The short stories offered in the literature component provide us with insights into cultural practices of others, Malaysians and Non-Malaysians. These enable us to examine and understand :
a. others
b. us and the way we relate to them
c. our own beliefs

For me, literature components provided in Malaysians school a few years ago do provide us with insight into cultural practices of others, Malaysians and non- Malaysians. I've learned literature compnents myself and when i went through all the literary works provided, some features which are i surrounded with become more clearer. When I study short story 'Of Bunga Telur and Belly Shoes' which took place in Kelantan, i realized the significance of bunga telur in Kelantan community. Although i'm from kelantan, before i did that short stories i never ever knew how important bunga telur in my society. The story of the struggling Jamal who really work hard for his wedding give us the insight perspective of how gentleman in Kelantan will do everything in assuring what he plans succeded. (maybe some yes and maybe some not)

The ancient tribal ritual for rain which practiced in the short story, Looking for a Rain God is unacceptable and consider as a crime in our culture. From the story, we realize that in some parts of the world there are some cultural practices and beliefs that can be very mean and cold-blooded. Just like what happened in Botswana,Africa, the old superstition in the mind of Mokgobja has led to the murder of his two granddaughters, Neo and Boseyong. It is hard to believe human can hurt their own people due to desperation and belief. In our culture, I admit that scarification do take place for religious purposes. Instead of using human for scarification, we sacrifice animals because we believe in human rights and civilization. Living in this rapid developing world today, we still uphold our cultural practices without neglecting humanity while performing them. Unlike the story, Looking for a Rain God, where cruelty and heartlessness take place in their cultural practice by the ritual murder of two innocent children for the sake of the rain-making ceremony. Therefore, this story really shocked some of us who have never come across or heard of human scarification. After reading this story, we tend to appreciate others and feel lucky that we are living in a place where civilization and kindness do exist.

The Sound Machine, a story about Klausner, a man who works on a ‘sound machine’ and he is a man who thinks that pants can feel the cuts made by human by making sounds. Of course Klausner’s strange discovery is unacceptable and ridiculous for the people around him such as Mrs Saunders and Dr Scott. Why do Mrs. Saunders and Dr Scott think that Klaunser is crazy? Is it just because he thinks different from others and his idea is distinctive? People seem to have problems accepting new ideas because new ideas usually clash with people’s belief and new ideas contrast with our common perceptions toward certain things. Not only the characters in the story, Mrs. Klausner and Dr. Scott have this problem but also ourselves. We tend to reject ideas that distinct from our tradition. This is the mistake that we should vanish from now because creative ideas should not be discouraged. We need these ideas to improve ourselves and make this world a better place. Therefore we need to be open-minded and flexible in accepting fresh ideas. The sensitivity Klausner has for the plants tell us the importance of looking after the plants as they are living things. It is noble to be sensitive to the pain of all the pain of all living things. In our culture, we are taught to treat all living things with care without harming them. Hence we should repair what damage we have already done to nature and have the feeling of love for all the living things including plants. We need to respect other creatures’ life in order to live harmoniously in this world as what emphasize in our culture.

Life is precious. As one of the living being in this planet, we should appreciate our life and live to the fullest as we can. This is the belief we share and practice all this time. Disparate the story of The Lotus Eater, Thomas Wilson wants to kill himself at the age of sixty. Commit suicide is a shameful offense in our culture. Even the narrator and his friend do not agree of Thomas Wilson’s act. From that, we can be certain that not only our culture does not approve commit suicide but in the culture of the story does too. Although, Thomas Wilson failed to kill himself but he didn’t take his life seriously and lived like a wild animals for six years without talking to anyone until he died. This explains how much he has given up for his life. Life seems to be hopeless for him. Why should he torture himself? He should live happily and move on blissfully with life. Unfortunately, he did not search happiness for himself instead he wasted his lifetime on waiting for the time to die. Appreciation of life is important.

