Raeleen the Mah-jong Man

The Mah-jong Man by Penny Sii

School Journal Part 4 number 3 1994.

WALT:: Make inferences and responding using key information from text.

Success Criteria:I can respond to the text, using information I come across and make my own conclusions depending on how I perceive the text.

Answer the following questions in red:

Looking at the title and the image on the front page what do you think the story is about?

A Man who plays Mah-jong

Why was Ai Ling’s father walking inside wobbling?

He was drunk because he came back from the mah-jong place which is gambling.

How did her mother react to her father coming home at this time?

Very upset that she felt to give him a hiding.

Where had her father been, how did they feel about her father being at this place?

He went to the Mah-jong place. The siblings felt very worried because he lost heaps of money and they might become por.

Why was Ai’s mum banging and making as much noise as she could while putting the pots and pans away?

She was banging the pots and slamming the cupboards because she was so upset. Because her husband came home late and he was drunk. And they were arguing.

In what way do Ai and her mother view her father as being ‘bad’?

He lost money, He gets drunk a lot, and he goes to the Mah-jong place heaps of times.

Is Ai happy at home? Why/why not? How do we know this?

No she was not happy because she said to Ai Fu that she was scared and she felt like running away.

How can we gather that Ai’s mother was angry as a result of her father staying out late again? (Refer to the image and text)

She was very,very angry. Her lips were pressed close together in a straight line. Her face had frowning lines on her face.

Where is Ai’s mother taking her and her brother? For what reason do you think her mother is doing this?

To find their dad, because the mother got annoyed that he went to the Mah-jong place the next day.

Predict what you think will happen next in the story. What is your reasoning for your prediction?

I think that they might kick the father out because he is scaring the kids and he is wasting a lot of money.

Wednesday:

Of what social status is Ai and her family, are they wealthy? How do you know this? What is your reasoning for thinking this?

The family was not wealthy because when they went to every mah-jong place in Sibu and he was not found. Mum was getting angry so she started crashing stuff around and muttering to herself. Later when the servant arrived Ai Fu and Ai Ling asked the servant “where’s our mum and the servant replied “ She is at you fathers office and she is going to stay there from now on”.

Where had mother gone to?

Fathers office to stay there from now on.

How had the situation taken a turn? Who was now taking care of the children?

It was caused by their father because he kept on getting drunk and coming home late. Their Father is taking care of them since their mum left.

For what reason do you think the children’s mother had been staying at their fathers office on her own?

She was staying at their Father's office because she was starting to hate the father because he kept on getting on her nerves

What bad habits does father have? Where do you think he is going in the evenings?

He likes to drink and come home late, and he goes to the Mah-jong place.

List three examples of bad habits:

Drinking

Smoking

Swearing

Thursday / Friday:

Do you think it was a good idea that Ai’s mother asked the children to choose between their father and mother? Why / why not? What is your justification for this.

No because its just being selfish and if they had to pick one the family might not get together.

Why did Ai not make her speech like she had intended?

Because every night their father came home early and he is not going to the mah-jong place again

Do you think it was appropriate that father made the children speak to mother on his behalf?

Yes because she should not tell the kids to say it, he should say it because he caused it.

How do you think mother is feeling as her children plead for her to return home?

Kinda because the kids want her but she also doesn't love the father.

Do you think Ai’s mother should return home with father or stay away? What is your reasoning for this?

I think she should return home because the kids want her so badly and her husband does not go to the mah-jong place ever again.

Ai’s mother ‘sighs’ yet begins to pack her things, do you think she is happy to be heading home with Ai and the rest of the family? Why?/ why not?

Yes because the family is reunited