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Paul University Dumaguete

Dumaguete City
GRADUATE SCHOOL

STEPHANIE F. ALOB 02/15/2020

Faith, Love , Time , and Dr. Lazaro

by: Gregorio C. Brillantes
Character Analysis

DR. LAZARO BEN

They don’t have similarities.

1. Sees everything in darkness

2. Detached, indifferent
3. Pessimistic
4. Alienated because of his lack
of faith, love, and time - which
is why he remains detached 1. God-fearing
and in the darkness 2. Kind
5. Lazaro no longer has faith in
3. Sincere
God
6. Lost his faith because of all 4. His son wants to be in
the suffering he’s witnessed the service of God by
because of his profession becoming a priest.
7. his job takes up his time from 5. Fervent faith, could
his family
influence his father
8. However, he also only goes
through the motions of day to
day life
9. Struggling with God and
Family
10. Tries to rekindle his
relationships
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STEPHANIE F. ALOB 02/15/2020

PLOT DIAGRAM OF FAITH, LOVE, TIME AND DR. LAZARO

 St. Paul University Dumaguete
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STEPHANIE F. ALOB 02/15/2020

FAITH, LOVE , TIME AND DR. LAZARO

By: Gregorio Brillantes

Faith, Love, Time is about the collision of the great existential themes of life (to those indicated in the title
we can also add hope, purpose and empathy) with the harsh realities of living. These are the abstract aspirations
smashing into the concrete problems of the everyday, as exemplified by the country doctor, Lazaro. Lazaro is a pool
of darkness surrounded by light. Indeed, light, its retreat and approach, its highs and ebbs, is a central motif
throughout the story and one which must be watched closely.

Light is associated with all the things Lazaro no longer believes in. One, it is associated with faith, Mrs.
Lazaro had resumed her knitting; in the circle of yellow light, her head bowed, she seemed absorbed in
some contemplative prayer... He hurried down the carving stairs, under the votive lamps of the Sacred Heart. Two,
light is also associated with those he loves but is distant from, notably Ben, his son, In the glow of the dashboard
lights, the boy's face relaxed, smiled. Third, light is finally also associated with life itself. Their final stop before
heading to the hut where the death of the baby waits is a gas station, its fluorescent lights the only brightness on
the plain before them, on the road that led farther into deeper darkness. This is the final outpost, bathed in light,
before they enter death's realm and administer to a baby Lazaro knows he cannot save. (The descent towards
darkness and death is further seen in their crossing of a river, to drown here in the depths of the night before they
reach the hut - an allusion to the River Styx.) Once they reach Esteban's hut, darkness is well and truly entrenched;
so much so that even light can only be described in relation to darkness, 'We're here doctor,' Esteban said, and they
padded up a stretch of sand to a clump of trees; a dog started to bark, the shadows of a kerosene lamp wavered at a
window.

The preponderance of darkness, and the linking of existential themes to light (themes which Lazaro yearns
for but can no longer believe in), illustrates that Lazaro is a damaged man; scarred irrevocably by his work (duty had
taken the place of an exhausted compassion) and the loss of his first son (He closed his eyes, erasing the
slashed wrists, part of the future dead in a boarding-house room... Sorrow lay in ambush among the years.).That
Lazarus is damaged is aptly seen in the darkness surrounding him. He thought of light years, black space, infinite
distances; in the unmeasured universe, man's life flared briefly and was gone, traceless in the void.

But can there be a resurrection? After all the character's name harkens to the biblical Lazarus who was
literally raised out of darkness. There are encouraging signs as the short story progresses that Lazaro tentatively
takes some steps towards the light, ie. he begins to believe again in faith, hope and love. The catalyst for this spark
of belief is Ben, his last son, He could sense the boy groping for the tremendous answers... a woman bathed in light
appeared before children, and mortal men spoke of eternal life... With unaccustomed tenderness he placed a hand
on Ben's shoulder as they turned toward the cement-walled house. Lazaro comes close. But just as Ben tries to
articulate all the light his father has lost, of faith and hope, the light becomes too strong and blind Lazarus. This is
literally seen in the story for just as Lazarus again yearns to believe, A bus roared around a hill toward them, its lights
blinding him.

