On line Task 4

1. Think of at least 3 benefits of using speeches by famous figures, in the classroom.

    i) speeches by famous figure can be a source of inspiration for students as such like speeches are always

       encouraging and motivating.

    ii) speeches by famous figures are error free because there will be editors and prove readers before the

        speech is delivered. So, it is a reliable material to be used in the classroom.

    iii) speeches by famous figure can arouse students' interest to analyze it rather than the speeches by

         ordinary people. 


 2. Go to www.youtube.com and find the audio-visual on the speech. In not less than 50 words, state would the audio-visual be of any use in helping understand the speech better? State your reasons.
     The Audio-visual on the speech will definitely help students understand the speech better. The reason for me saying this is because listening together will viewing will make students understand any subject matter in a better way. For example, if given a choice between listening to radio or watching a television on the same programme, I'm very sure most of us will choose watching television. This is due to the visual or images in it. therefore the audio-visual speech can able to convey the message or impart information more clearer. 

3. Who is Martin Luther King?

    Martin Luther King was an American clergyman, activist and prominent leader in the African-American        Civil  Movement. He was the non-violent follower of  Mohandas Karamchand Ghandi. He became a civil      rights activist early in career. He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott  and helped found the Southern

     Christian Leadership conference in 1957, serving as its first president. King's efforts led to the 1963        

     March on Washington, where he delivered his "I have a dream" speech. He was known as one of the

     greatest orator in American history.

4. Based on the questions below, analyze the features of the given written speech:

a. What is the purpose of the speech?

    The main purpose for the I have a dream speech was to give a message of hope to African Americans, 

    reminding them of a time for freedom from oppression, emancipation from slavery and rights to live their

    dreams as Americans. 

    right to vote and being voted

    right to expression
    right to best education, health care, social amenities 

    political and social equality

    right to fair treatment

    right to live- life as an African American

b. What is the tone of the speech?

    King used repetitive tone in an appealing way in his speech.     

c. What interesting major feature(s) can you see from the speech? (i.e.Repetition of phrases, emphasis on certain things said etc)

    Some interesting features in the speech are, 

    i)  repetition of words- anaphora

   ii)  quotation or allusions

  iii)  the use of metaphors to highlight contrasting concept

  

d. Any interesting facts that you can gather based on the background of the speech?

    The use of repetition words and phrases( anaphora) such as 'I have a dream', 'with this faith'  and 'let 
     freedom ring'. 



5. Suggest a while-reading activity that can be derived from this particular speech.  
    Substitute the anaphora in the speech with any other synonym words or phrases.

On Line Task 3

Nelson Mandela, the Jamaican Leader

Dedicated, freedom fighter, and peace maker

My idola of peace

Patience against mocks and tease

Hates evil, prejudice and injustice

Who wanted security, justice and peace

Residents of the heart of numerous

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela

On line Task 2

Do we have a canon for Malaysian literary works? Let's say we do, who do you think are in it? Consider the fact that their works are well-known and most importantly included as part of the school syllabus- (both in BM and English)

As for me, I think  Usman Awang  has contributed a lot in literary works in Malaysia. No doubt, most of his writings are in Malaya Language but his works has also been translated in English. Usman Awang was more popularly known as ‘Tongkat Warrant’. Ke Makan Bonda, Salam Benua and Pahlawan are some of his famous  poems that had been studied in schools before.

Kamaludin bin Muhamad also has contributed much in the literary works in our country. He was known as one of the best bilingual poet in. He was also known as ‘Keris Mas. His works like ‘ Rimba Harapan’ is one among many of his famous novels.

The poems by Erica Jong raises some feminist issues. What are they?

Some feminist issues in Erica Jong poems are:

1.      Falling for love

2.      Women sexual desire

3.      Sex and immorality

Do you think they are suitable to teach at the secondary school level? Explain.

I think they are not suitable to be taught at the secondary level because the poems mostly revolves about women sexual encounters and often phrased in most blatantly prurient language. For example, the poem ‘for my husband’ a line quoted, ‘I have taken other men into my thoughts since I met you, I love parts of them’. The meaning of this line is concerning the persona’ s sexual desire which shows immorality. I strongly say that most of her poems are not suitable for our students.

Is Hillary Tham's poem more suitable?

