TANJONG RHU BY MINFONG HO FROM MISS NATRA

LITERATURE FORM 4: ‘TANJONG RHU’ SHORT STORY BY MINFONG HO RETOLD BY CLARE WEST

TANJONG RHU BY MINFONG HO

A) SYNOPSIS Page1

In Tanjong Rhu, we are able to see and understand values, religious beliefs, norms and
family practices of the Chinese.

Mr. Li is a successful businessman in the shipping sector. His mother has recently
passed away. He feels restless and uneasy as he looks out of his office window down
at the harbour. He uses a pair of binoculars to look at the ships and counts them. He
has always made a habit of this. The habit soothes him now.

The pair of binoculars reminds him of his mother. He had bought them for her
because her sight was failing. He recalls the events that occurred before she died.

When had given them to her, his mother had told him that she had everything
she needed. However, she had been excited to think that she could see her husband’s
old shipyard with the binoculars. Mr. Li has reminded her that it had been torn down
years ago.

He invites her to his office so that she can see Tanjong Rhu from there. The next
morning, Mr. Li’s mother tells him that if something is to be done, it must be done right
and carefully she follows the rituals at the altar. Her granddaughter offers to take over
so that Mr. Li’s mother can leave but the old woman refuses. The granddaughter does
not take the rituals seriously. She is simply humouring her grandmother. Mr. Li tells his
daughter to be respectful of his mother.

At the office, Mr. Li’s mother cannot see the ships with the binoculars but
remembers the time when she walked with a little boy who counted the ships. Mr. Li tries
to communicate with her but it is too late. She is very ill. He wonders about those times
and is sad that he never took time to listen to her.

After his mother’s death, Mr. Li tries to follow the same rituals at the altar as his
mother did. He tries to light some joss sticks, he cannot find them. He tries to open the
drawer where his late mother usually kept them but it is locked. He does not have the
key. He regrets not spending more time with his mother when she was alive.

A GIFT FOR MY BELOVED STUDENTS MISS NATRA @SMKPJI 2019

LITERATURE FORM 4: ‘TANJONG RHU’ SHORT STORY BY MINFONG HO RETOLD BY CLARE WEST

B) CHARACTERS
MAIN CHARACTERS

Successful Mr. T. W. Li
businessman
Rich He holds a high reputation in the shipping sector in
Singapore.
Married He lives in a big house (has to search may rooms to
Likes numbers and has find his mother), he is driven around in an expensive
a habit of counting car (…driver had only just stopped the Mercedes
things Benz…)
Tried to hide his poor He has a son and a daughter
background He counts the ships in the harbour, the numbers of
Embraced modern floors, his age.
ways & ideas
‘hoped this made him look like a man who inherited his
money- not earned it.’
He speaks English all the time and only speaks
Cantonese with his mother.

Ah Ma (Mr. Li’s mother)

Petite She has a small & thin figure
An old lady Has grey hair & her back is bent
A widow Her husband passed away at 53 years of age.
Old-fashioned & does She insisted on using real candles for the altar & only
not accept changes agreed to use electric candles after she almost set fire
easily to the altar.
Traditional She practices the Chinese tradition of ancestor
worship.
Stubborn She refuses to have an operation to remove her
cataracts. She won’t hurry through the rituals before
she leaves to visit her son’s office. Page2

A GIFT FOR MY BELOVED STUDENTS MISS NATRA @SMKPJI 2019

LITERATURE FORM 4: ‘TANJONG RHU’ SHORT STORY BY MINFONG HO RETOLD BY CLARE WEST

MINOR CHARACTERS

Ying (Mr. Li’s daughter)

Young Old enough to go to New York to study
Fond of her grandmother She looks after her when her grandmother is in
hospital; worried about she might be dying.
Tend to treat her She playfully opens her grandmothers eyes as she
grandmother like a child lays on the hospital bed.
Does not think of the She does not think it matters how many times she
importance of tradition of bows in front of the altar, wants to leave when her
worshipping ancestor grandmother starts talking to her late grandfather.

