Recap: Close to Home

What ideas come to mind when you see the phrase "Close to Home"? Analyse each keyword.

Who is NOT a character in "Close to Home"? (You may select more than one option)

• Aunty Loh

• Chee Keong

• Uncle Mang

• Pei Fen

Which of these options is NOT a theme in "Close to Home"? (You may select more than one option)

• Family Relationships

• Luck and Control

• Difficulties of Ageing

• Friendships

Examine the description of Aunty Loh's apartment: "...it was more tidy and sparse. An empty bird cage, shaped like a lantern, hung at the corner of the ceiling with its brown gate wide open. A couch, tattered at the seams...The coffee table was bare...austere furniture." What do you think it signifies?

How would you describe Nicky's relationship with Aunty Loh at the start of the story?

• Tense

• Close

• Distant

• Conflicted

Select all the relevant adjectives that can be used to describe Aunty Loh.

• Sympathetic

• Hospitable

• Lively

• Lonely

Select all the relevant adjectives that can be used to describe Pei Fen.

• Friendly

• Opportunistic

• Disrespectful

• Caring

Select all the relevant adjectives that can be used to describe Nicky's mother.

• Loving

• Selfish

• Resilient

• Sensitive

What does the sewing machine in "Close to Home" represent?

• Represents her broken marriage with Uncle Loh

• Represents Aunty Loh's her acts of service and her lively, generous nature

• Represents her oldage and her sense of tradition

• Represents her love for her daughter Pei Fen

Why does the "clump of black thread" at the end of the story bring up mixed feelings in the reader?