 ‘Becoming women’ by Hillary Tham is more suitable to be taught in secondary school than the poems by Erica Jong. The poem is concerning a poet describing herself of her experience when she reached puberty. This is more relevant as the students in the secondary school must have already know what is ‘becoming women’ is all about. Even though, there are some aspects shouldn’t  be exposed in a co-ed schools but when compared to Erica’s poem, Hillary Tham’s  poem did not convey any immorality issues.    

The short tale from the Native American group is about a girl who is unsatisfied with her life. How is this a universal experience? Can it teach our students anything?

The short tale about a girl who is unsatisfied with her life is a universal experience because it is a human nature that we always not satisfy with what we have. We always want more and more in our lives. As for the girl in this story, she is not satisfied with all the men that proposed her. She complained, ‘That one is fat, this one is not handsome, too thin and etc. At the end, she met with someone who is really handsome in appearance but she has been misled by him. She regretted and got into her senses.

            This story can teach our students some good moral values. For instance, to be moderate in whatever thing we are doing, appreciate on what we have, do not take things for granted and accept whatever life gives us in the most beautiful way.      

   
From your findings about his background, tell me about the dilemma he conveys through the poem CROSS.

 Langston Hughes is actually in dilemma not knowing he belongs to what group of people, black or white. He is mixed breed between his mother and father; one is black and poor and the other is white and rich. He was stuck in the idle of two extremes, poor black America that was looked at with disgust by white America and rich, "ideal" white America was looked at with eyes of amazement and hate by black America. Hughes touched on the psychological hardships of being a mixture of black and white descent in this poem. From the poem, Hughes also showing how the blacks were unequivalent to the whites during that time period and he does not know where his life is going to take him. The whites were more respected and the blacks were neglected due to the slavery during that time.   

I find "Dinner Guest: Me" laden with irony and sarcasm. Briefly state if you feel the same.

I also felt that this poem is full of irony and sarcasm. As can be noticed the poem title itself is an irony “Dinner Guest: Me” actually refers to the poet being invited to a restaurant by white. At that time blacks are ill treated by whites and in such a situation the title is an irony beyond what it conveys. Another example of irony is a the discussion between the white and black is concerning a racial issue as stated in stanza 2, line 8 and 9 “ Solution to the Problem, Of course, wait”. Unlike irony, Sarcasm is a witty way of insulting someone without using obscene language. To quote an example from the poem in stanza 1, line 14, ‘I’m so ashamed of being white’ shows that the white is embarrassed to be white.   

The experience in the poem Harlem is one that is true for many people. Do you agree?

I agree that the Harlem poem is one that is true for many people. The poem is concerning by white on the black. This oppression issue is true for many people. Oppression is happening in many in our ways even present day. For instance, women are being oppressed by men and in many people are countries still been oppressed. 

Langston Hughes fights for the voice of his people. What is the movement called?

It was called the Harlem Renaissance cause proclaimed in a collection of prophetic black tracts and manifestos. During the early 1930s many black writers begin to produce works that helped to shape and define the Civil Rights movement. Among them was Langston Hughes whose poems and writing contributed directly to the rhetoric of the day and inspired many African-Americans, both in and out of the Civil Rights movement. Much of this grew out of what was called the Harlem Renaissance, which emerged during turbulent times for the world, the United States, and black Americans. World War I and the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 had left the world in disorder and stimulated anti-colonial movements throughout the third world. In America, twenty years of progressive reform ended with the red scare, race riots, and isolationism throughout 1919 and led to conservative administrations through the twenties. While blacks were stunned by racial violence near the end of the decade and were frustrated by the lack of racial progress that progressivism had made, they were now armed with new civil rights organizations and confronted the approaching decade with new hope and determination.

 On-line Task 1.

Folktale

List some of the well-known folktales from Malaysia. 

List some of the well-known folktales from Malaysia. 

1. The Adventures of Mousedeer

2. Mouse deer and The Farme

3. Mouse deer and the tiger

4. The Owl Misses The Moon

5. The Stingy Rich Man

6. The Monkey and the Crocodile

7. The Curse of Batu Gajah 

8. Outwitting a Crocodile

 
List some of the possible issues found in The Son of the Turtle Spirit

The possible issues that I found in this story are:

1. the inportance of family ties.

