SPM Literature: The Curse

Textual Evidence
Chapter 1
Azreen Salleh stepped out blindly from the matrons office.
I have to go home earlier. Ive spoken to the principal. Ill be taking my exams next month.
Chapter 2
For one thing she was glad to be able to have Malaysian food once she reached home.
Nobody would pay her much attention when Madhuri was around.
A short, bespectacled and fiery tempered girl who always spoke her mind.
Who would love an obstinate while who was such a contrast to her beautiful and soft-spoken sister.
Madhuri was always so well liked by everyone.
They had always gone out walking or cycling together around the village.
She would sit on the carrier at the back as Madhuri cycled to the market or the post office.
Have a ride on the back of buffaloes
Passed the fruit plantations they crawled into the plantations to pick rambutans and durians.
Chapter 3
Noor was telling everyone in class today that her mother said that Madhuri had been murdered.
Shes just trying to create a huge scandal
She s like a slimy cobra with a three-forked tongue
She had white blood. We have all been cursed . (Puan ______________)
Azreen had to put up with nuisance of a woman who was chattering non-stop.
Chapter 4
That girls nothing but trouble. Look what she just did-walking without greeting us. How disrespectful.
No wonder her parents sent her away.
I mean, Normala couldnt possibly have seen the body, could she
Rumour
Azreen hates her sister so much that she refused to even write to her.
She is a hateful and ungrateful child and not a drop of remorse about what happened to her mother.
Stupid superstitious woman. She claimed that Madhuri had been murdered and that she had put a
curse on us before she died.
Resentment towards Salleh Abdullah
He knew I would be back today and he refused to let me have anything to do with it. He did it to spite
me. He wouldnt let me see her off.
Attitudes towards Azreen
Even Sitis parents had forbidden her from befriending Azreen Saleh when they were in school.
Azreen > troublemaker , but whenever Siti met the girl, she saw nothing of the devil.
In Sitis opinion, those at the receiving end usually deserved it.
Foster parents
Azreen was chosen for an exchange programme in Penang.
Azreen got along well with her foster parents, their relationship continued after the two-month
programme.

 Datin Sharifah and her husband even sponsored her studies overseas, and treated her very much like
their own girl.
Azreens mother
Have you come to sell us some fruit? < _____________________
What has the disease done to you, Mak? <______________________
I missed you.We must celebrate. Tell your sister Madhuri to prepare a big lunch.
_____________________________________________
Azreen took her mother to Madhuris funeral but Salleh Abdullahs face was as black as the heavy
clouds.
The hockey team/ Meeting of ____________
He was two years older, a prefect, smart, handsome, with a big friendly smile. He is well-liked, people
swarm around him like flies to a garbage can.
____________________?
Azreen was invited to replace the injured team mate of Asraf, Hock Seng.
I saw you playing hockey with Leela and her friends that day <_______________
Chapter 5
Azreen met Asraf at the market and saw that he was still handsome as ever except with two dark
circles. >_________________________
Azreen realized that people at the market might gossip about him holding Asrafs wrist or eavesdrop
their conversation.
Asraf told Azreen that Haji Ghani and his men had clear up the scene very quickly and assumed Haji
Ghani must have arranged that beforehand.
Madhuri shield Azreen from her fathers beating even after her fingers got burned due to Azreens
playfulness. (pg 50)
Mother spoke incoherently about Madhuri was facing some kind of danger.
Puan Normala affirmed other women that Madhuris death was actually a murder and they were all
cursed.
Chapter 6
Madhuri sweet-looking girl, respectful to the elders, pretty, good rendition of the syair,
The Indian boy spotted the body in the rubber estate and rushed to inform the headman.
People rumored that Madhuri died from the attack of wild animals but the Old Lady saw a wound
inflicted by a blade.
The cause of the murder was deliberately covered up.
Her stomach growled but she bit her lip. She was not going to let them win.
Smiling appreciatively, she unwrapped the kuih and devoured it. (mischief of Azreen)
Dont blame yourself , Azreen. I know it was not your fault. So dont blame yourself over it. (motherly
love is always forgiving)
You know how much I love you no matter what ___________
Azreen helped her to the bed. She tucked her limp leg under the pillows. She bent to kiss her mothers
forehead.________________
Im dying dearplease promise not to cry too much. Take care of your father. _______________
In order to buy a motorbike, Asraf tried to get a job at Encik Mohans farm. __________________
Azreen tried to defend Asraf when the farm owner overpowered Asraf and accused him of not latching

the gate. (braveness to stand up for friend)

