Practice 1

Based on one novel above, discuss one of the themes in the story. Provide evidence from the text to
support your answer

The novel that I choose is The Curse by Lee Su Ann. The story is about the mysterious death of
Azreen’s adopted sister, Madhuri, and how Azreen goes through everything to find out the truth
behind the death. The theme that I would like to discuss here is gender stereotyping .

In the novel, gender stereotyping is presented through how females should behave. This can be seen
especially through Azreen. For example, Azreen’s school friends start to give suspicious eyes towards
her when she behaves unlady-like or tomboyish. She plays hockey with the boys and even “laughs
like a bunch of hyenas” with them. To them, as a woman, Azreen is not expected to be tomboyish and
hangs too closely with boys.

In conclusion, Azreen’s unlady-like behaviors have created sense of discomfort among the people
around her. This is an example of how gender stereotyping is presented in the novel.

Practice 2

Write about a character that you find most interesting. Support your answer with evidence from the
novel.

The novel that I choose is The Curse by Lee Su Ann. The story is about the mysterious death of
Azreen’s adopted sister, Madhuri, and how Azreen goes through everything to find out the truth
behind the death. The character that I find most interesting in the novel is the old lady.

The old lady is an educated woman as she has knowledge of herbal medicine to treat illnesses. Her
house is always neat and situated by the hillside. She is a caring and concerned woman as she takes
Azreen in and gives her food and shelter whenever she has fights and problems. She is also a
resourceful person and she is a good cook. Her recipes and secret ingredients are very much sought
after.
In conclusion, the old lady is the most interesting character in the novel. She is an educated woman,
neat person, kind-hearted and a good cook too.

Practice 3

Write about a character that you dislike in the novel. Support your answer with evidence from the
novel

The novel that I choose is The Curse by Lee Su Ann. The story is about the mysterious death of
Azreen’s adopted sister, Madhuri, and how Azreen goes through everything to find out the truth
behind the death. The character that I dislike in the novel is Puan Normala.

I dislike Puan Normala because she is a rumour monger. She is the one that spread the rumour about
Madhuri and how she died. Puan Normala is also superstitious. She blames the old lady’s visit to
Ashraf’s house as the reason for the continuous rain. Furthermore, she is also a mean and malicious
person. For example, she provokes Mohd Ashraf to confront the old lady by accusing the old lady as
the reason why Ashraf’s grandmother’s health is getting worse. Because of that, Ashraf burns down
the old lady’s house in anger, and causes the old lady to die in the fire.

As conclusion, the character that I dislike most in the novel is Puan Normala because she is a rumour
monger, mean and malicious and also a superstitious woman.

Practice 4

Write about a moral value you have learnt in the story. Support your answer with evidence from the
novel

The novel that I choose is The Curse by Lee Su Ann. The story is about the mysterious death of
Azreen’s adopted sister, Madhuri, and how Azreen goes through everything to find out the truth
behind the death. A moral value that I have leant in the story is bravery.

This value is shown by Azreen. First, even as a young girl she takes challenges and tries to prove to
her friends that the Old Lady is not an evil witch. When she is yelled at for entering the Old Lady’s
house and destroying her vegetable garden, Azreen bravely defends herself. In fact, she returns the
next day and repairs the trampled garden. Her action wins the Old Lady’s heart.

The second evidence is when Azreen bravely takes the blame for Mohd Asraf in the bull incident. She
demonstrates courage. The same bull later injures her mother’s leg causing her to paralyze. She was
blamed and scolded by her father as well as the villagers. She bravely endures that and never tells
anyone of what really happened.

The third event that displays her bravery is when she tries to tackle the angry people who are about
to attack the the Old Lady. When the Old Lady’s house is in fire, Azreen tries to rescue the Old Lady
but at the end she has to be rescued by her father. When the Old Lady dies in the tragic fire, she
confronts Mohd Asraf like a wildcat.

Finally, towards the end of the story, she finds out the secret that her father has been keeping. She
confronts her father about Madhuri’s murder until he is forced to confess about the truth.

As conclusion, bravery is the moral value that I have learnt through Azreen. For me, Azreen is very
brave to confront people whom she knows have done wrong to others. At the same time she is very
brave when defending herself and the people she loves.

Question 1: Use the details from the novel you have studied, write about a character that you
like/admire. Support your answer with close reference to the text. (15 marks)

The Curse showcases a number of characters. The character I like/admire is Azreen. She is described
as a tomboy, is short, bespectacled, and fiery tempered.

I like/admire Azreen’s character because for someone who is just 20 years old, she is matured and she
shoulders many responsibilities. I like/admire her sense of independence. She displays this character
trait throughout the novel. In school, she used to play hockey and football with the boys. Although
this was frowned upon by other students and the villagers, she never allowed their opinion to
prohibit her sense of freedom, enjoyment and independence. Azreen also displays a sense of
independence when she goes to Penang on a student exchange programme.

Azreen is also hardworking, intelligent and resilient. I admire these characteristics in her. She may
come from a poor background but through sheer hard work, intelligence and resilience in her studies
and sports, she emerges as the top student of her school and secures a scholarship to study in
London. This is quite an achievement for a girl who comes from a poor and remote village in Pulau
Langkawi.

