The Early Settlers by Ken Chau

1. How does this title refer to two groups of ‘settlers’? Who are they?

The title is most likely referring to two types of settlers, foreigners and natives. Presumably since the book is about Australia and growing up Asian in Australia, and because the story references 1987 "...in 1987 to grow corn..", the foreigners would most likely be white settlers from Britain set to colonize Australia, and the natives being the Aboriginals. 

2. How is the first line of the poem successful at being ‘forceful’ regarding the Great-Grandfather’s presence in Australia?

The author creates a forceful setting with the introduction of Great-Grandfather by giving no further explanation into his arrival "Great-Grandfather arrived", without having any sense or show of emotion or even any explanation a sense of forcefulness is created because it seems that Great-Grandfather arrived at Australia by someones elses will - thus my theory of the colonization of Australia and the native Aboriginals is supported. 

3. What action are the ‘early settlers’ doing that gives them equally a strong presence?

The early settlers are 'entrecnhed' meaning that they are not willing to open themselves to anything and are being completely xenophobic, this would make them seem very hostile in the eyes of another culture especially if you just arrived in a new land.

4. How is the intention of the Great-Grandfather juxtaposed to the beliefs of the ‘early settlers’?

Great-Grandfather's situation is very relevant to the early settlers in the late 19th century, that he was taken 'forcefully' to this new land and has to work on plantations such as corn "..in 1987 to grow corn... in Wahgunyah".

5. What action does the Great-Grandfather do that ties him both to the ‘early settlers’ and to his own culture?

Great-Grandfather curses at the native people for being hostile and 'entrecnhed' proving that he is from a foreign land - meaning that he is white and is most likely from Britain. 

6. How does this short poem highlight the irony of the hatred that immigrants experience when they come to a 'settled' land like Australia?

It is ironic because the settler were actually invading the new land rather then colonizing it, and the hatred that was created was a mutual feeling between the whites and the Aboriginals meaning that the hatred and hostile feeling that the White got from the Aboriginals was deserved. 

Lessons from my School Years by Ray Wing-Lun

1. There is a stark contrast created in the opening of this story between what the narrator had been doing before entering school and what will be expected at school? What is this contrast and what does it immediately create in the story?
The contrast is from the fun relaxing things he would do before school to the time passing, interesting things in school. This creates a sense of unawareness throughout the story.

2. The author continues this theme of contrast at the start of the story. How does he do this in his description of his experience of Sydney’s North Shore?

He continues this contrast at the start of the story with his experience of the North Shore by the dark ally ways and where all the mechanics drove their cars to his shiny clean shop.

3. What was the father’s background in business before he opened the fruit shop? What has helped him become successful?

His fathers background in business was him working hard and unpacking crates and boxes of fruit and vegetables on and off trucks. What helped him become successful was working hard.

4. The narrator’s description of his father is complex. What makes the father a complex character?

What makes the father a complex character is the knowing about his work side but not much about him.

5. (91) How does the author describe his role in doing ‘things that counted’?
The author describes his role is doing this that counted by standing back and listening to his/her siblings stories.

6. What experience does the author have at school while keeping to himself? What does he learn from this experience?

7. How would you characterise the narrator’s tone in regards to the events that are occurring around him?

I would assume the narrator's tone in regards to the events that are occurring around him as sad, dull and slow. I don't think is something he/she would want to be talking about.

8. How does the narrator characterise the ways that one could ‘get the strap’ and ways that one could avoid it?

The narrator characterizes getting the strap as very easy and very hard to avoid getting it.

9. What event evokes a racist speech to the class by the teacher?

What evokes the racist speech is the note saying he/she cant go swimming.

10. What effect did the author’s experience with ‘Strap Happy Jack’ have on him?

The effect Strap Happy Jack had on the author was positive. He didn't like him but it made him focus more.

11. What was the one advantage school provided the author?

School provided the author with a sense of accomplishment and the life lesson of working hard which set him up for a lifetime of learning.

12. What did the author do at his school? What was his motivation for doing it? What did he feel was lacking at school?

The author created a workshop class for people to study together and helping them study well. He was motivated by his bad concentration. He thought that groups like these were lacking at the school because they could help.

13. What did the parents want their son to do at school? What did the author fear would happen by obeying his parents?

His parents wanted him to do as the teacher wanted him to do, not what he wanted to do, the author feared he wouldn't be able to be able to think for himself if he did that.

Teenage Dreamers by Phillip Tang

1.     What are the first two sentences of the story and how do they create a tension in the story?

It creates a ‘spookiness’ or jolt inside the reader, and is effective in grabbing the readers attention.

2.     What has happened to the author’s father as a result of his wife’s death?

He has become obsessed with a Chinese Singer called ‘Leslie Cheung’

3.     How does the description of the father removing his hands from his face as ‘unmasked’ related to the seriousness of his following statement?

The reason it is so serious for the father to ‘unmask’ himself is because he is putting any put on emotion on, and is simply talking to his son face to face and truly. 

Conversations with my Parents by Oanh Thi Tran

1.     What is ironic about the way the author and the father become close? What has to happen to the father?

It is ironic that the author and the father become close because it happens at the time of his apparent illness – that will most likely result in his death.

2.     How would you characterise the conversation that the author has with her parents?

It is humourist and repetitive

3.     What is it that worries the author most about these conversations?

The author worries about these conversations because he can never say what he wants, that he loves his parents and misses them

4.     There is a gap between the author’s need to express feelings common in western countries and her family’s lack of desire to express their feelings verbally. How does the family still express their feelings for their child, just not verbally?

Because that is the way they have been culturally raised and is the society they live in, this is apparent since the author regrets not saying it to them and instead of sharing his love every 3 weeks, he forgets to and does not find the courage to.

The Relative Advantages of Learning my Language by Amy Choi

1. The author opens the story with an anecdote. What is the anecdote and what effect does it have on the reader?

The anecdote represents how you should never expect that people dont know more then you think they know

2. What is the author’s view of the Chinese language in the 2^nd paragraph?

The author explains why speaking Chinese in a English speaking country is irrelevant. 

3. What is symbolic about the house that the Grandfather mistakes for his own? What does it say about the assimilation of his family into Australian culture? What does it say about his understanding of Australian culture? What is ironic about the inhabitants of this house?

The grandfather mistakenly took the 'identical' house for his own, and stands as a microcosm for how Asian's cannot interpret Australian similarities ( for example how the houses are the same ), thus making the Grandfather's understanding of Australian culture limited. The irony behind the people in the house is that they are also immigrants like the Grandfather and his family. 

4. What does the death of her grandfather inspire the author to do?

The death of her Grandfather inspires her to re learn Chinese when she is in her late teens and twenties

5. Why is she motivated to know Chinese? What is it she wants to ensure she is able to, regretting that she couldn’t do it with her grandfather?

The author wants other Chinese people to be able to talk to her and she regrets that she wasn't able to do this with her grandfather ".I am not trying to discover my roots but am simply trying to ensure that the next time an elderly relative wants me to listen to them, i am not only willing, i am able"

1. How does this title refer to two groups of ‘settlers’? Who are they?

Locals and Foreigners 

2. How is the first line of the poem successful at being ‘forceful’ regarding the Great-Grandfather’s presence in Australia?

3. What action are the ‘early settlers’ doing that gives them equally a strong presence?

4. How is the intention of the Great-Grandfather juxtaposed to the beliefs of the ‘early settlers’?

5. What action does the Great-Grandfather do that ties him both to the ‘early settlers’ and to his own culture?

6. How does this short poem highlight the irony of the hatred that immigrants experience when they come to a 'settled' land like Australia?