Introduction by Alice Pung
1. What were Asian-Australians referred to as when the author was growing up?
- They Asian people were referred to as 'power points'.
2. How does she interpret this title?
- the Asian people were referred to as power points because they came across as dweeby and they has ' electrifying brain power'.
3. What did this title actually refer to? Did the author find this demeaning? Why/why not?
- She did not find this demeaning. She in some way saw it as a complement of her intellect.
4. ‘All that untapped potential! All that electrifying brain power!’ What techniques are being employed by the author? How does they highlight he misunderstanding?
- the author uses repetition and adjectives in this. She misunderstands this because it is really used against her.
5. What did the teen author take away from teen fiction? What did she feel that she needed to do? Why? What does this say is essential to fitting in to a culture?
- She felt like she needed extensive plastic surgery. She decided that she needed to read John Marsden and Robert Cornier instead, beause they spoke more honestly. This says that they were suggesting that people should look and have level of intelligence and personallity to fit in to the culture.
6. Who are the authors that she turns to? Why?
-She turns to John Marsden and Robert Cornier. She thought that they spoke more honestly.
7. In the third paragraph how does the author use repetition. How does it highlight the focus of this book?
- she uses repetition of " the first ....." e.g. the first love, the first heartbreak, the first epiphany etc. This highlights what the whole book is about but from an Asian perpective.
8. What metaphor does the author use to highlight the writers and the writing style in the third paragraph?
" plucking the most garish fruit from the lowest hanging branches of an exotic cultural tree" She is trying to highlight that all the authors are labeling all Asians as the same. She also says that all Asains are different through her metaphor.
9. Why does the author use a quote in the 4th paragraph? What does it say about her reaction to the stories in the book?
- She uses a quote of the book to point out how the book would relate if the name of it was changed.
10. On page 2 the author talks about the themes that she loosely choose for the collection. What are they and why is it ironic that they show up in this book?
- She talks about the two books that were about mediating betwen two cultures; 'water buffalo' and ' the courage of soldiers. This is ironic because the authors of those books would of been facing the same problems and written a book aswell.
11. At the bottom of pg 3 on to page 4 the author says that sociologists have described Asians as the ‘model minority’. What is meant by this? What difficulties arise out of this label for young Asian-Australians?
- the ' model minority' described by the sociologist is trying to imply that Asian Australian's work hard, study hard and conform to the expectations and ideals of the dominant culture. This is a problem because it can be a burden to Asian Australians because it suggests that money, education, career and fame define their value of contribution to society.
12. What are the editor’s hopes for the collection of stories?
she hopes that their true identities can be revealed and that their culture is being understood.
Pigs from Home by Hop Dac
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?
- it contrasts because she talks about George Clooneys pigs which has got is opposite to the title. This creates curiosity in the reader.
2. What core Vietnamese value is instilled in the author?
- That he keeps pigs just for the meat.
3. What is humorous about the mother’s ‘flair for natural medicine’ in regards to her personality?
- her flair for natural medicine in regards to her personallity is humorous because she come sfrom a long line of hypochondriacs.
4. How does the description of the killing of pigeons continue the style utilised in the introduction of the story?
- they killed the pigeons by holding their legs and hitting it on the head with a cast iron stove. This description continues the style utilized at the introduction of the story because it is unique, unusual but normal form his perceptive.
5. What is the author’s opinion of pigs? Give two quotes to support your conclusion.
- The author hates pigs " of all the animals you can keep pigs are by far the worst smelling" and " 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.
-" thankless task that was." can't find others
7. On pg 54 what simile is used to describe pigs? How does this simile work for the situation it is used?
- " a pig is like an ocean, never turn your back on it". This works with the wituation because the pig came across as calm natured until he realised it ' bit the ducks arse off '.
8. What simile does the author use to describe her mother sunning herself? How does this relate to the core focus of the story?
- " turning her head like a rotisserie chicken" This relates tot he core focus of the story because it describes how there way of life is different to other cultures but different in their own way.
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?
- that banging the duck with the pan, defeathering it and making congee out of it was very traditional.
10. What is the author’s reaction to the slaughter of the pig at night? What statement does the author make about the neighbours which displays the way he feels about the whole experience? What is important about including this statement?
- his reaction was that he wondered if the girl he caught the school bus with could hear the commotion. this shows that he was either emabarrased or didn't want others to think of them differently. This statement is important because he was scared whether people would think of them badly because of it.
11. Why don’t the parents have pigs anymore? How does this relate to the description of the burial of the last pig they owned?
- they have killed all the pigs?
12. How would you characterise the description of the mother’s treatment of the pig’s blood? Is it appetising?
The description of the throat cutting and the blood squirting out on to her arm sounds very grusome. not appetising at all.
13. What is ironic about the way the author has a popular Vietnamese dish? What is it about the way the author describes the experience of having pigs that makes it ironic?
- Because of how long the description of the making of the Vietnamese dish is, it is ironic because it makes it seem like they are different because it describes how they make it in detail.
14. How does this story relate to the title Pigs from Home?
The food is eaten with pigs blood.
15. Why do you think this story is in the Battlers section of the book?
Because it describes the effort that put in towards tradition.