Lazaro falls back into darkness and is denied the light. Instead of faith, hope and love he is consigned back
to his tomb of death and dirt. In the headlights the dust sifted down and when the air was clear again, Dr. Lazaro,
swallowing a taste of earth, of darkness, maneuvered the car back onto the road, his arms numb and
exhausted. There is no resurrection for this story's Lazarus.
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STEPHANIE F. ALOB 02/15/2020

The darkness though does not make Lazaro an evil man. He is simply tired, a character who has seen too
much and who, like Job, asks what did man do to deserve this lot. The sparrow does not fall without the Father's
leave, he mused at the sky, but it falls just the same. But to what end are the sufferings of a child? And again like
Job, Lazarus has the temerity to insist that is wrong and to ask the only question there is to ask; why?
 St. Paul University Dumaguete
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STEPHANIE F. ALOB 02/15/2020

The Wedding Dance

By: AmadorT. Daguio
Should you fight for the one you love? Or should you let go and take all of the hurt for the
other’s sake?

There was a couple named Awiyao and Lumnay. They were married for a long time but
Awiyao her husband has to marry another girl named Madulimay because Lumnay cannot bear a
child. On the night of the wedding of Awiyao and Madulimay, Awiyao went to his and Lumnay's
house where they used to live to personally invite his ex-wife to join the dance but Lumnay
refuses to join. Lumnay is the best dancer in their tribe.
They had a heart-to-heart talk about their separation, and on their conversation they
found out that the couple still had a thing on each other. They still love each other but they have
to separate because their tribe’s custom is-- every man in that tribe should have one (or more)
child that would carry his name and if his wife cannot give him a child he can marry another
woman. It's a man's necessity to have a child.
Lumnay can hardly let go of her husband. The two both agreed that if Awiyao's second
marriage did not work, he will go back to Lumnay's arms and this was sealed by the beads that
Lumnay will keep. Then Awiyao goes back to the wedding because someone is calling him
already. After being fetched by others, Lumnay decided to go to the wedding not to dance or to
join the celebration but to stop the wedding. She decided to break the unwritten law of her
tribe, but when she is near all her guts to stop the wedding suddenly disappeared. She did not
have the courage to break into the wedding feast. Lumnay walked away from the dancing
ground, away from the village. She went to the mountain instead and in the mountain is where
she diverted all her bitterness in her and she partly reminisce their story of Awiyao.

The Wedding Dance" by Amador Daguio, is a short story about a husband and wife,
Awiyao and Lumnay, who had been married for seven years. In spite of being in love with his wife
Awiyao feels the need to marry again in order to have a son. At his second marriage celebration,
Awiyao goes to check on Lumnay, knowing she was upset. Awiyao thought the answer to
Lumnay's sorrow would be to have her join the other women during the wedding dance. Lumnay
was in fact at his wedding, but left. She could not stand the idea of her husband marrying
another woman because she could not give him children.
The setting is a mountain village of the Philippines where Awiyao has been remarried.
Awiyao and Lumnay most likely to belong to the Igorot people who inhabit the mountain areas of
Luzon In “The Wedding Dance”, the author draws upon the culture of his ancestors to explore
Filipino traditions along with the universal themes of love, suffering, and societal
expectations.This story gained from the author’s life among the Igorots of North Luzon – the
practices of divorce due to a childless marriage. The triumph of culture and tradition over
personal love is emphasized in the story which lets the reader see the way of life and culture of
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STEPHANIE F. ALOB 02/15/2020

the tribal people of Northern Luzon. Marriage in this culture was seen as more or less a contract
between a man and a woman for the purposes of producing children. If after seven harvests,
there is no child, either part is free to break the bond and seek another spouse. A childless couple
was seen as a very sad matter and often the masculinity of the husband was considered suspect.

Awiyao has left his wife Lumnay, whom he loved very much.However, she couldn’t give
him a child. He has now married Madulimay in hopes to have a son, who will continue his
legacy.This is something Awiyao expresses as important in his culture.However, Lumnay is upset
because she loves Awiyao and doesn’t
want this separation.
The conflict here is Man vs. Society .The lead characters have to follow their tribe’s
custom , and it is resolved when they had a heart-to heart talk that they should separate and
continue with their separate lives. And if Awiyao's second marriage will not work he will come
back to Lumnay's arms again. They should follow their tribe's custom and on the part of Awiyao
he shows that he really wanted to have a child to follow his name but there is a bit hesitance on
Lumnay's part.

