineness of the officer. It wasnLt his disreputable rags, nor the toes peeping out of one blue and one brown canvas shoes, nor yet the two stars of his ran$ done obviously in a hurry in biro, that troubled Konathan& many good and heroic soldiers loo$ed the same or worse. It was rather a certain lac$ of grip and firmness in his manner. #o Konathan, suspecting he might be amenable to influence, rummaged in his raffia bag and produced the two pounds with which he had been going to buy firewood which his wife, 0aria, retailed to camp officials for extra stoc$5fish and corn meal, and got his bicycle bac$. That night he buried it in the little clearing in the bush where the dead of the camp, including his own youngest son, were buried. ,hen he dug it up again a year later after the surrender all it needed was a little palm5oil greasing. L.othing puEEles Iod,L he said in wonder. "e put it to immediate use as a taxi and accumulated a small pile of Biafran money ferrying camp officials and their families across the four5mile stretch to the nearest tarred road. "is standard charge per trip was six pounds and those who had the money were only glad to be rid of some of it in this way. At the end of a fortnight he had made a small fortune of one hundred and fifteen pounds.
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Then he made the *ourney to Enugu and found another miracle waiting for him. It was unbelievable. "e rubbed his eyes and loo$ed again and it was still standing there before him. But, needless to say, even that monumental blessing must be accounted also totally inferior to the five heads in the family. This newest miracle was his little house in +gui +verside. Indeed nothing puEEles IodO +nly two houses away a huge concrete edifice some wealthy contractor had put up *ust before the war was a mountain of rubble. And here was KonathanLs little Einc house of no regrets built with mud bloc$s %uite intactO +f course the doors and windows were missing and five sheets off the roof. But what was that2 And anyhow he had returned to Enugu early enough to pic$ up bits of old Einc and wood and soggy sheets of cardboard lying around the neighbourhood before thousands more came out of their forest holes loo$ing for the same things. "e got a destitute carpenter with one old hammer, a blunt plane and a few bent and rusty nails in his tool bag to turn this assortment of wood, paper and metal into door and window shutters for five .igerian shillings or fifty Biafran pounds. "e paid the pounds, and moved in with his over*oyed family carrying five heads on their shoulders. "is children pic$ed mangoes near the military cemetery and sold them to soldiersL wives for a few pennies55real pennies this time55and his wife started ma$ing brea$fast a$ara balls for neighbours in a hurry to start life again. ,ith his family earnings he too$ his bicycle to the villages around and bought fresh palm5wine which he mixed generously in his rooms with the water which had recently started running again in the public tap down the road, and opened up a bar for soldiers and other luc$y people with good money. At first he went daily, then every other day and finally once a wee$, to the offices of the !oal !orporation where he used to be a miner, to find out what was what. The only thing he did find out in the end was that that little house of his was even a greater blessing than he had thought. #ome of his fellow ex5miners who had nowhere to return at the end of the dayLs waiting *ust slept outside the doors of the offices and coo$ed what meal they could scrounge together in Bournvita tins. As the wee$s lengthened and still nobody could say what was what Konathan discontinued his wee$ly visits
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altogether and faced his palm5wine bar. But nothing puEEles Iod. !ame the day of the windfall when after five days of endless scuffles in %ueues and counter5%ueues in the sun outside the Treasury he had twenty pounds counted into his palms as exgratia award for the rebel money he had turned in. It was li$e !hristmas for him and for many others li$e him when the payments began. They called it (since few could manage its proper official name) Uegg5rasherU. As soon as the pound notes were placed in his palm Konathan simply closed it tight over them and buried fist and money inside his trouser poc$et. "e had to be extra careful because he had seen a man a couple of days
earlier collapse into near5madness in an instant before that oceanic crowd because no sooner had he got his twenty pounds than some heartless ruffian pic$ed it off him. Though it was not right that a man in such an extremity of agony should be blamed yet many in the %ueues that day were able to remar$ %uietly on the victimLs carelessness, especially after he pulled out the innards of his poc$et and revealed a hole in it big enough to pass a thiefLs head. But of course he had insisted that the money had been in the other poc$et, pulling it out too to show its comparative wholeness. #o one had to be careful. Konathan soon transferred the money to his left hand and poc$et so as to leave his right free for sha$ing hands should the need arise, though by fixing his gaEe at such an elevation as to miss all approaching human faces he made sure that the need did not arise, until he got home. "e was normally a heavy sleeper but that night he heard all the neighbourhood noises die down one after another. Even the night watchman who $noc$ed the hour on some metal somewhere in the distance had fallen silent after $noc$ing one oLcloc$. That must have been the last thought in KonathanLs mind before he was finally carried away himself. "e couldnLt have been gone for long, though, when he was violently awa$ened again. L,ho is $noc$ing2L whispered his wife lying beside him on the floor. LI donLt $now,L he whispered bac$ breathlessly. The second time the $noc$ing came it was so loud and imperious
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that the ric$ety old door could have fallen down. L,ho is $noc$ing2L he as$ed then, his voice parched and trembling. L.a tief5man and him people,L came the cool reply. L0a$e you hopen de door.L This was followed by the heaviest $noc$ing of all. 0aria was the first to raise the alarm, then he followed and all their children. LColice5oO Thieves5oO .eighbours5oO Colice5oO ,e are lostO ,e are deadO .eighbours, are you asleep2 ,a$e upO Colice5oOL This went on for a long time and then stopped suddenly. Cerhaps they had scared the thief away. There was total silence. But only for a short while. LYou done finish2L as$ed the voice outside. L0a$e we help you small. +ya, everybodyOL LColice5oO Tief5man5oO .eighbours5oO we done loss5oO Colice5oO...L There were at least five other voices besides the leaderLs. Konathan and his family were now completely paralysed by terror. 0aria and the children sobbed inaudibly li$e lost souls. Konathan groaned continuously. The silence that followed the thievesL alarm vibrated horribly. Konathan all but begged their leader to spea$ again and be done with it. L0y frien,L said he at long last, Lwe don try our best for call dem but I tin$ say dem all done sleep5o... #o wetin we go do now2 #ometaim you wan
call so*a2 +r you wan ma$e we call dem for you2 #o*a better pass police. .o be so2L L.a soOL replied his men. Konathan thought he heard even more voices now than before and groaned heavily. "is legs were sagging under him and his throat felt li$e sand5paper. L0y frien, why you no de tal$ again. I de as$ you say you wan ma$e we call
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so*a2L L.oL. LAwrighto. .ow ma$e we tal$ business. ,e no be bad tief. ,e no li$e for ma$e trouble. Trouble done finish. ,ar done finish and all the $ata$ata wey de for inside. .o !ivil ,ar again. This time na !ivil Ceace. .o be so2L L.a soOL answered the horrible chorus. L,hat do you want from me2 I am a poor man. Everything I had went with this war. ,hy do you come to me2 You $now people who have money. ,e...L LAwrightO ,e $now say you no get plenty money. But we sef no get even anini. #o derefore ma$e you open dis window and give us one hundred pound and we go commot. +rderwise we de come for inside now to show you guitar5boy li$e dis...L A volley of automatic fire rang through the s$y. 0aria and the children began to weep aloud again. LAh, missisi de cry again. .o need for dat. ,e done tal$ say we na good tief. ,e *ust ta$e our small money and go nwayorly. .o molest. Abi we de molest2L LAt allOL sang the chorus. L0y friends,L began Konathan hoarsely. LI hear what you say and I than$ you. If I had one hundred pounds...L L oo$ia my frien, no be play we come play for your house. If we ma$e mista$e and step for inside you no go li$e am5o. #o derefore...L LTo Iod who made me& if you come inside and find one hundred pounds, ta$e it and shoot me and shoot my wife and children. I swear to Iod. The only money I have in this life is this twenty5pounds 5 egg5rasher they gave me today...L L+/. Time de go. 0a$e you open dis window and bring the twenty pound. ,e go manage am li$e dat.L There were now loud murmurs of dissent among the chorus' L.a lie de man de lie& e get plenty money... 0a$e we go inside and search properly
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well... ,etin be twenty pound2...L L#hurrupOL rang the leaderLs voice li$e a lone shot in the s$y and silenced the murmuring at once. LAre you dere2 Bring the money %uic$OL LI am coming,L said Konathan fumbling in the dar$ness with the $ey of the small wooden box he $ept by his side on the mat. At the first sign of light as neighbours and others assembled to commiserate with him he was already strapping his five5gallon demi*ohn to
his bicycle carrier and his wife, sweating in the open fire, was turning over a$ara balls in a wide clay bowl of boiling oil. In the corner his eldest son was rinsing out dregs of yesterdayLs palm wine from old beer bottles. LI count it as nothing,L he told his sympathiEers, his eyes on the rope he was tying. L,hat is Uegg5rasherU2 1id I depend on it last wee$2 +r is it greater than other things that went with the war2 I say, let Uegg5rasherU perish in the flamesO et it go where everything else has gone. .othing puEEles Iod.L
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?ead up on the !ivil ,ar in Biafra that Konathan Iwegbu tal$s about. Briefly describe the conflict.
Biafran refugees returning home.
Try to answer these %uestions. 1iscuss them with your coursemates during yor tutorial session.
6. 1oes understanding the conflict help you understand the character of Konathan2 ,hy2 7. ,hat do you thin$ is the theme in this short story2 8. Konathan repeatedly says, A.othing puEEles Iod.B ,hat does he mean2 "ow does this help him survive2 9. 1escribe the setting. 1oes it help you understand the events2 "ow2
3. Besides Konathan and his family, we are also introduced to the neighbours and the theives. "ow do they add to the theme. :. Konathan buried his bicycle near his youngest son. "e digs out the bicycle a year later but does not mention his son. ,hy2 ,hat does this tell the reader about Konathan and about his life2
;. A,ho is $noc$ing2B G A.a tief5man and him people. G 0a$e you hopen de door.B !omment on the use of native language. "ow does it add to the story2 +? 1oes it distract the reader2 Elaborate.
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<. In the episode with the thieves, it is almost comically described. Yet, the reader sympathiEes with Konathan. ,hy2
Konathan4s bicycle rescued.
=. The leader of the thieves describes his band as Agood tiefB. 1o you agree2 ,hy2 A$ara balls made from blac$ eyed peas.
Biography, boo$s and musing about Achebe4s politics and contribution to African literature can be found at http'@@www.albany.edu@writers5inst@achebe.html
Ta$e a brea$ before you go on to the next section.
In this section, you are going to read a story by Anita 1esai.
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Game at Twilight Anita 1esai It was still too hot to play outdoors. They had had their tea, they had been washed and had their hair brushed, and after the long day of confinement in the house that was not cool but at least a protection from the sun, the children strained to get out. Their faces were red and bloated with the effort, but their mother would not open the door, everything was still curtained and shuttered in a way that stifled the children, made them feel that their lungs were stuffed with cotton wool and their noses with dust and if they didn4t burst out into the light and see the sun and feel the air, they would cho$e. AClease, ma, please,B they begged. A,e4ll play in the veranda and porchPwe won4t go a step out of the porch.B AYou will, I $now you will, and thenPPB A.oPwe won4t, we won4t,B they wailed so horrendously that she actually let down the bolt of the front door so that they burst out li$e seeds from a crac$ling, overripe pod into the veranda, with such wild, maniacal yells that she retreated to her bath and the shower of talcum powder and the fresh sari that were to help her face the summer evening. They faced the afternoon. It was too hot. Too bright. The white walls of the veranda glared stridently in the sun. The bougainvillea hung about it, purple and magenta, in livid balloons. The garden outside was li$e a tray made of beaten brass, flattened out on the red gravel and the stony soil in all shades of metalPaluminum, tin, copper, and brass. .o life stirred at this arid time of dayPthe birds still drooped, li$e dead fruit, in the papery tents of the trees& some s%uirrels lay limp on the wet earth under the garden tap. The outdoor dog lay stretched as if dead on the veranda mat, his paws and ears and tail all reaching out li$e dying travelers in search of water. "e rolled his eyes at the childrenPtwo white marbles rolling in the purple soc$ets, begging for sympathyPand attempted to lift his tail in a wag but could not. It only twitched and lay still. Then, perhaps roused by the shrie$s of the children, a band of parrots suddenly fell out of the eucalyptus tree, tumbled frantically in the still, siEEling air, then sorted themselves out into battle formation and strea$ed away across the white s$y. The children, too, felt released. They too began tumbling, shoving, pushing against each other, frantic to start. #tart what2 #tart their
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business. The business of the children4s day which isPplay. A et4s play hide5and5see$.B A,ho4ll be It2B AYou be It.B A,hy should I2 You bePPB AYou4re the eldestPPB AThat doesn4t meanPPB The shoves became harder. #ome $ic$ed out. The motherly 0ira intervened. #he pulled the boys roughly apart. There was a tearing sound of cloth, but it was lost in the heavy panting and angry grumbling, and no one paid attention to the small sleeve hanging loosely off a shoulder. A0a$e a circle, ma$e a circleOB she shouted, firmly pulling and pushing till a $ind of vague circle was formed. A.ow clapOB she roared, and, clapping, they all chanted in melancholy unison' A1ip, dip, dipPmy blue shipPPB and every now and then one or the other saw he was safe by the way his hands fell at the crucial momentPpalm on palm, or bac$ of hand on palmPand dropped out of the circle with a yell and a *ump of relief and *ubilation. ?aghu was It. "e started to protest, to cry AYou cheatedP0ira cheatedPAnu cheatedPPB but it was too late, the others had all already strea$ed away. There was no one to hear when he called out, A+nly in the verandaPthe porchP0a saidP0a said to stay in the porchOB .o one had stopped to listen, all he saw were their brown legs flashing through the dusty shrubs, scrambling up bric$ walls, leaping over compost heaps and hedges, and then the porch stood empty in the purple shade of the bougainvillea, and the garden was as empty as before& even the limp s%uirrels had whis$ed away, leaving everything gleaming, brassy, and bare. +nly small 0anu suddenly reappeared, as if he had dropped out of an invisible cloud or from a bird4s claws, and stood for a moment in the center of the yellow lawn, chewing his finger and near to tears as he heard ?aghu shouting, with his head pressed against the veranda wall, AEighty5three, eighty5five, eighty5nine, ninety . . .B and then made off in a panic, half of him wanting to fly north, the other half counseling south. ?aghu turned *ust in time to see the flash of his white shorts and the uncertain s$ittering of his red sandals, and charged after him with such a bloodcurdling yell that 0anu stumbled over the hosepipe, fell into its rubber coils, and lay there weeping, AI won4t be ItPyou have to find them allPallPAllOB AI $now I have to, idiot,B ?aghu said, superciliously $ic$ing him with
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his toe. AYou4re dead,B he said with satisfaction, lic$ing the beads of perspiration off his upper lip, and then stal$ed off in search of worthier prey, whistling spiritedly so that the hiders should hear and tremble. ?avi heard the whistling and pic$ed his nose in a panic, trying to find comfort by burrowing the finger deepPdeep into that soft tunnel. "e felt himself too exposed, sitting on an upturned flowerpot behind the garage. ,here could he burrow2 "e could run around the garage if he heard ?aghu comeParound and around and aroundPbut he hadn4t much faith in his short legs when matched against ?aghu4s long, hefty, hairy footballer legs. ?avi had a frightening glimpse of them as ?aghu combed the hedge of crotons and hibiscus, trampling delicate ferns underfoot as he did so. ?avi loo$ed about him desperately, swallowing a small ball of snot in his fear. The garage was loc$ed with a great heavy loc$ to which the driver had the $ey in his room, hanging from a nail on the wall under his wor$ shirt. ?avi had peeped in and seen him still sprawling on his string cot in his vest and striped underpants, the hair on his chest and the hair in his nose sha$ing with the vibrations of his phlegm5obstructed snores. ?avi had wished he were tall enough, big enough to reach the $ey on the nail, but it was impossible, beyond his reach for years to come. "e had sidled away and sat de*ectedly on the flowerpot. That at least was cut to his own siEe. But next to the garage was another shed with a big green door. Also loc$ed. .o one even $new who had the $ey to the loc$. That shed wasn4t opened more than once a year, when 0a turned out all the old bro$en bits of furniture and rolls of matting and lea$ing buc$ets, and the white anthills were bro$en and swept away and Nlit sprayed into the spider webs and rat holes so that the whole operation was li$e the looting of a poor, ruined, and con%uered city. The green leaves of the door sagged. They were nearly off their rusty hinges. The hinges were large and made a small gap between the door and the wallsPonly *ust large enough for rats, dogs, and, possibly, ?avi to slip through. ?avi had never cared to enter such a dar$ and depressing mortuary of defunct household goods seething with such unspea$able and alarming animal life but, as ?aghu4s whistling grew angrier and sharper and his crashing and storming in the hedge wilder, ?avi suddenly slipped off the flowerpot and through the crac$ and was gone. "e chuc$led aloud with astonishment at his own temerity so that ?aghu came out of the hedge, stood silent with his hands on his hips, listening, and finally shouted, AI heard youO I4m comingO .ot youPPB and came
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charging round the garage only to find the upturned flowerpot, the yellow dust, the crawling of white ants in a mud hill against the closed shed door Pnothing. #narling, he bent to pic$ up a stic$ and went off, whac$ing it against the garage and shed walls as if to beat out his prey. ?avi shoo$, then shivered with delight, with self5congratulation. Also with fear. It was dar$, spoo$y in the shed. It had a muffled smell, as of graves. ?avi had once got loc$ed into the linen cupboard and sat there weeping for half an hour before he was rescued. But at least that had been a familiar place, and even smelled pleasantly of starch, laundry, and, reassuringly, of his mother. But the shed smelled of rats, anthills, dust, and spider webs. Also of less definable, less recogniEable horrors. And it was dar$. Except for the white5hot crac$s along the door, there was no light. The roof was very low. Although ?avi was small, he felt as if he could reach up and touch it with his fingertips. But he didn4t stretch. "e hunched himself into a ball so as not to bump into anything, touch or feel anything. ,hat might there not be to touch him and feel him as he stood there, trying to see in the dar$2 #omething cold, or slimyPli$e a sna$e. #na$esO "e leapt up as ?aghu whac$ed the wall with his stic$Pthen, %uic$ly realiEing what it was, felt almost relieved to hear ?aghu, hear his stic$. It made him feel protected. But ?aghu soon moved away. There wasn4t a sound once his footsteps had gone around the garage and disappeared. ?avi stood froEen inside the shed. Then he shivered all over. #omething had tic$led the bac$ of his nec$. It too$ him a while to pic$ up the courage to lift his hand and explore. It was an insectPperhaps a spiderPexploring him. "e s%uashed it and wondered how many more creatures were watching him, waiting to reach out and touch him, the stranger. There was nothing now. After standing in that positionPhis hand still on his nec$, feeling the wet splodge of the s%uashed spider gradually dryPfor minutes, hours, his legs began to tremble with the effort, the inaction. By now he could see enough in the dar$ to ma$e out the large solid shapes of old wardrobes, bro$en buc$ets, and bedsteads piled on top of each other around him. "e recogniEed an old bathtubPpatches of enamel glimmered at him, and at last he lowered himself onto its edge. "e contemplated slipping out of the shed and into the fray. "e wondered if it would not be better to be captured by ?aghu and be returned to the milling crowd as long as he could be in the sun, the light, the free spaces of the garden, and the familiarity of his brothers, sisters, and cousins. It would be evening soon. Their games would become legitimate. The parents would sit out on the lawn on cane bas$et chairs and watch them
6)
as they tore around the garden or gathered in $nots to share a loot of mulberries or blac$, teeth5splitting 3amun from the garden trees. The gardener would fix the hosepipe to the water tap, and water would fall lavishly through the air to the ground, soa$ing the dry yellow grass and the red gravel and arousing the sweet, the intoxicating scent of water on dry earthPthat loveliest scent in the world. ?avi sniffed for a whiff of it. "e half5rose from the bathtub, then heard the despairing scream of one of the girls as ?aghu bore down upon her. There was the sound of a crash, and of rolling about in the bushes, the shrubs, then screams and accusing sobs of AI touched the denPPB AYou did notPPB AI didPPB AYou liar, you did notB and then a fading away and silence again. ?avi sat bac$ on the harsh edge of the tub, deciding to hold out a bit longer. ,hat fun if they were all found and caughtPhe alone left uncon%ueredO "e had never $nown that sensation. .othing more wonderful had ever happened to him than being ta$en out by an uncle and bought a whole slab of chocolate all to himself, or being flung into the soda man4s pony cart and driven up to the gate by the friendly driver with the red beard and pointed ears. To defeat ?aghuPthat hirsute, hoarse5 voiced football championPand to be the winner in a circle of older, bigger, luc$ier childrenPthat would be thrilling beyond imagination. "e hugged his $nees together and smiled to himself almost shyly at the thought of so much victory, such laurels. There he sat smiling, $noc$ing his heels against the bathtub, now and then getting up and going to the door to put his ear to the broad crac$ and listening for sounds of the game, the pursuer and the pursued, and then returning to his seat with the dogged determination of the true winner, a brea$er of records, a champion. It grew dar$er in the shed as the light at the door grew softer, fuEEier, turned to a $ind of crumbling yellow pollen that turned to yellow fur, blue fur, gray fur. Evening. Twilight. The sound of water gushing, falling. The scent of earth receiving water, sla$ing its thirst in great gulps and releasing that green scent of freshness, coolness. Through the crac$ ?avi saw the long purple shadows of the shed and the garage lying still across the yard. Beyond that, the white walls of the house. The bougainvillea had lost its lividity, hung in dar$ bundles that %ua$ed and twittered and seethed with masses of homing sparrows. The lawn was shut off from his view. !ould he hear the children4s voices2 It seemed to him that he could. It seemed to him that he could hear them chanting, singing, laughing. But what about the game2 ,hat had happened2 !ould it be over2 "ow could it when he was still not found2
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It then occurred to him that he could have slipped out long ago, dashed across the yard to the veranda, and touched the Aden.B It was necessary to do that to win. "e had forgotten. "e had only remembered the part of hiding and trying to elude the see$er. "e had done that so successfully, his success had occupied him so wholly, that he had %uite forgotten that success had to be clinched by that final dash to victory and the ringing cry of A1enOB ,ith a whimper he burst through the crac$, fell on his $nees, got up, and stumbled on stiff, benumbed legs across the shadowy yard, crying heartily by the time he reached the veranda so that when he flung himself at the white pillar and bawled, A1enO 1enO 1enOB his voice bro$e with rage and pity at the disgrace of it all, and he felt himself flooded with tears and misery. +ut on the lawn, the children stopped chanting. They all turned to stare at him in amaEement. Their faces were pale and triangular in the
dus$. The trees and bushes around them stood in$y and sepulchral, spilling long shadows across them. They stared, wondering at his reappearance, his passion, his wild animal howling. Their mother rose from her bas$et chair and came toward him, worried, annoyed, saying, A#top it, stop it, ?avi. 1on4t be a baby. "ave you hurt yourself2B #eeing him attended to, the children went bac$ to clasping their hands and chanting, AThe grass is green, the rose is red. . . .B But ?avi would not let them. "e tore himself out of his mother4s grasp and pounded across the lawn into their midst, charging at them with his head lowered so that they scattered in surprise. AI won, I won, I won,B he bawled, sha$ing his head so that the big tears flew. A?aghu didn4t find me. I won, I wonPPB It too$ them a minute to grasp what he was saying, even who he was. They had %uite forgotten him. ?aghu had found all the others long ago. There had been a fight about who was to be It next. It had been so fierce that their mother had emerged from her bath and made them change to another game. Then they had played another and another. Bro$en mulberries from the tree and eaten them. "elped the driver wash the car when their father returned from wor$. "elped the gardener water the beds till he roared at them and swore he would complain to their parents. The parents had come out, ta$en up their positions on the cane chairs. They had begun to play again, sing and chant. All this time no one had remembered ?avi. "aving disappeared from the scene, he had
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disappeared from their minds. !lean. A1on4t be a fool,B ?aghu said roughly, pushing him aside, and even 0ira said, A#top howling, ?avi. If you want to play, you can stand at the end of the line,B and she put him there very firmly. The game proceeded. Two pairs of arms reached up and met in an arc. The children trooped under it again and again in a lugubrious circle, duc$ing their heads and intoning AThe grass is green, The rose is red& ?emember me ,hen I am dead, dead, dead, dead . . .B And the arc of thin arms trembled in the twilight, and the heads were bowed so sadly, and their feet tramped to that melancholy refrain so mournfully, so helplessly, that ?avi could not bear it. "e would not follow them, he would not be included in this funereal game. "e had wanted victory and triumphPnot a funeral. But he had been forgotten, left out, and he would not *oin them now. The ignominy of being forgottenPhow could he face it2 "e felt his heart go heavy and ache inside him unbearably. "e lay down full length on the damp grass, crushing his face into it, no longer crying, silenced by a terrible sense of his insignificance.
Anita 1esai
Thin$ about this. 6 7 1o you empathiEe with ?avi2 "ave you had similar experiences2 ,hat literary theory would this be related to2 If you were to visualiEe this story, what words would help you do so2 ,hy2
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8 9 3 : ; <
"ow are loss and death presented in this short story2 1o you thin$ they are effective2 Elaborate. ,hy is everyone so surprised to see ?avi when he finally comes out of his hiding place2 "ow would you describe their game2 ,hat is ?avi4s discovery2 #upport your answer with evidence from the text. Identify the theme in this story. 1o you thin$ the title supports the theme2 ,hat other meanings do you thin$ are attached to the word AgamesB in this story2 Elaborate. ?avi4s experiences are central to the story. Are his experiences common to all2
Ta$e a brea$ before you go on the next section.
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?ead about the author of the next short story before you read the story. The information is from ,i$ipedia.
S&ir+e' 3e ,9+i! Li) (born 6=99) was born in 0alacca 0alaysia. #he is an American writer of poetry, fiction, and criticism. "er first collection of poems, >rossing The (eninsula, published in 6=<>, won her the !ommonwealth Coetry CriEe, a first both for an Asian and for a woman. Among several other awards that she has received, her memoir, Among the !hite ,oon Faces, received the 6==; American Boo$ Award. Born in 0ela$a, 0alaysia into a life of poverty, deprivation, parental violence, and abandonment in a culture that, at that time, rarely recognised girls as individuals, im had a pretty unhappy childhood. ?eading was a huge solace, retreat, and escape for her. #corned by teachers for her love of English over her JnativeJ tongue, she was loo$ed down upon for her pursuit of English literature. "er first poem was published in the ,alacca Times when she was ten. By the age of eleven, she $new that she wanted to be a poet. im had her early education at Infant Kesus !onvent under the then British colonial education system. #he won a federal scholarship to the -niversity of 0alaya, where she earned a B.A. first class honours degree in English at -niversity of 0alaya. In 6=:=, at the age of twenty5four, she entered graduate school at Brandeis -niversity in ,altham, 0assachusetts under a Nulbright scholarship, and received a Ch.1. in English and American iterature in 6=;8. im is married to !harles BaEerman, also a professor and chair of the Education 1epartment at -niversity of !alifornia, #anta Barbara. im is a professor in the English 1epartment at the -niversity of !alifornia, #anta Barbara. #he has also taught internationally at the .ational -niversity of #ingapore, the .ational Institute Education of .anyang Technological -niversity, and was the !hair Crofessor at the -niversity of "ong /ong where she also taught poetry and creative writing. #he has authored several boo$s of poems, short stories, and criticism, and serves as editor and co5 editor of numerous scholarly wor$s. im is a cross5genre writer, although she identifies herself as a poet. "er research interests include' 7>th century American literature&
Asian American cultural studies&

