The Curse - Character : Write on a character that show responsibility in her or his actions

Based on the Novel “The Curse” by Lee Sue Ann, a character that shows responsibility is Mohd Asraf because he is being shown as a filial grandson and cares about her grandmother.

Firstly, he takes care of Nek, especially when she is sick. Mohd Asraf is concerned about his grandmother deteriorating health. He is willing to take leave from work to take car of his grandmother. In addition, Mohd Asraf’s effort to look for cure for his grandmother further exemplify that he is a responsible person.

Secondly, Mohd Asraf wants to take Nek to the mainland which she will get better medical care and when is offered  teaching course in Kuala Lumpur, he plans to take Nek with him as she will get better medical care then if she stays in Langkawi.

As a conclusion, based on the evidence given above I would say Mohd Asraf is truly a responsible person. He is willing to do anything for her grandmother.

The Curse - Character : Write on a character that show responsibility in her or his actions

Based on the Novel “The Curse” by Lee Sue Ann, the character that shows responsibility in her actions is Azreen Saleh. Azreen is not only a responsible sister and daughter but also a responsible student and friend .

Firstly, Azreen as a responsible sister comes back immediately when she hears of her sister’s death although at that time she is about to sit for an examination that is important for her. She postpones her examination in order of giving her sister her last respect.  

Secondly, as a daughter she shows her responsibility firstly, when she spends the whole night repairing her mother’s favourite rattan basket that was broken by the heavy durians that she and Madhuri has brought in. Subsequently, with Madhuri’s help she makes a new rattan basket that looks like the one that she and Madhuri have broken. In addition to that, Azreen accepts the offer to further her studies in London for the sake of upbringing her family social status and thus could then save a lot of money to get a better treatment for her mother that is paralyzed by the bull escape incidents that she .

Thirdly, as a friend and a student, Azreen shows her responsibility when she accepts to join the school hockey team as a substitution to Hock Seng that is injured. She does that even though she knows that she will be the only girl in the team and this will tarnish her image as a girl. In fact she plays very well and almost scores a goal. In addition to that, Azreen shows that she is a responsible friend, when she brings a full basket of fresh vegetables and tomatoes to The Old Lady of the forest to replace the one that she tramples earlier when she comes to The Old Lady’s house for the first time.

In conclusion, throughout the story, Azreen shows that she is a very responsible towards her actions. In fact, I would like to have her as a friend as a friend as such is hard to come by.

The Curse - Character : Write on a character that is exemplary.

In the Curse by Lee Sue Ann, the character whom I think is exemplary is The Old Lady of the forest. Throughout the novel, she shows strength of character and wisdom.

When she first moves to the village as a newlywed, she is popular among the villagers and she enjoys a blissful marital life with her husband. Everything changes as her husband who becomes an alcoholic starts to abuse her and finally she retaliates and kills him. From then on, the villagers treat her like an outcast. She is forced to move out of the village and makes an abandoned house her home. She lives alone for years until she befriends Azreen and becomes her mentor and will console her whenever she has a fight with her parents.

When Asraf approaches The Old Lady for help, she is hesitant about going back to the village. Yet she agrees and doing so, she puts her life at risk. When she is trapped in the burning house, she tells Azreen to save herself and she perishes in the fire. Even at death’s door, she reminds Azreen about the importance of forgiveness and tells her to heed all the advice she has given her. The Old Lady is therefore an exemplary character as she is strong, wise and honourable.

The Curse - Character : Write on a character that is exemplary.

Based on  the novel The Curse by Lee Sue Ann, the character that I consider  exemplary is Azreen because she is courageous and brave. She shows resilience and she always fight for what she believes in.

Firstly, Azreen who does not believe the villagers tales about The Old Lady is being brave by accepting her friend’s challenge to firstly knocking on the door of The Old lady and then meet her in person.  . Subsequently, she befriends The Old Lady and makes her, her precious confidante and counselor.

In addition, Azreen is courageous by confronting Puan Normala’s mob outside Mohd Asraf’s house when Nek once again has fallen ill and died in order to stop her from entering Nek’s house. Although she is outnumbered, she dares to face Puan Normala’s horde to protect Nek’s house from them.  Moreover, she confronts a group of men led by Asraf who goes to the Old lady’s house to seek revenge after Nek dies as they believe the Old lady has poisoned Nek.

It is a dog-eat-dog world out there and we must be brave and courageous to overcome our daily obstacles and stand for our own rights. We should not be intimidated by our fear and we must be like Azreen in order to survive the world.

The second exemplary qualities of Azreen is that she portrays resilience throughout the story and she constantly fights for what she believes in. This can be seen when Azreen does not give up and is determine and resilience to seek the truth of Madhuri’s death even though others do not want to tell her the truth. She asks Asraf and The Old Lady about Madhuri’s death and slowly gather evidences and finally she knows the truth about Madhuri’s killing.

In her village, a woman should be conservative and well mannered but Azreen is a contrast to that and thus she is hated but she ignores the villagers’ perception of her, as she believes that women have their own rights. This can be seen as she befriends Asraf and joins the boys’ hockey team and similarly makes The Old Lady her best friend.

In this cruel world, we must stand for our own right and fight for what we believe in. We must follow Azreen’s resilience to make this world a better place.

