Tanjong Rhu by Minfong Ho

The Author
Minfong Ho was born in Rangoon, Burma in 1951. She was raised in
Singapore and Thailand. After completing her secondary education in Taiwan,
she received her BA in Economics and History, and later MFA in Creative
Writing from Cornell University, Ithaca New York. Her first book, Sing to the
Dawn was chosen as literature text for secondary school students in Singapore.
She is well-known for her sensitivity and understanding of the characters she
depicts as well as of the Asian life and locale. She has won numerous awards
including the Caldecott Honour Award and the Southeast Asia WRITE Award
for her work. Minfong Ho currently lives in New York with her husband and
three children.

Synopsis
Mr. T. W. Li is a successful businessman who lives in Singapore with his
family. He recently lost her mother whom he calls Ah-Ma.
As he mourns her death, he recalls some important events before her
death, most of which revolves around a pair of binoculars.
He had brought the binoculars home one day for her mother, to help her
see farther.
However, Ah-Ma was often lost in her memories of the past and her only
concern was to see Tanjong Rhu, a place where they used to live while he
was growing up. As it is firmly etched in her mind, she said she did not
need binoculars to see the beloved place.
When Mr. Li finally managed to convince his mother to use the
binoculars, he was upset that she still could not see the ships at the

harbour in front of his office. Instead, in her minds eye, she saw Tanjong
Rhu in the past, back when Mr. Li was still a young boy.
Mr. Li became impatient with his mother and refused to listen to her
stories.
Back in the present, Mr. Li regrets his action on that day as now he too
longs to go back to his childhood in Tanjong Rhu. He finds that his
memories re vague and there are many things that he does not remember
clearly. He suddently wants to ask his mother a lot of things.
Unfortunately, it is too late to do so as his mother has passed away.

Setting
Place
o The story is set in Singapore. Mr. Lis office is located on the 18th
floor above Shenton Way, a central business district in Singapore.
The most important location mentioned is Tanjong Rhu, a place
known for its shipyards in the past.
Time frame
o The time frame goes back and forth between the present (after the
death of Ah-Ma) and the past (before the death of Ah-Ma).
Themes
Traditional values vs modern values
o In the short story, Ah-Ma is steeped in traditional values. She has a
high regard for the traditional practices of the Chinese community,
such as the practice of praying to the ancestors in order to have the
familys blessing. In contrast, Mr. Li and Ying represent the
modern society and do not place much importance on tradition.
Past vs. present
o Ah-Ma represents the past while Mr. Li symbolises the present.
This theme is most clearly illustrated in the scene at the office

where each is looking through the binoculars. Mr. Li sees the ships
at the harbour at the present while Ah-Ma sees the port of
Tanjong Rhu when they used to live there in the past.
Regret
o Mr. Li feels deep regret for the way he treats Ah-Ma after his
mother strts to fall ill and later passes away. He never paid much
attention to his mothers story about the past and realises a little too
late that most of his questions will remain unanswered.
Generation gap
o The story introduces us to characters belonging in three different
generations- Ah-Ma, Mr. Li and Ying. Each generation behaves
differently and has their own beliefs and ideas, and they do not
often agree with each other.
Moral values
Although we live in a modern world, we must not forget our tradition
values.
o It is important to preserve certain aspects of our traditional values
and practices so that we do not lose our identity despite living in a
modern world. This is what Ah-Ma tries to instil in her children
and grandchildren.
We must learn to appreciate people while we can
o We often forget to show our love and appreciation to our loved
ones. This is portrayed by Mr. Li who always gets impatient with
his mother when she tell him stories from his childhood. It is only
when she becomes ill that he regrets not paying attention to her.
While money can buy most things, it cannot buy everything
o In the story, Ah-Ma seems to have everything she needs in life.
However, she yearns to go back in time to Tanjong Rhu, when her
family have much less material things. Despite their modest

circumstances, she seems truly happy then which teaches us that

there are certain things in life that money cannot buy.
We must learn to respect and tolerate each other
o Each generation ha their own ideas and beliefs. The lives of our
forefathers were certainly different from our lives today. Despite
the differences, we must respect the older generation. The older
generation too must respect the views of the younger generation.
This is illustrated in the relationship between Ah-Ma, Mr. Li and
Ying.