Through the Wall

By: Pretam Kaur

Once upon a time, there were two houses joined together. Actually it was one
house, with one roof, but because two different families lived in it, that made it two
houses. In the first house lived, a Punjabi man. In the second lived a Chinese man.
The Punjabi man had a wife and a family of boys and a little girl. He kept cows. The
Chinese man rode a trishaw and he also had a wife a few children. The house of the
Punjabi man and the Chinese man had one wall in between, and there were many
cracks and chinks in the plank wall. The Punjabi family could peep through the
chinks and see what was going on the Chinese house. They didnt know if the
Chinese people also took the peeps at them. The wall did not reach right up to roof,
and both houses shared a common open top. The Punjabi children would sometimes
climb up the planks and look right down into the Chinese house.
These two houses and its people had stayed side by side for some time, and
they were friends. The Chinese lady soon began to grow big in the family way and
the little girl didnt know what was happening to her. She, with the mouth opening
curious suspense, would stare at the Chinese woman and when the woman looked
at her, she would close her mouth and look away, and then look again when the
Chinese woman was not looking. This went on for some time and the little girl still did
not know what had happened. At the same time, one of the cows belonging to the
Punjabi man began to expect a calf. The little girl couldnt tell the difference in the
cow because it looked like the other cows. Only its getting fatter, she thought.
This went on for quite a long time and the little girl couldnt forget the Chinese
woman for her always there. One morning, the little girl heard strange loud cries
coming through the wall. It was like the loud crying of the cat. The little girls mother
quickly ran into the Chinese ladys house, and when the little girl tried to follow, the
mother chased her away, saying that she would be slapped if she followed. The little
girl ran into the kitchen at the back to see if the noise came from there. But it did not
it came through the wall. Then she quickly put her eyes to the holes and chinks,
but she could only see the legs of the bed and her mothers feet. The little girl didnt
know what to do. She wanted to know what made the noise, she wanted to see, yet

could not see. Looking up she saw her brother clinging to the edge and looking
over. She tried to climb too, but he would not let her come up, and scolded her and
kicked at her. Meanwhile the cat-meows went on and the little girl could not see
anything. Her brother would not tell what he saw, and when he came down after
some time he wouldnt even look at her. And then the mother came back and said
that the lady had a new baby girl.
As the mother was washing her hands, a shout came from the father that their
cow was calving. The little girl was given a tin of brown sugar and asked to take it to
the father. The girl ran up the hill to the cow-shed and saw the calf. It was a little girl
calf, and all white and brown and sticky; and the mother cow was licking it. The
father took the brown sugar and sweetened the mouth of the calf and told the little
girl to stay away or the cow would butt her. The little girl calf was all new and could
not stand properly and kept falling and its mother followed it around. The little girl
had seen many news calves before, but this time she was struck with wonder that
the girl calf and the baby girl of the Chinese woman should come at the same time;
and she told this to the father, and said that it was a good thing.
The calf and the baby girl grew together, and the little girl thought that the calf
was more beautiful. The Chinese woman was very white but had a flat nose and
small eyes which the Punjabi mother said were not all pretty. The Chinese mother
hung a steel spring from a beam on the roof and stuck a sarong in it, and she would
put the baby in it and rock it. The baby grew and when she was a month old she
began to smile and look pretty. There was a Chinese grandfather in the Chinese
house, who, when he came home, always started grumbling. The Chinese woman
would keep quiet, and the only man would talk or shout with the old man. The old
man grew noisier after the baby had come and he always scolded away in Chinese
which came through the wall. Sometimes after the loud Chinese noise, the Chinese
lady would cry softly with the baby in her arms, and whenever this happened the little
girl would sit at the chinks and look through the next house and see the woman
weeping and pulling her nose.
Then one day two Malay ladies came to the womans house. They looked at
the baby, carried her and put their fingers on her cheeks and smiled at her; and the
little girl saw all this through the holes in the wall. After some time the Malay lady

