Dandenong High School
VCE English/EAL Units 3 and 4
Headstart /Orientation Program 2013
(Includes Holiday Homework)
ORIENTATION PROGRAM for 2013
YEAR 12 COURSE OUTLINE – ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE
The following table is a summary of the outcomes for Units 3 & 4
Unit 3
Unit 4
Outcome 1
Outcome 1
Analyse, in writing, how a selected text constructs
meaning, conveys ideas and values, and is open to
a range of interpretations.
Develop and justify a detailed interpretation of a
selected text.
Outcome 2
Draw on ideas and/or arguments suggested by a
chosen Context to create written texts for a
specified audience and purpose; and analyse their
decisions about form, purpose, language,
audience and context.
Outcome 2
Draw on ideas and arguments suggested by a
chosen Context to create written texts for a
specified audience and purpose; and analyse their
decisions about form, purpose, language,
audience and context.
Outcome 3
Analyse the use of language in texts that present a
point of view on an issue currently debated in the
Australian media, and to construct, orally, a
sustained and reasoned point of view on the
selected issue.
School Assessed Coursework (SACs) will be set to rate each student’s achievement on these
outcomes. The following table is a summary of the SACs for Units 3 & 4.
Summary of 2013 School Assessed Coursework (SACS) & Dates
UNITS 3 and 4
Assessment Tasks
Worth
Outline
Conditions
UNIT 3
Outcome 1: Reading and
Responding
35
One analytical essay on
Interpreter of Maladies
Term 1
Dates to be confirmed
600 – 800 words
Text: Interpreter of Maladies
Conditions of the SAC:
A single planning session will be organised to explain and help all
EAL students understand the topic and how to write the essay. The
planning session will take place in the classroom and be supervised
by the classroom teacher.
The planning session will be followed by 2 writing sessions at which
time students will be expected to conference with their teacher,
draft and write their final copy. The writing sessions will take place
in the classroom and be supervised by the classroom teacher.
Outcome 2: Creating and
Presenting
30
Context: Exploring Issues of
Identity & Belonging
A sustained written text
between 900-1200 words
or three to five shorter
texts, 1000 -1500 in total,
created for a specified
audience and context.
Text: Growing up Asian in
Australia
Related to Growing up
Asian in Australia.
Term 2
Dates to be confirmed
Conditions of the SAC:
A single planning session will be organised to explain and help all
EAL students understand the prompt and how to respond. The
planning session will take place in the classroom and be supervised
by the classroom teacher.
The planning session will be followed by 2 writing sessions at which
time students will be expected to conference with their teacher,
draft and write their final copy. The writing sessions will take place
in the classroom and be supervised by the classroom teacher.
Outcome 3: Using Language to
Persuade
35
Oral Presentation
Mid Year Exam
Total worth of Unit 3
Analyse the use of
language in persuasive
texts. Present a sustained
and reasoned point of
view on an issue currently
debated in the Australian
media. Prepared in
students’ own time.
Performed in class time.
Term 2
Dates to be confirmed
Conditions of the SAC:
Four planning sessions will be provided to explain and help students
understand the issue and how to prepare the presentation.
Students are expected to prepare their presentations at home. Oral
presentations will take place during class time in front of the
teacher and classmates.
Term 2
Date to be confirm
100
UNIT 4
Outcome 1: Reading and
Responding
50
Text: The Old Man Who
Read Love Stories
Outcome 2: Creating and
Presenting
One extended written
interpretation on The Old
Man Who Read Love
Stories.
600 – 800 words
50
Context: Exploring Issues
of Identity & Belonging
At least one sustained or
three to five shorter texts,
created for a specific
audience and context.
1500 words maximum
Text: Growing up Asian in
Australia
Practice Exam
Exam
Students will have 2 writing lessons to plan and write
their response. The SAC will take place in the
students’ usual class under examination conditions.
There will be no conferencing, no input or help from
the teacher.
Term 3
Students will have 2 writing lessons to plan and write
their response. The SAC will take place in the
students’ usual class under examination conditions.
There will be no conferencing, no input or help from
the teacher.
Sept/October
50
Total worth of Unit 4
Term 3
Administered by the VCAA
Term 4
(3 hours 15 minutes)
Date to be confirmed
100
(These SAC dates are not fixed and will be confirmed closer to the time)
Order of Study for Texts
1. Interpreter of Maladies
by Jhumpa Lahiri
(Anthology of short stories)
2. Growing up Asian in Australia
Edited by Alice Pung
(short stories) (Context: Exploring Issues
of Identity and Belonging)
3. The Old Man Who Read Love Stories
(film)
VCAA EXAM = 3 responses
Term 4
Unit 3 = 25%
1 Text Response (40%)
Unit 4 = 25%
1 Writing in Context (30%)
Exam = 50%
1 Note-taking &
Analysis of Language use (30%)
Achieving your VCE English requires you to successfully complete:




School Assessed Coursework, which contributes 50% to your final assessment.
The VCAA-set 3 hour written exam, which contributes 50% to your final assessment.
All classroom learning tasks and coursework set by your teacher including the attached
holiday study program and the Mid-year and October exams.
A minimum 90% attendance.
