Story Background
The taximan criticizes youngsters for being immature and lacking of moral values because they
became social escorts and wandering around hotels, but it turns out that his beloved daughter was
one. Also, despite his verbal dislike, he earns money by bringing the youngsters to these places.
The story was written by Catherine Lim and is a part of Little Ironies: Stories of Singapore, a
collection of 17 short stories. The collection is the first collection of short stories written by a
single author in Singapore, and is also Lim's first published book of fiction.
Full story: https://studylib.net/doc/25459644/the-taximan-s-story
Summary
The Taximan's Story is a dialogue between the taximan and his passenger which he calls 'Madam'.
However, throughout the story, only his responses and narrations can be read.
He talks about his life and how he earns by driving tourists and social escorts around. He also
shares his dislike of their generation's youngsters for their immaturity through being social escorts.
As the story progresses, it turns out that his daughter, Lay Choo, whom he is very proud of, was
one and he was very angry and ashamed. He narrated how he beat her and locked her home and
advises his passenger to be aware of her own daughter's whereabouts.
The story comes to an end with him saying he is going back to Hotel Elroy to pick up the boys and
girls again.
Plot
Exposition
The story begins when the taximan had his passenger who was rushing for her meeting whom he
called “Madam”. He drove their way to somewhere they can get in a half hour due to the traffic.
The taximan then tells about the tricks and the dirty secrets that these girls are doing so like earning
a big amount of money from those foreigners and that’s where also he get his big extra income.
Like when last night, a young girl who was very dolled up and wearing sexy dress and told him to
take her to Orchid Mansions, he was shocked into finding out that she had her purse full of
American notes and handed him ten dollars without even asking for a change! He further added
that he usually wait outside the Elroy Hotel, Tung Court or Orchid Mansions and almost make
nearly a hundred fifty dollars just for one day, some of it came from extra services.
Rising Action
He then suddenly shared about and describe her daughter named Lay Choo, as a good girl and
striving hard for her studies. She always got a good compliment from her teachers on her report
card. She was his favorite daughter, asked her what she wants after she left school and she
answered him that she wanted to go to a University. None of his children could go to a university
unlike Lay Choo who is a smart and very helpful on her mother even though she is sometimes a
little lazy that her teacher advises her to do extra work at her weak subject which is math. So then
he let her go back again at her school.
Conflict
One day, as he was driving, he saw a girl that looks familiar to him, she was all dolled up with the
other girls and some Europeans outside a coffee-house. He didn’t think that it was Lay Choo
because she was in her school and that girl was dressed-up with make-up on and she was bold in
her behaviour. He then suspect her daughter and then there find her out the next day, confirming
that it was really her. He suddenly outraged going to her, slapped then dragged her to his taxi and
went home. When they arrived at their house, he trashed the food and beat her so bad that his wife
and his neighbours are pulling him away.
Falling Action
He decided to lock his daughter at her room for three days and lied to his daughter’s teacher that
she is sick so that she will be excused. Not long after that incident, things are going on well
according to what they want for them.
Resolution
They made a rule that she cannot leave the house but only by going to school. He told also his wife
that she shall check her every now and then to whatever that she do and also her friends – what
sort of people they are.
Conflict
The taximan discussing his disappointments with the present generation’s teenagers.
Internal conflict
The values of the taximan he got from his father, urged him to discipline her daughter’s actions
External conflict
Man Vs. Man
The conflict between the taximan and his daughter.
Man Vs. Society
The taximan and madam’s beliefs are contradicting the young girls’ roles as escorts and deviants
in society.