Furthermore, I also admire her ability to think rationally under distressing situations. She never allows
herself to be influenced by gossip. In fact, she courageously stands her ground against the villagers’
prejudices against her friend, the Old Lady. She defends the Old Lady against the angry mob of
villagers who want to burn down her house.

More importantly, I admire Azreen for her bravery in her quest for the truth. Despite the strange
incidents following Madhuri’s death, she continues courageously to investigate. This leads to her
confronting her father who finally breaks down and admits that in a fit of rage he had killed Madhuri.

It is my opinion therefore, that Azreen is truly a likeable/admirable character as she possesses all the
characteristics we need to be successful in life.

(313 words)

Based on the novel you have read, describe what happened at the end of the novel, explain why you
find the ending happy or sad. Support your answer with close reference to the text.

The novel “The Curse” by Lee Su Ann begins with Azreen the protagonist having to return home from
her studies in London because her elder sister, Madhuri, has passed away. When Azreen returns
home, the air is rife with secrets, rumours and speculations surrounding Madhuri’s death. No one is
willing to tell Azreen the cause of the death. At the end of the novel, Azreen finds out the truth.

It is only after the fire that kills the Old Lady that many questions are answered. Azreen confronts
Mohd Asraf and he opens up and discloses to her that Madhuri and he are secret lovers who have
planned to elope to Kuala Lumpur. Later, Awang, the ‘bomoh’, tells Azreen that Madhuri is not her
real sister. Madhuri’s mother is left penniless after her husband leaves her. She becomes quite crazy
and often neglects Madhuri. Saleh Abdullah, Azreen’s father, adopts Madhuri. Azreen then realizes
why she and Madhuri are poles apart. One is full of grace, charm and beauty while Azreen is short,
studious and tomboyish.

When Azreen discovers the latex-stained ‘parang’ behind the pile of wood logs, she confronts her
father. He admits that Madhuri is not his real daughter and he kills her in a fit of anger because she is
having an affair. Azreeen leaves angrily. Saleh Abdullah then comes face-to-face with Madhuri’s
mother, the so-called ‘pontianak’ woman with blazing eyes. Salleh Abdullah is so terrified and
distraught that he suffers a heart attack and dies.
In my opinion, I find the ending is sad as it is a tragic. Madhuri’s mother wants to avenge her
daughter’s death. Saleh Abdullah should have confessed and he might not have died. But, if he has
confessed, then Madhuri and Mohd Asraf’s secret affair would have been revealed. This would have
stirred up more trouble for the local community, especially the headman, Madhuri’s husband. All said
and done, Saleh Abdullah has to pay for the crime.

Based on the novel you have read, write about one moral value that is portrayed in this novel.
Support your answer with close reference to the text.

One moral value that is depicted in the novel “The Curse” by Lee Su Ann is being brave.
Azreen, who is the protagonist in this story, displays this moral value.

Even as a young girl, she takes the challenge and tries to prove to her friends that the Old Lady is not
an evil witch. When she is yelled at for entering the Old Lady’s house and destroying her garden,
Azreen bravely stands her ground. In fact, the next day she returns and repairs the trampled garden.
This act of hers finally wins the Old Lady’s heart. Soon, a close relationship is forged between them.

In another incident, Azreen demonstrates courage when she bravely takes the blame for Mohd Asraf
in the bull incident. The same bull later injures her mother’s leg, causing her to lose the use of the
leg. Despite being blamed and scolded by her father and scorned upon by the villagers for being
irresponsible, she bravely endures it all by keeping the secret and never tells anyone what really
happened.

Azreen’s bravery is again evident when she bravely tries to rescue the Old Lady but she in turn has to
be rescued by her father. When the innocent Old Lady dies in the tragic accident she bravely
confronts Mohd Asraf ‘like a wildcat’. Finally, towards the end of the story, she confronts her father
about Madhuri’s murder until he is forced to divulge the truth that he has killed Madhuri in a fit of
anger.

Therefore, through Azreen’s character, we are shown that being brave is an important value in
building relationship, keeping secret and finding the truth.

Based on the novel you have read, choose an event that you think is important. Give reasons for your
choice with close reference to the text.

In the novel “The Curse” by Lee Su Ann, there are a number of important events. In my opinion
one of the important events is the climax of the novel which is the attack on the Old Lady by an angry
mob.

The Old Lady tries to cure Mohd Asraf’s grandmother with her medicine but she dies suddenly.
Mohd Asraf is convinced by Puan Normala that his grandmother, Nek, is poisoned by the Old Lady.
Angry at his loss, Mohd Asraf leads an angry mob which results in a tragic accident and the demise of
the Old Lady. This event is significant because after this incident all the questions that are in the
minds of the villagers are answered.

For Azreen, the death of the Old Lady signifies the loss of a true friend, confidante and
counselor. Consequently, she confronts Asraf ‘like a wildcat’. He breaks down and tells her the truth
that he and Madhuri are lovers and they have planned to elope to Kuala Lumpur. The next morning,
Awang the ‘bomoh’ reveals more secrets. Azreen learns that Madhuri is not her real sister and that
Madhuri’s mother is still alive. She is the vampire-like figure of a woman lurking around the village,
out to avenge the death of her daughter.

