The coffin is too big

The Coffin is too big for the Hole ~ Kuo Pao Kun~ Farhana Henusha Syuhadah Amirah Syifa Kuo Pao Kun Was a playwright, theatre director, and arts activist In Singapore, he wrote and directed both Mandarin and English plays. The Coffin is too big for the Hole was his first play in English. He is regarded widely as the pioneer of Singapore Theater. Usually, his plays are based on social issues and questionings. The PPAS (The Practice Performing Arts School) was founded by both Kuo and Goh (his wife) as the Singapore Performing Arts School. It aimed to integrate dance, drama and music training, and create a symbiosis between creative performance and arts education. Kuo served as principal of the school until 2002. He was diagnosed with kidney cancer in July 2001. And, passed away on 10 September 2002, at the age of 63, from kidney and liver cancer. Cultural Context Stationed in Singapore, the land issues in the play is pretty much relatable because of the geographic constrains faced by the country. Living together as a big family is very much fancied by Singaporean families. E.g. The grandfather was mad that one by one, all of his family members were drifting away from their family home. A handsome coffin is a source of pleasure and something to be proud of for the family members of the deceased. In this play, we can see the stereotypical salesman who have memorized his catch while conversing with customers. E.g. I know, sir, *+ Change into a smaller coffin. We have a wide range of coffins. We have very big ones too, although not so big as this one, but which could fit the standard holes. We even have teak-wood ones. Very lasting This reminded us of some of the service staff in Singapore. The characters take up a Singlish tone while conversing in a casual state. E.g. OK, forget it. Hurry up and dig the hole bigger. (dig the hole bigger is used in place of dig a bigger hole. The Singaporeans converse as spontaneously as this in informal agendas. A magnificent, decorated sarcophagus, in this case never cease to get attention from the media. E.g. People were clicking away with their cameras when the grandson along with the coolies were struggling to keep the coffin from falling.

The coffin is too big

Themes Power and status Firmness and fairness A sense of responsibility Pride and egoism Power and status People use their money and position to get what they want or to fulfil their dreams. This story portrayed the desire of a very rich family to be different from others in order to make themselves the focuses of the public, including the way they handle the funeral. - In this story, the grandfather wanted to have a grand funeral and ordered a very big rare coffin for himself which at the end caused problems at the funeral. Firmness and fairness The funeral officer - In the story, the manager was portrayed as a person who stood firm to his principle and treated everyone in the same manner. - He did not want to give another plot to the particular family. The grandson The grandson does not want to delay the funeral of his grandfather and insisted in getting another plot for his grandfather and to proceed on the same day. Evidence: No. No. No! I cant delay it and I wont delay it. Pg 43, para 4 A sense of responsibility - This story unfolds the burden carried by a grandson as a new head of family. His first responsibility is to complete his grandfathers funeral as the way he dreamed of. - The play also talked about the problems faced by the grandson at the funeral and how he addressed them. - Evidence The grandson had to make a quick and wise decision on what to do next, when the coffin could not get into the hole. Pride and egoism - In a desperate situation, people will think about themselves only and start to be selfish. - This play shows the selfish side of a desperate person who does not think about other people except his family and his pride. - Evidence: - The grandson did not want to delay the funeral in order to uphold the dignity of his family. LITERARY CRITICISM ON THE COFFIN IS TOO BIG FOR THE HOLE GROUP 2 BEATRICE

The coffin is too big

CHEONG ZI HOONG HONG YIN YIN LEE LI WEN o---Synopsis---o The grandson and his relatives are mourning at the funeral of the his grandfather. When the funeral procession reaches the cemetery, the family realizes that the big, grand coffin does not fit the standard hole prepared by the undertaker. The grandson asks the undertaker enlarge the burial plot size, but the undertaker maintains that this is impossible due to the state policy. Synopsis Undeterred, the grandson drags the undertaker along to meet the officer-in-charge of the public burial grounds. But the officer-in-charge also echoes the same principle of "no exception to the rule" and instead offers various alternatives to ensure the state policy would remain inviolate. None of these alternatives satisfies the grandson , who remains adamant and even threatens to have his family camp overnight in the cemetery in protest. The authorities eventually accede to the grandson's request, but sternly warn that such exceptions will not be tolerated again. LITERARY CRITICISM 1. POLITICAL CRITICISM 2. SOCIAL CRITISICM POLITICAL CRITICISM The plays criticized the political condition of Singapore in early 1980s. The dramatist criticized the rigid, unaccommodating style of the government of Singapore in 1960s, 1970s early 1980s In this play, the dramatist also showed us the changes of government style of Singapore in 1980s. During the 1960s and 70s, the People's Action Party (PAP) adopted a governing style which emphasized that decisions should ultimately be made by the state and not from the people's perspectives. This is mirrored in the played by the officer-in-charge who rejected the requested of the grandson due to the national planning at that time. Toward 1980s, as an increasing majority of Singaporeans became "better educated and better informed, the people were becoming less tolerant and frustrate of the government's omission of public opinion and sentiment in its dogmatic pursuit of state interest. These feelings of frustration and exasperation towards the authorities are mirrored by the grandson in the play who feels that the officer-in-charge and the undertaker are more preoccupied with their "national planning" policies. In the play , the grandson admonishes the authorities to look beyond their pragmatic, unsentimental approach towards everything, and have the humanity, understanding and attentive to consider the difficult situation in which he and his family find themselves.