went away. They came back after a few days, with a basket of clothes, and after
dressing up the baby girl, they took her away. The little girl was outside when they
left, and she saw the Chinese woman standing at her door, sobbing softly with empty
hands. The Chinese grandfather made a lot of noise inside the house. The Malay
ladies smiled at the woman, looked at the little girl and went away with the baby. The
Chinese womans crying became a bit loud and she went in. The little girl also ran in
and put her eyes in the chinks and saw the lady sit on the bed and cry. Then the
Chinese woman got up and went to the steel spring and the empty sarong. She cried
and sang in her crying. The Punjabi mother said that the Chinese people had sold
their little child for $90 to the Malay ladies. The Punjabi father said that no one would
pay him $90 for his baby calf.
The Chinese woman did not come out of her house that day or the next day.
The Punjabi mother said that the lady was ill, and the little girl when she peeped
through the hole again, saw the lady sitting on the bed, with her hands folded on her
breast, as if she was in pain. Every night before the little girl fell asleep, she could
hear through the wall, the creak of the steel spring as it swung lightly, and the
woman rocked it, and cried and moaned softly into the night.

The Sequel
As the day kept continued, the Punjabi family became fed up as they cant
sleep well in the night. However they knew that a mothers heart cant be peaceful as
the baby was far away from her. The Punjabi man went to meet the Chinese man
and try to discuss to solve their problem.
Things were not as what she thought. The little girl was crying although she
didnt know what was happened. She ran out and saw her mother was talking to a
Malay woman. The little girl remembered that girl, it was one of the girl that came
and took over the Chinese baby girl. Suddenly, another Malay woman came out from
the car and together with her was the baby girl. The little girl ran to the Malay woman
and took the baby and kissed her. Her mother and the two Malay women were
shocked with what was done by the little girl.
Because of that, the Malay women agreed to give back the baby girl to the
Chinese lady. They believe that the family cant be survived without the baby
although they are not same colour and tradition. Their day happened as usual after
that. There is no more crying and the house was became the same as before.

APPRECIATION
Alhamdulillah, after work so hard on this English Language coursework: Kerja
kursus Pendek (KKP), finally I had finished this coursework. First and foremost,
thanks to Allah of giving me this opportunity to finish it on time. Lots of appreciation
also should I give to Puan Siti Hawa binti Ibrahim, my English Languages teacher
who had helped me a lot until I finished this task. She guide my friends and I start
from the date she gives us the task until we submit this task hoping that we will pass
with flying colour.
Thank you also for my family because they give me a lot of encouragement
until I finished this task especially in finance. They also tell me not to give up and
keep trying in my studying. I also want to thank to my friends that help me a lot on
finishing this task. Whenever I do not understand something about this task, they will
explain to me with the details. We always being together when faced the problem
and try to solve it together.
This task teaches me a lot on the literature of a short story. It also teaches me
on how to interpret I have lack of experiences. Now, I know a little precious
knowledge about short story and I will use it in my future. Lastly, thanks to all which
involved directly or indirectly until I finished this task. THANK YOU.

Characters
Main Character:
The Little Girl:
Punjabis man daughter.
Lived in a house, with one roof but two families (Punjabi and Chinese) lived in it.
Quite naughty
She, with the mouth opening curious suspense, would stare at the Chinese
woman and when the woman looked at her, she would close her mouth and
look away, and then look again when the Chinese woman was not looking.

It was rude to stare a person with opening the mouth and only a naughty
person will do so.

Still small and nave.

The little girl couldnt tell the difference in the cow because it looked like the
other cows. Only its getting fatter, she thought.

She cant even differentiate a calf with a cow and a normal woman and a
pregnant woman.

Very curious
The little girl ran into the kitchen at the back to see if the noise came from
there.
The little girl also ran in and put her eyes in the chinks and saw the lady sit
on the bed and cry.

This show that the little girl always curious with what was happened and
wants to know more about it.

Supporter characters
The Chinese lady
Already married with Chinese man and had a few children.
Punjabi families were friends to Chinese lady after stayed side by side for
some time.
Gave a birth of a new baby girl at the same time with the Punjabis cow
calving.

 A quite person

She would keep quite although the Chinese grandfather grumbling and
scolded away in Chinese language.

She being force to sell her new baby girl to Malay ladies for $90.
Motherly

She cried as her baby was taken away by two Malay women. From that
day, she didnt come out from her house even once.

The Punjabi Mother

Likes to help people.

The little girls mother quickly ran into the Chinese ladys house

As she heard the crying sound of baby from the next door, she ran
quickly to lend a hand.

