Blog Prompt 8: Former U.S. Envoy Critical of Japan's Nuclear Crisis Response

The current affairs article can be found here: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-japan-fukushima-diplomat-20110820,0,28751.story

Personally, I feel that Japanese leaders seems to be lacking leadership as they are a bit careless in handling situations from the news article. It was said that Prime Minister Naoto Kan's government did not manage the nuclear coastal plant in Fukushima Daiichi well, causing it to have partial reactor meltdowns after the earthquake and tsunami. After that, they also did not do anything to help solve the crisis as they only took action after Tokyo and Washington launched a joint task force and allowed officials at Tokyo Electric Power Co., the utility that runs the crippled plant, too much leeway in handling the situation. This is unacceptable because the consequences of having a reactor meltdown is dire, it may lead to deaths and health damage to others due to radiation. They are thus not putting the people in Japan's health at interest. Since they are not willing to care for the citizens, they should not be leaders in the first place. They are bad examples.

Even though Japan did not handle the nuclear crsis well and delayed the relocation of an American military base on Okinawa, Kevin Maher, the former director of the State Department's Japan Office should not have made the insulting comments on public. This will definitely hurt the Japanese' feelings and may hurt bilateral relations, resulting in lesser partnership between both countries in the future. In worst cases, a fight may break out and a war may slowly be starting. Therefore being outspoken may not be a good thing at times, disregarding the feelings of others.

In conclusion, both Japan and Maher are at fault, Japan for being too slow in handling emergency situations and Maher for critisizing Japan about heir leadership publicly.

Blog Prompt 6: The Rupert Murdoch Phone Scandal

Recently, there was a phone scandal regarding the chief executive officer of News Corporation, Rupert Murdoch. The then editor of The News of the World, Rebekah Brooks helped Rupert Murdoch to bring The News of the World to fame. But now the truth is out. The reason why The News of the World was brought to fame was becuase Rebekah Brooks carried out phone hacking on royals and celebrities, even on murderers to get as much information as possible out of them. But the worst thing was, now everyone can become a phone hacking victim.


I feel that the news media should partly be blamed for the unhealthy paparazzi culture and going to the extremes for sensational news. Indeed, the news media did not care about the feelings of others and tried to use despicable means such as phone hacking just to get the juicy news out of them and let their newspapers sell well. But this is not the way to succeed in selling newspapers. They are being selfish. To get a big profit, they invaded others' privacy and this makes them feel vulnerable and scared because the things they do in their daily lives are being known by others and they may get exposed anytime.


But all the fault should not be blamed entirely on the news media. The people who first started the phone scandals should be blamed too. If not for their wrongdoings, why would the news media be bothered to know more about their daily life? The news media are actually also doing their part because by publishing their unruly acts on news papers, the people who were involved would feel ashamed and learn their lesson. So all in all, both the news media and the people who started the scandals are to be blamed for the unhealthy paparazzi culture and going to the extremes for sensational news.

Blog Prompt 5: True Justice and Mercy

The trial scene in the Merchant of Venice has a theme which is Justice versus Mercy. So Is there true justice? I partially agree that there is true justice. Shylock kept saying throughout the trial scene that he wanted true justice, that Antonio has to let him cut off a pound of his flesh as Antonio failed to comply to the bond. So Portia did gave him justice in the end, by making good use of the law and saying that Shylock can cut off a pound of Antonio's flesh but under one condition: There must not be any blood dripping from the flesh. Since Shylock wants justice so much, Portia gave him the true justice he wants. Shylock's plan to take revenge on Antonio is backfired by himself. But in a way, there is no true justice. Portia is actually just playing with the law, and just by adding a few more words or changing them, Shylock is thus doomed. Also, Portia is a wman, and women are actually smarter than men. Therefore it is unfair to Shylock.

Is there true mercy, as expounded by Portia? I partially agree that there is true mercy too. Antonio in the end suggest that Shylock convert to a Christian is actually for good. This is so that Shylock will not be mocked so often and will lead a better life in the future. But there is also no true mercy. At the end of the trial scene, Shylock is being forced to give up half of his estates to the State and the other half to Anotio. This is as good as taking his whole life away, like what he said. This is just too cruel. Shylock should be let go after not taking Anotnio's pound of flesh but in the end the tables turned on him too abruptly. Portia is somewhat a bit inhumane in this sense. Anntonio also wants Shylock to convert to Christianity, which i think is the last thing Shylock would expect to happen.

Justice and  Law can be manipulated by people in power. I agree with this matter. For example, in Merchant of Venice, when Shylock wants Antonio's flesh, everyone, including the Duke, wants to persuade Shylock to have mercy on Antonio. This happens just because the Jews were considered a lower class people than  the Christians in the past. In the end Shylock lost. In real life, some people escapes from having punishment in court because their friends or family member hold high authority and perhaps pay the layer and witnesses to help them get away from the charges. It is just unfair.

Blog Prompt 4: A Letter from a Student to the Education Minister

A Secondary Four student recently wrote a letter to the Education Minister, Mr Heng Swee Keat, which generated much heated debate again about Singapore's much-discussed education system. I agree with the issues that the student has raised in the letter. Indeed, Singapore's education system makes learning 'dead' for the students as they are supposed to memorise and just throw whatever they have learnt in answering the questions. This is not beneficial to them as they do not understand what they are learning. They are just memorising the answers for the sake of memorising. Therefore, some students may get good marks in their work but actually they are not smart. They only change what they have memorised to anwer the questions. To some extent, they are not even thinking. In the future, if they were to be in charge of a company or even govern Singapore, they will not do a good job and lose out because their minds are not flexible, too prone to memorising stuff. Therefore, Singapore's education system plays a significant role in nurturing students. But under circumstances, Singapore's education system is quite effective. Even though it results in the students memorising most of the model answers, they will also be able to learn something, at least. When they revise their work another time, they may try to understand the answers to the questions they did so as to make memorising easier. Through this process, the students are naturally gaining some knowledge. And also, if Singapore did not apply this education system, there will be lesser successful people in the future and this will lead to Singapore's downfall.