The coffin is too big

In order to ease public disapproval and retain public support, the government to reform its public image, from rigid and unaccommodating to sympathetic and humane. This show in the play where the cemetery authorities finally allow the grandson to have his way is mainly driven by concern over their public image. The officer-in-charge, after careful deliberation over the grandson's outburst, agrees to make a "very special exception" for the grandson, citing as reasons that "we don't want people to misunderstand us, to read us as being disrespectful to traditions, as being hard and unaccommodating to even the dead (pg44) The cemetery authorities' concern is to appear humane and understanding to the public, and to correct or prevent any perceptions that they are "hard and unaccommodating." The officer-in-charge's gradual softening in attitude is strikingly similar to the changes in the government's attitude during the 1980s. SOCIAL CRITICISM In the play, the dramatist criticize the social condition of Singapore during 1980. In this play, the dramatist portrayed us the feeling of frustration and exasperation of Singaporean towards the authorities in 1980s. This can be seen by the grandson in the play who showing his dissatisfaction, frustrated toward the rigid and unaccommodating principle of "no exception to the rule. The dramatist also showed the changes of government attitude in 1980s due to the pressure of public sentiment towards their rigid and unaccommodating actions. This have been showed in the play where the cemetery authorities finally accede to the grandson's request to enlarge the burial plot size. THE END The Coffin is Too Big for the Hole by Kuo Pao Kun Summary The filial grandson demands from the officer-in-charge of the burial sites for a larger hole because his grandfathers coffin is too big for the hole. But, the officer-in-charge is too rigid to follow the policy. At last, the grandfather get an exception to be buried in two plot. But, because the coffin is too big, the decease slept east-west and not north-south. Thus, this plays intention is to mock the Singapore society rigidity by exaggerating the situation in order to show how ridiculous the society are. Theme Reluctance to adapt changes Singapores limited space makes the state rigidly restricts its allocation of spaces for the individual so that the can be maximizing for the national development. Characters Grandson Filial grandson Responsible for his family Firm - insists on being given an extra plot for his grandfathers grave. (page 38)

The coffin is too big

Grandfather Traditional like the olden days - expecting a huge and grand funeral like the olden days. (page 33) Rich old man Well prepared prepare his coffin early before he died. The undertaker presents the society that always follow the rules and does not have sense of humanity to solve problem. (page 37) Bureaucrat (Officer-in-charge) Negotiable and firm. He give an exception for the grandson to buried the coffin in two plot. Creative give suggestion for the grandson to delay the funeral until the next day so that his father can be buried next to a babys coffin.

Setting His grandfathers house Too big Show that the protagonist and his family from a wealthy background. His father is rich, he wants a grand coffin for his funeral. Important, shows the wealth of the family Cemetery The real conflict happen which is the coffin is too big for the hole. The parlour director keeps saying You see sir..... The undertaker cannot make the plot wider because he has work according to a standard size. (page 36) Officer-in-charge is uncompromising: He reluctant to widen to plot because he is following the rule which is one plot allocated to one person. Singapore Show how strict rules produce a society that follows the order. Densely populated nation with a small space. This play shows how ridiculous the rule are. Social setting Small population country Unwilling to adapt changes. They follow the culture to buried the decease. They should consider cremation to reduce the using of spaces in their small country. But, they refused to do so. Time : 1970s Singapore wanted to build their own identity Produce a good image and identity by using the law to make it possible. Negative effect : They are not flexible and too rigid to accept changes.