1)From off centre guide book, Unravelling Off Centre;
a) Start a new page from your blog.
b) Add 5 memorable quotes from Off Centre and you MUST identify the Act, Scene and the page numbers of the quote.
c)Answer Questions 1 to 6 on pages 91 between 150 to 300 words each. Your answer must be complete with at least 2 quotes from the book. Again, you MUST identify the Act, Scene and page numbers of the quotes.
2)From Island Voices;
Add on 2 more quotes from each story and remember to add the page number of the quotes.
3) Add between 1 to 3 decent photos/pictures of yourself on your blog.
5 memorable quote from Off Centre:
"Why are we off centre?"
Act 1 Scene 3 Page:28
"They are jealous because I am special."
Act 2 Scene 2 Page:54
"Give. Sympathise. Control"
Act 4 Scene 1 Page:104
"Vinod is fine. Vinod is always fine."
Act 5 Scene 1 Page: 110
"Vinod, you want to be the saviour is it? You are not Jesus Christ you know?
You are just crazy, like the rest of them."
Act 5 Scene 1 Page 122
Questions from Unravelling Off Centre:
1) In my opinion, Vinod's parents put great emphasis on Vinod's result rather than his mentally health, which cause him downfall.
From the book "Off Centre" itself, as Vinod is an intellgent people[1], he is able to take higher standard of education , and because of it, Vinod's parents feel proud of it. They want to show off their child's academic achievement. To make Vinod able to find his employment to generate wealth for his life and his parent's life after their entirement. They give him the best of education such as Raffle Junior Vollage, National University of Singapore. However, when Vinod suffered from Mental illness, Depression. His parents ignore with his need (or love) and force him to take education from oversea. Eventually, Vinod can not bear with the stress with going to oversea for taking education from university because his parents treat him like a robot rather than treat him like a child[2], and Saloma is the only one(and only friend) who treat him well in his life.
If Vinod's parent put more love on Vinod's need but not his future, Vinod might able to cure his Depression and he would not leave Saloma forever.
[1]:"And I thought my life is over when I did not get straight As for my 'A' level"
Act 1 Scene 2 Page: 15
[2]:"All he needed was to further his education, to get his degree."
Act 4 Scene 3 Page: 106
2) To certain extent, I agree that "Vinod's high expectation cause his downfall." because he wants himself to get excellent academic result, he wants to protect Saloma and he wants to make himself being a perfect person.
From the book itself, Vinod's education is good, and he always score As from his examination. Further more, he also can able to go to any of university with his perfect 'A' level result. As he can study too well in his academic road, every student from his school might felt that he is the best student, which make them not able to make friend with him or they will suffer from his show off of result. Therefore, Vinod suffer from lack of friendship
As Vinod find Saloma as a losten kitty and she is even weaker than Vinod, he wants to protect her from the reality where are full of danger. In the later part of Off Centre, Saloma is robbed, but Vinod can not do anything about it as he frighten to the robber, and in the last three scene of Off Centre, Saloma almost become normal, but Vinod does not want her to recover.[1]
In the book Off Centre, Vinod meets two people ,one is Razali, and another one is Emily Gan. Razali is a guard in the flat, who is gentle, friendly and able to protect people. Both Vinod and Saloma treated him as their guardian. Emliy Gan is Saloma's friend, she encourages Saloma to grow stronger so that Saloma can cure her mental illness and gain independant from her mother. However, Vinod does not see Emily Gan until he meet she in his dream. The character of Razali is not stable and he can appear beside Vinod.[2]
In the world, 'perfect' can not use to describe any of the human. Therefore, Vinod should not boost himself to become a perfect man through his high expectation.
[1]"No, Saloma, I do not. There, Vinod had said it."
Act 5 Scene 1 Page:119
[2]"Vinod suddenly wakes up. He is wide awake. He just sits still. Razali appears."
Act 2 Scece 4 Page:77
3) In Off Centre, Saloma let herself become stronger and finally she becomes Centre, the reason is she meets Vinod and Emily, and the chain of events after the robber rob her.
