1. Comparison and contrast
HEROES by KARIM RASLAN
THE SOMEBODY by DANNY SANTIAGO

2. ELEMENTS OF COMPARISON AND
CONTRAST
• AUTHOR
• THEME
• CHARACTERS
• SETTING
• LANGUAGE STYLE
• ISSUES

3. AUTHOR
KARIM RASLAN (HEROES) DANNY SANTIAGO (THE SOMEBODY)
Karim Raslan Daniel Lewis James
Born in Perak, 1963 Born in Kansas City, 1911 (passes away in
1988)
The second child of Raslan Abdullah, the
founder of Bank Bumiputra Malaysia Bhd
in 1960’s
The only son of a wealthy family from
Kansas City
Educated in Malaysia and England
(Cambridge), studying law
Educated in Yale, majoring in classical
Greek
Father-Malay, Orang Kaya Besar,
Bangsawan
Mother-Welsh, English
Both of his parents are English
A lawyer and a writer- columnist, political
analyst
Travelling salesman, worked in Hollywood
as assistant to Charlie Chaplin, volunteer
social worker

4. KARIM RASLAN DANNY SANTIAGO
The author of Ceritalah: Malaysia in
Transition - which was described by Nobel
Laureate Sir V.S. Naipaul as "educated and
elegant" - Heroes and Other Stories and
Journeys Through Southeast Asia:
Ceritalah 2.
First novel- Famous All Over Town 1984
received the Richard and Hinda Rosenthal
Foundation Award for fiction given by the
American Academy and Institute of Arts
and Letters in 1984 and the PEN
President's Award in 1985 for the novel.
Creates the character of “I” to portray
some of his ideas and views on what is
happening to the nation
Creates the character of Chato based on
other’s experience that he witnessed
Being very critical on political issues Being very critical on issues involving
Hispanic community
AUTHOR

5. THEME
HEROES THE SOMEBODY
Finding and admitting the truth about something
Determination to know and reveal the
truth about things happened in the past
- Fariza has long pestered me to write
about the past. (pg.30)
- She used all her wiles and canniness to
force me into doing exactly what she
wanted. (pg.32)
Determination and braveness to admit
the truth about one self
- I want you to know this is a big day in
my life because today I quit school and
went to work as a writer. (lines 2-3)
- I write my gang name, Chato, which
means cat face, because I have a flat
nose like a cat. It’s a Mexican word
because that’s what I am, a Mexican, and
I’m not ashamed of it. (lines 6-8)

6. THEME
HEROES THE SOMEBODY
Being heroic
Being heroic in the eyes of the others
because of responsibilities and actions
done for the nation
- She knows I am a hero and is therefore
unafraid of the truth. (pg. 33)
- Says he still admires you, respects you.
(pg.36)
- I had to be as loyal as the Sultan’s
private Laksamana. (pg.35)
- I was entrusted by the highest
authorities carrying messages of national
importance. (pg.35)
Being heroic in his very own eyes; self-
adoration
- I’m telling you, I was pretty famous at
the Forney by the time I cut out, and from
there I continued my travels till a new
idea hit me. (lines 119-111)
- It felt good to see myself written
everyplace. (lines 172-173)
- All I need is plenty of chalk and I’ll be
famous wherever there’s a wall to write
on. (lines 245-246)

7. SETTING
HEROES THE SOMEBODY
Malaysia
- Petaling Jaya’s Section 5 (pg.22), the
same house since Fariza was a girl until
her mother has passed away (pg.24)
- North Perak, on the way to Penang
(pg.37)
- Two miles outside Tapah (pg.39)
United States of America
- Eastside in old Los Angeles. (line 2)
- Shamrock Street, the street where Chato
and his family live (lines 12-13)
-Broadway and Bailey (line 240)
-Boy’s Club (line 132)

8. SETTING
HEROES THE SOMEBODY
May 30th, 1969 (pg.37)
- Race riots (pg.30)
- Omar and “I” decided to leave
because they were afraid that the
Chinese will kill them. (pg.46)
- If the situation continued like this,
we’d be in danger. (pg.45)
There was no specific year mentioned
in the text
-Took place during the Mexican-
American being oppressed and
discriminated by the society
- Then the S.P. Railroad bought up the
whole street, every house except my
father’s. (lines 55-56)

9. SETTING
HEROES THE SOMEBODY
- The people of Malaysia – Malay,
Chinese, India
- A Malay family of three – I, Fariza,
Naimah, Mariam – in which the members
are very closed to each other
- People who carry the duty as civil
servants (pg.260)
-The Mexican-American community
whom according to history were exiled to
East Los Angeles and have not being
treated equally with the whites.
- A Mexican-American family of many
children but the members were not so
closed to each other (lines 48-50)
- Group of teenagers who involve in
gangs- Sierra Street gang, Chato de
Shamrock

