The Moral support of Presence
relationships
characters
themes
Writer's craft
Title
Treatment of religion
The mother
the father
Mun
Alexa-the secretary/ girlfriend
Mun and Ma
Mun and Pa
Mun and Alexa
Presence and absence
commercialisation of Death
Treatment of death
Mun feels Ma's death, or absence strongly yet she feels suggestions of her -want mother to be at her side
Ma's orderly ways and fixation with wanting to catergorize everything (psychological coping mechanism) and how she has ordered Mun's world remains after her death.
unpredictable:
superstitious
humourous portrayal
Mun addresses us directly
elusive/ did not share things with Mun
Carnations
Fear of Tight spaces/ claustrophobic?
Songs- Ma's longing for a closeness with others and companionship
although Ma is dead, she is still much more present/ comforting to Mun than her own fater who makes himself obnoxiously known at the funeral
Mun refers to Ma as if she is still alive at some instances
emotional presence more comforting than physical one?
Mun's deep sense of empathy for Ma's pain in the issue with the child and affair
Ma's support of prescence even though she may not be alive - Moth- closure for mun -her memeory transcends death and she remains a presence for Mun
absent and uncaring- recollection at 8 yrs old
very close, yet do not always disclose everything to each other
not close, very distant
Mun doesn't welcome him at all
reduced to 'him'
although the father is alive, he has never been present in Mun's life, even as a child
shameless, dramatic and attention seeking
loud and crass, given to theatrics
estranged relationship with mun
took care of Mun, attempts at being friendly
out of guilt?
2 religious leaders reduced to peddling 'wares' (funeral packages) (humorous portrayal to emphasize how ridiculous and out of place it is
opening of the story- sets the stage for a painfully ironic title
they are supposed to be a comforting prescence yet they don't seem sincere at all, rather competing with each other
incongruity of what we expect religious leaders to be and act like and the provision of such services
attention to details in the funeral packages, like a marketing ploy
Taoism
artefacts
superstitions
Christianity
Church
religious trapping
religious jargon
the 'innocent looking' girl
procedural, perfunctory funeral arrangements
Cold, Clinical efficiency
Family
What is family?
blood ties
chosen family
importance and significance of family
subverted societal expectations of family
role of family
Grief and Grieving
religious beliefs
how does one grieve?
outward signs of grief
different ways of griveing
Mun subverts the typical expectations of how we expect one to grieve
seems angry and annoyed almost
is this her way of compartmentalising and coping?
humour as a coping mechanism
Sincerity
meaning of sincerity
how is sincerity manifested?
auntie with the noodles
what is moral support?
physical presence or just knowing that they they are there for you?
sincerity of moral support
importance of moral support
Mun's attachment to her mother
Mun knows Ma very well except for the church thing and is considerate of her when planning the funeral
bitterness and unresolved tension
his actions in the affair and split affected Mun very much
she is angry at him and doesn't want to be associated with him or think about him at all
father doesn't know her and they never contact each other
cares very much about her mother
uses humour as a way to deal with the death
insincere
no hard feelings or bitterness
mutual respect between them
pregnant
click to edit
marginalisation
single parent families
mental health stigma
bringing someone comfort
role of religion as moral support
Taoist - comfort is knowing that the dead have a lavish and rich afterlife and material possessions emphasized
Christianity could have given ma comfort yet it doesnt do anything for Mun
Comforting in grief
link to caveman
marginalised in the story
doesn't get acceptance from those who should have given it to her- ie the father
mental health stigma
doesnt have a voice in the story as she is dead
the Moth
sig: to Mun, its her mother's spirit finally free, and giving her a source of comfort and closure
unexpected start/ surprising portrayals
symbol of hope
death isnt just nothing, your soul will live on, there is an afterlife and the dead are still in essense here
moral support-shows that the dead haven't left completely and
happy/ rosy ending
single parent family
Father nand alexa and the baby is a typical family unit that is much more easily accepted in society
do not receive as much support
divorcee stigma?
funeral arrangements
superstitious
simon
overseas
not physically there, yet seems to be very concerned about Mun
click to edit