The Coffin is Too Big for the Hole

by Kuo Pao Kun

 Summary
• The filial grandson demands from the officer-in-charge
of the burial sites for a larger hole because his
grandfather’s coffin is too big for the hole.
• But, the officer-in-charge is too rigid to follow the
policy.
• At last, the grandfather get an exception to be buried in
two plot. But, because the coffin is too big, the decease
slept east-west and not north-south.
• Thus, this play’s intention is to mock the Singapore
society rigidity by exaggerating the situation in order to
show how ridiculous the society are.
 Theme
• Reluctance to adapt changes
– Singapore’s limited space makes the state rigidly
restricts its allocation of spaces for the individual
so that the can be maximizing for the national
development.
 Characters
– Grandson
• Filial grandson
• Responsible for his family
• Firm - insists on being given an extra plot for his
grandfather’s grave. (page 38)
– Grandfather
• Traditional like the olden days - expecting a huge and
grand funeral like the olden days. (page 33)
• Rich old man
• Well prepared – prepare his coffin early before he died.
– The undertaker presents the society that always
follow the rules and does not have sense of
humanity to solve problem. (page 37)
– Bureaucrat (Officer-in-charge)
• Negotiable and firm. He give an exception for the
grandson to buried the coffin in two plot.
• Creative – give suggestion for the grandson to delay the
funeral until the next day so that his father can be
buried next to a baby’s coffin.
 Setting
• His grandfather’s house
– Too big
– Show that the protagonist and his family from a
wealthy background.
– His father is rich, he wants a grand coffin for his
funeral.
• Important, shows the wealth of the family
• Cemetery
– The real conflict happen which is the coffin is too
big for the hole.
– The parlour director keeps saying “You see sir.....”
– The undertaker cannot make the plot wider
because he has work according to a standard size.
(page 36)
– Officer-in-charge is uncompromising:
• He reluctant to widen to plot because he is
following the rule which is one plot
allocated to one person.
• Singapore
– Show how strict rules produce a society that
follows the order.
– Densely populated nation with a small space.
– This play shows how ridiculous the rule are.
 Social setting
• Small population country
– Unwilling to adapt changes.
– They follow the culture to buried the decease.
– They should consider cremation to reduce the
using of spaces in their small country.
– But, they refused to do so.
 Time : 1970s
• Singapore wanted to build their own identity
– Produce a good image and identity by using the
law to make it possible.
– Negative effect : They are not flexible and too rigid
to accept changes.