If you truly love a person, you must let them be happy: Have you ever heard the saying “if
you love someone, let them go”? The story of Lumnay and Awiyao wrestles with this difficult
issue. Despite how upsetting it is to Lumnay, she must let Awiyao go, not only because of their
culture, but also because it is clear that he will not be happy without a child.
This is a chronological structure which first establishes the setting and conflict, then
follows the rising action through to a climax (the peak of the action and turning point), and
concludes with a denouement (a wrapping up of loose ends). As seen in the story, it evolved
from presenting the setting and it goes on through the established plan of achieving the climax
then the end.
A flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current
point in the story. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story's
primary sequence of events to fill in crucial backstory. Flashbacks are also used when the story
narrated how the two met and how they became together. The story flashbacked to the history
of the two main characters as a way of presenting the story.
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STEPHANIE F. ALOB 02/15/2020

TheCaskofAmontillado
By:EdgarAllan Poe

The narrator begins by telling us that Fortunato has hurt and insulted him. So, he
decides to get revenge. He meets Fortunato, who is dressed up in jester clothes for a carnival
celebration and very drunk. The narrator mentions he’s found a barrel of the fine wine of
Amontillado. Fortunato is eager to test it. So he and the narrator go to the underground
graveyard, or “catacomb,” of the Montresor family, where the narrator keeps his wine. The
narrator leads Fortunato deeper and deeper into the catacombs, getting him drunker and
drunker along the way. Fortunato keeps coughing, and the narrator constantly suggests that
Fortunato is too sick to be down among the damp crypts, and should go back. Fortunato just
keeps talking about the Amontillado. Eventually, Fortunato walks into a niche in the wall. The
narrator chains Fortunato to the wall, then begins to enclose the opening with bricks. When he
has one brick left, Fortunato begs him for mercy. Montresor finishes the job and leaves him
there to die. At the very end, Montresor tells us that this crime happened fifty years ago, and
nobody has found out.
Conflict: The conflict in this story consists of person vs person and person vs. self.
Social Conflict (person vs person): The entire story is the conflict between Montresor and
Fortunato, although Fortunato is unaware of it.
Psychological Conflict (person vs self): Notice the brief moment of remorse and hesitation
when Montresor says, “for a brief moment I hesitated -- I trembled. Unsheathing my rapier, I
began to grope with it about the recess: but the thought of an instant reassured me.”
The story is told from the perspective of a first-person narrator. The narrator could be
unreliable, biased and even mentally disturbed. He does not explain the nature of the
supposed injuries Fortunato had caused him or tell us about the insult that made him decide
to take revenge.
Revenge: The story revolves around getting revenge for an insult. Deception: The story is also
about the power of deception. Montresor tries successfully to draw Fortunato into the
catacombs to carry out his revenge. He succeeds in concealing his real intentions behind the
mask of friendship and courtesy.
Verbal irony: Verbal irony is the gap between what is said and what is meant. In many cases,
Montresor says the opposite of what he means. He pretends to be cautious about the life and
health of Fortunato and tells him that since the catacombs are covered with niter, which is
hazardous to health, especially as Fortunato suffers from a sever cold and coughing, it is better
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STEPHANIE F. ALOB 02/15/2020

