Discuss how the authors in Island Voices use relationships to convey certain themes.-(25m)

A group of a million,or a million groups of one each?

Scampering,

in ignorance,of the world around,

with insolence,prepared to judge any unfamiliar face,

while indolent,to try to know for sure,

and with utmost arrogance,

lurking within each heart...

A stormy sea of egocentric individuals,

rushing to their lonely havens,

returning from their lonely office tracks,

with sports shoes worn-out,and not a pair of slippers from another...

.

Among the million of thick green leaves,

swaying,in every own rhythm,

upon a broad oak tree,

a speck of a single yellow leaf struggles to keep grasp on its branch.

One more change in the flow of wind,

and down it fell...through the patches of holes in in the otherwise full-green canopy.

Gliding...Spiralling,losing its way,

leaving behind the thick mess of leaves.

.

It then hit the ground,

settling upon a layer of two million leaves;

all forgotten,

all hidden,

beneath the shadows cast by the canopy,

each lay in silent torture,

dying...and awaiting its fate

to be trampled upon by the silent rustlings of hidden beings...

creeping as ghouls,

smashing every brittle leaf in the pile of spare parts.

...

Every leaf awaiting its lonely fate.

While the bright-green layer of leaves continue to sway above,

.

in every random direction...

2008 Literature Workshop: Interview with Author of ‘Off-Centre’

Title says it all. I finally found the small notes I made during last year’s Literature Workshop when the previous 4E2 was interviewing Haresh Sharma on ‘Off-Centre’. We haven’t recapped the story since the start of this year so I hope this can actually help everyone refresh their memories if they have forgotten some things about ‘Off-Centre’…

(These notes are NOT in order. The sequence of the questions asked was jumbled up and I have forgotten most of the questions that were asked.)

What is the Symbolism of the Bird in ‘Off-Centre’?

Symbol of Freedom:

- Singing

- Flying, yet dangerous

Symbol of Oppression (Related to Saloma):

- Entrapment (cage)

- Trapped, yet safe

(Compare to ‘The Martyrdom of Helena Rodrigues’ in Island Voices. George is trapped by Helena, but is he safe?)

Magic Realism:

- Vinod enters Saloma’s room in his dream.

- Emily takes a clothes hanger in dream and died the next day.

**Note: Vinod and Emily’s deliberate likeness with each other.

What is the use of the Narrator in ‘Off-Centre’?

Narrator— the fracture in mental patients

(a friend/ positive consciousness)

- represents the character to audience (mental patients— awkward, eg: Saloma)

- idea of direct speech for Vinod and Saloma (eg: Vinod’s stand-up, trying to win audiences’ favour)

What is the significance of Emily and Razali?

**Metaphorical Characters

Emily:

- metaphorical ‘angel’

- dramatic character who empowers others

- shows sanity

- words like ‘pure’ and ‘impure’ (relates to impact) signify metaphorical personality

- turning point made for Vinod (appearance, after robbery, in dream/ tries to ‘heal’ Vinod after robbery)

- elements of Vinod in Emily

Razali:

- connection with Saloma (eg: Saloma ‘sings’ in her heart and he can ‘hear’)

- ‘guard’ related to ‘guardian’ (connection to ‘God’)

- ‘Narrator’ for Vinod (switches to and fro from ‘Character’ to ‘Narrator’)

What is the relationship between Vinod and Saloma? (***Compare and Contrast)

- Similar in ways of being a ‘mental patient’

- Difference in backgrounds (eg: education, family) (Relate to ‘Evening Under Frangipani’ in Island Voices)

- Vinod always ‘takes care’ of Saloma (earlier parts)

- Saloma becomes more independent, Vinod loses his ‘purpose’ (later parts)

- Saloma tries to help Vinod but unable to ‘save’ him

What do the songs in ‘Off-Centre’ represent?

