'What the Modern Woman Wants'
29 July 2004
"She will not be like me, the woman prayed as she watched her daughter grow up and drift away from her."
An excerpt from "What the Modern Woman Wants" the winning entry of the 2004 Commonwealth Essay Competition.
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| Amanda Chong, who has won the 2004 Commonwealth Essay Competition |
A 15-year-old Singaporean student, Amanda Chong, has won the 2004 Commonwealth Essay Competition. Amanda, a Raffles Girls Secondary School student, beat more than 5,000 other contestants to win the £500 prize in the Competition organised by the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS). She topped the 16-18-year-old category for the annual literary award, by submitting a short story in a higher age category as a personal challenge to compete with writers older than herself.
Amanda's winning entry, 'What the Modern Woman Wants', focuses on the generational conflict of values between an old lady and her independent-minded daughter. Amanda said: "I got the inspiration for my essay from the book, 'The Joy Luck Club'. We were studying Asian American Literature in school. I was inspired to use mother-daughter relationships as a platform to further explore the themes of identity and what a modern woman wants. The message I wanted to convey was that one should not forsake their roots for the sake of success and that what our society holds important today are fleeting and ephemeral. I felt sad that modern society conditions us to believe that we can find happiness in material wealth. The story was more a hypothetical situation instead of a real life scenario or autobiography. Through my story, I attempted to convey the unique East-versus-West struggles and generation gaps that I felt were characteristic of young people in my country. I wanted to give a sense of my own identity and culture."
Amanda has had a fascination with words and a love for languages since she was young. "Writing has always been my passion and I've been writing stories even before I could spell properly. Words to me are like a blank canvas, a medium to amplify my world-view and shape my own spheres: I consider this a form of empowerment."
In her story, Amanda describes the generational gap between the protagonist, Elaine, and her aged mother: "She will not be like me, the woman prayed as she watched her daughter grow up and drift away from her, speaking a language she scarcely understood. She watched her daughter transform from a quiet girl to one who openly defied her, calling her 'laotu' -- old-fashioned. She wanted her mother to be 'modern' -- a word so new there was no Chinese word for it. Her daughter had forgotten her mother's values. Her wants were so ephemeral; that of a modern woman."
Amanda, who is interested in drama, literature and history, is a member and councillor in the Creative Arts Programme for young writers run by the Gifted Education Branch and the National University of Singapore. She aims to become a lawyer and politician, and intends to "keep writing for the rest of my life."
Dr Charles Kemp, the Chief Examiner, said: "Amanda has written a powerfully moving and ironical critique of modern restlessness and its potentially cruel consequences. The writing is fluent and assured with excellent use of dialogue. The story is vividly told and full of insight and observation."
Soo Ling Yeo, Amanda's English language teacher, commented that her profound understanding and way with words has enabled Amanda to write with ease. Ms Yeo said: "What was clearly more remarkable was her sensitivity to the tensions that exist between generations -- traditions and pragmatism; perceptions of happiness and success; familial responsibilities and sacrifice; and the conflicts of cultures. Amanda's short story reveals an appreciation of the plight of the elderly that shows a maturity beyond her age."
Read the winning essay (PDF) - 
CNIS - the Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 194 28 July 2004
Full of insight and observation but lacking in sensitivity and empathy. So far so good for her.
you have made Singapore very proud in this essay by striking the Top award and they are very proud of you indeed! - Cina
What the 15 year-old schooling girl felt were characteristic of young people in her country?? There are also many working young adult singaporeans who are fighting very hard in their own homeland and overseas as well in an endeavour for a career they can call their very own. It somehow made me feel that these are just the word of a well-fed calf!
"Through my story, ...I wanted to give a sense of my own identity and culture." - I suppose there is no truth in this sense. Most of the elderly in local Home maybe mostly ailing and weak elderly who may require constant attention and whose children cannot afford private nurses to look after them hence the need for a home and this would have been a big financial strain to them as well comparing to leaving them at alleys and backyards if there were any.
Living with aging parent has been always been a culture of the older and modern chinese even today since confucianism's influence took root a thousand year ago. It has always been a way of proving one's fillial piety. However fillial Piety should include showing love to one's aging parents and should have been an inborn instinct of every individuals of every land.
Hong Gao can also meant "foreign sects" but it's usually used to refer to the latter only because it is traditionally believed to have been originated from the west. Over the years, fillial piety found in those who opted for the English Educated stream in 1970s-1980s were no less than those who were in the Chinese educated stream as this word is less heard and less in use now.
A Christian Home may imply a Home set up by western minded invidividual.This word in Hokkien has always been inferring to as the Western influence in Older Singaporean concept which may not necessary be true.
"Hong Gaos" literally meant "Foreign Ghost" is the worst bad word to imply a human and that is why it is use to refer to Christianity usually associate with western influence including lack of filial piety. What a critical and biased essay!
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