At first, Saloma is a nervous girl who suffer from Schezophrenia, she meets Vinod in the Oasis Club, she does not have a courage to talk to Vinod until he demanded Saloma to talk with him persistently.Vinod gives her a courage to against the reality world.In the flashback, Saloma meets Emily Gan in mental hospital, Saloma was even nervous than the time she meets Vinod. Emily Gan gives her an advice which able her to meet the difficulties in her life especailly when somebody take advantage of her.
After robber's event, Vinod went off all the comminucation tool and locked himself as long as three weeks, Emily commited suicide with two month pragnent. It makes Saloma afraid that she can not able to cop with the reality world because she depends on both Vinod and Emily. Eventually, she waked up from her dream of depending people when she wanted to save the bird but that bird refused and accidentally fall down.
After that, Saloma become stronger, and even stronger than both Vinod and Emily who give her advices and courages.
"You can call me anytime."
Act 1 Scene 2 Page: 14
"No, Saloma, you are not stupid at all. I know that as I can read your mind. Can your mother read minds, can't her?"
Act 2 Scene 2 Page: 58
4)To certain extent, I agree that Razali is the key to the plot of Off Centre.
Razali appeared at Act 2 Scene 3, he is a guardian of void deck in the flat, and he disappeared at Act 5 Scene 1.
In Act 2 Scene 3, when Razali appear, Vinod introduced Razali to Saloma, and Saloma treated Razali as her father. It implied that the reason behinf Saloma being mental patient related with her father. Razali seems can read the heart inside both Saloma and Vinod, and he is friendly.
In Act 2 Scene 4 , perhaps Vinod having a nightmare, he suddenly wake up and Razali appear, Razali keep saying the negative words to Vinod but he ignored. Eventually, Vinod takes the pill. Perhaps , those negative words might be the thought from Vinod's mind because he has Depression which makes him think something negatively everytime.
In Act 5 Scene 1, Vinod blamed Razali did not come to the void deck to save Saloma, and Razali suddenly change his character, he does not treat both Vinod and Saloma as well as the period during Act 2 Scene 3. Perhaps Vinod's will become weaker and he depended somebody to protect them while Saloma almost become Centre and want to gain independent after the robber's event.
To Saloma, he is her father who give her hope and able her to become normal. However, to Vinod, he is too depend on Razali and he makes his mental illness being worsen instead of begin to cure.
"When I was in Primary One, I took my friend's ruler at school, when he asked me, I made a lie. After school, when I reached home, my mother said that my father was died."
Act 2 Scene 3 Page: 70
"You need a voice, a voice."
Act 2 Scene 4 Page: 78
5) In Off Centre, Vinod is the good evidence of "give,sympathise,control".
In Act 1 Scene 1, he gives his care to Saloma and Saloma attracted by him. In Act 1 Scene 2, Vinod shows his intellegent to Saloma and make Saloma able to believe and admire him. In Act 1 Scene 2 and 3, Vinod shows his humour to Saloma, now, Saloma can not do anythings with out him.In Act 4 Scene 2, Vinod cut off all the communication tool such as phone, radio and television. Soon, In Act 4 Scene 3, Saloma wants to depend on Vinod, she suffer from the day with out Vinod.However, Vinod can not "control" Saloma because in the last part of Act 4 Scene 3, she understand that she could not depend on any people any more. Saloma also feel that Vinod is trying to control her.
Suprisingly, Vinod controlled by Saloma even thought Saloma did not notice it.
Vinod also controlled by his parents as his parents give him life, education. Sympathise him by the parent-child relationship and control him to get into University to get a degree. Althought Vinod is not willing to leave Saloma to go oversea for education, the cage from parent is diffucult to break.
To maintain the relationship between each other, "give,sympathise,control" is a worthless way. Therefore, both Vinod and his parents had done wrong.
""
Act Scene Page:
""
Act Scene Page:
6) The two main role, Vinod and Saloma, they suffer from mental illness, and their social status is not good as they are the kind of person who is victim or take advantage by other people.
Vinod is a intelligent people, he score well in his examinations, his parents encourage him to get up to University to get a degree. After he suffer from Depression, his parents do not notice it, enforce him to continue with his study, this make him do not have the courage to cure his ill. Further more, his friends in Junior College afraid on him after his breakdown, it makes Vinod not able to make friend easily and making his Depression more serious. In addition, Mr Chow did not treat him as a normal person but the crazy who might breakdown, which makes him not able to trust other people.
