CATHERINE LIMIdentifying themes and analyzing historical and social perspectives in

selected novel. Critically review the selected text using a

relevant critical theory

BIOGRAPHY

• Catherine Lim Poh Imm • Born on 21 March 1942, Penang, Malaysia

• She began as a teacher, then project director with the Ministry of Education and a specialist lecturer with the Regional Language Centre (RELC) before she took up full-time writing in 1992.

EARLY LIFE• Catherine Lim came from a large family of 14 children (4 boys and 10 girls)

• She was the eighth child among her siblings.

• Her mother, who married at the young age of 16, had her first child at 17 and her last child at 40.

• Lim grew up in Chinese (Hokkien) towns in Penang and Kedah, Malaysia.

• Her family was Taoist and believed in ancestor worship.

• However, Lim and her siblings were sent to English-stream schools.

• Lim herself was educated at an English convent where she imbued the English culture and learnt the language well.

• Her early school compositions were particularly Euro-centric, with English-named characters.

• Lim, who converted to Catholicism when she was 15, had grown up wanting to become a nun.

• However, with her divorce later on in life, she gradually became a free thinker, or a secular humanist, as she preferred to be called.

• Lim received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Malaya in 1963.

• A few years later, in 1967, she came to Singapore and has been living here ever since.

• In 1992, Lim resigned from her lecturing position to become a full-time professional writer.

QUOTES“I write because I enjoy it. I write about things that interest me- human behaviour, human relationships, the not-so-pleasant abilities people posses to deceive one another, seek revenge, inflict pain. And their capacity to bear it all as well".

"I draw my inspiration and material from life around me; from people I've known".

SUMMARYSetting:i. Time: 1980 to 1992ii. Place: Singaporeiii.Main characters: Li-ann and Jeremy

Li-ann young, bright, beautiful, a believer of true romance, had rejected all her many suitors, including K.S., waiting for her dream man.

• While running an errand for her mother on 29th February 1980 in Orchard Road, Li-ann catches sight of Jeremy for the first time and realises with a start that he was her dream man.

• He was sitting in Blue Paradise café, reading a book and drinking coffee.

• According to a western tradition, 29 Feb was the only day for females to approach the males with requests that they cannot turn down.

• She hid behind a pillar, and had a note passed to him, making a move allowed by the leap year tradition.

• Jeremy was totally enthralled, he wrote 'OK' on his palms using lipstick borrowed from waitress and flashed it out to the busy road, agreeing to meet at 8 o'clock, at the same café.

• Their first meeting was radiant with love's promise.

• Their happiness did not last long as Jeremy had to catch a flight to Vancouver for his marriage.

• He left with a promise to come back every 29th February.

• Over the years, Li-ann couldn't forget him, regardless how K.S. and her mother persuaded her to give up.

• 4 years later, Jeremy came back. He divorced his wife and concentrated all of his love on his son and Li-ann.

• He spent a lovely day with Li-ann at Rasa Sayang Hotel.

• The years went on, with Jeremy only meeting Li-ann once in 4 years.

• In 1992, the lovers agreed to meet at Rasa Sayang Hotel. On that faithful day, the radio reported the collapse of Rasa Sayang Hotel. Li-ann was horrified.

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

• Li-ann, the protagonist in Leap of love was born on February 29, also known as a leap year.

• 29th February in leap years is a significant day for women to propose a man.

• In the novel, Li-ann decided to approach Jeremy, whom she fall in love at first sight.

• She wanted to talk to him, to watch him closely, and if she could, make him hers, but she didn't know how.

• It was then that she recalled a leap year custom practiced in Ireland, where men cannot refuse a proposal or date from a woman should she do so on February 29.

• She wrote the man a note to ask him out, and got a child to pass it to him. 

• When the man, whom she later knew by the name Jeremy, saw the note, he returned a positive reply to Li-Ann.

LEAP YEARS TRADITION

• According to an old Irish legend, or possibly history, St Bridget struck a deal with St Patrick to allow women to propose to men – and not just the other way around – every 4 years.

• This is believed to have been introduced to balance the traditional roles of men and women in a similar way to how Leap Day balances the calendar.

• In some places, Leap Day has been known as “Bachelors’ Day” for the same reason.

• A man was expected to pay a penalty, such as a gown or money, if he refused a marriage proposal from a woman on Leap Day.

• In many European countries, especially in the upper classes of society, tradition dictates that any man who refuses a woman's proposal on February 29 has to buy her 12 pairs of gloves.

• The intention is that the woman can wear the gloves to hide the embarrassment of not having an engagement ring. During the middle ages there were laws governing this tradition.

SOCIAL PERSPECTIVE

1)The difference between Asian and Western perspective on men and women relationship.

The evidences :

Aspect Asian perspectives Western perspectives

Divorcee Not commonEvidence :Li-ann’s mother and friends were strongly against the relationship because it would not last and nothing would come out with a man with divorced case.

CommonEvidence :Jeremy divorced his wife and concentrated all of his love on his son and Li-ann.

2) The acceptation of proposal day, 29th February, in Asian community.

The evidence :Li-ann, who is a Singaporean practiced Irish historical legend which is allowed woman to propose a man on the 29th February every leap year. It shows that, such day is accepted in the community at that time.

THANK YOUPREPARED BY :

NUR ATIQAH BT ABD HAMIDHAW HWE NEEKHOO CHIA MIN