Adopting Southeast Asian Literature into the Writing Classroom

1. Adopting Southeast Asian Literature into the Writing Classroom (disclaimer: I hate Powerpoint presentations but felt like a syllabus would be too boring to stare at for 8 minutes. Please humor me.)

2. Course Description English 102 increases the writing and thinking skills developed in English 101; applies critical thinking and writing skills to a variety of academic assignments, including analyzing complex texts, conducting library and Internet research, developing a research paper, documenting research, and working collaboratively with peers.

3. Objectives of English 102 • analyze a variety of complex texts, including a significant number of works by women and people of color; • identify, analyze, and evaluate point of view in complex texts; • demonstrate an awareness of how historical context and an author’s gender, class, culture, and/or race may shape an individual work • evaluate and synthesize a variety of source materials in a research essay How can Southeast Asian literature fulfill these objectives?

4. Complex texts • The ability to extrapolate multiple meanings out of a text • The provision of multiple genres • Multiplicity of viewpoints and paradigms

5. Historical Context; Gender, Class, Culture, and/or Race • Diversity of SE Asia provides multiple frameworks for critically analyzing texts • Formalist Criticism: style, structure, tone, imagery, etc. • Biographical Criticism: understanding an author’s life can help readers more thoroughly comprehend the work. • Historical/Socialogical Criticism: investigating the social, cultural, economic, political and intellectual context • Gender Criticism: sexual identity • Psychological Criticism: analysis through modern psychology • Mythological Criticism: recurrent universal patterns underlying literature • Reader-Response Criticism: interprets literature through individual meaning • Deconstructionist Criticism: literature possesses no fixed, single meaning

6. Framework/Organization • Structure/Element • Character; Point of View • Settting • Language; Symbolism; Imagery; etc. • Themes • The Individual and His Identities • Role of Men and Women • Family and Religion; etc.

7. Objectives of English 102 • analyze a variety of complex texts, including a significant number of works by women and people of color; • identify, analyze, and evaluate point of view in complex texts; • demonstrate an awareness of how historical context and an author’s gender, class, culture, and/or race may shape an individual work • evaluate and synthesize a variety of source materials in a research essay

8. Theme: “Modernization” vs Tradition • Complex texts • Nor Rahmat Sidin’s “Exuberant Heart” • Linchong Chorrojprasert’s “The Abandoned Fields” • Theerasrt Phaireephinas’ “In the World of Mixed Cultures” • Heng Siok Tian’s “Chopsticks” Brunei Thailand Thailand Singapore

9. “Exuberant Heart” – Nor Rahmat Sidin (Brunei) I will clean the lakes let the dead grass let the ricefields turn green. I will burn the bushes and the trees let the brick wall rise let flats go up let millions of people inahbit themn let them live safely. I will demolish the old town so it will have a facelift, the grisly appearance gone let the rich explore it let the poor search for their loved ones let the dogs bark till morning and let cats quietly chase the rats. I will make this town grow Let it glow It is already gone though. • Translated by Emilita Cruz • Why is the town “already gone though?” • What was replaced? What does this say about urbanization in Brunei?

10. Heng Siok Tian’s “Chopsticks” A pair of chopsticks Squints at me. My pragmatics teach me Western convenience In fork and spoon. My parents frown at my Cultural unrespectability In crossing the chopsticks. There is an etiquette For handling chopsticks (handling lives). Suddenly how to handle chopsticks Involves moral dimension. • The speaker refers to the “Western convenience” of a fork and spoon compared to chopsticks. What do the chopsticks represent to the speaker? • Why does using chopsticks involve moral dimension then?

11. Theme: Role of Men and Women • Complex texts: • Ma Sandar’s “An Umbrella” • M S Sotheary’s “My Sister” • T Bosino’s “Her” • C Lim’s “Paper” • Burma • Cambodia • Indonesia • Singapore

12. An Umbrella – Ma Sandar (Burma) “A woman who has no husband to lean on is like a person walking in the rain without an umbrella. There is no one to shield her from the cold and wind… When the rain is really heavy you get wet no matter what kind of umbrella you are using, ama. At least this one makes you look dignified.” • What does this tell you about the role of men and women and the expectations of society on marriage?

13. “Her” – Titus Bosino (Indonesia) The evening of my husband’s second marriage I tried to reason with him. His voice sounded so strange that I could hardly recognize it. It was as though he were a child again. "So you married her?" "Yes, why not?" "Couldn’t you have stopped short of marriage? You already have one wife. I can deal with all your needs, can’t I?” Are you sure of that?" "Aren’t I enough to make you happy? I’ve already given you children, an organized household, home-cooked meals, immaculate clothes, a warm and ready welcome for you and all your friends. All you’ve ever wanted I’ve given you before you’ve had to ask twice. Think about it." "Of course, you’re right, but do I have to thank you for all these things? I don’t expect you to understand because you can’t look beyond the tremendous effort you’ve put into this marriage, which nevertheless has failed. I’m not satisfied with this life any longer. I’m tired of waiting for you to take an interest in something, like a club or anything outside of this family…You seem to forget that when I fell in love with you, you were an involved and interesting woman."  •  What do you make of this dialogue? Is it realistic? Or is too forced? • How would you describe the main character, Mrs. Hamid? Cite examples from the story to support your ideas. How would you describe Mr. Hamid, her husband? • What reasons does he give her for marrying his new wife? How does she react when she hears the news?

14. Summary • Literature is often a reflection of the cultures and peoples from which it is produced. • By explicating poetry and/or deconstructing literature, one is able to arrive at larger truths regarding the society. • Students in literature courses studying SE Asian literature will be challenged to go beyond texts and discover similarities between their cultures and others.

15. Cam on cac ban, nhieu! Em se nho anh chi em! (Thanks so much, friends! I will miss you!)