Author-

Dependent
Exploration
Some Authorial
Accounts
 Award-winning writer Merlinda
Bobis grew up in Albay, Philippines
at the foot of an active [AVCOOLN]
VOLCANO ,
which figures prominently in her
writing and performance.
As a child her main interest was
painting, but at age ten she
began writing poetry because
‘painting with words’ was
[PCAEHER]
CHEAPER .
 She holds post-graduate
degrees from the University of
Santo Tomas and University of
[NOGNLWOLOG] , and now
WOLLONGONG
lives in Australia.
 Written in various genres in both
Filipino and English, her work
integrates elements of the
traditional culture of the Philippines
with modern [RGITMNMIA]
IMMIGRANT
experience.
Text-Dependent
Exploration
 1. What is the
tale of the sadness
collector?
2. How does such tale
affect Rica?
 3. What could the
sadness collector/big
lady signify?
 4. What are the
realistic and magical
elements present in the
narrative?
5. What literary or stylistic
devices are employed
by the author?
 6. Explain the line: As we
feed continually, we also
acknowledge the perennial
nature of our hunger.
 7. What advantages and
disadvantages are underscored
in the text about families when
some of its members work
overseas?
8. How does the story
represent the Filipino
family?
 Reader-
Dependent
Exploration
 Do you see any other
possible reading or
interpretation of Bobis’s
The Sadness Collector?
Do you know other authors
who or works which explore
the same theme highlighted
in Bobis’s story?
Theme
 The growth of migration
and diaspora has resulted
in broken and dysfunctional
families.