The Curse - Value:Write on the value of ‘Mother’s Love’

The novel ‘The Curse’ by Lee Su Ann touches on many values that are useful  in our daily lives. As for me, I am  touched with the value of mother’s love in this novel.

Azreen’s mother is forever seen talking nonsense since her Alzheimer’s disease was becoming worse. She was not given a name in this novel but always referred to as ‘Mak’. Azreen felt guilty because she was the one who was responsible for her mother to loose one of her leg. Even though, we know that Azreen admitted leaving  the gate of the farm open but actually she was only helping Mohd Asraf from being blamed. Due to her act, her parents met with an accident when her father’s motorcycle hit the bull. Azreen’s mother never hated Azreen for what had  happened and she always loved Azreen. She even told Azreen that it was not her fault that she lost her leg in the accident. This proves that ‘Mak’ was never angry towards Azreen and she accepts what happened to her as faith. This shows the true love that a mother has for her child even though she is in pain.

Another incident that showed how true a mother’s love is when Madhuri’s mother, the mad lady who strolled in the village  and always watched over  her daughter. Even though Madhuri was raised by Encik Saleh and his wife from  a baby, the mad lady always kept herself close to Madhuri. She used to watch Madhuri and Azreen when they come back from school. This shows that she still loved her daughter even though she gave in when her baby was lost. She knew she could not raise Madhuri in a proper way so she just kept quite when Encik Saleh took the baby and decided to raise the child. But as a mother, she still loved Madhuri and always sees how her daughter is living with her foster parents from far. This is what we call mother’s love. Even if the child is not with the real mother but she always pray for her child to lead a happy life and that is why she took revenge against Encik Saleh who killed Madhuri.

From these two mothers, the readers are shown the value of love that a mother has for a child. Both mothers in this novel are not normal in certain ways but their love for their children did not fade but they loved their daughters very much in their own  different  ways.   

The Curse - Character - Based on the novel, do you think Azreen’s father portrayed good/positive character traits ?

In the novel ‘The Curse’, the main character is Azreen. She has a father and his name is Encik Saleh. As for me, throughout the novel, Encik Saleh portrayed negative traits even though the positive ones were hidden within him.

                      

Firstly, Encik Saleh is very hot-tempered. As a poor farmer in a remote village in Pulau Langkawi, Encik Saleh is a strong man as he had  hard physique, huge fists and of course he is very hard-working man. He worked all the time on the farm to earn a living and his daughters always know him as a very hot-tempered man. We can see this when he ordered Azreen to take her mother home when she took her mother to the cemetery to visit Madhuri’s graveyard. Encik Saleh was very angry because  Azreen took her sickly mother there

 I think he should have understood the situation and face the fact that both of the ladies came to pay respect to Madhuri. He should not shout at them because they are also sad about Madhuri’s death even though his wife doesn’t know or realize the fact that Madhuri was dead. Here, I would strongly say that Encik Saleh portrayed the negative quality to the readers.

Secondly, I see Encik Saleh as a very judgmental and biased person. He loves Madhuri as his eldest daughter because she is full of  good qualities whereas he is  always stern and angry towards Azreen. Actually, Encik Saleh often misjudges Azreen because he sees himself in her. This is because Azreen reminds him of himself who also used to be outspoken and hot-tempered when he was young and  he still is the same until now. I always see that Encik Saleh punishes Azreen wrongly or too severely until he used to cane her even when she was small. All these prove that Encik Saleh is a very judgmental and biased person and of course I would not be like him.

Finally, I also find Encik Saleh is too mean in his traditional ways by being strict to his children. The incident where he grabbed Azreen and led her out of Madhuri’s room in anger proves how strict he was towards Azreen. He even raised his fist to punch Azreen when she argued with him. But, to avoid  punching her, he ordered Azreen to go to the dining room and attend to her mother. There was even a situation where Azreen and Encik Saleh ate their dinner in complete silence. All these proves that Encik Saleh is too traditional and strict towards his children and I think this is not at all appropriate.  Parents and children should discuss whatever problems that occur in their everyday lives.

Based on all the evidences above, it is surely proven that Encik Saleh is all covered with negative values. I do believe he has  some love and cares for his children but he was not able to show them .

The Curse - Lesson - Write about a life lesson that you learnt from the novel...

‘The Curse’ is the novel written by Lee Su Ann which has many lessons that can be used in our lives. Today, I am going to write on one lesson which really captured my attention in the novel that is ‘courage’.

The value of ‘courage’ can be seen clearly in Azreen’s character. Azreen was a good friend with the Old Lady who became a precious confidante and counsellor despite ignoring the warnings and prejudices of the villagers. Azreen was determined to friends with   the Old Lady till the last minute of the Old Lady’s life.As a child, she was not allowed to visit the Old Lady by her parents. Even the villagers warned Azreen  that the Old Lady is a witch. This shows that Azreen is very courageous for accepting the Old Lady for what she is. From this, I learnt to be courageous in order to speak and act according to what I think is right. I also learnt not to judge others by listening to rumors and to think practically.

Azreen also showed courage when she took the blame for the bull’s escape in order to save Mohd Asraf. At first, she wanted to help Asraf out from the wicked farm owner, Mr. Mohan and his sons who were accusing Asraf for letting the bull out. But to her dismay, she had to accept the faith of her mother loosing a leg when her father hit into the bull and met with an accident.  Even though Azreen was only helping Asraf at first, but she took the blame and had to carry  it for the rest of her life. I saw Azreen as a very courageous person in this situation and agree to what she had done. She taught me to stand up for my believes  in my life and this will really help me a lot in the future.

