why does it matter? (Baked Beans and Burnt Toast)

 All of the short stories in 'Growing Up Asian in Australia' have the same motifs, this being belonging and identity.  "Baked Beans and Burnt Toast" displays the same major motifs represented throughout the whole book, the general outline of the story being about the author returning the Hong Kong after growing up in Australia being called a banana or ABC (Australian born Chinese). The author experiences Hong Kong for the first time and has flashbacks to how discriminatory people were in her childhood and this can be summed up in one quote "of all the Aussies who've enquired, 'Why don't you go back to where you came from?' down the years. Well, I'm back now. Back to a place I've never been to before. Happy?" this quote describes the disgust of prejudice the author despises from the many preconceived ideologies. This story represents the sense of identity second generation immigrants feel when making the transition between immigrant and Australian this can be seen in the discussion with Pete. This can be seen when the author describes the harsh differences Hong Kong is compared to Australia and how it's "like a slap in the face that makes you feel good" this describes how shocking Hong Kong is while exhilarating.

The title "Baked Beans and Burnt Toast" is juxtaposed to the strange country the author experiences highlighting how different she is compared to her 'home country'. This highlights the motif of belonging and sense of identity that is demonstrated throughout the book. Overall the story is describes the hardships of racism that the author experiences and how she feels that she is Australian rather than Chinese this can be seen when she describes herself as an ABC or banana, this can be seen through the extended anecdote describing her first day at school and the inherited racism the teacher has towards her asking whether she speaks English. Throughout the entire story an extended metaphor can be seen involving loyalty by using dogs, this can be seen when the author describes Peter "a stray dog that follows you around all day. You shoo it away, throw rocks at it, ignore it, but it would always be back" and "It's bit of a talking dog thing, isn't it?" these quotes use the stereotype of how dogs will always find their owner this is demonstrated when after many years the author finds Peter the "stray dog".

My First Kiss by Lian Low

1. How does the author describe Malaysia in regards to showing affection?

The author describes Malaysian cultural beliefs in regards of public affection to being frowned upon to the extent to an interpretation of the law under an act of indecent behaviour

2. What happens to the author when she hits puberty?

When the author hits puberty she describes how relationships between male friends change and how she is forced to retreat to a safe place as her old friends now treat her differently.

3. What is the author’s experience at school when she first arrives to Melbourne?

The author has had good experiences when she first arrived in Melbourne and started to attend school but mostly kept to herself and only made friends with other Asian children.

4. What is it that made the author feel that she wasn’t Australian even though she spoke English fluently?

The fact that the author had a prominent and strong accent which prompted other people to ask questions such as "how long have you been here?" reminded her of the fact that she was not Australian and destroyed her attempts of fitting in.

5. What else was it about the author that further alienated her from her peers?

The relationships the author wanted further alienated her in the aspect of many of her friends being Malaysians or Christians would have frowned upon her choices. 

6. What does the use of description like ‘crash hot’ do to the audience’s perception of the author?

The description like 'crash hot' highlights the authors age at the current time through the use of colloquial language.

7. What opportunity does university give the author? What is it about university which would allow her to express herself more freely?

University offered the author the freedom to express and act more freely and truthfully to herself allowing her to develop fully into the person she truly was.

8. What role does creativity play for the author? Why do you think that creativity would be so important to her?

Creativity was an outlet for the author as a means for her to act out her feelings and place them down on paper a means to express herself fully without the fear of repercussions or judgement from other people.

Lessons from my School Years by Ray Wing-Lun

1. There is a stark contrast created in the opening of this story between what the narrator had been doing before entering school and what will be expected at school? What is this contrast and what does it immediately create in the story?

The contrast between the childhood of the author and the start of school being the industrialism and aspirations of becoming like his father and mother respecting them for their jobs and personalities compared to the less productive life at school.

2. The author continues this theme of contrast at the start of the story. How does he do this in his description of his experience of Sydney’s North Shore?

The description of the North Shore shows the authors aspirations for life and where he wants it to take him as he dreams of better things.

3. What was the father’s background in business before he opened the fruit shop? What has helped him become successful?

The father lacked any background in business before the opening of the fruit shop but his personality and love for hard work allowed him to become successful.

4. The narrator’s description of his father is complex. What makes the father a complex character?

The description of the father ranges from his loving personality by chatting to all the customers to the hard work carrying the fruit cases to his artistic side when he practices in calligraphy in both languages.

5. (91) How does the author describe his role in doing ‘things that counted’?

The author describes his role in doing things that counted include how he is able to make the school look better through academics.

6. What experience does the author have at school while keeping to himself? What does he learn from this experience?

The experiences does the author have at school while observing the other boys at school and how other people place him on a pedestal with all the boys respecting him.

7. How would you characterise the narrator’s tone in regards to the events that are occurring around him?

The narrators tone in regards to the events that were occurring him is a scientific emotionless state lacking emotion by only stating the bear facts of the events happening around him.

8. How does the narrator characterise the ways that one could ‘get the strap’ and ways that one could avoid it?

The narrator characterise the ways one could "get the strap" by listing many possible ways one could be punished for and stating that there were not many ways to not "get the strap".

9. What event evokes a racist speech to the class by the teacher?

The racist speech the teacher makes about how Asians can never contribute anything to the country makes the author to become even more quite in class and in school becoming like a ghost.