Saloma's father died and her mother work alone to feed her. When Saloma wanted to cure her illness, her mother declined and she believes that Saloma was posess by the evil. This makes Saloma do not have confident to face against the social because she lost the support from her family, and her mother do not want her to work outside. Azman taking advantage to Saloma and it makes Saloma do not dare to face the reality world because she afraid that she might encounter a person like Azman.
Mental patients are all the normal men such like patients who have illness in their mind. Therefore, we should treat them as the normal person.
"Saloma, my parents are wishing I will get well by tommorrow and go abroad to study by the next day, graduate on Friday, study my Masters on Saturday and start work as Deputy Public Prosecutor on Monday, They are concerned, so I can rest on Sunday."
Act 1 Scene 3 Page: 27
"Come on , lets enjoy"
Act 3 Scene 3 Page: 94
Island Voices:
Paper:
"'What is wrong with this house we are living in?' she asked petulsntly. ' Aren't we all comfortable in it?'"
Pg 2
"'There is a devil in him,' said medicine man, and he proceeded to make him a drink which he mixed with the ashes of a piece of prayer paper."
Pg 7
The Martyrdom of Helena Rodrigues:
"Certainly, the casual guest would be sent hime confirmed in the general opinion, that Helena was a sweet girl."
Pg 11
"Helena trained her husband into near perfect punctually for meals."
Pg 11
Sundowner:
"The sun has by now fallen behind the rubber trees but there was brightness about the scene which semmed to emanate from the couple."
Pg24
"'Bidan, they call her. She is some kind of witch who helps with delivering babies.God knows how many die at birth.'"
Pg26
Tanjong Rhu:
"'I know I have everything I need.'"
Pg 30
"'I see you, Ah-Wah, I see you so clearly.'"
Pg38
EUF:
"Prakash was sure his sweat would leave a W-shaped mark, however mementar, on the plastic chair. A'W' that would spell 'washout', another rejection."
Pg 47
"'Just someone who stays nearby.So he gave me a lift."
Pg 89
Lee
"He signed.'Look,,'he said to her,'you have to stop critisizing--and start accepting--sooner or later things they are here.'"
Pg97
"'we--Chinese, Indians, whatever-- had a magnificent culture while the Caucasians were still scrabbling in the dust.'"
Pg 106
A History of Tea
"Well,It(Sri Lanka) may be a bit of dangerous perhapes, bur Daddy still has relatives and they say that it will be all right.'"
Pg 112
"I wonder how they ask for more tea in China, in Sri Lanka and in England, if is is so common that they have signal as well, rather than using up words."
Pg 122
A Dream of China
"My father pined for China, seeing his act of selfishness reflected in the shallowness of the lives his students at the university."
Pg 126
"A country is as good as its men."
Pg 138
Release
"What is a pragnant woman doing here? How can she carry anything worth anything? What is your company thinking? I am not going to pay for her."
Pg 139
"'Do not give birth to as many as this dog's going to have.'"
Pg 140
An Obituary for Fifth Aunt come late
"'Do you remember your aunt?"
Pg 149
"No one is sure or will say how old she was. We do not have a photograph of her."
Pg 161
Corridor
"I think if I think hard enough, I can remember her name, because one day one of her men was shouting for her as she raced down the corridor, trying to hide her face."
Pg 163
"If my memory serves me right I think it was Lynda."
Pg 163
Mid-Autumn
"I hoped she would appear on the doorstep-- surprise! But no."
Pg 176
"I shake my head. My lantern whirls, as the breeze spins the string. The wind cannot extinguish yhr red glow that flickers in the darkness."
Pg 188
Hamid and the Hand of Fate
"It was at a spot on the blocked beach that Hamid's life changes one afternoon."
Pg 191
"At home, lunch would be waiting for him at the kitchen table. Cik Aminah has said that morning she was going out to visit."
Pg 203
The move
"'Ma, you are not taking those footstools!' Tommy had wailed. 'They have to be retired! I have sat on them since I was baby!'"
Pg 204
"'Of coures, nowdays people deserve better. Nobody should be doing that kind of work.'"
Pg 207
Pastime
"Only to himself, just to past the time, he made up an entire life for this person."
Pg 212
"'You can play the system, like when you buy shares, or when you buy and sell property. But you cannot fight it.'"