Last but not least, I also find Azreen as a courageous person when she challenged her father to reveal  the truth behind Madhuri’s death. Azreen was very sure that Madhuri was killed by her father because she found the stain of the rubber  tree sap on the ‘parang’. When she put all the details  together, she came to a conclusion and told her father straight that he was the one who killed Madhuri. Here, we can see that Azreen was too bold and had the courage to speak the truth even to her father when she was sure that her sister was killed. This scene opened my mind that I should be honest and bold to say what I think is right in my life.

From all the evidences above, Azreen had portrayed the value of courage very clearly, in this novel. As a student who will face many challenges in my life, I learnt to be courageous and bold like Azreen from this novel. This aspect will help me to be a better person in my life.

The Curse - setting: Describe the physical setting of the novel...

The novel that I learnt in Form Five is ‘The Curse’ written by Lee Su Ann. There are many places or settings involved in this novel but today I am going to write about the physical setting of the novel.

There are two main physical settings in this novel. The story started  with the setting in London when we were introduced to the main character, Azreen Saleh. Basically, the readers are introduced to the university college where Azreen was pursuing an undergraduate course. The readers are given more information that Azreen was going to sit for her exams soon but she had to fly back to Malaysia due to her sister, Madhuri’s death.

Next, we are brought to experience the life of the university college when Azreen had to walk through the college’s residential hall. Here, Azreen’s thoughts flew back when she recalled her two years of student experiences. She had many sweet experiences in her life as a student. She also met many new friends of various races here and she was reluctant to go back to Malaysia even for a while.

The second physical setting is when we are taken to KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport). Here, Azreen had to wait for two hours before she could board  a connecting flight to Pulau Langkawi, her hometown. When Azreen was recalling her old times with her sister, Madhuri, the readers are brought to Langkawi International Airport. Azreen meets her foster parents, Datin Sharifah and Datuk Zulkifli who came to receive her at the airport.

Last but not least, we are brought together with Azreen to Pulau Langkawi and a little village. In this beautiful, small village, we are introduced to Azreen’s home where she had  bitter  sweet memories for Azreen when she remembers about her sister. Next, the village itself was the place where all the drama takes place, both in the past and present.

From my explanation above, it is proven that the physical setting of the novel varies and creates an enthusiastic feeling when we read the novel. From London to Pulau Langkawi is what the whole novel is about.

The Curse - theme: Write on the theme of love....

‘The Curse’ written by Lee Su Ann touches on many aspects of life. Basically, all the aspects revolve around our own community and can be used as guidance in our life.

In this essay, I am going to write about the theme of ‘love’ which  is actually the main conflict in this whole novel. Firstly, we can see this aspect between mother and child when we read how loving was Azreen towards her mother when she came back from London. She realized her mother still does not know about the death of her sister, Madhuri. Azreen took over the duty to take care of her mother who was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease which was getting worse. Azreen cooked porridge for her mother like Madhuri used to do and fed her. This  shows that Azreen loves her mother very much and feels responsible to take care of her after her sister’s death. 

The concept of ‘love’ can also be seen through Encik Saleh who loves his daughters very much but does not know how to show it. He kept his love within him and was always looking fierce and angry towards his daughters and wife. He loved his family very much and that is why he worked hard on the farm.He also  repairs chicken coop, repairs  fencse and  roofs and  chops  wood in order to earn a living for his family. As a hard-working man, he wanted to give his family the best out of him due to his love towards them which he does not show openly. Here, I admit that I admire Encik Saleh as a loving father towards his family but he should have shown his love in a more appropriate way.

Lastly, the concept of love can be seen in the characters of the Old Lady and Azreen. Azreen was very lucky to find a meaningful and comfortable relationship with the Old Lady of the forest. She was very close to the Old Lady until she told her all her secrets. She always goes and visits the Old Lady whenever she felt bored, angry or happy. This shows that Azreen really loves the Old Lady and does not give a single thought to what the villagers say about  the Old Lady. Azreen’s love towards the Old Lady was very strong until she was willing to go into the burning house in order to save the Old Lady. But, faith wins. The Old Lady died in the fire while Azreen was saved by her father due to his love towards his daughter.

As we can see, the concept of ‘love’ is very strong throughout the novel. Each and every character in this novel has the desire to love and to be loved.

The Curse - theme: Write on the theme of forgiveness....

Lee Su Ann, the writer of the novel ‘The Curse’ had brought up many themes in her writing. One of the themes that I liked very much in this novel is ‘forgiveness’ which was clearly portrayed in Azreen’s character.

As we know from the beginning, Azreen is a very outspoken, aggressive and stubborn character but towards the ending of the story she had learnt to forgive others. Azreen was very much influenced by the Old Lady who begged Azreen to learn to forgive others at the time of her death. We can see very much that Azreen kept her promise when she forgave Mohd Asraf who had deliberately played with her emotions. All the while Azreen thought Asraf liked her but, Asraf was actually falling for Madhuri and when he admitted that to Azreen, she was speechless at first. Azreen hid  herself from Asraf by running away until she reached the cliff of the hills when Asraf confessed his love towards Madhuri. But as time passed, her anger  melted away slowly and she forgave Asraf as the Old Lady had told  to her just before she died.

