Summary of the Short Story Entitle

7/30/2019 Summary of the Short Story Entitle

1/6

Summary of the Short Story Entitle -SHAME-

The story is about Baba Nyonya families live in strong culture beliefs. Mei Sim has

been scolded by her mother as she sat with her legs opened which is an

inappropriate practice in her culture. The story continued, with Mei Sim and her

mother visited Mei Sims grand-aunty. Here, the narrator introduced Siew Eng, adaughter of Mei Sims grand-aunty. Siew Eng was being abused, tortured and

discriminated by her own mother as her mother believed with the fortune tellers

words. The fortune teller had told grand-aunty that the girl would eat her blood.

Later, Uncle Muti and his son came to visit grand-aunty. Mei Sim went outside the

house and tried to befriend the boy. An incident happened where Mei Sim offered

the boy to touch her dress as the boy never saw such a nice dress before. Soon, Mei

Sims mother found out about the incident. Her mother was very shocked and angry

as the act where a boy touch a girl is very much prohibited in their culture. A hugeshame filled Mei Sim. When she was about to burst into noisy weeping, Mei Sim

screamed, stretching her body straight as an arrow, confronting her lie that the boy

did it, he pulled at her dress.

The Significance of The Title -SHAME-

The word shame had been highlighted in this story. At the first part of the story, we

had been exposed with the incident where Mei Sims mother scolded her for

inappropriate and impolite acts where Mei Sim opened her leg wide. Later, we can

find it at the last part of the story where Mei Sim felt ashamed of herself for beingdisrespectful.

Throughout the whole story, the word shame has appeared numerous times. Eg:

pg 32, paragraph 6. We women must accept our fate. If we want to have some

fun also, stomach will explode. Where can we hide our SHAME?....

Shame is determine as a dignity and image of the person. In this culture, once the

person did something which could scratched her/his image, he/she will be isolated

from the society.

Literary Criticism

Literary criticism is used to bring about facts from texts, which enable a reader to

analyze and criticize the meaning of the text. Throughout the past century, literary

criticism has evolved in a number of ways. This happens because of the constant


2/6

change in society, therefore meaning whatever happens politically or in our society,

literary criticism evolves to fit within world and its current events.

Social Criticism

-culture-beliefs

-traditions

Social Criticism

The criticism provokes us to think why and how we are responding in a certain

way.

It is related to the traditions, beliefs, the way one thinks, the norms which in

relation with the arts in Baba and Nyonya culture.

Cultural Aspect

Baba Nyonya society (peranakan) must behave according to their societys

expectations.

In Peranakans culture, girls are not allowed to sit with their legs open as it is not

polite.

Eg: Mei Sims mother said Were going to visit Tua Ee. And dont sit with your legs

open there. She think I bring you up with no shame. Pg 25.

Mei Sims mother scolded her Ta malu!

you no shame! Close your legs.

Even at the end of this story, Mei Sim stuck with an accident where her mother

caught her with

a little boy who was trying to touch her dress and that she felt a huge shame filledher.

In this story, we can see how much concern Baba and Nyonya society towards their

manner.

In Malaysia, Baba and Nyonya culture was well known in their way to nurture their

society


3/6

(protect and preserve)

Traditions Aspect

Malay influence is very strong in their clothing and food, but they have also

retained their

Chinese heritage, especially their religion, name and ethnic identity.

Girls must wear skirt. (ancient chinese culture & malay Culture)

As we can see, throughout the whole story, all the female characters are wearing

skirt.

Pg 26. Skirt, kebaya.

This piece of literature also has portrayed a sense of Chinese culture in it as Baba

Nyonya is a

mixture of Chinese culture and local Malay culture.

Eg: samfoo (pg25) , beaded purse(pg28).

The characters are having Chinese-styled names. (Mei Sim, Siew Eng, Jeng Chung)

Mei Sims mother visited her aunty at least once a week with gifts of fruit,pulot, and

ang-pows

and consulted her on every matter in the Chung familys life.

This shows that, the Malay culture such as visiting among relatives are stillpracticed at that

time.

During the ancient time, they retained some practices of Chinese cultures but at

the same time

adapted local Malay traditions in order to minimize the culture shock.

Cultural Taboo

Most Peranakans are Hokkien ancestry. They speak Baba Malay (creole dialect)which contains many Hokkien words.

Mei Sim could only hear the trishaw man mumbles like, heyyau soo.chei.

Pg 27.

Noted that yao soo..carries the meaning that wanna die ah!!! (negative

meaning)


4/6

Mei Sims mother said that the trishaw man was angry at puppy dog, bringing him

bad luck.

Commonly, Baba and Nyonya societies are still believe in the fortune teller and

about the luck.

Superstitious

Eg: Pg 31, third last paragraph.

Mother said Siew Eng was cursed. The fortune teller had told her that the girl

would eat her

blood, so she wouldnt nurse or hold the baby, had sent her to a foster mother, and

had taken her

back at seven to send her off to the kitchen where she slept on a camp bed.

Mei Sims grand aunty is superstitious. She treated her daughter badly and

violently because of

the fortune teller.

Eg: You must stay for lunch, I have already told that prostitute daughter of mine

to boil the

rice.

pg 29. Grand-aunty had four sons, of whom she loved only the youngest, and a

daughter who

she treated as a bought slave

Pg 31. She shouted and slapped her daughter.

Pg 33, paragraph 5, line 4-8. Purple bruise bloomed on Siew Engs arm, just

because she walked

slow.

Her mother never assumes her as a family member in the house. Eg: pg 33,

paragraph 5, line 8,

my house.

Mei Sims grand-aunty physically abused Siew Eng.

Her mother did not provide appropriate care for her.


5/6

Eg: Pg 31, Siew Eng hung her head. Her samfoo was faded and worn at the

trouser bottoms,

the thin cotton print didnt hide her strange absence of breasts. She was already

sixteen, had

never been sent to school but had worked at home washing, cleaning and cooking

since she was

seven.

Besides, she also mentally abused Siew Eng by using harsh language, such as

Sundalpg 31

what do you say? What do you say, you prostitute? Pg33

Gender Criticism

Gender theory explores sexuality and difference in gender discussions, as they

relate to literary

theory.

Gender is the fact that they are male or female.

Gender literary criticism is the assessment, analysis, study and debate on gender.

Two main gender criticism : feminine (broadly) and masculinity.

Gender Stereotyping

There is a difference between men and women in the society at that time.

Eg. Page 32, paragraph 6We women must accept our fate. If we want to have

some fun also,

stomach will explode. Where can we hide our shame? But men, they think they are

datoks because

they can do things without being punished

Women are submissive, men are portrayed to be dominant at that time.

History of Chinese and Malay until now, male is always dominant over female.

Mei Sims grand-aunty prefers son than daughter.

This is related to the culture and their tradition. As in both Chinese and Malay

culture, they put


6/6

focus on male as they will become heir of their family. Female is not having

important position and

roles in family, their rights have been ignored.

Eg: pg29, paragraph 4. Grand-aunty had four sons, of whom she loved only the

youngest.

This shows that men are more preferable than women.

Man is dominant, woman is submissive.

-The End-

Analysis by Miko Lau (my classmate) & I

-sharing is caring-

Documents

Summary of the Short Story Entitle