Close to Home Lecture Notes

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on the lecture notes and transcript of 'Close to Home' by Jinny Koh, covering characters, themes, literary devices, and key plot details.

Jinny Koh

The author of the story Close to Home.

Nicky

The protagonist who is sent to live with a neighbor while his mother recovers from ovarian cancer treatment.

Aunty Loh

A 50-year-old seamstress and neighbor who walks with a heavy foot due to arthritis and takes in Nicky.

Ovarian cancer

The specific illness Nicky's mother was diagnosed with, leading to her round of chemotherapy.

Pei Fen

Aunty Loh's daughter who suffers a miscarriage, leaving Aunty Loh in despair.

Uncle Loh

Aunty Loh's estranged husband.

Literal Closeness

A short physical distance away, such as Aunty Loh's house being nearby.

Relational Closeness

The different levels of intimacy and connection within and across families.

Blue cookie tin

The container where Aunty Loh keeps her spools of threads, pins, needles, and chalk, similar to one Nicky's mother loved to buy.

Wu sin

A term used by Aunty Loh to announce Pei Fen's unplanned pregnancy.

Stand by Me

A Chinese serial drama on Channel 8 about a wife's dedication to her crippled husband that Aunty Loh and Pei Fen watch.

Poh hwee

A phrase used by Aunty Loh meaning 'for blood,' referring to the herbal soup she makes for Pei Fen.

Baby pillow

A symbol of closeness and connection made by Aunty Loh, filled with bean sprout husks to make a baby feel safe.

95.8FM

The radio station Aunty Loh listens to while sewing Chinese oldies.

Ah Boy

The affectionate way Aunty Loh addresses Nicky rather than using his actual name.

Juxtaposition

A literary device used by the author to present a sharp contrast between the home and the sewing machine.

Irony

A literary device illustrated by the fire breaking out from a stove meant to cook beneficial soup for Pei Fen.

Foreshadowing

A literary device present when Nicky easily fixes a stove early in the story, contrasting with his inability to fix it later before the fire.

Clump of black thread

A sad reminder of Aunty Loh at the end of the story, representing her life as a seamstress.

Ball of hair

A symbol associated with the mother's illness; its absence at the end signifies her recovery.