PHILIPPINES

ASEAN Literature
Philippine Literature
The literature of the Philippines is usually delineated along the lines of three
languages: Tagalog, Spanish, and English.

As with many other places in Southeast Asia, the poetic tradition of Tagalog
literature grew out of proverbs and riddles concerning the human condition
and one’s relationship to the environment
Narrative Conventions
-techniques used by authors in making meaning in the fiction.

- may be particular to:

a. Characters
b. Development of plot
c. Setting
d. Point-of-view
e. Style
Characters
A character is a person, animal, being, creature, or thing in a story.

Writers use characters to perform the actions and speak dialogue, moving the
story along a plot line.

This character’s conflict may be an inner one (within him/herself), or a conflict

with something natural, such as climbing a mountain.

Most stories have multiple characters interacting, with one of them as the
antagonist, causing a conflict for the protagonist.
In the story “Si Mabuti”, what were the characters’ roles, values and abilities?
Types of Character
Major characters

● Protagonist –P This is the main character, around which the whole story revolves. The
decisions made by this character will be affected by a conflict from within, or externally
through another character, nature, technology, society, or the fates/God.
●
● Antagonist – This character, or group of characters, causes the conflict for the
protagonist. However, the antagonist could be the protagonist, who is torn by a
problem within..
Plot Convention
1. Backstory - tells the events of the story that happen before the present story

2. Chekhov’s gun - tells of an inherent object inserted in the narrative. It is a dramatic principle
that states that every element in a story must be necessary, and irrelevant elements should
be removed. Elements should not appear to make "false promises" by never coming into play

3. Medias Res - A narrative work beginning in medias res opens in the midst of the plot. Often,
exposition is bypassed and filled in gradually, through dialogue, flashbacks or description of
past events.

4. Narrative Hook - tells a catchy story opening to hook the attention of the readers;
Plot Convention
5. Hypodiegesis - A story within a story.

6. Deus ex machina - a person or thing (as in fiction or drama) that appears or is introduced
suddenly and unexpectedly and provides a contrived solution to an apparently insoluble difficulty

7. Plot Twist - tells a surprise ending

8. Poetic Justice - tells a reward to the good characters and punishes the bad characters

9. Cliffhanger - tells and abrupt ending which places the main characters in a perilous situation with
no resolution;

10. Flashback - tells an interjected scene of the story that takes it back in time from the current point
in the story and often used to tell the events that happened before another important event
Plot Convention
11. Flash forward - tells a scene that takes the narrative to a future time
from the current point of the story

12. Foreshadowing - indicates or hints something is coming in the latter part

of the story.
Setting
The setting of a piece of literature is the time and place in which the story takes place.

The definition of setting can also include social statuses, weather, historical period, and details
about immediate surroundings.

Settings can be real or fictional, or a combination of both real and fictional elements
Point-of-View
A narrative convention which tells from whose perspective is the story told.

It may be a:

A. character, first person point-of view;

B. third person narrator, telling the story by an impersonal narrator not affected by
story situations; and
C. unreliable narrator, telling the story by an insincere narrator, misleading the readers;
D. stream of consciousness, exposing the character’s mind to the readers through his
monologue;
E. audience surrogate, character who expresses queries or agitations which are the
same questions that readers would ask.
Style
Techniques:

a. Hyperbole - a figure of speech in which an author or speaker purposely and obviously

exaggerates to an extreme. It is used for emphasis or as a way of making a description
more creative and humorous. It is important to note that hyperbole is not meant to be
taken literally; the audience knows it’s an exaggeration.

That suitcase weighed a ton!

Style
B. Metonymy - a figure of speech that replaces words with related or associated words. A
metonym is typically a part of a larger whole, for example, when we say “wheels,” we are
figuratively referring to a “car” and not literally only the wheels. So, “wheels” are the
associated part that represent the whole car. In the example above, we replaced “written
words” with “the pen.”

The pen is mightier than the sword.

Style
C. Euphemism - polite, mild phrases which substitute unpleasant ways of saying something
sad or uncomfortable.

We have to let you go, Tyler.

Style
D. Oxymoron - a figure of speech that puts together opposite elements. The
combination of these contradicting elements serves to reveal a paradox, confuse,
or give the reader a laugh.

My room is an organized mess, or controlled chaos, if you will. Same difference.

Style
E. Sensory Details - forms mental images of scenes using descriptive words;

F. Leitwortstil - which repeats on purpose the words that usually express a motif or theme
important to the story

G. Dramatic Visualization - presents an object or character with much description or

gestures and dialogues making scenes vivid for the audience.
In the Story of Tata Selo

1. What narration is used in this fiction?

2. Do you like the ending? How do you say that?

3. If you were to end this fiction, how will it be?

Theme of the Story
The underlying message or the central idea.

It is about life that the author is conveying in the story which is universal in
nature.it is about human experience.

The theme is entwined in the story which is reflected in the characters’ words
and actions, events, and other elements
Theme of the Story
The reader can ask himself the following to get the theme:
What is the author trying to convey in the characters and events of the fiction?

