"Rice without rain" is an excellent book and very enjoying in describing the many hardships faced by Jinda, a courageous Thai girl. The story is set in Thailand, and tells the story of how Jinda's village comes across a group of students from Bangkok. Although the student's original intention was just to merely render some aid and influence them to oppose the government's policies, the students subsequently started to grow close to the villagers. However, this story is not without tragedy, and in the midst of this small uprising, a massacre ensued during the student's rally in Bangkok. Altogether, the story talks about how Jinda deals with all these devastating setbacks, giving a compassionate and deeply sensitive study of human endeavour.
18. What would the main character be most likely to do if he/she visited your classroom?
Jinda is not the average citizen whom we are all familiar with, but a unique character from Thailand, so she would react in many different ways. Being the nervous and shy character that she is, Jinda would naturally introduce herself quickly and keep silent after that. However, as she also has a friendly character, she may get comfortable after a while and may inquire more about the place and try to make some friends. She is also most likely to share with us certain things about her village(which she is very much proud of), as she has spent almost all her life there and grew to love the place and its occupants. Thus, Jinda can do many different things upon visiting our classroom (which is a strange place to her as she has not interacted much with life in town).
26. If your story happened in a foreign land, compare that land with Singapore.
Upon comparing the setting of the story to our beloved home of Singapore, I find myself very fortunate indeed. Singapore's economical and physical environment is much better than what was described in Thailand. Jinda's village was not very well off and they had to suufer from starvation. They also encounted much difficulty growing crops as there was very little rain. Additionally, there were many rural areas with run-down houses and facilities where the occupants lived in poverty. However, people are relatively wealthier in Singapore and are able to afford many things. Singapore is also a first-world country so its facilities and buildings are well-maintained and kept in good order. The climate is also not very extreme, being warm and rainy throughout the year. Thus, Singapore's environment is much better than the area described in the story.
48. Tell what you think is the climax and why.
The climax of the story is during the massacre during the student rally in Bangkok. The tension and excitement started to build up when the police arrived on the scene and when small signs of violence started showing. The massacre happened in a flash, and every started running. It is also very exciting as the main character tries to flee for her life and we are left to wonder whether her friends also managed to survive. All around, policemen were brutally beating up the students and also fired into the crowd. The scene is made to look like something out of an action movie and is definitely a thriller in the story.
54. Do you like the way the story ended? Why or why not?
The ending was quite satisfactory although it was not a very happy ending. Jinda had lost her father, her friends, and as well as her supposed boyfriend Ned. However, she also grew closer to her sister and the rest of her village, and she was also left with the pleasant memory of her student friends. Furthermore, Jinda has ultimately found out and accepted the meaning and value of life. Although there were many setbacks and difficulties faced by Jinda throughtout the story, the ending was a different picture - there was once again rain for the villages, and her sister gave birth to a lovely baby girl, serving as a newfound form of hope in light of the recent tragedies
