[Form Four] Literature Essay for Tanjung Rhu

INSTRUCTION: Analyse the sample below


With close reference from the text, choose a theme from Tanjung Rhu.

The short story I chose is Tanjung Rhu by Minfong Ho. A prevalent theme in Tanjung Rhu is ‘Kindness and love are more important than material possessions’ This means that even though people say that money, wealth and fame is important, there are more important things and values that are more important, that are kindness and love, because, at the end of the day, those two are what make life worth living. In Tanjung Rhu, this theme is shown through the relationship between Mr Li and his mother, Mr Li’s failure to open the drawer in the Altar Room and Ying’s error.

Firstly, this is shown through the relationship between Mr Li and his mother, Ah Ma because Mr Li thinks that he needs to work hard and give material wealth to his mother. This is evident in him asking Ah Ma to go up the 18th floor of his office, a symbol of his success. He also tries to make Ah Ma see the extent of his success by making her see the view through the binoculars.Nevertheless, Ah Ma, refusing at first to see through the binoculars, finally concedes but only sees the past memories of her happier time at the beach with her young son, Mr Li. This proves that Ah Ma only values the past as it was when they were happier and had a closer relationship. To Ah Ma, binocular and the 18th floor office are nothing compared to her son. This valuing of the past by Ah Ma proves the theme that ‘Love and Kindness are more important than material possession’.

Secondly, this theme is shown through Mr Li’s failure to open the drawer. He thinks that he had done enough for his mother, that by just letting her live with him and making sure she lives well, he has done enough and is a filial son. But he ignores his mother so much that he dose not even know where Ah Ma puts her joss stick at the Altar Room and that he does not even have the key to the drawer where she puts important stuff for praying means that he has failed as a son. What Ah Ma needed was just his love and kindness, and his care and attention, and he did not give her that. His failure to open the drawer is a reflection  that all his succes and material possessions do not make him a good son.

Lastly this theme is shown through Ying, Mr Li’s daughter. Ying also mistakenly thinks that she cares enough about her grandmother that she often argues with her concerning the praying ceremony. She misunderstands that Ah Ma is a traditional person and keeps urging her to change the  wax candles into electric candles and also to let her do the praying ceremony even though she does not know the proper way to do so. Ying here also falls mistakenly into the trap that material possession is better-she urges Ah Ma to pray quickly so Mr Li could go to work faster and to use better, safer electric candles. In the end, she does not get the love and care she wants from her grandmother just because she thinks what she values more are better.

In conclusion, the theme ‘Kindness and love are more important than material possessions’ are shown though the dynamic of Mr Li and his mother’s relationship, Mr Li’s unsuccessful try of opening his mother’s important drawer and Ying’s misunderstanding of what is important for her grandmother.

 ATTENTION SET 4A 2016!

QUESTIONS:

1. Label the sample essay above with  the tags. Author, name of the novel, thesis statement, main idea, explanation, example, link, and paraphrasing of the thesis statement. The second paragraph has been done for you. Please label the rest of the paragraphs.

To illustrate

Firstly, this is shown through the relationship between Mr Li and his mother, Ah Ma because Mr Li thinks that he needs to work hard and give material wealth to his mother. This is evident in him asking Ah Ma to go up the 18th floor of his office, a symbol of his success. He also tries to make Ah Ma see the extent of his success by making her see the view through the binoculars.Nevertheless, Ah Ma, refusing at first to see through the binoculars, finally concedes but only sees the past memories of her happier time at the beach with her young son, Mr Li. This proves that Ah Ma only values the past as it was when they were happier and had a closer relationship. To Ah Ma, binocular and the 18th floor office are nothing compared to her son. This valuing of the past by Ah Ma proves the theme that ‘Love and Kindness are more important than material possession’.

 green is link 

yellow is main idea 

brown is evidence

blue is explanation/analysis