What do you find interesting about the characterisation in the short story?
The author of the short story spent a while teaching at a Singaporean school. So not only would she understand the culture in those schools but all the experiences and characters could be based upon true stories. For example, from doing some research I found out that in 1997 there was a plane crash that seems very similar to the one mentioned in the story and since You Jin was teaching in the year 2000 or perhaps earlier this story is very likely to be true.
The narrative perspective is in 1st person and is told in past tense as the author seems to be remembering a story. Normally this means there would be a slightly reflective tone but the narrator appears to believe they did all the right things and therefore there are few examples of hindsight as the story is simply told the way it is remembered to have turned out with no additions creating a story that may seem as though the author is trying to draw attention to how good at teaching they are.
The easiest character to understand is the teacher. Her voice tells the story so the reader reads her inner thoughts and can very easily understand her concern for the student. The student Kwa Yao Zu is the subject of the story as the aim of the protagonist is to help him. His conversation with her is polite but he is also described as closed off and his actions show his nerves such as his sweating in the exam hall. His backstory is also explained in detail as the fate of his father is shared with the reader and a scene with his mother shows his family life. That brings me to the 3rd named character in the story. In my opinion, I found the mother one of the most striking characters in the story as her character was not what I expected. Normally when parents are called into school they are formal and a little concerned but she immediately began rambling “on and on incoherently” and was described as looking older than her age with a “worn-out expression”. She is strangely open with a teacher describing how she wishes she went instead of Yao Zu’s father. She shares the same backstory as the student but does not appear to deal with it near as well. Her purpose in the story is clearly to provide backstory and create sympathy for Yao Zu especially since he is described as watching her with a “tender, concerned gaze”. Despite this purpose, I find she has the most interesting characterisation as she has the same concerning backstory as Yao Zu, her physical appearance is described in detail and her direct speech is the least predictable.