CHAPTERS SUMMARY : SING TO THE DAWN

Chapter One:

Dawan and Kwai sat on the rickety old bridge above the river
Dawan asked Kwai what would he do if he got the scholarship
Dawan felt that she would not get the scholarship because she is a girl, instead Kwai might get the
scholarship
Talked about how unfair it is that the sacks of rice stacked up beneath the house is for the tax collector
Their parents thought that it was foolish and wasteful to send girls to school
Chapter Two:

Teacher asked students what they saw beneath their house in the morning
Had a long discussion with the students about the landlord taking away sacks of rice beneath their

houses

A student spotted the headmaster heading to their class and the student shouted "he's coming"
Teacher and student immediately pretended that they are having Geography lessons until the
headmaster went away
Teacher and student discussed what they should do if they won the scholarship
Teacher announced that Dawan won the scholarship
Chapter Three:

Classmates surrounded Dawan as soon as they heard that she won the scholarship
Kwai was unhappy and sad that Dawan won the scholarship instead of him
Dawan told her family that she got the scholarship and that made her parents angry. Her father was
especially angry and said that she took her own brother's chance away from him.
Dawan's grandmother however supported her
Dawan and her grandmother headed to Noi's house and halfway, Dawan's mother decided to go with
Dawan instead of her grandmother
Chapter Four:

Noi said that going to the city was useless

Army officer made deal with Noi's family in order not to bring Ghan to the army
Chapter Five:

Kwai realised that Noi and Ghan do not support Dawan in going to the city
Kwai came in second in the examination
If Dawan does not go to the city, Kwai gets to go instead of her
Chapter Six:

Dawan's father didn't want her to go to the city

Kwai asked his father if he had won the scholarship, would he allow him to go to the city
Kwai's dad thought that boys going to the city to futher his studies would be better than girls

Chapter Seven:

Dawan went to the marketplace alone and met a girl that sells lotus bud and caged sparrows
Dawan realised that the girl, Bao, was the sister of her classmate

Chapter Eight:

Dawan went to see the old monk

Dawan's teacher and the old monk are good friends
Old monk does not really see why Dawan should go to the city school

Chapter Nine:

Bao allowed Dawan to free a bird for free

Bao's brother, Vichai, came to the market stall and hit her because she freed a bird for free
Kwai stopped Vichai from hitting Bao
After realising that Bao knew about what happened between Dawan and Kwai, Kwai wanted to slap

Bao

Kwai pushed Dawan away when she tried to stop Kwai, unfortunately she landed on top of a pile of
broken bird cages, injuring herself
Cousin Noi helped Dawan with her wound
Chapter Ten:

Dawan and Kwai were at the river

Kwai was thinking about Dawan's words, about him being a bully
Dawan passed Kwai her umbrella caringly as it was raining
Kwai made a decision

Chapter Eleven:

Kwai's father heard from his teacher that he got second in the test and was angry at Kwai for not telling
him so

Father spoke to both Kwai and Dawan together

Father was very reluctant and unconvinced that Dawan should go to the city school
After much persuasion from Dawan and Kwai, father finally allowed Dawan to go to the city school

Chapter Twelve:

Kwai will miss Dawan once she goes to the city school, no one will be there to watch the sunrise with
him
Chapter Thirteen:

At first Dawan was unsure if she wanted to leave as she will miss everything in her village
After her grandmother talked to Dawan, she decided to go
When she was boarding the bus to go to the city, Kwai was nowhere to be seen
Although many people in the village sent her off, she was not happy as Kwai was not there

During the bus journey, she saw Kwai on the bridge that they usually went to, he was waving at her.
Bidding goodbye
Synopsis

The story is about a young Thai girl called Dawan who wins a scholarship to study in a city
school. She faces the disapproval of her father who thinks that studying is not for girls and
she should give the scholarship to her brother as he is second in the test. Dawan tries
many ways to convince her father to let her pursue her studies.
Dawan tries to convince her father that he should give her a chance to study. When she
approaches anyone for help, she keeps on failing but she never gives up and continues to
do so and succeed in her mission. Even though she failed many times, she manages to
convince her father in the end. When the bus arrives, she almost changes her mind
because she is going to miss singing to the dawn. After her grandmother convinces her,
she decides to go.
The story ends with Dawan sitting on the bus going to the city. When she passes the
bridge, she sees her brother, Kwai singing the song that they sing every dawn. Then, she
sings together with Kwai until she cannot see Kwai anymore. Next, she looks at the lotus
flower her grandmother gives her to convince her to go. As she sees it unfold, she
becomes more convinced her grandmother is right, she should go to the city, like the
lotus unfolding.
SETTING
1. Dawan's house
2. The river, the bridge and the narrow path leading to the river
3. The village school
4. Noi's house
5. Bao's flower stall in the market palce
6. The temple
7. The bus
8. The City School
CHARACTERS
1. Dawan
2. Kwai
3.Dawan's father
4. Dawan,s mother
5. Grandmother
6. Cousin Noi anad Ghan
7. Bao
8. The teacher
9. The head monk
10. Vicahai
11. Mr Phaspras
12. The landlord
13. The villagers
14. The village students
15. Takchit
16. The headmaster of the village school

THEMES
1. Family love
2. Poverty
3. Gender discrimination
4. Responsibility
5. Sibling rivalry
6. Being fair and just
7. Standing up for what is right
MORAL VALUES
1. Do not be jealous of our siblings' success
2. Love our family members
3. Be responsible
4. Be helpful
5. Be fair and just
6. Be rational
7. Be hardworking and courageous