Ibrahim Something

by Lee Kok Liang

Exclusively presented to you by: Siti Nursyahirah Binti Azmi Syarifah Syarina Bt Sheikh Kamaruzaman Mohammad Syafiq Bin Abdul Majeed Noor Syahirah Binti Noor Mayadi Mohamad Hishamuddin Bin Mohd. Mokhtar

(D20101037208) (D20101038239) (D20101038212) (D20101038305) (D20101039462)

Authors Biography

He was born in 1929, a fourth generation of Chinese lawyer Started writing short stories while he was an undergraduate at the University of Melbourne (some stories published in journals) His stories almost all show piteous, unloved persons in search of understanding and sympathy, and matters to their ultimate essence of love and hate

His works considered true regional stories due to the elements of multiracial people in Malaysia. Kee Tuan Chye, a Malaysian dramatist, commented that LKL's stories depict capsules of his vision of his people

Synopsis

This story is based during the Japanese Occupation period, just before Tanah Melayu achieves its independence. The story begins in a hospital ward where the narrator is introduced as a weight-lifter who is admitted in for the infamous yellow fever that is very common during the Japanese Occupation period. The narrator then learns about the other inmates through the conversations between them. The other inmates are, Kuppu, Ibrahim and a Malay man whose name is not mentioned. Kuppu and Ibrahim enlighten the ward environment with their nonsensical humour daily. The narrator then learns more about this patient named Ibrahim. He finds out the truth about Ibrahim who is a converted Chinese. Ibrahims family cuts the tie when he married a Malay woman and they live on their on till the end.

Plot
Climax

Exposition

Denouement

Exposition The narrator introduces himself as a weight-lifter and he is actually hospitalized. Meanwhile, Kuppu (an Indian patient) is shouting to Ibrahim (fat figured man and a Muslim Chinese ) but actually it is their tradition to curse each other and its funny to them.

Rising action Kuppu and Ibrahim are talking about history of General Kuan Yung but then Kuppu becomes a little bit angry when Ibrahim mocks him as a toddy drinker.
Climax A character mentioned as a herbalist (Ibrahims biological brother) dies.

Falling action The narrator finds out the truth about Ibrahim who is actually a convert Chinese and has married a Malay woman.
Denouement Ibrahim leaves the hospital together with his wife People spreading rumors that Ibrahim has slipped into the jungle with his wife.

Characters & Characterisation

1. Narrator Chinese Body-builder/weight-lifter Minds his own business

2. Ibrahim a fat figured male helpful a good friend of Kuppu a Muslim convert Chinese humorous suffers from bad dreams at night Left the hospital after his brother dies while he was still not recovered

3. Kuppu Indian male suffers from stomach pain nosey humorous

4. The Malay inmate a farmer or fisherman talks bad about Ibrahim and his wife.

5. Ibrahims wife loving and caring loyal

7. Ibrahims brother his bed is opposite the narrators died in the same hospital Ibrahim was admitted. herbalist

Themes
1.

Multicultural identity Example: - Between Ibrahim, Kuppu and the writer himself (Malay, Indian and Chinese) - Different races of patient in a ward during pre-independent

2.

Nativisation - the process of adapting other languages as their most spoken languages
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nativization)

Examples: Variety of words used: pomplet (Indian dish) and hantu in page 237 Kling quai (Chinese word: black boy) in page 235 Multilingual : The writer I had gotten into the habit of being multilinguistic **page 241

3.

Mixed marriage - Between Ibrahim (actually Chinese) and his wife - Something that rarely happen especially in that era (unacceptable by Ibrahims family)
eg: As if you careYou leave him and your sons and went to that woman**page 246

4.

Friendship - Between Ibrahim and Kuppu - Although they are from different races, they are quite close eg: After a while, Ibrahim sighed, walked
over and gently led the Indian out onto the lawn **page 236-237

Moral Values
1.

Respect and understanding promote harmony and unity between multiracial society in Malaysia.

Examples: Kuppu and Ibrahim are full with sense of humours They curse each other in ward but there is no heart feeling (page 235)

2. Friendship can be nurtured between different races and religions. Examples: Kuppu and Ibrahim are good friends even though they are from different races. A single rose can be my garden... A single friend, my world. (They make fun of each other to avoid their boredness)

3.

