This is the post for literature. Literature examination is tomorrow, so hopefully, you have enough time to study. So anyway, literature is all about PEEE. With it, you can surely pass.
Not going to the washroom to PEE, but the PEEE.

P: Point - Your main topic sentence
E: Evidence - Your proof from the poem / play
E: Explain - Explain what the proof has proven
E: Elaborate - Elaborate with more specific details

So that is the PEEE!


Other than the PEEE, you also need to know the various poetic devices. These poetic devices are common in poems and you must remember them. Here are the poetic devices:

- Simile
Comparing 2 objects /subjects together using 'as' or 'like'
Examples: As hot as the sun, she ran like a gazelle

- Metaphor
Direct comparison in which one object is described as being something else
Examples: She is a pig, the pavement was a ribbon of moonlight

- Personification
Giving a non-living thing human characteristics
Examples: The storm attacked me, the plant creeped along the gates

- Alliteration
Repeating the cosonant sounds af the beginning of words
Example: Ages and ages.

- Hyperbole
A gross exageration.
Example: The boy was as fast as a jet.

- Repetition
Repeating the same words in a same poem, can be in different stanzas
Example: 'Two roads diverged in a wood" appeared in both stanza 1 and 4.

- Symbolism
A word or object that stands for another word or object. A symbol of another object, usually with similar characteristics.
Example: The road symbolises the path in life.

So these are the few poetic devices that will most probably be tested, especially simile, metaphor, alliteration and personification. Now, here is the information that we learnt in kopitiam, the seen play that will be tested.


CONFLICT
The struggle between the opposing forces on which the action in a work of literature depends.
4 types of main conflict: Man VS Man, Man VS Environment, Man VS Society & Man VS Himself

Conflict in the play:
#01 Man VS Man: Grandpa versus Jiacai (Have different values)
#02 Man VS Society: Grandpa's old values versus the modern values

Why does the conflict between Grandpa and Jiacai occur?
Generation gap - Growing up in different eras
Grandpa refuses to change his thinking, while Jiacai is changing with modernisation.

What is each character's motivation for his beliefs?
Jiacai: Must change to survive
Grandpa: Has gone through hardship and survived, so does not agree with Jiacai's thought.


Flashback - Questions to ponder
#01 Which is the main plot: Present or the flashback? Why do you think that?
- The present.
- The flashack is just a series of stories from unnamed characters
- The present is where the main characters are and where the main conflict is

#02 Why does the author, Kuo Pao, insert a flashback in the midst of Grandpa and Jiacai's conversation? What purpose does the flashback serve?
- To elicit pity for Grandpa
- To make grandpa's story more credible / realistic
- To relate grandpa's hardship -> reinforces the contrast between Jiacai and grandpa
- To show that Grandpa's not the only one who feels this way

#03 Why does the author choose to have the customers remain nameless? What purpose does the lack of name serve?
- So the stories can be applied to anyone, far-reading impacts, can be universal
- To focus on a specific character


Contrast between Grandpa and Jiacai!
How different are Grandpa and Jiacai in terms of their perceptions or attitudes towards..

Games ~
Grandpa : Kids back then played with balls, marbles and kites. Were contented with simple games.
Evidence: "When I was young, you bought me rubber balls to play, or goli, or layang." (Jiacai, line 16)

Jiacai: Kids nowadays play video games. More demanding in their choice of entertainment.
Evidence: "But kids how start playing video games before they even get to primary school." (Jiacai, line 18)

Storytelling ~
Grandpa: Prefers to get his stories from the word of mouth. Appreciates the engagement of human interaction.
Evidence: " He loved telling stories, all the time teaching me the Confucian virtues." (Grandpa, line 6)

Jiacai: Gets the stories from Tv, film and radio. More technologically advanced, IT savvy.
Evidence: " And of course when you've got TV, film and radio you don't have any need for storytelling..." (Jiacai, line 21)

Food ~
Grandpa: Wants to retain the essence of his food to make sure it is unique, special and authentic. Process is more important to him. He is patient.
Evidence: " We bake our own kopi beans, we grind our own powder, we make every cup special and they all taste special" (Grandpa, line 31)

Jiacai: People now don't care about the essence of food. Modern people look for expediency, efficiency and speed. He does not care about the process and is impatient.
Evidence: " People today all want to go to a cafe or fastfood centre. They don't want to go to a kopitiam anymore" (Jiacai, line 25)

Business Philosophy ~ how they run their business
Grandpa: Kopitiam allowed him to save cent-by-cent and send Jiacai abroad. Allowed him to be frugal, does not take big risks to save up. Refuses to change.
Evidence: " From 1936 ... Almost 50 years now ... we saved from every cup, every cent, we have saved everything we have now! " (Grandpa, line 43)

Jiacai: Grandpa's kopitiam needs to change into a coffee house because that is what people want nowadays. Expansion - letting the money grow by creating more business opportunities. Wants to change according to modern times.
Evidence: " Baba's good friend, Uncle Di Ge - now, that man's got a good head. He saw what was coming and decided to change as soon as he realised the need to change." (Jiacai, line 56)

Home ~
Grandpa: We must all remain loyal to our motherland.
Evidence: "

Jiacai: If you suffer hardships at home, is it not right to move?
Evidence: " Yes, and she would rather fall sick, and eventually died there! Right? But is it worth it?" (Jiacai, line 88)




So these are the important points that you need to know for the examination, and remember the poetic devices and PEEE!

If you have any queries or questions, feel free to tag at the tagboard or email me at merlion0512@hotmail.com
Thankyou!
And credits to Caroline who helped me with these notes!

Weishi!

Labels: Literature