The similaraties and the differences

The similaraties and the differences in these two stories are will be analyze through
the problems of the girls. In the stories both of them are
a) innocent
b) naivety
c) live in poverty
d) exploited by the elders.
While the differences are one of the girls is
a) blind,
b) happy as a dancer,
c)inability to communicate with the elders.
The story ended with tragic and bleak future in their lives.

The Poverty

In Just a Girl, because of the poverty her parents wanted to give their daughter to
someone in town. Whereby her father was old and weak In addition, her father
believed in Bomoh to see the luck. He was so desperate in his life and could not
bear it anymore so as a result he had to sent her daughter away to fine a better
life.Lee Kok Liang writes; we are not getting enough rice now, and I still owe the
rich ones five kunchas of rice. While in Glittering Game, to support the life Mei Fong
was sold to a woman who promised to his grandfather regular sums monthly. These
two example show the lack of responsibility of the elders and leads to the
exploitation of the girls.

Exploitation

These two young girls in the stories had been exploited by the elders . Poverty is
made as a reason to sent them away. This elders did not show their guilty or loving
to their daughter or granddaughter. The elders took an advantage on the naivety of
the girls. Because of her loyalty to her grandfather Mei Fong did whatever she had
told. From the beginning her grandfather asked her to dance infront of his friends.
And when the earth was cool with the rains, her grandfather gathered his old friends
in the hall.She had to go with the woman to support his grandfathers life. Lee Kok
Liang describes: Although she now missed her grandfather, she did not complain
she knew she was helping him.

Naivety

In Just a girl, her innocent made her afraid of her father and she believed of the wise
keramat. When she knew her father was angry, she will hold a mirror whereby she
believed the mirror could do so many things such as magical power. If one meet a
tiger-man in the jungle, one should hold out a mirror. The tiger-man would change
into an old man, and he would show all his treasures. And there were many stars in
the cave, for he store up all the stars that fallen from the sky.
In Glittering Game , Mei Fong is a very naivety girl. She dont even know she had
been exploited by the elders. She felt happy to replace the senior dancer Ruby
Ho.Even though the conjurer prohibited her not to go to the runway but she was
happy to do so. This can
be observe from this conversation,
I am going out to runway tonight. Really I am going out .But you mustnt go on the
runway, Why, youre so young, its ridiculous. Why cant I? Whats wrong? Dont
you understand? You must dance on the stage only.. And get away from this place
as soon as you can. Oh youre silly. Theres nothing wrong! I like to go out there.
Dont you know, they cheered Loobee a lot when she went out there. I heard myself.
It makes me so happy.

She had been cheated by Ruby about the cut. It just a reason to make Mei Fong
went out to dance that night.

Blind

The character in Just a Girl is blind. She only could feel the environment by her
sense of hearing and touching. Her dream was to find the moon. She believed what
everyone said about the moon. Everyone said the moon was lovely. The moon was
kind. She used her sense of hearing to feel the situation around her. Such as;
She sat outside upon the steps, and when it became cooler she knew her father
and mother would soon be back .She could hear the goats, hens and men making
noise everywhere, and knew someone shouted out at her, and she would return to
the cry. She heard the creaks of basket, and she knew it was father.

Inability to communicate

The character in Just a Girl is blind. She only could feel the environment by her
sense of hearing and touching. Her dream was to find the moon. She believed what
everyone said about the moon. Everyone said the moon was lovely. The moon was
kind. She used her sense of hearing to feel the situation around her. Such as;
She sat outside upon the steps, and when it became cooler she knew her father
and mother would soon be back .She could hear the goats, hens and men making
noise everywhere, and knew someone shouted out at her, and she would return to
the cry. She heard the creaks of basket, and she knew it was father.

Happy girl

Mei Fong was a happy girl and like to dance.It stated in the beginning of the story .
She was young and what was more, she liked to dance.
She remembered how she had dance among the vegetable patches at the back of
her father hut as she watered the beans.
She longed to go to them and dance for them. Everything seemed so complete.
When she went away with the woman she felt wonderful because she was able to
dance every night.

Tragic end

In Just a girl, Lee Kok Liang ended the story in a tragic way.The girl sense of
insecurity grips on her spiritually made she wanted to escape from her parents. The
escapism leads her to her death by drowning herself in search for the moon in the
river. Lee Kok Liang writes,
They said she could find the moon if the moon if she went to the river .She had
tried so much to find the moon in the sky, but when she raised her head there was
nothing.

Perhaps this time she could find it in the river. She bent her head down. She
did not want to go to the big house in the town. She wanted to stay here and find
the moon.. The water was cold when she lowered herself down from the bathing
stage.

