The picture and the setting of the story.

This is actually a photo that I took last year.

The morning sun shone brightly in the sky, chasing away the night and welcoming the new day. The beautiful sky was of a bright blue and the magnolia white clouds contrast beautifully with the sky. The presence of the morning breezes swayed the tree leaves which created the voice of nature...

What kind of story do you the above story fits? Kindly leave a reply in the comment page. Thank you and have a nice day.

I think many of you guessed correctly. The story was about two good friends having a picnic at the beach. Later something happened to one of them. The the story goes on.

My identity as a Singaporean.

“Beep! Beep!” the impatient horns of the cars sounded through the jammed road. The cars inched forwards slowly at a crawling pace. The people in the bus suffered the most as the bus was congested with people from all walks of life. The bus was packed to the extend that we were able to smell each other’s breaths and there would be a domino effect if the bus would to be an unanticipated jerk.
The beginning of another long and tormenting day was marked with the calls from both nature and the human environment. I trudge my way to the nearby bus stop. It took the bus approximately fifteen minutes before it arrived at the bus stop. The bus was still rather empty, but it would not take long for it to be filled up. As proven by experience, the bus was soon packed with people, most of them being either an office worker or a student with earpieces in their ears. Majority was shifting their gases around the bus observing the environment.
Gradually, the bus slowed down and came to a halt. The front doors swung opened. Entered came a little old grandmother which seemed to be around her mid seventies, with a few heavy looking plastic bags in her hand. She was slightly hunched and had a few of her teeth missing. Then, the following events happened as if they were rehearsed. The old lady surveyed the bus with her dull eyes, hoping there would be an empty seat for her. The passengers in the bus detected her and began to mind their own business. Some were looking out of the window, pretending to sleep or be engrossed with something. With a disappointed expression, the elderly, with some difficulty, manoeuvred her way away from the entrance. After several minutes, none of those seated were willing to offer their seats to the poor old lady. I observed in utter disgust.
Then, a comment struck my mind,” What is wrong with all the people? Did they left their homes in a rush and accidentally left their sense of compassion and kindness on their beds? What has the society turned into?” Without further hesitations, I offered my seat to the old granny and she thanked me profusely. Instantly, a sense of happiness overwhelmed me. Some of the adults who stood beside me praised me some of those who were strong enough looked out of the window in embarrassment.

When the bus came to halt at the next bus stop, a pregnant woman boarded the bus and was holding on to her stomach and moving very slowly. Upon seeing her, another young gentleman stood up and offered his seat to the lady. Then, it was my turn to alight.
As I walked my into my school, feeling and thought began to surface. As a Singaporean I fear that Singapore would turn a ugly and inconsiderate country and the entire country would be in trouble in time to come. The people in Singapore lack the discipline and would be controlled by their minds instead of controlling their minds. Recalling the young man's actions, I concluded that Singaporeans would not take the initiative and would only wait for others to do so before continuing.
Coincidentally, I met my friend as I was proceeding to the canteen. He was gulping down Milo from the packet drink. Upon finishing the Milo, he placed the packet on the floor and left although he knew that there was a dustbin right in front of him. There was absolutely no reason for him to have done so. The sense of happiness left me and and anger began to surface. I reprimanded him and all he said was that it was none of my business.
I thought that rules and regulations may seem to be foolish or childish, however, it is necessary as the behaviour of the citizens have showed it. I cannot comprehend why Singaporeans must behave in such inappropriate manners and not have a sense of social responsibility.

I knew that it was up to me to help my country and serve the nation. As a Singaporean, I vowed and took up the role of setting a good example for my juniors and people around me and hope that they would be able to pass it down and make Singapore a better place.

28th January 2011- Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka

Q1) Personally, I feel that the colours signified the difference in the skin colour of the two people speaking, dark and light. Therefore, this poem is also showing the difference in the treatment of the black and white.

The different colours also show that the white is rich and in contrast, the black is not as rich or poor. In this case, the colour gold is used to signify the wealth of the white. The colour red is also used in the poem to represent the anger of the black when being asked the question whether she was a black or a white. The colour red also signifies equality. This can be seen from the different countries having the same booths,pillar-box and double-tiered Omnibus-squelching tar.

Q2) The dialogue of the poem reveals both the speakers were concerned with their skin colours. The first speaker states that she hated a wasted trip. She said so as she knew that she was a black and the landlord is a white. In other words, she knew that the chances of her getting a apartment are slim. The landlord is also concerned about the colour of her client's skin, in other words, being racist.