Assessed Headstart & Holiday Study Program
1. Read the 2 print texts.
2. Watch the film text.
3. Complete the activities set out in this booklet.
4. Revise persuasive techniques and collect articles on issues.
This set work will be assessed as part of your coursework
Key to Success: Preparation
The only way to achieve success in the VCE is through hard work. Constant revision and completion of
all set tasks is essential. In this booklet there are a number of introductory tasks that are designed to give
you an excellent head start to an incredibly demanding year.
AREA OF STUDY ONE: Reading and Responding
INTERPRETER OF MALADIES
Pre-Reading Discussion Points
Group 1
Group 2
Migration
Marriage & Relationships
What were some of the challenges that
you OR your family faced settling in
Australia?
What do you think are the most important
elements in a successful marriage or
relationship?
How did these issues make you feel?
Would you accept your family to arrange
your marriage for you? Why? Why not?
In your experience, what are some of the
barriers which prevent migrants from
calling Australia home?
When do you think it would be ok to have
secrets from your partner?
How is your experience of growing up in
Australia different to someone who was
born in Australia?
How important is it to you that you marry
someone who understands your cultural
background well? Why?
Group 3
YOUR NOTES
Cultural identity
If you have children in the future, do you
think it is very important for them to learn
the language, history, geography and
culture of the country you came from?
All of these, some of these or none.
Why?
Or is learning English and all about
Australia enough? Why? Why not?
What are the experiences and rituals that
help you maintain your connection to the
culture of your homeland?
Which traditions from your culture would
you like to pass on to any children you
might have in the future?
AREA OF STUDY ONE: Reading and Responding
INTERPRETER OF MALADIES
Author – Jhumpa Lahiri
Class Work
1. BRAINSTORM everything you can discover about this text by examining the front and
back covers, including quite obvious facts, such as that it is a collection of short stories
(anthology) and that it won a Pulitzer Prize in 2000. Do not open the book itself.
2. OPEN the front cover of the book to see the photograph of the author. Does this offer
you any further information?
3. LOOK up the words ‘interpret’, ‘interpreter’ and ‘malady’ in at least three different
dictionaries – copy the definitions you find.
4. WRITE down what you think the author, Jhumpa Lahiri, might have meant by an
‘interpreter of maladies’. Write down your guess as to the meaning.
5. WHAT is the Pultizer Prize, which was awarded to Jhumpa Lahiri in 2000 for Interpreter
of Maladies?
Homework
6. READ all the stories in the anthology at least once.
7. As you read, take notes on each story. Use the note-taking sheet. Look at the example
to help you. When you are finished write up your notes in sentences and paragraphs.
8. WRITE a journal entry after reading each story. Use the following questions as prompts
to help you reflect on your response to the stories.
a. Did you enjoy the story? Why (not)?
b. Could you relate to any of the characters? Which ones? How?
c. What do you think the author is trying to show us is the story?
d. Did the story make you reflect on your experiences or the experiences of those
around you? Explain.
*Note: Each journal entry should be about half a page long.
Interpreter of Maladies
Story Summaries
‘A Temporary Matter’
Told from the third-person perspective of the husband, this story deals with the disintegrating
relationship of an Indian couple, Shoba and Shukumar. Their stillborn child has created distance
between the two of them, and Shukumar observes as Shoba transforms from the attentive wife
into someone more aloof and self-absorbed. As in most of Lahiri’s stories, food plays a
significant role in the couple’s relationship. Shoba had always given the impression that their
pantries were stuffed with endless supplies of food. When she begins to neglect this, Shukumar
simply observes as the food vanishes, cooking what he can of it using Shoba’s old recipes. He
makes no moves to create a new supply. In fact, he makes no move to cover up the signs of
neglect throughout the house that he holds Shoba accountable for when in fact his own apathy
and grief are to blame as well. Likewise, he does little to comfort Shoba in her grief, not quite
realizing the seriousness of their relationship problems. One day, they receive notice that their
electricity will be out for one hour every night for five days. They spend each of these nights in
the dark sharing secrets with each other, things they had never shared before. Each confession
becomes more bold and reveals a larger flaw in their marriage, until their impending separation
becomes clear.
‘When Mr Pirzada Came to Dine’
Lilia is a ten-year-old Indian girl. She recalls events that occur in the autumn of 1971. Her
family has a regular dinner guest at their home. Mr. Pirzada is from Dacca, the capital of
Pakistan. He lives there with a wife and seven daughters whose names all start with A. Because
of the war with India he does not hear from them in six months. Mr. Pirzada has a grant to study
New England foliage. Lilia is unaware of country distinctions until she asks about setting a glass
for the Indian man. They speak the same language, share the same customs and look similar, but
her father says he is not Indian. He explains the British gave independence to India in 1947 and
divided the country by Hindu and Muslim sects. When Mr Pirzada arrives for dinner each
evening they all sit down in the living room to eat while they watch the news. Mr. Pirzada
follows a nightly ritual of giving Lilia little candies. At Halloween, Lilia shows Mr. Pirzada how
to carve a face on a pumpkin. While carving it, they overhear that Pakistan and India may go to
war. When Mr. Pirzada hears that, the knife slips. The next night Lilia and her friend Dora dress
up for Halloween as witches and they go trick-or-treating. When she returns, Mr. Pirzada and
her parents do not greet her. They are not watching television and seem upset. They hear that
evening and several nights after that Pakistan and India are drawing closer to war. On December
fourth they declare war and twelve days later Pakistan surrenders. During this period Lilia's
father does not ask her to watch the news with them. Mr. Pirzada brings no more candy and her
mother fixes boiled eggs and rice for dinner. Some nights Mr. Pirzada sleeps on their couch.
