The Martyrdom of Helena Rodrigues

How have the gender roles in the story, 'The Martyrdom of Helena Rodrigues', reversed?

(i) In the story, Helena is agresive and very controlling, espescially of her son George. She had this mentality that George is her only son and she had the responsibility to take care of him because he was not given enough freedom and was always kept by her side. As for George, he listens obediently and and is said to believe that to insult his mother's devotion to him was the ultimate blasphemy.
Aloysious is said to get stress and tension that caused his death, and it was said that Helena bullied him. As for Caroline, she is stronger than George in many aspects, as she always seem confident and strong.

(ii) Emotionally, Helena seem to be really strong in handling and hiding her emotions. She never complain. Also, she didn't show her emotion when she was really sick and insisted that George marries Caroline and be happy and not worry about her. However, George takes it differently, and insisted to not leave his mother's side and got emotional when her mother insisted that he leaves her alone and marries Caroline.
Caroline is strong and aggresive, and could handle her emotions better than George as she was the one who gave George support istead of the other way round. Aloysius doesn't seem to be able to handle his emotions that well either because he died of stress and tension, which shows that it was really hard for him to handle his problems.

(iii) Helena just seemed to keep her feelings, thoughts and emotions to herself and maybe although she was hurt, she might not show it. George thinks that his mother is everything and it is his responsible to be at his mother's side at all times. He's very emotional and not very strong to control how he feels maybe because since he was small, he was pampered alot and such.

(iv) Helena was said to be tyrannizing most people and was said to have a personality of Empress Tzu Hsi, who is described to be true friend but a terrible enemy. It shows that people sees her as a firce woman, and very pressurizing.. While her son on the other hand was seen to be very different and always thinks too much about what his mother had done for him and he would feel thoroughly crushed. He was thinking too much of it that he got carried away and commit suicide. It was the same as his father, who died of tension and stress (which shows that he is not strong to take in problems) and it relates back to him, who was really emotional and thinks way too much that he probab;y could not take it anymore and commited suicide.

Today

What you do today
Is ahead of tomorrow
And what you promised today
Is what you would know

Today is today
& will be a yesterday of tomorrow
It just goes on anyway
Like noodles being sucked continuously in a row

What you learn today
Is what you gain
It's what you bring to the future
That helps you in your rights & fear

We all know
That a second gone will be gone forever
Thus we also believe
that when a 24-hour is passed on, a today will be over.

Darkness

She opened her eyes as she entered the room.
"Dark," she thought.
She stepped in further.
She squealed. Softly, anxious.

"Too dark," she whispered.
She couldn't see a thing.
So she kicked the small thing blocking her way.
Softly, nervous.

She walked straight.
And bumped into something sharp.
"Ouch!" she whined.
Softly, wincing.

It was quiet.
So silent, so tranquil.
"Mom?" she called.
Excitedly, hopeful.

"Dorothy, can't you see me?"
It was mom. Asking worriedly, full of agony.
"No, too dark, I see nothing," says Dorothy.
"Oh honey," mom wept. Softly, miserable.

What's the Disgraceful Name?

My uncle shouted my name
And I answered in shame
My sister snickered at me
And my brother laughed sarcastically

My uncle shouted my name
And my sister tells me it's lame
I just shrugged and head to the lad
When I heard my mother went mad

"Stop making fun of her!"
She scolded her pathetic brother
I tell her to be quiet
And she walks away without a word

My uncle shouted my name
And I couldn't take it anymore
"Stop calling me that," I said
"I am not a whore!" I roar.

Doubts

As the world is spinning
I had always been thinking
What in heaven is happening
When I get that doubtful feeling.

As living things are dying
I had not stopped fidgeting
Thinking why is this happening
When I am not ready for anything.

As my heart is beating
I could not help worrying
Wondering what will be happening
When the catastrophe leaves me with nothing.

The Lies

Yesterday, she went home and cried her way to sleep.
Cause as she recall the words, it just makes her weep.
She began doubting, & decided that lies were told.
However, she chose to be patient & still keep on hold.
When she thought she had enough,
she just tried to be tough.
Because words has its limits as well,
and not exaggerate till it fell.
& now she still tries her best to trust,
to believe, to absorb and wait till it last.
As she knows that she has her own feelings to lead,
to the limits of trust that will meet.

Identity

A chinese mum, a chinese dad;
those are the real parents my mother had.
But soon adopted by a smaller malay family,
that till now i don't know my real Chinese family tree.

From a Javanese family my father came from,
he grew with two sisters and four other brothers.
Therefore you can tell how huge my family is,
that to count the members, no one bothers.

Thus now you know, I am mixed.
From Chinese to Malay, plus Javanese blood.
To count all my family members from th early 10 centuries,
forget it, it will be more than hard.