TSL3102 Literature in English

We Could **** You, Mr. Birch

Author: Kee Thuan Chye Task: Discuss the theme (Social Structure) Group Members: Norzie, Jess, Diyana, Angel, Jee May

THEME

Social Structure

Social structure
is a system of geographically dispersed rules and practices that influence the actions and outcomes of large numbers of social actors. consists of rules, institutions, and practices. is socially embodied in the actions, thoughts, beliefs, and durable dispositions of individual human beings. is effective in organizing behavior of large numbers of actors. assigns roles and powers to individual actors. often has distributive consequences for individuals and groups. is geographically dispersed. can cause social outcomes involving both persistence and change.

1. Gender Bias
Portrayed how women are treated during that time & present time. Portrayed by two female characters, Kuntum the slave girl, and Mastura, daughter of Maharaja Lela.
Example:
The actor playing Lela tells his daughter, Mastura that it is the custom that women must serve their husband & nothing more than that (p.30) Women have their limit while talking. (p.39) Dont talk back! A slave has no right to talk back to her master.(p.42)

2. Modern vs traditional thinking

Mastura seemed has a modern thinking while Dato Maharaja Lela seemed to have a traditional thinking where they were arguing about what Mastura should do in her life.
Dato thinks that women should get married and fulfil her husband needs. Mastura thinks that women also need to get a good education & she wants to study abroad & get to know the world first. She wondered that why women cannot be a leader. (p.30&31)

3. Patriarchal Society
Men dominated society Wife considered as slave for the husband. Husband was their master or lord. The man is her lord and master. (pg34) Even a slave is lord and master over his wife. (pg34) A woman must serve her husband. (p.34)

4. Master and Slave

When the person owe money and cannot afford to pay, they have to become slave to pay the debt. Slave has to listen what master has asked to do. Slave cannot says No when Master says Yes.

Datuk says it will take another 10 years for my husband to pay his debt. (p.44)

5. Chiefs and the local peoples

Local people has to pay taxes for the chiefs They die for the tradition and culture. Chief will get benefits by receiving taxes from the people. He wants us to give up our right to collect taxes. (p.31) We are chiefs. The money must come to us (p.32)