Azreen found torn pictures of Madhuri, Who did this?_______________
I never gave you permission to enter here. Leave this room as it is. __________________ (pg.85)
My father is accusing me of deserting them. ______________________
Mak Cik Sharifah will be helping out with all my allowances there. But I will pay them back every sen, I
swear. ( strength and independence manifested by Azreen)
He built a ramp from the veranda so that she could get in and out of the house easily.
_________________
THE PAST OF THE OlD LADY
- Suffered in the hands of alcoholic and abusive husband.
- Her husband has just stressed out ever since he lost that job on the main island.
- Treated by her husband with violence. He kneed her in the stomach and kicked her when she went
down.
- She was even slashed in the neck with a broken bottle by her angered husband.
- Despite all the torture, she smiles and tells everyone that it is a silly accident on her part.
- Eventually, when she can no longer tolerate, she struck her husband with a knife in the kitchen when
he starts to force on her.
- Even though, she was released by the police for being innocent, she still faces pointed fingers, harsh
words and friends who avoided her like a leper.
- Instead of abandoning herself to despair, she finds a deserted house and stays in the jungle to get
away from all the gossips and the curious stares.
- She then onwards leads an independent and carefree life in the jungle all alone
Chapter 7
Asraf was worried over her grandmothers fever but she kept assuring him that she would be fine after
a nap.
When Puan Normala tried to borrow some eggs from Pn. Fatihah, she overheard her quarrel with Haji
Ghani. She discovered that in fact, Pn. Fatihah had been biting Madhuris head off with jealousy.
Datin Sharifah called to check on Azreens condition and told her that they couldnt visit her.
Her father rarely spoke to her and would only grunt, grumble and shout at her at the slightest blunder
> the dead chicken
Haji Ghani walked up slowly to his late wifes tombstone, blind and deaf to his surroundings. He cried
in front of her grave.
Chapter 8
Azreens mother passed away with a serene little smile on her face.
Azreen burned a favourite basket of her mother out of mischief and in order to replace with a new one,
she and Madhuri made a new one throughout the night. The mother later went in and joined them in
weaving the basket. ______________________?
Pn. Fatihah visited the bomoh on the sly, trying to ask for a charm to win her husband back. She got a
charm from Awang, the bomoh, before Madhuri married to Haji Ghani. But she did not use the charm in
the end for she feared that it was against Islamic teachings.
She was troubled by the fact that she did not give birth to any children to her husband and worried
about her fading youth. (deepening lines, crows feet, sagging skin and double chin)

I was a nave womanI gave everything, my life, my money and my future to my husband. ..In the end
I lost my identity.
You said its like a doctor would not dreaming of giving medicine herbs without doing the same thing.
And you once said you wont forgive yourself if the herbs you give do more harm than goods.
________________________
I dont care what the villagers would do. You let me take care of thatYoull come to the village and
do your best to heal her. I wont take no for answer.________________________
I am happy. Contented with life. And I wouldnt be if I still held a grudge. there is nothing more
liberating in receiving forgiveness than giving it. _____________________________
Chapter 9
Puan Fatihah had barely recovered from her shock the other day but she was a strong woman,and
she woke up early to prepare a feast for her husband. _______________________
Siti went over to visit Nek but she couldnt stay too long with the Old Lady around.
You have been affected since you made friends with the witch.. ______________
Why must you pollute our peaceful village with a pariah who does not belong here?
..the rain started even before the Old Lady came into town, Azreen argued__________
Pn Normala brought a crowd to confront Azreen for bringing the Old Lady into the village.
Go home, Normala. Ill deal with my daughter as I see fit _______________________
Azreen stood firm against Pn Normalas threat.
Chapter 10
Theyve convinced him that its the Old Ladys doing. Theyre saying that she had deliberately
poisoned Nek.
Seven men with torched in their hands were shouting outside the Old Ladys house.
Superstition and fear of supernatural prevented them from physically hurting the Old Lady.
Incident
His hoe slipped from his hand. He glanced at her only briefly and picked it up again. Azreen placed
herself in front of the broken door. Dont, Asraf. Please dont do this.
He did not appear to recognize her. He brandished the torch threateningly at her.
Move away. This has nothing do to with you.
When she refused to budge, he growled and with a forceful lunge, he pushed her away. She fell on a
pile of gardening tools. Before her eyes, he raised the hoe again and whacked the door open. She
found a spade next to her, grabbed it and stabbed at his foot. He folded over in pain.
He dropped the hoe and the torch fell and rolled towards the wall of the house. And as they watched in
horror, the fire caught at the wooden hall and with a sudden spark, it rose hungrily like an unstoppable
giant.
Azreen pushed him away, got up and crashed into the house. The fire grew fast and furious, the smoke
blinded her and choked her. She rushed to the Old Lady lying beside her stove.
When Im gone, promise me that youll remember all Ive taught you. And you must learn to forgive
before its too late
A hand grabbed her from behind, dragging her out and as she lay helplessly on the front yard, the
structure collapsed. (______________saved her)
She beat him, scratched him and kicked him till she broke down in exhaustion. Why?

