Go to this site for study guides on some of the novels and plays that are in the syllabus.
Or you can go to another site here.
Tuesday, 3 April 2012
Sunday, 26 February 2012
No change of texts until SPM 2015
The texts for SPM Literature in English (Elective) will remain unchanged until SPM 2014. The 7th cycle of texts will apply to students sitting for SPM in 2015.
SPM 2008-2014: TEXTS AND TITLES FOR STUDY
Poems
Theme: Relationships
1.Tonight I Can Write - Pablo Neruda
2. Ways of Love - Chung Yee Chong
3. A Prayer for My Daughter - Yeats
4. The Way Things Are - Roger McGough
5. For My Old Amah - Wong Phui Nam
6. How Do I Love Thee? - Elizabeth Barret Browning
Theme: Perception of Life
1. Birches- Robert Frost
2. I Am - John Clare
3. This Is A Photograph of Me - Margaret Atwood
4. Waiting to Go On - Hugo Williams
5. Daring Tears - Craig Romkema
6.The Traveller - Muhammad hj Salleh
Theme: Conflicts
1. Dulce et Decorum Est- Wilfred Owen
2. The Man He Killed - Thomas Hardy
3. Death of A Rainforest - Cecil Rajendra
4. The War Against the Trees - Stanley Kunitz
5. A Quarrel Between Day and Night - Omar Mohd Noor
6. "Crabbed age and youth cannot live together"- Shakespeare's Poems (from Sonnet XII - The Passionate Pilgrim)
Short Stories
1. Naukar - Anya Sitaram
2. Cinderella Girl - Vivien Alcock
3. The Landlady - Roald Dahl
4. Neighbours - Robert Raymer
5. Harrison Bergeron - Kurt Vonnegut Jr
Novels
1. Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
2. Fasting, Feasting - Anita Desai
3. Holes - Louis Sachar
Drama
1. Julius Caesar - William Shakespeare
2. The Lion and the Jewel - Wole Soyinka
3. An Inspector Calls - JB Priestley
Click here to read the Syllabus Objectives and Learning Outcomes.
Theme: Relationships
1.Tonight I Can Write - Pablo Neruda
2. Ways of Love - Chung Yee Chong
3. A Prayer for My Daughter - Yeats
4. The Way Things Are - Roger McGough
5. For My Old Amah - Wong Phui Nam
6. How Do I Love Thee? - Elizabeth Barret Browning
Theme: Perception of Life
1. Birches- Robert Frost
2. I Am - John Clare
3. This Is A Photograph of Me - Margaret Atwood
4. Waiting to Go On - Hugo Williams
5. Daring Tears - Craig Romkema
6.The Traveller - Muhammad hj Salleh
Theme: Conflicts
1. Dulce et Decorum Est- Wilfred Owen
2. The Man He Killed - Thomas Hardy
3. Death of A Rainforest - Cecil Rajendra
4. The War Against the Trees - Stanley Kunitz
5. A Quarrel Between Day and Night - Omar Mohd Noor
6. "Crabbed age and youth cannot live together"- Shakespeare's Poems (from Sonnet XII - The Passionate Pilgrim)
Short Stories
1. Naukar - Anya Sitaram
2. Cinderella Girl - Vivien Alcock
3. The Landlady - Roald Dahl
4. Neighbours - Robert Raymer
5. Harrison Bergeron - Kurt Vonnegut Jr
Novels
1. Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
2. Fasting, Feasting - Anita Desai
3. Holes - Louis Sachar
Drama
1. Julius Caesar - William Shakespeare
2. The Lion and the Jewel - Wole Soyinka
3. An Inspector Calls - JB Priestley
Click here to read the Syllabus Objectives and Learning Outcomes.