10. What effect did the author’s experience with ‘Strap Happy Jack’ have on him?

The effect 'Strap Happy Jack' had upon the author forced him to become quite around other people in school to protect himself from racism and other teachers.

11. What was the one advantage school provided the author?

The one advantage the school provided to the author was discipline but failed because all were punished whether they worked hard or not.

12. What did the author do at his school? What was his motivation for doing it? What did he feel was lacking at school?

The author started a workshop program where the best students would present papers on the biggest topics in each subject. The author was motivated to this to help other students to do well in their HSC.

13. What did the parents want their son to do at school? What did the author fear would happen by obeying his parents?

The authors parents wanted him to learn the way and what the teachers wanted to learn. The author's feared that if he obeyed his parents he he will spend all his time learning what they want he wouldn't have time to learn to think and do things for himself.

14. At school, what did the author learn about his own type of thinking and how to use it?

The author learnt that he had different ideas about what was important and he just had to find the opportunity to use the kind of thinking he had.

Teenage Dreamers by Phillip Tang

1.What are the first two sentences of the story and how do they create a tension in the story?

The opening sentences are short creating tension in addition to the short sentence length it discusses the how the author's father has a supernatural power and that he could predict how and when the person will die.

2. What has happened to the author’s father as a result of his wife’s death?

The author's father started to become obsessed with this actor Leslie Cheung after his wife's death "I could picture him - a short ball of a man with grey-shot hair amongst the throng of girls, screaming at Leslie's concerts. He simply studied the singer on stage with the dreaming eyelids."

3. Consider how the father lives his life and conducts himself and the other people in the theatre for the film the author and his father are watching. How does this relate to the title of the story?

The father was constantly knowing whether or not people are going to die and how and the death prediction his father created drove the author's father to tears similar to the movie.

Pigs from Home

1. How does the author start this story which is in direct contrast to the title of the story? What effect does this have on the reader and their expectations of the story?

The ideology behind 'Pigs from Home' suggests positive connotations while the anecdote the author uses juxtaposes the idea of the pigs being friendly and the childish ideas of happy pigs.

2. What core Vietnamese value is instilled in the author?

The core value instilled into the author was "the belief that any good Vietnamese family was a self-sustaining one" this being is seen in the family by their own farm containing herbs and animals.

3. What is humorous about the mother’s ‘flair for natural medicine’ in regards to her personality?

The mother's 'flair for natural medicine' suggests a superstitious personality and justifies her being a hypochondriac.

4. How does the description of the killing of pigeons continue the style utilised in the introduction of the story?

The description involving the manner the pigeon was killed continues on with the style of the bizarre comparing the traditional Vietnamese culture to the one the author sees as Australia this is seen when the author wonders if other kids have to experience this.

5. What is the author’s opinion of pigs? Give two quotes to support your conclusion.

The author describes pig excrement as bieng "the most repulsive smelling of all" this suggests the authors dislike of anything to do with pigs this is further seen in the quote "no pig has ever been a friend of mine"

6. In the paragraph on pgs 53-54, give two examples of alliteration employed by the author.

"pushed the poultry" and "prime position" are two examples of alliteration in the paragraph on pages 53 to 54.

7. On pg 54 what simile is used to describe pigs? How does this simile work for the situation it is used?

The simile used to describe the pigs in page 54 was "a pig is like the ocean: don't ever turn your back on it" contains irony in the sense of the duck turning its back to the pig. This simile focuses on the the pig being untrustworthy and dangerous at the same time.

8. What simile does the author use to describe her mother sunning herself? How does this relate to the core focus of the story?

The simile used to describe the grandmother was "the only reason she'd leave the house was to sun herself by standing in the driveway and turning herself slowly like a rotisserie chicken" this simile complements the core focus of the story of how different the Vietnamese are compared to the rest of the community.

9. What does the author describe as ‘the divide between the old world and the new’? What do you think is meant by this statement?

The statement 'the divide between the old world and the new' highlights the authors opinions on their parents traditions and ideologies.

Writing Letters

 Bruno -> Grandmother

Dear Grandmother

The time at Out-with as been more exciting everyday with my new friend, but sadly I must leave for Berlin soon and we might never see each other again this saddens me greatly. I remember all the time we spent together talking and sharing jokes but mostly talking about our lives. I have learnt so many things about him and his other people on the other side of the fence but his father has gone missing and me being his friend must go on the ultimate adventure to find his father. This will be out last time together so I hope that it will be the most fun yet and will be the last fond memory with him before I come back to our old home.

I hope to see you soon ... Bruno

Gretel -> Bruno

To my dearest brother

I know that you will receive this letter because you will be found and you will be well. You are the best at going on adventures so you should be the best at survival, mother and I miss you very much (mother sometimes cries when I talk about how you will be back tomorrow or the day after). When you do get home I'm going to hit you so hard for giving us such a scare like that, going off on your own without telling anyone. Other people say that since it has been over a week that you might never be found but I don't believe them, I won't believe them because you are my brother the nicest most adventuring and I know that you will be able to get out of this mess. I miss you so much and I am so sorry for anything that I might had done to make you upset.

I miss you so much ...

Your loving ss

Evaluation Stuart

Most of the questions you had written down were quite good but with no quotes and only page numbers taking time to make people look for the quotes.

The questions he did answer were in-depth placing the question under a new light but how does bubble shatter?

Made some good elaborations on many answers by highlighting irony

Had some good input to the parallel lives questions

It seemed Stuart always had his hand up

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