Azreen too learnt to forgive her father who murdered Madhuri. Even though she felt sad at first but she did not feel angry or resentment at him but she realized that she had lost her only father that she used to know as a very hot-tempered man. Slowly Azreen forgave her father but she could not see him eye to eye so she left him alone and that was the time when Encik Saleh had a heart attack and collapsed. But if at all Azreen had not promised the Old Lady to forgive others, I do not think that she would forgive her father for murdering Madhuri.

Azreen too forgave Madhuri for all the hurt and resentment she caused in Azreen’s  life. Azreen  was  jealous of  Madhuri’s beauty and genteel behavior. She was the favorite daughter. She also resented Madhuri as Madhuri was able to captivate Asraf who eventually fell in love with her. But, when Azreen discovers that Madhuri was adopted  and the truth about Madhuri’s murder at the hands of  her own father, she feels nothing but pity for poor Madhuri . Finally she forgives her sister, Madhuri.

Last but not least, Azreen also forgave Asraf and wished him luck from the bottom of her heart when he left Langkawi to take a teaching course in KL. When she read a note from him, she did not feel angry but she smiled after reading the note and also questioned herself whether she had learnt to forgive others. From Azreen’s character, I too learnt to forgive others in my life if they hurt my feelings. Being revengeful will not give us anything in life except the negative value.

From all the evidences above, the theme of ‘forgiveness’ had been portrayed very well in this novel through the protagonist, Azreen. I hope each and every human will learn to forgive others in their life.

The Curse - event: Write on an important event...

In the novel ‘The Curse’ by Lee Su Ann, an important event is the outbreak of the fire which results in the Old Lady’s death.

Firstly, it is an important event because after this event, it creates a domino effect on a number of other events which in turn helps Azreen to finally solve the mystery behind her sister’s murder. The fire enrages Azreen and ‘like a wildcat’, she confronts Mohd Asraf. He apologises and admits that he had been too grief-stricken to be rational when he has lost two important people in his life – his secret lover, Madhuri and his grandmother, Nek. After the fire which kills the Old Lady who is trapped in the fire, Awang, the bomoh informs Azreen that Madhuri is not her biological sister. The secret about Madhuri’s identity is finally disclosed by Azreen’s father who reveals that Madhuri is actually an abandoned baby whom Saleh pick up from the paddy field. Moreover, the village Pontianak is actually Madhuri’s biological mother who returns to the village to seek revenge over her daughter’s death. According to Awang, the ‘ghostly figure’ is also the “vengeful spirit” that has killed Azreen’s chicken.

Secondly, it is an important event because we are finally shown the reason for Madhuri’s murder and the culprit. When Azreen confronts her father, Encik Saleh defiantly confesses that he had accidentally murdered Madhuri after learning that Madhuri, a married woman, commits an adultery when she secretly sees another man. It is probably out of shame, the angry father who is embarrassed of Madhuri’s unethical behaviour which he thinks has brought shame to the family, confronts Madhuri and during the struggle, Madhuri falls to the ground and her head knocks over the latex cup which stains her clothes. A distraught Azreen flees after hearing the shocking news while Encik Saleh comes face-to-face with the shadowy woman – Madhuri’s mother who nears him with a parang in her hand. Saleh collapses and dies of a heart attack. With this, peace is restored in the village when the spirit of Madhuri’s mother disappears after bidding farewell to Azreen who leaves Langkawi to return to London.

Thirdly, the fire at the Old Lady’s house is the climax of the novel. From that point onwards, events dramatically unfold and Azreen gets to the bottom of the mystery. Azreen puts the pieces of facts here and there together and begins to understand the reasons behind the cover-up of Madhuri’s murder by her husband, Haji Ghani. Most importantly, we are also exposed to the crime of the villagers who are willing to do anything including planning an attack on the innocent and harmless Old Lady just because of superstition. Under the instigation of Puan Normala, the villagers are convinced to believe that the Old Lady possesses a special power to turn people into rats and squirrels, so the latter is accused to be an evil witch who brings all the misfortunes and bad omen to the village. In fact, when the rain continues to pour for more than four days, causing the town to be flooded, the Old Lady is blamed to have put the curse on the village. From this event, we can see how gullible the villagers are to believe the vicious rumours spread by the village gossiper, Puan Normala. She does not seem to care about the destruction she causes. Her irrational behaviour thus destroys the reputations of victims such as the Old Lady even in the eyes of children. At the same time, through this event too that we see the purity of the Old Lady’s heart. Despite being ostracised by the villagers, the Old Lady bears no grudges and is still willing to help people like Asraf’s Nek. More importantly, the Old Lady at the point of her death before the burning house collapses on her, she reminds Azreen to forgive all the villagers who have wronged her.

The Curse - event: Write on an unforgettable event...

In the novel ‘The Curse’ by Lee Su Ann, an unforgettable event is when Puan Fatihah fainted out of shock when she sees a silhouette of a Pontianak that looks like Madhuri appearing from behind a pile of tree trunks.