Azreen finally confronts her father, Saleh Abdullah, who admits that he kills Madhuri in a fit of anger
when he discovers that she is having an affair with a man in the rubber plantation. The ‘white blood’
that comes out from Madhuri’s body turns out to be the latex from the rubber tree. Later, when he
comes face-to-face with the woman with the long black hair and blazing eyes (Madhuri’s real
mother), he is terrified. Fear coupled with guilt results in him suffering a heart attack and he dies.

The important event in this novel when the Old Lady is attacked by the angry mob has shown that the
truth will always prevail at the end.

Using details from the novel you have studied, describe the setting, explain why you find the setting
suitable for the novel. Support your answer with close reference to the text.

Based on the novel “The Curse” by Lee Su Ann, the story tells of the death of Madhuri and how it
affects the villagers. Azreen returns from London to mourn the death of her sister, Madhuri.
Madhuri’s body is found in a rubber estate and is taken away from the place by her husband, Haji
Ghani. Puan Normala claims that Madhuri has white blood and that this is a sign that their village is
cursed. There is an air of mystery and Azreen cannot get any answers as to the cause of her sister’s
death.

The story is set in the present day and covers the space of a few months. It is based on a village in an
island to the south of Pulau Langkawi. The village is small and is surrounded by rubber estates, fruit
plantations, paddy fields and jungles. The village has its share of the usual characters who adds to the
mysterious mood. There is a ‘bomoh’, the village gossipers and a vampire-like figure who flits in and
out of the village and jungle and a witch (the Old Lady) who lives in the jungle. For a period of time,
the weather is stormy and there are floods.

The mood in the story is mysterious, intense, dramatic and full of suspense. There is fear among the
villagers as they are superstitious and any unusual incident is linked to the supernatural. Madhuri’s
death is seen as the start of a curse enveloping the island. She is said to have white blood. The
‘bomoh’ can see a calamity brewing. When the Old Lady from the jungle comes to a village, it is also
seen as a bad omen. Added to these is the likeness of the long-haired lady to Madhuri. Some think it
is the spirit of Madhuri who comes back to haunt them
I find the setting suitable for the mood as it enhances the suspense and drama of the story.

Family love is important.”

Using details from the novel you have studied, state whether you agree with the statement above,
give reasons for you answers. Use evidence from the novel to support your answer.

In the novel “The Curse” by Lee Su Ann, we can see how important family love is. There is love
between parents and children as well as husband and wife. Family love is important because when it
exists, there is happiness but when it does not, there will be conflict.

First, the book explores several facets of the love between a husband and a wife. Saleh
Abdullah, Azreen’s father takes good care of his wife until she dies although she is paralysed and has
Alzhemier.

Haji Ghani, the village headman loves his second wife, Madhuri a lot. He adores her, showers her with
expensive gifts and takes her on vacations. He is heart-broken when she dies and really misses her.
However, he is quite cold towards his first wife, Fatihah who loves her husband and tries everything
to win back her husband’s affections. This brings about conflict in the household. She becomes
jealous of Madhuri and she must have been relieved when Madhuri dies.

However, the relationship between the Old Lady and her late husband is a destructive one because
her husband turns abusive and she kills him in self-defence. It must have started with love but it is a
love that has turned sour. Without love, the relationship between a husband and wife turns chaotic
and there is no peace at home. That is why family love is important.

Then, there is love between parents and children. Although Madhuri is an adoptive child, Saleh
Abdullah and his wife love her a lot and treat her like their own. She is a good child and does not give
her adopted parents problems. Azreen, on the other hand, is headstrong and rebellious, and as a
result, often gets punishment. However, Saleh Abdullah shows his love for Azreen in a silent way. He
comes just in time to save Azreen from the viciousness of the unruly crowd of villagers gathered in
front of Mohd Asraf’s house to demand that the Old Lady to leave the village. Again, Saleh shows his
love for Azreen when he rushes into the Old Lady’s burning house to save her. This is what love for
family means.

Therefore, family love is important because it can be a unifying factor. When there is love in the
family, there is peace and happiness. Without family love, things fall apart.

The Curse: An Admired Character (with Mandarin translation)

Based on the novel “The Curse” by Lee Su Ann, the character I admire the most is Azreen when she
learns the truth about her sister’s death.

Azreen is studying in London but has to take leave from her study when she receives the news about
her sister, Madhuri’s death. She is curious about the cause of her sister’s sudden death. When she
reaches home in Langkawi Island, her sister’s body has been brought to the cemetery. She overhears
Puan Normala claims that her sister has been murdered and has shed white blood.

A series of bizarre events happen in the village. The village is plagued by continuous rain which
destroys the crops and cuts the villagers off from communication with the main island. The rain and
flood are regarded as signs of a curse. There are also sightings of a mysterious vampire-like lady who
bears an uncanny resemblance to Madhuri. Some think that it was the spirit of Madhuri who comes
back to haunt them. Then, Azreen’s mother dies.