Unconditional love between spouse can create harmonious, mutually beneficial relationship.

Examples: Ibrahim and his wife are being thoughtful and loving towards each other. **Page 239: Ibrahim had sat up and was eating the food she had brought, talking to her softly. She shook her head several times, smiling. Ibrahim is willing to bear the consequences to lose his family just to be with his wife. Page 185: As if you care. Your only brother. You leave him and your sons and went to that woman.

4.

The importance of family support. Never cut the blood ties as families regardless of race, language or religion. Ibrahim and his wife are living their own lives without any relationship with their families. Page 247: Ibrahim left the evening his brother died and the last I heard was that he had slipped into the jungle with the guerrillas, taking his wife with him.

5.

Never ever judge a book by its cover!

The writer, his father and the Malay neighbour were being prejudiced towards Ibrahim when he had a Malay woman by his side. The writer also had a bad impression towards Ibrahim at first when he thought Ibrahim might hurt Kuppu with his vulgar words. However, it turned out that Ibrahim was not that evil when he helped Kuppu to got up from his bed.
Page 236: After a while, Ibrahim sighed, walked over and gently led the Indian out onto the lawn.

The significant of the story

Guilt is perhaps the most painful companion Ibrahim obviously has done something that he regrets and feels guilty about. That is the reason why he kept having bad dreams.

page 245 line 2 he must do wrong in life because no one has such dreams
page 246 line 11 As if you care. Your only brother. You leave him and your sons and went to that woman From these dialogues, we can assume that Ibrahim probably had converted and married his wife without the blessings of his family, causing them to cut ties with him.

 Ibrahim feels guilty about not having the chance to make peace with his family. Page 247 line 8 Ibrahim left the evening his brother died, although he was still unwell

This shows that Ibrahim could not bare with the passing of his brother and thus decided to leave immediately. It probably has transpired to him that at that moment, his dreams of coming to terms with his family will never come true.
Page 247 line 13 for our country was still big and lonely enough for people like Ibrahim and his wife to live their own lives without dreams

The Significant of the title

-

The title Ibrahim Something shows significance of a nobody. Ibrahim is a Chinese person. However, he is just introduced as Ibrahim Something instead of using his family name, which tells the reader that he has been exiled by his family when he converts.

Ibrahim also is a mysterious character where the narrator does not introduce him but he develops to be a strong character in the story that he becomes Ibrahim something, not just any other Ibrahim.

ISSUES
1.

Nativisation
There are characters that sounds so familiar to Malaysian context ;Ibrahim, Kuppu and Ah Chang. Lee Kok Liang purposely introduces words like sarong, rokok, babi, hantu lembu, selendang, baju, kling quai (Hokkien: black boy) and pomplet (Indian: a traditional dish) just to keep the authenticity and the essence of the native languages intact, along with English.

On certain occasions, the grammatical rules of Malay language were mixed up with English. -The application of the suffixes -lah Eg : Your pain is nothing, your shameful thing lah.- Ibrahim -The unintentional usage of har and aiya eg : You think what this is, har?Ibrahim Aiya, so

2. Acceptance of mixed marriage and conversion during Japanese Occupation

Mixed marriage and conversion of religion were not well-accepted during that time. Ibrahim was blamed by his family for marrying a Malay girl and was thrown away by the family.
Until the moment his brother is dying, he is still reluctant to go to him. This is probably because he is not welcomed in the family anymore.

3. Colonialism

Indications of such event are highlighted in the story by the mention of the event itself by the narrator. During the Japanese Occupation I was sent to hospital. shaken down by vibrations from bombs dropped by the British. Those that had not been banned by the Japanese military authority shows the control that they the Japanese laid out to the people of Malaya.

References

http://theburnedblog.wordpress.com/2010/03/18/a-study-onnativisation-of-the-english-language-in-%E2%80%98ibrahimsomething%E2%80%99/ http://sitiradziah.blogspot.com/2005/04/background-of-writer-lee-kokliang.html