DrAmA fOrM 4

GULP AND GASP by John Townsend

SYNOPSIS

This is a melodrama about a villain, Lord Septic is a greedy man who longs for power, money and fame. He is even capable of committing murder to get what he wants. He owns the railways and is after the Gatsby gold. Crouch as the manservant of Lord Septic is a bully who likes to bully other people when Lord Septic is not around. He bullies Rose, a blind flower girl who reaches the railway to sell flowers to get money to treat her mother. She is rescued by the hero, Percy who turns to be Sir Percy in the end of the drama. They fall in love. Later, Percy learns he is the heir to the Gatsby gold and is known as Sir Percy. Lord Septic loses everything. This is very interesting drama and an enjoyable too as the writer plays with the words intelligently.

THEMES

• Pride goes before fall
• Greed is  destructive
• Innocence and beauty

MORAL VALUES

• Greed will lead to a downfall.
• We should live a humble and honest life.
• Do not bully other people when you have the power.
• Be considerate.

SETTING

• An empty train station
• A cold foggy night

PLOT

• EXPOSITION – Lord Septic, the villain, and his manservant Crouch, a groveling bully, are waiting for the midnight express at the train station. Lord Septic owns all the train stations and he wants wealth and power. He loves to brag about his wealth and success. Crouch is the manservant who sometimes fail to understand what the master tells him.
• RISING ACTION/CONFLICT – Rose, a blind flower girl comes to the station. She wants to sell flowers to help cure her mother. Crouch bullies her, as ordered by Lord Septic,  and Percy, the dashing hero comes in to help her. He tells her about himself.
• CLIMAX – Lord Septic hits Percy and ties Rose to the train track. Percy runs off to try and stop the train coming down the track.
• FALLING ACTION – Percy is able to stop the train using his long jack and Rose is saved. Later, he learns that  he is Sir Percy Gatsby and is the right heir to the Gatsby Gold.
• RESOLUTION – Percy is able to tie Lord Septic and Crouch. They are  waiting to be picked up by the police. Percy, the hero, proposes Rose and she agrees to marry him.

CHARACTERS

• Lord Septic, the villain
• Crouch the bully
• Rose the damsel in distress
• Percy the hero

LANGUAGE AND STYLE

• Simple and clear language
• Dialogue – exaggeration, repetition of words
• Alliteration

Narrative Essay....

Write an essay ending with “… with tears in her eyes, she hugged me tightly.”

It was the wettest December I had ever experienced. The torrential rains had ruined my holiday plans as floods continued to wreak havoc in several states. I had pleaded with dad to allow me to go to the east coast with my friends but he had been unyielding. The thought of having to stay indoors for the next two weeks was not only depressing but also unbearable. Television did not excite me anymore. I was fed up of watching the same old movies on cable television. Even the other channels had nothing exciting to offer. Finally, I decided to go into the attic to retrieve some books which I had not read for a long time.The attic was surprisingly clean – a sign that mum had finally completed the chore that she had kept putting off. I looked around and noticed a teak chest that I had never seen before. Curiosity got the better of me and I walked towards it. I lifted the lid slowly and was pleasantly surprised to see a variety of things in it – all of them reminders of my childhood. I looked nostalgically at the clothes I had worn as a child and the toys I had played with. ‘Bobo’ the teddy bear, which I had slept with until I was ten, had been dry-cleaned and kept in a box which also contained the first Mother’s Day card I had made myself. I was not prepared for what I saw next. Lying at the bottom of the cardboard box was an old black and white photograph of a young woman. I stared at it incredulously. It was as if I was looking at a female version of myself. All sorts of questions and dreadful thoughts flooded my mind. I held the photograph tightly in my hand and dashed out of the attic, only to bump into my mother.
“Mum….who is this?” I asked in a quivering voice.
From the look on her face, I knew it was a question she did not want to answer. Quietly, she held my hand and led me towards the study where dad had been working all morning. She knocked on the door once before opening it. Dad looked up, and his expression of annoyance disappeared when he saw the photograph in my hand.
What I heard that day is something I will never forget for the rest of my life. The woman in the photograph was my mother, my biological mother — Lily Lee.
“Son, Lily loved you very much; just as much as Janet here loves you.”
Dad’s use of the past tense made me uncomfortable. It took a great deal of effort on his part to narrate the painful past.
My biological mother was six months pregnant when the incident happened. She had been walking towards her office when a motorcyclist came from behind and grabbed her handbag before speeding off. As a result of the sudden assault, she had lost her balance and fallen on the kerb. The head injuries she had sustained had a devastating effect on her health. The only option was to perform surgery, but due to her condition, this option was risky. The doctors had wanted to terminate her pregnancy to save her life but she had refused. A month later she fell into a coma. Although the doctors had given up hope, Lily continued to live, though in a comatose state. It was as if she was not giving up on life till her baby was born. When the doctors deemed it safe, they performed an emergency C-section. Lily breathed her last the moment I was born into this world.
Dad sobbed softly as he finished relating the heart-wrenching story. All sorts of emotions consumed me. I was sad, confused and angry. Was I adopted? What about my father? Who was he? Had he abandoned me? After a while, I braved myself and stated what I thought was obvious.
“So, that means you are not my real parents. I am adopted!”
“No, son. You are not adopted. I am your father. Lily was my first wife. She made me promise her that I would marry her younger sister, Janet, so that you would not grow up motherless.”
The sense of relief that I felt at that moment was indescribable. I looked at mum and I saw the pain and anguish in her eyes, as though she was anticipating rejection. Quickly, she looked down. Slowly, I got up from my chair and walked towards her. I went down on my knees and held her hands in mine. Her eyes remained downcast, fearful of rejection.
“Mum, I know I am only seventeen but I am more mature than you think. You might not have given birth to me but you are and will always be my mother.” I comforted her as much as I comforted myself.
She looked up slowly, her eyes searching my face for sincerity. Then with tears in her eyes, she hugged me tightly.