As for Singapore's Civics and Moral Education, I feel that it is also ineffective to some extent. Teaching Civics and Moral Education through file and texbooks in the form of Social Studies will definitely not help the students to hone their character and teach them good values. As long as the students are not paying attention, this method of teaching Civics and Moral Education is not beneficial. If Singapore want students to inculcate good civics and moral values, they have to do it from the bottom of their heart and willingly, not by being taught from textbooks and files. But sometimes, Singapore has no choice but to try all sorts of ways to let students have good civis and moral values because most of them simply lacks those values and this is worrying. Regarding the fact that teachers often eat up CME lessons to have their own lessons, I am agreeable. This tells us that the teachers do not take CME lessons seriously but only academic studies. But if someone were to be smart but did not have good civics and moral values, they will be unaccepted by the society. Because they will not get along well with others and will result in failure. But eating up CME lessons may be necessary at times. the teachers may really be lagging a lot on lessons and are thus afraid that students may flung their tests. This is even more worrying as this will result in a straight failure in the future. It is better to carry out more academic lessons as students will also not pay attention to CME lessons, so why not teach them something which can let them have higher chances of having a bright future?

I feel that the letter the Secondary Four student wrote is a well-crafted letter with the appropritae tone. She addresses the Education Minister, Mr Heng Swee Keat, formally and her tone is also very encouraging. She lists out her arguments but did not say that what she listed is totally correct as she mentioned that she is young and may not be so mature in her arguments and thinking. Her attitude is also very pleasant as she did not write any strong words to describe her argument and does not offend Mr Heng Swee Keat in any way throughout the letter.

If I should write a letter to Minister of Education, I would raise a couple of issues, including those two regarding Singapore's Education and Civics and Moral Education system raised by the Secondary Four student. One of the other issues I would raise would be the dressing of the teachers. Some of the teachers dress too brightly or attractively, and this would divert the students attention to the teacher and not the lesson. The students would be easily distracted and would not pay attention in class. This would affect their scores in tests and exams as they hardly learn anything in the lessons. Another issue I would raise would be the durations of diffent subject lessons in a week. There are times where a certain subject has a greater emphasis over other main subjects as more time is given to the subject lessons. This is unfair because the students will only gain more knowledge out of that certain subject but as for other subjects, they will learn less. This will not be benefical to the students as when there are tests or exams which all Singapore schools will take, the students will noly excel in one or two subjects and may not do well in the other main subjects.

Blog Prompt 3: Importance of Money in Relationships

In my opinion, I do not think that money is important in relationships. It is true that money can buy anything in this world that you want, but not happiness. If someone enter a relationship with the other party just because he is rich and you will have some of his money when the other party is in love with you, you will feel that you are indeed happy because you lead a lavish and comfortable life. For example, at the start of Merchant of Venice, Bassanio wanted to marry Portia just because she is rich. He said to Antonio in Act 1 Scence 1 that "In Belmont is a lady richly left" and "her sunny locks hang on her temples like a golden fleece." They emphasize Bassanio's thirst to marry Portia as she is very rich. But do you think you are truly happy? You only find true happiness when you are with someone you really love maybe because there is something attractive in the other party that makes you love him/her and you are happy going out with him/her. This happiness lasts forever at no cost. When someone get into relationship because of money, the happiness does not last forver and is not true because once the other party becomes poor, the person will definitely feel angry and sad and will get out of the relationship with the other party. The other party will feel sad and angry too at the same time because he/she realises that the person does not truly love him/her, only the wealth he has. But I personally think there is a upward trend of relationships and marriages valuing money over other qualities. I think it is possibly because nowadays people are more materialistic and only thirst for money. As the society is now more developed, things tend to get more expensive and people will start to have intensions of having more money to buy whatever he/she wants. They are willing to give up love for money.

Blog Prompt 2: Evolution of War from the Past to Present

In my opinion, there are many types of how war evolved from the past to present. One of the most significant one would be the lethality of war. In the past, the only weapons used were the guns and probably swords as the technology is not advanced. Thus the number of deaths were very few as people were mostly killed one by one with those weapons and only a small group of people could be killed at most. But technology is more advanced now. Nowadays every country has its own military vehicles and weaponry which can cause mass destruction, especially nuclear and atomic bombs. They can easily take away the lives of a thousand people once droped to the ground at a level. This is worrying for the people whenever there is a war between countries as there is a higner chance of them getting killed. For example, in World War I, the total number of military and civilian casualties in World War I, was around 37.5 million. There were 16.5 million deaths and 21 million wounded making it the 6th deadliest conflict in human history. But in World War II, over 60 million people were killed. Casualties include deaths caused by strategic bombing, Holocaust victims, Japanese war crimes, population transfers in the Soviet Union, other War Crimes and deaths due to war related famine and disease. So most of the deaths can be said to be caused by advanced weapons and bombs.

Also, the war has also become more inactive nowadays compared to the past. In order to conquer a certain land, or fight for the rights of the land, the countries, especially those with a strong militray force, will disagree on matters with other countries and it will slowly lead to a war. The country who wins will have the final say in everything. So you can see, war is becoming more inactive nowadays, compared to the past where wars were started because they want to discover new land and conquer it to make good usage of land. The people over there had to rebel and of course wars were started. As time passes, countries are beginning to develop and the lives of the people are becoming more hectic. They have better things to do than to start a war. Thus, war did not happen too often in the present. Furthermore, nowadays land can be easily reclaimed more usage due to the advance in technology.

There were more unnecesary wars in the past compared to the present because the government nowadays knoew how to handle problems well. In the past, governemnt's either were too corrupted or had false accounts of problems that led to disputes. It was just a shame that more wars in the past started when they should not have. There was simply a no need to. An example would be The War of 1812, the Mexican American War, and the Spanish War of 1898 which Americans fought in the 19th century. In the 19th century, Americans fought these three unnecessary wars, each motivated by expansionist interests yet initiated through dubious and exaggerated claims. The War of 1812 resulted from the efforts of Congressional “War Hawks” like Henry Clay to “take Canada.” In 1846 President Polk, an ardent expansionist with an eye for the vast territories controlled by Mexico, fabricated reasons for a war resolution. Finally, in 1898, James McKinley took the nation to war against Spain on the basis of false reports. Thus, war really has evolved in many ways from the past to present.

