A Town Like Alice

(A) Summary :

Chapter 1 is about when James Macfadden died and he left his bulk of money to his son Dougles. Unfortunately, Dougles’ brother-in-law, Authur Paget, had been killed in amotor accident some-where near Ipoh. He went to find Mr Noel Strachen , who is a lawyer and asked him to revise his will to his sister Jean. Mr Strachen told him that supposing that if he and his sister and the son Donald died , he will terminate the estate to the girl Jean when she became twenty-one. However, Dougles Macfadden despise woman and only allow her to inherit that estate until she’s thirty-five.

Mr Strachan lost touch with him and later found out that one afternoon in January 1948, Dougles Macfaddenhad passed away, and that his sister and her son was also dead. Thus the girl Jean will get the money which is fifty-three thousand pounds , as she is still underage, she will only get the interest which isnine hundred a year. She then told him that she was once a prisoner in Malaya, and with the money, she wants to dig a well.

(B) Character Study :

The characters seen in chapter 1 include Dougles Macfadden, Noel Strachan and Jean Paget.

Dougles Macfadden- He is Jean Uncle. Although he is slightly more than forty years old, he looks “as frail as an old lady of eighty”. He was living the live of an invalid and had a peculiar grey look about him. He is a loner as he lives by himself and the only companions he has are the budgergars in cages that were in his room. This tells me that he is a anti social person as all the windows of his sitting room is shut. In addition, he is described to be “an educated man” because he speaks with a “marked scots” accent. He is also seen as an affable man as he was “pleased that I (the author) had been able to visit him “. Howerver

I do not like his character because he thinks that “no lassie would be fit to administer her own estate when she was twenty-one.” He only believes that a girl as that age is at the mercy of her sex. This shows that he look down on woman and that they are not as capable as men until they are old. This is why I do not liked this character.

Jean-Paget- She is the niece of Dougles Macfadden.She is a girl or women of mediun height, dark-haired. She was good-looking in quiet a way ; she had a tranquillity in her of a women of a scottish descent.

I like this character because she isn’t a fussy person and is polite “It’s very kind of you to ask me.” She is also has a strong character as she live well even thought her family was not with her.

Noel Strachan-He is a lawyer and a father of two sons, Harry in his submarine on the China station and Martin in his oil company at Basra. His wife, Lucy , had died in the winter in 1935. His hair was white and his head was shaky. This tells me that he is quite old and he lives alone.

I like him because he is quite resonable and thoughtful “stated my own view that twenty-five was quite a resonable age.” And he had also help jean by letting her have the interest.

(C) Highlights :

I think the most important thing being highlighted in chapter 1 is the issue about Jean’s inheritance from her parental grandfather and the character of her uncle and how she going to use the money.

‘ A Town Liked Alice’ (Chapter 2)

(A)Summary :

Chapter 2 is about when Jean told her story when she left for Malaya in the winter of 1939 and worked in an office there. A few years later, war broke out. Japanese landen in the north of Malaya. She together with Mrs holland and her childeren with many other english women became prisoners and were seperated from their husbands.They were forced to travel to Ayer Penchis and was guarded by Captian Yoniata . Soon , many of them were dying from dystentery and shivering with fever in the rain with no clothes and no food. Mrs Holland became very weak and Jean had to help her carry her youngest child ,Robin. Jean perch him on her hip like the Malay Women. There was also a sergent who help them to carry the sick child.

(B)Character Study :

The character seen in chapter 2 include Mrs Holland and Captain Yoniata.

Eileen Holland-She is a comfortable motherly women between thirty and thirty-five years old and is a good mother and a first-rate housewife, but singularly unfitted to travel by herself with three childern in the turmoil of evacuation.

I like this character because she is a caring mother and a caring wife “Mrs Holland was already in a state of flutter that he had not come back.” This is why I like this Character.

Captain Yoniata-He was the soldier in charged of them at that area and was a cruel man. He forced the women and the children to sleep on the mat without mosquito net and provide them with insufficent food.

