DESCRIBE THE IRONICAL SITUATIONS THAT MAKE THE STORY INTERESTING

The novel Sing to The Dawn by Minfong Ho tells of Dawan, a young village girl who lives in Thailand,
wins a scholarship to study in the city school. Her brother, Kwai places second and initially jealous, causing a rift
between the two previously close siblings. This hostility is further exacerbated by Dawans father, who feels that
the city is no place for a female. Dawan faces obstacles and proves to herself and to others that she is fully
capable of handling the scholarship and the responsibility it entails. So, the ironical situations that make the story
interesting is gender discrimination.
First and foremost, girls and Dawan are discriminated against and denied the right to education. The men
have the primitive thinking that a girls place is at home and they are disallowed to go to school. Her parents
only allow her to go to school after her brother, Kwai, persuaded them. Thus, she is in the same class as Kwai.
Later, when Dawan wins the scholarship and tells her father about it, pleading to let her studies, he asks why she
should keep studying. He also unfairly compares and favours Kwai ove his daughter. He thinks it is not right for
a mere girl to go in Kwais place to the city. Ruthlessly, he even wants to exercise his power to forbid her from
going as more education is wasted on a girl. Dawan never give up on her dreams. She fights for her rights. The
arguments with her father and brother make her a determined girl. After failing many times, eventually, she
manages to convince him to believe in her dreams and gives her a chance.
Next, gender discrimination is shown by the monk. This is proven when Dawan seeks the monks help
with high hopes because he is influential. But he too refuses to persuade her father to let her go because he does
not want to change the norms of the society. He disapproves and discourages her from studying in the city by
talking about religion and life. Like the other men, he also discriminates and tells her not to waste time dreaming
futile dreams because she cannot achieve anything as a mere schoolgirl. If Kwai had won the scholarship, he
wouldnt face any oppositions from anyone. Dawan is angry and bitter at all these injustices towards her. She
speaks out her mind by stating that the monk never suffer like the villagers as they never live a life outside the
temple. Their needs are fulfilled by the villagers.
Lastly, Baos brother, bullies and discriminates girls too. He is selfish and fights Bao to get what he
wants. He is indeed violent and has no respect for his sister. Even in public, at the market, he slaps and boxes her
when he discovers that she has allowed some customers to set his caged sparrows free without collecting any
money from them.

In conclusion, it is clear that gender discrimination plays an important part in the story to make it
interesting. Discrimination against girls and women is intolerable and no one has the right to deny them because
they suffer and struggle through life in a male-dominated society. If they are defiant and speak up, the men
silence them or are violent towards them. Society and education plays and important role to change the
perception of these men as a women is like a tea bag; you never know how strong she is until you put her in hot
water.