Lilia recalls they seem to share lives as if they are one. Mr. Pirzada is busy the rest of the year
and they do not see him very much. In January he returns to Dacca. Months later they receive a
letter from him. He is reunited with his wife and children. They survive the war by staying with
his wife's grandparents. Lilia and her parents have a special meal to celebrate and toast Mr.
Pirzada. For the first time Lilia misses him. Every night since January she eats one piece of
candy for his family. Tonight she does not and in time throws them away.
‘Interpreter of Maladies’
Mr. and Mrs. Das, Indian Americans visiting the country of their heritage, hire middle-aged tour
guide Mr. Kapasi as their driver for the day as they tour India along with their three children,
Ronny, Bobby, and Tina. Mr. Kapasi notes the parents’ immaturity Mr. and Mrs. Das look and
act young to the point of childishness, go by their first names when talking to their children, and
seem selfishly indifferent to the kids. On their trip, when her husband and children get out of the
car to sightsee, Mrs. Das sits in the car, eating snacks she offers to no one else, wearing her
sunglasses as a barrier, and painting her nails. When Tina asks her to paint her nails as well,
Mrs. Das just turns away and rebuffs her daughter. Mr. and Mrs. Das ask the good-natured Mr.
Kapasi about his job as a tour guide, and he tells them about his weekday job as an interpreter in
a doctor’s office. Mr. Kapasi’s wife resents her husband’s job because he works at the doctor’s
clinic that previously failed to cure their son of typhoid fever. She belittles his job, and he, too,
discounts the importance of his occupation as a waste of his linguistic skills. However, Mrs. Das
deems it “romantic” and a big responsibility, pointing out that the health of the patients depends
upon Mr. Kapasi’s correct interpretation of their maladies. Mr. Kapasi begins to develop a
romantic interest in Mrs. Das, and conducts a private conversation with her during the trip. Mr.
Kapasi imagines a future correspondence with Mrs. Das, picturing them building a relationship
to translate the transcontinental gap between them. However, Mrs. Das reveals a secret: she tells
Mr. Kapasi the story of an affair she once had, and that her son Bobby had been born out of her
adultery. She explains that she chose to tell Mr. Kapasi because of his profession; she hopes he
can interpret her feelings and make her feel better as he does for his patients, translating without
passing judgment. However, when Mr. Kapasi reveals his disappointment in her and points out
her guilt, Mrs. Das storms off. As Mrs. Das walks away towards her family, she trails crumbs of
puffed rice snacks, and monkeys begin to trail her. The neglectful Das parents don’t notice as
the monkeys, following Mrs. Das’s food trail, surround their son, Bobby, isolating the son born
of a different father. The monkeys begin to attack Bobby, and Mr. Kapasi rushes in to save him.
Mr. Kapasi returns Bobby to his parents, and looks on as they clean up their son.
‘A Real Durwan’
Boori Ma is a feeble 64-year-old woman from Calcutta who is the stair-sweeper, or durwan, of
an old brick building. In exchange for her services, the residents allow Boori Ma to live on the
roof of the building. While she sweeps, she tells stories of her past: her daughter’s extravagant
wedding, her servants, her estate and her riches. The residents of the brick building hear
continuous contradictions in Boori’s storytelling, but her stories are seductive and compelling,
so they let her contradictions rest. One family in particular takes a liking to Boori Ma, the
Dalal’s. Mrs. Dalal often gives Boori Ma food and takes care of her ailments. When Mr. Dalal
gets promoted at work, he improves the brick building by installing a sink in the stairwell and a
sink in his home. The Dalal’s continue to improve their home and even go away on a trip to
Simla for ten days and promise to bring back Boori Ma a sheep’s hair blanket. While the Dalal’s
are away, the other residents become obsessed with making their own improvement to the
building. Boori Ma even spends her life savings on special treats while circling around the
neighborhood. However, while Boori Ma is out one afternoon, the sink in the stairwell is stolen.
The residents accuse Boori Ma of informing the robbers and in negligence for her job. When
Boori Ma protests, the residents continue to accuse her because of all her previous inconsistent
stories. The residents' obsession with materializing the building dimmed their focus on the
remaining members of their community, like Boori Ma. The short story concludes as the
residents throw out Boori Ma’s belongings and begin a search for a “real durwan.”
‘Sexy’
One of only two stories in this collection told by a non-Indian narrator, “Sexy” tells the story of
a young woman, Miranda, and her affair with a married Indian man named Dev. Aside from
what she hears from her one Indian friend at work, a woman named Laxmi, Miranda knows very
little about India and its culture. The first time she meets Dev, she is not able to discern his
nationality. However, she is instantly captivated by his charm and the thrill of being with an
exotic, older man. The title of the story refers to something he whispered to her in the Christian
Science center’s Mapparium, a moment that she would remember for its intimacy but would
later come to see as a sign of an unhealthy relationship. She has pangs of guilt because he is
married, and this is highlighted by the fact that Laxmi’s cousin has recently been abandoned by
her husband for a younger woman. One day, Laxmi’s cousin comes to Boston and Miranda is
asked to babysit her eight-year-old son, Rohin. Rohin ends up giving Miranda some insight into
his mother’s grief and calls to her attention the more unglamorous aspects of being the “other
woman.” This experience eventually leads her to call off her affair.
