1. Mr T.W. LI
Also called `Ah-Wah’ by his mother and `Edward’ by his wife
A 63 years old Singaporean businessman
Successful and wealthy
Has humble beginnings – grew up in a little wooden hut in Tanjong Rhu
Character traits Examples of textual evidence
Ashamedof background Wants to looklike `aman whohad
inheritedhismoney,notearnedit’
(p.19)
Organisedand logical Likesto countshipsandfindstability
and securityinnumbers.(p.19)
Prefersthe simple life Thinksthe roomsin hishouse are too
bigand too many.(p.20)
Dislikeshiswife’sgatheringswithher
friendswhere theyeatcakesmade with
expensive foreignfruit.(p.20)
A filial and lovingson Boughtbinocularsforhismothertoo
see better.(p.20)
Makes sure that hismother’sburial is
done the rightway. (p.19)
Decidestotake care of the familyaltar
as hismotherwouldwanthimto.
(p.35)
Splitbetweentraditional and modern values
and beliefs
Proudof the modernlife he hasbuilt
but triestokeeptraditionalive inhis
home.(p.35)
His childrenhave Chinese names.(p.20)
He addresseshismotheras`Ah-Ma’.
(p.20)
Characters and Characteristics
2. Ah-Ma
Mr T.W. Li’smother
Ying’sgrandmother,`Popo’(Cantonese forgrandmother)
Mother of nine children,grandmotherof thirty-fourandgreat-grandmotherof seventeen
Small,thin,withgreyhairanda bentback
Character traits Examples of textual evidence
Treasures family Remembersthe time whenshe was
poor buthappy,whenshe wasclose to
herson (p.28)
Stubborn Refuse togo foran eye operationto
remove hereye cataracts (P.19)
Insistedonusingreal candlesforyears
(p.26)
Traditional Takescare of the familyaltar(p.25)
Makes sure that the ancestral worship
customsare followedproperly(p.25)
Kind and understanding Understandshersonwho istryingto
distance himself fromhispastandkeep
quiet(p.23)
Ying
Mr Li’sdaughter
Goingto furtherherstudiesinNew York
Character traits Examples of textual evidence
Loving and caring Takescare of herill grandmotherinthe
hospital (p.31)
Donate bloodto hergrandmother
(p.31)
Strong-headed Argueswithhergrandmother(p.25)
ArgueswithherSecondAuntoverthe
burial clothesforhergrandmother
(p.31)
Argueswithherfatherinthe hospital
(p.32)
Splitbetweentraditional and modernvalues
and beliefs
She call her fatherandgrandmotherby
theirtraditional Chinese address,
`Baba’ and `Popo’and she speaksin
Cantonese (p.25-26)
Doesnot see the importance of
followingtraditionsproperlyandkeeps
tellinghergrandmotherthat`it doesn’t
metter’ (p.26)
3. Helen
Mr Li’swife
She doesnot seemtohave much respectforMr Li.
Lovessocialisingwithherfriends
Mr Li’sfather
Usedto be a boat builderinTanjongRhu
TanjongRhu usedto be a small shipyardforsmall fishingboats.The protagonist’sfatherusedtobe a
boat builder there. The story unfolds eighty years down the road. Tanjong Rhu is filled with multi-
stories office building. The protagonist Mr Li has his office in the one of the buildings.
The ancestral altar is an important location for the story. With a photograph of his late father
installed in the altar, Li’s mother Ah-Ma talks to her late husband after formally lighting joss sticks
and bowing ritually while telling him of the events in her life.
Physical setting
Place Key events
Mr Li’soffice overlookingthe Singapore
harbour
Ah-Ma visitsthe office totryand see
TanjongRhu where herchildrengrew
up
A bigand modernhouse withaswimmingpool
inthe garden
Mr Li presentsthe new binocularsto
hismotherinthe garden
The altar room Yingargues withhergrandmother
because she will notletYinghelpwith
the josssticks.
AfterAh-Madeath, Mr Li triestotake
care of the altar andcontinue the
traditionof ancestral worship.
The hospital room Mr Li visitshisdyingmotherandtries
to ask herabout hischildhoodinTanjog
Rhu
Setting
4. Yinglooksafterher grandmother
Mr Li scolds Yingfor threatingAh-Ma
withdisrespect
TanjongRhu Mr Li’sfatherworkedinthe shipyard
buildingfishingboats
Ah-Wahplayedonthe beach,wentfor
walkswithmotheranddug forcrabs
Social setting
Modernday Singapore
Successand keepingup appearance are important.
People have little timeandpatience forone another
People distance themselvesfromoldtradition –theyadoptforeignnames,have ataste for
fine importedfare suchasforeignfruitcake
Modernand traditional lifestylesandvaluesclash
Early 20th
centurySingapore
Life washard
People enjoyedsimple pleasures
People hadtime forfamily
The conflictbetweentraditionalandmodernvaluesandbeliefs
Importance of adheringtocustomsand cultural traditions
The importance of rememberingone’sroot
Change isinevitable
Theme
5. We mustnot forgetourroot
Familyismore importantthanwealthandsuccess
We mustalwaysbe dutiful sonsanddaughters
We mustlearn,understandandcontinue ourculture andcustoms
We mustrespectthe elders
Moral values
6. •Mr Li is a
successful
businessman
who has
conducted his
mother's
funeral to the
best of his
ability.
Exposition
•He has a
distinct
feeling that
he has
forgotten
something
important.
The
binoculars
evoke many
memories.
Rising action
•looking at the
horizon
philosopjically,
Mr Li realises
what he has
forgotten.
Climax
•Mr Li places
his late
mother's
photograph
on the
ancestral
altar
Falling action
•Mr Li talks
to his
mother at
the altar. He
continues
the tradition
of ancestral
worship and
his mother's
habit of
talking to
ancestors
who have
passed
away.
Resolution
Plot
7. Mr T.W. Li isa wealthybusinessmanwholives in Singapore. The day after his mother’s burial, Mr Li
is in his modern office, feeling tired and worried. As he looks out of the window through a pair of
binocularstocount the ships in the harbour, he recall some recent events. The first is his mother’s
visit to his office. Ah ma wants to visit his office and use the binoculars to see Tanjong Rhu where
they used to live a long time ago. On the day of the visit, Mr Li’s daughter is impatient with Ah Ma
for takinghertime overa ritual at the familyaltar. Mr Li dutifully scolds his daughter for being rude
to her grandmother. At the office, Ah Ma cannot see the harbour properly. However, she
remembersthe happydaysatTnjongRhu whenherson wasa child.Mr Li thenrecallsvisiting Ah Ma
inthe hospital andhowhe scolded Ying whom he thought was not threating her grandmother with
properrespect.Mr Li realisesthathe oughtto take care of the altar now that his mother is gone. He
hurries home to the altar room to perform his duty as a filial son.
Synopsis