that they go back. Montresor drinks to Fortunato’s “long life,” although he knows that
Fortunato not live very long because he intends to kill him soon.
Situation irony: Situational irony is the gap between what is expected to happen and what
really happens The title of the story is ironic, because the word “cask” also mean “casket,” or
coffin. Fortunato’s name is ironic. It means fortunate while he is actually unfortunate. The
cheerful setting of the murder story during the merriment of the carnival season is also ironic.
The conversation about the Masons demonstrates an ironic misunderstanding. Fortunato
refers to the Masonic order, a secret society of brothers; Montresor pulls out a trowel, a
reference to bricklayers. In that respect, Montresor is a mason. The contrast between what
Fortunato means and what Montresor understands is ironic.
Dramatic irony: Dramatic irony is the gap between what the characters know and what the
readers know. Fortunato is unaware of his imminent death, while the reader knows that.
Montresor’s smiles in the face of Fortunato and his warm meeting are ironic because the
reader knows they are genuine. When Fortunato says “I will not die of a cough." Montresor
says, "True--true....“ The reader knows that he is going to die anyway.
The Montresor family coat of arms is symbolic of Montresor’s revenge. The jovial
motley of Fortunato is symbolic of his being a fool, humiliated and fooled by Montresor. The
dark catacombs can be seen as a symbol of the dark side of Montresor’s personality and his
evil thoughts. The underground catacombs beneath the city streets, where the festivities are
going on, represent the dark, unseen part of Montresor’s self below the apparent surface of
his gentle and good-mannered self.
The carnival is a time of disguise, when people dress up in all sorts of costumes. The
masquerade of the carnival season is symbolic of deception and pretence. You cannot know
who people really are and what they are really like. Montresor hides his true identity and real
intentions behind the mask of friendship and politeness.
CHARACTERS
Montresor: He the narrator of the story fifty years after it happened. As a narrator, he is very
probably unreliable. He fails to identify the “thousand injuries” or the nature of the insult that
he says Fortunato caused him. His motives are uncertain, and we cannot take his version of
the story for granted. Amontillado is a ruthless and cruel character, who is determined to carry
out his revenge to the end, in spite of the victim’s screams and begging for mercy.
Montresor is a resourceful and cunning character, whose plan for murder is so clever that the
crime is not discovered even after fifty years. He prepares for all the details and succeeds in
deceiving Fortunato and dragging him into the catacombs. The most chocking aspect of his
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STEPHANIE F. ALOB 02/15/2020

story is that he does not show any sign of remorse. He brags about his ability to deceive
Fortunato and about his skill at planning the crime. Montresor’s pride and vanity are perhaps
behind his crime. He is so proud that he cannot tolerate the supposed insult he refers to at the
beginning of the story.
Fortunato Montresor Fortunato’s pride at his connoisseurship in wine was his point of
weakness. He means that Fortunato believed that nobody was more skilled than him in
judging good wines. Montresor takes advantage of this pride in bringing Fortunato to his fate.
Fortunato’s addiction to wine is another fault that leads to his downfall. His intoxication makes
it easy for Montresor to carry out his plan. Fortunato may also be greedy, and his desire to get
hold of the Amontillado is perhaps what makes him eager to prevent Lurchesi from knowing
about it
 St. Paul University Dumaguete
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STEPHANIE F. ALOB 02/15/2020

The Raven
By: Edgar Allan Poe
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
“’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—
Only this and nothing more.”

The poem immediately introduces the reader to a dark, mysterious environment. It is evident
that the speaker has seen things and is exhausted of life, as he is wondering “weak and weary”.
The speaker also expresses a feeling of despair and loss, as he says that it is just a visitor on his
door, and nothing more, i.e. not his lost love. It is also worth noticing that many of the occurring
words rhyme with “rapping”.

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore—
Nameless here for evermore.

This stanza serves the purpose of familiarising the reader to the speaker’s circumstances, and his
dead Lenore. Diction contains bleak words like “dying ember”, “ghost upon the floor”, and
“sorrow”, which hint towards Lenore being dead — rather than just having left the speaker. This
is further backed up by “nameless here for evermore”, which suggests that she no longer has a
name; she no longer exists.
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STEPHANIE F. ALOB 02/15/2020

And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain

Thrilled me—filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
“’Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door—
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;—
This it is and nothing more.”

This stanza continues building on the fears of the speaker, and the assumptions that this
visitor might be Lenore haunting him. The repetitiveness of the visitor and “nothing more” gives
the impression of self-deceit — as if the speaker is scared. Further evidence of fear is given by
“filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before”, which shows that the rustling of the curtains
scares him more than anything he has ever experienced before.

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,

“Sir,” said I, “or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you”—here I opened wide the door;—
Darkness there and nothing more.

Here the speaker comes to realisation that Lenore cannot be the one who is haunting him, and
that it has to be a visitor. Bravely, he expects seeing someone on the other side of the door —
someone who gives him company so that he no longer is alone. But there is just darkness and
nothing more, i.e. no one there to save him from his memories of Lenore, no one to save him
from his pit.
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STEPHANIE F. ALOB 02/15/2020

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, “Lenore?”
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, “Lenore!”—
Merely this and nothing more.