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Cost5colonial and #outheast Asian literature& ethnic and feminist writing and theory& and creative writing.
im has received numerous literary awards, among which are' JNulbright 1istinguished ecturer AwardJ in 6==:&
American Boo$ Award which she won twice, once with her co5edited anthology, The Forbidden 0titch; An Asian American !omen*s Anthology (6=<=), and the second time, with her memoir, Among the !hite ,oon Faces (6==;)& and Asiawee$ #hort #tory award for J0r. TangLs -nclesJ (Neminist Cress, 6==;).
Try answering these %uestions. Bring your answers to the tutorial session. !omment on the setting. "ow effective is it in giving the reader a glimpse into the life of 0ei #im and her family2 "ow would a reader react to the description of the trishaw man2 ,ould a reader of an earlier era have reacted differently2 ,hy2
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The narrator ma$es use of images to get a feel of 0alacca. Identify some of these images. 0ei #im4s mother4s English is far from perfect. ,hy does the writer chose to leave it so2 "ow does 0ee #im4s description of her Irand Aunt influence the reader2
A#he was not a woman for young girls G but she tolerated Keng !hung as the niece whose successful marriage to a rich tow$ay4s son she had arranged G .B Nrom a feminist point of view, what can be said about the Irand Aunt2
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AIf women were carts, men were li$e the kerbau hitched to them.B ,hat do you understand by this2
,hat else about Cerana$an culture does the narrator share with the reader2
,hat is the shoc$ing piece of news that 0ei #im hears2
The Irand Aunt and Keng !hung seem to forget 0ei #im4s presence. ,hat does this tell the reader about them2 AThe only thing that women have is their cunning. G ,hat do you want, a faithful husband or a man who will support you and your children2B 1o you thin$ that the Irand Aunt was spea$ing for all women of her community2 "ow would women today
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react to a similar situation2 ,hy2 ,hy do you thin$ the writer choses to include the story of #iew Eng2 !omment from a social and cultural perspective.
AYes, we women must accept out fate.B 1o you thin$ the Irand Aunt accepted her fate2 Elaborate. 0ei #im4s mother does not do anything about #iew Eng4s plight. ,hy2
A,hat you do2 ,hy you let the boy touch you2 You no shame2B ,hat do you thin$ the children will feel about this incident2 ,hat was their crime2 ,hy was 0ei #im ashamed2 ,hat does this tell you about her2 ,hy did she feel compelled to lie2
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Identify a theme in this short story. #how how the theme is developed.
AnalyEe this short story from a gender and cultural perpsective.
You have come to the end of this unit. !ongratulationsO
6. Bressler, !.E. (7>6>). iterary criticism; An introduction to theory and $ractice" ondon'Crentice5"all, International Edition. 7. Coplawas$i, C. Eds. (7>>;). English literature in context" !ambridge' !ambridge -niversity Cress. 8. Bate, K. (7>6>). English literature; A short introduction" ondon' +xford -niversity Cress. 9. Bennet, A. (7>>=). An introduction to literature; >riticism and theory" ondon' ongman. 3. Eagleton, T. (7>><). iterary theory; An introduction. ondon' Blac$well
Cublishing. :. Innes, !. . (7>>;). The >ambridge introduction to $ost2colonial literature. ondon' !ambridge -niversity Cress.
7)
TOPIC :
ANALYSIN3 VARIOUS FORMS OF POETRY
Lear!i!$ Out# )e*;
80
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH By the end of this topic, you should be able to demonstrate an ade%uate understanding of'
6. the form and features of lyric poems 7. the form and features of ballads 8. the form and features of sonnets 9. poetic devices used in poems
INTRODUCTION
W&at i* % etr'-
There are as many definitions of poetry. These are the different ideas of poetry by poets' !ords#orth; Jthe spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings&J Emily Dickinson ' JIf I read a boo$ and it ma$es my body so cold no fire ever can warm me, I $now that is poetry&J Dylan Thomas ' J what ma$es me laugh or cry or yawn, what ma$es my toenails twin$le, what ma$es me want to do this or that or nothing.J %obert Frost ; JA poem begins with a lump in the throat, a home5sic$ness or a love5sic$ness. It is a reaching5out toward expression& an effort to find fulfillment. 81
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH A complete poem is one where the emotion has found its thought and the thought has found the words.J
In essence, poetry is piece of literature written by a poet in meter or verse expressing various emotions which are expressed by the use of variety of techni%ues including metaphors, similes and onomatopoeia. The emphasis on the aesthetics of language and the use of techni%ues such as repetition, meter and rhyme are what are commonly used to distinguish poetry from prose. Coems often ma$e heavy use of imagery and word association to %uic$ly convey emotions. 0any poems use words to paint a picture in your head.
F r)* " % etr' 1< L'ri# P etr'
yric Coetry consists of a poem, such as a sonnet or an ode, that expresses the thoughts and feelings of the poet. The term lyric is now commonly referred to as the words to a song. yric poetry does not tell a story which portrays characters and actions. The lyric poet addresses the reader directly, portraying his or her own feeling, state of mind, and perceptions. T. #. Eliot is one of the prominent names in lyric poetry. E0a)%+e " L'ri# P etr' Emily 1ic$inson4s poem AI heard a fly buEE when I diedB is a reflection on what happens when one dies. In the poem, the persona is waiting to die. It seems as though they are expecting something spectacular to happen at the moment of their death. This spectacular event they are expecting does not happen.
D'i!$ /a,a I &ear4 a "+' (u== .&e! I 4ie4 1 (' E)i+' Di#,i!* ! I heard a fly buEE when I died& The stillness round my form ,as li$e the stillness in the air Between the heaves of storm.
82
.ote' This is only the first stanEa of the poem. To read the rest of this poem, clic$ here' http'@@www.shmoop.com@i5heard5a5fly5buEE5when5i5died@poem5text.html
2<
Ba++a4*
According to the +xford 1ictionary of iterary terms a ballad is Aa fol$ song or orally transmitted poem telling in a direct and dramatic manner some popular story usually derived from a tragic incident in local history or legend. The story is told simply, impersonally, and often with vivid dialogue.
Ballads are normally composed in %uatrains with alternating fourstress and threestress lines, the second and fourth lines rhyming but some ballads are in couplet form, and some others have sixline stanEas. Ballads made its appearance in many parts of Europe in the late 0iddle Ages, they flourished particularly strongly in #cotland from the 63th century onward. #ince the 6<th century, educated poets outside the fol$song traditionPnotably !oleridge and Ioethe P have written imitations of the popular balladLs form and style' !oleridgeLs A%ime of the Ancient ,ariner7 (6;=<) is a celebrated example.
Exercise ?efer to this website, http'@@www.answers.com@topic@ballad.
?ead and find answers to the following literary terms'
%uatrain
83
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH Before you proceed to read the summary of !oleridge4s A?ime of the Ancient 0arinerB download his poem from this website' http'@@poetry.eserver.org@ancient5mariner.html. In order to further understand the poem, you are also advised to read the biography of the poet and you can find it from here' http'@@incompetech.com@authors@coleridge@ Su))ar' " >Ri)e " t&e A!#ie!t Mari!er? The Rime of the A!cie!t "ari!er is the longest ma*or poem by the English poet #amuel Taylor !oleridge, written in 6;=;H=< and was published in 6;=< in the first edition of yrical 'allads. 0odern editions use a later revised version printed in 6<6; that featured a gloss. Along with other poems in yrical 'allads, it was a signal shift to modern poetry and the beginning of British ?omantic literature. The Rime of the A!cie!t "ari!er relates the events experienced by a mariner who has returned from a long sea voyage. The 0ariner stops a man who is on the way to a wedding ceremony and begins to narrate a story. The ,edding5IuestLs reaction turns from bemusement to impatience and fear to fascination as the 0arinerLs story progresses, as can be seen in the language style' for example, !oleridge uses narrative techni%ues such as $ersonification and re$etition to create either a sense of danger, of the supernatural or of serenity, depending on the mood of each of the different parts of the poem. The 0arinerLs tale begins with his ship departing on its *ourney. 1espite initial good fortune, the ship is driven south off course by a storm and eventually reaches Antarctica. A bird called an albatross (symboliEing the !hristian soul) appears and leads them out of the Antarctic, but, even as the albatross is praised by the shipLs crew, the 0ariner shoots the bird (Jwith my cross5bow @ I shot the albatrossJ). The crew is angry with the 0ariner, believing the albatross brought the south wind that led them out of the Antarctic. "owever, the sailors change their minds when the weather becomes warmer and the mist disappears (JLTwas right, said they, such birds to slay @ that bring the fog and mistJ). The crime arouses the wrath of spirits who then pursue the ship Jfrom the land of mist and snowJ& the south wind that had initially led them from the land of ice now sends the ship into uncharted waters, where it is becalmed.
84
Exercise ?efer to this website, http'@@eEinearticles.com@2Coetic51evices5in5CoetryFidV66>3<9, find the meaning of the following literary terms' personification GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
repetition GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG..
!an you identify a few examples of personification and repetition in The Rime of the I!ter%retati ! A!cie!t "ari!er 2 GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG The poem on the surface explores violation of nature and its resulting psychological effects on the 0ariner, who interprets the fates of his crew to be a direct result of his having shot down an albatross. Although the poem is often read as a !hristian allegory, Kerome 0cIann argues that it is really a story of our salvation of !hrist, rather than the other way round. The structure of the poem, according to 0cIann, is influenced by !oleridgeLs interest in higher criticism, and its function Jwas to illustrate a significant continuity of meaning between cultural phenomena that seemed as diverse as pagan superstitions, !atholic theology, Aristotelian science, and contemporary philological theory, to name only a few of the wor$Ls ostentatiously present materials. (Extracted from' http'@@poetry.eserver.org@ancient5mariner.html.) 85
7<
S !!et*
#onnet is a lyric poem of single stanEa which consists of fourteen lines. There are two types of rhymes in sonnets. They are' Italian or Cetrarchan sonnets, and English sonnets or #ha$espearean sonnets Petrar#&a! S !!et; Italian or Cetrarchan sonnets are divided into two main parts& an octa&e and sestet. +ctave consists of eight lines rhyming abbaabba whereas sestet involves six lines rhyming either cdecde or cdccdc. 0oreover, the rhyme pattern involves the expression or the statement of problem or situation in the octave and a resolution in the sestet. S&a,e*%earea! S !!et* r E!$+i*& S !!et*; The Earl of #urrey was the chief motive behind the introduction and development of this English sonnet. It consists of three %uatrains and a concluding cou$let rhyming abab S It !!et 1@ cdcd efef gg. often presents repetition of statement in each of the three %uatrains and the final couplet enforces an epigrammatic turn at the end. #hall I compare thee to a summerLs day2 artpoets more who lovely and sonnets more temperate& +ne of the Thou famous wrote was Kohn 1onne, who covered a variety of ?ough winds do sha$e the darling buds of 0ay, religious themes in his J"oly #onnetsJ in the seventeenth century. 0ilton then fashioned And summerLs hath all too short a date& sonnets with more seriouslease themes. In the 6=th century, ,ordsworth, /eats, EliEabeth #ometime too hot the eye 1. of heaven shines, Barrett Browning, !hristina ?ossetti, I. ?ossetti wrote sonnets. And often is his gold complexion dimmLd& And Afterevery reading fairthe from notes fair sometime on sonnets, declines, try to identify the features of a sonnet By from chance #ha$espeare4s or natureLs 0onnet changing B?" course 1iscuss untrimmLd& with your friends. But thy eternal summer shall not fade, .or lose possession of that fair thou owLst& .or shall 1eath brag thou wanderLst in his shade, ,hen in eternal lines to time thou growLst' #o long as men can breathe or eyes can see, #o long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
H,illiam #ha$espeare
86
Crovide examples of the following features found in So!!et #$ .otes on #onnet 6<
6. %uatrains AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA 7. couplet AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA<<< 87 8. rhyme scheme AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
,ell doneO I hope by now you have understood the various forms of poems such as lyric poems, ballads and sonnets.
88
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH Bibliography ' /irsEner and 0andell ( 7>>;). Boston' "einle. iterature; %eading1 %eacting1 !riting" #eventh Edition.
http'@@EEineArticles.com@6;:9==6 http'@@www.answers.com@topic@the5rime5of5the5ancient5marinerWixEE6.y?fwduI http'@@www.answers.com@topic@sonnet56< http'@@www.types5of5poetry.org.u$@865lyric5poetry.htm Answer $ey' Exercise %uatrain 5 A stanEa or poem of four lines.
couplet 5 A unit of verse consisting of two successive lines, usually rhyming and having the same meter and often forming a complete thought or syntactic unit. stanEa 5 a section of a poem containing a number of verses.
Exercise personification 5 A figure of speech in which inanimate ob*ects or abstractions are
endowed with human %ualities or are represented as possessing human form
repetition 5 ,hen a word or phrase is used over and over again.
8)
TOPIC B
ANALYCIN3 THE VARIOUS FORMS OF POETRY
Lear!i!$ Out# )e*;
By the end of this topic, you should be able to demonstrate an ade%uate understanding of' 6. epics 7. hai$us 8. limeric$s
D<
E%i#* )0
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH The epic is generally defined' A long narrative poem on a great and serious sub*ect, related in an elevated style, and centered on a heroic or %uasi5divine figure on whose actions depend the fate of a tribe, a nation, or the human race. The traditional epics were shaped by a literary artist from historical and legendary materials which had developed in the oral traditions of his nation during a period of expansion and warfare ('eo#ulf, The Odyssey, The 8liad). Traditional (primary) epics are shaped from the legends and traditions of a heroic age and are part of oral tradition& while secondary (or literary) epics are written down from the beginning, and their poets adapt aspects of traditional epics. The poems written by "omer are usually regarded as the first important epics and the main source of epic conventions in western Europe.
The conventions of epics include' 1* !entrality of a hero, sometimes semi5divine. "e has an imposing physical stature and is greater in all ways than the common man.
7. The setting is extensive. It covers great geographical distances, perhaps even visiting the underworld& at times, cosmic. 8. The action consists of deeds of valor or superhuman courage (especially in battle).
9.
#upernatural forces interest themselves in the action and intervene at times. The intervention of the gods is called Jmachinery.J
3.
The style of writing is elevated, even ceremonial
#ome of the most famous epic poems are the 8liad and the Odyssey by "omer and the epic poem of The 0ong of Hia#atha by "enry ,adsworth ongfellow (6<>; 56<<7)< It is believed, for example, that there were epics covering the entire ten year period of the )1
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH Tro*an war, but of these only the 8liad, covering a relatively short period during the last year of the war, has survived in more than fragmentary form. Exercise :.6 +ther primary epics you may have read or at least have probably heard of are on Early History of the Danes, answer the following %uestions' .ilgameshBased and 'eo#ulf"
6. this Based on the title of this epic, which country are the 1anes from2 !lic$ AThe Io to website' http'@@www.lone5star.net@literature@beowulf@index.html. adventure begins hereB. !opy and paste the AEarly "istory of the 1anesB. ?ead this epic. -se the notes on the conventions of epic to further help you to understand GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG. about this form of poem and to answer %uestions in Exercise :.6. 7. ,ho is the warrior2 GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG.
8. Based on information from the epic, draw a family tree of this family.
9. In your own words, explain #hield4s funeral rites.
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG . 3. ,ho ruled the country after Irain4s death2 the new $ing had done to his country. ist down the good deeds that
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG )2 GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG :. ,hen "rothgar became the ruler the country, his citiEens obeyed him. ,hy2
To further enhance your understanding of 'eo#ulf, I4d suggest you read the rest of the epic from here' http'@@www.lonestar.net@literature@beowulf@index.html. )3
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH :< Hai,u*
"ai$u is a poetic form and a type of poetry from the Kapanese culture. "ai$u combines form, content, and language in a meaningful, yet compact form. "ai$u poets, write about everyday things. 0any themes include nature, feelings, or experiences. -sually they use simple words and grammar. The most common form for "ai$u is three short lines. The first line usually contains five (3) syllables, the second line seven (;) syllables, and the third line contains five (3) syllables. ,ith "ai$u, rhyme is not as important as the form. A "ai$u must JpaintJ a mental image in the readerLs mind. This is the challenge of "ai$u 5 to put the poemLs meaning and imagery in the readerLs mind in +. Y 6; syllables over *ust three (8) lines of poetryO "ereLs a "ai$u to help you remember'
I am first with "ive Then *eve! in the middle 55 Five again to end.
Io to this website for samples of hai$us' http'@@teacher7b.com@creative@hai$u6.htm. #elect one that you li$e. As you read the hai$u, mar$ the syllables. Exercise :.7 This iswords an example of the a A,hat IBpaint hai$u. ,hat found in hai$uam that a mental image. Cresent this to your group members. Ireen and spec$led legs, "op on logs and lily pads #plash in cool water.
1* ,hat words create a mental image2
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG )4
2* ,hat is the hai$u about2
.ow that you have analyEed the form of hai$us, try writing a Awhat am IB hai$u.
Nor further reading about hai$us, you can chec$ this website'http'@@www.ahapoetry.com@haiart*r.htm
B<
Li)eri#,*
A limeric$ is a five5line poem written with one couplet and one triplet. If a couplet is a two5line rhymed poem, then a triplet would be a three5line rhymed poem. The rhyme )5
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH pattern is a a b b a with lines 6, 7 and 3 containing 8 beats and rhyming, and lines 8 and 9 having two beats and rhyming. #ome people say that the limeric$ was invented by soldiers returning from Nrance to the Irish town of imeric$ in the 6;>>Ls imeric$s are meant to be funny. They often contain hy$erbole1 onomato$oeia1 idioms1 $uns, and other figurative devices. The last line of a good limeric$ contains the C-.!" I.E or Jheart of the *o$e.J Thus when you wor$ with limeric$s, remember to have a pun, to in*ect the element of N-.O "ere is an example of limeric$
A flea and a fly in a fl%e ,ere caught, so what could they do& #aid the fly, J et us flee'( J et us fly,J said the flea' #o they flew through a flaw in the fl%e' Anonymous
You might need to refer to this website' http'@@eEinearticles.com@2 Coetic51evices5in5CoetryFidV66>3<9, for definitions of poetic devices such as onomatopoeia, idioms and puns. . Exercise :.8 Try completing this limeric$
T+ere !"&e ,as a %au%er "ame- .e/ 0+! a&&i-e"tall1 2r!3e +er 4444444* S+e sli%%e- !" t+e 444444* N!t !"&e5 2ut t+ri&e Ta3e "! %it1 !" +er5 I 4444444444*
)6
You have come to the end of topic :. ,ell doneOOO
Bibliography' http'@@homepage.mac.com@mseffie@assignments@beowulf@epic.html http'@@www.answers.com@topic@epicWixEE6+7NppQ3I. http'@@wi$i.answers.com@T@,hatUareUtheUexamplesUofUepicUpoetryWixEE6+7 c//<g http'@@volweb.ut$.edu@school@bedford@harrisms@hai$u.htm http'@@volweb.ut$.edu@school@bedford@harrisms@limeric$.htm http'@@www.lone5star.net@literature@beowulf@beowulf.html TOPIC E A*ia! *& rt %+a'*
Lear!i!$ Out# )e*;
By the end of this topic, you should be able to'
6. trace the development of short plays and drama in English in 0alaysia and #ingapore 7. recogniEe the playwrights involved in writing plays )7
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH 8. identify the various themes, form and style and cultural values whenever re%uired
9. answer self5access %uestions on your own with the text as your reference and guide
Tuayum, 0ohamad, A. (7>>8). An +verview of 0alaysian iterature in English in (etals of Hibsicus" A %e$resentati&e Anthology of ,alaysian iterature in English" ?osli Talif F .orita +mar (eds). Cetaling Kaya'Cearson ongman.
,ic$s, C. ! (7>>6). 0alaysian iterature in English. A !ritical ?eader. Cetaling Kaya. ongman Cearson.
T&e 4eve+ %)e!t " *& rt %+a'* i! Ma+a'*ia a!4 Si!$a% re
Ma+a'*ia 4ra)a i! E!$+i*& The discussion on the development of short plays in Asia will largely focus on 0alaysia and #ingapore as both countries share similar historical bac$ground.
?ecords on the development of Asian short plays are not well documented. +ne of the reasons for this is because dramas in English, especially in 0alaysia developed rather slowly in the last 73 years. +ne of the reasons for the slow progress in 0alaysian is because English lost its status as the official language when it gained its independence )8
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH in 6=3;. The government, in an effort to foster unity, especially after the racial riot incident of 6=:=, has made Bahasa 0alaysia as the medium of instruction in school, hence reduced the significance of the English anguage.
Efforts to revive drama in English were an uphill tas$. The language policies adopted by the government namely the .ational anguage Act 6=:; and the Amendment Act 6=;6 did not augur well for writers in English. It created a feeling of alienation and marginaliEation among English educated writers and further threatened their creativity which resulted in a number of them who left the country to see$ their fortune abroad.
The raised status of Bahasa 0alaysia as the national language also meant that 0alay literature or #astera 0elayu would become the national literature, while other literatures in other language including English as Asectional literatureB or A/esusasteraan su$uanB This had further hampered the spirit ad creativity of those writers who wrote in English.
Another reason for the slow development of literature in English in 0alaysia is the loss of convictions of English writers. There was no channel for them to deliver their wor$ as the education policy had somewhat restricted them to write. This is seen particularly in 6=<8 whereby that year mar$ed the beginning of the education system in which students were educated entirely in Bahasa 0alaysia. A significant conse%uence is that the reduced role of English will result in the reduced exposure to English literature. Thus, writers in English did not find it rewarding to continue writing as there would be a minority of the audience who appreciate their wor$s.
Interestingly, a %uarter of a century ago, there was an increased awareness of #outheast Asian cultures, especially the cultures of the 0alay Indonesian world. An interesting point to note was that, 0alaysian drama in English, in the last decade has reflected a detached influence from the British sources, but instead showed signs of deliberate efforts to turn to Asian forms of theatre. In order to establish this, 0alaysian drama in English in 6=<>s had wor$ing relationship with its #outheast Asian ))
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH counterparts such as #ingapore, Indonesia, Thailand and the Chillipines as they share similar history and bac$ground.
According to Yong (7>>6), the status of 0alaysian drama in English is assumed to be post5colonial, since it did not develop based on any roots in local or regional theatre traditions. Although it was superimposed on a region that already possessed three Asian theatres, 0alay, !hinese and Indian, in the initial stage, little effort was made to start a dialogue with these Asian forms of drama. Thus 0alaysian drama in English was a self5 enclosed imitation of the British original, and one of the sources of its wea$ness up until the present is due to its indifference to its region4s theatre traditions. Efforts have been made to reduce the colonial variety of 0alaysian drama in English but such attempts are limited to domestic comedies and musicals.
The few who remain active in elevating the status of drama in English believed that there was a need to fill in the local need, and that theatre in this region should serve a serious purpose. The printed media, in particular the .ew #traits Times between the years 6=;756=<> was instrumental in accelerating the process of change in the 0alaysian theatres by providing a public theory of 0alaysian drama. Its columnist, -tih convinced many beyond the converted and undoubtedly enunciated the changed awareness of 0alaysian drama in English.
The general desire to rediscover the past is clear enough among the theatre groups that re5dedicated themselves to the tas$ of forging a tradition. The 0alaysian Arts Theatre Iroup (0ATI) illustrates the outcome of this search. The 0ATI4s early effort to discover a 0alaysian voice in theatre in English has led the group to pioneer such plays as /. 1as4s A ela 0ayangB and AAll the CerfumesB, #yed Alwi4s AThe 0ore ,e are TogetherB, and Catric$ Yeoh4s AThe .eed to BeB. In con*unction with the anniversary of the race riots (6=:=), 0ATI staged AIenta ?asaB in 0ay 6=;6. The drama was a conscious attempt to brea$ down cultural barriers in ethnic and economic group, which was assumed to contribute to the riot. The open air staging of the drama, and by 100
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH combining turns in English and Bahasa 0alaysia, apart from not charging admission fee, were part of 0ATI4s effort to create a revolutionary moment in 0alaysian theatre.
+ne of the chief characteristics of 0alaysian drama in English is fragmentation. "owever it is possible to discern an emerging pattern in the wor$ of playwrights and directors such as !hin #an #ooi, Qi*aya #amarawic$rama, Thor /ah "oong, #tella /on, /aren /raal and 0. 0anivasan. They have demonstrated that a locally and regionally based tradition could be forged. This is seen in such productions as #yed Alwi4s AIoing .orthB, Edward 1orrall4s AThe "our of the 1ogB& #tella /on4s AX is for XygoteB, ATo "atch a #wanB, ABirds of a NeatherB and AThe BridgeB& !hin #an #ooi4s A ady ,hite and ?efugees' ImagesB& ee Koo Nor4s A,hen the #un #its on that Branches of the Kambu TreeB& AThe Cropitious /idnapping of the !ultured 1aughterB& and AThe "alterB.
The transition from the early, intensely nationalistic phase, (leading up to AIenta ?asaB) to the preoccupations of the 6=<>s has witnessed a decreasing role for language in 0alaysian drama in English. In the early examples of the 0alaysian plays in English such as Catric$ Yeoh4s A The .eed to BeB and /. 1as4s A ela 0ayangB, the prominent variety of English gives to the wor$ a $ind of documentary validity. In the A.eed to BeB, whose basic situation is the problems of a s%uatter family, allows for naturalistic use of sufficient indexes of the habitual of language spo$en by the class of people in the play. Nor example, habitual usage suggests !antonese interference in the following exchanges'
0a ,ong' /o$ ,eng' Ca ,ong'
1on4t stare at me5I didn4t give him. Iive me my money. ,here did you get this two dollars2
/o$ ,eng'
,hat for you want to $now2 I didn4t steal your money. 101
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH Ca ,ong' /o$ ,eng' You better tell me. IGmyGmy friend gave me.
In its effort of an Asian or #outheast Asian located idiom, 0alaysian drama in English has brought into its range of resources as Awayang $ulitB, the Aprop manB of !antonese opera, the myths of the "indu ?amayana and all other traditional dance and music $nown in the #outheast Asia.
The attempt to bring in traditional elements of Asian theater into its own repertoire of dramatic action is illustrated in the plays of ee Koo Nor and #tella /on. ee4s use of mimed movement, star$ lighting contrasted to moments of complete dar$ness on stage, minimal props and the conventions associated with post5Brechtian alienantion all represents a theatrical vision inconsistent with the older variety of realistic theatre that had been the norm prior to 6=:=.
In essence, AIenta ?asaB and AThe .eed to BeB are examples of 0alaysian drama in English which are experimental in nature. Their symbolic function suggests that English language drama in 0alaysia has often spo$en with a regional accent, crossing many cultures which have made an imprint in the minds of many #outheast Asians.
1iscussion 6
After reading the notes on the development of drama in English in 0alaysia, ma$e notes on the prominent features of 0alaysian drama in English.
102
Si!$a% re Dra)a i! E!$+i*& The drama scene in #ingapore in the early 3>s and :>s was purely dominated by the production of ,estern plays by theatre groups on campus and from the British Armed Norces based in #ingapore. An indigenous #ingapore theatre in English began in 6=3<, with the formation of 1rama #ociety of the -niversity of 0alaya (#ingapore). In the early :>s, plays were performed by various groups5 The #tage !lub, the clubs of British Armed Norces stationed in #ingapore and students of the -niversity. According to ?obert Yeo, the production of im !hor Cee4s A0imi NanB (6=:7) and AA ,hite 0idnight ?oseB (6=:9) by the Experiment !lub Arepresented probably the first conscious attempt to demonstrate that it was possible to create a #ingapore theatre in EnglishB.
1uring this period of realiEation that #ingaporean theatre must wor$ its own path three plays by Ioh Coh #eng were staged. AThe 0oon is ess BrightB (6=:9), A,hen #miles are 1oneB (6=:3) and AThe Elder BrotherB (6=:3) were confronted by the challenge of creating authentic, credible English dialogues, and compounded by the problem of getting the casts to spea$ English to one another.
?obert Yeo4s staging of AAre You There #ingaporeB (6=;9) and A+ne Year Bac$ "omeB (6=<>) had succeeded in engaging the audience in #ingaporean speech and themes. A+ne Year Bac$ "omeB proved that theatre in #ingapore could be a source of intellectual and political debate.
#ince the <>s, the rapid growth of drama has bee fuelled by the corresponding growth of theatre companies interested in staging plays written by and for a
103
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH #ingaporean audience. +ne of the most memorable plays to emerge in the <>s was #tella /on4s AEmily on Emerald "illB (6=<3) a monodrama set against a colonial and post5independence periods of #ingapore4s history, with a complex woman as protagonist. The stage became an ideal medium for #ingapore4s multilingual, multiethnic realities as in /uo Cao /un4s A 0ama oo$ing for "er !atB (6=<<).
Today drama occupies a pre5eminent position in #ingaporean literature in English. The perfomative and public aspects of drama encouraged its accessibility and exposure to a wider audience than either poetry or fiction. The =>s have seen drama ta$e a great leap forward over the other genres aided by a more liberal attitude towards censorship. Initiatives ta$en by professional theatre companies li$e Theatrewor$s, A!TI+.O Theatre, The .ecessary #tage and ,Old ?ice to nurture aspiring playwrights through writing wor$shops, Claywrights5in ?esidence schemes and playwriting competition have produced playwrights such as 1esmond #im, Eleanor ,ong, Tan Tran "ow, +vidia Yu, ?obin oon and Alfian #a4at.
1iscussion 7
.ow that you have read about the development of drama in 0alaysia and #ingapore, could you identify their similarities and differences2 1iscuss this with your tutor. Cresent this in a table or graphic organiEer.
104
In this section, you will read a brief introduction to one of 0alaysia4s playwright Kee T&ua! C&'e F A Ma+a'*ia! P+a'.ri$&t /ee Thuan !hye (7>>8) ,e !ould YYYY You 0r Birch in (etals of Hibsicus" A %e$resentati&e Anthology of ,alaysian iterature in English" ?osli Talif F .orita +mar (eds). Cetaling Kaya'Cearson ongman.
Bi $ra%&' " Kee T&ua! C&'e Io to this website' &tt%;55...<4 side bar of this page. ++ee<# )5P+a'.ri$&t*C5#&'e9,ee9
t&ua!<&t)+. ?ead /ee Thuan !hye4s biography found on the right
I!tr 4u#ti ! !e >ould CCCC 6ou1 ,r 'irch , is a *ourney into history& the history of British intervention in Cera$. 105
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH Croblems arose when the 0alays, namely the chiefs not only had to fight the !hinamen, the British, but also their own $ind who had gone over to the british for their own personal gains. The fight for power was another ma*or conflict between the British and the 0alay chiefs, the 0alays themselves, male and female, master and slaves and competing media. Cower *oc$eying in domestic and state politics (which eventually affected the whole peninsula), race, gender and media, and the power play for the enhancement of self5 interest is glaringly shown in the play.
To $now more about the issues, you can read the play on your own.
You will now be introduced to a #ingapore playwright, /uo Cao /un. "is play AThe !offin is too Big for the "oleB will be extensively discussed for this topic on Asian plays.
Ku Pa Ku!9 Si!$a% re P+a'.ri$&t
/uo Cao /un (6==>). The >offin is too 'ig for the Hole and other $lays" #ingapore' Times Boo$s International Nor an online excerpt of the play clic$ here' http'@@mms.elibraryhub.com@#"!@#ingapore Z7>Cages@.+?A@ iterature@1rama@/uoZ7
Bi $ra%&' " Ku Pa Ku! 106
To $now more about this playwright, you can go to this website' infopediatal$.nl.sg@2sV/uo[Cao[/un
I!tr 4u#ti ! /uo Cao /unLs The >offin is Too 'ig for the Hole engages social concerns specific to #ingapore. In the play, the eldest grandson of the family is telling the story of his grandfatherLs burial. The problem is that his grandfather, a man who priEes tradition over the efficiency characteristic of contemporary #ingapore, has chosen a very large coffin. The coffin is so large that it cannot fit inside the standard siEe hole that has been prepared for it. The hole cannot be made bigger without encroaching on the ad*acent graves, so the eldest grandson insists that his grandfather and his large coffin must have a second plot. The play also introduces the staff of the cemetery. +ne of them is the powerless gravesite wor$er, who repeats his employerLs words, Jone man, one plot.J Another character is the whiny officer, who refuses to violate Jnational planningJ to accommodate the unusually large coffin.
Though the play is concerned with issues specific to #ingapore, whose population density and corporate culture create the $ind of bureaucracy the grandson encounters, it also resonates concerns many of us have about our own increasingly corporate culture uni%ue to our country. The play invites us to examine the lines between sacred and secular, and to what extent are we willing to compromise between the two. 107
Lear!i!$ (Ge#tive*' By the end of this session, you should be able to' 6. identify the conflicts in the play 7. state reasons for the conflict 8. relate the conflicts to the political scenario of #ingapore 9. relate the conflicts to the theme of the play
You should read the play before your tutorial. The %uestions below serve as a guide for you to further understand the play.
6. ,hy is the grandson ma$ing a fuss about the coffin2 7. ,hat impact did the funeral have on the grandson2 8. ,hat underlying message is the grandson trying to convey2 9. ,hen the grandson said AGwhy grandfather had to get such a big heavy thingGB ,hat does it imply2 3. 1espite cursing about the heavy coffin, the grandson, however wanted to ensure that it was properly handled. ,hat does this mean2 :. ,hat do the cemetery wor$er and the whiny officer represent2 ;. In paragraph 9, when the protagonist saidGB0y fol$s are drifting apart, one after the other when they got married. Irandfather was very cross at first, about the brea$ing up of the extended family..B
,hat does this show about then family relationship2
108
These are %uestions that you will discuss with your classmates and tutor. #o ma$e sure you come prepared.
Exercise ;.6
1* +ne of the $ey themes of both plays is the conflict between the individual and the bureaucracy of the state. ,hat other tensions do you thin$ are being explored2
2* Are there incidents in your own personal life that mirror the circumstances described in the play2 To what extent do you feel that the play is specific to #ingapore2
You can watch this play here' http'@@www.youtube.com@watch2vV-Tl/h/m#$3w
10)
Answer $ey' 1iscussion 6 !onstraints' anguage policies5 .ational Act 6=:; Amendment Act 6=;6 #tatus of English literature as sectional literature (/esusasteraan su$uan) The use of B0 as the medium of instruction in school since 6=<8 5literature in English was not seen as important .o drama tradition thus initially it was pseudo5colonial in nature ,riters in English felt marginalised5 no reward for writing in English
1iscussion 7 #imilarities 1eveloped after independence Initially confined to elite groups5 in #ingapore' -niversity campus and British Armed Norces& 0alaysia5theatre groups 1ifferences' #ingapore 0alaysia 110
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH .o constraints from the government with regards to policies Claywrights are given the freedom of expression iberal censorship Iovernment policies such as .ational anguage Act 6=:; F the Amendment Act 6=;8 to protect the status of B0 as the national language Claywrights felt marginaliEed5no incentives for writing in English Theatre companies are too few5no incentives for playwrights who contributed to the growth of drama
The emergence of theatre companies that encourage staging of plays by local playwrights Incentives@wor$shops provided to young playwrights to encourage creativity
?eading %uestions' 1* It is too big, heavy and above all could not fit the hole 2* frustrated and disappointed as he could get his way, i.e. to have 7 lots instead of one for his grandfather4s coffin 3* As ordinary citiEen, they have to comply to the rules and regulations imposed on them, even in times when dealing with the dead. The #ingapore government with its rigid patriarchal bereaucracy, is not accommodating, has lost its human aspect in its administration as everyone is treated the same and there is no exception to the rule 4* he is %uestioning the grandfather for not complying to the government4s rules and regulations& but instead he (grandfather) went his way to do as he wished. The grandfather was a stic$ler to his beliefs and values 5* The dead should be treated with respect, customary rituals ought to be observed and practiced 111
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH 6* the disintegration of the family unit, bonds among family members falters 7* The government and the ability of the rules to stretch under human needs
TOPIC @
A!a+'*i!$ t&e)e* i! *& rt %+a'*

