Practice 1
Based on one novel above, discuss one of the themes in the story. Provide evidence from the text to support your answer
The novel that I choose is The Curse by Lee Su Ann. The story is about the mysterious death of Azreen’s adopted sister, Madhuri, and how Azreen goes through everything to find out the truth behind the death. The theme that I would like to discuss here is gender stereotyping .
In the novel, gender stereotyping is presented through how females should behave. This can be seen especially through Azreen. For example, Azreen’s school friends start to give suspicious eyes towards her when she behaves unlady-like or tomboyish. She plays hockey with the boys and even “laughs like a bunch of hyenas” with them. To them, as a woman, Azreen is not expected to be tomboyish and hangs too closely with boys.
In conclusion, Azreen’s unlady-like behaviors have created sense of discomfort among the people around her. This is an example of how gender stereotyping is presented in the novel.
Practice 2
Write about a character that you find most interesting. Support your answer with evidence from the novel.
The novel that I choose is The Curse by Lee Su Ann. The story is about the mysterious death of Azreen’s adopted sister, Madhuri, and how Azreen goes through everything to find out the truth behind the death. The character that I find most interesting in the novel is the old lady.
The old lady is an educated woman as she has knowledge of herbal medicine to treat illnesses. Her house is always neat and situated by the hillside. She is a caring and concerned woman as she takes Azreen in and gives her food and shelter whenever she has fights and problems. She is also a resourceful person and she is a good cook. Her recipes and secret ingredients are very much sought after.
In conclusion, the old lady is the most interesting character in the novel. She is an educated woman, neat person, kind-hearted and a good cook too.
Practice 3
Write about a character that you dislike in the novel. Support your answer with evidence from the novel
The novel that I choose is The Curse by Lee Su Ann. The story is about the mysterious death of Azreen’s adopted sister, Madhuri, and how Azreen goes through everything to find out the truth behind the death. The character that I dislike in the novel is Puan Normala.
I dislike Puan Normala because she is a rumour monger. She is the one that spread the rumour about Madhuri and how she died. Puan Normala is also superstitious. She blames the old lady’s visit to Ashraf’s house as the reason for the continuous rain. Furthermore, she is also a mean and malicious person. For example, she provokes Mohd Ashraf to confront the old lady by accusing the old lady as the reason why Ashraf’s grandmother’s health is getting worse. Because of that, Ashraf burns down the old lady’s house in anger, and causes the old lady to die in the fire.
As conclusion, the character that I dislike most in the novel is Puan Normala because she is a rumour monger, mean and malicious and also a superstitious woman.
Practice 4
Write about a moral value you have learnt in the story. Support your answer with evidence from the novel
The novel that I choose is The Curse by Lee Su Ann. The story is about the mysterious death of Azreen’s adopted sister, Madhuri, and how Azreen goes through everything to find out the truth behind the death. A moral value that I have leant in the story is bravery.
This value is shown by Azreen. First, even as a young girl she takes challenges and tries to prove to her friends that the Old Lady is not an evil witch. When she is yelled at for entering the Old Lady’s house and destroying her vegetable garden, Azreen bravely defends herself. In fact, she returns the next day and repairs the trampled garden. Her action wins the Old Lady’s heart.
The second evidence is when Azreen bravely takes the blame for Mohd Asraf in the bull incident. She demonstrates courage. The same bull later injures her mother’s leg causing her to paralyze. She was blamed and scolded by her father as well as the villagers. She bravely endures that and never tells anyone of what really happened.
The third event that displays her bravery is when she tries to tackle the angry people who are about to attack the the Old Lady. When the Old Lady’s house is in fire, Azreen tries to rescue the Old Lady but at the end she has to be rescued by her father. When the Old Lady dies in the tragic fire, she confronts Mohd Asraf like a wildcat.
Finally, towards the end of the story, she finds out the secret that her father has been keeping. She confronts her father about Madhuri’s murder until he is forced to confess about the truth.
As conclusion, bravery is the moral value that I have learnt through Azreen. For me, Azreen is very brave to confront people whom she knows have done wrong to others. At the same time she is very brave when defending herself and the people she loves.
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