HL0201 I MAGES OF S INGAPORE : L ITERATURE , F ILM AND C ULTURE
Aug-September 2014
This course will explore the work of writers or filmmakers who represent alternative histories and voices in Singapore's literary and historical narratives in relation to more mainstream representations of Singapore culture. We will begin by examining a popular history of Singapore before looking at forgotten myths and histories. We will consider how certain narratives are preferred and remembered over others and look at efforts to revive these narratives from the margins.
By the end of the course, students will have completed close readings on a range of local poems, short prose, plays, films and historical narratives. Students are advised to read the required readings before each lecture and to attend the session prepared to discuss the readings.
Core texts you will need to buy :
All three texts will be available at Yunnan Bookstore
.
For publication details, refer to the Course Schedule below.
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Haresh Sharma, Off Centre , 2006.
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Lloyd Fernando, Scorpion Orchid , 2011.
Core readings on EdveNTUre :
Refer to the Course Schedule below for more details.
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Selections from: Sejarah Melayu , 1821.
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Poems from Alfian Sa'at, A History of Amnesia , 2008. [See Course Schedule below]
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Range of Merlion poems. [See Course Schedule below]
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Selections from: Frank Swettenham, Malay Sketches , 1895.
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Selections from: Alfian Sa'at, Malay Sketches , 2012.
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Selections from Gregory Nalpon, The Wayang at Eight Milestone: Stories and Essays , ed.
Angus Whitehead, 2013.
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Range of poems and short prose about forgotten spaces and places. [See Course Schedule below]
Core films:
Refer to the Course Schedule below for more details.
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Omar Rojik, Singapura dilanggar todak , 1962.

Djinn(Ong Lay Jinn), Perth: The Geylang Massacre , 2004.
Course Assessment
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
due on Week 10, 20 October 2014.
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Expectations
HL0201 students should finish reading the written (or visual text) assigned each week before the lecture.
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We will be studying two films in this course. Students of this course must obtain and view films independently. There will be NO film screenings during lectures; only short clips, used to illustrate a point or concept will be played.
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Copies of the core films will be made available in the NTU libraries.
It is against copyright laws to distribute copies of films. Please do not request links to films or ask to make copies of the lecturer's DVDs.
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Participation and attendance: 10% of your final grade will assess your participation during lectures. This will take into account your attendance and your participation in online forum discussions on EdveNTUre. Please ensure that you submit your medical certificate or letter of excuse by email when you miss a lecture.
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Term papers: Term papers will be due on Week 10. Students will need to write a 1000 word essay for this assignment. The maximum word limit is 1200 words.
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Emails: Students are encouraged to ask questions during the time given for discussion so that all students in attendance can benefit from the discussion generated by such queries.
Questions asked via email that may concern the rest of the cohort may be addressed verbally during lectures. Not all questions can be answered satisfactorily via email. For questions that are more complicated or require a longer explanation, arrange for a consultation via email.
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Secondary readings: As this is a core elective for all HSS students, we will focus mainly on primary readings. Occasionally, secondary sources will be introduced and discussed during lectures. It is important to have a strong understanding of these secondary sources.
However, it is not obligatory to read all the that will be listed.
Course Instructor

Week 1
11 Aug
Week 2
18 Aug
Week 3
25 Aug
Week 4
1 Sep.
Week 5
8 Sep.
Week 6
15 Sep.
Introduction
Course Schedule: Key questions & Required readings
Myth or history?
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Are narratives from Sejarah Melayu 'stories' rather than 'histories'?
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How have these narratives influenced or shaped Singapore's national identity?
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Have other narratives been given more precedence over these?
Required reading: See EdveNTUre for selections from:
Leyden, John, trans. Malay Annals (Sejarah Melayu) . Kuala Lumpur: Silverfish Books, 2012.
The Merlion and the Merlion poems