Firstly, this is an unforgettable event because it makes me sympathise Puan Fatihah. I find it sad that Puan Fatihah is a victim of her own belief in the supernatural. Prior to the encounter with the Pontianak, she has gone to seek out the bomoh to get a charm to win back her husband’s affections. She is superstitious enough to resort to such a desperate act. It is her superstition that makes her believe what she sees as a ‘ghost’ and that is why she faints from utter shock. What is so ironic is that she has thrown away the first charm which is a small piece of paper with written incantation into the river. The result is her husband has taken the younger woman, Madhuri as his second wife and she has only herself to blame. Now that his younger wife is dead, she must win back her husband’s affections with the help of Awang, the bomoh.

Secondly, I feel sorry for Puan Fatihah because she is so pathetic. She cannot bear her husband a child and always feels insecure as she has no power to keep him all to herself. I can understand her pain of insecurity as she looks at the mirror each day and sees her aging face. She is haunted by “the deepening lines, the crow's feet, the sagging skin and double chin.” Which man can still stay in love with a face like that? Her insensitive husband has spurned her and laughs at her insecurities. Her declining beauty has caused her to feel envy towards Madhuri and to be angry at her husband. This is really pathetic.

Thirdly, I find this incident memorable / unforgettable because it reminds me of how fragile a woman can be. Puan Fatihah has tried to be strong and put up a great pretence of liking the second wife, Madhuri. She has actually succeeded in deceiving everyone in the village and even Madhuri herself. Madhuri, in her last letter to Azreen has told her sister that Puan Fatihah is such a kind and understanding lady whom she looks up to as an elder sister. Madhuri sees her as “such a dear sweet woman” and is not sure whether she can emulate her goodness as a person and a wife. Poor Fatihah! She has suppressed her emotions and has to endure the fights she and her husband have been having lately over trivial matters. She cannot get his attention when Madhuri was alive and she still cannot get his attention after she was dead. She was so emotionally fragile that it was not surprising she fainted when she came face to face with a ‘ghostly figure’ who has reached out her hands to touch her. I would not forget this incident as it has taught me not to believe in superstitions nor resort to solving problems by using supernatural methods. All of us have problems and we must not let them overwhelm us. 

The Curse - Character : Which character do you like the most?

The novel I have studied is 'The Curse' by Lee Su Ann.  The novel is about the main character, Azreen, who returns from England after she finds out about her sister's death. Upon her return, she is surrounded by many secrets. She discovers the circumstances of Madhuri's death later in the story.  At the end of the story she finds out the truth and leaves for London an orphan but more resilient and wise.

The character I like most is Azreen Salleh. She is a 20-year-old student who is studying in a university college in London on an exchange programme. She is short, bespectacled, rather bookish and outspoken.

I like Azreen because she is outspoken and she is not afraid to spoke her mind. She is  vocal and says her opinions although sometimes she says the wrong things at the wrong time. She also hates her father's treatment of her foster parents and Madhuri's burial ceremony  that is conducted without her presence.  In handling the village gossip, Pn Normala, Azreen tells her off that the rain has started even before the Old Lady comes into town. 

 The second quality she has is she is courageous.  As a child, she plays hockey and football with the boys. In the bull's incident, she is brave enough to accept the blame for the bull's escape instead of blaming someone else. Azreen also shows her courage by taking up the dare to knock on the Old Lady's door when none wants to do it. In another instance, Azreen confronts her father about Madhuri's murder despite her young age.

Azreen also has strength of character. When she returns to her village, she hears a lot of gossip surrounding her sister's death such as as Madhuri having white blood and her death signals a curse to the villagers. Azreen feels upset but she never retaliates.  Sheshows patience and strengh because she knows that whatever she does, she cannot stop the villagers from gossiping about her family.  In another instance, Azreen is told that her sister is murdered.  She should have been very upset about this news but she takes it calmly and does not become hysterical. Later, when she finds out that her father is the culprit who kills Madhuri, she feels no anger but regrets that it has to happen. She understands her father's anger and shame because Madhuri  has been having an illicit affair with Ashraf although she is already married to Hj Ghani.  Azreen also shows a lot of strength because after all that has happened to her family, she stays composed and strong and returns to England for her examinations.

Clearly/In conclusion,  there are many qualities in Azreen that I admire and she is the character that I like most in the story.

The Curse - Character : Which character do you like the most?

‘The Curse’ is a novel with many mysterious events. Even the characters in this novel portray many kinds of traits in order to capture the attention of the readers. As for me, the character that I admire most is of course, the pretty and charming Madhuri.

Madhuri is Azreen’s elder sister and she is about 24 years old. Madhuri is liked by everyone in the village and also by her parents because she was very filial and obedient. As a good and obedient daughter, she helped her parents in household chores. Madhuri used to cook chicken porridge for her mother and feed her. Besides, she had never gone against her father’s wish when she married the man that her father chose for her. She was married to Haji Ghani who was the village headman and he  took her as his second wife. Even though she knew that Haji Ghani was married but just  to obey her father’s wishes, she was ready to be the headman’s second wife. The sense of obedience in Madhuri’s character really attracted me and I learnt to love my parents more after reading this novel.

The second reason why I admire Madhuri is because she was very pretty and charming. She was introduced to the readers when Azreen recalled about her sister’s beauty during her journey back to Malaysia from London. Madhuri was featured in many photos and in school concerts when she took the role of the beautiful Puteri Gunung Ledang. Madhuri was very graceful and elegant in her costume during the concert. Azreen herself admired her sister’s beauty when she took part in the concert. All these prove Madhuri as a very beautiful and elegant daughter and I too admire her for that.

