Sing to the Dawn
Sounds very familiar to you right? Especially to the literature students during their Secondary school times. Yes, I borrowed the book again to read it, probably for the 5th or 6th time. It's very nice and aspiring. It can make me very emotional whenever I read the book.
The Dawn is actually a scholarship given to students in Thailand. From what I know in the book, every village has a one-and-only chance each year to send one student for the scholarship. Unfortunately(I don't know whether it's still happening now), it is based on many years ago and most of the villagers are farmer dominant. I.e. The more important roles are farming in these rural areas and it isn't easy getting money from little surpluses. Other from that, they have to pay to landlords whom squeeze more than 60% of their total reap. The character "Dawan" made a very clear question that "why landlords own the land?". In fact, it can be easily answered as due to inheritance but it's an ambiguous answer that will still lead to more ambiguous questions.
The book also beautifully illustrates a form of prejudice undiscrimination or prejudice discrimination in the parts of the country*. It can be seen as a form of socialisation among the villagers to think that way and has been passed through generations to generations. Females in these parts are only thought to be wives and to give in to their husbands or to their male counterparts. I.e. No matter what, whatever a male says, a female has to give in to it. I guess in our society now, it's very questionable on how to system is able to linger for that long. But as they say, different societies practice different forms of practices.
"Noi", "Dawan's" cousin, did explain alot on the dreadful sights of the City, that's where "Dawan" will be going to study. She did mention the bar-girls and poor children that have to find ways to sell things to earn money in the City, including their own bodies. It is very comman of girls around 14 and above to be prostitutes serve the foreign soldiers. However, it can be seen that these soldiers are as lonely as these children who come to the City. They have nothing other than going into the battlefield and have left behind their families. Well, these are "Noi's" opinions.
The chapter on how the religious head monk tries to convince "Dawan" that attaining Narvana is the most important thing in life other than studying is rather intruiging. However, I was very disgusted when he blurted out that "Dawan" is merely a schoolgirl. A schoolgirl that stood her grounds? Who wants to TRY to make a difference? I think that's really brave/bold of her. But then, if we see it in the religious way, somehow, if you want something so badly, it will only bring more suffering. To escape from suffering, we must lose our wants...
The story brings it to a greater height when "Dawan" confronts her brother "Kwai", that "Kwai" was selfish and displayed these male traits(in a male dominating area), even to a point of hurting his own sister. Not only that, scenes of "Vichai" bullying his sister "Bao" and "Dawan's" father sternly rejecting her from going for further studies and give hints that guys are better off studying rather than girls, are all signs of females losing out to their male counterparts. In fact, there was this line that "Noi" even states life can be so tiring and sad that you would just drop all hopes and live with what is there then;there is no use changing anything.
There's always a constant struggle bettwen "Dawan" and "Kwai" about the scholarship. "Kwai" acts very immaturely in trying ways to get the chance from his sister. But it's not strange, especially when you get to know that "Kwai" too wants to make a difference. Just that he is too rash and maybe due to their culture, he thinks the possiblity of him getting it than his sister is much much higher. I don't dispise "Kwai's" actions as it is rather understandable. Just imagine you lose your one chance to studying to your sibling? And that you think there's no need for your sibling to attain that previlege, you would do anything to get it back?
Anyway, the story is rather well illustrated with hidden meanings and expressions. I like reading this book because it has some deep meaning inside that gives me some inspiration. It gives me a chance to question myself, why people in these rural areas act like that and what is it compared to our society right now? Don't mistaken for me trying to emphasize any form of ethnosentrism here. I'm just making comparisons, not judging them. Though it's a secondary school literature textbook, I would recommend to friends to read it at least once. I really enjoyed reading it and wish all my friends to enjoy it too...
*The information given above may not be true. It is only what I interpreted from the book. For those I've offended, pls accept my sincere apologies. Thank you.
Inspirated
The Mixed Boy
The Dawn is actually a scholarship given to students in Thailand. From what I know in the book, every village has a one-and-only chance each year to send one student for the scholarship. Unfortunately(I don't know whether it's still happening now), it is based on many years ago and most of the villagers are farmer dominant. I.e. The more important roles are farming in these rural areas and it isn't easy getting money from little surpluses. Other from that, they have to pay to landlords whom squeeze more than 60% of their total reap. The character "Dawan" made a very clear question that "why landlords own the land?". In fact, it can be easily answered as due to inheritance but it's an ambiguous answer that will still lead to more ambiguous questions.
The book also beautifully illustrates a form of prejudice undiscrimination or prejudice discrimination in the parts of the country*. It can be seen as a form of socialisation among the villagers to think that way and has been passed through generations to generations. Females in these parts are only thought to be wives and to give in to their husbands or to their male counterparts. I.e. No matter what, whatever a male says, a female has to give in to it. I guess in our society now, it's very questionable on how to system is able to linger for that long. But as they say, different societies practice different forms of practices.
"Noi", "Dawan's" cousin, did explain alot on the dreadful sights of the City, that's where "Dawan" will be going to study. She did mention the bar-girls and poor children that have to find ways to sell things to earn money in the City, including their own bodies. It is very comman of girls around 14 and above to be prostitutes serve the foreign soldiers. However, it can be seen that these soldiers are as lonely as these children who come to the City. They have nothing other than going into the battlefield and have left behind their families. Well, these are "Noi's" opinions.
The chapter on how the religious head monk tries to convince "Dawan" that attaining Narvana is the most important thing in life other than studying is rather intruiging. However, I was very disgusted when he blurted out that "Dawan" is merely a schoolgirl. A schoolgirl that stood her grounds? Who wants to TRY to make a difference? I think that's really brave/bold of her. But then, if we see it in the religious way, somehow, if you want something so badly, it will only bring more suffering. To escape from suffering, we must lose our wants...
The story brings it to a greater height when "Dawan" confronts her brother "Kwai", that "Kwai" was selfish and displayed these male traits(in a male dominating area), even to a point of hurting his own sister. Not only that, scenes of "Vichai" bullying his sister "Bao" and "Dawan's" father sternly rejecting her from going for further studies and give hints that guys are better off studying rather than girls, are all signs of females losing out to their male counterparts. In fact, there was this line that "Noi" even states life can be so tiring and sad that you would just drop all hopes and live with what is there then;there is no use changing anything.
There's always a constant struggle bettwen "Dawan" and "Kwai" about the scholarship. "Kwai" acts very immaturely in trying ways to get the chance from his sister. But it's not strange, especially when you get to know that "Kwai" too wants to make a difference. Just that he is too rash and maybe due to their culture, he thinks the possiblity of him getting it than his sister is much much higher. I don't dispise "Kwai's" actions as it is rather understandable. Just imagine you lose your one chance to studying to your sibling? And that you think there's no need for your sibling to attain that previlege, you would do anything to get it back?
Anyway, the story is rather well illustrated with hidden meanings and expressions. I like reading this book because it has some deep meaning inside that gives me some inspiration. It gives me a chance to question myself, why people in these rural areas act like that and what is it compared to our society right now? Don't mistaken for me trying to emphasize any form of ethnosentrism here. I'm just making comparisons, not judging them. Though it's a secondary school literature textbook, I would recommend to friends to read it at least once. I really enjoyed reading it and wish all my friends to enjoy it too...
*The information given above may not be true. It is only what I interpreted from the book. For those I've offended, pls accept my sincere apologies. Thank you.
Inspirated
The Mixed Boy
posted by -=The Mixed Boy=- at 5/09/2006 11:33:00 AM
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