On her return, Azreen discovers a few truths about her family and people around her. First she finds
out that her sister has been in love with Asraf, and has planned to run away from the island. Second,
Awang, the Shaman has actually caused the accident which her parents are involved in and causes
her mother to become paralysed. Third, she learns that Madhuri is actually her adopted sister and
the crazy woman is Madhuri’s biological mother. Finally, she discovers that Madhuri has accidentally
been killed by her father.

Azreen has always turned to the Old Lady for emotional support. The Old Lady lives alone in an
abandoned house in the jungle. Azreen learns a lot about life from this wise old woman. The Old Lady
however dies in a fire started by Asraf who has blamed her for his grandmother’s death.

At the end, Azreen returns to London to finish her study. She has learned a valuable lesson from her
short break at her little village. She has learned to forgive others and to look ahead.

Based on the evidences above, the character I admire the most is Azreen when she learns the truth
about her sister’s death.

a) Characters and characteristics

1. Write on a character that show responsibility in her or his actions

Based on the Novel “The Curse” by Lee Sue Ann, the character that shows responsibility in her
actions is Azreen Saleh. Azreen is not only a responsible sister and daughter but also a responsible
student and friend .

Firstly, Azreen as a responsible sister comes back immediately when she hears of her sister’s death
although at that time she is about to sit for an examination that is important for her. She postpones
her examination in order of giving her sister her last respect.

Secondly, as a daughter she shows her responsibility firstly, when she spends the whole night
repairing her mother’s favourite rattan basket that was broken by the heavy durians that she and
Madhuri has brought in. Subsequently, with Madhuri’s help she makes a new rattan basket that looks
like the one that she and Madhuri have broken. In addition to that, Azreen accepts the offer to
further her studies in London for the sake of upbringing her family social status and thus could then
save a lot of money to get a better treatment for her mother that is paralyzed by the bull escape
incidents that she .

Thirdly, as a friend and a student, Azreen shows her responsibility when she accepts to join the school
hockey team as a substitution to Hock Seng that is injured. She does that even though she knows that
she will be the only girl in the team and this will tarnish her image as a girl. In fact she plays very well
and almost scores a goal. In addition to that, Azreen shows that she is a responsible friend, when she
brings a full basket of fresh vegetables and tomatoes to The Old Lady of the forest to replace the one
that she tramples earlier when she comes to The Old Lady’s house for the first time.

In conclusion, throughout the story, Azreen shows that she is a very responsible towards her actions.
In fact, I would like to have her as a friend as a friend as such is hard to come by.

2. Which character do you like the most?

The novel I have studied is ‘The Curse’ by Lee Su Ann. The novel is about the main character, Azreen,
who returns from England after she finds out about her sister’s death. Upon her return, she is
surrounded by many secrets. She discovers the circumstances of Madhuri’s death later in the story.
At the end of the story she finds out the truth and leaves for London an orphan but more resilient
and wise.

The character I like most is Azreen Salleh. She is a 20-year-old student who is studying in a university
college in London on an exchange programme. She is short, bespectacled, rather bookish and
outspoken.

I like Azreen because she is outspoken and she is not afraid to spoke her mind. She is vocal and says
her opinions although sometimes she says the wrong things at the wrong time. She also hates her
father’s treatment of her foster parents and Madhuri’s burial ceremony that is conducted without
her presence. In handling the village gossip, Pn Normala, Azreen tells her off that the rain has started
even before the Old Lady comes into town.

The second quality she has is she is courageous. As a child, she plays hockey and football with the
boys. In the bull’s incident, she is brave enough to accept the blame for the bull’s escape instead of
blaming someone else. Azreen also shows her courage by taking up the dare to knock on the Old
Lady’s door when none wants to do it. In another instance, Azreen confronts her father about
Madhuri’s murder despite her young age.

Azreen also has strength of character. When she returns to her village, she hears a lot of gossip
surrounding her sister’s death such as as Madhuri having white blood and her death signals a curse to
the villagers. Azreen feels upset but she never retaliates. Sheshows patience and strengh because
she knows that whatever she does, she cannot stop the villagers from gossiping about her family. In
another instance, Azreen is told that her sister is murdered. She should have been very upset about
this news but she takes it calmly and does not become hysterical. Later, when she finds out that her
father is the culprit who kills Madhuri, she feels no anger but regrets that it has to happen. She
understands her father’s anger and shame because Madhuri has been having an illicit affair with
Ashraf although she is already married to Hj Ghani. Azreen also shows a lot of strength because after
all that has happened to her family, she stays composed and strong and returns to England for her
examinations.

In conclusion, there are many qualities in Azreen that I admire and she is the character that I like
most in the story.

3. Write on a character whom I think is exemplary

a) In the Curse by Lee Sue Ann, the character whom I think is exemplary is The Old Lady of the forest.
Throughout the novel, she shows strength of character and wisdom.

When she first moves to the village as a newlywed, she is popular among the villagers and she enjoys
a blissful marital life with her husband. Everything changes as her husband who becomes an alcoholic
starts to abuse her and finally she retaliates and kills him. From then on, the villagers treat her like an
outcast. She is forced to move out of the village and makes an abandoned house her home. She lives
alone for years until she befriends Azreen and becomes her mentor and will console her whenever
she has a fight with her parents.