Saturday, 31 December 2011
READ SOME OF THE SHORT STORIES HERE
The following stories can be read online:
1. Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut
2. The Landlady by Roald Dahl
3. Cinderella Girl by Vivienne Alcock
4. Neighbors by Robert Raymer
1. Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut
2. The Landlady by Roald Dahl
3. Cinderella Girl by Vivienne Alcock
4. Neighbors by Robert Raymer
Saturday, 21 May 2011
POEMS: Listen to readings of some poems in the SPM selection
William Butler Yeats 'A Prayer for my Daughter'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v19aVYVPQmU
Read an analysis at:
http://www.brighthub.com/arts/books/articles/120620.aspx
Elizabeth Barrett Browning 'How Do I Love Thee' read by Helen Mirren
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWv_f4DjBS4
Pablo Neruda 'Tonight I can Write the Saddest Lines' read by Andy Garcia
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xbiwnv_pablo-neruda-tonight-i-can-write-th_creation
Pablo Neruda was born in Parral, Chile. He studied in Santiago in the twenties. From 1927 to 1945 he was the Chilean consul in Rangoon, in Java, and then in Barcelona. He joined the Communist Party after the Second World War. Between 1970 and 1973 he served in Allende’s Chilean Government as ambassador to Paris. He died shortly after the coup that ended the Allende Government.
_______________________________________________________
Roger McGough The way things are - Google Search: "www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyfkdKgRS4w
Get more video results"
McGough may avoid anger and bitterness, but he does nonetheless take a sceptical approach to life, using dry humour as a way of coping with life’s inevitable disappointments. Perhaps the most apt example of this is the title of his 1999 collection, The Way Things Are. The title poem articulates the voice of a well-meaning father, pouring ‘cold water’ over his child’s imaginative questions:
'No, the candle is not crying, it cannot feel pain.
Even telescopes, like the rest of us, grow bored.
Bubblegum will not make the hair soft and shiny.
The duller the imagination, the faster the car.
I am your father and this is the way things are […]'
However, though the poem may be read as cynical, the child’s magical and subversive approach to life continues, constantly challenging the father’s limited perspective.
[from http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth202 ]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v19aVYVPQmU
Read an analysis at:
http://www.brighthub.com/arts/books/articles/120620.aspx
Elizabeth Barrett Browning 'How Do I Love Thee' read by Helen Mirren
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWv_f4DjBS4
Pablo Neruda 'Tonight I can Write the Saddest Lines' read by Andy Garcia
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xbiwnv_pablo-neruda-tonight-i-can-write-th_creation
Pablo Neruda was born in Parral, Chile. He studied in Santiago in the twenties. From 1927 to 1945 he was the Chilean consul in Rangoon, in Java, and then in Barcelona. He joined the Communist Party after the Second World War. Between 1970 and 1973 he served in Allende’s Chilean Government as ambassador to Paris. He died shortly after the coup that ended the Allende Government.
_______________________________________________________
Roger McGough The way things are - Google Search: "www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyfkdKgRS4w
Get more video results"
McGough may avoid anger and bitterness, but he does nonetheless take a sceptical approach to life, using dry humour as a way of coping with life’s inevitable disappointments. Perhaps the most apt example of this is the title of his 1999 collection, The Way Things Are. The title poem articulates the voice of a well-meaning father, pouring ‘cold water’ over his child’s imaginative questions:
'No, the candle is not crying, it cannot feel pain.
Even telescopes, like the rest of us, grow bored.
Bubblegum will not make the hair soft and shiny.
The duller the imagination, the faster the car.
I am your father and this is the way things are […]'
However, though the poem may be read as cynical, the child’s magical and subversive approach to life continues, constantly challenging the father’s limited perspective.
[from http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth202 ]
Sunday, 20 March 2011
About 'Fasting, Feasting' by Anita Desai
Fasting Feasting - Anita Desai
Plot Summary
Rather a series of events from a life than a complexly plotted work. We follow the fortunes of Uma and Arun as they engage with family and strangers and the intricacy of day to day living.
The novel is in two parts. The first part is set in India and is focused on the life of Uma who is the overworked daughter of Mama and Papa. She is put upon by them at every turn, preparing food, running errands. In the early part of the novel we see her struggling at school. She is not very bright but loves the sisters who teach and appreciate her. Finally she is made to leave school and serve her parents.
We meet many interesting characters through her; Ramu-Bhai a travelling bon viveur who tries to show Uma a good time. He is banished by her parents.
Another character is the religious Mira Masi who tells Uma all the tales of Krishna and takes her to the ashram allowing her to escape her mother's domination for a time.
