Little Ironies - Taximan's Story

1)What is the irony in the story?

I feel that the irony in the story is when the taximan keeps harping on the fact that schoolgirls and schoolboys act like big shots, spending money, smoking and wearing the latest fashion. The taximan also talks about the teenagers habits like they wear school uniform to school everyday but they don't go home instead go to a public lavaratory and change into these clothes. But secretly the taximan like them as they give more money compared to other people who bargain and say don't want to go by meter. There is evidence from the second last line that the taximan is indeed after their money."Must go off to Hotel Elroy~there plenty young people to pick up."

2)What are the themes raised in the story?

I feel that the most important theme raised is morals. The teenagers in the story often deceive their parents and hang out in coffee-house with their American or European boyfriends. I can infer this from what the taximan said about schoolgirls wearing school uniform to school everyday but they don't go home instead go to a public lavaratory and change into these clothes. I am sure that their parents will not agree if they knew their child's intention. There is also a slight fault with the taximan as he dislikes them yet hopes to meet them as they will give more money than other customers.

3)How realistic is the story?

Although the story is not a tall tale but I feel that is only partially belivelable. A person will not talk about his/her own personal life so easily, especially to a stranger about his daughter hanging out at coffee-housesand how he beat his daughter up. Besides that, I feel that the rest of the story about teenagers are true as he has nothing to gain about lying to his customers.

4)What do you think of the taximan? Do you feel sympathy for him?

I feel that the taximan is a good and trustworhty father. He trusted that his daughter is going back to the school to do extra work, extra coaching in her weak subject. And he also felt proud of his daughter as she was the only one good enough to go to university. The taximan has my sympathy as he trusted Lay Choo so much but Lay Choo betrayed his trust and went to hang out with Europeans. Imagine how the father felt when he saw Lay Choo at the coffee-house.

5) Do you agree with his lamenting?

I agree with his lamenting. As an older generation of Singapore, he does not want teenagers to ruin their future so he is seeking greater awareness of the growing trend of this issue. In fact, this trend has already affected his own beloved Lay Choo.

6)What about the other characters in the story?Do you feel sympathy for them?

I feel sympathetic for Lay Choo as she got "thrashed and bashed" by her father but her father not actually knowing the reason as he dragged his daughter to his taxi. The people she hanged out with could actually be her own classmates. Therefore, I feel that Lay Choo has my sympathy.