‘Mrs. Sen's’
In this story, 11-year old Eliot begins staying with Mrs. Sen - a university professor's wife - after
school. The caretaker, Mrs. Sen, chops and prepares food as she tells Elliot stories of her past
life in Calcutta, helping to craft her identity. Like "A Temporary Matter," this story is filled with
lists of produce, catalogs of ingredients, and descriptions of recipes. Emphasis is placed on
ingredients and the act of preparation. Other objects are emphasized as well, such as Mrs. Sen's
colorful collection of saris from her native India. Much of the plot revolves around Mrs. Sen's
tradition of purchasing fish from a local seafood market. This fish reminds Mrs. Sen of her
home and holds great significance for her. However, reaching the seafood market requires
driving, a skill that Mrs. Sen has not learned and resists learning. At the end of the story, Mrs.
Sen attempts to drive to the market without her husband, and ends up in an automobile accident.
Eliot soon stops staying with Mrs. Sen thereafter.
‘This Blessed House’
Sanjeev and Twinkle, a newly married couple, are exploring their new house in Hartford, which
to appears to have been owned by fervent Christians: they keep finding gaudy Biblical
paraphernalia hidden throughout the house. While Twinkle is delighted by these objects and
wants to display them everywhere, Sanjeev is uncomfortable with them and reminds her that
they are Hindu, not Christian. This agreement reveals other problems in their relationship;
Sanjeev doesn’t seem to understand Twinkle’s spontaneity, whereas Twinkle has little regard
for Sanjeev’s discomfort. He is planning a party for his coworkers and is worried about the
impression they might get from the interior decorating if their mantelpiece is full of Biblical
figurines. After some arguing and a brief amount of tears, a compromise is reached. When the
day of the party arrives, the guests are enamored with Twinkle. Sanjeev still has conflicting
feelings about her; he is captivated by her beauty and energy, but irritated by her naivete and
impractical tendencies. The story ends with her and the other party guests discovering a large
bust of Jesus Christ in the attic. Although the object disgusts him, he obediently carries it
downstairs. This action can either be interpreted as Sanjeev giving into Twinkle and accepting
her eccentricities, or as a final, grudging act of compliance in a marriage that he is
reconsidering.
‘The Treatment of Bibi Haldar’
Bibi Haldar is a twenty-nine year old female who suffers from an undiagnosed ailment. She is treated by
spiritual healers, charlatans and medical doctors. She is taken to holy sites, medical facilities and
Calcutta in hopes of a cure. The treatments vary, but the results remain unsuccessful. The ailment struck
all of a sudden. She is confined to the building where her cousin and wife rent an apartment. Bibi might
collapse and fall into an episode at any time. She is unable to go out on her own because of that risk. Bibi
spends her days in a low-ceilinged storage room on the roof. For a living she sits in the storage room
recording the inventory of her cousin's courtyard cosmetics business. The storage room has an adjoining
latrine and shelves. She is paid in meals, provisions and cotton, but no money. She sleeps on a cot in her
cousin's second floor apartment. Haldar's wife is pregnant and in November tells Bibi she's contagious
like the pox and will spoil the baby. She isolates Bibi from their living utensils. One day Bibi has another
episode by the fish pond. The neighbors attend to her. A group of the husbands take her home with the
women following behind. Haldar refuses to let the hysterical Bibi spend the night with his pregnant wife.
Bibi sleeps in the storage room. After the baby's birth he lets her sleep by their apartment, in the corridor.
Bibi spends time alone, has more seizures and is left unattended. The neighbors protest by no longer
shopping at Haldar's store. The shelves and inventory grow dusty. The weather gets colder and the baby
gets sick. Haldar's wife blames Bibi for the baby's sickness. Haldar moves her out of their apartment
completely. She stays in the storage shed and makes her home there. She stays alone and no longer goes
out at all. Haldar clears out all of his inventory by mid-December. The neighbors drive him out of
business. He and his family leave town and mail is returned unopened from any relatives of Bibi. She
stays in the storage shed and the neighbors leave food for her. They find her four months pregnant in
April. She does not remember what has happened. She does not identify the father. By September she
delivers a son. They show her how to feed and care for him. She cleans up the storage room and turns it
into a store. The neighbors buy goods from her. She takes care of herself and raises her son. She is cured.
‘The Third and Final Continent’
The narrator recounts his tale of leaving India in 1964 with a commerce certificate and the equivalent of
ten dollars in his pocket. He sails on a cargo ship for three weeks across the Arabian, Red and
Mediterranean seas to England. He lives in London with twelve or more penniless Bengali bachelors like
himself. When he is thirty-six years old, the narrator's family arranges a marriage. At the same time he
receives a job offer in America at the MIT library. He accepts the job and receives a green card. He flies
to Calcutta for his wedding and then flies to Boston to begin his employment. He rents a room not far
from the university. This is the first time he would live in the home of someone who is not Indian. A tiny
old woman opens the door when he arrives at the appointed time and rings the bell. Her first instruction
to him is to lock the door when he enters. She shows him her house and says she expects him to be on
time with the rent. He offers a letter confirming his MIT employment. He moves into the room at Mrs.