GuLp N gAsP

ChArAcTeRs.......

ROSE

Characteristics: Poor and humble

Textual evidence:

She lives in poverty and sells flowers for a living. The hardship that she is going through made her lead a simple, humble and homely life. When she came to sell the flowers at the railway station, she has not eaten for 3 days and she is greatly hoping to earn some coins. Her house is in a very poor condition and the attic room has dry rot.

Characteristics: Blind and innocent

Textual evidence:

Rose is blind due to the flames at the match factory owned by Lord Septic. She has to lead a hard life as she lost her eye sight. Though she is blind, she is honest in earning money for living and her deed of working as a flower girl reflects her innocent attribute.

Characteristics: Hardworking and strong determination

Textual evidence:

She is hardworking and strong determined as she is willing to take all the trouble to walk all alone and sell the flowers at her own risk. She wants to save up for an operation on her eyes.

Characteristics: Caring and devoted

Textual evidence:

She cares for her sick mother, so she sells flowers in order to pay for her mother’s medication and treatments. She is a devoted child who looks after her ailing mother although she is blind.

Characteristics: Optimistic

Textual evidence:

She is also optimistic as she never gives up in her effort to earn money to treat her mother and for her eyes operation. She is a person who is always hopeful and expects the best in all things.

Characteristics: Smart and efficient

Textual evidence:

She discovers the identity of Lord Septic, accuses him of victimizing her and threatens to expose his crimes by showing a courageous spirit to fight for her rights. Besides that she is also quick in finding out about Percy’s background and gives moral support to him to regain his family fortune. She helps in unraveling the mystery of the key in order to tie up all the loose ends.

Characteristics: Romantic

Textual evidence:

Her romantic admiration towards Percy is revealed through her speech: “Oh, Percy! You’re my hero. My knight in shining armour. My good knight.” She also said, “It could be the key to my heart!”

PERCY

Characteristics: A helpful orphan

Textual evidence:

Percy’s mother was killed on the railway line and he became an orphan living in poverty and hardship. He was found in the litter bin at the railway station, wearing a purse containing a key bearing the initials, NSL. He went through a poor life without realizing that he is actually the rightful heir to Gatsby Gold. Although he is an orphan, he is a selfless and helpful. He helps Rose to pick up her flowers which is thrown by Crouch, and rescued Rose from being killed by Lord Septic when she is tied on the railway tracks by Crouch.

Characteristics: Generous

Textual evidence:

Although he is poor he is sympathetic towards Rose and he really wish he could give her some money when he first meet her at the railway station. When Percy came to know that he is rightfully the heir of Gatsby Gold, he willing to share his gold with Rose.

Characteristics: Intelligent and resourceful

Textual evidence:

Percy is quick in thinking as he managed to stop the train before it runs on Rose. He is smart enough to dab his bleeding nose with his pants until it become dark re. then he climbed up the gas lamp at the far end of the station and put his pants over the lamp.The train driver thought it was a stop light, so his pants brought the train to a halt.

Characteristics: Kind hearted and humble

Textual evidence:

Percy is willing to share his wealth with Rose although he is an aristocrat. He propose Rose as he is willing to marry her out of love . He willing said that half of his wealth is for her, so that she can pay for the operation to regain her eyesight and pay for her mother’s pills to make her well again.Besides that he wants to buy a home and marry Rose and be her life partner.

Characteristics: Brave and fights for justice

Textual evidence:

He grabs Crouch by his color when Crouch treated Rose badly. He rescues Rose from being killed by Lord Septic and he manages to chain him and his servant so that they cannot escape from their evil deeds. Finally the villains are left to their fate as the police are approaching the track.

LORD SEPTIC

Characteristics: Cruel and greedy

Textual evidence:

Lord Septic is a cruel owner of the match factory where Rose worked. . When she lost her eyesight due to the fire in the factory, he did not pay her for the damage. Besides that he treats Rose like a beggar and chases her form the railway station. Although he is rich, he want more and more wealth, he seeks more power and willing to kill for it. He wants to be the richest man and wants to find the Gatsby Gold.