The girl could not accept her parents decision and she think she felt safe if could
find the moon because she believed the moon is kind.

Bleak future

As she was sold to the be a dancer in the club she could not go anywhere. Her
future is in the club as a dancer and to entertain the crowd that come every night.
She was too young and had to spend the rest of her life there. This line shows,
Listen to me! This is my place. You are under me. The conjurer said , one day if you
want to be a really good dancer , you must be like a bird, sitting in the cage with the
wings gone, trained and trained again until it would not to fly away any more. She
did all this because of his grandfather. She will feel guilty if she refused to dance in
that club and her grandfather wont get the money to survive.

She knew the reality what the conjurer had told her why she never dance on the
runway. She felt very upset with what Mr. Tiew had done to her. The old man
quickly stood up and pulled at the bright shining strips around her waist. Mei Fong
was startled. She was helpless. She could not bear with the unceasing laughter and
with a cry she rushed up to the stage and vanished into the wings.

Birthday

It was her 25th birthday. Uncle Teng from the northern village came to have a look
on her for the possibility of marriage. At dinner time, she clumsyly spilled some
curry on Uncle teng's trousers. It was the cockroach that made her to spill the curry.
She would be the spinster her whole life.
BIRTHDAY BY LEE KOK LIANG
THEME
unsuccessful arrange marriage
unlucky woman
PLOT
1.Exposition
She was staring at the window when her grandmother call her to come down to
meet their guest (uncle Teng). Then,she crept up the loft and open a coconut box on
a table and counted pieces of red string, thats when she realised that she's already
25th years old and yet no one remember it. She climbed down the ladder and
entered her room at lit a candles then examined her reflection. She realised,that
she was not as good looking as a-bride-to-be supposed to look.
2.Rising action
C.B (unknown relationships),came down in a lousy way and sat down beside uncle
teng then.Both of them were having a conversations about girls that was when C.B
said that 'She' doesnt have red lips as her grandmothers. She went to the fire place
and raked the fire again thats when she saw cockroach on the firewood crawling
down to her grandmother place.
3.Climax
The rice was simmering and its time for her to prepared for the curry(special menu
of the night) only for her to accidently spilled over to Uncle tengs trousers. Her
grandmother was absolutely upsets and scolded her.
4. Falling action
She was not going to be having her dinner as her grandmother ordered,she sat at
the pile of firewood while they finish the dinner,After Uncle Tengs gone,she quickly
wash her face and runs upstairs.
5. Resulotions
She ran to her room and pretended not to hear her grandmother called. Her
grandmother climd upstairs to her room and there she was being scolded again with
mean mean words. She was being called 'clumsy bitch' and curses to be a spinster
for the rest of her life.

8:59 PM

ferasmazaidh said...

Themes

The abuse of young woman

- Grandmother treat the protagonist character very bad.
- Grandmother do not allowed her to eat after she had spilled the curry over Uncle
Teng trouser.

Forgiving
- Uncle Tang is a forgiveness person because he is able to forgive the child
accidentally action for spilled the curry.

Characters

The protagonist
- her parent had dead and the protagonist is take care by her grandmother
- obey to her grandmother
- being abuse by his grandmother and trapped in the house
- the protagonist's marriage has been planned by protagonist's grandmother
example: the protagonist's grandmother planned an arrange marriage for her with
Uncle Teng.

Grandmother
- protagonist's grandmother
- strict and sometimes fierce
- match maker
- kind to Uncle Teng

Uncle Teng
- kind person
- caring
- tolerate person
- forgiving man

C.B.
- a child
- enjoy joking with Uncle Teng .
Example: laughing with Uncle Teng after they talk about C.B.'s future wife and
modern girls.

8:59 PM

ferasmazaidh said...

Birthday by Lee Kok Liang

Summary
The short story entitled Birthday that was written by Lee Kok Liang is a story about
a Chinese woman aged 25 years old that is living with her grandmother. Her
grandmother is always controlling her life. Although she is already 25 years old, she
is not married yet. According to her tradition, a girl should be married by the age of
18. It was her 25th birthday. But nobody remembers her birthday. Uncle Teng from
the northern village came to have a look on her for the possibility of marriage. At
dinner time, she clumsily spilled some curry on Uncle Teng's trousers. It was the
cockroach that made her to spill the curry. Her grandmother scolded her for the
simple mistake and says that she will be a spinster for the rest of her life.