Uma's parents attempt to marry her off on two occasions; on the first occasion the chosen man fell for Uma's younger sister, Aruna. On the second occasion a marriage took place but it turns out the Uma's new husband already has a wife. She lives with his sisters while he lives in another town spending her dowry on his ailing business. Uma's father quickly spirits her home.
We are also told of the episode of Anamika's (Uma's cousin) sad fate. She has won a scholarship to Oxford but her parents insist that she get married. She does and fails to please her husband by providing him with children. He keeps her for a time as a servant but eventually she dies by burning. It is strongly hinted that her in-laws killed her. The final scene of Part 1 is the immersion of Anamika's ashes in the sacred river.
We are left with great sympathy for Uma and her simple kindness as she survives as best she can in a not altogether friendly world.
In Part 2 we meet Arun, Uma's privileged brother. He is attending college in America and during summer holidays he lives with the Pattons an all American family. Again, plot is not complex or intricate. The events are told in a serial manner as Arun encounters them.
Of note is his intense dislike of American food and cooking methods. He is dismayed at the behaviour of Melanie, the daughter who is deeply troubled and suffering from bulimia. Although Mrs Patton seems to care about Melanie, she does little to help.
While apparently close, the family are actually distant from one another, something very different from Arun's experience of family life in India. Arun spends most of his time alone and isolated.
Please Note; merely relating the facts of the plot misses the gentle and subtle humour and empathy that Desai brings to character and situation.
Genre
A speedy, intense narrative switching point of view and tense as needed. There are many unheralded transitions from scene to scene and flashback (15-63) is used to excellent effect. Threads of the story are left unfinished only to be taken up again later in the novel and given a deeper significance (see Anamika's or Aruna's story).
General Vision or Viewpoint
Think well about this question from a couple of standpoints. It might be easy to dismiss Uma's world as oppressive to women and to the servant underclass and to decide that life could not be a fulfilled experience in such circumstances. You might think that Uma's life is a tragic injustice; that she is used and misused by a patriarchal family and society. You might see Arun as a narrow-minded, judgemental outsider unable to adjust to a culture different to his own and whose life is quite unfulfilled. But this might be to miss the humour and love that is invested in daily living. In India people have a warmth and a variety to their lives that is enviable
Cultural Context
Two cultures are explored in this text, the Indian and the American. In both cultures males are portrayed as dominant with Arun being given tutors(17) while Uma is taken out of school. (18). Indian society is portrayed as patriarchal. See (24/5) as the women watch Papa eating fruit! Note Papa's attitude to women working (143) “His frown…for women who dared to step into the world he occupied.” In America things are much the same. Mr. Patton rules the house while Mrs Patton stays sane by visiting the shopping mall (see Chap. 19). Ironically, Mama appear to have more freedom than Mrs Patton (30) “those games of rummy, those secret betel leaves..”
Themes and issues
Suffering
Human suffering is depicted frequently in both parts of the novel. Uma is made to suffer by her parents and men who take advantage of her. The unusual thing about her is her response to this suffering. She seems to maintain optimism throughout her ordeals. Anamika's terrible life and the abuse she suffers may illuminate your discussion of suffering as would the plight of Melanie who suffers mental illness and bulimia and is a sad example of American youth.
Loneliness
The plight of Arun in America will yield many examples of loneliness as will Uma herself who despite her large extended family keeping her busy seems quite isolated.
Loyalty/Betrayal
You might advance the notion that Uma and Anamika are betrayed by their parents in that they treat them very badly when it comes to marriage and relationships. Both girls are seen as burdens to be disposed of and you could say they were betrayed. Similarly, Melanie's plight is so ignored by her mother that the word betrayal might not be too strong.
[from: http://www.skoool.ie/skoool/examcentre_sc.asp?id=4333]
Plot Summary
Rather a series of events from a life than a complexly plotted work. We follow the fortunes of Uma and Arun as they engage with family and strangers and the intricacy of day to day living.
The novel is in two parts. The first part is set in India and is focused on the life of Uma who is the overworked daughter of Mama and Papa. She is put upon by them at every turn, preparing food, running errands. In the early part of the novel we see her struggling at school. She is not very bright but loves the sisters who teach and appreciate her. Finally she is made to leave school and serve her parents.