Blog Prompt 1: Reflection of "The Soldier" by Rupert Brooke

All young men in Singapore, including me, will have to do National Service. I think that National Service is compulsory in Singapore because Singapore is a small country and must have a strong defence force to defend herself as she can be fully destroyed at any time. National Service was actually already made compulsory in the 1960s because Singapore had a small population at that time other than being small. Furthermore, more manpower was needed in industries too. This means that there will be lesser people defending the country which make Singapore have more need to make National Service compulsory. Now that Singapore's population is bigger, Singapore aims to build up a defence even better than countries and to do that Singapore needs to have a huge defence force so National Service is still made compulsory till now. In the poem "The Soldier" the speaker expresses his love for his country, England. But I do not find such spirit of patriotism in Singapore. Most of the males in Singapore, especially the boys under 18, even before they go to National Service, they are already afraid and do not wish to go for National Service. They often groan about going to National Service and some even go to the extent of wanting to skip National Service, which is of course impossible unless they have special reasons. This shows that they are not willing to fight for Singapore, their country. They only go to war just because the government tells them to do so. But for me, I definitely have the spirit of patriotism for Singapore. Singapore is my homeland, this is where I belong. I was born and brought up in Singapore so I have the right to defend it. Most importantly, I am loyal to my country. I am what I am today because of what the country had taught me.

Book Review 2

Title: The Secret Garden

Story outline: There was a girl named Mary Lennox whose parents died from a deadly disease when she was young. Thus, she became an orphan and was taken care by her uncle, Mr Craven. He was rich and owned a mansion. When Mary found out about the key Mr Craven buried for a garden, she immediately went to find it but to no avail. Then, a bird helped her find the key and brought her to the secret garden. There she found that the garden was a beautiful one, but with many dead trees and flowers. She began to help grow more trees and flowers by planting seeds. She only let her friend, Dickson to know about the secret garden. It was a secret kept between Mary and him. Every night, Mary could hear someone crying. But Martha, her servant, keeps saying that it was the kitchen maid who had a toothache. Thus, she decided to take a chance to find out what was going on. She went into the room where the crying came from and discovered an ill boy named Colin. He was crying because of a headache. She later told Colin about the secret garden. She kept talking to Colin everyday and he was getting better each day too. But he had always thought he had a lump on his back and would die one day. Mary and the nurse looked at his back and saw no lumps. Colin was relieved after hearing this. Colin was brought to the secret garden. When Mr Craven saw that his son, Colin had his illness recovered, he was very happy.

Unique Selling Point: The book contains many mysterious adventures and lessons that teaches you to be optimistic about the future. You will also go through many exciting parts whereby Mary gets into the secret garden without getting spotted by others. Through the power of hope, friendship and the magic of nature, you will also experience how Mary brings the house and a long-lost garden back to life. The uniqueness of this book is that you get to experience mystery and learn lessons from it.

About the author: Frances Hodgson Burnett is an author who began publishing stories in magazines while still in her teens. She wrote many plays and more than 40 novels for adults. Her most famous and beloved books, however, were three that she wrote for children-'Little Lord Fauntleroy', 'A Little Princess' and this book, 'The Secret Garden'.

Book Review 1

Title: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Story outline: Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn are friends and they decided to dig for treasure one day. They went to many places to dig but to no avail. They decided to hide their spades and go to the haunted house at the end of the hill the next day to look for more treasure. The next day, they went to the haunted house and heard footsteps coming. They quickly hid in a corner and waited. They saw Injun Joe and another man. They had kept their treasure somewhere in the haunted house and discovered the spades that Tom and Huck had used. They suspected that there must be people around that area and decided to put their treasure in No.2. Tom and Huck had no idea what No.2 is. They thought it was a room number and went to the only room No.2 in the town but found nothing. Once, Tom went to explore a cave and met Injun Joe. Injun Joe quickly ran away. Tom discovered that the No.2 that Injun Joe and the other man was talking about was actually Den No.2 that he was in! He found a cross on a rock and began to ask Huck to help him dig for the treasure. They found the treasure under the rock in the end and became rich.

We Slept With Our Boots On

They unloaded the dead and maimed right before our eyes
They washed out the blood, we loaded our ruck’s and then took to the skies
Over the mountains, villages, and valleys we flew
Where we would land we had not a clueBullets are flying, the LZ is hot
We’re leaving this bird whether we like it or not
30 seconds they yelled, Lock N Load and grab your shit
Get ready to go and make it quick
My heart is pumping adrenalin through all of my veins
I run as fast as I can through the lead rain
The noise is tremendous, terror I can’t define
The only reason I survived that day was divine
I kept pulling the trigger and reloading and pulling some more
You do what you have to do, with that I will say no more
We fought from the valleys to the mountain peaks
From house to cave, to car to creek
Dirty and tired and hungry and scared
We slept with our boots on so we were always prepared
Those majestic mountains so steep, so high they kiss the skies
The Hindu Kush has changed so many lives
Up the mountains with heavy loads we trod
Who knew hell was so close to God
Beauty and terror are a strong mixed drink
So we drank it like drunkards and tried not to think
Good men and bad men, Mothers lost son’s
Everyone loses their innocence when they carry guns
Washed in the blood, and baptized by fire
I will never forget those who were called higher
They say blood is thicker than water, well lead is thicker than blood
Brothers aren’t born they’re earned. In the poppy fields, the tears, and the mud
And when I get to heaven to Saint Peter I will tell
Another Paratrooper reporting for duty sir, I spent my time in hell                                                                                                                           Steve Carlsen

My Analysis:

Steve Carlsen was born and lives in Dowagiac Michigan. He joined the United States Army in October 2000 and went to Infantry Basic Training, and Airborne School in Ft. Benning Georgia. He then reported to D Company 1^st battalion 504^th Parachute Infantry Regiment. 82^nd Airborne Division in Ft. Bragg North Carolina. He deployed to Kosovo in November 2001 as part of peace keeping operations. He Deployed to Afghanistan in of December 2002 where he participated in combat operations. He was honorably discharged from the Army in 2003. He currently attends Southwestern Michigan College wher his professor, Dr Michael Collins challenged him to write about his experiences. So "We Slept With Our Boots On was written to express the feelings and thoughts of Steve Carlsen when he took part in the combat operations in Afghanistan.

