1) The story is about the relationship between Mr. T.W. Li, a wealthy businessman, and his traditional mother Ah Ma. 2) Ah Ma struggles to understand Mr. Li's modern lifestyle and wants him to remember his childhood in Tanjong Rhu. 3) The story ends as Mr. Li tries to find a key for Ah Ma's drawer before she passes away, and in doing so rediscovers his memories of Tanjong Rhu.

1. Synopsis
Tanjong Rhu is a story about the relationship between Mr.T.W. Li , is a rich businessman
in the shipping business and his mother, Ah Ma. Mr.Li's office is Shenton Way is a modern as he
is. His mother however, is a traditional with strong religion beliefs and practices ancestor
worship. Ah Ma and Mr. Li have a close relationship. The day after Ah Ma's funeral, Mr. Li
recalls the day he brought his mother a pair of binocular.
Mr. Li's excitement was dashed when his mother didn't use it the way he wants to. Mr. Li
wants her to have a better vision, but Ah Ma can only see Tanjong Rhu of the past through the
binocular. Indirectly, Ah Ma is trying to make Mr.Li remember who he was before he became a
serius businessman. Mr.Li cannot remember all the details of his childhood and when he tried to
ask Ah Ma, she had already became too sick to talk to him.
The story ends with Mr.Li trying to fulfill Ah Ma's wish of getting the key to the drawer that
keep her important things for the altar. In the process of looking for the key, Mr.Li suddenly
could see Tanjong Rhu.
Setting
Place
 Tanjong Rhu, Singapore (pg 18)
 Mr T.W. Li office (pg 18) (pg 27-29) (pg 33)
 Singapore harbor (para 3, line 2, pg 19)
 Mr T. W. Li house
 The swimming pool in the garden (para 6, line 1, pg 20)
 The family altar (para 2, line 2, pg 25)(pg 35-6)
 Hospital (pg 30 – 33)
Time
 Modern days (pg 18, “modern ways and modern ideas)
 Afternoon
 Morning
Community
 Traditional Chinese family

2. Characters and Characteristics
 Mr T. W. Li
 Mr T. W. Li’s mother or “Ah-Ma”
 Mr T. W. Li’s daughter, Ying
Mr T. W. Li
 Kind-hearted (pg 19, para 4,” He looked….operation”)
 Responsible man
o Always make sure there are people working at the harbor (pg 19, “There were
68…and time”)
o Take cares of his mother (page 22, “What about….clearly?”)
 Strict
o He was upset to see his daughter shows no respect to his mother (pg 26, “Mr Li
frowned…rice.”)
o He was mad to see his daughter playing with his mother’s eyelids (pg 32, “ He
looked up at Ying….dying”)
Mr T. W. Li’s mother or “Ah-Ma”
o Stubborn
o She doesn’t want to undergo eye operation although it will bring good to her
in the future (pg 22,” Who says I cannot….knife!”
o Soft-hearted for his son
o Although his son seems to be upset with her, she try to fix what she had done
(pg 23 -25 , “ But Mother, that…stepped inside”
o Strict about the traditional tradition
o She argues with her granddaughter over some joss sticks for praying (pg 25-
26, “ Minutes later…..wants!”

3. Mr T. W. Li’s daughter, Ying
o Responsible
o She loved helping her grandmother (pg 25, “Ying especially loved….altar.”)
o Impatient
o She always wanted things to go fast, she does not like slow things (pg 25, “ Let
me do it, Popo,….won’t hurry, Baba.”)
o Cheerful
o Although her grandmother was sick bed, she moved behind her grandmother and
pulled her grandmother’s eyelids up, to cheer things up (pg 31-32, “She moved
behind…..Ask her something.”)