Crofts the next day. When he enters he finds her at the bench wearing the same thing she wore the day
before. She asks him if he's locked the door. She tells him there's an American flag on the moon. He
recognizes this to be a nightly ritual. It lasts ten minutes until she drifts off to sleep so he goes along with
it. Mrs Croft daughter, Helen, reveals Mrs. Croft is a widow and eats only soup since she turned one
hundred, three years ago. He is amazed. He thinks she is in her eighties, maybe ninety. He reflects that
his mother's widowhood drove her insane. His father died when he was sixteen and his mother never
adjusted. They were unable to help her. His brother gave up his education so he could take a job to keep
the household running. His responsibility was to watch over and take care of her. He offers to help Mrs.
Croft with her soup and Helen says that would kill her. He worries about her and decides to spend time
with her on the bench in the evenings. He gives her the limited care he can as a tenant. His wife Mala
arrives. He finds an apartment he and Mala can share. He pays Mrs. Croft on Friday and tells her he is
leaving. One evening he asks Mala if she'd like to go out. They walk by Mrs. Crofts and he opens the
gate, hoping to say hello. Helen answers the ring and asks if they will visit for awhile so she can run out
for errands. Mrs. Croft cannot stay alone these days. The couple enters the parlor and finds Mrs. Croft in
bed. She tells him to sit on the sofa, but Mala wanders over to the piano and sits on the bench. Mrs. Croft
says she broke her hip, called the police and asks what he has to say. He cries out splendid. Mala laughs
and Mrs. Croft asks who that is. She asks if she plays the piano. When she says no Mrs. Croft tells her to
stand up. After looking at her for a long time she says she is a perfect lady. He laughs quietly and then he
and Mala smile at each other. It was then that the distance between him and Mala began to lessen. They
begin exploring Boston together. He tells her of his early experiences in London and then in Boston and
the YMCA. Months later he reads of Mrs. Croft's obituary and stares silently at the wall, not able to
speak.
Example of notetaking:
INTERPRETER OF MALADIES – STORY ONE
TITLE:
A
TEMPORARY
MATTER
Synopsis
The electricity company has sent a note saying that there will be one hour breaks to the
provision of service for a few days starting March 19th? (Temporary is something that is
brief, passing and not permanent). On a simple level the temporary matter is the power
outage. However, there are layers and more meanings to the story which you may
discover e.g. that the marriage is not permanent. The hope that the characters will be a
family is short-lived as is the pregnancy.)
A Temporary Matter
Told from the third-person perspective of the husband, this story deals with the
disintegrating relationship of an Indian couple, Shoba and Shukumar. Their stillborn child
has created distance between the two of them, and Shukumar observes as Shoba
transforms from the attentive wife into someone more aloof and self-absorbed. As in most
of Lahiri’s stories, food plays a significant role in the couple’s relationship. Shoba had
always given the impression that their pantries were stuffed with endless supplies of food.
When she begins to neglect this, Shukumar simply observes as the food vanishes, cooking
what he can of it using Shoba’s old recipes. He makes no moves to create a new supply.
In fact, he makes no move to cover up the signs of neglect throughout the house that he
holds Shoba accountable for when in fact his own apathy and grief are to blame as well.
Likewise, he does little to comfort Shoba in her grief, not quite realizing the seriousness of
their relationship problems. One day, they receive notice that their electricity will be out for
one hour every night for five days. They spend each of these nights in the dark sharing
secrets with each other, things they had never shared before. Each confession becomes
more bold and reveals a larger flaw in their marriage, until their impending separation
becomes clear. (Wikipedia)
CHARACTERS
Shoba
Shukumar’s wife.
Works extra hours in her job at a typographical office looking for errors in textbooks
(specificity) to avoid husband
Six months ago miscarried baby
Has changed – uncaring about the house & her appearance (& husband)
‘looking, at thirty three, like the type of woman she’d once claimed she would never
resemble.’
‘She was the type to prepare for surprises, good and bad.’
Did not prepare for some surprises eg: power failure/loss of baby
Shukumar
Husband to Shoba
35 years old – worried about still being a student and not being able to work and provide
financially
Mediocre student
Working at home – finishing dissertation on agrarian revolts in India (elusive topic)
Depressed and neglects himself too – forgets to brush his teeth
Apathetic, grieving for baby & stops caring for Shoba
Shoba’s mother
Only brief appearance in the story as remembered by Shukumar - Traditional – religious –
sets up shrine
Visits when Shoba loses baby
Polite but not friendly
Makes Shukumar feel guilty ‘But you weren’t even there.’ Her comment deepens his sense
of estrangement and emotional alienation.
SOME THEMES
A troubled marriage. The characters are estranged from each other and have ‘become
experts at avoiding each other’.
Marriage /
Relationship
The couple has never really recovered from the loss of their baby. Dealing with grief and
the negative emotions of this event including blame and guilt have destroyed their
Grief/Mourning
Loss of child
Communication
relationship.
Communication lines have broken down. The consequences of not communicating well
and not sharing feelings prove devastating. It is not possible to repair the relationship but
there is still hope to achieve a positive resolution through reconnecting and establishing
communication lines.