Ma+a'*ia! S& rt %+a'*
SYNOPSIS
This topic aims to enhance learners4 s$ill in analysing themes in 0alaysian short plays. It provides some explanation on the bac$ground of the plays including the writers, the plays and their themes. The exercises that follow should provide some immediate practice in applying the $nowledge learnt. #tudents will also need to apply the $nowledge gained on the theories of iterary !riticism (topics 6 and 7) to the analysis of 0alaysian short plays. The 0alaysian short play studied in this course is Scor)io! Orchid by loyd Nernando published in 6=;:.
112
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH Lear!i!$ Out# )e*
At the end of this topic, you should be able to' 6. 1iscuss themes in selected 0alaysian plays. 7. Analyse short plays based on various theories of literary criticism.
Theories of iterary criticism 5 historical Theories of iterary criticism 5 cultural #elected 0alaysian plays 5 themes Theories of iterary criticism 5 political Theories of iterary criticism 5 social Theories of iterary criticism 5 gender Theories of iterary criticism H post5 modernism
T&e)e can be defined as the central meaning or dominant idea in a piece of literary wor$ and provides a unifying point around which the plot, characters, setting, point of view, symbols, and other elements of a wor$ are organiEed. A theme refers to the abstract concept that is made concrete through the images, characteriEation, and action of the text. 113
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH (Nor more details, access this website'5 http'@@en.wi$ipedia.org@wi$i@ThemeUZ7<literatureZ7= )
Toscan (7>>;) believes that different people derive themes of the same play differently depending on their personal (social, moral, political) values. "e adds that the playwrights4 personal values are integrated into how they live their lives and these values are reflected in the plays they write.
A theme is the underlying meaning of the play and can be derived by studying the characters, conflicts, and scenes. #ome themes are the alienation of youth in modern society, conflict between appearance and reality, search for personal identity, man4s inhumanity to man, and brea$ing from social conventions.
In this course, the 0alaysian play you will be studying is loyd Nernando4s Scor)io! Orchid (6=;:). Ang (7>>8) raised the concept of a Jnational symbolic field,J the And added that Nernando expresses this vision in a intertwining of history to create a symbolic field of feelings and experiences that can be called national imagination. fractured synthesis modernist novel that brings together historical, cultural, and fictional narratives in
!hiu (7>>8) stated that Scor)io! Orchid is remar$able for its experimental form, combining ,estern and Asian narratives, and for its comprehensive vision of a postcolonial society, set in the 6=3>s, a time of racial tension and nationalistic fervour in an atmosphere charged with the exhilarating anticipation of decolonisation. Nrom a historical point of view, the theme of Scor)io! Orchid is the theme of national birth, racial conflict and ethnic self5 interest. This play is about four young men of different 114
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH ethnicities who go through racial riots that opened their eyes to their ethnic identities and in the process of growing up from adolescents to adults, their simple, innocent friendship changed forever.
!OLLECTIN3 INFORMATION
?esearch for more information about the Scor)io! Orchid from various sources (boo$s, *ournals, articles, internet). /eep both hardcopies and softcopies of the references in your course portfolio.
EHERCISE 1 Nrom the references, write notes on the themes of this play and how they are derived from the historical, social, cultural and political perspectives.
EHERCISE 2 !haracters, settings and events can develop the theme of a play. characters, settings and events. Kustify with evidence from the text. -sing a
suitable graphic organiser, present how the theme(s) is developed by the
115
DISCUSSION #ummarise the play. -sing the notes and graphic organiser you have prepared, discuss how the characters, setting, and events reflect the theme(s).
TUTORIAL ?elate the analysis of the theme(s) on Scor)io! Orchid to Topics 6 and 7 (Introduction to theories of iterary !riticism).
COMPULSORY REFERENCES; 116
6. Bressler, !.E. (7>6>). iterary criticism; An introduction to theory and $ractice" ondon'Crentice5"all, International Edition.
7. Coplawas$i, C. Eds. (7>>;). English literature in context" !ambridge' !ambridge -niversity Cress.
8. Bate, K. (7>6>). English literature; A short introduction" ondon' +xford -niversity Cress.
9. Bennet, A. (7>>=). An introduction to literature; >riticism and theory" ondon' ongman.
3. Eagleton, T. (7>><). iterary theory; An introduction. ondon' Blac$well Cublishing.
:. Innes, !. . (7>>;). The >ambridge introduction to $ost2colonial literature. ondon' !ambridge -niversity Cress.
117
TOPIC I
A!a+'*i!$ t&e)e* i! ! ve+*

