Inference: The source tells me that the coolies had to do hard labour to work for their wages. From the picture, we can see that he is very thin. The coolies probably led a hard life trying to work for the small sum of money that is their pay. In conclusion, some of the Chinese led lives as coolies before WWII. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Source 2: An article about the Chinese coolies living in Singapore "'The coolies suffered much hardship, they were very poor and lived in cramped dwellings with no windows and light. Many of the jobs taken by coolies involved hard labour, taking a toll on their bodies. They were given to opium inhaling to relieve their tired bodies of its soreness and to gambling in an attempt to escape from their misery. The whites and wealthy Chinese employed the coolies mainly because of their willingness to work hard for little money. The coolies were, in a way, the backbone of early Singapore's economy because they generated growth for the economy and caused the country to prosper. Few Chinese coolies went back to China later but most coolies settled down in Singapore doing other odd jobs.”
Inference: The source tells me that the Chinese coolies did not earn very much money and that the jobs that they took involved a lot of bodily labour, which resulted in tiredness. They inhaled opium and gambled to try and relieve themselves of their suffering. The coolies however, “generated growth for the economy and caused the country to prosper”, which would mean that even despite their hard life, they had contributed to the country. In conclusion, life for the coolies before WWII was hard, but some of the Chinese still worked as them, and they had helped the country to grow. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Source 3: An oral account of a rickshaw puller
“My father came to Singapore from China at age 17, and had me at 40. He came to Singapore because it was impossible to live in China at that time, and he decided to come here to work labour. When he came, he became a rickshaw puller. He came alone by sea. He did not earn much as a rickshaw puller, but had enough to rent a room shared with 7 people and eat regular meals.”
Inference: The source tells me that some of the Chinese immigrants worked as rickshaw pullers. They probably did not earn a lot of money, and when they did, it was only enough for their daily needs, as they “had enough to rent a room shared with 7 people and eat regular meals.” Thus, they led a hard life, but perhaps not as hard as the lives of the coolies. In conclusion, the rickshaw pullers led a tough life, and they were mostly Chinese. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________