Island Voices ( June holiday HW )

Paper
"After all, it's just paper gain so far"  (Pg 5)
"You're a show-off , what's so grand about marble flooring and a swimming pool ?" (Pg 3)

The Martydom Of Helena Rodrigues
"Just in case you brought anyone home, dear" (Pg 11)
"She brought him up to believe that to insult his mother's devotion to him was the ultimate blasphemy" (Pg13)

Sundowner
"The British had gone, master-slave relationships over." (Pg 20)
"We'll take Tijah to see the doctor in the hospital" (Pg 23)

Tanjong Rhu
"The veins seemed thicker and greener on her fists, pulsing desperately" (Pg 35)
"Those see-far glasses of yours, can they see Tanjong Rhu ?" (Pg 31)

Evening Under Frangipani
"I don't suppose you have much in the way of soup at home . Difficuit to drink soup with your hands" (Pg 59)
"Treats, treats, that's all you Singaporeans ever think about." " (Pg 72)

Lee
"What's with this loyalty stuff ?" (Pg 96)
"Hey, I'm on hiatus from conventions."(Pg 91)

A Histroy Of Tea
"I studied nineteenth and twentieth century Chinese histroy you know" (Pg 111)
"A storm in the teacup" (Pg 119)

A Dream Of China
"My father is a good man" (Pg 123)
"Whenever he sees anything particularly beautiful he says that's how it is in China . " (Pg 124)

Release
"Yeah , yeah , you're like our dog" (Pg 140)
"Don't give birth to as many as this dog's going to have" (Pg 140)

An Obituary For Fifth Aunt Come Late
"She was my aunt but i didn't make it a point to be her niece" (Pg 149)
"No one is sure or will say how old she was" (Pg 161)

Corridor
"Which means also to say that the man could have been killed any time at all." - pg 167
"And like an answer or a question the warm amber lights in her living-room came on." - pg 175 

Mid Autumn
"Whenever i lose money , it makes me gek sim" (Pg 176)
"If God's eye is on the sparrow , he will provide for her" (Pg 183)

Hamid And The Hand Of Fate
"Hamid is such a good boy" (Pg 195)
"He entrusted his prospects with the opposite sex to his mother, Cik Aminah." (Pg 192)

The Move
"The old lady was vaguely irritated for the first time" (Pg 205)
"Too bad the pomegranate has grown so big." (Pg 205)

Pastime
"The system is too intricate and too cruel" (Pg 220)
"It's a hobby , a pastime , it's not real life" (Pg 220)

Off Centre (June Holiday HW)

5 Memorable Quotes (Off Centre) :
1. "They are jealous because I am special" (Act 2 , Scene 2 , Page 55)
2. "I am strong , nothing can destroy me" ( Act 2 , Scene 2 , Page 58)
3. " Are you a man or not Vinod ?" (Act 3 , Scene 1 , Page 85)
4. "Eh , your boyfriend coward ah ?" (Act 3 , Scene 3 , Page 96)
5. "But I still have to be there for him" (Act 4 , Scene 3 , Page 128)


Questions :
1. In your opinion , how key is the parent-child relationship to Vinod's inevitable end ?
Parent-child relationship is key to Vinod's inevitable end is to a certain extent. Vinod and his parents are not on very good terms as the play only mentioned a little bit about Vinod's parents. From this, Vinod's parents only exist in a very small part of Vinod's life, they do not care much about him all they want form him is to study hard and not to throw their face as Vinod's parents work in some high status job. They do not care about his health. From this it shows that they care over Vinod's health they only care about them hoping Vinod would not ruin their plans for him. After they know that Vinod has mental illness, they did not help. Vinod felt sad as his parents did not care for him and most children in this world hope they were being care by their parents. Vinod did not get any care nor love from his parents. Instead, he got all the bad stuffs like his parents forcing him to study, asking him not to throw their faces and so on. In conculsion, if Vinod got love and concern from his parents, he would not commti sucide. hence, the parent-child relationship is key to Vinod's inevitable end is only to a certain extent. 