A*ia! ! ve+*
SYNOPSIS
This topic aims to enhance learners4 s$ill in analysing themes in selected Asian novels. It provides some explanation on the bac$ground of the novels including the writers, the novels and their themes. The exercises that follow should provide some immediate practice in applying the $nowledge learnt. #tudents will also need to apply the $nowledge gained on the theories of iterary !riticism (topics 6 and 7) to the analysis of 118
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH the selected Asian novels. The selected Asian novel you will be studying for this course is The *o+ L%c, Cl%- by Amy Tan, published in 6=<=.
Lear!i!$ Out# )e*
At the end of this topic, you should be able to' 6. 1iscuss themes in the selected Asian novels. 7. Analyse novels based on various theories of literary criticism.
Theories of iterary criticism 5 historical Theories of iterary criticism 5 cultural #elected Asian novels 5 themes Theories of iterary criticism 5 political Theories of iterary criticism 5 social Theories of iterary criticism 5 gender Theories of iterary criticism H post5 modernism
11)
The *o+ L%c, Cl%- by Amy Tan is a story about the relationship between mothers and their daughters, set in America, specifically #an Nrancisco, !alifornia. The title of this novel is the name of a mah5*ong club set up by the !hinese mothers. The novel is divided into four parts that are further divided into four sections to create sixteen chapters. A parable related to the game of mah5*ong precedes every part of this novel.
The mothers in this novel had tragic pasts in !hina before finally migrating to America, building new families and new lives, with some trials and tribulations of sorts. Their daughters, the first generation born in America, have turbulent relationships with their mothers for various reasons.
The *o+ L%c, Cl%- highlights various themes that are universal including transformation, friendship, and immigrants4 visions of America. Themes are developed via the characters, settings, and events. -nderstanding the cultural, social and historical bac$ground of the characters helps the reader to identify the themes besides en*oying the read.
Nor further information, access '5 http'@@en.wi$ipedia.org@wi$i@TheUKoyU uc$U!lub
COLLECTIN3 INFORMATION
120
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH ?esearch for more information about the The *o+ L%c, Cl%- from various sources (boo$s, *ournals, articles, internet). /eep both hardcopies and softcopies of the references in your course portfolio.
EHERCISE 1 Nrom the references, analyse the themes of this novel from the historical, social, cultural and political perspectives. -se the guiding %uestions below to help you to analyse the novel, The *o+ L%c, Cl%-'5 i. "ow does this story treat the !hinese5American experience2
ii. "ow do the extra5marital love affairs, food, laughter, blood and gore, war, faith and fate, twins, chess, superstition, abandoned children, elopement, and much more help to develop the themes2 iii. "ow do the characters transform and what are the elements that transform them2 iv. ,hat is the role of the society on the characters and the development of the themes2 v. "ow does the historical bac$ground of !hina and America develop the themes2
suitable graphic organiser, present how the themes are developed by the
121
DISCUSSION #tudy and analyse the characters, settings and events in each section of the novel. themes. -sing the analysis, notes and graphic organiser you have prepared, discuss how politics, society, history and culture influence the development of the
TUTORIAL ?elate the analysis of the theme(s) on The *o+ L%c, Cl%- to Topics 6 and 7 (Introduction to theories of iterary !riticism).
COMPULSORY REFERENCES;
8. Bate, K. (7>6>). English literature; A short introduction" ondon' +xford -niversity Cress. 122
:. Innes, !. . (7>>;). The >ambridge introduction to $ost2colonial literature. ondon' !ambridge -niversity Cress.
123
TOPIC 18
A!a+'*i!$ t&e)e* i! ! ve+*

