Tanjong Rhu
Character Analysis
Synopsis
Tanjong Rhu is a story about the relationship between Mr
T.W. Li, a rich man in the shipping business and his mother,
Ah Ma.
Mr Lis office is located at Shenton Way is as modern as he
is. His mother however, is a woman who had held strongly
to her traditional way of life with strong religious beliefs and
adheres to old customs. They however, have a very strong
bond between them. The story began with Mr Li having
bought a pair of binoculars that he had hoped would help his
mother see the faraway place of his childhood from his
office window.
Mr Lis excitement was dashed when the binoculars failed to
serve its purpose as Ah Ma failed to see the faraway view of
Tanjong Rhu. Mr Li had wanted to have Ah Ma go through an
operation to remove her cataracts so that it would improve
her vision, but Ah Ma had vehemently refused. He had
hoped that the binoculars would greatly help her see better.
However, Ah Ma could not see anything through the
binoculars and all she could see was the Tanjong Rhu of the
past; from her memories. She started telling him what she
saw, wanting him to remember how it was way back then
before he grew up into the serious businessman that he is
today. Mr Li couldnt remember every exact details of his
childhood. He wanted to ask Ah Ma, but by the time he
wanted to ask, Ah Ma was already semi-conscious in a
hospital bed as she was close to death.
The story ends with Mr Li in the altar room, placing Ah Mas
photograph next to his fathers photograph atop the altar.
He wanted to light some joss sticks but he couldnt open the
drawer where they were kept. That was when he
remembered how things had been when he was little, with
his mother when they were living in Tanjong Rhu.
Characters Analysis
Mr T. W. Li (Edward) 63 years old
The owner of a successful shipping busines
A modern man as he is said to be quite
physical appearance dying his graying ha
Came from a struggling family whose fath
ship builder
Has a strong bond with his mother
Loves his mother very much and respects h
Not pleased when his daughter disrespects
Worked hard for his success but unwilling
having earned it the hard way, preferring p
had inherited his wealth (pg19)
Mrs Li (Helen) Not much is known of her
A lady of leisure has afternoon tea partie
friends
Thinks her husbands gesture of buying t
for their grown up children as silly
Ah Ma An elderly woman
Small and thin, with grey hair and a bent ba
Not into material belongings things y
not need. (pg20)
mother of nine, grandmother of thrit
grandmother of seventeen. (page22)
Likes to stick to her old routine Now, in
her eldest sons house, she spent her e
chickens. (pg22)
Stubborn has cataract but unwilling to go
Nostalgic she could see snippets of th
memories (pg28)
Set in her ways follows her daily ritua
never rushing through them (pg25)
Strong-willed -
Resourceful
 statement If we have to do something, she said with the
Ah Ying Mr Lis second child loud solemnity which he reserved for the altar room we
Probably 18 years of age as she wasmust do itfor
leaving right.
NewIf York
I amto to visit your place of work, I must tell
your father about it. Carefully, she unlocked the top drawer
enter college soon
of her special desk, where she kept everything she needed
An intelligent young woman of a modern day Singapore
for the altar: small wine cups, gold sheets, candles and joss
Out-spoken sticks. (pg25)
Fearless
Can be quite insolent to the grandmother
- tried rushing Ah Ma through her rituals (pgs 25 26)
- Peeled back Ah Mas eyelids to Theconvince her father that
importance of tradition
Ah Ma is awake (pg31) In todays modern time, the younger generation does not
Genuinely cares about Ah Ma (pgs 30-33)
waste time thinking about tradition. They do not practice
- She is constantly by Ah Mas sidemuch
whenof she
it since
wasitdeathly
will only take a lot of their precious time.
ill in the hospital They fail to see how it embodies their identity and where
they came from in
- She gave blood unlike the rest of her relatives who gave life.
burial cloths
In the story we saw how Ah Ma was steadfast in her
adherence to customs and tradition. She did not let Ah Ying
get her way and rushing her through her daily rituals.
Themes

Traditional habits and ceremonies

Current patterns and behaviour.
This story focuses on Singaporean Chinese life which
contrasts in terms of traditional and modern.
Tanjong Rhu is a port in Singapore where the writer sets as
the place that the protagonist of the story spent his
childhood in.
The main theme of this story is the distinction between
traditional habits and ceremonies and modish patterns and
behaviour
In the story, the Chinese tradition as praying to the ancestor
and the dead has been mentioned as an important element.
From the description of the writer, we know that the
protagonist, Mr Lis mother values the importance of this
traditional practice. This can be proven by Ah Mas
The strong bond between mother and child
It is evident throughout the story that Mr Li loves his mother
very much and concerned of her well-being; he had a
special place for Ah Mas chickens in his back yard, he
wanted to have Ah Ma go through an operation to clear up
her cataracts, he bought Ah Ma a pair of binoculars for her
to see his ships, and he was very upset when Ah Ying was
disrespectful of Ah Ma in her modern ways, he lets her have
her way when she wants to take her time worshipping in
their altar room that he was late for work.
Nostalgia
There were numerous mentions of the life they had in the
past. Ah Ma was nostalgic when she was forced to see the
boats from Mr Lis office when she couldnt see anything.
She pretended that she could see Mr Li , a skinny little boy
running by the beach, catching crabs, she herself walking
along close by with an old basket filled with crabs thy had
caught together.