2. do not underestimate someone and don't judge a book by its cover. (in this story the son of the turtle has a special power to dive in the the deep sea whereby no one else can do so)

3. the insensitivity of some people towards the unusual/different existance. (the girl did not realize that the turtle transformed into a man)

4. the tragedy of circumstances cheating or lying to fulfill own desire.

Are those issues universal in nature or are they only relevant in the Chinese culture?

Not really. These issues are universal in nature. Like Chinese, Indian have the legends that the world is supported by four elephant standing on a giant turtle is considered to be the second incarnation of god Vishnu in the Hindu religion. after the great flood, which occurs every four billon  years and dissolves the earth, Vishnu transforms himself into a great turtle. On his back, he carries a vessel in which the gods and the demons mix the elements necessary to re- create the globe. After a thousand years, when the earth has been reborn, the turtle remains in place and on his back stands a large elephant, which support the planet. 



Fables
What are the other morals that can be gotten from the other fables by Aesop? List at least two

1. Fable - The Farmer and the Fox

    Moral - Your act of revenge may destroy what you care for.

2. Fable - Dog and his shadow

    Moral - greed and envy lose all and conserve what you have whether its big or small!

3. Fable - The Boy Who Cried Wolf

    Moral - Nobody believes a liar, even when he tells the truth.

Myths

One well-known literary figure from the Elizabethan age used Ovid’s Pyramus and Thisbe as a model to one of his famous plays. Who is he and what is the play?

He is William Shakespeare and his famous play that resembles the story of Pyramus and Thisbe is Romeo and Juliet. 



Legends


List some of the popular legends we have in Malaysia

1. Legend of Mahsuri

2. Ulik Mayang

3. Hang Tuah the Legend

4. Legend of Malik Kundang

5. Batu Belah Batu bertangkup

6. The legend of Princess Sa'adong

7. The dragon of lake Chini

8. The legend of Gunung Raya and Gunung Mat Cincang

9. The Seven Magical Wells 

10. Kedah's Legendary Fanged King

Who is Thomas Malory?

Thomas Malory was an English writer and the author of Le Mort d'Arthur.

2. When was Le Mort d’Arthur written?
     Le Mort d ' Arthur was written from 1450s to 1470 and first published on 1485.

3. How many books/ parts are there in LMDA?
    All together are 8 books in the LMDA. 

4. What is book 8 about?
     The book 8 is about  'The Death of Arthur'.

5. Who were the two people who had an affair?
     Lancelot and Guinevere

6. Book 6 has a strong connection to a popular modern fiction which is now a movie. What is the      title of the popular modern fiction?
    Merlin:Lancelot and Guinevere

7. State three well-known facts about King Arthur/ his time as a King
     i) Arthur was ignorant of his birthright as he grew up.
     ii) Arthur had three half-sisters, the daughter of Igraine and Gorlois: Morgause, Elaine and     Morgan Fey.
     iii) Arthur was betrayed by his greatest knight, Sir Lancelot.

Think of 2 ways in which you can use folktales/fables/myths or legends in the classroom. Explain briefly.    

1.      After the teacher tells the folktales/fables/myths or legends, students in groups select a scene from the book to dramatize the roles in the scene.

2.      Discuss the purpose of oral tradition and define myth, legend, fable, and folktale.

   

The son of The Turtle-Spirit

In this story, a turtle that had relationship with a girl was killed by the girl's father. The girl became pregnant and bore a child. After seven years, a rich man asked the son of the turtle to put his grandfather's remains in a dragon's mouth. But instead of putting the rich man's grandfather remains in a dragon's mouth, he put his father's bone. He hanged the rich man's grandfather remains on the dragon's horn. When he reach ten years, he became cleverer than anyone else. Later, he became Emperor and the rich man's son became his minister.

If I were to use this story in my classroom, I would ask my students to talk about Chinese believes on turtles and let them relate the turtle into their own cultures. I believe that different culture have different omens and 'believes' about turtle. I also would ask the students to role play the characters. Certainly, this story is suitable to be taught in Malaysian schools. There are also other turtle stories which are similar to this story. For instance The Painted Turtle (based on Indian Culture) and Anansi and Turtle (Nigerian folktale)- now being studied in primary schools in Malaysia as a literature component.

