“How my Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife”

I. SUMMARY
The story started when Leon and his younger brother were both waiting for the arrival of Leon's wife, Maria, riding in a
carretela. As Baldo saw his older brother's wife, he described her as lovely, tall, and beautiful. He narrated their
journey to Nagrebcan, their hometown. Leon wondered why Baldo drove them to the Waig instead on the Camino
Real. Baldo answered that he drove them to the Waig because their father told him to follow the Waig. The Waig route
served as a test for the wife to see if she could really live in a province which was very different in a life in a city where
she lived. While travelling, Maria described the place of Leon as clean, and free of dust and smoke. Maria admitted of
having some fears if the father of Leon would not accept her as to be his daughter-in-law because she may not able to
survive the life in the province. When they got home, Leon's family talked to Maria. Baldo and his father had a
conversation about what had happened while they were travelling. The father asked Baldo if Maria was afraid in their
place. Baldo answered that Maria was not afraid and instead she enjoyed the journey.

II. SETTING

The setting took place in Nagrebcan, La Union.

III. CHARACTERS

Leon - the brohter of Baldo and wife of Maria

Maria - the wife of Leon
Baldo - the one who tells the story, and the brother of Leon
Labang - the carabao/bull of Leon's family, who brought them to their father's house.
Father of Leon and Baldo
Mother of Leon and Baldo
Aurelia - sister of Leon and Baldo

IV. CONFLICT
Man VS Society – Leon brought his wife to his hometown. His wife is a woman who grew up in the city and is not used
to living in rural places, But then, Leon came to his hometown with a wife. Their neighbourhood doesn’t know that
Leon was married to a city girl.

V. POINT OF VIEW
The story was told in a first person point of view since Baldo was the one narrating.

VI. THEME
To endure journeys, sacrifices are necessary. In order to achieve success we must be strong enough, show
determination and be patient. In what difficult event or situation were in, we must be willing to sacrifice or step out of
our comfort zone so that we can learn from our new experiences and achieve happiness.

VII. REFLECTION
If you really love a certain person, you should accept who he/she is and what he/she is. The story teaches us about respect
and the acceptance of someone’s life. We must respect each other and to the family of our special someone to make
your relationship last long. The story was interesting, convincing, and beautiful since the main message or theme of the
story was easy to understand since it was clear and concise.

The story is an extraordinary one. It is very unusual and very different from the other stories I've read. It is a combination
of a love story portrayed by the couple, Leon and Maria and the Filipino family values of Leon's family. At first, It was hard
for me to `understand the meaning of the story. After reading it twice, I've understood what it means. So, Leon's brother,
Baldo was the one who is narrating the story. He describes the characters of the story especially the main characters-
Leon and Maria. Baldo describe and mention also how his brother leon brought Maria into her house. It is through riding
a bull through a carretela. This was a test for Maria if she could ride a carretela no matter how hard or challenging it is
Leon's family would like Maria to stay in their place, In fact, she passed the test, I think the couple, Leon and Maria would
live simpler and happier in a rural place. Anyways, it is not about the place or the way they live but the people whom you
are with matter most.

VIII. REFERENCES
Baltazar, L. (2013, September 7) How my Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife.
Retrieved from: http://lloydbaltazar.blogspot.com/2013/09/how-my-brother-leon-brought-home-wife.html
Sicahi. (2013, November 28) How my Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife .
Retrieved from: https://www.slideshare.net/sicachi/how-my-brother-leon-brought-home-a-wife-28707267