I do not like this character because he is a very mean and unreasonable person “No nets, no beds” “You sleep on mat like Japanese woman “

(C)Highlights :

I think the most important thing being highlighted in Chapter 2 is the issue of that they were ruled by the Japanese and there are not enough rice and medicals for them.

‘A Town Like Alice’ (Chapter 3)

(A) Summary :

Jean and Mrs Holland had nothing but the thin cotton frocks and were now torn and ragged fron washing. The whole groupgot so little food down the road at Tampi that they were partically starved. Then captain then told then that there were too many prisoners in Singapore and they are sent to Kuantan, which is a women camp. Soon, more children are ill and many of then together with Mrs Holland died. Grief and mourning had ceased to trouble them and at the end, they had no energy for after thoughts. Mrs Frith surprised Jean very much as in the early stages, she had been very weak but now, her health had improved and she can march as strong as any one of them. They then came presently to a very jungly village on the hill top, where it was cool and airy. They carried on their journey and came to a tarmac road that runs through Maran and went to Kerling. At Kerling, they met two white men who are Australians. They told Jean and the others that there isn’t any women camp in Kuantan. One of the man ,Joe Harmen , got them many thingsfor their needs and told Jean about his hometown.He felt that they are pretty thin and got then a pig and five cockerels. However it was found out by Captain sugamo that he stole it, and crucified.

(B) Character Study :

The characters seen in chapter 3 include Mrs Frith, Joe Harman and Captain Sugamo.

Mrs Frith-She is one of the prisoners who travelled with Jean and was a faded anaemic little woman of over fifty. She could only speak a few words of Malay but had a considerable knowledge of the country and its dieseases. This tells me that she is actually quite wise.

I like this character because she help to buoyed the group up when they were down as her health started to improved.

Jeo Harman-He is a fair-haired powerfully built man about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old who is an Australian. He worked as a truck driver there in Kerling.

I like this character because he is a very helpful man who tries to get whatever he cans to provide the group and when he sees that the woman prisoners were quite thin, he manage to get some meat for them regardless what the conquences were.

Captain Sugamo- He is a Japanese commanding officer who was a very angry and curel man and is not easily satisfied with things.However

I do not like this character as he tortured people and cricified Joe Harman for stealing the chickens and he even nailed him to a tree.

(C) Highlights :

I think the most important thing being highlighted in Chapter 3 is the issue about how Joe Harman help them and how he tried to get food and stuff for them.

‘A Town Like Alice’ (Chapter 4)

(A) Summary:

Chapter 4 is about when they took up their journey again and gradually realise that they had entered a new land and or the first time they had sufficent protien with their rice, and their health improved. However, the sergent who was with them, his health deproved and soon later in kuala Telang ,he died. Now they were all prisoners without a guard. They found this place nice and decided to stay here. As Jean was the only one who knew how to speak Malay, she was sent to tell the headman, Mat Amin, about it. She told him that they can help with the paddy field . After a few dissuses, he finally agreed. A few weeks later they wnet to look for the Japanese to tell them about it. In the end, they lived there for three years. Jean then told Mr Strachan that is why she wanted to go to Malaya to dig a well. When she went there, She met Mr and Mrs Wilson-Hays who will help her and also heared from the well diggers that Joe Harman was not dead and he had lived.

(B) Character Study :

The characters seen in chapter 4 include Mat Amin And Mr Wilson Hays.

Mat Amin-He is the Headman of Kuala Telang and is about fifty years old. He provide a shelter and food for them and evn let them stay there for three years. This tells me that he is a very helpful man.

I like this character because he is helpful and understanding towards others.

Mr Wilson Hays- He is a British Advisor who is dark, tall, quiet man with a rather long face.

I like this character because he help her went to pick her up and even let her stay at his house for two days.

(C) Highlights :

I think the most important thing being highlighted in chapter 4 is the issue about how the group of prisoners survived with the help of Mat Ahmin and that they actually lived there for three years.

