Compare the role of the child in at least three of the set texts. By Angel Leung, Anthea Wong, Colettie Lee, Poon Yui Sum

1. Compare the role of the childin at least three of the set texts. Angel Leung 4X Anthea Wong 4Y Colettie Lee 4Y PoonYui Sum 4U

2. Child - Definition Below 12 years old Parent’s son / daughter

4. Characters involved Boy(Birches) Rosie(Seventeen Syllables) Dee(Everyday Use) Maggie(Everyday Use)

5. Boy & rosie COMPARISON

6. Boy bending movement  escape into his imagination (upward movement) and coming back to reality (downward movement) Role as a child: allows him to have such imaginations and freedom gives a stark contrast to the role as an adult gives readers a stress-free sense towards the character given with this role Comparison (boy and Rosie)

7. Rosie Westernized: her name “Rosie” her imitation of Shirley Temple her struggles and limitations contrast to those of her mother Rosie + Tome have conflicts e.g. views on getting married or not Comparison (boy and Rosie)

8. Comparison (boy and Rosie) Role as a child (Rosie): explore matters in life such as love/infatuation and playfulness curiosity and playfulness as a child + her westernized mindset create conflicts in ways of looking at things between herself and her mum Tome

9. BOY & DEE COMPARISON

10. Comparison (boy and Dee) Not the subject Object of attention Boy:“I should prefer to have some boy bend them”(23) Dee:“a dress so loud it hurts my eyes” & “Bracelets dangling and making noises”pg. 347 Dee:aggressive and proud

11. Comparison (boy and Dee) Freedom and Liberty Boy:imagine and conquer on birches Dee:leave countryside  town

12. ROSIE & Maggie COMPARISON

13. Comparison (Rosie & Maggie) Level of being influenced/affected by external factors Relationship between parents (mothers)

16. 2. Relationship between parents (mothers) Rosie: distant relationship with Mrs. Hayashi Linguistic barrier (Western VS Japanese)does not fully understand each other“…Rosie pretended to understand [the Haiku Tome wrote] thoroughly and appreciate it no end” pg. 208 Generational difference (Nisei VS Issei)Rosie does not understand Tome’s situation“Do you know why I married your father?” [Tome] said without turning.“No,” said Rosie.

17. Maggie: intimate relationship with Mama Mama ignores Dee’s requestgives Maggie the quilts “And then [Maggie and Dee] sat there just enjoying, until it was time to go in the house and go to bed” pg. 352 2. Relationship between parents (mothers)

18. DEE & MAGGIE COMPARISON

19. Comparison (Dee & Maggie) 3 Differences: 1) Different level of intimacy with Mama (conveys different parent-child relationships) 2) Different ways in valuing heritage (brings out the theme of heritage, ancestors  younger generation) 3) Showy Vs Practical (brings out the theme of generational difference, contrasted by narrow generation gap between Maggie and Mama) Krakow Spotlight, www.usinfo.pl/krakow/images/everydayuse.jpg

20. 1. Different level of intimacy with Mama Dee: less intimate with Mama Dominant and superior role in the family “She used to read to us without pity, forcing words, lies, other folks’ habits, whole lives upon us two, sitting trapped and ignorant underneath her voice.” P.346 Insincere to Mama “She pins on my dress a large orchid, even though she has told me once that she thinks orchids are tacky flowers.” P.345

21. 1. Different level of intimacy with Mama Maggie: more intimate with Mama Comfortable and relaxed together “And then the two of us sat there just enjoying, until it was time to go in the house and go to bed.” P.352 Sincere interaction and conversations with Mama “Maggie and I thought about this and Maggie asked me, ‘Mama, when did Dee ever have any friends?’ ” P.347

22. 2. Different ways in valuing heritage Dee: Sees heritage as consumer goods Pick and choose “After dinner Dee (Wangero) went to the trunk at the foot of my bed and started rifling through it.” P.350 Source: Films Media Group, ffh.films.com/Common/FMGimages/32666_Full.jpg

23. 2. Different ways in valuing heritage Maggie: Veneratesheritage Deep understanding in its history “ ‘Aunt Dee’s first husband whittled the dash,’ said Maggie so low you almost couldn’t hear her. ‘His name was Henry, but they called him Stash.’ ” P.350

24. 3. Showy Vs Practical Dee: more showy For display (P.361 “Hang them”) Source: Living a Literary Life, upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/G...

25. 3. Showy Vs Practical Maggie: more practical For use “Maggie would put them on the bed” P.351 Source: Digital Resource Commons, drc.ohiolink.edu/.../60536/32514-filmstrip.jpg

26. GENERAL ROLEOF CHILDREN SUMMARY

27. Role of child (general) To represent innocence and purity To contrast the burden and worries of adults e.g. Birches: the playful and carefree boy in the nostalgic memory of the weary persona

28. To provide a naïve perspective (applicable only to children and adolescents) e.g. Seventeen Syllables: Rosie=naïve narrator A naïve narrator: uncomprehending character e.g. a child or simple minded adult narrates the story without realizing its implications their ignorance/inexperience serves to expose faults/ issues in their world Result: readers know more about what’s going on than the narrator Effect: sense of irony or pathos(an evocation of sympathy, pity, sorrow in reader)

29. To convey parent-child relationships To bring out the centre of thoughts (themes) of the literature e.g. Seventeen Syllables, Everyday Use