13 WAYS OF LOOKING AT A HANGING

Thesis: By exposing the humanity of the prisoner through symbolism, the author hasextended the definition of the crime for the readers to widen their conventional and stereotypical view on criminals. Outline: I/ Introduction: Author biography: Alfian Bin Saat

Born in 1977, Alfian Bin Saat has always been a talented author with fluent writing skills highly developed since young. Being a role model of a Singapore youth as a respectful intellect who came from the most prestigious secondary and high schools in Singapore, Raffles Institution, the author continued to study in National University of Singapore, but dropped out before his graduation. His writing career started early in his childhood, and began to be acknowledged when he took part in Creative Art Program at the age of fifteen and seventeen. During his two years in junior college, he gained Kripalani Award for Outstanding Contribution to Creative Arts. As a versatile artist, Alfian Saat does not limit himself to any form of literature with his wide variety of English and Malay poems, short stories as well as plays. While giving an impression of being an exemplary student, Alfian Bin Saat showed a different aspect of his personal view point through his literature works. His attitudes towards the government, especially their policies to guide and assure their citizens high living standards and proper lifestyles are very negative. As the author has freely expressed through his compositions his political stands, which is anti-governmental, he is usually regarded as enfant terrible, who causes shock to his fellow citizens and Singapore bureaucrats with his provocative works represented by Singapore
You Are Not My Country.

Summary: In accordance with Alfian Saats ideologies of the government, 13 Ways of looking at a hanging also conveys a conflict with Singapore government, especially from the point of view of a black sheep who rejected to live as a typical Singapore citizen and became a criminal on the verge of death by capital punishment.

Ricky, the protagonist of the story chose to live his adolescent disobeying his parents and using drugs to get involved with drug trafficking, which is a forbidden crime in Singapore. The story starts as the execution of Rickys punishment is drawing near, marked by a series of thirteen photos taken day by day until his death. Ricky at first shows little attachment to either his life or his family, but narrates about his imprisonment and his observations from his surroundings and other prisoner. He is visited by his brother and mother often, but the topic of death has always been avoided. Not until the last time when his brother who is still in the army brings along his pregnant fianc does Ricky realize the importance of life and show his appreciation towards to infant who is still inside the ovum. The story also reveals an officer and a photographers opinions about Rickys death. Finally, in the last photo-taking section, Ricky was forced to show a smile in the photo while wearing a proper suit to be portrayed as a typical Singapore citizen in his last picture, instead of his own self. Capital punishment in Singapore: "When any person is sentenced to death, the sentence shall direct that he shall be hanged by the neck till he is dead but shall not state the place where nor the time when the sentence is to be carried out." II/ Body: 1/ Setting 2/ Symbols:
Photo 1. Represents the fixed pathway set by the government.

A photo speaks a thousand words. The photo of Ricky in his suit is suppose to show others that Ricky could have lived the ideal , normal life if he hadn t committed the crime. The government may trying to emphasize to the people, by sending an idealized photograph of a dead person, that they were wrong to give Ricky a capital punishment, that they were fair, that they had given Ricky a chance to lead a happy life. This can be found from the quotes below:

The clothes why not something a bit more casual?

The most plausible explanation is that these costumes were not chosen for how much they reflected a certain ground reality, but for their aspirational reach.

A life like this is within everyone s reach, the problem with your son is that he chose to reject it.

2. Irony of photography is used to question the government s policies

The author used irony of photographs in order to get the readers to question, think once more about whether the government policies are really for the best, and whether the path set by the government is the only and the ideal life.

The photos are not supposed to be mementos for himself they are, rather, keepsakes meant for those close to him

Photos are mementos of one s past, one s precious memories that people want to keep and preserve. That is the main aim of taking a photo. However, for Ricky, as he had mentioned, the photo is not for his memento. It s for others to see.

The most plausible explanation is that these costumes were not chosen for how much they reflected a certain ground reality, but for their aspirational reach.

Photos are symbols of truth. However, ironically, for Ricky s case it s the direct opposite. The symbol of truth here in the story is just a pathway that the government decided upon to be the truth for the people.

The prison probably believed the ideal life for anyone is that of a suit in an office, an managerial position perhaps, complete with a desktop computer and family photos on a himself

It is not the kind of life that Ricky has ever considered

We can see from this quote that Ricky is questioning the truth , the path set by the government. The author may be encouraging the readers to think about the policies of the government rather than absorbing it as a whole. The photo is a frame set by the government, and people live within that frame

Clothes:

1.Symbol of Appearance.

The prison believed the ideal life for anyone is that of a suit in an office To pose in these clothes is to join in the valorization of smug, self-consoling white-collar values

Appearance is the characteristic that is used by most people, who do not know you, to judge your character as a whole. The author puts a lot of emphasis on clothes.

Wearing white-collar and tie would make Ricky appear like a being completely different from his identity. From the quote Ricky cannot remember the last time he had put on a jacket , we know that wearing jacket is not Ricky s present character. Therefore, the white-collar can be used as a symbol for made a appearance, which is a representation of oneself, molded and shaped by being trapped inside the clothes.

Therefore, clothes can be also said to be like an empty container or mold that shapes people inside it. The clothes make Ricky the man that the government believes is how every Singaporean should be with the smart clothes, his own office, the proud smile . And although Ricky is nothing like it, he is made to appear like that ideal character going inside the mold.

We can see from the above quote, Ricky suddenly feels an almost dizzying fatigue sweep across him. Why is he being dressed up in this manner? , Why can t he just pose insde his cell with his white Tshirt and blue shorts that Ricky is irritated to be dressed up in such formal manner. However, he is forced to wear white-collar and forced to seem as someone who he isn t. The government policies maybe shaping people into the ideal being set by its standard, the people do not have much freedom to choose and the most funny thing is that this is seen as a privilege (from the quote above), an asphalt highway road set by the government so that people can get to the goal/destination without straying away. If they do, they are killed as with Ricky. Smile

1.Symbol of distortion of identity

I can t smile sir. he knows he is in control of thes photo session. ceased to be concerned with his smile as a symbol, a mark on his face to be deciphered. Ricky is back in his cell crying For the last shot, he had capitulated.

When Ricky was still in control, he managed to make the only discernible expression on his face to be tiredness . However, when he broke down due to the emotional surge from the word last chance , he smiled.

Ricky didn t want to smile. He wanted to show the authorities that the photo-session wasn t a privilege for the prisoner. He wanted to show the authorities the perversity of this well-intentioned ritual

However, at the last moment he capitulated. The government s policy that will pronounce him dead, caused Ricky to lose his ground. By smiling, Ricky lost his identity/notion. Therefore, we can infer that the government breaks people s belief, point of view, conviction and sets them in the nice frame of the photo mentioned earlier.

o Forced smile = suppress true emotions

Political meaning: predetermined pathway of the government for citizens to follow is overly protective, emphasized by contrasting the extremities of alternative pathways, (death). -> Restrictive regime.

3/ Language: The story employs mostly short factual sentences.

III/ Conclusion: An objective opposition of governments policy to hang drug traffickers :-/

Feedback: link back to the elements of short fictions, think about how symbols would help in the development of characters, plots, and themes. :D