Cultural Diversity: Exploring Eco-Cultural Memories in Hilary Tham’s Tin Mines and Concubines
Main Article Content
Abstract
Motivated by the theme of cultural diversity in Hilary Tham’s Tin Mines and Concubines (2005), a Malaysian fiction that depicts various family stories of multiethnic Malaysians in the 1960s, this article examines the ways in which the author draws on her cultural memories of Malaysian society through the lens of ecocriticism. While cultural memories convey the memories embedded in physical monuments, eco-cultural memories signify memories implanted in ecological substances. Eco-cultural memories entwine both natural and cultural aspects and are essential to the subject of ecocriticism, which emphasises human-non-human links. The research sheds light on Malaysia’s varied cultures by examining cultural memories incorporating animal, plant and culinary aspects. Tham’s perceptions of cultural variety vary according to ethnic origins, cultural upbringing, belief systems, social classes, cultural practices and experiences. In general, examining Tham’s eco-cultural recollections about bodily functions, weddings, superstitions, cultural alienation and social class reveals how the organic relationship between the animal, food and plant components fosters intercultural consciousness and interracial mutual understanding and misunderstanding in Malaysian society.
Article Details
![Creative Commons License](http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by/4.0/88x31.png)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Alves, R.R.N, Oliveira, T.P.R. and Rosa, I.L. 2013. Wild animals used as food medicine in Brazil. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2013: 670352. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/670352
Assmann, J. 2008. Communicative and cultural memory. In Cultural memory studies: An international and interdisciplinary handbook, eds. A. Erll and A. Nünning, 109– 118. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter.
Bais, M. 2017. Mala: The floral garlands of India. Garland Magazine, 1 December. Retrieved from https://garlandmag.com/article/mala-the-floral-garlands-of-india (accessed 15 September 2021).
Chan, S.S.Y and Chow, A.Y.M. 2017. A cultural sociological review of Chinese funeral rituals. In Handbook of the sociology of death, grief, and bereavement: A guide to theory and practice, eds. N. Thompson and G.R. Cox, 351–364. New York/ London: Routledge.
Collins English Dictionary. 2022. Puntianak. Glasgow: HarperCollins Publishers. Retrieved from https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/pontianak (accessed 29 March 2022).
Dell, L.L. 2015. Aphrodisiacs: An A–Z. New York: Skyhorse Publishing.
Fadillah Merican, Ruzy Suliza Hashim, Subramaniam, G. and Raihanah, M.M. 2004. Voices of many worlds: Malaysian literature in English. Kuala Lumpur: Times Edition.
Glotfelty, C. and Fromm. H, eds. 1996. Ecocriticism reader: Landmarks in literary ecology. Athens/London: The University of Georgia Press.
Goh, D.P.S. 2014. The plural society and multiculturalism in Malaysia and Singapore. In Multicultural challenges and redefining identity in East Asia, ed. N.K. Kim, 211– 232. London: Routledge.
Hassandarvish, M. 2019. Durian myths and facts: The truth about its connection to alcohol, cholesterol, libido and more. Malay Mail, 5 July. Retrieved from https://www.malaymail.com/news/life/2019/07/05/durian-myths-and-facts-the-truth-about-itsconnection-to-alcohol-cholestero/1768624 (accessed 14 December 2020).
Lee, Y.B. and Balaya, S. 2016. From international horror films to the local filem seram: Examining the cinematic identity and roles of the Malaysian Pontianak. KEMANUSIAAN the Asian Journal of Humanities 23(Supp. 2): 161–174. https://doi.org/10.21315/kajh2016.23.s2.9
Macedo, E.M., Barros, R.F.D.M, Figueiredo, L.S. and Batista, M.L.P. 2020. Between tales, myths and mysteries: Beliefs and superstitions of a Quilombola community from the countryside of Northeastern Brazil. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-36661/v1 (accessed 3 November 2020).
Merck, C., Meymune, N.T. and William, H. 2016. Collective mental time travel: Creating a shared future through our shared past. Memory Studies 9(3): 284–294. https://doi.org/10.1177/175069801664523 (accessed 6 October 2020).
