1) The document discusses social and cultural issues presented in the short story, including the Malay Muslim family's adherence to religious practices and prohibitions against unfaithfulness and intoxication. 2) It also examines the importance placed on social status and traditions like celebrating holidays and visiting graves, as well as cultural practices like greetings. 3) Favoriteism is discussed, as the main character Cik Bainun lavishes the youngest son with affection but neglects her daughter.

1. PREPARED BY:
NOR AZLAN B. JAFRIDIN
DAYANG KHAIRUNNISHA’ BTE ABG MUHAMMAD
ROSEMINAH BINTI HANAFI
PISMP 1.09, 2012

2. OTHER ISSUES IN THE SHORT
STORY
 SOCIAL
 CULTURE

3. SOCIAL (religious perspective)
1. Cik Bainun’s family was a Malay Muslim Family and they
adhered to their religion.
• “ Allah, don’t look at me like that – the silver that’s under my
bed. It’s got to be used some time. If we don’t use it for the New
Year’s Day lunch, we’ll never use it. Its written in the Koran that
it’s very bad to have Silver and gold which you never use –
haram you know?” (page 49)
• “O ye who believe! there are indeed many among the priests
and anchorites, who in Falsehood devour the substance of men
and hinder (them) from the way of Allah. And there are those
who bury gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah.
announce unto them a most grievous penalty-”
(At-Taubah 9:34)

4. 2. Social problems (Unfaithfulness towards
husband/wife)
• “ she (Mahani) like to relive her little encounter with
Din:if only because it blotted out the awfulness of the
present.” (page 56)
• Kam keeping mistresses (Kam withJamilah Jamboo/
Azizah Solid)
• Shahrir (the English lecturer)

5. 3. Social status
• Zul, born with the royal blood held highly to his social
status, the royalty. It was important for him that his
children, marry the person that suits their status.
• “..my daughter has learnt how to cook and mix with
the lower orders: it was no surprise to me that she
married Shahrir- who else would have her?”
• This implies that Zul was not happy with her daughter
debasing herself.
• That could be the reason as to why Meriam was totally
ignored by the family.

6. Culture
1. Cik Bainun preserved their culture.
• “ for nearly forty years now, Raja Zulkarnain’s family
and friends had gathered at the residence off the tree
lined Jln Kia Peng, in order to herald in the New Year
with a large lunch-party.”
(PAGE 51)
• “tradition, adat and custom were the very oxygen of
their lives and the grown-up children.”
(PAGE 52)

7. • “ …when her eldest daughter Mahani had suggested
that the new year’s day lunch be cancelled she began
so scathing in her reply that the matter had never been
raised again”.
(PAGE 53)

8. 2. Kam was drunk and it was totally against Malay culture, and
against the religion.
• “ she remembered the time a troop of long-eared Sarawakian
politicians had decended on the house carrying jars of
fermented rice wine. They had passed the jars around for
everyone to try and Kam had drunk so much that he had been
violently sick all over Latifah’s toilet”.
(PAGE 54)
 Abu Musa reported, he said: "The Prophet has sent into the
land of Yemen, together with Mua'dz bin Jabal. I asked
him," O Messenger of Allah! In the state(Places we work)
there are two kinds of drinks called
"mizr" made ​from wheatand "bit'i" made ​from honey. How
is that? "Answer the Prophet," Every intoxicant
prohibited.”(Abu Musa r.a.)

9. 3. Kam was married to a Chinese girl; a devoted eater of
pork.
• It broke his mother’s heart because she was a Chinese
girl, while the mother was very devoted to their Malay
and royal culture. Most important thing of all, she was
a “kaffir”, as Cik Bainun mumbled in her dreams.
• “he had married Chew Mei Mei, a Chinese
girl, breaking his mother’ heart in the process”
(PAGAE 57)

10. 4. Visiting the grave and sprinkling the “precious water”
are Malay’s culture. (religious perspective)
• “…she made twice weekly visits to her husband’s grave
at the Royal Burial Grounds in Klang, sprinkling the
precious water over the grave..”
5. Greetings and hand shaking (Malay culture)
• “Sabrina rushed ahead and salaamed each of her aunts
and uncles.” (page 61)

11. 6. Favoring the last child of the family/the only boy.
• Kam was spoiled by his mother because he was the
youngest and only boy in the family.
• “ finally, there was the apple of Cik Bainun’s eye, her
Kam…”
• “Like all only sons, he was horribly spoiled….”
(PAGE 57)

12. Is this normal?
 Raja Zulkarnain favored his eldest daughter (Mahani).
 Cik Bainun lavished Kam with all her love.
 Meriam was neglectd entirely.
(PAGE 58)

13. References
 TSL 3102 LITERATURE IN ENGLISH (SHORT STORIES
AND PLAY)
 http://www.surah.my
 http://books.google.com.my/books?hl=en&lr=&id=aIiH-
InvP0UC&oi=fnd&pg=PA407&dq=cultural+theory+in+liter
ature&ots=kC1ojD1uy1&sig=OrUMAfxlte2JCluzaVcADtOh
Mw8#v=onepage&q=cultural%20theory%20in%20literatur
e&f=false
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminist_theory
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_theory
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_theory
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_theory
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_studies