When Asraf approaches The Old Lady for help, she is hesitant about going back to the village. Yet she
agrees and doing so, she puts her life at risk. When she is trapped in the burning house, she tells
Azreen to save herself and she perishes in the fire. Even at death’s door, she reminds Azreen about
the importance of forgiveness and tells her to heed all the advice she has given her.
The Old Lady is therefore an exemplary character as she is strong, wise and honourable.

b) Based on the novel The Curse by Lee Sue Ann, the character that I consider exemplary is
Azreen because she is courageous and brave. She shows resilience and she always fight for what she
believes in.

Firstly, Azreen who does not believe the villagers tales about The Old Lady is being brave by accepting
her friend’s challenge to firstly knocking on the door of The Old lady and then meet her in person. .
Subsequently, she befriends The Old Lady and makes her, her precious confidante and counselor.

In addition, Azreen is courageous by confronting Puan Normala’s mob outside Mohd Asraf’s house
when Nek once again has fallen ill and died in order to stop her from entering Nek’s house. Although
she is outnumbered, she dares to face Puan Normala’s horde to protect Nek’s house from them.
Moreover, she confronts a group of men led by Asraf who goes to the Old lady’s house to seek
revenge after Nek dies as they believe the Old lady has poisoned Nek.

It is a dog-eat-dog world out there and we must be brave and courageous to overcome our daily
obstacles and stand for our own rights. We should not be intimidated by our fear and we must be like
Azreen in order to survive the world.

The second exemplary qualities of Azreen is that she portrays resilience throughout the story and she
constantly fights for what she believes in. This can be seen when Azreen does not give up and is
determine and resilience to seek the truth of Madhuri’s death even though others do not want to tell
her the truth. She asks Asraf and The Old Lady about Madhuri’s death and slowly gather evidences
and finally she knows the truth about Madhuri’s killing.

In her village, a woman should be conservative and well mannered but Azreen is a contrast to that
and thus she is hated but she ignores the villagers’ perception of her, as she believes that women
have their own rights. This can be seen as she befriends Asraf and joins the boys’ hockey team and
similarly makes The Old Lady her best friend.

In this cruel world, we must stand for our own right and fight for what we believe in. We must follow
Azreen’s resilience to make this world a better place.

4. Write on a character that I admire / like

In The Curse by Lee Su Ann, the main character, Azreen, returns to Malaysia to mourn the loss of her
sister, Madhuri. Azreen is studying in the United Kingdom. Azreen senses a cover up about her sister’s
death and she decides to investigate further.

In her quest to find the truth, Azreen faces challenges. She really wants to discover the truth behind
Madhuri’s death because she knows that the rumour is not true. She believes that it is more than
meets the eyes. Azreen also needs to settle the secret feuds within her family and with the villagers.
Azreen’s relationship especially with her father is strained. There is no actual communication
between them. Azreen also needs to forgive , bury the past and move on with her life and her future.
If she is unable to do that, Azreen will not find peace with herself.

The intelligent Azreen listens, observes, questions and sifts things in her mind. She needs to find the
conclusive truth. She hears vicious rumours about Madhuri’s death. Her death is a curse to the
village. This is confirmed by the Old Lady. In the maze of events which unfold, the past mergers into
the present. Azreen finally confronts her father, Encik Saleh, who defiantly admits his crime. Madhuri
was having an affair with Mohd Asraf. When the affair became known, Encik Saleh could not contain
his anger. In a fit of rage, he accidentally killed faithless Madhuri.

All along, Azreen secretly resents her parents who favoured Madhuri. She hates her father for his
unjust punishments. She detests Madhuri for stealing Asraf’s affections. Thus she seeks out the Old
Lady, who counsels her and helps her come to terms with herself. The Old Lady helps Azreen to see
herself and how people treat her from a different perspective. Resentment would only make Azreen
more miserable and she would not be able to live a fulfilling life.

When the Old Lady dies, Azreen is devastated. She finds refuge in nature. When she stands up at the
cliff top that her annger finally subsides. She forgive everyone who had hurt her in the past. Azreen
leaves the island and forges ahead with her new life. Yes, she has become an orphan but all her life
challenges make her a wiser and more loving person.

C) Lesson

1) The Curse by Lee Su Ann has many lessons for its readers. One of the lessons, truth will be
known and secrets will not last forever. There are a few characters who keep secrets and eventually
the secrets are exposed.
First, Mohd. Asraf and Madhuri. They were secret lovers. They planned secretly to run away to Kuala
Lumpur. After Madhuri died followed by his grandmother’s death, he almost lost his mind. Keeping
his secret love was very difficult. He was easily influenced by Puan Normala that his grandmother was
poisoned by Old Lady. That was the reason he burned the Old Lady’s house causing her death. Finally,
he realises his mistakes and comes to his senses.

Second, En Saleh Abdullah, Azreen’s father. He was always proud of Madhuri. Madhuri made him
proud when she agreed to marry the village headman, Haji Ghani. When her affair was discovered,
Encik Saleh gets very angry and accidentally killed Madhuri. He never tells anyone and until Azreen
confronts him. Actually, he is ashamed because the daughter he was really proud of, had an affair and
tried to run away. He keeps seeing a ghost. He suffers a heart attack and dies.