The poem is very realistic as it was written by Steve Carlsen, someone who had beed through the war and the description of the feelings and thoughts at the time would definitely be very vivid and captures the readers' attention as they would want to know more about the experiences during the war. "My heart is pumping adrenalin through all of my veins" tells us that the speaker was probably very scared during the war because he was afraid to die and was not well-prepared. "The only reason I survived that day was divine" tells us that the speaker did not believe that he himself would be a good soldier in the war and the chances of him not surviving would be very high. "Dirty and tired and hungry and scared" also gives the readers the impression that the speaker was not enthusiastic about the war and felt the pain and became tired. The speaker probably wanted the war to stop immediately so as not to suffer anymore. From these three lines, we can tell that the speaker is probaly a timid person who hated going to wars but had no choice as those men around his age were required to defend the country. He wants readers to symphatise with him and understand that war is an evil thing; it should not even have started.

There is a conflict in the poem as the speaker actually did not wanted to go to war as he was afraid to die and witness the innocent loss of lives but at he same time, have to abide by the law that says men at his age have to defend their country. Therefore, the decision could not be made himself and he had no choice but to pluck up his courage and do what he was supposed to do. "You do what you have to do, with that I will say no more" further emphasises that the speaker was forced into going to war and the command given by the high-rank soldiers were ruthless. "We’re leaving this bird whether we like it or not" tells us that the speaker was on a war plane which creates more tension as the speaker is going to be ready to attack. The time where people are killed is going to come. "We fought from the valleys to the mountain peaks, From house to cave, to car to creek" implies that the battle seemed endless and both opponents were very strong, not willing to give up anytime soon. The war is taking up all the soldiers' energy, and by the end all of them will be tired and injured.

Personification is being used in "Those majestic mountains so steep, so high they kiss the skies" to let readers sknow how much suffering and agony the soldiers have been through during the war. They have to overcome all obstacles, including tall mountains, and almost all the energy used to climb the mountain has been used up by the time the soldiers had reached the pther side of the mountain. Personification in "Beauty and terror are a strong mixed drink" tells us that the soldiers have to overcome not only physical challenges, but also psychological ones. They must erase their fears, all of them during the war, and fight, which was tough to them.

I am truly emphatise with the soldiers going to war, especially the speaker. All of them have been throught the different obstacles during the war and some were eventually safe and sound. Those who did not survive were unlucky. But all in all, war is a cruel thing as it kills many innocent lives. All the soldiers who fought hard during the war were brave souls. Even thought there are some, like speaker, who did not have the courage to face the war, but at least they tried to overcome the different obstacles and eventually reach a conclusion. All those in the war, as long as they are present, they have contibuted much and they will always remain as the brave ones in our hearts. I am very touched by the poem.

War- A Personal Response

There was smoke all around the victims after a battle took place. It was so smoky that the houses in the background could almost not be seen. The sky was a pitch black. It looked like it might fall anytime. It was as if it was the end of the world. The victims fought their way hard past the smoke surrounding them and finally managed to reach the end of a pavement. They wore casual clothes with some holes in them. They did not expect such a battle to happen and did not bring any valuables with them. But that did not matter to them. Life was more important. Looking down at the huge piles of debris left on the ground after the battle took place, they were devastated but they have no more time to spare. They looked back to ensure that their soldiers were not nearby. Fearing that the soldiers may come anytime soon, they plucked up their courage and jumped down one after another. The last of the batch of victims kept a lookout while the rest jumped down the pavement desperately, hoping to escape from danger. Some helped those who were not able to jump down the pavement. Some held on to their relatives as they ran away from danger watching out for debris on the way. They took a last look of their hometown before bidding goodbye with tears welling up in their eyes.

A Letter of Encouragement to a Survivor of the Japan Disasters 2011

Blk 31 Hougang Ave 7,

 Evergreen Park,

#13-09 S(538800)

30 March 2011

Dear Nick Jones,

                              I am Lim Jerome from Hwa Chong Institution in Singapore. I happened to read through the article that you wrote on the internet regarding the fight against a spiral of hysteria in Tokyo.

                              I am sorry to hear that Japan has experienced strong earthquakes and tsunamis recently. As a result, many buildings and houses collapsed and many were homeless and some even lost their lives. Furthermore, the earthquakes and tsunamis have even damaged the nuclear plant at Fukushima Daiichi, causing it to explode and release radioactive gases. With so much radiation in the surroundings, many people were affected and this caused them to feel uncomfortable. They may even be diagnosed with diseases and those diseases may be able to be passed down to the next few generations too and this poses a big threat.

                              I sympathize with you that you were living in Tokyo when those earthquakes and tsunamis happen, the state in Japan which was the worst hit. You have no choice but after reading the news, decided that the only way was to move away from your comfortable home in Tokyo. You should count yourself lucky that you made the right decision and survived those earthquakes and tsunamis. Do not think about the things that are happening in Tokyo and other negative thoughts.

                              Also, in efforts to help Japan, our school has set up a fund to help collect money to buy daily necessities for those people that have survived the recent Japan disasters. Since there are so much help given to the Japanese, Japan should be glad that the remaining Japanese are safe. I hope that Japan can rebuild the affected states quickly and try to recover from its economic downfall. I hope to see Japan becoming one of the best economic countries again.

