heir conditioning

by M. SHANmughalingam

DATO’ DR M. SHANMUGHALINGAM Honors degree from

the University of Malaya.

Masters from Harvard. Ph.D from Oxford (never applied).

The Poem

Stanza 1 – 9 lines

Grand dad did you① breathebefore air cons were inventedwas it hard stayingalive without modern inventions?Grand ma weren't you② flusteredas you fluttered with paper fans?could you communicate beforefaxes and long distance callsbecame basic necessities?

Stanza 2 – 9 lines

Grand child we③ livedbefore your age becauseof our ignorance,we did not knowpollution, stress, traffic jamsdestruction of forests, streams and hillswe feared God and naturenow nature fears you④ andmoney is your new God.

LondonMay 4, 1995

What are in the poem?

Heir conditioning sounds like `air conditioning’. Heirs (waris) inherit what is left to them. In this case, our children are our heirs (future generation) who inherit this polluted and damaged environment due to the clearing of the forests and modern inventions.

The poem is about:

The differences in life long ago and now due to development.

Grand dad = grandfather/Old people

1. The Persona – 3 voices

Grand ma = grandmother/Old peopleGrandparents

(in Stanza 1)

Grand child = young people/future generation(in Stanza 2)

2. Hardship in the old time

Paper fans

fluttered the paper fans

3. Tools to keep cool

Paper fans- old time

Air condition – modern time/

Modern invention

4. Modern inventions = basic necessities

• Air cons = new invention.

Air cons

Long distance calls /

telephones – to communicate

Fax machine

5. Problems nowadays/Negative images

pollutions

stress

5. Problems nowadays

Traffic jams

Destruction of forests

5. Problems nowadays

Destruction of hills

Destruction of streams

6. Differences/Things that reversedPresent time

Nature fearsGod

Nature

Old time

People fear

People who make

destructions

Money is their god

7. Tone and Mood

Generally – serious Stanza 1 – inquiring (bertanya) in naïve tone - the grandchild is asking the grandparents about their past condition. Stanza 2 – reflective (menjawab) firm and serious – the grandparents give answers to the grandchild.

8. Themes Modern inventions are beneficial but are

indirectly giving us problems because their production and use cause environmental problems e.g. the air conditioner.

The challenges facing the modern generation – pollution, stress, traffic jams and destruction of forests, streams and hills.

The differences between the older and younger generation – compared to younger generation, the old ones do not suffer the pollution, stress or traffic jams even though they do not live comfortably like we do nowadays. The younger generation has to face the environmental problems due to development.

Worksheet 1

1. Because they belong to two different generations.

2. a)old time without modern inventionsb) modern time with modern inventions

3. Long before you were born4. Because of the destructions made

by the people.