Literature in English for SPM

Embracing Your Shadow - Chua Kok Yee 1. Who is the protagonist's wife? (Rose) 2. What beverage has she made for the both of them? (Milo) 3. How long have they been married? (twelve years) 4. Who is their neighbour? (Mr. Wong and family) 5. How many tables are there for their wedding dinner? (fifty) 6. Who is their best man? (Woon) 7. When did the protagonist see the 'other woman' before he marries his wife? (six years) 8. What is the name of the protagonist's daughter? (Luna) Thieving Daughter - Chua Kok Yee 1. What is the protagonist cooking? (Singapore fried mee-hoon) 2. Who is her daughter? (Aisya) 3. Who is the daughter's boyfriend? (Kamal) 4. What is the name of the narrator? (Kak Noor) 5. What does she find in her daughter's wadrobe? (a sexy black dress) 6. How did the narrator's husband die? (an accident) 7. How did the narrator's parents die? (a road accident) Sambal Without Anchovies - Chua Kok Yee 1. What is the name of Ha...

Embracing Your Shadow - Chua Kok Yee 1. With close reference to the text, describe what the persona remembers about his wedding dinner. (8m) 2. "We should be thankful for the good things that we have" Discuss with close reference to the story. (12m) 3. With close referene to the text, describe how the protagonist compares his own situation with that of his granduncle's. (8m) 4. "If we chase shadows, we may end up with nothing." Discuss with close reference to the story. (12m) Sambal Without Anchovies - Chua Kok Yee 1. "Nora is an understanding wife and daughter-in-law." Explain with close reference to the text. (8m) 2. "The old must give way to the new." Discuss with close reference to the story. (12m) 3. How is Hanif different from his father? How are they the same? Explain with close reference to the text. (8m) 4. "Old ways must make way for new and better ideas." Discuss with close reference to the text. (12m) T...

1. With close reference to the text, explain how Saeng and her family have adapted to their new life in America. (8m) Saeng She has been living in America for the past four years She speaks a mix of English and Laotian with her family However, she feels more comfortable speaking in English She still has not completely adapted to American culture Her cultutrally conservative background is at odds with the more liberal and outlandish American culture She feels embarassed while watching MTV Thirteen year old Americans are more comfortable doing certain things than she herself is despite already being sixteen She works extremely hard in her academics She has never failed a test even when she first enrolled into school and knew not a word of English She spent many nights with her mother translating English words into Laotian to understand better Deep inside, Saeng feels homesick She does not feel as if she truly belongs This feeling is most apparent when she sees...

1. If you are Aisya's friend, what advice would you give her to help her resolve her conflict and mend her relationship with her mother? Discuss with close reference to the story. (12m) First advice: Aisya should tackle the problem of her mother's self-loathing about her advancing age and her physical decline Her mother is jealous of her daughter's beauty She is extremely critical of her own appearance in the mirror Her imagintation of her husband tells us of her subconscious insecurities ("You're still beautiful and desirable, my husband says") Aisya should   constantly remind her mother that she will always be beautiful to help her self-esteem She should also be more willing to compromise with her mother's wishes about borrowing clothes or accessories Furthermore, she could bring her mother out shopping together to spend time with her as well as address her mother's need for beautifying herself Second advice: Aisya should tack...

1. With close reference to the text, compare and contrast the old Chief Rooster and the new Chief Rooster. (8m) Similarities:  Both have same job  They are both heads of security Their job is to protect the chickens from the hawks Both have the same protocols They define "threatening" birds as birds who are different from chickens They deal with these birds by forcing them to be similar to other chickens  In Lani's case, it is to clip her wings Both have the island's best interest at heart They are intent on keeping the island safe Both are paranoid about hawks Differences: The old Chief Rooster was ruthless in punishing birds that he deems are different(i.e. hawks); the new Chief Rooster was hesitant when deciding to clip Lani's wings The old Chief Rooster rejected any claims that there could be more than two types of birds; the new Chief Rooster conceded that there is the existence of sparrows The new Chief Rooster is ...

1. We should not chase shadows when we have light. Discuss with close reference to the text. (12m) Definitions: Shadow In the context of this story, the "shadows" are desires that cannot be fulfilled In a literal sense, there is no way a person can chase or catch a shadow Light In the context of this story, "light" represents happiness and prosperity Evidence: The author has a very loving family (i.e. light) Rose(his wife) has been extremely loving towards him She loves that he's a philosopher and a smart-ass Luna(his daughter) shares a close bond with him They wish each other goodnight, every night The author loses his family because of his obsession with the mystery woman (i.e. chasing shadows) Rose senses the secret place the mystery woman occupies in the author's heart She is unable to tolerate his secret desires anymore and is jealous that the author is unable to love her completely After talking to his wife abo...

1. "Every time he proposes a new idea to his father, he runs into a brick wall." Describe three incidents to justify the statement above. Refer closely to the text. (8m) Hanif suggests to Pak Samad to change the way of cooking sambal Hanif proposes that the sambal and anchovies to be cooked separately With this method, the sambal can be refrigerated overnight and the anchovies will not turn soggy As a result, wastage is reduced and profits increase Pak Samad vehemently refuses because he insists that this new method will change the taste of the sambal Hanif counters that all the other stalls do the same and Pak Samad gives up arguing Hanif suggests to Pak Samad to sell nasi lemak without lining it with banana leaves Hanif argues that selling nasi lemak without banana leaves can save costs and increase profits He also states that the customers don't care about the banana leaves Pak Samad rejects the idea for the sake of tradition and nostalgia He adds ...

1. With close reference to the text, explain how Beverly fails as a mother and as a daughter in law(8m) Beverly's failure as a mother: Billy is closer to the maid, Rosa, than his own mother When Billy was crying in the bathtub while being bathed by the Old One, he screamed for Rosa instead of his mother Beverly declines to get her hands dirty to care for Billy When Billy splashed about while crying in the bathtub, Beverly stepped away to avoid having her silk blouse wet by soapsuds Beverly occasionally uses Billy like a toy, something to show off Beverly plays with Billy only in front of her colleagues to paint herself as a doting mother Beverly dresses up Billy in a mini-suit for Ah Liong's birthday even though it makes him look ridiculous Beverly's failure as a dughter-in-law: Beverly refuses to acknowledge the seniority of her mother-in-law According to Chinese tradition, the younger generation should first serve the elders at the din...