Ma+a'*ia! ! ve+*
SYNOPSIS 124
This topic aims to enhance learners4 s$ill in analysing themes in selected 0alaysian novels. It provides some explanation on the bac$ground of the novels including the writers, the novels and their themes. The exercises that follow should provide some immediate practice in applying the $nowledge learnt. #tudents will also need to apply the $nowledge gained on the theories of iterary !riticism (topics 6 and 7) to the analysis of selected 0alaysian novels. The 0alaysian novel that will be studied in this course is The Rice "other by ?ani 0anic$a published in 7>>8.
Lear!i!$ Out# )e*
At the end of this topic, you should be able to' 6. 1iscuss themes in selected 0alaysian novels. 7. Analyse novels based on various theories of literary criticism.
125
Theories of iterary criticism 5 historical Theories of iterary criticism 5 cultural Theories of iterary criticism H post5 modernism
#elected 0alaysian novels 5
Theories of iterary criticism 5 political
themes
Theories of iterary criticism 5 social
Theories of iterary criticism 5 gender
The Rice "other by ?ani 0anic$a centres on a family with turbulent relationships between a mother and her children. The mother, a$shmi faces countless sufferings yet achieves triumphs. The story begins in pre5,orld ,ar II !eylon, when teenager, a$shmi leaves her family and moves to rural /uantan with her new husband, Ayah. #he, an atypical and complex picture of a mother, has six children with her husband. 1uring the Kapanese occupation, a$shmi is very resourceful and seems a formidable force to her children especially Anna. The family brea$s apart after a horrifying incident. a$shmi becomes a fearsome matriarch, towering over her scattered, resentful clan, eventually becoming the rice mother of the title' JThe Iiver of ifeB. Nor more details, access http'@@www.time.com@time@magaEine@article@>,=6;6,3>6>8>86>5 97<67<,>>.htmlWixEE6+;1sm/K6
126
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH COLLECTIN3 INFORMATION
?esearch for more information about the The Rice "other from various sources (boo$s, *ournals, articles, internet). /eep both hardcopies and softcopies of the references in your course portfolio.
DISCUSSION The novel is divided into several chapters. 1iscuss how the structure of the novel develops the theme. -sing the notes and graphic organiser you have prepared, discuss how the characters, setting, and events reflect the theme(s).
127
8. Bate, K. (7>6>). English literature; A short introduction" ondon' +xford -niversity Cress.
:. Innes, !. . (7>>;). The >ambridge introduction to $ost2colonial literature. 128
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH ondon' !ambridge -niversity Cress.
A%%e!4i0'
(%O O.UE Ear+' Hi*t r' " t&e Da!e* isten' You have heard of the 1anish /ings
12)
in the old days and how they were great warriors. #hield, the son of #heaf, too$ many an enemyLs chair, terrified many a warrior, after he was found an orphan. "e prospered under the s$y until people everywhere listened when he spo$e. "e was a good $ingO #hield had a son, child for his yard, sent by Iod to comfort the people, to $eep them from fear55 Irain was his name& he was famous throughout the .orth. Young princes should do as he did55 give out treasures while theyLre still young so that when theyLre old people will support them in time of war. A man prospers by good deeds in any nation. #hield died at his fated hour, went to Iod still strong. "is people carried him to the sea, which was his last re%uest. In the harbor stood a well5built ship, icy but ready for the sea.
130
They laid #hield there, propped him against the mast surrounded by gold and treasure from distant lands. ILve never heard of a more beautiful ship, filled with shields, swords, and coats of mail, gifts to him for his long trip. .o doubt he had a little more than he did as a child when he was sent out, a na$ed orphan in an empty boat. .ow he had a golden banner high over his head, was, sadly by a rich people, given to the sea. The wisest alive canLt tell where a death ship goes. Irain ruled the 1anes a long time after his fatherLs death, and to him was born the great "ealfdene, fierce in battle, who ruled until he was old. "ealfdene had four children55 "eorogar, "rothgar, "alga the Iood, and a daughter who married +nela, /ing of the #wedes. Hr t&$ar Be# )e* Ki!$ " t&e Da!e* After "rothgar became $ing he won many battles' his friends and family willingly obeyed him&
131
his childhood friends became famous soldiers. #o "rothgar decided he would build a mead5hall, the greatest the world had ever seen, or even imagined. There he would share out to young and old ali$e all that Iod gave him (except for public lands and menLs lives). I have heard that orders went out far and wide& tribes throughout the world set to wor$ on that building. And it was built, the worldLs greatest mead5hall. And that great man called the building J"erot,J the hart. After it was built, "rothgar did what he said he would' handed out gold and treasure at huge feasts. That hall was high5towered, tall and wide5gabled (though destruction awaited, fire and swords of family trouble& and outside in the night waited a tortured spirit of hell). The words of the poet, the sounds of the harp, the *oy of people echoed. The poet told how the world
132
came to be, how Iod made the earth and the water surrounding, how "e set the sun and the moon as lights for people and adorned the earth with limbs and leaves for everyone. "rothgarLs people lived in *oy, happy until that wanderer of the wasteland, Irendel the demon, possessor of the moors, began his crimes. "e was of a race of monsters exiled from man$ind by Iod55 "e was of the race of !ain, that man punished for murdering his brother. Nrom that family comes all evil beings55 monsters, elves, Eombies. Also the giants who fought with Iod and got repaid with the flood. end of episode one
Sa)%+e Hai,u* 133
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH Thinking The whisper of wind "ere today, here tomorrow Always Everywhere. by Brandon . VVVVV I stand on the field ,ith fresh flowers and clean air .ew season& new me 555 Cerfect, pretty face In the center of the crowd Yet alone, and sad by "eather ,. VVVVV Butterflies inside #tanding on the edge, praying Time to ta$e the *ump by Ammon 1. VVVVV earning to Dri&e Yellow lines white lines It shouldnLt be %uiet so hard To stay in between Dri&ing to Eugene ,hite $nuc$les gripping 0y bac$ now soa$ing in sweat Time to pull over by "adley ?. 134
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH VVVVV Alone in the field #unlight sifts through thin branches #hadow on the grass by #helly ,.
135
Answer $ey' Exercise :.6 6. 1enmar$ 7. #hield 9. it was an elaborate funeral, he was put on a ship e%uipped with plenty of fighting gear, gold etc and was set sailed to an un$nown location 3. "rothgar5he was brave who fought many battles and won. "e was concerned in the welfare of his sub*ects :. he was humble, he made is childhood friends heroes in the war ;. the forces of sun, moon, water <. enemy, Iod exiled him from man$ind, he was punished from murdering his brother, he comes from a family of evil beings
Exercise :.7 6. green, spec$ed leg, splash, cool water 7. frog
Exercise :.8
T+ere !"&e ,as a %au%er "ame- .e/ 0+! a&&i-e"tall1 2r!3e +er leg* S+e sli%%e- !" t+e clay. N!t !"&e5 2ut t+ri&e Ta3e "! %it1 !" +er5 I say*
136
TOPIC @
A!a+'*i!$ t&e)e* i! *& rt %+a'*