10. LANGUAGE STYLE
HEROES THE SOMEBODY
The dialogues and sentences are inserted
with Malay words
-Ayah (pg. 22), cangkul (pg.29), parang
(pg.46), onde-onde (pg.32)
There are certain Spanish and Mexican
words inserted.
- Que cute! (line 46), Chato which means
cat face (lines 6-7), Chato de Shamrock
Use of difficult words
- Idyllic (pg.24), euphony (pg.25),
cornucopia (pg.25), grotesque (pg.43)
Use of simple words and sentences built
as if the author was talking to a friend
-You know me (line 219)
- I’m telling you (line 109)
- That’s nothing, man, nothing (lines 242-
243)

11. The Somebody Heroes
Responsibility towards the nation
Chato doesn’t seem to be really care
about contributing something for his
country and his own people : ( line 25 )
‘’I’’ or Ayah shows full commitment
towards his job to serve the nation :
(page 27 ,32 )
Chato’s concern is only about his
writing that will make him being
recognized by the others: (line 55)
I is responsible towards his task for the
sake of the nation
ISSUES

12. The Somebody Heroes
Proudness
Chato is the one who feels proud
of himself
Fariza is the one who adores and feels
proud of his father
Chato keeps on bragging about his
writing on every places: (line 110
and 210)
Fariza has been told about the good
deeds that his father has done:
(page 31, 33)

13. THE SOMEBODY HEROES
DIFFERENCES IN FAMILY UPBRINGING
Family with less affection and love :
(Line 20 )
Filled with love from the whole family
members : (page 22 )
The way of upbringing practiced by the
western family
Eastern way of upbringing where family
comes first
The situation of the family seemed to be
quite disorganized and miserable
Well organized family with comfortable
accommodation : (page 22)

14. THE SOMEBODY HEROES
ATTACHMENT TOWARDS THE OTHERS
Chato feels alone without his gang :
(Line 65)
“I ‘’ need somebody or companion in
order for him to lead his life and job
He seems to lose focus in leading his
days at the street without the gang :
(Line 150)
Regain the confidence from other
people support and help. :
(page 28)

15. The Somebody Heroes
Bravery vs. Cowardness
Able to survive alone around the
territory of the rival gang;
(line 65)
‘’ I ‘’ hides the truth from his
daughter as his daughter might be
frustrated once she knows the truth
about Nazrin .
Goes everywhere even to the funeral
home to do his writing :
(line 120)
The way he reacted to Omar when
their car hit a Chinese woman on
their way to Perak. (Page 43,46 )

16. The somebody Heroes
DISHONESTY
CHATO I
Both of the main characters in the novels, Chato and I portrayed
the attitude as they were not as though as what is being seen by
others.
Chato keeps on hiding as the rival gang, Siera is searching for him.
He is the one who brags about he does not mind to be beaten up
by them. (line 105 and 125)
I in Heroes shows the true colour of himself especially after the
incident with Nazrin which is totally different from the image that
people know him as a respected figure in his time.(page 46,47)
CHARACTERS

17. The somebody Heroes
Hardly left the past behind
CHATO I
both of them have their own incident or things that happened
in the past which are not easily for then to forget.
Ex : Chato had his own gang before, The Shamrock but all the
members have separated from each other due to few reasons.
(line 65 and 150)
The main character in Heroes, I still could not forget what was
actually happened towards Nazrin and he kept on the
memories with him for few years before he writes it in the
journal.
(page 27)

18. the somebody heroes
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FAMILY
CHATO FARIZA
Less respect for the parents Respects the elders
Feeling of alienated in his own family that
is quite miserable
The phrase, ‘’he wants no part of him, "I
don’t care to look at her anymore” and “I’m
checking out of this dump!” refer to the
intention of him to get out from his life
there, in the family .
Line 5 ,35 and 50)
Get the full attention given by the
parents and the comforts too.
The way she always be there to visit
her father and also she never raises
her voice up to him.
Page 22,27,28)

19. The somebody Heroes
CHATO FARIZA
PASSIONATE TOWARDS THEIR DREAM
Both of them have their own dream and keep on to the path to pursue their dreams
without any hesitation or being affected by other people’s perception
Steadfast to their dream :
Chato wants to be somebody who is well known to the people
Fariza has passion in journalism and she is able to make her father let her pursue the
dream