In conclusion, dark secrets only make life difficult. The evidence in the story has shown us that. Any
dark secrets we have, may destroy our lives. We may lose the people we love. Always be true to
ourselves and do not take advantage of others. Always think before we act.

2) The Curse’ is the novel written by Lee Su Ann which has many lessons that can be used in
our lives. Today, I am going to write on one lesson which really captured my attention in the novel
that is ‘courage’.

The value of ‘courage’ can be seen clearly in Azreen’s character. Azreen was a good friend with the
Old Lady who became a precious confidante and counsellor despite ignoring the warnings and
prejudices of the villagers. Azreen was determined to friends with the Old Lady till the last minute of
the Old Lady’s life.As a child, she was not allowed to visit the Old Lady by her parents. Even the
villagers warned Azreen that the Old Lady is a witch. This shows that Azreen is very courageous for
accepting the Old Lady for what she is. From this, I learnt to be courageous in order to speak and act
according to what I think is right. I also learnt not to judge others by listening to rumors and to think
practically.

Azreen also showed courage when she took the blame for the bull’s escape in order to save Mohd
Asraf. At first, she wanted to help Asraf out from the wicked farm owner, Mr. Mohan and his sons who
were accusing Asraf for letting the bull out. But to her dismay, she had to accept the faith of her
mother loosing a leg when her father hit into the bull and met with an accident. Even though Azreen
was only helping Asraf at first, but she took the blame and had to carry it for the rest of her life. I saw
Azreen as a very courageous person in this situation and agree to what she had done. She taught me
to stand up for my believes in my life and this will really help me a lot in the future.
Last but not least, I also find Azreen as a courageous person when she challenged her father to reveal
the truth behind Madhuri’s death. Azreen was very sure that Madhuri was killed by her father
because she found the stain of the rubber tree sap on the ‘parang’. When she put all the details
together, she came to a conclusion and told her father straight that he was the one who killed
Madhuri. Here, we can see that Azreen was too bold and had the courage to speak the truth even to
her father when she was sure that her sister was killed. This scene opened my mind that I should be
honest and bold to say what I think is right in my life.

3. One important lesson that I have learnt from the novel The Curse is that we should not listen to
gossip or spread rumours. It is a great injustice for those who have to defend themselves for
something that might not be true.

When Azreen returns home to grieve the death of Madhuri, she has to listen to vicious rumours
spread by Puan Normala. Puan Normala is the village most prolific gossip monger. She believes the
village is cursed because innocent MAdhuri was murdered. Her body was covered with ‘white blood’
when found at the rubber estate. Moreover, Puan Normala claims that there were strange noises
coming from the woods. At the same time, she also says that the wild animal were restless. According
to her, these are all signs of more evil to come. It is very hurtful to listen to especially to Azreen who
has just lost her only sister.

Azreen fights to seek the truth. She confronts Mohd Asraf and learns that he and Madhuri had an
affair. They were secret lovers. Both of them planned to elope. It is not something Azreen wants to
hear because her sister, Madhuri, was a married woman. Azreen confronts her sullen father. Awang
the bomoh had told Azreen earlier that Madhuri was not her blood sister. Awang also had told Azreen
about Madhuri’s biological mother. Confronted by Azreen and his own guilt, Encik Saleh admits that
he had killed Madhuri. He was in rage he saw her with another man. When he attacked Madhuri, she
fell and her head hit a cup of latex. The latex stained her dress, giving rise to the ‘white blood’
rumour. This also indicates to the villagers that Madhuri was a scarlet woman.

The prejudiced villagers also outcast the wise Old Lady. She is Azreen’s true friend and someone
that Azreen confides in. They spread rumours that she was a witch who had murdered her husband.
However, Azreen still befriends Old Lady because she knows the truth. The Old Lady had killed her
husband in self-defence. When her husband was alive, he was very abusive to the Old Lady. Her
husband was cruel to her. If she did not defend herself, she would have died. Something got to give.
The vicious rumours make the Old Lady live in isolation. Her wisdom and knowledge are seen as
threat. Even when she showed an act of kindness by treating Mohd Asraf’s grandmother, she was not
accepted by the villagers. She was accused of having ulterior motives. That is why when the
grandmother died, Mohd Asraf burned her house with her in it. Mohd Asraf was consumed with grief
and the need to seek revenge. He really believed the rumour that the Old Lady was a witch. The fire
resulted in the death of the Old Lady.

Both these incidents demonstrate that rumours can be damaging. We must seek the truth
rationally and intelligently. We must investigate like what Azreen has done. At the end, truth will
ultimately prevail.

D)Moral value

There are many moral values found in The Curse by Lee Su Ann. The story is set in an island off
Langkawi Island. The Curse revolves around the events surrounding the death of a village girl,
Madhuri, who is also the adopted sister of themain character, Azreen.

The first moral value is bravery. This value is shown by Azreen. First, even as a young girl she takes
challenges and tries to prove to her friends that the Old Lady is not an evil witch. When she is yelled
at for entering the Old Lady’s house and destroying her vegetable garden, Azreen bravely defends
herself. In fact, she returns the next day and repairs the trampled garden. Her action wins the Old
Lady’s heart.