2. Vinod's high expectation oh himself caused his downfall." To what extent do you agree with the analysis of Vinod's predicament and tragedy ?
I agree that 'Vinod's high expectations of himself caused his downfall'. When Vinod is around Saloma, he got show off, he wants to impress Saloma. He also sees Saloma as a lost kitten that he has to protect her. Vinod took care of Saloma, he tries everything to help her. As Vinod character is of a strong and not so easily give up type, if he wants to win he will tries hard to get to his goals. Towards the end of the book, he felt that Saloma is the only one who is changing hence he don't want to be left alone. Seeing Saloma, applying job trying her best to be centre. He felt hurt, the feeling of being alone is back, there fore he committed suicide as he felt that he did not reach his goals. He got hurt and he does not want to face reality hence he committed suicide.


3. Discuss the reasons for Saloma's transformation in the play .
Saloma used to be a weak girl at the beginning of the pay where she is afraid of the public but towards to the end of the play she from a lost kitten in Vinod's eye changed to a dependent lady. Her transformation was cause by her friends, family and the society. Firstly, Vinod is always by her side, when things happens. During their first outing at the restaurant, Saloma was afraid of the public and is Vinod who calms her down and help her. Emily also helps Saloma when she was weak and she felt useless by causing so much trouble to her mom. Emily told Saloma to be strong and with Emily and Vinod help, Saloma vision about society had changed. She felt that society was not a bad place after all and thinks that she wants to be normal like every one else. Thus, at the end of the play, she apply for a job in a hospital and applying for her first credit card. As she took her first step to change, she become more centre and she also felt happy. Even though, her mother and Vinod tries to stop her from taking her medicine, she did not listen and she still continues to take them. This, shows that Saloma wants to change and she wants to be normal.  


 4. "Though a minor role in the play , the character Razali is the key to the plot of off centre." To what extent do you agree with this assessment ?
I do not agree with this assement. Razali is like Saloma and Vinod dad always talk to them and gives them advices. He shows love to Saloma  but Vinod, regards him as a guard, a person who have to protect everyone in the community. During the robbery incident, he fails as he did not appeared and help Vinod and Saloma hence, Vinod got angry and blames him for not being there. Vinod got angry because he suddenly felt a lost in him as he always regard Razali to be there for him. But the whole robbery incident had proven everything wrong. Hence, he felt disappointed and he blames Razali. In conclusion, Razali plays a role to help both Vinod and Saloma but he is not a key to the plot of centre. 


5. "Datta , Dayadhvam , Damyata" means to "Give , Sympathise , Control". How did the major characters in the play exert control in their environment and / or their lives ? Support your answer with evidence from the text .
Saloma exerts control in her life even though Mak, and Vinod tried to stop her from taking her medicine. As Saloma felt that they are thinking of medicines was wrong hence she did not listen to them and continues to take them. 


Q6: Based on the text Off Centre, discuss how peer acceptance and family support are vital to social status and mental well-being.
Peer Acceptance and Family Support are very important, life would be aimless and boring hence people who are off centre would felt that they are all alone as they have nobody to lean on.Vinod is afraid of being lonely therefore, he committed suicide. His friends make used of Vinod because he is smart so they could use his literature essay and print his notes. His friends did not call him or visit him when he was in wood bridge, hence, Vinod had this thinking of being used by his friends. Vinod's parents were not there for Vinod when he need them the most therefore, he felt lonely as he did not have the attention he wanted by his parents. While, Saloma, receive love and care from her mother and friend, Emily. Hence, she did not felt lonely. Saloma's mother cares about her. She shows her care for Saloma by asking ehr not to work as she is afraid something might happened to Saloma. Saloma's mother shows her care by using wrong way to express herself as she always scolds Saloma for eating the medicine as she felt that the medicine did not help her and is something evil inside her body that cause her to be off center. Therefore, there are times where Saloma felt hurt by her Mak's actions. As most parents care for their children,  they would do anything to help them. Emily, helped Saloma a lot especially when Saloma felt totally weak. She told Saloma to be strong and nothing would destroy her. From these, we could see that friends supports are very important as these help Saloma to be strong hence, she become normal at the end of the story. in conclusion, friends and family supports are very important.