As there is no one on the other side of the door, he starts thinking things that are not rational —
dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before — i.e. a ghost is making the noise. But the silence
continues, confirming that Lenore is gone. When he whispers her name, only an echo answers,
which could be a metaphor of how Lenore is only an echo in his life, but nothing real. Like Poe’s
wife when she died.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,

Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
“Surely,” said I, “surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore—
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;—
’Tis the wind and nothing more!”

Again, the speaker wants to be in denial of the possibility that Lenore is the one haunting him.
His soul is burning — as if awakened from a slumber, as if he suddenly is filled with passion after
having been apathetic. Yet he tries being realistic and tries finding solutions to the riddle he is
presented with.

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;
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STEPHANIE F. ALOB 02/15/2020

Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door—
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door—
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

In this stanza the speaker is finally confronted by what has been haunting him; a raven. Ravens
are black and mysterious — like a cloaking sadness or an evil presence. The “not a minute
stopped or stayed he” could refer to that whatever haunts him does not show mercy and does
not stop or hesitate when taking over the speaker’s life. The sitting on a “bust of Pallas” could
refer to the raven controlling processes of thought and sitting on someone’s mind. It is also
worth noticing the repetition of “nothing more” that has occurred in the last line of the past five
stanzas. This could portray how there is nothing else is the speaker’s life, and that his sadness is
all he has.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,

By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
“Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,” I said, “art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore—
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night’s Plutonian shore!”
Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

The “beguiling my sad fancy into smiling” is a metaphor of the ridiculousness of the situation. It
is too much of coincidence to be true, so the speaker assumes that the raven is not as dark as it
may seem. Consequently, the speaker makes fun of the raven, and makes the raven seem dark
— assuming that it is not. The speaker mentions “Plutonian shore”, which is an allusion of the
after-life. Thus, the speaker asks the raven (jokingly) what its name is in the after-life, to which
the raven says “nevermore”. This is the first stanza in which the repetition from “nothing more”
changes to “nevermore” — a metaphor of how the dead will no longer come back.
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STEPHANIE F. ALOB 02/15/2020

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,

Though its answer little meaning—little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door—
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as “Nevermore.”

This stanza elucidates how alone the speaker feels with his issues, like Poe when his wife died.
This is done through the metaphor behind the statement that no other human being was
blessed by seeing a bird above the chamber door. The chamber door’s purpose could refer to
that the raven — the sorrow — blocks all routes of escape, and that neither the speaker nor Poe
can escape their agony.

But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing farther then he uttered—not a feather then he fluttered—
Till I scarcely more than muttered “Other friends have flown before—
On the morrow he will leave me, as my Hopes have flown before.”
Then the bird said “Nevermore.”

Here, the speaker identifies himself with the raven. The raven poured out his soul by saying that
one word, which illustrates how the raven can only express that one emotion — only drag down
the speaker and nothing else. The lack of movement of the raven demonstrates how grief can
suffocate the sufferer like a blanket. Once affected, it will always be there, controlling one’s life.
Furthermore, the sufferer will stop having motivation to do anything, which is how the speaker
identifies himself with it. The speaker assumes that other birds have flown before — friends of
the raven that died. Likewise, the speaker and Poe both had “birds” that were flying before, but
then demised. Consequently, the speaker has lost all hope, and the bird confirms the loss by his
“nevermore”.
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STEPHANIE F. ALOB 02/15/2020

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,

“Doubtless,” said I, “what it utters is its only stock and store
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore—
Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
Of ‘Never—nevermore’.”

Once again, the speaker attempts making meaning of what is happening. He puts the blame on
someone else, assuming that the raven’s word is not real. This could be a metaphor of how it is
difficult to comprehend when someone dies, and that it often can feel unreal. The spread of the
master’s sorrow could refer to how sadness can easily become contagious and spread to other
people.

But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,

Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore—
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking “Nevermore.”

In this stanza the speaker has gained interest in the bird, which is portrayed by the sitting down
on the chair in front of the bird. This could also be a metaphor of how grief puts you down,
preventing you from moving forward. The speaker’s questioning what the dark, grim bird meant
by his croaking of “nevermore” could be a metaphor of how difficult it is to understand when an
era comes to an end.
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STEPHANIE F. ALOB 02/15/2020

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing

To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom’s core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion’s velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o’er,
But whose velvet-violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o’er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!

