Comparison and contrast

HEROES by KARIM RASLANTHE SOMEBODY by DANNY SANTIAGO

ELEMENTS OF COMPARISON AND CONTRAST

• AUTHOR• THEME

• CHARACTERS• SETTING

• LANGUAGE STYLE• ISSUES

AUTHORKARIM RASLAN (HEROES) DANNY SANTIAGO (THE SOMEBODY)

Karim Raslan Daniel Lewis James

Born in Perak, 1963 Born in Kansas City, 1911 (passes away in 1988)

The second child of Raslan Abdullah, the founder of Bank Bumiputra Malaysia Bhd in 1960’s

The only son of a wealthy family from Kansas City

Educated in Malaysia and England (Cambridge), studying law

Educated in Yale, majoring in classical Greek

Father-Malay, Orang Kaya Besar, BangsawanMother-Welsh, English

Both of his parents are English

A lawyer and a writer- columnist, political analyst

Travelling salesman, worked in Hollywood as assistant to Charlie Chaplin, volunteer social worker

KARIM RASLAN DANNY SANTIAGO

The author of Ceritalah: Malaysia in Transition - which was described by Nobel Laureate Sir V.S. Naipaul as "educated and elegant" - Heroes and Other Stories and Journeys Through Southeast Asia: Ceritalah 2.

First novel- Famous All Over Town 1984received the Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation Award for fiction given by the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters in 1984 and the PEN President's Award in 1985 for the novel.

Creates the character of “I” to portray some of his ideas and views on what is happening to the nation

Creates the character of Chato based on other’s experience that he witnessed

Being very critical on political issues Being very critical on issues involving Hispanic community

AUTHOR

THEMEHEROES THE SOMEBODY

Finding and admitting the truth about something

Determination to know and reveal the truth about things happened in the past

- Fariza has long pestered me to write about the past. (pg.30)

- She used all her wiles and canniness to force me into doing exactly what she wanted. (pg.32)

Determination and braveness to admit the truth about one self

- I want you to know this is a big day in my life because today I quit school and went to work as a writer. (lines 2-3)

- I write my gang name, Chato, which means cat face, because I have a flat nose like a cat. It’s a Mexican word because that’s what I am, a Mexican, and I’m not ashamed of it. (lines 6-8)

THEMEHEROES THE SOMEBODY

Being heroic

Being heroic in the eyes of the others because of responsibilities and actions done for the nation

- She knows I am a hero and is therefore unafraid of the truth. (pg. 33)

- Says he still admires you, respects you. (pg.36)

- I had to be as loyal as the Sultan’s private Laksamana. (pg.35)

- I was entrusted by the highest authorities carrying messages of national importance. (pg.35)

Being heroic in his very own eyes; self-adoration

- I’m telling you, I was pretty famous at the Forney by the time I cut out, and from there I continued my travels till a new idea hit me. (lines 119-111)

- It felt good to see myself written everyplace. (lines 172-173)

- All I need is plenty of chalk and I’ll be famous wherever there’s a wall to write on. (lines 245-246)

SETTINGHEROES THE SOMEBODY

Malaysia

- Petaling Jaya’s Section 5 (pg.22), the same house since Fariza was a girl until her mother has passed away (pg.24)

- North Perak, on the way to Penang (pg.37)

- Two miles outside Tapah (pg.39)

United States of America

- Eastside in old Los Angeles. (line 2)

- Shamrock Street, the street where Chato and his family live (lines 12-13)

-Broadway and Bailey (line 240)

-Boy’s Club (line 132)

SETTINGHEROES THE SOMEBODY

May 30th, 1969 (pg.37)

- Race riots (pg.30)

- Omar and “I” decided to leave because they were afraid that the Chinese will kill them. (pg.46)

- If the situation continued like this, we’d be in danger. (pg.45)

There was no specific year mentioned in the text

-Took place during the Mexican-American being oppressed and discriminated by the society

- Then the S.P. Railroad bought up the whole street, every house except my father’s. (lines 55-56)

SETTINGHEROES THE SOMEBODY

- The people of Malaysia – Malay, Chinese, India

- A Malay family of three – I, Fariza, Naimah, Mariam – in which the members are very closed to each other

- People who carry the duty as civil servants (pg.260)

-The Mexican-American community whom according to history were exiled to East Los Angeles and have not being treated equally with the whites.