Why are myths an important signifier of national identity?
 What necessitates the creation of new mythologies?
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How authentic is the Merlion as a symbol of national identity?
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How have cultural producers responded to and engaged with the figure of the Merlion?
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What are the effects of these responses?
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Do the Merlion poems establish the Merlion as an enduring and important national symbol?
Required reading: See EdveNTUre for selections from:
Edwin Thumboo, Ulysses by the Merlion
Lee Tzu Pheng, Merlion to Ulysses
Alfian Sa'at, The Merlion
Felix Cheong , The Obligatory Merlion Poem
Daren Shiau, Merlion Speaks
Marc Daniel Nair, Confessions Of An Ambivalion
Aaron Lee, A Mythic Tail
Creating and recreating mythologies
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What role do myths play in the construction of national identity?
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What necessitates the creation of new mythologies?
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What do recent efforts to recover forgotten myths suggest?
Required reading: See EdveNTUre for selections from:
Selections from: Alfian Sa'at, A history of Amnesia , Ethos, 2008.
Poems: Islanders, Hang Nadim Speaks, Badang Speaks, Radin Mas Ayu Speaks [56-64].
Selections from Gregory Nalpon, The Wayang at Eight Milestone: Stories and Essays , ed. Angus
Whitehead, 2013.
Short stories: The Rose and the Silver Key [9-16], The River People [58-59] , A Man Without Song
[131-136] Lion City filled with Panthers [137-139].
Forgotten films. Early Singapore productions at Jalan Ampas.
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How does the retelling of an old myth give younger members of a community access to collective memory?
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How does the retelling of the old myth reflect new concerns?
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In what capacity is this myth/film remembered?
Required viewing:
Omar Rojik, dir. Singapura dilanggar todak (Swordfish attack on Singapore), Shaw Bros. Malay
Film Productions, 1962.
Available in full on YouTube: http://youtu.be/0bE5WosP6Tk
English subtitles will be made available via EdveNTUre.
A colonial history

What strategies do travel writers use to convince readers that their account is authentic?
 How do apparently objective empirical accounts validate the authenticity of a history and culture?
 In what ways are these accounts entrenched in the culture and identity of a nation?
Required reading: See EdveNTUre for selections from:

Week 7
22 Sept.
Frank Swettenham, Malay Sketches , 1895.
Complete e-text available: http://archive.org/details/malaysketches00swetgoog
An alternative history
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What is Alfian Sa'at's purpose in reviving Swettenham's title and adopting a similar form?
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How does this apparent mimicry subvert the earlier narrative?
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Are these sketches effective in recovering and reinstating forgotten/marginalised narratives?
Required reading: See EdveNTUre for selections from:
Alfian Sa'at, Malay Sketches . Ethos, 2012.
Week 8
6 Oct.
Week 9
13 Oct.
Emerging Identities
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How do characters in the novel engage with the emotional, cultural and political tensions?
 What effect does the use of mythical and historical texts have on the fictional narrative?

Does Scorpion Orchid offer an alternative reading of the past?
Week
10
20 Oct.
Week
11
27 Oct.
Fernando, Lloyd, Scorpion Orchid (1976) . Singapore: Epigram, 2011.
HSS library: PR9530.9.F49S423 2011 PL; also available in most branches of the NLB.
At the margins: mental illness
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What are the tensions inherent in representing marginalized voices to a mainstream audience?
 How is language and allusion used to construct a recognizably Singaporean text?
How do the specific geographical and historical settings in the play inspire recognition and empathy in the readers/audiences?
Sharma, Haresh. Off Centre . Singapore: The Necessary Stage, 2006.
HSS library: PR9570.S53S531F; also available in most branches of the NLB.
Tan, Alvin, dir. Off Centre . Writ. Haresh Sharma. Singapore: The Necessary Stage, 2007.
DVD to be made available at NTU libraries.
 Coursework Essay due on Week 10, 20 October 2013.

Full details of the assignment will be available on EdveNTUre.
Forgotten spaces and places
 How does a collective memory of a space/place contribute to a sense of national identity?

In what ways have writers in Singapore responded to rapid changes in the local landscape?
Required reading: See EdveNTUre for selections from:
These readings are subject to change.
Lee Tzu Pheng, Blue Print
Wong Yoon Wah, The New Village and the Attap house
Gregory Nalpon, The one-eyed widow of Bukit Ho Swee
Boey Kim Cheng, Change Alley
Boey Kim Cheng, Place Names
Week 12
3 Nov.
At the margins: the discontented and the quitters
 How does this film reflect Singaporean sensibilities?
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Why is migration Harry's only option?
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Does Harry's dream of migration alienate him from a Singaporean audience?
Can a film that reflects the seedier aspects of life in Singapore be admitted as a cultural product of the nation?
Djinn, Ong Lay Jinn, dir. Perth: The Geylang Massacre , Singapore: Working Man Film
Productions, 2004.
Week 13
10
November
Conclusion/Revision
A list of secondary readings will be made available via EdveNTUre.