- Songs used as transitional devices in play (*no specific representations)

- Dance: gives ‘freedom’ (eg: Vinod— fidgety, intense music results in death in the last parts)

“Give. Sympathize. Comfort.”— Emily’s attempt to impart (empower) it into Vinod to show his mind.

(Relate to Island Voices, lack of Community Spirit, too much Individualism)

Does Mak in ‘Off-Centre’ represent a part of the Society?

- Typical Singaporean of not knowing what to do. (Relate to ‘Corridor’ in Island Voices)

- Fragile character yet trying to be strong (eg: telling Saloma, she will take care of her)

- Pressurized trying to raise Saloma who had mental illness (Relate to ‘Release’ in Island Voices)

- Opposition to Saloma taking medicine but meant well

Structure of ‘Off-Centre’

Idea of film—

- Begins at Oasis Club Functions, Ends at Oasis Club Functions

(Structure mirror/symmetry of Vinod and Saloma)

No real beginning or ending—

- Sense of entering ‘Reality’ (Similar to Island Voices, Beginning and Ending of each story are open)

Scenes in Present— Chronological

Scenes in Past— Anti-Chronological

Climax of present and of the flashbacks— Meets in a single scene

- Breakdown for Saloma: Azman

- Breakdown for Vinod: Army

(Relates to Island Voices. Each main character finds their life going downhill after one single incident)

Metaphorical and Symbolism of places—

- Half-way house: Incompletion

- Void-deck: Emptyness

Conferment of the CHR Literature Prize Award upon Andre Alexander Rodriguez

The Emperor of CHR Kingdom hereby decree the conferment of the Distinguished Royal Literature Prize Award on ANDRE ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ for excellent services to His Royal Highness, Emperor Hidetoshi Nakamura and for outstanding depiction of the cancer of materialism and realism that have spreaded throughout the kingdom in his poem entitled "The sound of the clinking coins". The poem was astounding real and moved the Imperial Tutor to tears upon realising the tragic fate of our material and greedy society.

The new recipient of the first ever CHR Distinguished Royal Literature Prize, ANDRE ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ shall hereby receive 4 ingots of gold and 5 acres of land. In addition, he shall hereby be knighted SIR ANDRE ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ.

May SIR ANDRE hereby continue to serve the Emperor and the kingdom with passion and devotion and continue to bring glory to the Emperor and the kingdom of 4E2. God save the Emperor!

By order of the Imperial Office of Emperor Hidetoshi Nakamura

In the year of our good LORD 2009

There's Gotta Be More To Life

There's Gotta Be More To Life-Stacie Orrico
I've got it all, but I feel so deprived,
I go up, I come down and I'm emptier inside,
Tell me what is this thing that I feel like I'm missing.
And why can't I let it go?

There's gotta be more to life...
Than chasing down every temporary high to satisfy me.
Cause the more that I'm...
Tripping out thinking there must be more to life.
Well it's life, but I'm sure... there's gotta be more.
(Than wanting more)

I've got the time and I'm wasting it slowly
Here in this moment I'm half way out the door.
Onto the next thing, I'm searching for something that's missing.

There's gotta be more to life...
Than chasing down every temporary high to satisfy me,
Cause the more that I'm...
Tripping out thinking there must be more to life.
Well it's life, but I'm sure... there's gotta be more

I'm wanting more! (Ohhh! Yeah!)

I'm always waiting on something other than this
Why'm I feelin' like there's something I missed?

There's gotta be more to life
Than chasing down every temporary high to satisfy me.
Cause the more that I'm... (More that I'm)
Tripping out thinking there must be more to life
Well it's life, but I'm sure
there's gotta be more to life

Than chasing down every temporary high to satisfy me
Cause the more that I'm...
Tripping out thinking there must be more to life.
Well it's life, but I'm sure... there's gotta be more to life.