Regards,

Jerome                             

Guess What is Next?

I glanced up. The sky had a blue azure colour. There were many trees surrounding me. There was nobody around. The water in the river in front of me remained still and calm. The setting sun is directly over the river, off to my right, and the surface of the water has taken the colour and texture of the evening sky. The glassy sheet is covered with streams of pollen dust, over which dragonflies skim back and forth, occasionally dipping down to touch the surface and toss a tiny burst of diamonds into the air. The water is disturbed from below as well, as the tiny fingerlings swimming there rise up to nibble at the invisible gnats flittering over the water. But then the water moved a little........

Final Draft of Short Story

No school. Only play. These were what he had always wanted. Skipping lessons to play computer games seemed like a piece of cake for the primary school boy. But he always ended up facing his parents’ angry faces. Tears welled up in his eyes. To him, school is nothing but just sitting quietly and listening to the teacher’s ‘lullaby’. Nothing could excite him except computer games. He felt that it was not fair. Why couldn't he just skip school? Can't he just stay at home and play everyday? He soon knew the answers to those questions.

The woman pleaded. “Get him out of school. We don’t want notorious boys in our school. Playing truant is an unacceptable behaviour. We have given him many chances and I am fed up with his behaviour! He doesn't want to change, so neither do I want to change my rules,” said a stern voice. The woman pleaded and pleaded. Using her last resort, she fell to her knees put her head towards the ground. The boy looked up slowly. A blurred image of his mother appeared. He waited for a response. The source of the voice stared hard at the boy's mother and then at the boy. He thought for a while. “Ok. I will give your son one last chance. But if he plays truant again, out he go,” said the voice again. The woman stood up. She wiped off her tears. She thanked the head by shaking his hand vigorously. The boy knew that he would have to face severe consequences once they were outside the head’s office. He looked down once again, willing to change for his own future and for his parents.

The next day, the boy went to school as usual. He once had the thought of running away, but image of his mother falling to her knees prevented him from doing so. He walked slowly towards his classroom. He sat down at his seat and took out his notebook. A few minutes passed. The teacher stepped into the classroom and began her lesson once she had been greeted. He tried to scribble down notes but he just could not do so. He could not take it anymore. He immediately erased the image of his mother falling to her knees. He stood up. He took his bag. And he ran away, never to come back again.

When he reached home, he saw his mother reading newspapers. His mother looked up, and immediately became furious. "Why did you come back home again? Do you know how much I pleaded in order to get you to continue studying in this school? And now you want to run away again? I am really pissed off with your behaviour!" She stood up, clenched her fists, and did something that the boy had never seen before in his life. It was devastating. His mother ran away. She opened the door, with tears rolling down her cheeks and ran. The boy started crying. He did not want to lose his mother. He started chasing his mother, asking her to come back home. His mother continued running and when she reached a stretch of road, the boy shouted frantically, "Look out for the cars, mummy!" But it was all too late. "Baam!" The boy stopped dead in his tracks. He saw his mother fall to the ground. Blood oozed out from her body. The boy immediately went to her and cried, "Mummy!" This was an incident that would be forever etched in the boy's mind.

He was in his new school. His father had helped him gotten a place in this school. The boy turned back, but the horrific image of his mother appeared in his mind. He looked down and tears rolled down from his cheeks.  "Sorry mummy, I know I have let you down. But I will make you proud of me someday. Just wait." He wiped the tears away. Determined to change, he looked ahead. He felt that his future was right in front of him. "No more games, only school," he told himself. He continued walking. During every lesson, some naughty students would just play handphone games when the teacher was not looking, while the hardworking ones would occasionally copy some notes. But there was one who would copy every single thing the teacher would say and revise every single thing the teacher had taught everyday. He would stay up till late at night, and wake up early the next morning.

Two years had passed. All the parents gathered at the school hall, waiting to see their own child’s PSLE results. “And now, we shall announce our school’s top PSLE scorer, the fifth best in the whole Primary 6 cohort. He is…….” said the head. There was a moment of silence. The name appeared on the screen. The parents gasped in disbelief. A familiar face walked up onto the stage. Previously well-known for truancy, the boy was kicked out of his previous school and was now in another. He had studied hard, giving in the best effort, and eventually worked his way to the top quietly. Only he has experienced true hardship, and he will always strive for the best in whatever he can, because competition in Singapore schools is very tough. He has met different kinds of obstacles, and overcame them one by one, the path definitely not an easy one. And it all started from the day his mother passed away. Tears welled up in his eyes. The other parents realized the effort that the boy has put in and a round of applause was given to him.

He wiped his tears and said to everyone through the microphone, "I must thank my mother for waking me up. The death of her have always saddened me, making me want to work harder to let her know that I really want to change for the better, and I have finally made her proud!" His father went up onto the stage, and hugged him instantly. At seeing this touching moment, some parents cried. No one would ever believe that the boy would change so much but indeed he has shown us that no matter how hard the competition is, difficulties would always be overcome. Singapore students are also very hardworking people, but with so much competition, the boy can still stand out from the crowd. He changed completely from a boy who played truant to a boy with good results. That is an achievement not everyone could achieve.

Now he will leave his primary school memories behind and soar to greater heights in the future. From a boy who played truant to a boy who experienced hardship, and always strives for the best. The aim for perfection would always stay with him, even when he is out to work or when he has retired.

My Short Story

No school. Only play. These were what he had always wanted. Skipping lessons to play computer games seemed like a piece of cake for the primary school boy. But he always ended up facing his parents’ angry faces. Tears welled up in his eyes. To him, school is nothing but just sitting quietly and listening to the teacher’s ‘lullaby’. Nothing could excite him except computer games. But he did not expect to land himself in this situation.

The woman pleaded. “Get him out of school. We don’t want notorious boys in our school. Playing truant is an unacceptable behaviour,” said a stern voice. The woman pleaded and pleaded. Using her last resort, she fell to her knees put her head towards the ground. The boy looked up slowly. A blurred image of his mother appeared. He waited for a response. “Ok. I will give your son one last chance,” said the voice again. The woman stood up. She wiped off her tears. She thanked the head. The boy knew that he would have to face severe consequences once they were outside the head’s office. He looked down once again, willing to change for his own future and for his parents.

