BY, ROGHINI PARAMASIVAM TUAN NURUL ATIKAH

Summary
A New Year's Day Lunch at Jalan Kia Peng tells the story of

a rich widow who follows the tradition left behind by her late husband by ensuring all her (grown-up) children returning to their house in Jalan Kia Peng for the New Year. However each and every children of her has different ideas and feelings towards the house that their father had left. Both Cik Bainuns daughters have similar passion towards the house just like their mother. Unfortunately, Kam, their brother has different intention in his mind. He intended to knock down the house in order to build condominiums. Initially Cik Bainun believed her son but at the end of the story she will overheard the shocking conversation between her son and her son-in-law, Shahrir. Basically the story evolves on the trust of a mother towards her children and how do the children repay it in return.

CULTURAL CRITICISM
- Religious aspects In this short story, Karim Raslan has portrayed some

religious believe through the main character in this story that is, Cik Bainun. Cik Bainun has emphasised the importance of religious belief which is the Islamic belief in some of the situation in this story. Besides, she had also carry out all the responsibilities as a Muslim lady in this short story. She also teaches the importance of this religious belief to her children and expects them to carry out all the responsibilities as a Muslim.

Evidences
Religious aspects - Its written in the Koran that its very bad to have silver and

gold which you never use-haram, you know? (pg 1, paragraph 3) - mumbling the word kaffir in her dreams (pg 4, paragraph 4) - Assalammualaikum (pg 5, paragraph 4) -Allah, dont look at me like that-the silver that sunder my bed. (pg 1, paragraph 1) - she had departed for Mecca (pg 53, paragraph 1) - Her aunt had woken her for the suboh prayers. (pg 1, paragraph 5)

 Tradition aspects - There are also some activities in this short story that have

been carried out due to tradition purposes. Although, Cik Bainun is still sad about the death of her late husband, Zul, but she still insist to carry out the tradition that has been practiced over the years. For example, the habit of having the new years day lunch in her house. Cik Bainun is very particular about the custom and tradition of her family. Cooking laksa assam has been the traditionof the mother, Cik Bainun Badminton match held was another of the New Years rituals.

Evidences
Tradition, adat and custom were the very oxygen of

their lives .. (pg 3, paragraph It was a claim that was alluded to all the more readily as the ladies of the family replaced their brass jewellery with silver and then gold It was not a religious occasion, nor a family one- none of the family celebrated their birthdays in January: it was a gathering sanctioned solely by habit. Laksa assam, this year? Tun Razak had come year after year just to eat her laksa assam

HISTORICAL THEORY
Reflects the life of Cik Bainun during her time with her

husband, Zulkarnain The life that her husband lived The way people look upon him and his family The title Tan Sri that he had received a year before his death The time when the the New Years lunch of her family were attended by Syed Jaffar Albar, The Lion of Umno, Tun Sambathan, Tun Razak n etc for her famous cooking. Zuls character of not throwing anything away.

EVIDENCES
Zul had never been a man to throw anything away
There was a time then, in the early seventies when

the lunch had become the invitation for New Years Day as muchpopiah. he had been made a Tan Sri only the year before his death.

POSTCOLONIALISM
There are few words in this short story which depicts

the postcolonialism theory Zul and Cik Bainun underwent the colonial era. Zuls spoken Malay was never to recover from the onslaught of the Anglo-Saxon world. The leaders at that time were also mentioned in this short story. Loyal to his wife

EVIDENCES
he had not been the fortunate beneficiary of the

enlightened colonial practice of the time. His spoken Malay was never to recover from onslaught of the Anglo-Saxons world Syed Jaffar AlbarTun RazakTun Sambathan.

POST MODERNISM
Develops from modernistic thought
The way Cik Bainun thinks and carry out her life

without her husband Different feeling and passion evolves due to the modernism Courage of women Inter-race marriage Not being loyal to wives- having affair with other woman

EVIDENCES
But they all underestimated her resources. She

emerged from mourning even more crumpled and bent-over her. When her daughter suggested that the New Years Day lunch to be cancelled she has been so scathing in her replyraised again. Mahani, the eldest daughter, a DatukDirector of the University Hospital He had married Chew Mei Mei, a chinese girl

GENDER THEORY
Feminism Cik Bainun Loving -loves her husband and could not forget him although he had died she tried not to think of grief for the rest of the day. -loves her children Preserving - preserves her late husbands collection - She guarded the house with extreme care - She stayed alone in the big house although the husband had died(contain his memory) - Having the New Years Day lunch

 Mahani

-did not get married again although the husband had left her -has the similar passion as her mum towards the house
Meriam

-homely woman -good at dealing with house chores

Chew Mei Mei

-she sympathises for her mother-in-law -sentimental

FEMINISM
In short, all the feminist in this short story portrays a

good example of being a responsible woman. They all have a similar passion towards the house that the late husband, late father or late father-law respectively had left. Their intention is to see their mother or mother-in law to live a happy life at her old age Although, Mei is from a different race, she still has a good quality of a woman

EVIDENCES

THE MALE CHARACTER

Kam

-has a high dream to build condominiums on the plot of the land where his mothers house is - Had an affair with Azizah Solid in Wisma Stephens - Hard hearted and irresponsible son
Shahrir

-does not have the guts to talk over Kams intention -has an affair with the English lecturer

 Although the writer is a man, he has portrayed the

character of the man of not being loyal to their wives. Besides, the character of the man of not being responsible in preserving the fathers house and collection. Self-fish towards his own benefits

Social
Hierarchy

-son of the wealthiest man of Selangor -not the ordinary Bumiputera but cleverer