Here, the speaker expresses how the grief burns the inside of him, further having to deal with
that Lenore will never come back — will never press the velvet-violet lining.

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
“Wretch,” I cried, “thy God hath lent thee—by these angels he hath sent thee
Respite—respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore;
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!”
Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

The air is growing denser — as if the heart gets heavy by melancholy. The swinging of Seraphim
could serve as a metaphor of how the feelings feel god-like and supernatural. A seraphim is a six-
winged-angel who protects god, and thus the stanza could reflect the power of grief. Moreover,
the narrator claims that the raven was sent by God and his angels — as if either God is evil for
having taken Lenore away from him, or as if the raven comes from the underworld in general. It
is also worth noticing that the speaker talks about “nepenthe”, which is an ancient potion of
forgetfulness for sorrow. Thus, the narrator tries forgetting his sorrow, and wants the raven to
stop being a symbol of loss. The raven’s “nevermore” indicates that the sorrow of Lenore will
never be forgotten, and that the raven will never leave.

“Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!—

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STEPHANIE F. ALOB 02/15/2020

Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,

Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted—
On this home by Horror haunted—tell me truly, I implore—
Is there—is there balm in Gilead?—tell me—tell me, I implore!”
Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

In this stanza, the speaker acknowledges that the raven is something sent from hell. “Prophet”
could either be something related to God, but it could also be a reference to the “false prophet”
or the devil. The “desert land enchanted” could refer to the wasteland the narrator finds himself
in, which has been enchanted by the seemingly present dark-magic of the raven and its
haunting. Contrastingly, the speaker begs the raven to know about “balm in Gilead”, which is an
ointment from Palestine that has soothing properties. Thus, the speaker is asking the raven —
the grief and haunting memories — for a remedy to release him from his pain. To this the raven
responds “nevermore”, meaning there is no remedy for him.

“Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!

By that Heaven that bends above us—by that God we both adore—
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore—
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.”
Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.

Again, the speaker accuses the raven of being a demon and a devilish creature. Also, the narrator
assumes that the raven is adoring God, which could mean that he sees the raven as a fallen
angel, like Lucifer. The lines that follow, he asks if the distant “Aidenn” hold Lenore. Aidenn is an
Arabic word for Eden or paradise. Thus, he asks if Lenore has made it to heaven, to which the
raven says “nevermore” — claiming she is not. The reference to the angels calling her Lenore
could mean that she is baptised, and that the angels and God recognise her by her name.
 St. Paul University Dumaguete
Dumaguete City
GRADUATE SCHOOL

STEPHANIE F. ALOB 02/15/2020

“Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!” I shrieked, upstarting—
“Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken!—quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!”
Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

In this stanza, the speaker wants “nevermore” to be the word of parting, meaning that the
awareness of the fact that Lenore will never come back is what will set him free from his misery.
He wants the raven to go back to the underworld (Plutonian shore) where he came from, taking
back the lies about Lenore. He wants to remain alone, without the raven controlling his mind
(quit the bust). He also wants to stop being overwhelmed by the pain of grief and his broken
heart (take thy beak from out my heart), and finally move on (take thy form from off my door).
The speaker wants to live his life, but the raven says to this “nevermore”, meaning there is no
escape from the eternal agony.

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted—nevermore!

No matter how hard the narrator tries getting rid of the raven and the pain, the raven never
leaves. He is still sitting on the bust (on the mind) above the chamber door (the way out from his
hell). No matter if there is light in the room, the raven’s shadow will still fall over the speaker,
which is an extended metaphor of how Poe and the speaker can never truly move on from their
losses. Their souls will never be lifted from that shadow, their pain will never be obliterated.
 St. Paul University Dumaguete
Dumaguete City
GRADUATE SCHOOL