Pg 220
a) Start a new page from your blog.
b) Add 5 memorable quotes from Off Centre and you MUST identify the Act, Scene and the page numbers of the quote.
c)Answer Questions 1 to 6 on pages 91 between 150 to 300 words each. Your answer must be complete with at least 2 quotes from the book. Again, you MUST identify the Act, Scene and page numbers of the quotes.
2)From Island Voices;
Add on 2 more quotes from each story and remember to add the page number of the quotes.
3) Add between 1 to 3 decent photos/pictures of yourself on your blog.
5 memorable quote from Off Centre:
"Why are we off centre?"
Act 1 Scene 3 Page:28
"They are jealous because I am special."
Act 2 Scene 2 Page:54
"Give. Sympathise. Control"
Act 4 Scene 1 Page:104
"Vinod is fine. Vinod is always fine."
Act 5 Scene 1 Page: 110
"Vinod, you want to be the saviour is it? You are not Jesus Christ you know?
You are just crazy, like the rest of them."
Act 5 Scene 1 Page 122
Questions from Unravelling Off Centre:
1) In my opinion, Vinod's parents put great emphasis on Vinod's result rather than his mentally health, which cause him downfall.
From the book "Off Centre" itself, as Vinod is an intellgent people[1], he is able to take higher standard of education , and because of it, Vinod's parents feel proud of it. They want to show off their child's academic achievement. To make Vinod able to find his employment to generate wealth for his life and his parent's life after their entirement. They give him the best of education such as Raffle Junior Vollage, National University of Singapore. However, when Vinod suffered from Mental illness, Depression. His parents ignore with his need (or love) and force him to take education from oversea. Eventually, Vinod can not bear with the stress with going to oversea for taking education from university because his parents treat him like a robot rather than treat him like a child[2], and Saloma is the only one(and only friend) who treat him well in his life.
If Vinod's parent put more love on Vinod's need but not his future, Vinod might able to cure his Depression and he would not leave Saloma forever.
[1]:"And I thought my life is over when I did not get straight As for my 'A' level"
Act 1 Scene 2 Page: 15
[2]:"All he needed was to further his education, to get his degree."
Act 4 Scene 3 Page: 106
2) To certain extent, I agree that "Vinod's high expectation cause his downfall." because he wants himself to get excellent academic result, he wants to protect Saloma and he wants to make himself being a perfect person.
From the book itself, Vinod's education is good, and he always score As from his examination. Further more, he also can able to go to any of university with his perfect 'A' level result. As he can study too well in his academic road, every student from his school might felt that he is the best student, which make them not able to make friend with him or they will suffer from his show off of result. Therefore, Vinod suffer from lack of friendship
As Vinod find Saloma as a losten kitty and she is even weaker than Vinod, he wants to protect her from the reality where are full of danger. In the later part of Off Centre, Saloma is robbed, but Vinod can not do anything about it as he frighten to the robber, and in the last three scene of Off Centre, Saloma almost become normal, but Vinod does not want her to recover.[1]
In the book Off Centre, Vinod meets two people ,one is Razali, and another one is Emily Gan. Razali is a guard in the flat, who is gentle, friendly and able to protect people. Both Vinod and Saloma treated him as their guardian. Emliy Gan is Saloma's friend, she encourages Saloma to grow stronger so that Saloma can cure her mental illness and gain independant from her mother. However, Vinod does not see Emily Gan until he meet she in his dream. The character of Razali is not stable and he can appear beside Vinod.[2]
In the world, 'perfect' can not use to describe any of the human. Therefore, Vinod should not boost himself to become a perfect man through his high expectation.
[1]"No, Saloma, I do not. There, Vinod had said it."
Act 5 Scene 1 Page:119
[2]"Vinod suddenly wakes up. He is wide awake. He just sits still. Razali appears."
Act 2 Scece 4 Page:77
3) In Off Centre, Saloma let herself become stronger and finally she becomes Centre, the reason is she meets Vinod and Emily, and the chain of events after the robber rob her.
At first, Saloma is a nervous girl who suffer from Schezophrenia, she meets Vinod in the Oasis Club, she does not have a courage to talk to Vinod until he demanded Saloma to talk with him persistently.Vinod gives her a courage to against the reality world.In the flashback, Saloma meets Emily Gan in mental hospital, Saloma was even nervous than the time she meets Vinod. Emily Gan gives her an advice which able her to meet the difficulties in her life especailly when somebody take advantage of her.