Characteristics: Hot tempered and egoistic

Textual evidence:

He grabs Rose by the wrist and demands Crouch to tie her up. He takes control of the situation and he said that no one ever tells him what to do

Characteristics: violent

Textual evidence:

He creeps from the shadows and mercilessly hits Percy on his head with his stick.Then he slams Percy against the locker. He commands Crouch to tie Rose with the rope to the tracks as he hears the train coming.

Characteristics: Selfish

Textual evidence:

He did not keep the match factory safe because it would cause him money. As a result there was a fire out break which has caused harm and trouble to the poor workers who earn their living working in the factory. He even has no respect for his wife and calls her a nagger and he confesses that he married her wealth as she own a gun factory.

Characteristics: Evil in nature

Textual evidence:

He threw away the Gatsby Kid in the litter bin without any sense of humanity. He mistreats his workers and is very rude to Crouch, Percy and Rose. He is impatient and ill-mannered as he plans to sack the driver and everyone if the train does not arrive.

Characteristics: Rude

Textual evidence:

He is rude and uncouth in language and he looks as though he lacks breeding although he retends to be someone from upper crust. His rudeness is revealed from the way he talks and treats Rose, Crouch and Percy

CROUCH:

Characteristics: Subservient

Textual evidence:

Crouch is a servant who is so devoted and submissive towards his master. Lord Septic. He gives too much respect to his master. He is dim-witted as he simply agrees with whatever his boss say and instructs.

Characteristics: Bully

Textual evidence:

He bullies Rose and throws away her tray of rose across the platform. He has no sense of humanity although he knows that Rose is poor and blind.

Characteristics: Coward

Textual evidence:

He is actually feeble has he confesses that he is just following orders from Lord Septic and he doesn’t want to be blamed for the evil acts he did.

Characteristics: Grovel

Textual evidence:

He has no self dignity and grovels for a living. He grovel at Lord Septic by saying that he is such a great man and he has a big lordship. He even grovels at Percy by saying “By all means, sir. Anything you say, sir.”

Characteristics: Power crazy

Textual evidence:

He enjoys the time when he is given power to chase Rose from the railway tracks. Thus he is also power crazy like his master.

SaMpLe RePoRt FoR PmR

Sample Report

You are in charge of planning excursions and trips for the Form 3 students after the PMR.  You list the places to visit and receive feedback from the students. You compile the results. Using the results, write a report for the Teacher-in-charge, Puan Norliza Bakar.

Results of Survey

1. Total number of students interested in trips/visits and excursions = 100

2. Suggested Places

    a. Putrajaya -            1-day trip     - Administrative Centre     -Cost RM100.00

                                  50 interested    Palace of Justice

                                                         Putrajaya Mosque

                                                         Wetlands

    b. Kuala Lumpur -     3-day trip       – Planetarium                     - Cost RM300.00

                                30 interested      Science Centre

                                                         KLCC

                                                         KL Tower

                                                         Twin Towers

    c. Rantau Abang -     3-day trip –       Turtles                             - Cost RM300.00  

                                  20 interested    Floating Mosque

3.  Transport – Air-conditioned Buses

4.  Accommodation – Schools or 3-star hotels

5.  Own meals

 

 

IdIoMs.....

WhAt ArE iDiOmS?

Idioms appear in every language, and English has thousands of them. They are often confusing because the meaning of the whole group of words taken together has little, often nothing, to do with the meanings of the words taken one by one.

For instance, to "let the cat out of the bag" means to reveal a secret. Today the phrase has nothing to do with a cat or a bag, but hundreds of years ago it actually did.

In order to understand a language, you must know what the idioms in that language mean. If you try to figure out the meaning of an idiom literally, word by word, you will get befuddled. You have to know its "hidden meaning".

So let's check out the idioms that we can learn for today.....

ace: make an "A" on a test, homework assignment, project, etc.

"Somebody said you aced the test, Dave. That's great!"

all right (1): expression of reluctant agreement.

A: "Come to the party with me. Please!"
B: "Oh, all right. I don't want to, but I will."

all right (2): fair; not particularly good.

A: "How's your chemistry class?"
B: "It's all right, I guess, but it's not the best class I've ever had."

all right (3): unharmed; in satisfactory condition.

A: "You don't look normal. Are you all right?"
B: "Yes, but I have a headache."

and then some: and much more besides.

A: "I'd guess your new computer cost about RM2,000. "
B: "It cost that much and then some because I also bought extra RAM and VRAM."

antsy: restless; impatient and tired of waiting.

"I hope Katy calls soon. Just sitting around and waiting is making me antsy."

as easy as pie: very easy.

"I thought you said this was a difficult problem. It isn't. In fact, it's as easy as pie."

at the eleventh hour: at the last minute; almost too late.

"Yes, I got the work done in time. I finished it at the eleventh hour, but I wasn't late.

to be continue.....

So you can apply it in your essays too....