birthday ~ lee kok liang 2

chinese birthday buns

red string symbolize love

THEME

Match making


 In this short story, we can see that the grandmother trying so hard to match making 'she' with Uncle Teng. The grandmother is strict about the match making because at that time, in Chineseculture, women are suppose  to get married at 18 years old meanwhile the protagonist age now is 25 years old. Therefore, grandmother is angry to wards the protagonist when what she had planned didn't go as she plan.


CHARACTERS & CHARACTERISTICS

1) She ( The Protagonist )

• had her mother's eyes & her grandfather's chin.
• obedient since she obeyed to her grandmother 
• know how to cook since she is the one who cook for the dinner.

2) The Grandmother

•  match maker because she wants the protagonist to get married with Uncle Teng.
• strict since she made some rules around the house.- The protagonist lit the candle since there were no eletric lights.

3) UncleTeng

• A friend of grandmother
• friendly - he knows how to mix around with others ( ex. C.B )

PLOT

Exposition

• The story starts with the protagonist looking out the window and wishing that she could get married and having a baby. It is also when the narrator introduce the grandmother, who take care of the protagonist & C.B

Conflict

• It starts when grandmother introduce Uncle Teng to the protagonist to be her husband. Grandmother tried to match making both of them. This is because she didn't get married yet eventhough she is 25 years old.

Climax

• It was when the protagonist accidentally spilled over the curry onto Uncle Teng's pants. The grandmother was very angry and te protagonist was punished- not alowed to eat dinner for that night.

Resolution

• She was cursed by grandmother because of her mistakes and she has to be a spinster for the rest of her life because of that mistake. The short story ends with the protagonist missing her mother.