The next day, the boy went to school as usual. He once had the thought of running away, but image of his mother falling to her knees prevented him from doing so. He walked slowly towards his classroom. He sat down at his seat and took out his notebook. A few minutes passed. The teacher stepped into the classroom and began her lesson once she had been greeted. As she taught, only a pencil scribbling sound could be heard. The others just looked at the whiteboard and listened to the teacher. Everyone turned around and was so surprised to see a face they seldom see. A face that could only be seen 2 months in a year. And right there he was, scribbling down notes. The class became even more silent than before.

Two years had passed. All the parents gathered at the school hall, waiting to see their own child’s PSLE results. “And now, we shall announce our school’s top PSLE scorer, the fifth best in the whole Primary 6 cohort. He is…….” said the head. There was a moment of silence. The name appeared on the screen. The parents gasped in disbelief. A familiar face walked up onto the stage. Previously well-known for truancy, the boy had studied hard, giving in the best effort, and eventually worked his way to the top quietly. Only he has experienced true hardship, and he will always strive for the best in whatever he can, because competition in Singapore schools is very tough. He has met different kinds of obstacles, and overcame them one by one, the path definitely not an easy one. Tears welled up in his parents’ eyes. They went up to stage and hugged him instantly. The other parents realized the effort that the boy has put in and a round of applause was given to him.

Now he will leave his primary school memories behind and soar to greater heights in the future. From a boy who played truant to a boy who experienced hardship, and always strives for the best. The aim for perfection would always stay with him, even when he is out to work or when he has retired.

The Importance of Setting in a story

1. Where has each of the stories been set?

The Real Durwan by Jhumpa Lahiri: Stairwell

The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Watson's house

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Neighbourhood of a town

2. What time period has each of the above stories been set?

The Real Durwan by Jhumpa Lahiri: Modern day

The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: 1883, early April in the morning

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Early 19th century England

3. What clues do you get from the setting about the kind of story it is going to turn out to be?

The Real Durwan by Jhumpa Lahiri: Moody and sad

The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Suspicious and mysterious

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Gives us a very amiable feeling and and gives us warm and loving effect

4.Do you get clues about the story that follows from the setting? 

To Kill a Mockingbird is set in the 1930s in Maycomb, Alabama, a town so small and insular that, according to Scout, her father is "related by blood or marriage to nearly every family in the town." 

The story states that Mr. Finch works in the area. Maycomb is repeated many times in the story and there is a vivid description of it “Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it. In rainy weather the streets turned to red slop; grass grew on the sidewalks, the courthouse sagged in the square. Somehow, it was hotter then: a black dog suffered on a summer’s day”. Maycomb is also a white town as there are description of the Finch’s neighbours. “It was customary for every circle hostess to invite her neighbors in for refreshments, be they Baptists or Presbyterians, which accounted for the presence of Miss Rachel (sober as a judge), Miss Maudie and Miss Stephanie Crawford.” It describes the fine ladies in town and how they live their lives in Maycomb County.

Historical Background 2

The Civil Rights Movement


a.    When did the civil rights movement begin?
In 1955.


b.   What was the civil rights movement about?
It was about fighting for equal rights between the white Americans and African Americans. E.g. The rights to vote.


c.    State some of the significant incidents that took place in the Civil Rights movements.
 1.   The Murder of Emmett Till (1955).
Emmett Till was brutally beaten by his two white abductors, who then shot him and dumped his body in the Tallahatchie River. His two murderers were arrested the day after Till's disappearance. Both were acquitted a month later, after the jury of all white men deliberated for 67 minutes and then issued their "Not Guilty" verdict. After being acquitted, the two murderers went on record as blatantly declaring that they were indeed guilty. They remained free and unpunished as a consequence of the judicial procedure known as "double jeopardy."


2.     Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-1956)
Mrs. Rosa Parks, while riding on a public bus, refused to relinquish her seat to a white passenger. Mrs. Parks was subsequently arrested, tried, and convicted of disorderly conduct and of violating a local ordinance. Alabama's black community organized and launched the Montgomery Bus Boycott, to protest the practice of segregating blacks and whites in public transportation. The successful boycott lasted for 382 days (1956 was a leap year), until the local ordinance legalizing the segregation of blacks and whites on public buses was vitiated.


d.   Which American president supported this movement?
John F. Kennedy.


e.   What was the outcome of this movement?
As a result to the civil rights movement african-americans are now as equal as whites. That's what they would have Americans believe and although African Americans have more rights and can hold office to good jobs, there is still racism going on to this day. 


f.   Civil Rights movement relation to the novel?
When Dill and Scout return to the courtroom, they found Atticus well into his closing remarks. Jem whispers that Atticus has just gone over the evidence and there’s no way they can lose. Atticus tells the jury that the prosecution is relying on the jury’s racism to convict Tom even though there’s no evidence any crime even took place. Mayella’s injuries at the time suggested that she was beaten by a left-handed man, and Tom’s left hand is useless (though Mr. Ewell’s isn’t). Atticus reminds the jury that everyone should be equal under the law, and they should do their duty and acquit Tom. After four hours of deliberation, the jury finally delivers its verdict: guilty. As Atticus walks down the aisle and out of the courtroom, the African-Americans in the balcony silently stand up as a gesture of respect.


Montgomery Bus Boycott and Scottsboro trials


a.   State the specifics of each trial and why they were significant.
Montgomery Bus Boycott.

On Thursday, December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a public bus to a white man. In response, the Women's Political Council distributed fliers throughout the community urging African-Americans to boycott the bus line on the day of Mrs. Parks's trial. The following Monday Mrs. Parks was found guilty of disorderly conduct and fined. It was on this day in the afternoon at Mt. Zion A.M.E. Zion Church that a meeting was held, it was at this meeting that the Montgomery Improvement Association was formed and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., selected as the new organization's president. That evening a meeting was held at the Holt Street Baptist Church at which it was decided that continuing the bus boycott would be an effective way to protest the segregated bus service.