Folktale

"Folktales are stories that grow out of the lives and imaginations of the people, or folk. They are a form of traditional literature which began as an attempt to explain and understand the natural and spiritual world. The origin of the folktale lies in the oral tradition."

The Son of the Turtle-Spirit is an interesting Chinese folktale. It tells about how the spirit of turtle transformed himself into a handsome man who have relationship with a girl. While reading this story, I remembered a story from the Bible in the book of Genesis whereby evil angels lusting over the daughters of men, came down to the earth and took the form of humans.The angels married the daughters of men. The angels who came down to earth are called the "Fallen Angels".The combination of human and spirit angels produced gigantic children. These angels not only took human wives but also taught them the secret of good and bad.

 

The Long Walk To Freedom

Nelson Mandela.  I have heard this name ever since I was a little girl and until now people are still talking about him. Long time ago when I asked my father who is Nelson Mandela, he used to reply, "freedom fighter". After a few years, through my readings, I came to know that he is the leader of the anti-apartheid from Africa. He did not fight for himself, he refused to be freed six times for the people of South Africa despite knowing his family needed him. The Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela was one of the life experiences that I ever read.  

 Nelson Mandela began secretly writing his autobiography, The Long Walk to Freedom, while he was still in prison on South Africa's, Robben Island and Pollsmoor Prison. In part eight of his autobiography, he wrote how he spent his life in Robben Island and treated in that prison. He explained that Apartheid's regulations extended even in the prison! As a black political prisoner, he received the lowest level of treatment. He spent 18 years in Robben Island.  Beside his autobiography, he also published a number of books on his life and struggle, among them, No Easy Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela: The Struggle is my Life, and Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales. 

 

As for me, Nelson Mandela is another great freedom fighter just like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King.

I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King

When I read the 'I have a Dream' speech by Martin Luther King I felt like I'm reading a poem. A lot of repetition such as I have a dream today,  Let freedom ring and free at last. I remembered I analyzed it last year for my public speaking paper. What a lengthy speech! but it is worthy of lengthy study as we can all learn speech writing as well as public speaking skills.

There are five key lessons from this speech writing that we can extract.

1. Emphasize phrases by repeating at the beginning of sentences
2. Repeat key “theme” words throughout our speech
3. Utilize appropriate quotations or allusions
4. Use specific examples to “ground” our arguments
5. Use metaphors to highlight contrasting concepts

Through his speech, we can not only learn how to write effective speech writing but his speech is a source of encouragement to those who are being discriminated. There are still people divided on color lines. It's hard to believe that in this 21st century there are still African American have to suffer hatred, ignorance, racism, distrust, invalidation... lack of equality. Believe me, they do! While looking for information on the internet about racism, I came a cross a white lady wrote her despair. Do we need another Martin King Luther??

Becoming a Woman by Hillary Tham

   

Hilary Tham's "Becoming A Woman" highlights the receiving of maternal wisdom that only women who are going through it. This poem presents various portraits of the transition from childhood to adulthood when a girl reached her puberty. The poet perhaps is telling the story within her own experiences on becoming a woman. This we can read in this stanza,   

“You will bleed
at a special time of the moon.”
she told me. “Use these
to preserve modesty and the secret
of your femalesness.”

The poet's mother is teaching her to use the traditional white paper while having her menstrual but the poet did not follow her way.  She hates menstrual which all girls could not escape. She finally accepted the fact of having  menses after she became a mother. 

"I have forgiven the moon since our children came, 
spores of the sunrise in their newborn hands" . 

As for me, I think this poem is not suitable for teaching literature for secondary school students. We are living in the eastern country whereby we still uphold our older generations traditions and cultures. It is a mother's responsibility  to carry out their jobs to tell her child especially girl on becoming a woman. Discussing this poem in a classroom may lead to embarrassment. Of course, we are advancing and heading towards modernization but that doesn't mean we should reveal private matters publicly.

Aesop’s fables

 The fox and the crow is one of the Aesop’s famous fables. In this fable, a fox cunningly cheated a crow for a piece of cheese. What do we learn from this story? Fables often teach moral values either in an implicit or explicit manner. There are many moral values we can learn from this story  beside ‘not to trust flatterers’ such as ‘do not cheat others’, not safe to take another agent’s words and actions at face value, without trying to understand the agent’s underlying goals and intentions or ‘think wisely about possible consequences before do something’. There are many Malaysian fables which are similar to this story such as The Adventures of Mouse Deer, Sang Kancil and The Crocodile, The Vengeful Fox Bitter Lesson and The Crow and The Vain Pigeon.

