How to Answer the Literature Text Question

I have just finished marking Paper 2 for the mid semester examination. I would like to focus on one of my students' answer for the Literature Text. Even though this is a Form Four paper, and the question is based on the short stories, SPM students may take this as an example for their revision.

The question:


33. The following are the short stories studied in the literature component in English Language.
        Tanjong Rhu             -     Minfong Ho
        Leaving                    -     M. G. Vassanji   
Choose any ONE of the short stories above and answer the question below.
With close reference to the text, what is the most important moral lesson you have learnt?


The answer:

Based on short story Tanjung Rhu by Minfong Ho, the most important lesson that I have learnt is to be responsible. As for example, Mr. Li is a responsible son. He takes care of his old mother as she has given birth to him and took good care of him since he was young. Mr. Li’s responsibility to his mother inspires me to do the same. I realize that I need to take good care of my old parents as they had sacrifived a lot for me. I will pay back their kindness to me. Besides that, when Mr. Li’s mother was sick and hospitalized, he often visit her in the hospital and accompanies her there. He is very responsible that he doesn’t neglect and abandon his mother. His daughter, Ying is also responsible. She stays at the hospital with her sick grandmother so that she won’t be alone. Mr. Li and Ying show that we must be responsible to our old parents. They had done a lot for us and we need to appreciate it. I’d promised myself that I will be a responsible daughter and take care of my parents perfectly. I will make them proud to have me as their child.

In a nut shell, we need to be responsible and show our filial piety for our parents. They are the one who brought us into this world, so we need to pay back their sacrifice by loving them and take good care of them.


The marking:

I gave this 10 for Contents and 4 for Language which amounts to 14 over 15.

However, she could have done better, apart from the spelling and grammar mistakes, by writing her answer in suitable paragraphs. Here is what her answer should be to get full 15 over 15.


Based on short story Tanjong Rhu by Minfong Ho, the most important lesson that I have learnt is to be responsible.

As for example, Mr. Li is a responsible son. He takes care of his old mother as she has given birth to him and took good care of him since he was young. Mr. Li’s responsibility to his mother inspires me to do the same. I realize that I need to take good care of my old parents as they had sacrificed a lot for me. I will pay back their kindness to me.

Besides that, when Mr. Li’s mother was sick and hospitalized, he often visits her in the hospital and accompanies her there. He is very responsible that he doesn’t neglect and abandon his mother. His daughter, Ying is also responsible. She stays at the hospital with her sick grandmother so that she won’t be alone.

Mr. Li and Ying show that we must be responsible to our old parents. They had done a lot for us and we need to appreciate it. I’d promised myself that I will be a responsible daughter and take care of my parents perfectly. I will make them proud to have me as their child.

In a nut shell, we need to be responsible and show our filial piety for our parents. They are the one who brought us into this world, so we need to pay back their sacrifice by loving them and taking good care of them.

The Living Photograph by Jackie Kay

Today is the first time I taught the new literature components for Form 4. At first I was aghast because I saw three literature books consist of many poems, short stories and dramas. However, after learning that students have to study only a couple of poems and short stories, I was relieved. 

These are the compulsory components:

Poems

1. The Living Photograph by Jackie Kay

2. Charge of the Light Brigade by Lord Alfred Tennyson

Short Stories

1. Tanjung Rhu retold by Kay West

2. Leaving by M.G. Vassanji

Drama

1. The Right Thing To Do by Martyn Ford

The Living Photograph

by Jackie Kay

My small grandmother is tall there, 

straight-back, white broderie anglaise shirt, 

pleated skirt, flat shoes, grey bun,

a kind, old smile round her eyes.

Her big hand holds mine,

white hand in black hand. 

Her sharp blue eyes look her own death in the eye.

It was true after all, that look.

My tall grandmother became small.

Her back round and hunched.

Her soup forgot to boil.

She went to the awful place grandmothers go.

Somewhere unknown, unthinkable. 

But there she is still, 

in the photo with me at three,

the crinkled smile is still living, breathing.

There is a very good analysis done by an English teacher in her blog. I will not dwell too much on that because my analysis is more or less the same. For good students, I advise you to go to her blog and read the analysis because I think it is quite spot on although she admitted writing it before any reference book is out on the bookshop shelf.

However, I want to share what I did with my 4 Ikhlas class, which is quite mixed in terms of students' learning abilities. At first, I asked them to read the poem. The first read was unsuccessful because I saw so many blank faces all over the classroom. Then, because the class takes Arts, I asked them to draw pictures for selected words taken from the poem. Afterwards, I asked them to paste the pictures on the board before reading the poem one more time. This time, I saw some smile on their faces, mainly because they understand the poem a little bit. 

Nevertheless, to analyse the poem with this class is another problem. Let's hope they can get something from my next lesson.  

The albino buffalo is on the right

In the Midst of Hardship (Original Malay version)

My friend shares the Malay version of "In the Midst of Hardship" by Latiff Mohideen which was written in 1978.

In the Midst of Hardship

Dalam Bencana
Mereka pulang ke rumah
waktu subuh hari
dengan pakaian robek basah
menghampiri api tungku
lengan mereka penuh calar
kaki mereka penuh luka
tapi di kening mereka
tidak kelihatan rasa kecewa

Sehari semalaman
mereka mengharungi banjir
berendam antara bangkai ternakan
dan serpihan kulit tumbuhan
kerbau balar si buyung
masih belum ditemui.

Mereka dilahirkan dalam bencana
tidak ada keluhan dan kutukan
kini mereka berjenaka di dapur
sambil menggulung rokok daun.