Ma+a'*ia! S& rt %+a'*
SYNOPSIS /: & ur*1
This topic aims to enhance learners4 s$ill in analysing themes in 0alaysian short plays. It provides some explanation on the bac$ground of the plays including the writers, the plays and their themes. The exercises that follow should provide some immediate #tudents will also need to apply the practice in applying the $nowledge learnt.
$nowledge gained on the theories of iterary !riticism (topics 6 and 7) to the analysis of 0alaysian short plays. The 0alaysian short play studied in this course is Scor)io! Orchid by loyd Nernando published in 6=;:.
Lear!i!$ Out# )e*
At the end of this topic, you should be able to' 8. 1iscuss themes in selected 0alaysian plays. 9. Analyse short plays based on various theories of literary criticism.
137
Theories of iterary criticism 5 historical Theories of iterary criticism 5 cultural #elected 0alaysian plays 5 themes Theories of iterary criticism 5 political Theories of iterary criticism 5 social Theories of iterary criticism 5 gender Theories of iterary criticism H post5 modernism
T&e)e can be defined as the central meaning or dominant idea in a piece of literary wor$ and provides a unifying point around which the plot, characters, setting, point of view, symbols, and other elements of a wor$ are organiEed. A theme refers to the abstract concept that is made concrete through the images, characteriEation, and action of the text. (Nor more details, access this website'5 http'@@en.wi$ipedia.org@wi$i@ThemeUZ7<literatureZ7= )
Toscan (7>>;) believes that different people derive themes of the same play differently depending on their personal (social, moral, political) values. "e adds 138
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH that the playwrights4 personal values are integrated into how they live their lives and these values are reflected in the plays they write.
A theme is the underlying meaning of the play and can be derived by studying the characters, conflicts, and scenes. #ome themes are the alienation of youth in modern society, conflict between appearance and reality, search for personal identity, man4s inhumanity to man, and brea$ing from social conventions.
In this course, the 0alaysian play you will be studying is loyd Nernando4s Scor)io! Orchid (6=;:). Ang (7>>8) raised the concept of a Jnational symbolic field,J the And added that Nernando expresses this vision in a intertwining of history to create a symbolic field of feelings and experiences that can be called national imagination. fractured synthesis modernist novel that brings together historical, cultural, and fictional narratives in
!hiu (7>>8) stated that Scor)io! Orchid is remar$able for its experimental form, combining ,estern and Asian narratives, and for its comprehensive vision of a postcolonial society, set in the 6=3>s, a time of racial tension and nationalistic fervour in an atmosphere charged with the exhilarating anticipation of decolonisation. Nrom a historical point of view, the theme of Scor)io! Orchid is the theme of national birth, racial conflict and ethnic self5 interest. This play is about four young men of different ethnicities who go through racial riots that opened their eyes to their ethnic identities and in the process of growing up from adolescents to adults, their simple, innocent friendship changed forever.
!OLLECTIN3 INFORMATION
13)
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH ?esearch for more information about the Scor)io! Orchid from various sources (boo$s, *ournals, articles, internet). /eep both hardcopies and softcopies of the references in your course portfolio.
DISCUSSION #ummarise the play. -sing the notes and graphic organiser you have prepared, discuss how the characters, setting, and events reflect the theme(s).
TUTORIAL 140
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH ?elate the analysis of the theme(s) on Scor)io! Orchid to Topics 6 and 7 (Introduction to theories of iterary !riticism).
;. Bressler, !.E. (7>6>). iterary criticism; An introduction to theory and $ractice" ondon'Crentice5"all, International Edition.
<. Coplawas$i, C. Eds. (7>>;). English literature in context" !ambridge' !ambridge -niversity Cress.
=. Bate, K. (7>6>). English literature; A short introduction" ondon' +xford 141
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH -niversity Cress.
6>. Bennet, A. (7>>=). An introduction to literature; >riticism and theory" ondon' ongman.
67. Innes, !. . (7>>;). The >ambridge introduction to $ost2colonial literature. ondon' !ambridge -niversity Cress.
142
TOPIC I
A!a+'*i!$ t&e)e* i! ! ve+*