What are the key phrases or sentences? Repeating symbols or motifs is a writer’s way of
revealing the theme.

What’s the big idea - love, hate, war, passion, peace, friendship, crime ?

Does the title suggest the theme?

What does the story tell about human life?

What was the theme of the story “Si Mabuti”?
1. What reality of life is shown in the story?
2. Which parts of the story reveal this?
3. If you were Mabuti, how will you react to people’s negative comments to you?
4. If you knew your teacher’s secret, will you react the same as the student who
said
“Gaya ng kanyang ama?”
5. If you were Mabuti, how will you respond to this reaction?
Emotional Appeal
- moves the emotion of the reader or audience. It is a way or method used by
the author to create emotional response among his reader or audience.
Persuasive writing is used. The language should sway the emotion to convince the
readers. The author fills more emotional content with descriptive details to make
the readers feel the scene.
Authors show emotional scenes rather than telling, making characters sympathetic
or unsympathetic, using words which can greatly affect reader emotions, turning
the story in an unexpected direction, and using details to mire readers in the
reality of the scene.
In the story “Si Mabuti”, what were the emotions used by the author in the
story?

1. How did you feel while reading?

2. What are in these line that make you feel that way?
Approaches that shapes the mind of literary enthusiasts
Approach: Feminism
Feminism uplifts women goals by defining and establishing equality in the
family, civil, social, political, and economic arena.

Feminist literature is often associated with literary pieces written by women

that deal with women in the society.

It also involves characters or ides which chide the common gender norms
dominated with masculinity.

This approach gives an impact to the voice of women.

In teh story “Si Mabuti”

1. Is Matute’s creation of Mabuti moral?

2. Comment on Mabuti’s support to her daughter’s dream of becoming a

doctor.

3. Does Matute elevate or not women’s role in society through Mabuti?

Approach: New Historicism
It deals with the cultural context during the writing of the piece of literature.

This approach interprets literature for its meaning or idea in a particular

socio-historical atmosphere.

It needs an understanding of the author’s milieu and the cultural context

during its production.
In the Story “Si Mabuti”

1. What expressions in the story tell you this story was written long time ago?

2. Is the case of Mabuti still present in schools?

3. If you were an owner of a school, will you hire a teacher like her?
Approach: Formalism
This uses close reading of a piece of literature.

This means that the formalists’ interpretation of a work of art is formulated by the information and
details of the piece itself.

Formalists do not interpret a work based on matters that are outside the confines of the work like
history, politics, society, time or even the author. They see it autonomously and can be gauged
through internal structure and language. Considered are form, structure, technical features as more
important than the content and context.

Formalists focus is on rhetorical and logical connections within the writing.

Moreover, formalists look into the sound and syntax of poetic language, rhyme, repetitions and word
pictures.

This criticism favors medium over content.

In the story of Tata Selo,

1. What pictures of scenes or places or things become vivid in your mind as they are
described in the fiction?
2. Do they have meanings or are they symbols of what?
3. How do the incidents help you create conclusions about the characters and
events?
Symbol
Symbol in literature is anything that stands for something else.

Authors use symbols to give deeper and significant meaning to their content or story.

Symbolism makes the author convey ideas to readers/ audience in a poetic matter instead of its
outright expression.
Examples:

Poseidon is a symbol for the sea

Albert Einstein is the symbol of intelligence and scientific genius

The dove is a symbol of peace

A ladder may be a symbol for a connection between heaven and earth

In the story, Morning in Nagrebcan

What do the following symbolize? Give their meanings.

The sun at the beginning and end of the story
The black-spotted puppy
The eating of banana with its skin
The single bamboo pole that served as the railing
In the story “Si Mabuti”, how would you compare the language used before
and the language used in the present times?

In the story of Tata Selo, how would you compare the Philippine society then
and now?
ACTIVITY
1. Each group will bring and present a song with its lyrics which they think have the
same theme like the story or songs which represent the story.
Students are grouped and exchange ideas to which song can best represent the
story as to its theme.
Each group presents the song and the lyrics of the song in a creative way explain
why they chose the song, and why do they think it represents or have the same
theme like the story Si Mabuti.
2. Have a short write up about Mabuti as a woman to be presented to the class as
well
Activity
Students in groups produce TV news reports. The report should have a live
feed of the news about Tata Selo. A balanced news should show different
angles of the news. It should try to bring out the truth about the incident.
Activity
1. Draw a table with three columns: characters (include animals), positive traits, and negative traits.

2. Fill-out the table.

3. Groups’ outputs are posted on the board/screen for comparison.

4. Students discuss the comparison of the outputs.

5. What are common among the mothers: Nana Elang and the bitch? Is Nana Elang a good mother?

6. Do you like Tang Ciako’s treatment to his wife and children? Is there any remedy to his rudeness?

7. Is he a father worthy of emulation? How did you say that?

8. Who is to blame in the fight of the brothers? Why?

9. What do you think will be the future of the boys?