‘A Town Like Alice’ (Chapter 5)

(A) Summary :

Chapter 5 is about when Jean found out that Joe Harman was not dead because Captain Sugamo could not grant his last wish and so the nails were pulled out and he was sent to the hospital. Arter knowing this, she left ina flurry of shy gopod wishes with moisture in her eyesas she was leaving three years behind and headed to the resdidency at Kota Bahru. She asked Mr Wilson-Hays whether she can get in touch with Joe Harman and then she decided to fily to kuantan with the help of the Bowens to find a nurse that attenteded to Joe Harmen.They later found the nurse who is, Phyllis Willams. She told them that his wound healed faster than she thought. From there, Jean wrote a letter to Mr Strachah to tell him what had happened in Kuala Telang and she also wanted to go to Alice Springs to fing him. After reading the letter, Mr Strachan found out that Joe Harman had actually came to England and was outside his office.He didn’t tell him that Jean was also looking for him as he wanted to find out more about Joe Harman. Mr strachan then told Joe Harman to write a letter to give and he will post it for him.However Joe Harman dare not write one as he just knew that she was not married and is rich.Seeing him as a decent man, Mr Strachan decided to write one for him.

(B) Character Study :

The Characters seen in Chapter 5 include Phyllis Willson and Mrs Bowen.

Phyllis Willson-She is the nurse who attented to Joe Harman and is merry face, brown women with four children and live in a shabby room, the chief decorations of whichwere a set of pewter beer-mugs and a large olegraph of the king and queen in coronations robes. This tells me that she isn’t very rich and can speak very good English.This also tells me that she quite knowledgeble.

I like this character because she is a helpful women who is willing to provide Jean with Some anwers and invited her nicely as she was glad to see them.

Mrs Bowen-She and he husband are a friendly unsophisticated couple who help Jean and she had no diffculty telling them a little about Joe Harman.

I like this character because she is not a complecated person and is nice to others.

(C) Highlights :

I think the most important thing being highlighted in chapter 5 is that Joe Harman and Jean Pagt are looking for each other.

‘A Town Like Alice’ (Chapter 6)

(A) Summary :

Chapter 6 is about when Jean landed in Darwin and she met Stuart Hopkinson who represent the Sydney Moniter and he wanted to know her story. However she was afriad that it would be on the newspaper so she made up one and lied to him that Joe Harman was her cousin. Later She found out that Joe Harman only came to that hotel for six months after the war.She then made friend ,Rose Sawyer, in the milk bar and the girl ivited Jean to stay at her house.After a Few days, she flew in a Dragonfly and got to Conclurry at dust.However Joe Harman was in England and so she decided to go to Crains.

(B) Character Study :

The Characters seen in chapter 6 include Stuart Hopkinson and Rose Sawyer.

Stuart Hopkinson-He is representing the Sydney Moniter to fetch Jean and is quite a helpful man as he brings her around. However

I do not like this character because he is quite a “busy body” As he like to ask about people private things and so this is why I do not like him.

Rose Sawyer-She is a girl who Jean met in the milk bar. She is about eighteen and had an Aberdeen terrier on a lead; She worked in a dress shop.

I like this character because she is quite thoughtful for others and is a nice person.

(C) Highlights :

I think the most important think in Chapter 6 is that Jean thinks that Alice Spring is a bonza place and that Joe Harman is also looking for her and will be back about a month.

‘A Town Like Alice’ (Chapter 7)

(A) Summary :

Chapter 7 is about when Jean had reached Carins and wrote a letter to Mr Strachan and told him that it’s terrible at Willston and that Alice Springs is a grand town. She also said that She want to set up a shop and employ up to ten girls and needed about five-thousand pounds. After Mr Strachan read it, He decided that it is quite reasonable. Jean also wrote a letter to Joe Harman telling him that she will meet him there. When Joe Harman saw her, he was surprised to see that this smart, pretty girl in a light summer frock was that girl his has seen on the road of Malaya, sunburnt, dirty, bullied, by the Japanese soilders with blood on her face. They soon got married and their children were born.