The third and final reason why I admire Madhuri’s character is because she was a kind and thoughtful person. She was very kind to Fatihah, Haji Ghani’s first wife when she wrote about her to Azreen. She even praised Fatihah and took her as ‘Kak’ because she looked up to her as an elder sister. Each time when her father, Encik Saleh scolded or caned Azreen, Madhuri took it in a positive way that is, her father trying to educate her younger sister. I feel that Madhuri is always thinking positive to each and every incident that happens around her. This is what inspires me that is to think positively in my life in order to achieve success.

Mentioned above are all the character traits why I admire Madhuri, the most beautiful lady in this novel. I wish I could be like her  and be an obedient daughter to my parents.

The Curse - More Practice (Chapter 1)

Practice 1:


Put T for the statements which are true and F for the statements which are false.

1. Azreen was looking forward to return to her hometown. ______

2. Julian agreed to accompany Azreen on the flight back home. ______

3. Azreen volunteers at the front desk during her spare time. ______

4. Azreen was eager to speak to Julian before leaving London. ______

5. Azreen had to postpone taking her exams. ______

6. Azreen had to leave London suddenly because there was a death in her family. _______

7. Julian was popular among students in college _______

8. Both Julian and Azreen was from Malaysia. _______

Practice 2

Complete the sentences below by matching them with the following phrases.

• the matron’s office

• the door did not jam as usual and made her way to the nearest station.

• why she was leaving.

• I’ll help you with your bag.”

• In his place was a tall amicable-looking young man.

• I won’t be able to help out at the desk tonight?”

• she could never get used to the changing daylight saving time



1. Azreen Saleh stepped out blindly from ____________________________________________

2. “Can you please tell Mr. Goldman that ____________________________________________

3. She did not want to have to explain _______________________________________________

4. She heaved a sigh of relief that ___________________________________________________

5. No matter how much time she spent in London ______________________________________

6. “You’re taking a tube to Heathrow ________________________________________________

7. The fatherly Filipino had apparently gone down to the cafeteria for breakfast and
_______________________________________________________________________

Practice 3:

Read the statements below. Then identify the characters who made the statements.

1. “Have a nice trip then, Love”

______________________________________________________

2. “Oh, no, not Julian”

______________________________________________________

3. “I didn’t expect you’d finish your exams so soon”

______________________________________________________

4. “You’re taking the tube to Heathrow? I’ll help you with your bag....”

______________________________________________________

5. “You’d better return to you desk. Old Goldman might realise you’re missing.”

______________________________________________________

6. “I have to go home earlier. I’ve spoken to the principal”

______________________________________________________

The Curse - Character

Which character do you like or admire the most? Give reasons for your answer with close reference to the text.

I - Identify the needs of the question – character that you like
     or admire –

M - Based on the Novel The Curse by Lee Su  Ann, the character that I
       like or admire is………………….because ….(state 2 reasons)

E - What happened that make the character likeable/admirable? When did it happen?
      Where did it happen? (give 2 evidences for each reasons)

J - Justify why you say that the character is likeable/admirable? (Closure – relate it to
     our own life)


Based on the novel “The Curse” by Lee Su Ann the character that I like and admire is Azreen because of a few reasons.

The first reason is because Azreen is such a strong character that has great courage as she is open, positive and always fights for what she believes in.

Firstly, she ignores the warnings and prejudices of the Villagers by befriending the out casted Old lady. This is shown right from the time she dares to accept the challenge from her friends to approach the old lady to finally knocking on the door of the Old lady. In fact, she makes her, her precious confidante and counsellor.

Secondly, in defence of the Old lady she dares to confront Puan Normala’s mob outside Mohd Asraf’s house when Nek once again has fallen ill and died. Subsequently, she confronts a group of men led by Asraf who goes to the Old lady’s house to seek revenge after Nek dies as they believe the Old lady has poisoned Nek. Finally, when the Old lady died, trapped in the burning house, she confronts Asraf and physically attacks him as she believes Asraf is to be blamed.

Being open, positive, courageous to speak and act accordingly, and in addition always fights for what we believe in is important to us as we certainly help to make right what are wrong in the society, bring healing to wounded hearts and make the world a better place.

The second reason is because Azreen is such a good and loyal friend …………. (complete the task)

The Curse - Practice (Chapter 3 & 4)

Chapter 3

1. Name the character who like to spread rumours.
   _____________________________________________________

2. What was the rumour about?
   _____________________________________________________

3. Puan Normala has a daughter. What is her name?
  _____________________________________________________

4. Puan Kamsiah has a daughter. What is her name?
  _____________________________________________________

5. Why Puan Normala said that they all have been cursed?
  _____________________________________________________
 
6. Who picked Azreen up at the airport?
  _____________________________________________________

Chapter 4

1. Siti remember her moment with Madhuri. What was it about?
  _____________________________________________________

2. Puan Normala talked about Azreen when she saw her. What did Puan Normala think of Azreen?
  _____________________________________________________

3. Why didn’t the villager’s tell in details about Madhuri’s death to Datin Sharifah and Datuk Zulkifli?
  _____________________________________________________

4. Datin Sharifah and Datuk Zulkifli are outsiders, so how are they related to Azreen? Describe it.
  _____________________________________________________

