X - Perhaps in Paradise (1997)

Summary

The novel Perhaps In Paradise (1997) by Ellina binti Abdul Majid is narrated from the protagonist' point of view, limited to what she observes. Written in a simple, unpretentious language, the writer uses the “down to earth voice of a narrator in skaz” (Bakhtin 1981, p. 262). The novel portrays evolving images of a girl Kina in the process of becoming a woman. When the story begins, the protagonist is a nine-year old, and by the end of the novel, she is almost sixteen years of age. Not only does the reader see the whole action through Kina' eyes, but also many of the ironical comments are in effect her perception of people and life around her. Using a form of oral everyday narration, the writer is able to convey the complex social structure of respectability among the middle-class Malays, where the mistaken notion of right behaviour contributes to the death of Rose, a young woman barely twenty-one years of age. However, the interest that the reader takes in Kina' narration is not only engendered by the understated dark events that unfold in her sister Rose' life, but also by the events that mould Kina into the kind of woman she becomes.

The learning process of Kina is subtly rendered for the reader in a sequence of small, perfectly judged effects. Although the narrator uses Standard English, as she comes from a family where both her parents are English educated, she lapses into Malay frequently. Kina' concern for her sister makes her seek advice from the housekeeper, Mak ‘kiah. When Kina unburdens her concern for Rose by opening a conversation in Malay: “Mak ‘kiah, Kina tahu orang yang ada ‘problem’ besar”, which translates into “Mak ‘kiah, Kina knows a person who has a big problem”, the housekeeper replies,

“Tak nampak ke, Mak ‘kiah sedang buat kerja? Kina pula’ jangan sibuk ‘nak jaga tepi kain orang lain; kalau orang ada ‘problem’ itu dia punya pasal.”

This translates into: “Can' you see Mak ‘kiah is doing work? Kina also don' be busy wanting to look after the edge of someone else' sarong; if someone has a problem it' their business.” It is interesting to note that while Kina speaks in Malay, she borrows an English word “problem”.