A*ia! ! ve+*
SYNOPSIS
This topic aims to enhance learners4 s$ill in analysing themes in selected Asian novels. It provides some explanation on the bac$ground of the novels including the writers, the novels and their themes. The exercises that follow should provide some immediate practice in applying the $nowledge learnt. #tudents will also need to apply the $nowledge gained on the theories of iterary !riticism (topics 6 and 7) to the analysis of the selected Asian novels. The selected Asian novel you will be studying for this course is The *o+ L%c, Cl%- by Amy Tan, published in 6=<=.
Lear!i!$ Out# )e*
At the end of this topic, you should be able to' 143
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH 8. 1iscuss themes in the selected Asian novels. 9. Analyse novels based on various theories of literary criticism.
Theories of iterary criticism 5 historical Theories of iterary criticism 5 cultural #elected Asian novels 5 themes Theories of iterary criticism 5 political Theories of iterary criticism 5 social Theories of iterary criticism 5 gender Theories of iterary criticism H post5 modernism
The *o+ L%c, Cl%- by Amy Tan is a story about the relationship between mothers and their daughters, set in America, specifically #an Nrancisco, !alifornia. The title of this novel is the name of a mah5*ong club set up by the !hinese mothers. The novel is 144
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH divided into four parts that are further divided into four sections to create sixteen chapters. A parable related to the game of mah5*ong precedes every part of this novel.
The mothers in this novel had tragic pasts in !hina before finally migrating to America, building new families and new lives, with some trials and tribulations of sorts. Their daughters, the first generation born in America, have turbulent relationships with their mothers for various reasons.
The *o+ L%c, Cl%- highlights various themes that are universal including transformation, friendship, and immigrants4 visions of America. Themes are developed via the characters, settings, and events. -nderstanding the cultural, social and historical bac$ground of the characters helps the reader to identify the themes besides en*oying the read.
Nor further information, access '5 http'@@en.wi$ipedia.org@wi$i@TheUKoyU uc$U!lub
COLLECTIN3 INFORMATION
?esearch for more information about the The *o+ L%c, Cl%- from various sources (boo$s, *ournals, articles, internet). /eep both hardcopies and softcopies of the references in your course portfolio.
145
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH EHERCISE 1 Nrom the references, analyse the themes of this novel from the historical, social, cultural and political perspectives. -se the guiding %uestions below to help you to analyse the novel, The *o+ L%c, Cl%-'5 vi. "ow does this story treat the !hinese5American experience2 vii. "ow do the extra5marital love affairs, food, laughter, blood and gore, war, faith and fate, twins, chess, superstition, abandoned children, elopement, and much more help to develop the themes2 viii. "ow do the characters transform and what are the elements that transform them2 ix. ,hat is the role of the society on the characters and the development of the themes2 x. "ow does the historical bac$ground of !hina and America develop the themes2
suitable graphic organiser, present how the themes are developed by the
DISCUSSION #tudy and analyse the characters, settings and events in each section of the novel. themes. 146 -sing the analysis, notes and graphic organiser you have prepared, discuss how politics, society, history and culture influence the development of the
TUTORIAL ?elate the analysis of the theme(s) on The *o+ L%c, Cl%- to Topics 6 and 7 (Introduction to theories of iterary !riticism).
=. Bate, K. (7>6>). English literature; A short introduction" ondon' +xford -niversity Cress.
66. Eagleton, T. (7>><). iterary theory; An introduction. ondon' Blac$well Cublishing. 147
148
TOPIC 18
A!a+'*i!$ t&e)e* i! ! ve+*