Helen (Mrs. Li/ Mr. Li’s wife)

A modern lady She has English tea with friends
Tries to impress her friends Mentioning her children’s overseas
education to her friends

C) SETTING
Place Mr. Li’s office at Shenton Way near Singapore Harbour, Mr. Li’s house and

a hospital in Singapore.
Time In recent past and could apply to the present times too.
Society Mr. Li’s house and their lifestyle reflects their wealth and position in the

society.

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A GIFT FOR MY BELOVED STUDENTS MISS NATRA @SMKPJI 2019

LITERATURE FORM 4: ‘TANJONG RHU’ SHORT STORY BY MINFONG HO RETOLD BY CLARE WEST

D) PLOT

CLIMAX

Next morning, Ah Ma prayed in the altar room. She talked to her dead husband to inform
him of her going to their son’s office. Ying offered to do the praying for her using the joss
stick but she refuses. Mr. Li ticked off Ying for criticising her grandmother for wanting to
do things her way. While waiting for Ah Ma, Mr. Li looked at his father’s photograph and
reminisced their memories together. In his office, Mr. Li pointed out the harbour & the
ships to Ah Ma but she could not see anything. Instead, she talked about seeing their old
hut, walks & crabbing on the beach. Mr. Li felt nostalgic & wanted very much to go back

to his childhood. He tried to recall but had very blurred memories.

CONFLICT FALLING ACTION/ POST CLIMAX

He recalled that he bought the binoculars for Ah He recalled that he tried to ask Ah Ma again
Ma & was eager to give it to her. He wanted his but by then, she had become very sick &
mother to use it because she refuses to undergo an
operation for her cataract. His wife was having a bedridden in the hospital. Ying helped to look
tea with her friends in a room. Ah Ma was in the after her as she cannot move & talk much.
garden feeding the chickens. Speaking to her in
Cantonese, he mentioned about the binoculars as Knowing that Mr. Li wanted to talk to Ah Ma,
see-far glasses. Ah Ma was irritated to be reminded Ying lifted her grandmother’s eyelids & told
of her eyes operation. She later uses it to see her father to say something. Mr. Li scolded
Tanjong Rhu from Li’s office where her husband’s Ying for being disrespectful. Ah Ma moved
shipyard used to be. restlessly & managed to say something about
the key to the altar being hidden before she

drew her last breath.

INTRODUCTION/ EXPOSITION RESOLUTION/ DENOUEMENT Page4

Mr. Li, a rich businessman stood at his office Now back in his office, the day was becoming dark
window high above in Shenton Way. & suddenly thought of the altar & what he
Concerned about he could not lay his fingers
on. His mother (Ah Ma) funeral was just a day promised Ah Ma at her deathbed. This was what
before & everything had been done correctly. had been troubling him the whole day, something
He uses his binoculars to count the ships in the he had left undone. He rushed home to pay respect
harbour. The binoculars remind him of his for Ah Ma but he could not open the drawer. He
mother. cried& told Ah Ma he saw Tanjong Rhu that day &

decided to leave well alone.

A GIFT FOR MY BELOVED STUDENTS MISS NATRA @SMKPJI 2019

LITERATURE FORM 4: ‘TANJONG RHU’ SHORT STORY BY MINFONG HO RETOLD BY CLARE WEST

E) THEMES

Tradition & rituals matters in life. Being modern does not
mean that old customs & practices should be cast aside.

Fillial love is an important quality to uphold. Showing
love, care & bridge gaps in family relationships.
Materials things do not really count. Feeling content &
appreciative make one feels happy.

F) MORAL VALUES

Traditions
should be
maintained

Kindness &
consideration

matter

People should be
respectful of their

elders

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A GIFT FOR MY BELOVED STUDENTS MISS NATRA @SMKPJI 2019

LITERATURE FORM 4: ‘TANJONG RHU’ SHORT STORY BY MINFONG HO RETOLD BY CLARE WEST

G) TONE & MOOD

The tone is reserved and sombre. Love and warmth are subtly woven into the story
& there is gentle sensitivity that seeps through.
In addition, mood is nostalgic as the story is in flashbacks and death is involved. The
subject of death is dealt with a delicate manner. One comes away with a sense of
loss but with hope for a better future.