Q3) The client won the battle ultimately. The client had told the landlady to look at his skin in a rude way by asking her to look at his butt. He also the one who ended the conversation and not allowing the landlady to reply.

Historical Background

Slavery

a) Slavery in the southern state began in the 1600s.

b) The slaves were shipped in from Africa

c) The slaves were owned by whites, although some Native Americans and free blacks also held slaves.

d) Yes, there were laws.

In 1641,Massachusetts explicitly permits slavery of Indians, whites, and Negroes in its Body of Liberties. It is the first mainland British colony to legalize slavery.

In 1642,Virginia passes a fugitive slave law. Offenders helping runaway slaves are fined in pounds of tobacco. An enslaved person is to be branded with a large R after a second escape attempt.

In 1643, The New England Confederation reaches an agreement that makes the signature of a magistrate sufficient evidence to re enslave a suspected fugitive slave.

In 1650, Connecticut legalizes slavery. Rhode Island by this date has large plantations worked by enslaved Africans.

In 1657, Virginia amends its fugitive slave law to include the fining of people who harbor runaway slaves. They are fined 30 pounds of tobacco for every night they provide shelter to a runaway slave.

In 1662, Virginia reverses the presumption of English law that the child follows the status of his father, and enacts a law that makes the free or enslaved status of children dependent on the status of the mother.

In 1663, Maryland slave laws rules that all Africans arriving in the colony are presumed to be slaves. Free European American women who marry enslaved men lose their freedom. Children of European American women and enslaved men are enslaved. Other North American colonies develop similar laws.

In 1664, Maryland establishes slavery for life for persons of African ancestry. New Jersey and New York also recognize the legality of slavery. In Virginia, the enslaved African's status is clearly differentiated from the indentured servant's when colonial laws decree that enslavement is for life and is transferred to the children through the mother. Black and slave become synonymous, and enslaved Africans are subject to harsher and more brutal control than other laborers.

In 1667, England enacts strict laws regarding enslaved Africans in its colonies. An enslaved African is forbidden to leave the plantation without a pass, and never on Sunday. An enslaved African may not possess weapons or signaling mechanisms such as horns or whistles. Punishment for an owner who kills an enslaved African is a 15-pound fine. Virginia declares that baptism does not free a slave from bondage, thereby abandoning the Christian tradition of not enslaving other Christians.

In 1670, The Virginia Assembly enact law that allows all non-Christians who arrive by ship to be enslaved.The Massachusetts legislature passes a law that enables its citizens to sell the children of enslaved Africans into bondage, thus separating them from their parents. Massachusetts permits the separate sale of children of enslaved parents.

In 1671, A Maryland law states that the conversion of enslaved African Americans to Christianity does not affect their status as enslaved people.

In 1672, Virginia law now bans prosecution for the killing of a slave if the death comes during the course of his his or her apprehension.

In 1682, New York enacts its first slave codes. They restrict the freedom of movement and the ability to trade of all enslaved people in the colony. A new slave code in Virginia prohibits weapons for slaves, requires passes beyond the limits of the plantation and forbids self-defense by any African Americans against any European American.

In 1685, New York law forbids enslaved Africans and Native Americans from having meetings or carrying firearms.

In 1690, South Carolina enacts its first laws regulating slave movement and behavior.

e) Yes, it has told me that slaves were treated unfairly.



The Civil War



a) South Carolina

Mississippi

Florida

Alabama

Georgia

Louisiana

Texas



b) Abraham Lincoln

c) In the presidential election of 1860, the Republican Party, led by Abraham Lincoln, had campaigned against the expansion of slavery beyond the states in which it already existed. In response to the Republican victory in that election, seven states declared their secession from the Union before Lincoln took office on March 4, 1861. Both the outgoing administration of President James Buchanan and Lincoln's incoming administration rejected the legality of secession, considering it rebellion. Several other slave states rejected calls for secession at this point.
Hostilities began on April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces attacked a U.S. military installation at Fort Sumter in South Carolina. Lincoln responded by calling for a volunteer army from each state to recapture federal property. This led to declarations of secession by four more slave states. Both sides raised armies as the Union assumed control of the border states early in the war and established a naval blockade. In September 1862, Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation made ending slavery in the South a war goal, and dissuaded the British from intervening.

d) from : April 12, 1861- April 9, 1865.

e) The war produced about 1,030,000 casualties (3% of the population), including about 620,000 soldier deaths—two-thirds by disease. The war accounted for roughly as many American deaths as all American deaths in other U.S. wars combined.
The causes of the war, the reasons for its outcome, and even the name of the war itself are subjects of lingering contention today. Based on 1860 census figures, 8% of all white males aged 13 to 43 died in the war, including 6% in the North and 18% in the South. About 56,000 soldiers died in prisons during the Civil War.

f) The novel " To Kill a Mockingbird" was written during the time when the civil war was fought. This makes an impact of the civil war and it acts as an reminder of the times when the civil war was fought.