More to, more to, more to life.
(There's gotta be more to life) More to, more to, more to life.
There's gotta be more
More to life
------------------------------------
The reason why I put up the lyrics of this song, is because I feel we can relate it to the daughter in the story of Mid-Autumn.

"There's gotta be more to life than chasing down every temporary high to satisfy me."
Let's say Stacie Orrico was the daughter.
Surely these lyrics clearly shows that there's something missing in her life, something hollow that even the temporary high (high-paying jobs/success) cannot satisfy and give her that completeness. She just needed to do something that fills up that emptiness within her.

"I got it all, but I feel so deprived."
The daughter graduated from medical school with a degree but yet she feels something was lacking. Her parents sacrificed their time, their money just to give the best for their daughter's future but she ended up wanting to be a missionary in Uganda.
The daughter finally found the missing piece in her life which gives her completeness inside.

We can use the Maslow's Hierachy Of Needs to clearly define the highest level of completion which is, Self-Actualization. The daughter fulfilled the second top level before she decided to head to Uganda. That was when she discovered that there's gotta be more to life than chasing every temporary high. Stopping at the second level could not bring her the real joy in life. Money cannot buy joy, money cannot fill up the hollowness.

Her parents whereas do not understand this joy of "life-completion". Typical normal Singaporeans would only think that the second topmost level of the Hierachy is the most important of all and that would be the most satisfying thing in life, nothing more to it. (Then we can bring in the paper-chase issue in Singapore which causes this mentality) The mother thinks her daughter is crazy that the doctors' lifestyle held little appeal to her while doing missionary work held much appeal to her. Perhaps the mother do not know where the real contentment in life is from. All she knows is that money brings contentment, success brings contentment and that would be the best of the best, not knowing that actually such missionary work of helping others brings fulfillment in life. So, in a way, the daughter actually realizes what she really wants in life which brings her to the higher level of satisfaction.

-Evangeline(:

The speed of the sound of clinking coins

The sanctuary of serenity,
disrupted!
not leaving a single shred of time for peace,
the race for mere survival rushes on.
The fast lost in meaning,
and the slow too slow to have time to question.
while the race furiously resumes.
who really wins then?!?

.

Drops of metal sharp

piercing through the paper green;

shredding its oppression

along with the value in oppression,

yet none have the courage that does defice,

to actually do so.

.

The speed of a clink,

bouncing off the floor,

turning heads and rising envy,

so that the greenery of the paper is seen within the eyes of civilians.

What will become of a soul lost in greenery;

wandering the forests unkind,

who savours greenery at an unhealthy level.

What will become...nothing...

...

He will live a life high in value,

yet totally worthless,

seconds.

hours.....

days...........

Weeks...............

YEARS..........................

Nothing will happen;everything shall be in order...

While the hand continues to tick,

and ticking on it shall...

Slowing with each tick...

The seconds pass by one by one...

Nothing will happen...

Ticking goes the hourglass,

of a hundred years ago...

.

The sound of dropping coins so sweet

The value of a dolar...

Okay,this isn't compulsory and is completely voluntary.I'm just curious to find out how many people WILL sell their time for money and how much...

Personally,as for me,i guess it really depends;if i continue to reside within a society as materialistic as such,I'm afraid i will definitely have no choice but to conform to the materialism itself.The way i see it,our society is one that demands materialism.It is impossible to hover above the water,so what choice is there but to TRY to stay afloat within the water itself?Therefore,there really isn't much choice but to conform to the materialism.By now,perhaps many are thinking "What about moving out of the society at hand?"Well,aren't all societies trying to reach the standard of economic significance,especially in the form of physical value?How long will you keep running from GLOBALIZATION...You can run but you can't hide.Society is often unkind to those who flow upstream,like it or not,especially in our society,the social value of an individual is measured in paper.And if everyone has the standardised high value,what would the value of even a high flyer's achievements be then?Do comment people,it is either wisdom or foolishness to savour the actual realised freedom of speech,but it is indeed regrettable to regret your actions.