I think since we read to be instructed, moved or entertained, it is perhaps natural that in talking about a literary work, we should speak of how it affects us. Undeniably, short stories offered in the literature component do affect me in term of providing me insights into cultural practices.
Human beings are insatiably curious about themselves. We are forever interested to learn about what people is doing- in our families, our towns, our country, our world. Through short stories in the literature component, this curiosity can be satisfied. For example, through the short story “Of Bunga Telur and Bally Shoes” I learn to know the significance of bunga telur in Malay culture. Before this, for me, the bunga telur is a plastic flower with a hard-boiled egg attached to it in a net and nothing more than that. However, in the story, the womenfolk are so concern about the bunga telur, viewing it as an item that shall have no budging and strictly demanded. This inevitably arouses my curiosity to know more about the role of bunga telur in Malay wedding. Later, I found out that bunga telur is not just a guest favour in a Malay wedding. In fact, it symbolizes fertility and more children to come. This is indeed very interesting to me since I have never expected an egg can actually signifies fertility. Besides “Of Bunga Telur and Bally Shoes,” another short story by Bessie Head “Looking for A Rain God” also offers some exposure to Non Malaysian culture. As in portrayed in the story, in a rain- making ceremony, sacrifice of the bodies of children is required. Put the cruelty aside, it is actually a real eye-opener for me. Neo and Boseyong were ritually killed in a manner that was supposed to please or appease the Rain God.
On the other hand, short stories in the literature component also enable us to examine and understand the way we relate to other cultures. As in the story “Looking for A Rain God,” the people were always turning to the charlatans, incanters and witch doctor for little talismans and herbs to rub on the plough for the crops to grow and the rain to fall. Witch doctors in Africa are given the politically correct title of “traditional healers” and many Africans believe that real witch doctors have the power to heal physical or psychological maladies and to even transform. This scenario provides insight to me that it is similar to the concept of “Bomoh” in Malaysia. The word "bomoh" has been used throughout the country to describe any person with knowledge or power to perform certain spiritual rituals including traditional healing. Until today, bomohs still operate and often consulted for medical or personal reasons. Although Africa and Malaysia is geographically separated, by learning literature (short stories in this case), we realize that we are somehow connected or related in some aspects.
Besides, through these short stories we can identify our own beliefs, how it is different or similar to other beliefs. For example, in “How Dalat Got Its Name,” it is obvious that according to the Melanau’s custom, the eldest son should succeed the father. I am neither a Sarawakian nor a Melanau. But, this custom is not something unfamiliar to me as in Chinese culture itself; eldest son is always given the priority to be the heir. One other good example of how short stories enable us to examine our own beliefs would be the ritual practice as in “Looking For a Rain God”. When I was still a kid, my grandmother used to tell me that the ancient Chinese made sacrifices of young men and women to river deities, and buried slaves alive with their owners upon death as part of a funeral service. I remember that I was quite terrified that time. However, after reading the short story, it exemplifies the beliefs that my grandmother has told me before. Other than similarities, I found that there are some differences or discrepancies between the culture in the story and my own beliefs. For instance, during the wedding ceremony in the story “Of Bunga Telur and Bally Shoes,” the Kelantanese were slaughtering the cow, erected temporary sheds for cooking and used huge kawahs to cook. This kind of practice can hardly be seen in modern weddings. Nowadays, most of the people will be using catering services rather than preparing the food on their own especially in the towns or cities.
As a conclusion, the short stories offered in the literature component undoubtedly provide us with insights into cultural practices of others.

It is remarkable how a writer, by putting words on paper, can compose works that bring us into the world of such immense creativity; everything seems to happen in reality. The bonding and presenting of various cultural practices and aspects, drawing in issues and concerns of life, even blending experiences and daily lives of people throughout the world in a masterpiece of particular characters, setting, plot and other elements of literature enables us to feel the vital force of vividness and reality throughout the work. As such curiosity has placed itself solidly as part of the human nature, learning about oneself and also of others usually takes place by observing people, watching videos, hearing reports from and others and most of all through the exposure of folk tales, fables, ballads, epics, romances down to novels and short stories.

When in 1999 the Ministry of Education integrated the teaching of literature in English to all students in secondary schools as part of the English syllabus, amongst the aims of the components highlight contribution to personal development and character building, and broaden students’ outlook through reading about other cultures and world views. If we take a closer look at the short stories relied on to deliver the above aims, we are able to contradict the context in which the texts are presented.

A) Form 1- The Pencil- Ali Majod
How Dalat Got Its Name- Heidi Munan
Of Bunga Telur And Bally Shoes- Che Husna Azahari

B) Form 4- The lotus Eater- Sommerset Maugham
The Necklace- Guy de Maupassant
The Drover’s Wife- Henry Lawson
The Sound Machine- Roald Dahl
Looking For A Rain God- Bessie Head

The Form 1 short stories selected revolve around the Malaysian context, which would depict various Malaysian cultural practices and aspects, issues and concerns of life, experiences and even the daily lives of people in Malaysia. On the other hand, the Form 4 short stores picked would depict more around foreign contexts and aspects related to them.

For example, in Ali Majod’s The Pencil, we are put in a situation where the boy, Zahid, was unjustly accused by the teacher, Mr. Jamal, of stealing a pencil and even hit Dolah, the boy he believed had stolen his pencil. It creates a flashback of a situation where perhaps we had also gone through some sort of accusation or had wrongly accused someone. When we put ourselves in the shoes of Zahid, or the selfish Mathilde in the Necklace, Heidi Munan’s patient Galau from How Dalat Got It’s Name and even any character involved in the short stories, it enables us to examine ourselves and also understand others. We tend to feel the way others have felt, why is it that they reacted in a certain way? What is it that led them to think in such a perspective? What are their concerns? What are the beliefs that they hold? We ask these questions in our head and go through the story from beginning till the end in search of an appropriate answer.

As we explore through foreign matters in involving culture, the laws and customs of other ethnics and races, we also come to know of and try to relate some of the adaptations or alternatives set and practiced in our own culture or life. Readers also reflect upon and draw valuable moral lessons from issues and concerns of life as portrayed in the literary works and relate to one’s life. For example the use of bunga telur in a typical Kelantanese wedding, the pemajangan , baju Melayu ,malay terms such as anak Mithali and pitis, the customs held in a Melanau small town after the chief’s death and the process of selecting a new chief, the turning to charlatans, incanters, and witch doctors in desperation for rain in the African village etc. There are some in which we might show some familiarity with and broadens our outlook and awareness on cultural differences. Modern practices we see nowadays might contain similarities or act as a revised version of its original counterpart.