5. Azreen mother had a disease. What do you think the disease is? How does a reader know she is suffering from a disease-provide evidence.
 _____________________________________________________
 _____________________________________________________
 _____________________________________________________
 _____________________________________________________

6. Azreen met her brother in-law/ Madhuri’s husband. What is his name?
  _____________________________________________________

7. Who is Mohd Asraf? Provide two characteristic of Mohd Asraf.
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________

8. Where did Azreen and Mohd Asraf met for the first time?
  _____________________________________________________

9. Why didn’t Asraf play football?
  _____________________________________________________

10. Asraf invited Azreen to join him to play a game.What was the game? Why did he asked Azreen to play?
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________

11. Asraf admired Azreen, why is that?
  _____________________________________________________

12. Where did Datin Sharifah and her husband stay in Langkawi?
  _____________________________________________________

13. What is Mohd Asraf working as?
  _____________________________________________________

14. Haji Ghani loved Madhuri so much. Provide evidences to support his statement.
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________

15. Who is Haji Ghani’s first wife?
  _____________________________________________________

16. Give two characteristics of Puan Fatihah.
  _____________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________

The Curse Themes: More Notes

JEALOUSY


The jealousy that occurs when one is favoured than the other.

Azreen is jealous of Madhuri. She is always being compared to her, especially for the things that she is not, or does not have. She doesn’t have her sister’s grace and beauty, and it seems like her parents favour her sister more.

“She could not stand it when her parents and friends compared her to her sister. No matter what she did, no matter how hard she tried, she could never match up to Madhuri.” Pg. 8

“It was that particular sentence that her mother had uttered in her frustration…She was not Madhuri. She was different. Why couldn’t they accept that? It was always Madhuri this, Madhuri that.” Pg. 107

Puan Fatihah is jealous of Madhuri’s existence in her marriage with Haji Ghani. Even after her death, she still cannot get her husband’s attention, what more his care.

“She’s very pretty, and very sweet-tempered and respectful to her elders. And very young. She added the last sentence with a trace of jealousy which escaped her husband’s eas.” Pg. 79

“She had lost everything to Madhuri. Her silk, her husband and her life – her sanity!” Pg. 80

Asraf is jealous of Haji Ghani as he married his love, Madhuri. He couldn’t do anything though because he had nothing at that time.

“I’ve loved her ever since I met her. Then that Haji Ghani came and took her away.” Pg. 204

PREJUDICE

People are prejudiced when they are different from what others expect of them, or when they made past mistakes.

Azreen behaves like none of what is expected of her. She is outspoken, aggressive and daring. She does things that make people think negatively of her. For example, being friends with the Old Lady.

“Don’t touch me. You’re cursed. You’ve been affected ever since you made friends with the witch. But you refuse to let that rest. Instead you have brought her here and now the curse is spreading all over the village.” Pg. 186

The Old Lady had killed her husband years ago. Because of that, the villagers deemed her evil, and even think she is witch.

“I’m sure your witch friend has never told you that she stabbed her husband to death. Do you wished to be murdered along with the rest of us in our beds?” Pg. 187

IRRATIONALITY

Irrationality due to rage can cause people to take extreme actions that can endanger the lives of others.

Saleh Abdullah murdered Madhuri out of rage, upon seeing her in a private place with a man who is not her husband.

“Insolent, ungrateful child. He saw red. The blade flashed in a flurry before his eyes. A cry escaped Madhuri as she fell, knocking over the latex-filled container. Saleh pulled away the parang. But it was too late.” Pg. 225

Asraf, enraged with the Old Lady for thinking she had poisoned his grandmother to death, led a mob of people with torches to kill her. Azreen tried to stop him, but eventually the house was caught in fire and the Old Lady was trapped in the burning house.

“He, too, held a torch in his hand. In the other, he held a hoe. He was much nearer to the house than the other men… And most importantly, loss and anguish fuelled his action. His eyes burned wildly like the fire of his torch.” Pg. 198

The Old Lady murdered her husband as she could not tolerate any longer his abusive ways.

“He was holding her by the shoulder, shaking her hard and yelling curses at her. He called her all sorts of names. He kneed her in the stomach, and kicked her when she went down... As he started to force herself on her, her hands reached for the knife and she struck.” Pg. 103

SUPERSTITIONS

Belief in the supernatural is still prevalent in small villages.

Almost all the villagers believe in the supernatural. Puan Normala especially, believed that Madhuri bled white blood and thought that the whole village is cursed.

“I saw it. It was white.” Her grip tightened. “Did you hear me?” She had white blood. We have all been cursed!” Pg. 13

Most of the villagers believed that the Old Lady is a witch. They do not dare to enter her compound in fear of being cast a spell.

“Azreen realised they had not dared to move closer to the house. Superstition and fear of the supernatural prevented them from physically hurting the Old Lady.” Pg. 198

People of the village seek help from bomohs or witchdoctors to cure sickness or for charms to get what they want.

“Was it a bad thing to want to win back her husband’s affections? What was a little charm from the bomoh to push things in the right direction?” Pg. 148

SOCIAL OUTCASTING

People tend to be cast out when they don’t follow certain norms of a society.

Due to Azreen’s outspoken, unlady-like behaviour, the people in the village tend to dislike, as she is not the type of girl who is supposed to act like one.