The second evidence is when Azreen bravely takes the blame for Mohd Asraf in the bull incident. She
demonstrates courage.The same bull later injures her mother’s leg causing he to lose the use of her
leg. She was blamed and scolded by her father as well as the villagers. She bravely endures that and
never tells anyone of what really happened.

Her bravery is once again tested. The third event that displays her bravery is when she tries to tackle
the angry mob who are about to attack the the Old Lady. When the Old Lady’s house is in fire, Azreen
tries to rescue the Old Lady but at the end she has to be rescued by her father. When the Old Lady
dies in the tragic fire, she confronts Mohd Asraf like a wildcat.

Finally, towards the end of the story, she finds out the secret that her father has been keeping. She
confronts her father about Madhuri’s murder until he is forced to confess about the truth. She is very
brave to confront people whom she knows have done wrong to others. At the same time she is very
brave when defending herself and the people she loves.

e.) Events
1) Write on an important event.

In the novel ‘The Curse’ by Lee Su Ann, an important event is the outbreak of the fire which results in
the Old Lady’s death.

Firstly, it is an important event because after this event, it creates a domino effect on a number of
other events which in turn helps Azreen to finally solve the mystery behind her sister’s murder. The
fire enrages Azreen and ‘like a wildcat’, she confronts Mohd Asraf. He apologises and admits that he
had been too grief-stricken to be rational when he has lost two important people in his life – his
secret lover, Madhuri and his grandmother, Nek. After the fire which kills the Old Lady who is trapped
in the fire, Awang, the bomoh informs Azreen that Madhuri is not her biological sister. The secret
about Madhuri’s identity is finally disclosed by Azreen’s father who reveals that Madhuri is adopted.
Moreover, the village Pontianak is actually Madhuri’s biological mother who returns to the village to
seek revenge over her daughter’s death. According to Awang, the ‘ghostly figure’ is also the “vengeful
spirit” that has killed Azreen’s chicken.

Secondly, it is an important event because we are finally shown the reason for Madhuri’s murder and
the culprit. When Azreen confronts her father, Encik Saleh defiantly confesses that he had
accidentally murdered Madhuri after learning that Madhuri, a married woman, commits an adultery
when she secretly sees another man.He confronts Madhuri and during the struggle, Madhuri falls to
the ground and her head knocks over the latex cup which stains her clothes. A distraught Azreen flees
after hearing the shocking news while Encik Saleh comes face-to-face with the shadowy woman –
Madhuri’s mother who nears him with a parang in her hand. Saleh collapses and dies of a heart
attack.

Thirdly, the fire at the Old Lady’s house is the climax of the novel. From that point onwards, events
dramatically unfold and Azreen gets to the bottom of the mystery. Azreen puts the pieces of facts
here and there together and begins to understand the reasons behind the cover-up of Madhuri’s
murder by her husband, Haji Ghani. Most importantly, we are also exposed to the crime of the
villagers who are willing to do anything including planning an attack on the innocent and harmless
Old Lady just because of superstition. Under the instigation of Puan Normala, the villagers are
convinced to believe that the Old Lady possesses a special power to turn people into rats and
squirrels, so the latter is accused to be an evil witch who brings all the misfortunes and bad omen to
the village. In fact, when the rain continues to pour for more than four days, causing the town to be
flooded, the Old Lady is blamed to have put the curse on the village. From this event, we can see how
gullible the villagers are to believe the vicious rumours spread by the village gossiper, Puan Normala.
She does not seem to care about the destruction she causes. Her irrational behaviour thus destroys
the reputations of victims such as the Old Lady even in the eyes of children. At the same time,
through this event too that we see the purity of the Old Lady’s heart. Despite being ostracised by the
villagers, the Old Lady bears no grudges and is still willing to help people like Asraf’s Nek. More
importantly, the Old Lady at the point of her death before the burning house collapses on her, she
reminds Azreen to forgive all the villagers who have wronged her.

In conclusion, the fire is the most important event as it is the catalyst for many more events in which
makes the stories more interesting.

f) Theme

Write on the theme of love

‘The Curse’ written by Lee Su Ann touches on many aspects of life. Basically, all the aspects revolve
around our own community and can be used as guidance in our life.

The theme of ‘love’ which is actually the main conflict in this whole novel. Firstly, we can see this
aspect between mother and child when we read how loving was Azreen towards her mother when
she came back from London. She realized her mother still does not know about the death of her
sister, Madhuri. Azreen took over the duty to take care of her mother who was suffering from
Alzheimer’s disease which was getting worse. Azreen cooked porridge for her mother like Madhuri
used to do and fed her. This shows that Azreen loves her mother very much and feels responsible to
take care of her after her sister’s death.

The concept of ‘love’ can also be seen through Encik Saleh who loves his daughters very much but
does not know how to show it. He kept his love within him and was always looking fierce and angry
towards his daughters and wife. He loved his family very much and that is why he worked hard on the
farm.He also repairs chicken coop, repairs fencse and roofs and chops wood in order to earn a
living for his family. As a hard-working man, he wanted to give his family the best out of him due to
his love towards them which he does not show openly. Here, I admit that I admire Encik Saleh as a
loving father towards his family but he should have shown his love in a more appropriate way.

