THE CURSE: SAMPLE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

SAMPLE ANSWER 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
sisters 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 mothers favourite rattan basket that was broken by the heavy durians
that she and Madhuri has brought in. Subsequently, with Madhuris 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 Ladys 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.

SAMPLE ANSWER 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 sisters
death. Upon her return, she is surrounded by many secrets. She discovers the
circumstances of Madhuris 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 fathers treatment of her foster parents and Madhuris 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 bulls incident, she is brave enough to accept the blame for the bulls
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escape instead of blaming someone else. Azreen also shows her courage by taking up the
dare to knock on the Old Ladys door when none wants to do it. In another instance,
Azreen confronts her father about Madhuris 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 sisters 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 fathers 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.

SAMPLE ANSWER 3:

Write on a character whom I think is exemplary

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
deaths 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.

SAMPLE ANSWER 4: Write on a character whom I think is exemplary

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 friends 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 Normalas mob outside Mohd
Asrafs house when Nek once again has fallen ill and died in order to stop her from
entering Neks house. Although she is outnumbered, she dares to face Puan Normalas
horde to protect Neks house from them. Moreover, she confronts a group of men led by
Asraf who goes to the Old ladys 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 Madhuris death even
though others do not want to tell her the truth. She asks Asraf and The Old Lady about
Madhuris death and slowly gather evidences and finally she knows the truth about
Madhuris 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 Azreens resilience to make this world a better place.

SAMPLE ANSWER 5:

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 sisters 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 Madhuris 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. Azreens 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 Madhuris 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 Asrafs 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
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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.