Mohd Uzir Mahidin. 2021. Current population estimates, Malaysia, 2021. Putrajaya: Department of Statistics Malaysia. Retrieved from https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/index.php?r=column/cthemeByCat&cat=155&bul_id=ZjJOSnpJR21sQWVUcUp6ODRudm5JZz09&menu_id=L0pheU43NWJwRWVSZklWdzQ4TlhUUT09 (accessed 15 September 2021).
Murooj, F.M. 2019. The symbol of red colour in Malaysian literature in English. International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development 2(2): 892–896.
Namrata, Tiwari, D. and Ananya. 2016. Indian cuisines: Representing Indian culture. International Research Journal of Management Sociology and Humanity 7(9): 31–37.
Nor Faridah Abdul Manaf and Quayum, M.A. 2003. Colonial to global: Malaysian women’s writing in English 1940s–1990s. Kuala Lumpur: International Islamic University Malaysia.
Nor Faridah Abdul Manaf and Ruzy Suliza Hashim. 2002. Ties that bind: A comparative study of two Asian women memoirists. Feminist Studies in English Literature 10(2): 189–208.
Noraini Md Yusof and Esmaeil, Z.J. 2017. Reconstructing multiculturalism in Malaysia through visual culture. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences 8(4): 99–106.
Phan, A. 2019. An Chuang: What to know about setting up your matrimonial bed. Her World, 4 January. Retrieved from https://www.herworld.com/weddings/ideasadvice/an-chuang-wedding-tradition-setting-up-matrimonial-bed/ (accessed 20 December 2020).
Raihanah, M.M. 2009. Malaysia and the author: Face-to-face with the challenges of multiculturalism. International Journal of Asia-Pacific Studies 5(2): 43–63.
Rueckert, W. 1996. Literature and ecology: An experiment in ecocriticism. In Ecocriticism reader: Landmarks in literary ecology, eds. C. Glotfelty and H. Fromm, 105–123. Athens/London: The University of Georgia Press.
Singh, A. 2017. Flower arranging and designing. In Commercial ornaments crops: Traditional and loose flowers, eds. R.L. Misra and S. Misra, 569–580. London: Kruger Brentt Publisher UK Ltd.
Siti Aishah Kiran Abdullah. 2005. A critical analysis of Hilary Tham’s memoir Lane with No Name based on her poetic works: A gynocritic reading. Master’s diss., Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
Siti Radhiah Omar and Siti Nazirah Omar. 2018. Malaysian heritage food (MHF): A review on its unique food culture, tradition and present lifestyle. International Journal of Heritage, Art and Multimedia 1(3): 1–15. Srinivas, T. 2011. Exploring Indian culture through food. Education about Asia 16(3): 38–41. Retrieved from https://www.asianstudies.org/wp-content/uploads/exploring-indian-culture-through-food.pdf.
Tham, H. 2005. Tin mines and concubines: Malaysian fictions. Washington DC: Washington Writers’ Publishing House.
?. 1997. Lane with no name: Memoirs and poems of a Malaysian-Chinese girlhood. Boulder/London: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
?. 1969. No gods today. Kuala Lumpur: n.p. Wardani, N.E. 2019. The folklore comics media for learning Indonesian as a foreign language. In Proceedings of the 3rd Asian Education Symposium (AES 2018), eds.
A. Permanasari, I. Hamidah, R. Hurriyati, A.G. Abdullah, S. Aisyah, V. Andriany, H.S.H. Munawaroh, G. Yuliani, T. Widhiyanti, A.A. Danuwijaya, A. Samsudin, I. Kustiawan and Y. Nurbayan, vol. 253, Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 429–432. Paris: Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/aes-18.2019.98
Wong, J. 2016. Matrimonial bed setting ceremony: Everything you need to know. Asia Wedding Network, 25 October. Retrieved from https://asiaweddingnetwork.com/en/magazine/expert-advice/1398-matrimonial-bed-setting (accessed 14 December 2020).