Lastly, the concept of love can be seen in the characters of the Old Lady and Azreen. Azreen was very
lucky to find a meaningful and comfortable relationship with the Old Lady of the forest. She was very
close to the Old Lady until she told her all her secrets. She always goes and visits the Old Lady
whenever she felt bored, angry or happy. This shows that Azreen really loves the Old Lady and does
not give a single thought to what the villagers say about the Old Lady. Azreen’s love towards the Old
Lady was very strong until she was willing to go into the burning house in order to save the Old Lady.
But, faith wins. The Old Lady died in the fire while Azreen was saved by her father due to his love
towards his daughter.

As we can see, the concept of ‘love’ is very strong throughout the novel. Each and every character in
this novel has the desire to love and to be loved.

2) Write on the theme of forgiveness

Lee Su Ann, the writer of the novel ‘The Curse’ had brought up many themes in her writing. One of
the themes that I liked very much in this novel is ‘forgiveness’ which was clearly portrayed in Azreen’s
character.

As we know from the beginning, Azreen is a very outspoken, aggressive and stubborn character but
towards the ending of the story she had learnt to forgive others. Azreen was very much influenced by
the Old Lady who begged Azreen to learn to forgive others at the time of her death. We can see very
much that Azreen kept her promise when she forgave Mohd Asraf who had deliberately played with
her emotions. All the while Azreen thought Asraf liked her but, Asraf was actually falling for Madhuri
and when he admitted that to Azreen, she was speechless at first. Azreen hid herself from Asraf by
running away until she reached the cliff of the hills when Asraf confessed his love towards Madhuri.
But as time passed, her anger melted away slowly and she forgave Asraf as the Old Lady had told to
her just before she died.

Azreen too learnt to forgive her father who murdered Madhuri. Even though she felt sad at first but
she did not feel angry or resentment at him but she realized that she had lost her only father that she
used to know as a very hot-tempered man. Slowly Azreen forgave her father but she could not see
him eye to eye so she left him alone and that was the time when Encik Saleh had a heart attack and
collapsed. But if at all Azreen had not promised the Old Lady to forgive others, I do not think that she
would forgive her father for murdering Madhuri.

Azreen too forgave Madhuri for all the hurt and resentment she caused in Azreen’s life. Azreen was
jealous of Madhuri’s beauty and genteel behavior. She was the favorite daughter. She also resented
Madhuri as Madhuri was able to captivate Asraf who eventually fell in love with her. But, when
Azreen discovers that Madhuri was adopted and the truth about Madhuri’s murder at the hands of
her own father, she feels nothing but pity for poor Madhuri . Finally she forgives her sister, Madhuri.
Last but not least, Azreen also forgave Asraf and wished him luck from the bottom of her heart when
he left Langkawi to take a teaching course in KL. When she read a note from him, she did not feel
angry but she smiled after reading the note and also questioned herself whether she had learnt to
forgive others. From Azreen’s character, I too learnt to forgive others in my life if they hurt my
feelings. Being revengeful will not give us anything in life except the negative value.

From the evidence above, the theme of ‘forgiveness’ had been portrayed very well in this novel
through the protagonist, Azreen. I hope each and every human will learn to forgive others in their life.

3) Write on the theme of ‘Mother’s Love’

The novel ‘The Curse’ by Lee Su Ann touches on many values that are useful in our daily lives. As for
me, I am touched with the value of mother’s love in this novel.

Azreen’s mother is forever seen talking nonsense since her Alzheimer’s disease was becoming worse.
She was not given a name in this novel but always referred to as ‘Mak’. Azreen felt guilty because she
was the one who was responsible for her mother to loose one of her leg. Even though, we know that
Azreen admitted leaving the gate of the farm open but actually she was only helping Mohd Asraf
from being blamed. Due to her act, her parents met with an accident when her father’s motorcycle
hit the bull. Azreen’s mother never hated Azreen for what had happened and she always loved
Azreen. She even told Azreen that it was not her fault that she lost her leg in the accident. This proves
that ‘Mak’ was never angry towards Azreen and she accepts what happened to her as faith. This
shows the true love that a mother has for her child even though she is in pain.

Another incident that showed how true a mother’s love is when Madhuri’s mother, the mad lady who
strolled in the village and always watched over her daughter. Even though Madhuri was raised by
Encik Saleh and his wife from a baby, the mad lady always kept herself close to Madhuri. She used to
watch Madhuri and Azreen when they come back from school. This shows that she still loved her
daughter even though she gave in when her baby was lost. She knew she could not raise Madhuri in a
proper way so she just kept quite when Encik Saleh took the baby and decided to raise the child. But
as a mother, she still loved Madhuri and always sees how her daughter is living with her foster
parents from far. This is what we call mother’s love. Even if the child is not with the real mother but
she always pray for her child to lead a happy life and that is why she took revenge against Encik Saleh
who killed Madhuri.

From these two mothers, the readers are shown the value of love that a mother has for a child. Both
mothers in this novel are not normal in certain ways but their love for their children did not fade but
they loved their daughters very much in their own different ways.