A NEW YEAR’S DAY LUNCH

IN KIA PENG BY KARIM RASLAN

SUMMARY• A New Year's Day Lunch at Jalan Kia Peng tells the story of a rich

widow, Cik Bainun. She lives with her niece, Latifah and the houseboy, Fuad in her late husband’s house at Jalan Kia Peng. She stills follows the tradition left behind by her late husband by ensuring all her (grown-up) children return to their house in Jalan Kia Peng for the New Year. Her husband died 18 months ago. After her husband died she went to Mecca to get gallons of holy water. She use the holy water and sprinkle the precious water over the grave twice a week. Cik Bainun and Zul have three children who are Mahani, Meriam and Raja Kamarul. Datuk Mahani is a successful woman as a Director of Hospital University and Kam is envy with her. She was married with Mahmud who then married with another woman and use the excuse of avoiding him committing ‘zina’. Meriam is a second daughter in the family and is a homely woman. She is married with Shahrir who is a MARA lecturer. The last one is Kam who is an architect and married to Mazlinda (Chew Mei Mei) a ‘muallaf’.

SUMMARY• During the lunch, they had the conversation with each other

until Kam told his plan to knock down his late father’s house and build a condominium. However, Mahani doesn’t agree because she knows that her mother really love the house. They argue about that and they were stop by Cik Bainun. Then, they have a badminton match which is another New Year’s Day ritual. During the match, Cik Bainun thought that both, Mahani and Kam are friends together and had already settle down with their argument about the house. But, actually Kam never stop thinking about his plan. Therefore, he met Shahrir, Meriam’s huband and threat him because he is not doing his work on persuading Meriam to persuade Mahani. He threat to tell about Shahrir mistress, an English lecturer and the abortion that they had done before. He wanted to build the condominium as soon as possible and he did not want to put himself into another New Year lunch again.

LITERARY THEORIES

1.CULTURAL CRITICISM2.FEMINISM CRITICISM

CultureThe beliefs, way of life,

art, and customs that

are shared and accepted by people in a

particular society.

Cultural studies does not adhere to any single

methodology

Interpret events as product of our culture.

Borrows methodologi

es from other

approaches to analyze a wide range of cultural

products and practiceCultural

Theory

Culture Critical Analysis OnA New Year’s Day Lunch In

Kia PengBy Karim Raslan

Culture Critical Analysis

1. The events in this short story really portray the culture of elite community. (the way of their life)• Having a family gathering every new year with a large

lunch party.• Eg: “for nearly forty years now Raja Zulkarnain’s family and friends, or rather the late Raja Zulkarnain’s family and friends , had gathered at his residence off the tree-lined Jalan Kia Peng, in order to herald in the New Year with a large lunch-party.”

• Cik Bainun using silver set and Noritake dinner set for the New Year lunch. Engraved on the centre of the tray-” To the Director-General on his retirement from the grateful staff of the Ministry of Transport March 31st 1974”.

• Eg:“… the silver that’s under my bed. It’s got to be used some time…”

2. Most events practice Malays' culture which is respect the elder. (customs)• They greet each other well. Kam hugged his

mother. Sabrina kiss her grandmother’s hand and greets all her aunts and uncles.

• Eg:“…he said in English and he hugged her. Sabrina bobbed down to kiss her grandmother’s hand as Mei kissed her mother-in-law on both cheeks warmly.”

Culture Critical Analysis

• Use the proper title for each other like, ‘auntie’ and ‘uncle’. This is to show respect in Malays’ custom.

• Eg:“Sorry Auntie Mahani, Uncle Kam said to get on with it.”

3. The work presentation condemn the Muslim's culture that occur in the society. (the belief)• Muslims are prohibit to be in contact with the

opposite sex but, in this short story told that Mahani had been kissed by Din who is her cousin. Even though it about the past but, it still illegal to do according to religion(Islam).

• Eg:“ He had lured her behind the chicken coop at the back of the garden, grabbed her hands and placed his mouth over her’s.”

Culture Critical Analysis

• Kam use to have mistress even though Muslims are forbid to have any relationship with opposite sex before married. It shows they do not follow the rule stated in Islam.

• Eg:“Kam, her husband was not a man of great emotion – in fact his last mistress but one, ‘Jamilah Jamboo’ (on account of the firmness of her buttocks) had commented…”

Feminism theory

-Belief in social, political and economic equality of the sexes.

-Is an outgrowth of the several movement to empower women worldwide.

-The goal of feminism are:•To demonstrate the importance of women•To reveal that historically women have been subordinate to men.

Branch of feminism:1) Socialist feminism – views

women’s oppression as stemming from their work

in the family and the economy

2) Radical feminism – men control norms of acceptable

sexual behavior

Feminism critical analysis 1) The story portray that the women in this story are strong.- Cik Bainun is strong when her husband Raja Zulkarnain

dead. Textual evidence: She had conducted herself with

considerable restraint at her husband’s funeral. - Mahani is a strong person as her husband had a second

wife and successful in her carrier.Textual evidence: “Mahani was married with four grown-up

children, three grandchildren and one erring husband whose latest misdemeanor had been acquisition of a second wife.-”

2) The story shows that women are capable to success in their own way.

- Mahani get the title Datuk and she is the Director of the University Hospital.

Textual evidence: “For Mahani, the eldest daughter, a ‘Datuk’ in her own right and the Director of the University Hospital…..”

- Meriam is a successful housewife.Textual evidence: “Meriam, the second daughter (also a

grandmother) was a more homely woman…… she considered it her duty to apply her own very stringent and parsimonious housekeeping principles to her mother’s kitchen.”

Feminism critical analysis

3) Women play an important part in this story- Cik Bainun is a main character in this story. She

is the head of the family after her husband death. She is the one who stopped her children quarrel at the lunch.

Textual evidence: “ silence!silence! I will not have this kind of talk at my table. Please for your late father’s sake.”

“both of you, apologise!”

Feminism critical analysis

- Kam want to use Meriam to persuade her eldest sister to agree for his action to knock down their father house and build condominium.

- Textual evidence: “ There’s no such thing as a free lunch Shahrir. I‘ve paid you already. You’d better work on your fat wife. Get he to persuade Mahani or I’ll tell her about your problem with the English lecturer-abortion was it?.."

Feminism critical analysis

THE END