The Chinese Culture

Today, we are having discussion on Birthday written by Lee Kok Liang. The
protagonist in that story is not named but I know that she is from a Chinese family.
In the story, her grandmother is getting really mad with her as she is prepared for
an arranged married and yet she spoils the impression of the man, Uncle Teng
toward her at the first meet by dropping the curry accidentally on his trousers..
Chinese culture mostly put stress on respecting elder and guest. Therefore, it is not
a surprise to see her grandmothers impression toward her for that. Besides, most
Chinese also take things seriously when it comes to give hospitality to their guest.
They always want to give their best so that people will not look down upon them

Themes

The theme in the short story is social life. In the Chinese culture, it is important to
respect the eldest. They also believe in arranged marriage. They also believed that
a young girl must get marry as they reach the age 18. If they didnt get marry by
the age 18, they are believe that they miss their time and they have to marry to
someone older. It is hard to marry off their young daughter. In Chinese family, the
girls must do all house works.

Characteristic

Grandmother

A very strict grandmother.

But in the other side of her, there are caring values. She cares about her grand
daughter's future. She wants her to have a soul mate.
Very concerned about the Chinese Culture. She was trying to match the
protagonist with Uncle Teng.
She

The protagonist of the story

Respect the elders and obedient.
 She wants to get married and have a family of her own.
Clumsy and had a bad luck
Uncle Teng

He was chosen by the protagonist's grandmother to be the protaganist's mate

He does not speak much. A very quiet person.
He is a good observer.

Style and Tone

1. Visual Imagery refer to descriptive language that evokes emotional responses.
If she could only take care of him, she would keep him clean like a well-washed
plate
(Paragraph 1 line 6)
2. Simile - a comparison of two things.
..did not have such red lips as Grandmothers
(Page 26 line 1)
3. Personification make a thing, idea, or an animal do something only humans can
do.
..and the sharp rays of the sun caught the spinning particles of dust floating near
the tiny skylight.
(Page 24, last paragraph)

Birthday by Lee Kok Liang

Summary

The short story entitled Birthday that was written by Lee Kok Liang is a story about
a Chinese woman aged 25 years old that is living with her grandmother. Her
grandmother is always controlling her life. Although she is already 25 years old, she
is not married yet. According to her tradition, a girl should be married by the age of
18. It was her 25th birthday. But nobody remembers her birthday. Uncle Teng from
the northern village came to have a look on her for the possibility of marriage. At
dinner time, she clumsily spilled some curry on Uncle Teng's trousers. It was the
cockroach that made her to spill the curry. Her grandmother scolded her for the
simple mistake and says that she will be a spinster for the rest of her life.
 Written by Elfera Achin.

The Chinese Culture

Today, we are having discussion on Birthday written by Lee Kok Liang. The
protagonist in that story is not named but I know that she is from a Chinese family.
In the story, her grandmother is getting really mad with her as she is prepared for
an arranged married and yet she spoils the impression of the man, Uncle Teng
toward her at the first meet by dropping the curry accidentally on his trousers..
Chinese culture mostly put stress on respecting elder and guest. Therefore, it is not
a surprise to see her grandmothers impression toward her for that. Besides, most
Chinese also take things seriously when it comes to give hospitality to their guest.
They always want to give their best so that people will not look down upon them
Written by Angela Devung Denis.

Themes

The theme in the short story is social life. In the Chinese culture, it is important to
respect the eldest. They also believe in arranged marriage. They also believed that
a young girl must get marry as they reach the age 18. If they didnt get marry by
the age 18, they are believe that they miss their time and they have to marry to
someone older. It is hard to marry off their young daughter. In Chinese family, the
girls must do all house works.
Written by Albinus Arbut.

Characteristic

Grandmother

A very strict grandmother.

 But in the other side of her, there are caring values. She cares about her
grand daughter's future. She wants her to have a soul mate.

Very concerned about the Chinese Culture. She was trying to match the
protagonist with Uncle Teng.

She

The protagonist of the story

Respect the elders and obedient.

She wants to get married and have a family of her own.

Clumsy and had a bad luck

Uncle Teng

He was chosen by the protagonist's grandmother to be the protaganist's

mate

He does not speak much. A very quiet person.

He is a good observer.

Written by Abdul Falakh

Zafrieyl.

Style and Tone

1. Visual Imagery refer to descriptive language that evokes emotional

responses.

If she could only take care of him, she would keep him clean like a well-washed
plate

(Paragraph 1 line 6)

2. Simile - a comparison of two things.

..did not have such red lips as Grandmothers

(Page 26 line 1)

3. Personification make a thing, idea, or an animal do something only

humans can do.

..and the sharp rays of the sun caught the spinning particles of dust floating near
the tiny skylight.

(Page 24, last paragraph)