Jim Crow's Laws

a) Jim Crow is not actually a person, but the subject of a song performed by Thomas Dartmouth “Daddy” Rice. Rice was a white man who performed in black face. Like most black face performers, Rice denigrated Blacks through his music, his stereotypical behavior, and his rude jokes.
Jump Jim Crow is a lengthy song that was a bonfire hit among Caucasian Americans in the early 19Th century. The lyrics of “Jump Jim Crow” express several racist sentiments. First, Jim Crow is satisfied with his lot as a slave. He is sexually promiscuous. Jim Crow is also ignorant, and the song is usually sung in “supposed” slave dialect.

b) The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. They mandated de jure racial segregation in all public facilities, with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for black Americans. In reality, this led to treatment and accommodations that were usually inferior to those provided for white Americans, systematizing a number of economic, educational and social disadvantages.
Some examples of Jim Crow laws are the segregation of public schools, public places and public transportation, and the segregation of restrooms, restaurants and drinking fountains for whites and blacks. The U.S. military was also segregated.

c) They were strongly against the law

d) It was when Jean Louise and her brother followed their care taker to the her church. Also when Tom Robinson was accused of raping Mayella Ewell.

The above information were taken from http://www.wikipedia.org/, http://www.blackpast.org/ , http://www.pbs.org/, http://www.wisegeek.com/

The Importance of Setting in a story

1) Where has each of the above stories been set



The Real Durwan by Jhumpa Lahiri

-It had been set at the stairwell.



The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Arthur Conan

- It has taken place in Sherlock Holmes house in Baker Street



Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

- the settinfg is in a rich man's house



2) What time period has each of these stories been set in?



The Real Durwan by Jhumpa Lahiri

- The story could have taken place in the present world



The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Arthur Conan

- The story took place in 1983



Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

- It could have taken place in the 80s



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

- It is mentioned in the story that the poor sweeper lived near tha letter box and how she had a turmoil with her husband and four daughters. This could be about the life of story of the woman.

The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Arthur Conan

- It is mentioned that Sherlock Holmes had solved many cases, thus meaning that it is about another detective story.



Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

- It shows the dialogue of a husband and wife. This story could be about the story of them.

Discrimination

Discrimination.
There are many types of discrimination, mainly-
-racial and ethnic discrimination
-age discrimination
-sex, gender, gender identity discrimination
-caste discrimination
-employment discrimination
-sexual orientation discrimination
-language discrimination
-disability discrimination
-religious discrimination

These discrimination can be classified as

involving the body:
-age discrimination
-sex, gender, gender identity discrimination
-disability discrimination
-sexual orientation discrimination

involving thoughts:
-employment discrimination
-caste discrimination

involving culture and tradition:
-racial and ethnic discrimination
-language discrimination
-religious discrimination

examples of the various types of discrimination
-racial and ethnic discrimination-people with dark skin will be looked downed and will be given less job opportunities.

-age discrimination-people with older age would not be given equal opportunity as the younger candidates

-sex, gender, gender identity discrimination- in the past, women are given less opportunities as men. Eg: girls in the past are not given the opportunity to study.

-caste discrimination-Hindus are classified into different categories and the lower class categories get less opportunity as the higher class

-employment discrimination-people with poorly paid jobs will not be well treated.Eg: road sweepers and cleaners.

-sexual orientation discrimination-a gay will be treated with less respect and would be sometimes laughed at or mocked at.

-language discrimination-people with slang of a particular race will be imitated so as to mock the person.

-disability discrimination- those with physical disabilities may be mocked at or may receive undesirable views.

-religious discrimination-people believing in certain religion will not be welcomed or well treated.

My favourite poem out of the three poems of Shel Silverstein

My favourite poem out of the three is The Little Boy and the Old Man. Actually it is my favourite as I feel that I can identify the poem the best!:)

I feel that this poem is very meaningful. In the poem, Shel Silverstein had showned how reality had been neglecting the young and old. The adults are too busy and engrossed in their daily life and thus had not shown enough love and care for both the young and the old. In other words, both the young and old feel a sense of negligence. The adults could have forgotten how it felt to be neglected when they were young and how their parents had took care of them. Therefore, they did not show love towards their young and old. I feel that we should learn form this poem and not let our daily life carry us away from our family. It is very important to have a good bond with our families as in times of need, our friends may help us, but what if they do not? Ultimately, it would be our family members that would truly help us. It is also our duty to be responsible whether is it taking care of the young or old.