Through some of the selected short stories too we are able to show a concern on certain beliefs especially when there is an urge to oppose of the actions of the characters in the texts. We come to think more globally of issues such as committing suicide as brought out through William Sommerset Maugham’s The Lotus Eater, selfishness as presented in The Necklace and also to respect human rights in Looking for a Rain God. Even in short stories like The Pencil, one would strongly oppose of actions Mr. Jamal took towards Zahid as it proposes injustice.

Although it is true to say that these aspects are all incorporated in the texts, perhaps there is still a lack of critical awareness that its readers actually realize the goldmine they implicitly struck of -in culture, knowledge wise and also its benefits.

Literature is more than a frivolous subject where the pretty use of words is common. It is through literature that we make sense of our lives. It serves a real purpose in developing better citizens. It is all very well to point out the advantages of teaching literature but the key to success in using literature in the ESL classroom depends primarily on the works selected. A text which is extremely difficult in linguistic or cultural levels will reap few benefits.

Today, it is also important for understanding different cultures. Literature was introduced to the lower levels of secondary school as a compulsory component of the English syllabus in 2001. Now every schoolchild reads at least a little bit of literature, some poems, short stories and excerpts from plays.

For example, through the short story of ‘The Sound Machine’, I learned to appreciate all living things with care without harming them. We need to respect other creatures’ life in order to live harmoniously in this world. Klausner is a man obsessed with sound. He has a theory that there are many, many sounds in the world that humans are just unable to hear due to their high frequencies. He explains to his doctor that he has invented a machine that will allow him to tune in to those frequencies and convert those pitches into audible sound.

The first time he tries it out in his yard, he hears shrieking in his headphones as his neighbor cuts roses from her garden. Each time a flower is cut, he hears a shriek. The next day, he tries a bigger experiment. He takes an axe and swings it into a large beech tree. He is horrified to hear the deep and pathetic moan that the tree makes in response. Klausner is deeply shaken and asks the doctor to paint the tree's cuts with iodine. The doctor claims not to have heard anything, but he agrees to Klausner's demands and dresses the wounds.

So, short stories in the literature component also enable us to examine and understand the way we relate to other cultures. As in the story “The Sound Machine”, we need to teach the children to appreciate and love the nature especially the plants. I love this short story because from this story I learned many things such as we need to appreciate and respect other creatures and this story quite interesting and easy to understand.

From the topic given, I would like to refer on the second and third aims of the component in the English language curriculum for secondary schools; contribute to personal development and character building, and broaden students’ outlook through reading about cultures and world views. For example, in the short stories “Of Bunga Telur and Bally Shoes” written by Che Husna Azhari, in this short story, she introduce more about Kelantanese culture in preparation wedding ceremony visualized by Jamal and his family. From the story, I learn something that I never know before about symbolized of Bunga Telur in the culture, I just know that Bunga Telur is given to guests who come to the ceremony as door gift. Agree with my friends Shirley, it symbolizes fertility and more children to come.
Second example of the cultural practices that I think we cannot adopt and practice is in the short story “Looking for A Rain God” written by Bessie Head. In this story, it exposed to us about the ancient tribal ritual for rain took place in rural Botswana in Africa. The hardship in farming community there make them helpless against the forces of nature where there is no rain, they will resort to consulting ‘charlatan, incanters, and witch-doctors’ for ‘talisman and herbs’. There is also a superstitious belief to sacrifice or murder of two innocent children Neo and Boseyong in the family of old man Mokgobja during a rain-making ceremony. The belief made the people lose their rationality and common sense. From both short stories we can see the distinguish cultures in Malaysian and Non- Malaysian from several aspects.

From my point of view, the story 'of bunga telur and a bally shoes' does provide us with insights into culture practices of Malaysian. the story written by che Husna who is from Kelantan focuses on significant of 'bunga telur' in Malay wedding. based on the story, Jamal came up with the idea to distribute Hacks sweet instead of hard- boiled eggs. but, no one ageed with the idea. in Malay culture, bunga telur is something that 'must have' in a wedding ceremony, which it is a token of appreciation for guests who come to the wedding ceremony. after i read the story just now, now i realize how important 'bunga telur' in every wedding for Malay culture. what would i feel if i got a a plastic of sweet after attending the wedding ceremony? i would say that the family is under budget so they can't effort to give us bunga telur. now, i know the significant of bunga telur, even it just a boiled egg that i can boiled it at home, but if you get it from wedding ceremony, the feeling and the taste of the it also different;it seems very special and tasty.
looking for a rain God n the other hand, provide us insight into non- Malaysian culture. the title of the story is enough to show the hardship of people who lived in rural Botswana. the story tells us about Mokgobja who believe certain God accept the sacrifice of the bodies of children. then, the rain would fall and the crops would grow. soon after the ritual murder, still the rain does not fall. moral of the story, in time of crisis, we must never lose our sense of humanity.