 

   For more stories on Aesop fables go to this website http://www.english-for-students.com/Moral-Stories.html

Langston Hughes

When I read these poems; The Cross, Dinner  Guess: me and Harlem by Langston Hughes, it made me to think about Kunta Kinte in the 'Roots', once which  was a very popular television series. The series were adapted from the book Roots: The Saga Of The American Family written by Alex Harley in 1976. It tells the story of Kunta Kinte, an Africa, captured as an adolescent and sold into slavery in the United States, and follows his life and the lives of his alleged descendants in the U.S. The story in 'Roots' mainly about the oppression by whites on blacks. 

African Americans have been known by many names. They were called Negroes, Blacks and Coloureds. The term “nigger” was used in the southern part of the USA , where discrimination against them was very bad. In the last 30 years the term African Americans has officially been used. Many world leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King were among those who fight against this discrimination. There were still other groups of people who opposed this same issue in a different way. Among them are novelist and poets. Langston Hughes was among one of them. 

Many of the Langston poem's theme seems to be revolved the theme of racist. The Cross, Dinner guest and Harlem are based on the same issues. The cross which was written by Langston Hughes in 1920's convey his dilemma in a witty way. The persona in this poem actually apologizing his dead parents for blaming them for his bitter life because he wasn't accepted by blacks nor whites. His mother was a black and father his was white. He was so confused not knowing in what category he falls into, black or white.The persona is stuck in them iddle of two extremes, poor black America that was looked at with disgust by white America and rich, "ideal" white America was looked at with eyes of amazement and hate by black America. The poet was angry with his parents for passing him on an amalgam of genes (cross).Hughes touched on the psychological hardships of being a mixture of black and white descent in this poem. 

The dinner guest; me, on the other hand tells about a black American who is an honored guest at a banquet where most or all of the other people at the table are white Americans. They all think of themselves as anti-racist. But because white and black historical experiences in America are so radically different, there's a lot that the white folks just don't get. Towards the end of the poem, it is stated that the solutions for 'the Problems' America's troubled racial history is still a long way from being solved.

As for the poem Harlem, it is concerning frustration  of American blacks even though after the  federal laws had granted them the right to vote, the right to own property, and so on. They were relegated into the second class citizenship. 

The issues raised by Hughes in these poems (oppressed by white) not only faced by African American but also by other marginalized ethnic groups, for instance Brahmins in India.  

Myths of Pyramus and Thisbe

Pyramus and Thisbe

      This story reminds me of Romeo and Juliet.  They sacrificed their life because of love. Lovers tend to do anything even killing themselves if their love is forbidden. As for Pyramus and Thisbe, their love was opposed by their parents. The story is concerning devotion of lovers and how they sacrificed their life because of true love. due to misconception, Pyramus killed himself with his own sword. Later, Thisbe stabbed  herself with the same sword. It was said that Pyramus blood ran amongst the grasses and the roots of the mulberry staining the white fruit into a deep red hue. Therefore,every year, when the fruit of the mulberry is ripe, it turns a deep red to commemorate the devotion of the two lovers.

The conflicts that I found in this myth are as below:

Forbidden love

Both the parents of Pyramus and Thisbe disagree with their relationship. Due to their parents disapproval, they plan to meet in a secret place, at Ninus tomb under a mulberry tree. 

Misconception

Upon seeing Thisbe's veil being torn apart by a lioness with bloodstained, Pyramus mistaken that the lioness had killed Thisbe. He killed himself by thrusting his sword into his groin. His misconception had led to his  and her lover's death.

Impetuousness

Pyramus action was not preceded by thought.  If he had waited then time would have kept them alive. He followed his heart rather than his mind.

Nowadays, lovers too face opposition from their parents but I don't think not many will kill themselves if  their spouse is dead. In our society, lovers may simply run away and forget about their parents.  Death because of love depends on how deep their love is. It depends on the person. There are  some who may act emotionally just like Romeo, Juliet, Pyramus and Thisbe  but definitely, it is not right to commit suicide if a spouse is dead. We have no right to take away our life no matter how sad we are.