literature discussion 3

Q1. Do the respective authors use these traditional Chinese rituals (eating paper dissolved in drink, burning of paper money and houses, lighting joss-sticks and praying to dead ancestors) just for irony or of profound purposes? What are these purposes?

I think the respective authors use these traditional Chinese rituals for profound purposes. The authors in both stories are trying to tell and show other people that these are Chinese traditions. The Chinese believe that by eating paper dissolved in drink protection and improve on their health. Even after their ancestors passwd away, they will burn paper money so that the dead will have money to bribe the guard of hell so that they will not suffer there and burn paper house so that the decease will have a house to stay in the other world.

Q2. Would you yourself , as a modern young Singaporean, see the relevance of such cultural rituals in your society as necessary still are hindrance to the progress and enlightened?

Being a modern young Singaporean, I think such cultural rituals are still necessary because the to every such race or religion, such rituals are very imporatant as we need to pass down to the future generation so that the cultural rituals will not vanished just like that. The older generation will always tell the younger generation not to forget the cultural rituals.

Q3. Do you think the elderly in Singapore are out of touch with the contemporary world? How far is it a virtue to remain contented like old Mrs Li and think that there is nothing more a person especially an elderly one.

I think the elderly in Singapore are out touch with the contemporary world because they do keep in touch with the technology. But not all of the elderly are totally out of the contemporary world as nowadays, some of the elderly are also using mobile phone and other things if they are willing to learn how to use it. Mrs li thinks that she can just forget about the contemporary world and just stay with the past.

Q4. Is looking back at the past necessarily a good thing? This particular story uses the past to affirm strong ties, emotion and sentiment, but when can it become a negative habits?

Looking back is not a bad or a good thing to do. People learn from the past so that in the future they will not make the same mistake. Looking back also sometime give people to remember back happiness moment of their live. In the story Tanjong Rhu, Mrs Li really remember the past clearly. She dooes not want to let go of the past because she believe that her son forget had forgotten his past. It can become a negative habits when a person live with his/her past and does not want to move on. It will den become a negative habits.