Latiff Mohideen
1978

English Weeks

Last week, the English Panel had conducted a preliminary for some English programs in order for the pupils to effectively use the English language. The programs were divided according the levels:

• Choral speaking for lower secondary (Forms 1, 2 and 3)
• Poem recitation for both levels
• Drama for form 4
• Public speaking for form 5

I was involved in helping my pupils in at least 3 of these programs (minus Choral speaking because I only teach upper secondary):

• Poem recitation for 5E
• Drama for 4B
• Public speaking for 5A

All managed to go to the finals this Wednesday.

The main characters of Gulp & Gasp: Crouch, Lord Septic, Rose & Percy

Literature Form 4 for SPM 2010 Students

SPM trial is just around the corner. In order to help those students who just woke up from their dreams, and found that literature materials for last year's Form 4 are hard to find at the bookstores, I will provide here some sample questions and answers. It is only a small portion, but I hope it will be helpful, especially to my lazy youngest brother.


POEM

Analysis past years questions:
2009 - Monsoon History
2008 - If
2007 - si tenggang's homecoming
2006 - The Road Not Taken
2005 - si tenggang's homecoming
2004 - Sonnet 18
2003 - Monsoon History
2002 - If
2001 - si tenggang's homecoming

From the six poems learned in Form 4, only There's Been A Death in the Opposite House does not come out yet. And next year, this list of poems is not going to be used anymore. I strongly recommend this poem, and I will give several questions based on it. (Please highlight or triple click under the questions for answers)

There's Been A Death in the Opposite House

1. What do you think had happened and where did the event take place?
- Someone had died in the house opposite the poet's house.

2. How did the poet know what had happened?
- The poet knew by the atmosphere that surrounds the house - dull and lifeless.

3. What atmosphere did the place hold?
- The place has a sombre and dismal atmosphere with an air of sadness.

4. Name some of the people that were mentioned in the extract.
- Neighbours, children and doctors.

5. In the line 'They wonder if it died on that', what does 'it' refer to?
- 'it' refers to the dead person.

6. Why do you think there were so many people going in and out of the house?
- The neighbours came to pay their last respects.

7. What was flung out of the window and why?
- A mattress was flung out of the window to prevent the disease of the dead person from spreading.

8. How does the poet react to this kind of event as a young boy?
- As a young boy, the poet looked at the funeral with curiosity.

9. Who seems to be in control of the situation and why?
- The minister seems to be the person in control of the situation because he is the one officially in charge.

10. What is considered as 'the appalling trade'?
- The 'appaling trade' refers to the undertaking services and other business related to death.

11. What does the phrase 'dark parade' refer to?
- The phrase 'dark parade' refers to the funeral procession which is going to take place with the mourners dressed in black.


SHORT STORY

Analysis past years questions:
2009 - The Necklace
2008 - The Sound Machine
2007 - The Lotus Eater
2006 - The Drover's Wife
2005 - Looking for A Rain God
2004 - The Lotus Eater
2003 - The Drover's Wife
2002 - The Sound Machine
2001 - The Necklace

From the five stories, all of them already came out twice, except Looking for A Rain God. Therefore, I will put here some questions and answers taken from the story. (Remember, this is only my opinion)

1. What reason did the family give for the disappearance of the two girls?
- They said the children died of unknown causes.

2. Did the people believe the family? Why?
- No. They felt that it was strange for the two girls to die at the same time.

3. What aroused the suspicion of the people?
- The unnatural looks of the family when asked about the two girls.

4. Who told the police the truth?
- The mother of the two girls told the police the truth.

5. What happened in mid November? What effects did it have on the land?
- The rain fled away and the land was covered with mist. It made it impossible to plant vegetables which will lead to starvation.

6. Who among the family were quite happy and why do you think so?
- The two girls were quite happy because they were too young to understand what is happening.

7. How did the two girls amuse themselves?
- They played a game of making house.

8. What were the feelings of the family during the drought? Give reasons for your answer.
- The family was in great despair because it was impossible for them to grow crops and their food is running low.

9. What was the problem that had caused misery among the people?
- It has not rained for a long time, causing a drought.

10. What do you think are the consequences of this problem?
- The consequences of the drought are less food and starvation.

11. How did the womenfolk react to this problem?
- The women broke under the strain by starting high-pitched wailing and stamping their feet.

12. What did Mokgobja remember from his younger days?
- Mokgobja remembered that when he was young, he had witnessed a rain-making ceremony.

New Literature Materials

This year, we will have new materials for literature. Form 4 students this year will study 2 poems:

In the Midst of Hardship by Latiff Mohidin
He Had Such Quiet Eyes by Bibsy Soenharjo

They also have to read 2 short stories:

QWERTYUIOP by Vivien Alcock
The Fruitcake Special by Frank Brennan

A drama with the title 'Gulp and Gasp' by John Townsend

A novel 'Catch Us if You Can' is meant for Form 5 students

They also have to study 2 poems:

Nature by H. D. Carberry
Are You Still Playing Your Flute by Zurinah Hassan

Teaching Literature to Weak Pupils

Tomorrow, I will attempt teaching Si Tenggang's Homecoming to 4 Sejahtera pupils, a weak class in term of English studies (other subjects also, for that matter). Their level of command is around 5 percent only; their vocabulary is so little, even simple words such as 'reach' they got it wrong and wrote it as 'rich'. It will be an uphill task; I struggled getting them to understand Sonnet 18. However, I will try teaching the poem while at the same time upgrading their vocabulary by asking them to fill in the blanks in the poem's synopsis with several target words. This way, the pupils will learn at least 10 new words and understand the poem in general.

By the way, there's a great website on literature for secondary school pupils which I want to promote. You can enjoy it by clicking here.