SCORPION ORCHID

Lloyd Fernando

THEMES
Racism -A belief of doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that ones own race is superior and has the right to rule others. -Hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.

Explanation
The time setting of this play is in the 1950s. It is a time of racial tension and nationalistic ideologies and were speeded up anticipation of decolonisation in Singapore.

PLOT LINE
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Exposition Rising Action Climax Falling Action Resolution

Exposition
Telling about the four university senior students , Sabran (Malay), Santinathan (Indian), Guang Kheng (Chinese) and Peter D Almeida (Eurasian). They are close friends. Bullying their juniors Share a prostitute named Sally.

Rising Action
Peter is assaulted by a group of strangers. He insists that the attach was racially motivated. A trade union demonstration in the city turns into a riot. Santinathan refuses to get involved when Sabran, ask Santinathan to help him to persuade the trade union leaders to restore order.

Climax
Sally and Guan Kheng are held up by the crowd while driving home. They try to make their way on foot but when Sally stops from exhaustion, Guan Kheng leaves her because he says that he wants to get help. After that, Sally is gang-raped and she is found in a hospital.

Falling Action
Their friendship becomes distant because of the riots and they become racist, starting to evaluate their privileged position in the society. The violence forever changes their outlook, shattering their confidence in the racial harmony that they had taken for granted.

Resolution
The four young men go their separate ways each with a more mature understanding of the challenges of multiculturalism. They now know the level of violence that they experience from the riots and it causes them to confront their own ethnicity. Afterward, they reevaluate their privileged position in the society. Peter emigrates and the rest go their separate ways.

Characters Sally

Where?

Guan Kheng
Sabran Peter Santinathan

Going for a job interview in the Housing Ministry.

Going to the Federation Migrates to Australia.