Thank you for reading!:)

Literature and Life Shel Silverstein

Hi! Below are my answers for the three poems by Shel Silverstein.

The Little Boy and the Old Man
Q1) What is the underlying message that is being conveyed in this poem?

The message is the that the adults were too engrossed in what they are doing that they have forgotten what it felt to be a child and forgotten how their parents had treasured them, thus resulting in not giving enough love and attention to both the child and the old man. That is why both the old man and the child are feeling lonely and neglected.

Q2) Has Shel Silverstein used any particular poetic technique that brings out this message more clearly?

Yes, he did. Shel Silverstein had used poetic techniques like rhymes that makes it sound better. For example: "Sometimes I drop my spoon"..."I do that too". The rhymes shows how the situation of the old man and the little boy are similar. This point can be further emphasized with the writer describing the old man at the end of the poem as " little old man". Shel Silverstein had also used dialogue of the child and the old man. This has shown how similar their situations are too as the part of the child is the voice and that of the old man is the echo.

Messy Room

Q1) Can you say that the poem is humorous? If so why?

Yes, the poem is humorous. Shel Silverstien had used different elements to describe the messy room. For example," His underwear is hanging on the lamp." This sort of injects some humour into the poem. The entire poem talks about the room to be messy and in a disaster state. At the end of the poem it is stated that the room belongs to the narrator himself, making the poem humorous.

Q2) What aspect of the human character has been highlighted in this poem?

The human character of pointing and commenting on others before reflecting on oneself has been highlighted in the poem. Thus, the poem is trying to tell us that before criticizing others, we should look at ourselves first.

Cloony The Clown

Q1) Explain the irony in this poem.

Every time when Cloony the clown perform any tricks, nobody would find them funny. Thus, Cloony the clown felt very sad. Thus, he told the audience how he felt and why he felt so sad. However, instead of sympathising with Cloony, the audience began to laugh.

Q2) Does Shel Silverstein manage to convey some harsh realities in this poem?

Yes, he did. Shel Silverstein was probably trying to show that when one is upset and tries to get some sympathy, what he gets is not he wants. In other words, people do not feel for each other and do not understand each other.

Q3) What poetic devices has the poet used to effectively convey the message?

Almost all the lines of the poem have rhymes and had used metaphors to effectively convey his message. All these devices had made it easier for Shel Silverstein to convey to us that Cloony had failed to be a clown.

After You,My Dear alphonse by Shirley Jackson

Question: Would you have treated Boyd or someone who is not of the same race as you differently? Why or why not?

No, definitely not. In the story, Mrs Wilson had treated the other race with disrespect and had looked down on them.

In the beginning of the story when Mrs Wilson first saw Boyd, she had treated him with disrespect. When she saw him, she asked if he would be hungry as she had the misconception that being a Negro boy would be working as a slave the whole day and would feel exhausted. She added that Boyd would definitely eat anything. If I were Mrs Wilson, I would not look down on the other races like she did.

She continued saying that Boyd would want to grow up to be strong man so that he could work hard like his father. In this case, Mrs Wilson had made the assumption that as Negros have to work as slaves. I do not have such thinking about other races.

When Mrs Wilson heard that Boyd's father was working in the factory that her husband was working in, she thought that Boyd's father was a labourer. However, Boyd's father was a foreman in the factory. It was mentioned in the passage that she felt defeated upon hearing the news of Boyd's father being the foreman. Usually, if we have friends whose father has a higher position in the company than one's father, one would admire the other. However, Mrs Wilson felt defeated, meaning that she felt ashamed for losing to a Negro, which was being racist.

Mrs Wilson had also showed signs of being racist when she restrained an impulse to pat Boyd's head, simply because of his skin colour.

The worst thing she did was telling Boyd that Johnny had some clothes that were too small for Johnny to where and that she would give them to Boyd. She also said that she had a few dresses that Boyd's mother and sister could use. Then, when Boyd declined the offer, she forced him to take them, in the end, she said that she was very disappointed in Boyd for not taking the clothes.

I would not want to be like Mrs Wilson as she did not respect others and put others in a difficult situation.

In conclusion, I would not want to be like Mrs Wilson as she is racist and did not respect the other races. I feel that all races should be respected as their culture and tradition are all respectable and that regardless of skin colour, everyone is equal.