Easy to get angry.

and when the little girl tried to follow, the mother chased her away,
saying that she would be slapped if she followed.

She mad at her daughter as the little girl kept following her. She gave a
warning to the little girl that she would slap her if she kept continuing
doing that.

Very proactive

The little girl was given a tin of brown sugar and asked to take it to the
father.

As she heard the yelled from her husband about the calved of their
cow, she gave her little girl a tin of brown sugar and asked her to give it
to her father.

The Punjabi Man

Already married. Had a wife and a family of boys and a little girl.
He kept a cow.

His cow was calving at the same time Chinese lady birth a new baby girl.

Have a logic minded.

He said that no one would pay him $90 for his baby calf.

THEME
The theme of short story, Through the Wall is love.
1. Because of love to the neighbour the Punjabi mother willed to go to her
neighbours house after heard a loud crying from there. This also shows that
she was a responsible woman to her neighbours.
2. Because of love to the child,
a. The Punjabi mother scolded and gave a warning to his little girl so that
she not followed her to the next door so that she would not create a
problem there.
b. The Chinese woman cried as her new baby girl had been taken away
by two Malay women with a price of $90. She is really loves to her
baby, but, maybe because of poverty, she had to give it to others. She
did not want her baby suffered because of her.
3. Because of lack the felling of love to the siblings, the little girls brother did not
gave the chance for she to know what was happened after she heard the loud
sound of crying.

PLOT
Exposition
The Punjabi and the Chinese
lived in a house with a wall
seperated them.

Rising
The little girl heard a loud crying of
cat and she had not get the chance
to see what was going on.

Climax
The Chinese lady gave a birth of a
baby girl and at the same time the
Punjabi's cow was calving.

Falling Action
The baby girl was sold to two
Malay women with $90

Resolution
The Chinese woman became
insane and acted illogical in the
night.

SETTING

Place:
Place
House

Event
Two different families (Punjabi and
Chinese) lived in the same house but
the cracks and chinks wall separate
the families.

Kitchen

Little girl peeping through the wall to

see what happen at the Chinese
house after heard strange loud cries
through the wall.

Chinese women Room

Place where Chinese women sitting

on the bed and cried every night after
the Chinese family had sold their little
child.

Time:
Time

Event

At morning

Little girls heard strange loud cries

coming through the wall. Actually
Chinese women had a birth.

At night

Every night before the little girl fell asleep

she could hear the creak of the steel
spring and the Chinese women cried.

MORAL VALUES
1. We must help each other.
Example: The Punjabi mother quickly ran into the Chinese
lady house to help her birth after heard strange loud sound
from the wall.

2. Respect each other.

Example: The little girl always peeping through the crack
wall. That action show the little girl is not respect to their
neighbours privation.

3. Think wisely before do something.

Example: The Chinese man should think twice before
taking any action by sold their baby because it may affect
the others.
4. We should be proactive.
Example: The Punjabi mother gave a tin of brown sugar to
the little girl to give to her husband after heard his yelled
sound.
5. We should be alert and curious with what happen in our place.
Example: the little girl was so curious with the sound of
cries from the wall and that made she very alert with
whatever being done with others so that she could knew
what was happened.

Relection
Firstly, I would like to thank to Allah because give me this opportunity to finish
up this task. From this task I had felt like had been revised what I had learnt in
primary school. I had learnt to be more patient doing something to achieve the best
result. For this task my friend and I frequently went to the library to search some
extra information.
During in the library, because of the variety type explanation in the books, I
had asked my lecturer, Puan Siti Hawa binti Ibrahim to select the most suitable short
story and book to be my reference so that I would not do a lot of mistakes in this
task. She also kept giving me and the others advice on how to do the assignment
although she was a really busy person but she still spend time with me.
The story was so interesting. Unfortunately, because of short of time, I had to
do it very fast. Furthermore, Raya is coming soon. So, I had to make preparation for
it early. I do not want to miss it together with my family.
From this task, I had learnt a lot on how to analysis a short story very well.
Before this, I only use the information given in the books in the examination without
understand it very well. But, after done this task, I am very sure that I can analysis
short story perfectly. Hopefully, I can use what I have learnt during teaching in the
future.
An infinity of thank you to the people who always help me doing this task
whether involved directly or indirectly until I finished this task. I hope with this, I can
do my very best in the future. THANK YOU.