We meet many interesting characters through her; Ramu-Bhai a travelling bon viveur who tries to show Uma a good time. He is banished by her parents.
Another character is the religious Mira Masi who tells Uma all the tales of Krishna and takes her to the ashram allowing her to escape her mother's domination for a time.
Uma's parents attempt to marry her off on two occasions; on the first occasion the chosen man fell for Uma's younger sister, Aruna. On the second occasion a marriage took place but it turns out the Uma's new husband already has a wife. She lives with his sisters while he lives in another town spending her dowry on his ailing business. Uma's father quickly spirits her home.
We are also told of the episode of Anamika's (Uma's cousin) sad fate. She has won a scholarship to Oxford but her parents insist that she get married. She does and fails to please her husband by providing him with children. He keeps her for a time as a servant but eventually she dies by burning. It is strongly hinted that her in-laws killed her. The final scene of Part 1 is the immersion of Anamika's ashes in the sacred river.
We are left with great sympathy for Uma and her simple kindness as she survives as best she can in a not altogether friendly world.
In Part 2 we meet Arun, Uma's privileged brother. He is attending college in America and during summer holidays he lives with the Pattons an all American family. Again, plot is not complex or intricate. The events are told in a serial manner as Arun encounters them.
Of note is his intense dislike of American food and cooking methods. He is dismayed at the behaviour of Melanie, the daughter who is deeply troubled and suffering from bulimia. Although Mrs Patton seems to care about Melanie, she does little to help.
While apparently close, the family are actually distant from one another, something very different from Arun's experience of family life in India. Arun spends most of his time alone and isolated.
Please Note; merely relating the facts of the plot misses the gentle and subtle humour and empathy that Desai brings to character and situation.
Genre
A speedy, intense narrative switching point of view and tense as needed. There are many unheralded transitions from scene to scene and flashback (15-63) is used to excellent effect. Threads of the story are left unfinished only to be taken up again later in the novel and given a deeper significance (see Anamika's or Aruna's story).
General Vision or Viewpoint
Think well about this question from a couple of standpoints. It might be easy to dismiss Uma's world as oppressive to women and to the servant underclass and to decide that life could not be a fulfilled experience in such circumstances. You might think that Uma's life is a tragic injustice; that she is used and misused by a patriarchal family and society. You might see Arun as a narrow-minded, judgemental outsider unable to adjust to a culture different to his own and whose life is quite unfulfilled. But this might be to miss the humour and love that is invested in daily living. In India people have a warmth and a variety to their lives that is enviable
Cultural Context
Two cultures are explored in this text, the Indian and the American. In both cultures males are portrayed as dominant with Arun being given tutors(17) while Uma is taken out of school. (18). Indian society is portrayed as patriarchal. See (24/5) as the women watch Papa eating fruit! Note Papa's attitude to women working (143) “His frown…for women who dared to step into the world he occupied.” In America things are much the same. Mr. Patton rules the house while Mrs Patton stays sane by visiting the shopping mall (see Chap. 19). Ironically, Mama appear to have more freedom than Mrs Patton (30) “those games of rummy, those secret betel leaves..”
Themes and issues
Suffering
Human suffering is depicted frequently in both parts of the novel. Uma is made to suffer by her parents and men who take advantage of her. The unusual thing about her is her response to this suffering. She seems to maintain optimism throughout her ordeals. Anamika's terrible life and the abuse she suffers may illuminate your discussion of suffering as would the plight of Melanie who suffers mental illness and bulimia and is a sad example of American youth.
Loneliness
The plight of Arun in America will yield many examples of loneliness as will Uma herself who despite her large extended family keeping her busy seems quite isolated.
Loyalty/Betrayal
You might advance the notion that Uma and Anamika are betrayed by their parents in that they treat them very badly when it comes to marriage and relationships. Both girls are seen as burdens to be disposed of and you could say they were betrayed. Similarly, Melanie's plight is so ignored by her mother that the word betrayal might not be too strong.
[from: http://www.skoool.ie/skoool/examcentre_sc.asp?id=4333]
Saturday, 3 July 2010
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