Ma+a'*ia! ! ve+*
SYNOPSIS
This topic aims to enhance learners4 s$ill in analysing themes in selected 0alaysian novels. It provides some explanation on the bac$ground of the novels including the writers, the novels and their themes. The exercises that follow should provide some immediate practice in applying the $nowledge learnt. #tudents will also need to apply the $nowledge gained on the theories of iterary !riticism (topics 6 and 7) to the 14)
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH analysis of selected 0alaysian novels. The 0alaysian novel that will be studied in this course is The Rice "other by ?ani 0anic$a published in 7>>8.
Lear!i!$ Out# )e*
At the end of this topic, you should be able to' 8. 1iscuss themes in selected 0alaysian novels. 9. Analyse novels based on various theories of literary criticism.
Theories of iterary criticism 5 historical Theories of iterary criticism 5 cultural Theories of iterary criticism H post5 modernism
#elected 0alaysian novels 5
Theories of iterary criticism 5 political
themes
Theories of iterary criticism 5 social
Theories of iterary criticism 5 gender
150
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH The Rice "other by ?ani 0anic$a centres on a family with turbulent relationships between a mother and her children. The mother, a$shmi faces countless sufferings yet achieves triumphs. The story begins in pre5,orld ,ar II !eylon, when teenager, a$shmi leaves her family and moves to rural /uantan with her new husband, Ayah. #he, an atypical and complex picture of a mother, has six children with her husband. 1uring the Kapanese occupation, a$shmi is very resourceful and seems a formidable force to her children especially Anna. The family brea$s apart after a horrifying incident. a$shmi becomes a fearsome matriarch, towering over her scattered, resentful clan, eventually becoming the rice mother of the title' JThe Iiver of ifeB. Nor more details, access http'@@www.time.com@time@magaEine@article@>,=6;6,3>6>8>86>5 97<67<,>>.htmlWixEE6+;1sm/K6 !OLLECTIN3 INFORMATION
?esearch for more information about the The Rice "other from various sources (boo$s, *ournals, articles, internet). /eep both hardcopies and softcopies of the references in your course portfolio.
EHERCISE 2 151
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH !haracters, settings and events can develop the theme of a play. characters, settings and events. Kustify with evidence from the text. -sing a
DISCUSSION The novel is divided into several chapters. 1iscuss how the structure of the novel develops the theme. -sing the notes and graphic organiser you have prepared, discuss how the characters, setting, and events reflect the theme(s).
TUTORIAL ?elate the analysis of the theme(s) on The Rice "other to Topics 6 and 7 (Introduction to theories of iterary !riticism).
152
TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH =. Bate, K. (7>6>). English literature; A short introduction" ondon' +xford -niversity Cress.
153

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TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

INTRODUCTION TO THEORIES OF LITERARY CRITICISM

Theories of iterary !riticism

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

!ompare your collection with your course5mates.

W&at i* +iterar' #riti#i*)According to ?oger ,ebster (6==:),

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

iterary criticism iterary Text iterary @ critical theory

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

1o you agree with Auden2 ,hy or why not2

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

Literature as &!"te(t S!&ial as%e&ts !' literature Literature as stimulus

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

.ow read up in 0arxist theories.

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

Theories of iterary !riticism

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

Tas$ 7' 1iscuss the importance of literary theory for readers.

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF SHORT STORIES /28t& 6 21*t Ce!tur' Fi#ti !1

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

!ritical Analysis of #hort #tories

American #cott NitEgerald Three hours bet#een $lanes

British Iraham Ireene A little $lace off the Edg#are %oad

Australian "enry awson The house that #as ne&er built

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

?ead the short story below.

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

He remembered1 or thought that he remembered the funny magic in the &oice"

7. ,hat does the narrator imply2

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

:8 su$$ose 8 #as a naughty girl"-

-Funny1 8 don*t remember" ,aybe 8 #anted to forget"-

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

"ow will this, change things2

"ow is this ironical2

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

Is the narrator ma$ing a social commentary here2 If so, what2

,hat does tell this you about .ancy2

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

If .ancy was a Mbad4 girl4, what was 1onald2 Elaborate.

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH this short story.

TSL3102: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

Ta$e a brea$ before you go on to the next section.