Literature Novel Practice

Practice 1
Based on the novel you have studied, which character do you sympathise with? Give reasons for
your answer with close reference to the text.

RECOMMENDED OUTLINE

State the novel you have studied and the author.

Name the character you sympathise with. Give some information about the character in the story.

Give three reasons to support your answer.

Give textual evidence to support each of the three reasons.

Model Answer

The novel, Sing to the Dawn by Mingfong Ho, is about Dawan, a young Thai girl who lives in the
village with her family. She won first place in a test and was announced as the winner of a
scholarship, giving her an opportunity to pursue her studies in a City school. Her brother, Kwai, came
in second after her. Both of them have great ideas of using their education to improve life in the
village. The character whom I sympathise with in the novel is Dawan.

Instead of getting support and encouragement for her achievement, Dawan faces anger and
rejection from her family. Her father is angry with her because he wants his son to get the
scholarship. Her mother does not encourage her because she thinks it is foolish to give her hope.
Cousin Noi whom she approached for help refused to help her. Even her own brother turned against
her. My heart goes out to Dawan who has no one to turn to in her hour of need.

Dawan’s close relationship with Kwai suffers because her brother is jealous of her success. He
threatens to take the scholarship from her, making her worried and defensive. The conflict between
them worsens with Dawan thinking ‘It’s either him or me.’ His betrayal causes her pain. She even
gets hurt physically when Kwai pushes her, causing her to injure to her ankle. Her brother’s betrayal
must have hurt Dawan a lot.

Thirdly, Dawan is sad to leave home. After all, she is only fourteen years old and she is leaving her
home for the first time. She will be alone in the ‘ugly, cruel city’. She will also be far away from
nature which she loves. The young girl must have felt terribly insecure and fearful to leave all that is
familiar behind.

For these reasons, I sympathise with Dawan. She has to struggle to pursue her dream. By right, she
should have received support from her family and her community. She will also face a lot of
challenges in her new life in the city.
Practice 2
Using the details from the novel you have studied, suggest one character in the novel whom you
think is a good role model for teenagers and give reasons for your choice.

Practice 3
Based on the novel you have studied, write about a character who is caring. Give reasons for your
answer with close reference to the text.