After robber's event, Vinod went off all the comminucation tool and locked himself as long as three weeks, Emily commited suicide with two month pragnent. It makes Saloma afraid that she can not able to cop with the reality world because she depends on both Vinod and Emily. Eventually, she waked up from her dream of depending people when she wanted to save the bird but that bird refused and accidentally fall down.
After that, Saloma become stronger, and even stronger than both Vinod and Emily who give her advices and courages.
"You can call me anytime."
Act 1 Scene 2 Page: 14
"No, Saloma, you are not stupid at all. I know that as I can read your mind. Can your mother read minds, can't her?"
Act 2 Scene 2 Page: 58
4)To certain extent, I agree that Razali is the key to the plot of Off Centre.
Razali appeared at Act 2 Scene 3, he is a guardian of void deck in the flat, and he disappeared at Act 5 Scene 1.
In Act 2 Scene 3, when Razali appear, Vinod introduced Razali to Saloma, and Saloma treated Razali as her father. It implied that the reason behinf Saloma being mental patient related with her father. Razali seems can read the heart inside both Saloma and Vinod, and he is friendly.
In Act 2 Scene 4 , perhaps Vinod having a nightmare, he suddenly wake up and Razali appear, Razali keep saying the negative words to Vinod but he ignored. Eventually, Vinod takes the pill. Perhaps , those negative words might be the thought from Vinod's mind because he has Depression which makes him think something negatively everytime.
In Act 5 Scene 1, Vinod blamed Razali did not come to the void deck to save Saloma, and Razali suddenly change his character, he does not treat both Vinod and Saloma as well as the period during Act 2 Scene 3. Perhaps Vinod's will become weaker and he depended somebody to protect them while Saloma almost become Centre and want to gain independent after the robber's event.
To Saloma, he is her father who give her hope and able her to become normal. However, to Vinod, he is too depend on Razali and he makes his mental illness being worsen instead of begin to cure.
"When I was in Primary One, I took my friend's ruler at school, when he asked me, I made a lie. After school, when I reached home, my mother said that my father was died."
Act 2 Scene 3 Page: 70
"You need a voice, a voice."
Act 2 Scene 4 Page: 78
5) In Off Centre, Vinod is the good evidence of "give,sympathise,control".
In Act 1 Scene 1, he gives his care to Saloma and Saloma attracted by him. In Act 1 Scene 2, Vinod shows his intellegent to Saloma and make Saloma able to believe and admire him. In Act 1 Scene 2 and 3, Vinod shows his humour to Saloma, now, Saloma can not do anythings with out him.In Act 4 Scene 2, Vinod cut off all the communication tool such as phone, radio and television. Soon, In Act 4 Scene 3, Saloma wants to depend on Vinod, she suffer from the day with out Vinod.However, Vinod can not "control" Saloma because in the last part of Act 4 Scene 3, she understand that she could not depend on any people any more. Saloma also feel that Vinod is trying to control her.
Suprisingly, Vinod controlled by Saloma even thought Saloma did not notice it.
Vinod also controlled by his parents as his parents give him life, education. Sympathise him by the parent-child relationship and control him to get into University to get a degree. Althought Vinod is not willing to leave Saloma to go oversea for education, the cage from parent is diffucult to break.
To maintain the relationship between each other, "give,sympathise,control" is a worthless way. Therefore, both Vinod and his parents had done wrong.
""
Act Scene Page:
""
Act Scene Page:
6) The two main role, Vinod and Saloma, they suffer from mental illness, and their social status is not good as they are the kind of person who is victim or take advantage by other people.
Vinod is a intelligent people, he score well in his examinations, his parents encourage him to get up to University to get a degree. After he suffer from Depression, his parents do not notice it, enforce him to continue with his study, this make him do not have the courage to cure his ill. Further more, his friends in Junior College afraid on him after his breakdown, it makes Vinod not able to make friend easily and making his Depression more serious. In addition, Mr Chow did not treat him as a normal person but the crazy who might breakdown, which makes him not able to trust other people.