We all keep secrets either to protect ourselves or others. Some secrets between couples
can be extremely damaging even if we are motivated by good intentions.
Secrets
Indian American
Culture
Growing up, the children of migrants can also experience loss and displacement similar to
their parents. Caught between two cultures, they often struggle with the development of a
sense of identity and belonging. Both Shoba and Shukumar have grown up in America but
Shoba is more at ease and has vivid childhood memories of India. This ease is envied by
Shukumar. Shukumar has had to learn about India from textbooks. His choice of studies
probably signals the struggle with his identity.
SYMBOLS
Food
Shukumar, haunted by her failed pregnancy can no longer prepare food which
nourishes the couple. The couple do not eat together until the electricity power
breaks down indicating the relationship has been damaged and is not being
nourished. Food often symbolises sex – the couple have lost an appetite for each
other which damages their relationship.
The mention of traditional food ‘rogan josh’– connecting characters with their
Indian culture and identity.
Shrine
Religion is a social public affair in this culture.
Candles at
meal
Represents religion/guilt – religious punishment? Marriage should be for life.
Recalls India. ‘It’s like India... ’
Points to loss - Birthday candles – the candles recalling the happy past of
Shukumar’s birthday but also that they will never blow out candles at their child’s
birthday. The truth is that there are some things we can never prepare for.
Baby
Symbolises the family they could have had. Like the baby, the marriage is lost.
STYLE
Point of View
3rd person narrator – more likely to accept as reliable and telling truth (omniscient,
we can get close to characters but also see more than the character knows). What
is unstated and implied in the narrative establishes the secrets between Shukumar
and Shoba. The Story is told closely from the point of view of Shukumar with
insight into his thoughts and feelings.
Dialogue
Reveals & conceals much about the characters. We have to read between the
lines to understand Shukumar’s feelings which he is trying to conceal.
Ordinary
details
The story revels in small details which reveal much about the emotional lives of
the characters.
Your ideas: __________________________________________________________________________
Character Descriptions
This section provides a short description of all the major characters in the book.
Characters
Shoba - This character works in downtown Boston as a textbook editor.
Shukumar's Mother - During this character's visit, a lie is told about working late.
Gillian - This character drives to the hospital when the expectant mother goes into labor.
The Baby - A secret is kept about this character until a dark night.
Lilia - This character tries to read about Pakistan, but is told by a teacher that it doesn't matter.
Mr. Pirzada - This character lives in Boston on a government grant to study New England
foliage.
Mr. Pirzada's Wife - This character stays in Dacca until war breaks out.
Mr. Pirzada's Daughters - These characters are not heard from for six months.
Lilia's Father - This character watches the news every night.
Lilia's Mother - This character prepares meals for countrymen of the India-Pakistan area who
live in or are visiting America.
Dora - This character keeps a watch for when the teacher comes into the library.
Mr. Das (Raj) - This character teaches middle school science.
Mrs. Das (Mina) - This character is fully self-centered and uninterested in parenting.
Tina Das - This character's mother doesn't want to be responsible for her child and wants to be
left alone.
Ronny Das - This character gets out of the car to give gum to a goat.
Bobby Das - Monkeys surround and attack this character.
Mr. Kapasi - This character enjoys being a tour guide and likes the Sun Temple tour
destination.
Mr. Kapasi's Wife - This character has no respect for the language skills used by a spouse to
interpret for the doctor.
Boori Ma - This character does a valuable service by sweeping and watching over a building at
low cost.
Mr. Dalal - This character's promotion provides money for a ten-day vacation.
Mrs. Dalal - This character is angry when two basins are brought home.
Mr. Chatterjee - This character is a knowledgeable and well-respected tenant whose opinion is
valued.
The Building Residents - These characters are poor and have few possessions to protect.
Laxmi - This character works in the fund-raising department of a public radio station.
Miranda - This character starts an affair after meeting a stranger in Filene's cosmetics
department.
Laxmi's Cousin's Husband - This character starts an affair on a flight from Delhi to Montreal.
Dev - This character is a successful, middle-aged, investment banker.
Rohin - This character plays name the capital game.
Laxmi's Cousin - This character visits California to take a break from divorce proceedings.
Mrs. Sen - This character is having trouble adapting to American culture and doesn't want to
learn how to drive.
Mr. Sen - This character teaches mathematics at the university.
Eliot - This character's babysitter causes emergencies rather than helping.
Eliot's Mother - This character lives on the beach and works fifty miles away from home.
Twinkle - Listening to Mahler symphonies makes this character sleepy.
Sanjeev - This character is an organized, thirty-three-year-old, Indian engineer who is being
considered for a vice presidency.
Housewarming Party Guests - These characters go on a treasure hunt for undiscovered
Christian memorabilia.
Bibi Haldar - This character works counting inventory in a cousin's storage shed.
Haldar - This character owns a shop in the four-story building.
Haldar's Wife - This character is afraid that her child's fever is from her husband's cousin.
The Neighbors - These characters purchase merchandise from another character and help her
raise her baby.
Bibi's Baby Son - This character's father is unknown.
Narrator - This character is the quintessential Indian expatriate.
Mala - This character lives with strangers while waiting for immigration papers to be processed.
Mrs. Croft - This character is over one hundred years old.