In terms of participation, the bus boycott was an immediate success. Virtually all of the African-Americans who formerly patronized the bus service now walked, arranged carpools or found other means of transportation. Despite the strong participation in the boycott and the financial hardship experienced by the bus company, the laws were not changed. The Montgomery Improvement Association filed suit in federal court on behalf of those discriminated against by the bus service. On June 2, 1956, a federal court ruled for the Montgomery Improvement Association and declared segregated bus service to be unconstitutional. The ruling was appealed to the United States Supreme Court who, on November 13, 1956, upheld the lower court's findings. The boycott ended on December 20, 1956, 382 days after Mrs. Parks's conviction, when the court order requiring integrated bus service was served to Montgomery officials.

Scottsboro trials

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, poor people would ride in railroad freight cars, trying to get to a town that might have work. In 1931, two white women were riding the trains along with two groups of men: one white and another black. A fight broke out between the two groups of men. The blacks won and threw the whites off the train. The whites reported this to the local sheriff, and the train was stopped in Scottsboro, Alabama. Everyone on board was arrested. Victoria Price was in serious trouble because her friend, Ruby Bates, was a minor. It's a federal crime to take a minor across state lines for the purpose of prostitution. In order to get out of trouble, Victoria and Ruby said that the black men had raped them. In 1931, rape was punishable by death. Considering the races of the accusers (white) and accused (black), the normal response would have been a lynching (hanging someone who is suspected of a crime). But the people of Scottsboro held a trial, instead. Of course, the result had been decided before the trial began. The Scottsboro Boys were convicted and sentenced to death - at the first trial.But that was only the beginning. The Scottsboro Trials - we will examine two of them - dragged on for six more years and resulted in two Supreme Court rulings.

b.   How is the Scottsboro trial related to the trial in the novel?

When Lee was a young girl, about six-years-old, there was a highly publicised court case, the Scottsboro Trials, involving several young African-American men. There are many parallels between the trial of Tom Robinson in To Kill a Mockingbird and one of the most notorious series of trials in the nation's history ‚ the Scottsboro Trials. On March 25, 1931, a freight train was stopped in Paint Rock, a tiny community in Northern Alabama, and nine young African American men who had been riding the rails were arrested. As two white women - one underage - descended from the freight cars, they accused the men of raping them on the train. The accused were taken to Scottsboro jail. Within a month the first man was found guilty and sentenced to death. There followed a series of sensational trials condemning the other men solely on the testimony of the older woman, a known prostitute, who was attempting to avoid prosecution under the Mann Act, prohibiting taking a minor across state lines for immoral purposes, like prostitution. Although none of the accused were executed, a number remained on death row for many years. The case was not settled until 1976 with the pardon of the last of the Scottsboro defendants. This trial has many similarities to Tom Robinson's trial including the word of a poor White woman against the word of an African-American man and the fact that there was no real evidence.

c.   In what way are these trials similar?

Both are biased. The black is going against the white and white against the black.

Trials of a true Southern Belle and Southern Gentleman

a.      What were the rules of etiquette for Southern gentlemen and ladies?

Above all, say "please" and "thank you". Always saw please whenever making any sort of request. You may further express thanks by saying something like "Thank you very much, I really appreciate it." If you don't get what you want, say something like "well, thank you anyway." You should also use "May I," "You're Welcome," "Excuse Me," and "Pardon Me."
Also say "yes sir" or "no sir" and "yes ma'am" or "no ma'am" at all appropriate times. If you don't use these you may be viewed as arrogant or disrespectful, or uppity.
Several fundamental tenets of southern manners:
-Be humble - Always put others first and yourself last ("after you..."). This is rooted in Bible Belt theology. Acting uppity, selfish, or self-centered are certainly not good manners.
-Be courteous - This stems from the Golden Rule ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto you).
-Behave yourself - When in public, don't be rude, brash, loud, uncouth, coarse, or cause a commotion. If you do act that way people may think you weren't raised properly and don't know better.
-Be friendly - Act this way towards everyone whether you know them or not.
-Be modest - this is similar to being humble. In other words, don't brag on yourself.
Here are some other tips (but this is not an exhaustive list of course):
-Always ask for something, but never demand it.
-Refer to females as "Ladies".
-Chivalry of all forms is well appreciated throughout the South.
-Hold doors open for others.
-If you're a male, walk on the street side of a sidewalk when accompanying a lady.
-Men stand when a lady enters the room.
-Remove your hat, if you're a male, when entering a building. A hat should also be removed (by men) during the national anthem, the raising of the flag, funeral processions, and prayer.
-When at fault, own up to it and say you're sorry.
-Say "pardon me" or "excuse me" when having to walk in front of someone or if you bump into someone.
-Err on the side of being too nice.
-Know proper table manners and always use them.
-Make eye contact with people and say "hi, how are you" or an appropriate greeting to them depending on the time of day ("good morning", "good afternoon", etc.).
-Conduct small talk with others whether you know them or not (particularly in stores and restaurants, etc.).
-Respect elders
-Be gracious and extend hospitality whenever possible. Offer guests in your home food and drink.
-Don't interrupt.
-Shake hands with a firm grip.
-Don't be in a rush and impatient all the time. Things move at a different pace in the South.
-Keep your word.
-Stand by your family.
-If someone has had surgery, a new baby or a death in the family, organize the neighbours to all take turns fixing dinner for the affected family.
-Welcome new neighbours.

b.    What did southern ladies do to pass their time?

They like to look at recipes, cook and collect things.

c.     Pictures of Southern ladies and gentlemen

d.     Identify characters in the novel that fit the mould of true southern belles and gentlemen and those who don’t? Explain why they fit the mould and why they don’t?