“It’s not easy to be like that. Socially accepted, I mean. Look at me. Everyone hates me.” Pg. 38

The Old Lady was casted out from the village after they found out that she killed her husband.

“It’s true. That’s why I’m here. Because the villagers cast me out after they found out what happened.” Pg.101

Bomoh Awang would have been cast out from the village if Azreen didn’t pretend to be responsible for the incident that caused her mother’s accident.

“But Cik Adik, if it hadn’t been for you, the villagers would have cast me out long ago.”Pg.211

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

A person’s background, or what people think of them does not matter when it comes to unconditional love.

Datin Sharifah and Datuk Zul treats Azreen like their own daughter, not caring what the other villagers think about her.

“In fact, they treated the girl very much like their own daughter.” (pg. 27)

Saleh Abdullah and his wife loved Madhuri like she was their own child the moment they found her crying alone in paddy field.

“All they cared was to keep the baby as their own. And they had loved her like their own.”Pg. 224

FORGIVENESS

Forgiving is an act that can free a person from burden and achieve peace.

The Old Lady was abused and badly treated in her marriage, which drove her to kill his husband. But in the end, she forgave him.

“Once you’ve forgiven – sincerely forgiven – the weight is lifted from your chest, and you’re finally free.” Pg. 161

Azreen had always feelings for Asraf, but Asraf loved Madhuri instead. Asraf has also caused the death of her dear friend, the Old Lady. The Old Lady’s last words to Azreen were that she learns to forgive. Eventually, she did.

“From her heart, Azreen wished him all the best. She smiled. Had she learnt to forgive? The Old Lady would be so proud if she knew.”Pg. 231

The Curse - Practice (Chapter 2)

Practice 1:

Put T for the statements which are true and F for the statements which are false.

Madhuri despised her sister Azreen. _______

Azreen treasures the happy memories of her childhood with Madhuri. _______

Most people preferred Madhuri over Azreen. _______

Azreen was very popular among her family and friends. _______

Azreen was envious of her sister’s popularity. _______

Azreen was happy when her  sister died. _______

Azreen did not enjoy Malaysian cuisine. _______

People found Madhuri more attractive than Azreen.  _______

Azreen liked to be compared to her sister.  _______

Madhuri and Azreen did not spend much time together as children. _______

Practice 2:

Identify phrases from the text to support the following statements.

Azreen was Madhuri’s younger sister.

“Madhuri was four years older  than she”__________________________________

Azreen felt ignored when Madhuri was around.

_________________________________________________________________

Azreen felt unloved because she was the complete opposite of her sister.

_________________________________________________________________

Madhuri was popular in the village.

_________________________________________________________________

Azreen was not looking forward to return to her village.

_________________________________________________________________

Azreen felt hopelessly inferior to Madhuri.

_________________________________________________________________

Azreen shared a very close relationship with her sister when they were very young.

_________________________________________________________________

Azreen did not like to be compared to Madhuri.

_________________________________________________________________

The Curse - Practice (Chapter 1)

Practice 1

Complete the  sentences below by matching them with the following phrases.

•  the matron’s office
• the door did not jam as usual and made her way to the nearest station.
• why she was leaving.
•  I’ll help you with your bag.”
•  In his place was a tall amicable-looking young man.
•  I won’t be able to help out at the desk tonight?”
• she could never get used to the changing daylight saving time

1.       Azreen Saleh stepped out blindly from ____________________________________________

2.       “Can you please tell Mr. Goldman that ____________________________________________

3.       She did not want to have to explain _______________________________________________

4.       She heaved a sigh of relief that ___________________________________________________

5.       No matter how much time she spent in London ______________________________________

6.       “You’re taking  a tube to Heathrow  _______________________________________________

7.       The fatherly Filipino had apparently gone down to the cafeteria for breakfast and _____________________________________________________________

Practice 2:

Read the statements below. Then identify the characters who made the statements.

1.       “Have a nice trip then, Love”

______________________________________________________

2.       “Oh, no, not Julian”

______________________________________________________

3.       “I didn’t expect you’d finish your exams so soon”

______________________________________________________

4.       “You’re taking the tube to Heathrow? I’ll help you with your bag....”

______________________________________________________

5.       “You’d better return to you desk. Old Goldman might realise you’re missing.”

______________________________________________________

6.       “I have to go home earlier. I’ve spoken to the principal”

        ______________________________________________________________

Practice 3:

1.       Why did Azreen refrain from seeing her friends before leaving London?

_________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

2.       Why do you think Julian ran after Azreen when he saw her leaving with her suitcase?

_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

3.       Why do you think Azreen did not want Julian to accompany her to the airport?

_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

4.       What have you learnt about Azreen from this chapter ?

i)Azreen did not like goodbyes. This is why she avoided her friends before leaving and 
left the campus  quietly________________________________________________________

ii)___________________________________________________________________________  

    ___________________________________________________________________________

iii)__________________________________________________________________________

     __________________________________________________________________________

iv)___________________________________________________________________________

     ___________________________________________________________________________

5.       What have you learnt about Julian from this chapter?

i)____________________________________________________________________________

   ____________________________________________________________________________

ii)___________________________________________________________________________

    ___________________________________________________________________________

iii)___________________________________________________________________________

     ___________________________________________________________________________

iv)___________________________________________________________________________

     ___________________________________________________________________________