Kampung Boy

Lat’s, Kampung Boy, was a great read. Not only was it a fun way to learn about the growth of a young boy in this type of society but also it truly represented the tradition and culture of Malaysia. I did not know what to expect going into this reading but this graphic novel made the Kampung feel very well known. It grasped my attention and I learned about this culture in such a fun, brilliant way.

When first researching and discussing Malaysia within the class there was a lot of information found on religion. It sounded like a big part in the everyday lives of the Malaysian people and this was in fact proven within the story. It is an essential part to their culture and this can be seen by children going to a Koran reading class at the age of six. The religious teacher had taught the lesson in his own home. This was the first of their educational experience expressing the pressure there is to learn the religious believes at such a young age. The religious practices were also seen when the mother and father would get up and pray before each meal. One other religious idea that is practiced is the “hair-shaving ceremony”. I was pleased they went into detail about this in the story because it was first mentioned in our group discussion in class but I did not know much about it. It is a great way to see the celebration of a child and we can actually see something similar in the American culture. Babies are to get baptized when first born in order to enter into the religion, which is also celebrated with family and friends. Even though the difference is hair being shaven off and celebrating with the community, it brings the same joy and excitement to the family.

Another cultural aspect that was focused on was the education process. This was something that was also discussed in extensive detail within class. It was interesting to me to find out through the story that it was so common for the young boy to move away to a boarding school in order to be “a somebody”. He knew how much this meant for educational purposes and for his family, especially being the oldest. He knew he had to pass and take care of this important exam in order to move forward with his life, due to this he had buckled down and began to study. He ended up passing the test and moving away to boarding school. It was then the young boy knew that he might never be back to his home and showed his appreciation and love towards his community. This was when he became an adult. He showed how grateful he was to live in Kampung and knew he would miss it once he moved away. At the end of the story it does not tell us what had happened with his father and the tin company. It leaves the reader curious to know if the boy will be back to his town or if the family is also moving. This education process, however, can be compared to the American education process because of how much it means to move forward with life and school. It is important to graduate from high school and college in order to progress. It shows the passion this young boy had which is the passion of all young adults in our culture today as well.

Reading this story really shows the differences and even similarities between the Malay culture and our American culture. I thought it was extremely helpful to look at the cultural background of Malaysia first before reading this story; it helped to create a picture and then clearly understand it from an insider’s point of view. This was a fun read and I learned a lot about the culture behind this small community and the bigger picture of Malaysia.