Atticus is the true southern gentleman. He is gentle and calm, and seldom hot-tempered. His gentle voice and calm expression makes him look like a cool man indirectly. Calpurnia is a true southern belle. She seldom shouts and greets others politely. She also has a good view of things and can make good judgement. She will not invade into other people’s privacy.


Harper Lee

a.        About the author

Nelle Harper Lee (born April 28, 1926) is an American author best known for her 1960 Pulitzer Prize winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird, which deals with the issues of racism that were observed by the author as a child in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama. Despite being Lee's only published book, it led to Lee being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom of the United States for her contribution to literature in 2007. Lee has also been the recipient of numerous honorary degrees, but has always declined to make a speech.

b.      Biodata

Born	April 28, 1926 (1926-04-28) (age 84) Monroeville, Alabama
Occupation	Novelist
Nationality	American
Subjects	Literature
Literary movement	Southern Gothic

c.     Novels written by her

To Kill a Mockingbird

d.    Awards received

Pulitzer Prize (1961)
Brotherhood Award of the National Conference of Christians and Jews (1961)
Alabama Library Association Award (1961)
Bestsellers Paperback of the Year Award (1962)
Member, National Council on the Arts (1966)
Best Novel of the Century, Library Journal (1999)
Alabama Humanities Award (2002)
ATTY Award, Spector Gadon & Rosen Foundation (2005)
Los Angeles Public Library Literary Award (2005)
Honorary degree, University of Notre Dame (2006)
American Academy of Arts and Letters (2007)
Presidential Medal of Freedom (2007)

e.     Why was TKAM a significant novel to her?

Harper Lee is clearly making a commentary about the levels of society in Maycomb.  Through the example of its citizens, Lee forces us to question how and why we rigidly structure our society.  Consider the ways in which the children follow Maycomb’s caste rules and also how they break them.  Consider the interaction of the children with the Cunninghams, Calpurnia, Reverend Sykes, Boo Radley, and Dolphus Raymond.  Their play and their conversations connected to these characters offers what at first appears to be an innocent comment about Maycomb’s citizens; when it is indeed the carefully masked social commentary on the dangers of Maycomb’s rigid caste system by the adult novelist, Harper Lee.

Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka

The price seemed reasonable, location
Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived
Off premises. Nothing remained
But self-confession. "Madam," I warned,
"I hate a wasted journey—I am African."
Silence. Silenced transmission of
Pressurized good-breeding. Voice, when it came,
Lipstick coated, long gold rolled
Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was foully.


"HOW DARK?" . . . I had not misheard . . . "ARE YOU LIGHT
OR VERY DARK?" Button B, Button A.* Stench
Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.
Red booth. Red pillar box. Red double-tiered
Omnibus squelching tar. It was real! Shamed
By ill-mannered silence, surrender
Pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification.
Considerate she was, varying the emphasis--


"ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?" Revelation came.
"You mean--like plain or milk chocolate?"
Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light
Impersonality. Rapidly, wave-length adjusted,
I chose. "West African sepia"--and as afterthought,
"Down in my passport." Silence for spectroscopic
Flight of fancy, till truthfulness clanged her accent
Hard on the mouthpiece. "WHAT'S THAT?" conceding
"DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS." "Like brunette."


"THAT'S DARK, ISN'T IT?" "Not altogether.
Facially, I am brunette, but, madam, you should see
The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet
Are a peroxide blond. Friction, caused--
Foolishly, madam--by sitting down, has turned
My bottom raven black--One moment, madam!"--sensing
Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap
About my ears--"Madam," I pleaded, "wouldn't you rather
See for yourself?"

Introduction:

Written in the first person narrative point of view, the poem “Telephone Conversation” by Wole Soyinka is a poetic satire against the widely-spread racism in the modern Western society. The poem is about a telephone conversation in England between the poetic persona seeking to rent a house and an English landlady who completely changes her attitude towards him after he reveals his identity as a black African. The motif of a microcosmic telephone conversation, therefore, is employed by the poet to apply to a much broader, macrocosmic level where racial bigotry is ridiculed in a contest of human intelligence, showcasing the poet’s witticism as well as his ingenious sense of humour.

Q1: The speaker mentions her "good-breeding," "lipstick coated" voice, "long gold-rolled/Cigarette holder," all possessions that should make her a respectable lady (lines 7-9). These words describing her wealth are neutral in regard to her personal character, but allow that she could be a good person. Her goodness is seemingly confirmed later on when the speaker says that she was "considerate" in rephrasing her question (line 17). The "Red booth," "Red pillar-box," and "Red double-tiered / Omnibus" are all things that one might find in Leeds, the British city in which Soyinka had been studying prior to writing this poem (lines 13-14; "Nobel"1). In addition to the literal images that this description creates, a sense of the anger running through the speaker's mind is portrayed by the repeated use of the word red. This anaphora is the closest that that the speaker ever comes to openly showing anger in the poem. Although it is hidden with seemingly polite language, a glimpse of the speaker's anger appears in this quick pause in the conversation.

Q2: The landlady is described as a polite, well-bred woman, even though she is shown to be shallowly racist. The speaker is described as being genuinely apologetic for his skin color, even though he has no reason to be sorry for something which he was born with and has no control over. In this short poem, we can see that the speaker is an intelligent person by his use of high diction and quick wit, not the savage that the landlady assumes he is because of his skin color. All of these discrepancies between what appears to be and what really is create a sense of verbal irony that helps the poem display the ridiculousness of racism.

Q3: Throughout the poem, yet another form of irony is created by the speaker's use of high diction, which shows his education. Although the landlady refuses to rent an apartment to him because of his African heritage and the supposed savagery that accompanies it, the speaker is clearly a well educated individual. Words like "pipped," "rancid," and "spectroscopic" are not words that a savage brute would have in his vocabulary (lines 9, 12, 23). The speaker's intelligence is further shown through his use of sarcasm and wit in response to the landlady's questions. Although he pretends politeness the entire time, he includes subtle meanings in his speech. The fact that a black man could outwit and make a white woman seem foolish shows the irony in judging people based on their skin color.