- A Mexican-American family of many children but the members were not so closed to each other (lines 48-50)

- Group of teenagers who involve in gangs- Sierra Street gang, Chato de Shamrock

LANGUAGE STYLEHEROES THE SOMEBODY

The dialogues and sentences are inserted with Malay words

-Ayah (pg. 22), cangkul (pg.29), parang (pg.46), onde-onde (pg.32)

There are certain Spanish and Mexican words inserted.

- Que cute! (line 46), Chato which means cat face (lines 6-7), Chato de Shamrock

Use of difficult words

- Idyllic (pg.24), euphony (pg.25), cornucopia (pg.25), grotesque (pg.43)

Use of simple words and sentences built as if the author was talking to a friend

-You know me (line 219)- I’m telling you (line 109)- That’s nothing, man, nothing (lines 242-243)

The Somebody Heroes

Responsibility towards the nation

Chato doesn’t seem to be really care about contributing something for his country and his own people : ( line 25 )

‘’I’’ or Ayah shows full commitment towards his job to serve the nation : (page 27 ,32 )

Chato’s concern is only about his writing that will make him being recognized by the others: (line 55)

I is responsible towards his task for the sake of the nation

ISSUES

The Somebody Heroes

Proudness

Chato is the one who feels proud of himself

Fariza is the one who adores and feels proud of his father

Chato keeps on bragging about his writing on every places: (line 110 and 210)

Fariza has been told about the good deeds that his father has done: (page 31, 33)

THE SOMEBODY HEROES DIFFERENCES IN FAMILY UPBRINGING

Family with less affection and love :(Line 20 )

Filled with love from the whole family members : (page 22 )

The way of upbringing practiced by the western family

Eastern way of upbringing where family comes first

The situation of the family seemed to be quite disorganized and miserable

Well organized family with comfortable accommodation : (page 22)

THE SOMEBODY HEROES

ATTACHMENT TOWARDS THE OTHERS

Chato feels alone without his gang : (Line 65)

“I ‘’ need somebody or companion in order for him to lead his life and job

He seems to lose focus in leading his days at the street without the gang :(Line 150)

Regain the confidence from other people support and help. : (page 28)

The Somebody Heroes

Bravery vs. Cowardness

Able to survive alone around the territory of the rival gang; (line 65)

‘’ I ‘’ hides the truth from his daughter as his daughter might be frustrated once she knows the truth about Nazrin .

Goes everywhere even to the funeral home to do his writing : (line 120)

The way he reacted to Omar when their car hit a Chinese woman on their way to Perak. (Page 43,46 )

The somebody Heroes

DISHONESTY CHATO

I

Both of the main characters in the novels, Chato and I portrayed the attitude as they were not as though as what is being seen by

others.

Chato keeps on hiding as the rival gang, Siera is searching for him. He is the one who brags about he does not mind to be beaten up

by them. (line 105 and 125)

I in Heroes shows the true colour of himself especially after the incident with Nazrin which is totally different from the image that

people know him as a respected figure in his time.(page 46,47)

CHARACTERS

The somebody Heroes

Hardly left the past behind

CHATO

I

both of them have their own incident or things that happened in the past which are not easily for then to forget.

Ex : Chato had his own gang before, The Shamrock but all the members have separated from each other due to few reasons. (line 65 and 150)

The main character in Heroes, I still could not forget what was actually happened towards Nazrin and he kept on the memories with him for few years before he writes it in the journal.(page 27)

the somebody heroes

RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FAMILY

CHATO FARIZA

Less respect for the parents Respects the elders

Feeling of alienated in his own family that is quite miserable

The phrase, ‘’he wants no part of him, "I don’t care to look at her anymore” and “I’m checking out of this dump!” refer to the intention of him to get out from his life there, in the family .Line 5 ,35 and 50)

Get the full attention given by the parents and the comforts too.

The way she always be there to visit her father and also she never raises her voice up to him. Page 22,27,28)

The somebody Heroes

CHATO FARIZA

PASSIONATE TOWARDS THEIR DREAM

Both of them have their own dream and keep on to the path to pursue their dreams without any hesitation or being affected by other people’s perception

Steadfast to their dream :Chato wants to be somebody who is well known to the people

Fariza has passion in journalism and she is able to make her father let her pursue the dream