__________________________________________________________
I was devastated. I lost my mind for a while. I didnt mean to burn down the Old Ladys place. I just
wanted Nek back. _______________
Awang told Azreen that both Abdul Salleh and Haji Ghani found out about Madhuris relationship with
Asraf and Haji Ghani tried to keep her murder a secret. __________________?
She stared at him in bewilderment. Was all that talk for this? A mere sales pitch to sell his spells and
incantations? She could not believe she most fell for it. ________________________
I dont know why you did what you did. It was a very brave and selfless act. _______________
Ive burnt some charms around your house; .they are supposed to cast away ill luck
______________________________
The chicken with the broken neck was thrown away by Awang.
Madhuris father left her mother and so her mother became penniless and mad thus leaving the baby
in the paddy field while she looked for the scraps.
Many villages saw her and thought she was a ghost. _____________
Chapter 11
She would not felt the pain of a mother incapable of providing for her baby and the agony she felt
when her daughter was taken from her.
Saleh was nearly done and was about to cut through the estate to get back to the house when he saw
them.
He first saw her. And he could see that the man was not her husband. He saw them embrace. Salehs
hand gripped the hilt of his parang savagely.
Madhuri turned and was shocked to see him approaching. He called her an insolent, ungrateful child.
He was so fumed that he flashed the blade in a flurry.
Chapter 12
Azreen visited her familys grave before she left.
Earlier that morning, she had hiked up to the tiny spot at the hillside where the old lady was buried and
left a flower too.
Datin Sharifahs voice was much gentler than usual and her normally energetic hand was tender as
she touched Azreens shoulder.
2011 Topic: Write about the part of the story you like most.
About Character(s)
1. Write about a character that you like(admire)/ the most interesting/dislike the character you hate most
. Provide evidence to support your reasons.
2. Write about a character that you sympathise with. Provide evidence to support your reasons
3. Write about a character who is responsible/determined in the novel you have read. Provide evidence
from the novel to support your answer.
4. Write about the quality of loyalty between two characters in the novel. Give examples to support your
answer.
5. Write about a strong/sturdy friendship/( how the characters help each other in times of difficulty)
shown in the novel. Provide textual evidence to support your answer.
6. Write about a character that you look up to/respect (a role model)/you can trust in the novel you have
read. Provide evidence from the novel to support your answer.
7. Write about a character in the novel you study that show strength in surviving difficulties/one

character that faces a challenge and overcomes it/one character that showed determination and
courage..
8. Write about the positive and negative qualities of the main character.
9. About Themes
10. Write about the importance of forgiveness. Provide evidence from the text to support your answer.
1. Write about one theme that is found in the novel that you have read. Discuss how the theme is
portrayed.
11. Being responsible is one of the important values shown in the novel. Give instances of events in
which this event is valued.
12. Family love stands the test of all conflicts. Give an account of how family love is portrayed in the
novel. Give examples to support your answer.
13. About Events
14. Write about a memorable/important/( important event that makes you learn) event and how the
event affects one of the characters in the novel.
15. Write about how the characters help each other in times of difficulty. Provide evidence from the text
to support your answer.
16. Write about a sad event. Provide evidence from the text to support your answer.
17. Write about a happy event. Provide evidence from the text to support your answer.
18. Write about a an exciting event. Provide evidence from the text to support your answer.
19. Write about a happy event. Provide evidence from the text to support your answer.