The Curse

The Curse - Lesson - Write about a life lesson that you learnt from the novel...
‘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.

From all the evidences above, Azreen had portrayed the value of courage very clearly, in this novel. As a student who will face many challenges in my life, I learnt to be courageous and bold like Azreen from this novel. This aspect will help me to be a better person in my life.
Sample Answers for The Curse – lessons and moral values
26/04/2012
* Lesson 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.
*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.