Question 1:
Based on the novel that you have read, what is the lesson that you have learned from the ending of the
novel? Give reasons why you think the lesson is important.
The novel I have read is The curse by
Lee Su Ann. In the novel, it ended with Azreen learning the truth about a lot of things surrounding her
sister’s death. It was very sad for Azreen too because she had to cope with the deaths of the Old Lady
and her parents. In the epilogue, Azreen went back to London to continue her studies. It is important
to not that in the end, Azreen learned to forgive. The theme of forgiveness and the
importance of the truth resonate throughout the ending of the novel.
I learned that forgiveness is the key
to finding inner peace and strength. Somehow, it helps a person to move on
despite having gone through negative situations. Azreen’s character teaches us to be strong,
bold and upright in order to withstand vicious gossips and to fight injustice
like how she defended the Old Lady.
The same goes for Azreen when she
returned to London. If she allowed hatred, anger and other negative emotions to
take over, those emotions would have consumed her and made her life worse. But
because she learned to accept the truth and to forgive, she was able to smile
at the end. Although the truth was difficult to handle for Azreen,
especially about Madhuri and Mohd Asraf, her father being Madhuri’s murderer, and how Madhuri was not
her real sister, Azreen managed to cope with all those unfortunate events.
From the ending of the novel, I learned
that sometimes, although the truth may not be what everybody wants to hear, it
is always best to tell the truth because it helps people to find inner peace
and to be truly happy.
Question 2:
Based on the novel that you have read, give examples of what hope means to the characters that you have chosen.
The novel I have read is The curse
by Lee Su Ann. Hope is the feeling of wanting something you desire to come
true. In the novel, Mohd Asraf and Madhuri are in love and they hope to be together when Mohd Asraf leaves
for Kuala Lumpur for a teaching course.
However, Madhuri is
married to Haji Ghani. She
plans to confess everything to her husband and get his permission to release
her. Asraf hopes
that Madhuri is right
that her husband is a reasonable person who wants the best for her and she will
ultimately be released from her marriage. Madhuri also plans to reveal everything to her
parents about their relationship. Unfortunately, their hope of being together
is dashed when Madhuri’s father discovers the truth before she could explain everything
tohhim. Saleh
Abdullah, catches Madhuri and Mohd Asraf together in the rubber estate and he wanted to go after
Mohd Asraf. Sadly, as he wields his parang, it
strikes Madhuri and
kills her.
Due to Mohd Asraf’s ailing
grandmother, he forced himself to visit the Old Lady and ask her to cure his
grandmother. When she did come to his house, some of the villagers found out
about it and they think that all the bad incidents happening around the village
is due to her presence.
In addition, another character, Puan Fatihah feels
like she is slowly losing her husband after Madhuri’s death. She hopes to win his affections
again by cooking a breakfast feast for him. But he did not appreciate her deed
due to the many happenings in the village; instead, he left without eating what
she had cooked for him.
In
conclusion, the novel helps us to see how hope drives different characters to
do different things and there are positive and negative consequences of their
actions.
Question 3:
Using details from the novel you have studied, write about a theme that you can relate to in your daily
life. Give examples of the theme that you have chosen. Support
your answer with close reference to the text.
The novel I have read is ‘The
Curse’ by Lee Su Ann. A theme from ‘The Curse’ is about the negative effects or
rumours and
hearsay. Gossip is basically idle talk that goes bad if one is not careful
enough but malicious gossip is even more dangerous because it does the most
damage.
For
example, in the past, the villagers’ constant gossiping had caused the Old Lady
to move to the jungle because they thought that she was a crazy woman who
killed her husband in cold blood. They failed to understand and consider the
reason behind the act and it caused the Old Lady to live alone for the rest of
her life in the jungle. The villagers continued to spread wrong information
about the Old Lady by saying that she will cast a spell or kill those who
trespass on her property.
Puan Normala warned that a curse will befall the
village by claiming that the incessant rain was caused by the Old Lady coming
into the village even though she came only to cure Nek, Mohd Asraf’s
grandmother. She gathered some of her neighbours and
convinced them to drive the Old Lady out of the village. Sadly, not long after
the Old Lady had cured Nek, Nek passed away and the neighbours
convinced Mohd Asraf that the
Old Lady was to be blamed. The confrontation between them and the Old Lady
ended tragically with her house being burnt down and her untimely death.
Throughout the novel, we are
constantly reminded of how rumours can turn bad and how they can lead to destruction or a tragic
conclusion. As stated by the Old Lady, “Rumours can be damaging even if they are
untrue, especially if they are untrue. All a person can do is to ignore them
and the rumours will die
off as soon as another juicier one comes along.”
I have learnt from the theme in
this novel that I should not believe or be influenced by rumours in our
daily lives. More importantly, I should also not create and spread rumours about
another person. These, we must apply in our daily lives.
