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Meet Siew Yue Killingley

Personal details:Born Leong Siew Yue, KualaLumpur, Malaya (now Malaysia),17th December 1940.

Married Dermot Killingley 1963

First visited Britain and theRepublic of Ireland for six months

in 1965; lived in Britain since1968.

Died Newcastle upon Tyne, 8thJune, 2004.

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Education:

St Marys School, Kuala Lumpur1947-1957 Victoria Institution, Kuala

Lumpur 1957-59. University of Malaya 1960-66.

School of Oriental and AfricanStudies, University of London 1968-

70.

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Languages:

Bilingual in English and Cantonese; fluent in French and Mandarin; able

to read Old English, Middle English and Latin; some German, Sanskrit

and Hindi.

Degrees:

BA (Hons) in English (Upper Second),

University of Malaya, 1963. MA (Linguistics), University of Malaya, 1966.

PhD (Linguistics), University of London, 1972.

Performing Arts: Royal Academy of Dancing Certificate in Ballet in Education, Grade V

Honours, 1957.

Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Pianoforte Grade 3

(Merit), 1991; Flute Grade 8 (Merit), 1992.

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Teaching:

1961-7: Taught English language, literature, phonetics, and linguistics atvarious schools in Selangor, Malaysia and at the University of Malaya.

1970-2: Tutorial Assistant in Linguistics and Phonetics, School of English,University of Newcastle.

1972-80: Lecturer in English (Senior lecturer 1979), St. Mary's College ofEducation, Newcastle.

1987-8: Tutor in Community Interpreting and Bilingual Skills, College of Artsand Technology (now Newcastle College).

1988-2002: Tutor in courses on linguistics, language and the community in theCentre for Continuing Education (now Lifelong Learning), University of

Newcastle. This included course in Chinese Language and Culture, 1994-2002.

2002-2004: Tutor in Chinese Language and Culture, Workers EducationalAssociation.

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Voluntary work

Interpreting in Cantonese and

English at various times inNewcastle and Northumberland.

1991-7: Editor of monthly BritishLinguistic Newsletter and ex-officio

Committee Member of theLinguistics Association of GreatBritain.

Publishing:

1981: Founded Grevatt & Grevatt,non-commercial publishers.

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SHORT STORY:

A QUESTION OF DOWRY

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Plot Summary

An Indian girl, Sivasothie was going to be engaged& married to a young man, Thiruchelvam who waschosen by the family.

Thiruchelvam was a doctor. Sivasothies parents were preparing dowry, a sum

of twenty thousand dollars to the bridegroomsfamily.

They even had a gold necklace as a personalpresent to their daughter when she was going tobe wedded.

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Problem arose when Sivathosies father,

Mr. Ramachandran told his wife that theycannot afford to give the dowry and the

necklace.

This is because the wifes piece of landwas disvalued to be sold & it was the only

way to pay the dowry.

Mr. Ramachandran called the future son-

in-law to come to their house.

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Mr. Ramachandran told Thiruchelvam

the truth about the dowry matters. Knowing this, Thiruchelvam rejected the

marriage because the brides family

could not afford to give the dowry aspromised.

Sivasothie felt sad & hurt for she had toforget the marriage & after all, she began

to like Thiruchelvam.

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Literary Criticism

AQoD

Cultural

SocialGender

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CULTURAL

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Dowry

In India, dowry ordahejis the payment incash or/and kind by the brides family.

Originated in upper caste families as

wedding gift.

To help with marriage expenses and a form

of insurance in case her in-laws mistreatedher.

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Although dowry is legally prohibited in 1961, it

continually to be highly institutionalized.

The groom usually demands a large sum ofmoney, farm, animals etc.

Eg: In the story, Thiruchelvams family

demanded twenty thousand dollars as the dowry

from the brides family.

E1: Twenty thousand dollars is not to be scoffed atthats more than I can say what Thangathurai gave

his daughter when our son married her.. pg 31.

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However, they could not afford to pay the dowry and

the necklace for they had only a piece of disvalued

land which cost them less than the amount theywanted it to be sold.

E1: Come now, wife!..Dont you remember? We have only

one piece of land left from your dowry we sold the other

two for our third and fourth sons weddings.pg 32.

About the land, Im afraid it is impossible to sell it at a

quarter of its former price. You see, water has been

seeping out from some well for about ten years and so theland is now too marshy for house-holding. pg 32.

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Arranged Marriage

Indian generations are traditionallyengaged in an arranged marriage by

their elders.

Marriage is not only necessity for girl but

a religious sacrament as well, since it

was believed that a female virgin couldnever attain spiritual enlightenment in

this world.

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As we read through the story, the daughter is going to

be engaged to a doctor.

E: Sivasothie, you are a very lucky girl. Youll have a doctorfor your husband and Mrs Muthu will have a fit from envy.

pg 33.

However, due to the incapability of the brides family to

fulfill the dowry as promised, the wedding had be

called-off.

E: Thiruchelvam, having less faith in Mrs Ramachandrans

father, believed the news about the devalued landMrRamachandran had to let his wife and daughter know about

the changed situation.

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Though it is not stated directly in the

short story that the marriage isarranged, logically we know the

bridegroom and the bride seem to just

meet and barely know each other.

In addition, if the marriage is based on

love, the man would defend themarriage instead of rejecting it because

of the dowry.

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SOCIAL

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Social Class

Comparison between the Grooms and the Brides Social Class

Thiruchelvam (The Groom) Sivasothie (The Bride)

Well educated (example) Unstated education

Stable income Unknown income source

Doctor Jobless

Upper class family Middle class family

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GENDER:FEMINISM

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Patriarchal Power

Man is on top of the family pyramid

In Indian beliefs, a marriage is arranged by the

father and if he died his role will be taken by a

girls brothers instead of the mother.

In general, man insists that a womens place is

only at home and she is satisfied by serving her

family and fulfilling the needs of her household

members.

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The short story itself contains a lot ofexamples on mans power ruling over

womens. It is the women who are responsible for the

household and take as an example, in thisstory, Mrs Ramachandran has worked hardfor the festive and preparation for theengagement.

E: Mrs Ramachandran flew here and there, asfast as her 160 pounds would allow her, andhelped with her commanding suggestions.

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It is very important for the women to obey

the men in Indians tradition.

Mrs Ramachandran has been mentioned to

be a respectful and obedient wife.

E: She went out dutifully, for she managedher husband well obeying him in the little

things with such readiness that he thought

himself as lord of everything as well.

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Even if it is not her willingness to call-off

the wedding, she still respects her

husband, MrRamachandrans decision.

E: Well, commented Mrs Ramachandran

stoically, theres more than one doctor inour community, and its up to you,

Ramachandran, to do your duty as a

father.

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Bibliography

Fernando Llyod. (1968). 22 Malaysia Stories.Singapore: Heinemann Asia.