Narrator's Older Brother - This character's older brother takes over most of the family's
responsibility when their father dies.
Helen - This character takes care of opening a parent's soup cans and preparing the soup
pans for the week.
Narrator and Mala's Son - This character attends Harvard and is a natural-born American.
Object Descriptions
This section provides a short description of all the major objects in the book.
Objects
Shoba and Shukumar's House - This place is big enough for an unhappy married couple to
avoid each other on weekends.
Shoba and Shukumar's Baby - This symbolizes a great loss and the end of a relationship.
The Telling Game - When the lights are out, this reminds Shoba of her childhood at the
grandmother's house in India.
The Candles - Shukumar puts these in an ivy pot.
Picture of a Woman - This object is kept a secret by Shukumar until the telling game.
Sweater Vest - This was an anniversary gift to Shukumar that is exchanged for cash.
The Lights - These allow Shoba and Shukumar to speak honestly with each other.
Last Night Secrets - These are given by Shoba and Shukumar in anger.
Lilia's Parents' House - This is where characters host dinner for visiting Indians and other
nationals from their homeland.
Mr. Pirzada's Candy Gifts - These are treated as prayers by Lilia.
Mr. Pirzada's Watch - This reminds a character of what the family is doing in Dacca.
Dacca, Pakistan - A character lives in this place with his wife and seven daughters.
Pumpkin - This holiday icon distracts characters from the bad news about India and Pakistan.
Pakistan-India War - This happens in the fall of 1971 and causes Mr. Pirzada to worry about
his family far away.
Tea Stall - This is the first rest stop for the Das family on their tour of India.
Sun Temple - This is a favorite tour destination for Mr. Kapasi.
Monkeys - These are attracted to the food thoughtlessly dropped by Mrs. Das.
Mr. Kapasi's Address - This represents a character's hope for an affair.
Kapasi Car - This is the place of an unexpected confession by Mrs. Das.
The Hills at Udayagiri - This is where a Mr. Kapasi's desire for an affair literally blows away.
The Stairwell - This is where Boori Ma lives and works.
Boori Ma's Bedding - This is ruined in a rainstorm.
The Two Basins - The tenants of Boori Ma's building are irritated when they have to wait to
use one of these objects.
Boori Ma's Sari, Skeleton Keys, and Life Savings - These objects are stolen from the end of
a sari.
Economist Magazine with Bengal Map - This object is left by Dev in Miranda's apartment.
Mapparium - There is a bridge in this place that enables visitors to whisper on one end of the
bridge and be heard thirty feet away at the other.
Miranda's Mistress Outfit - This was purchased to impress Dev.
Miranda's Apartment - This is the location of an affair between an American and a middleaged, investment banker.
Filene's - This is where Miranda first meets Dev.
Gym Clothes - These are used as an excuse for Dev to go see Miranda.
Sen's University Apartment - This place is where Elliot goes each afternoon.
Mrs. Sen's Indian Blade - This object is a traditional Indian tool.
Mr. Sen's Car - This object represents a character's unwillingness to assimilate to life in
America.
The Fish Market - This place helps Mrs. Sen keep a connection to her Indian customs.
Whole Fresh Fish - This reminds Mrs. Sen how much life in India is missed.
Eliot's Key - This object is a symbol that a character no longer needs a babysitter.
Twinkle and Sanjeev's House - This place caused the new occupant to go on a daily treasure
hunt.
The Christ Figure - This object delights Twinkle and annoys Sanjeev.
Christ Poster - This object offends Sanjeev who wants to throw it away so guests and coworkers won't see it.
Virgin Mary Statue - Twinkle finds this object while raking in the yard.
Christ Silver Bust - This object is found in the attic by Twinkle.
Bibi's Storage Shed - This becomes a character's home and place of business.
Haldar's Cosmetic Store - This place is located in the ground-floor courtyard of a residential
building.
Haldar's Apartment - Bibi is kicked out of here during a pregnancy.
Bibi's Cot - This object is moved into the hallway and then into the storage shed on the roof.
Bibi's Ad - This is used to prove a character cannot find a husband.
YMCA - This is the place the narrator stays during his first night in Boston.
Mrs. Croft's House and Bench - This is the place the narrator goes through a nightly routine
with his landlord.
The American Flag - The landlord insists that the narrator calls this object splendid.
Soup Cans - These objects help Mrs. Croft keep the illusion of independence.
AREA OF STUDY TWO: Creating and Presenting
Context: Exploring Issues of Identity and Belonging
GROWING UP ASIAN IN AUSTRALIA
Edited by Alice Pung
This area of study is much like the context writing that you did in units one and two for
Encountering Conflict. The context for year twelve is Exploring Issues of Identity and
Belonging and you will be doing a range of activities exploring this throughout year.
The Prompt
Your
Piece
The Texts
The Context
About the Editor
Alice Pung is a Melbourne writer and lawyer. She was born in
Footscray, and grew up in Braybrook, attending local primary and
secondary schools in the Western suburbs.
Alice is the author of Unpolished Gem and the editor of Growing up
Asian in Australia. She has had stories and articles published in Good
Weekend, Meanjin, the Monthly, Age, The Best Australian Stories 2007
and Etchings.
Although Alice is currently practicing as a solicitor, she has worked
extensively with both primary and secondary school students - as an art
instructor, independent school teacher, and student mentor.