Saloma's father died and her mother work alone to feed her. When Saloma wanted to cure her illness, her mother declined and she believes that Saloma was posess by the evil. This makes Saloma do not have confident to face against the social because she lost the support from her family, and her mother do not want her to work outside. Azman taking advantage to Saloma and it makes Saloma do not dare to face the reality world because she afraid that she might encounter a person like Azman.
Mental patients are all the normal men such like patients who have illness in their mind. Therefore, we should treat them as the normal person.
"Saloma, my parents are wishing I will get well by tommorrow and go abroad to study by the next day, graduate on Friday, study my Masters on Saturday and start work as Deputy Public Prosecutor on Monday, They are concerned, so I can rest on Sunday."
Act 1 Scene 3 Page: 27
"Come on , lets enjoy"
Act 3 Scene 3 Page: 94
Island Voices:
Paper:
"'What is wrong with this house we are living in?' she asked petulsntly. ' Aren't we all comfortable in it?'"
Pg 2
"'There is a devil in him,' said medicine man, and he proceeded to make him a drink which he mixed with the ashes of a piece of prayer paper."
Pg 7
The Martyrdom of Helena Rodrigues:
"Certainly, the casual guest would be sent hime confirmed in the general opinion, that Helena was a sweet girl."
Pg 11
"Helena trained her husband into near perfect punctually for meals."
Pg 11
Sundowner:
"The sun has by now fallen behind the rubber trees but there was brightness about the scene which semmed to emanate from the couple."
Pg24
"'Bidan, they call her. She is some kind of witch who helps with delivering babies.God knows how many die at birth.'"
Pg26
Tanjong Rhu:
"'I know I have everything I need.'"
Pg 30
"'I see you, Ah-Wah, I see you so clearly.'"
Pg38
EUF:
"Prakash was sure his sweat would leave a W-shaped mark, however mementar, on the plastic chair. A'W' that would spell 'washout', another rejection."
Pg 47
"'Just someone who stays nearby.So he gave me a lift."
Pg 89
Lee
"He signed.'Look,,'he said to her,'you have to stop critisizing--and start accepting--sooner or later things they are here.'"
Pg97
"'we--Chinese, Indians, whatever-- had a magnificent culture while the Caucasians were still scrabbling in the dust.'"
Pg 106
A History of Tea
"Well,It(Sri Lanka) may be a bit of dangerous perhapes, bur Daddy still has relatives and they say that it will be all right.'"
Pg 112
"I wonder how they ask for more tea in China, in Sri Lanka and in England, if is is so common that they have signal as well, rather than using up words."
Pg 122
A Dream of China
"My father pined for China, seeing his act of selfishness reflected in the shallowness of the lives his students at the university."
Pg 126
"A country is as good as its men."
Pg 138
Release
"What is a pragnant woman doing here? How can she carry anything worth anything? What is your company thinking? I am not going to pay for her."
Pg 139
"'Do not give birth to as many as this dog's going to have.'"
Pg 140
An Obituary for Fifth Aunt come late
"'Do you remember your aunt?"
Pg 149
"No one is sure or will say how old she was. We do not have a photograph of her."
Pg 161
Corridor
"I think if I think hard enough, I can remember her name, because one day one of her men was shouting for her as she raced down the corridor, trying to hide her face."
Pg 163
"If my memory serves me right I think it was Lynda."
Pg 163
Mid-Autumn
"I hoped she would appear on the doorstep-- surprise! But no."
Pg 176
"I shake my head. My lantern whirls, as the breeze spins the string. The wind cannot extinguish yhr red glow that flickers in the darkness."
Pg 188
Hamid and the Hand of Fate
"It was at a spot on the blocked beach that Hamid's life changes one afternoon."
Pg 191
"At home, lunch would be waiting for him at the kitchen table. Cik Aminah has said that morning she was going out to visit."
Pg 203
The move
"'Ma, you are not taking those footstools!' Tommy had wailed. 'They have to be retired! I have sat on them since I was baby!'"
Pg 204
"'Of coures, nowdays people deserve better. Nobody should be doing that kind of work.'"
Pg 207
Pastime
"Only to himself, just to past the time, he made up an entire life for this person."
Pg 212
"'You can play the system, like when you buy shares, or when you buy and sell property. But you cannot fight it.'"
Pg 220
