Literary Review: Two Women and a Baby

Literature Review

• Two Women Scrambled for a Baby (Cambodia) is a tale from the Bible, classified as mythological fiction, drama, and suspense.
• The story has no author, and its themes include unconditional love, fair judgment, reward, and punishment, and wisdom.
• Characters include the Impostor Mother, Dead Baby, Live Baby, Real Mother, and Judge/King Solomon.
• Settings include the court and home in Israel/Jerusalem.

The Tale of Mosquito (Laos)

• The tale is classified as fantasy and folklore fiction, with no author.
• Vocabulary includes unbearable, dram, frivolous, desolate, inconsolable, and creaseless.
• Characters include Nhan Deep, Ngoc Tam, Genii, and the Old Man.
• The story explores themes of human nature, morality, and the consequences of actions.

Mrs. Geni in December (Indonesia)

• The author is Arswendo Atmowiloto, an Indonesian journalist and writer.
• The story explores themes of beauty, transformation, and the potential cost of achieving perfection.
• Characters include Mrs. Geni, the Mother of BTB, the Bride to be, and Friends and relatives of BTB.
• Settings include the house of a district head and Mrs. Geni's house.

Sunflower for a Friend (Singapore)

• The author is Lee Tzu Pheng, an award-winning poet and one of Singapore's most influential literary personalities.
• The story explores themes of verbal abuse and childhood trauma.
• Literary devices include metaphor, symbolism, and simile.
• Singapore's national language is Malay, with four official languages: Malay, English, Chinese, and Tamil.

The Frying Pan (Malaysia)

• The author is Zurinah Hassan, a Malaysian national laureate and the first female writer to be conferred the title.
• The story is classified as realism or contemporary fiction and explores themes of tradition, family dynamics, and the conflict between modernity and traditional values.
• Literary devices include metaphor, personification, imagery, and repetition.

Authors and Countries

• Two women scrambled for a baby: No author (Cambodia)
• The Tale of Mosquito: No author (Laos)
• Mrs. Geni in December: Arswendo Atmowiloto (Indonesia)
• Sunflower for a Friend: Lee Tzu Pheng (Singapore)
• The Frying Pan: Zurinah Hassan (Malaysia)

Denotation and Connotation

• Denotation: dictionary definition of a word
• Connotation: secondary meaning of a word
• Examples: Baby (anak, GF/BF), elderly (positive), old (negative)

Fun Facts About the Countries

Cambodia

• Flag features a building
• Angkor Wat is the world's largest religious monument
• Most Cambodians are Buddhist
• Agriculture is a common source of living
• Language: Khmer
• Government: Constitutional monarchy with an elected parliamentary government

Laos

• Democratic republic and communist state
• Language: Lao
• Religion: Theravada Buddhism
• Agriculture is a common source of living
• Laos is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia

Test your understanding of the biblical tale of two women fighting for a baby, exploring characters, settings, and literary devices. Evaluate your knowledge of the story, its themes, and literary elements.