Alice has received enormous critical acclaim for her writing. Unpolished Gem won the 2007
Australian Newcomer of the Year award in the Australian Book Industry Awards and was
shortlisted for several other awards including the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, the New
South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards and The Age Book of the Year 2007.
Using your dictionary find the meanings for all the words used to describe our
context study:
Definition 1: EXPLORING
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Definition 2: ISSUES
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Definition 3: IDENTITY
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Definition 4: BELONGING
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Write a paragraph about what you think this context will deal with.
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
GROWING UP ___?__IN AUSTRALIA
EXPLORING ISSUES OF IDENTITY AND BELONGING
Read all of the stories from the set anthology, Growing Up Asian in
Australia, and choose any (3) three that you enjoyed the most. For all
the (3) three stories, answer all of the questions below:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What is the title of the story?
Who is the author and what is their background?
Where does the story take place?
Summarise what happens in the story.
What parts of the story did you relate to and why? For example
did you relate to the character’s experiences or feelings in the
story?
6. What does this story show you about identity and belonging?
Your answers will be shared with the class.
When you have finished writing, choose one story only and prepare a
short talk to the class.
Use the above questions to help you prepare the talk.
Be prepared to explain why you chose to talk about this story. This
work is due in your first EAL lesson in 2013.
AREA OF STUDY THREE: Using Language to Persuade
For Area of Study 3, Using Language to Persuade, you will be asked to do an oral presentation in the first
semester.
Being persuasive and sounding good in your talk is critical.
Reading opinion articles and thinking about how the writer uses persuasive language to convince the reader
to accept their point of view is a good way to prepare.
You also need to be able to analyse persuasive language for the Part C in the exam at the end of the year.
Holiday Tasks
1. Collect at least 4-5 newspaper articles on an issue. They can be on the same or different issue.
Remember an issue is a problem in society that 2 or more people are arguing about.
2. Who wrote the article and what is the issue(s) about? What is the writer’s point of view?
3. Highlight 3 examples of persuasive language in each article.
4. In your own words, try to explain why these examples are persuasive and how they make the reader feel.
You can collect articles from the local paper if you don’t buy a paper or look at the online articles if you
have the internet.
Here are some common examples that might be helpful. Or you can go over more comprehensive notes
given to by your year 11 teachers.
Technique
Example
Possible Effect – How does it make the audience
feel?
Connotation
‘He is slim.’
The word slim has a positive connotation and would
make the audience feel satisfied with the health of the
person. The audience would be more alarmed for the
implications to someone’s health if the word ‘anorexic’
was used to describe his body and concerned that the
person should be helped.
Emotional
Language
‘Sadly, Aboriginal
health and
education are
responsibilities we
have still to
address’
Appeals to the audience’s sense of social justice
and draws on feelings of guilt in the broader
Australian community that problems of this nature
still exist in our society.
Exaggeration
‘Every weekend the
city’s overrun by
beggars.’
This language is likely to be shocking to the audience
and convince the audience something needs to be done
to deal with the issue. The example can appeal to the
audience’s fears and suggest a loss of control and power
over their city.
Expert Opinion
‘According to
Professor Smith of
Melbourne
University…’
Can give credibility to the author’s argument if the
expert is an authority on the topic. The audience is
likely to feel confident about accepting and trusting
the view presented by someone with qualifications.
Facts and
Statistics
‘The city’s 4 million
households use
over 200 billion
litres of water.’
Again adds weight to the author’s argument if the
figures are used responsibly. The audience is likely
to also feel shocked and a growing sense of
responsibility about the problem if the figures are
positive/negative
great and point to wastefulness.
Rhetorical
Question
‘And do we really
want to see
children dropping
out of school?
Asking an obvious question that assumes the
audience will accept the author’s point of view to
avoid the risk of looking foolish or illogical.
Repetition
‘We must say no.
We must not let
them get away
with it. We must
fight till the end!’
In this example the word ‘we’ is repeated leaving a
lasting impression on the audience that creates a
strong sense of solidarity and responsibility in the
audience’s mind.
Please remember: the above examples are out of context. To understand persuasive language better, you need to
examine language in the story of your article, and be clear about the purpose and audience. Who is the writer?
What is the article about and what is the author’s contention? The examples of persuasive language are used to
drive main points, ideas or argument to persuade the audience to accept a particular point of view.
If you don’t buy a newspaper, check the Echo Online Website for current
issues: http://www.echoeducation.com.au/schools/index.php
Username: dandenonghs Password: openplan
Use Newsbank to find the articles: http://www.newsbank.com/
Username: dandenong Password: dandenong
VCE students note: for outlines with newspaper items published after September 1, 2012 (and
thus suitable for VCE English 2012-2013), look for this symbol
item.
at RIGHT of the
2012/18: Does social media, including Facebook, assist in law enforcement?
2012/17: Increasing the use of CCTV: should Australia install more closed circuit TV cameras?
2012/16: Do the Closer magazine photographs violate Prince William and his wife Catherine's
right to privacy?
2012/15: Internet shopping: should more online purchases be taxed?
2012/14: Should the Victorian government have declared a temporary moratorium on fracking?
2012/13: should the super trawler, Margiris, be used to fish in Australian waters?