H) LANGUAGE & STYLE

Imagery -The wind catching their sails (pg. 30)
-Feel of the sand between his toes (pg. 30)
(using words to create -Coldness of seaweed around his ankles (pg. 30)
vivid images to -Thin silver line…night and day, sea and sky.… (pg. 33)
readers) -Altar is the line between life and death (pg. 35)

Similes -She, fixed at their centre like a tree…. countless fruits had
grown (pg. 22)
(comparison of things -Eyes…as blank as office window (pg. 28)
using the word ‘as’ & -Her face…. like a fruit left to dry… (pg. 30)
‘like’) -Fingers looked like colourless stones (pg. 31-32)

Flashback -Li’s mother looks back on the old days and remembers
Tanjong Rhu with much fondness (pg. 23-28)
(bringing readers to -Li himself remembers the things that happened in Tanjong
reminisce something Rhu and wishes to go back in time (pg. 30)
that happened in the
past)

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A GIFT FOR MY BELOVED STUDENTS MISS NATRA @SMKPJI 2019

LITERATURE FORM 4: ‘TANJONG RHU’ SHORT STORY BY MINFONG HO RETOLD BY CLARE WEST

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT:
PRACTICE A: READ THE DIALOGUE & WRITE THE NAME OF THE CHARACTER.

1. ‘See-far glasses? What do I want to look faraway things
for?’

2. ‘I’ll take you up there- you’ve never been to my office- and
we’ll look through the see-far glasses at Tanjong Rhu.’

3. ‘It doesn’t matter. My father’s waiting for you. You’ll make
him late for work.’

4. ‘A little thin boy, in a dirty shirt, with no shoes. Walking
alone on the beach. Throwing stones in the sea. Counting
the fishing boats near the shipyard.’

5. ‘Look through them. Can’t you see? The whole view of the
harbour?’

6. ‘I gave blood, didn’t I? You old people just give her burial
clothes!’

7. ‘Let go of her eyelids. She’s not a toy’

8. ‘Yes? And how many times do you bow?’

9. ‘Go on, Baba. Say something, hurry!’

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A GIFT FOR MY BELOVED STUDENTS MISS NATRA @SMKPJI 2019

LITERATURE FORM 4: ‘TANJONG RHU’ SHORT STORY BY MINFONG HO RETOLD BY CLARE WEST

PRACTICE B: GROUPWORK.

TITLE: SECOND CHANCE.

- Discuss about how the story would change if Mr. Li had made a different
decision earlier in the story (e.g.: spent more time with his mother)

TITLE: DEAR DIARY

- Write a diary entry as Mr. Li.
- Describe about the events happen during the story and reflect how these

events affect Mr. Li and why.
-

TITLE: DEAR AUNT AGONY

- As Aunt Agony, write a reply & advise on Ying’s problems as written in
her letter below:

Dear Aunt Agony.
I’m on my term break from my Business Course in New York. Everything

has changed here; at home. My grandmother who I adore so much is very ill. I
cannot stand to see her… suffering on her deathbed. I recalled many times I tried
to make connection with her when I was young. She seemed to despise the way I
did things especially when I am trying to help her to do daily ancestor worship ritual
at the altar. I don’t believe in such rituals but my father further adds salt to my
wound & dismisses my efforts. I can see he loves my grandmother but he is too
engrossed with his work. I rarely have the chance to speak & dine with him at
home. My mom, on the other hand…she’s just busy being a social butterfly & care
less about the family. I desperately want everyone to be happy like we used to be.

What should I do? I feel hopeless and a disgrace to my family.
A girl in dilemma,

Ying.

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A GIFT FOR MY BELOVED STUDENTS MISS NATRA @SMKPJI 2019