Name: Krishna Class: 1G

Modified Passage-based Question (25m)

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow it.

Old Grandmother lay on her bed, stiffening a little, her W

small bright eyes
fixed suspiciously on the door when she thought she head foot-steps outside,
N

but falling back in relief when she remembered that the whole family had gone
out for the afternoon, and there would be nobody to disturb her.
Disturb her! “They seemed bent on just that,” thought old grandmother 5
bitterly, Why must that daughter-in-law of hers be plaguing the likes out of her,
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wanting to get rid of the things in her room – her table, her cupboard, her bed!
“My very altar – she would fling my ancestral tablets out of the window if
she could,” thought old grandmother angrily.
And the bitterness gave way to an overwhelming sadness so that old 10
grandmother moaned and rocked from side to side in abject misery. From her
teenage days, she had had the habit of speaking aloud her sorrows even
when the sobs made speech incoherent. She did so now, recollecting the
griefs of her life, first in choking agony, and gradually, as the sobs subsided,
in a kind of mournful sing-song. -
Evidence (ix 15
“I am only a poor old widow. My sons and daughters do not care for me.
They argue with one another about whose turn it is to take me in. They think
I cannot understand the foreign language they speak but I know all that they
are saying.
They do not want me because I am old and sick and cannot take care of 20
their children anymore. They have forgotten I am their mother. They even want
to take my things away from me and throw them away.
Have I no right to keep the things that were given to me by my mother?
What is so wrong with this cupboard that it must be thrown away? What is so
wrong with this bed that I have slept in for 60 years now? My bed – she hates 25
- Karen
it and wants to destroy it. I cannot bear it. I shall die.” And old grandmother’s
head dropped on one side, as she continued to moan to herself.
“Bugs. Filth, that’s why,” said Karen to her husband, trying to keep down
~Evidence
her temper by clenching her hands, so that her beautifully varnished nails dug
into the flesh of her palm. “Do you know, Sai Khong,” she called him Sai Khong 30
whenever she was angry, otherwise it was darling or sweetheart. “Do you
know that her bed is so infested with bugs that the creatures have actually
invaded the childrens’ room? I found four in Carol’s mattress this morning, and
two in Ricky’s.”
Extract from “Monster”, Little Ironies by Catherine Lim 35

15
 3

Disappointed, red
I

-Anger,
i. How does Grandmother feel towards her children in this passage? Support
your responses with relevant examples from the given passage.

ii. What does this passage reveal to you about Karen? Support your responses
with relevant examples from the given passage.

iii. Choose one other occasion in the story where you feel strongly towards
Karen in the story and explain why you feel that way.

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Question (i) :
Grandmother feels neglected and abandoned by her children. This is evident from sentences
like "They do not want me because I am old and sick and cannot take care of their children
anymore" and "They even want to take my things away from me and throw them away." She
also mentions that her children argue whose turn it is to take care of her which means that
they see her as a burden. Thus Grandmother feels that her children do not care for her when
she did as their mother. She also feels her daughter-in-law, Karen, wants to get rid of her
belongings, especially her bed which angers Grandmother.

Question (ii)
This passage reveals that Karen is very cautious about cleanliness. Karen expresses her
frustration towards Grandmother's bed, which she believes is infested with bugs. She refers to the
bed as “monster” suggesting that it is that unclean it seems like a beast. Karen uses the term "Sai
Khong" on her husband instead of her usual "Darling" when the bugs were found in her children's
rooms. This indicates that Karen is very concerned about uncleanliness especially if they pose a
risk to her children's health. Moreover, Karen's action of clenching her hands to control her
temper and digging her nails into her palm demonstrates her struggle to keep her cool when its
about cleanliness.