STEPHANIE F. ALOB 02/15/2020

Summer Solstice
By: Nick Joaquin
The Tatarin, or otherwise known as the Tadtarin, was a three day festival that
celebrated a ritual of fertility. This was done only by women. Many men frowned upon the
extravagant dances and plays surrounding the ritual. "Summer Solstice" is set during the three
days of the St. John’s festival. Lupeng, a Filipino woman who feels closed to her womanhood, is
married to Paeng, who is no doubt loyal to her. They have three small boys and live a
somewhat wealthy life as they have a carriage driver named Entoy and a maid and cook named
Amada. Guido is a cousin of Paeng’s who comes back to the Philippines after studying in
Europe. The story starts when the family is enjoying the days of the St. John’s festival until
Guido makes suggestive comments to Lupeng, and even bending down to kiss her feet. This
makes her leave abruptly and have a discussion with her husband the coming night. Lupeng
secretly found herself intrigued by the attention of Guido; she felt that he was correct in saying
that women should be ravished and men should adore them. This causes her to participate in
the last night of the festival, which is the Tatarin ritual. Paeng goes with her and tries to drag
her back once the dancing begun, but she runs from him to the women. He tries to take her
back but the women in the crowds beat him out, leaving him helpless. As the two return home,
Paeng says he must whip his wife because he loves her and feels that she needs to be put in her
place. To this, she shouts and says she wants to be adored, not respected and orders him to kiss
her feet.
The Summer Solstice represented stereotypical notions of masculinity and femininity,
the difference between two gender and the hierarchy that bind the two sexes. It is a pro-
woman story. A tale of a triumphant woman because of Don Paeng’s submission to Donya
Lupeng and the portrayal of women’s reproductive role that made them ruler’s of men.
The narrative is in a third person point of view, addressing the readers. It reveals a
stereotypical world imposing upon people gender roles where in order to survive in the society
you have to live by what it –the society imposes upon you. This happens every day, in our daily
lives and is no longer strange to us in a way – gender stereotypes and female oppression.
It depicts a Filipino way of living during the 1850s set on the Spanish era, and it explored
a patriarchal structure - status and gap between men and women. It depicts everyday living as
evidenced on the demands of the society on women, and gender stereotypes. Women were
given voice in the narrative, and with this voice they are saying, “That women ruled over men
and such, women created what men see as themselves right now and can therefore destroy it.
Women bear the children and should be adored.” In the narrative the oppressed are
empowered by the author’s use of the Tatarin - a pagan celebration celebrating women’s
fertility as a representation of women breaking free from societal norms and having men adore
them. A women’s fertility = power.
 St. Paul University Dumaguete
Dumaguete City
GRADUATE SCHOOL

STEPHANIE F. ALOB 02/15/2020

FAITH, LOVE, TIME & DR. LAZARO by Gregorio C. Brillantes is a story about a father named Dr. Lazaro, a
country doctor who wanted his son Ben to be a doctor like him but his son was engaged to a
religious vocation and wanted to become a priest to serve God.
Symbolism
Light The main symbolism or the focal point of the story, “light” in Scripture,
representations of light such as candles, flames, and lamps have become common symbols of
Christianity. In these following verses from the New Testament, light is associated with God.
1 John 1:5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend.
John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who
follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the
strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
A light also represents the presence of God. Light also represents the direction and
guidance of God. In Psalm 119:105 says Your words is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
In the story, Dr. Lazaro coulde sense his son’s concentration on the road while driving it is
because of the lampposts shining on the quiet square, it’s God who guided their way. Another is,
Ben’s face was relaxed, even he’s having conversation with his father while driving, and it is
because of the glow of the dashboard lights. Dr. Lazaro was not aware that as they go through
the darkness as they lead to Esteban’s house light is always on their way. God is still with him
though he abandoned his belief and faith to God.
Light on their way was always associated with darkness, there is a light but there is also
darkness, but not literally means that Dr. Lazaro is evil. He was blinded by darkness that made
him act like bewildered, confused and experienced different emotional suffering that affect his
communication and on how he talk to his family.
Sacred Heart In Christian art it is a flaming heart shining with divine light and it is the
representation of His divine love for humanity.
Faith
Faith is a theoretical conviction that God exists. Dr. Lazaro has a strong and vigorous
belief and faith in God. His name Lazaro is from Lazarus- a biblical name. He’s wife and son is a
member of the parish church. Their house has its own Sacred Heart that lightens their family.
They have a strong faith to God. As well as Ben, he was engrossed in a book which is the Bible;
he also read biography of a person who became monk. Ben really showed a desire to have
commitment with God. He is a young student full of illusions long ago, but deprived his faith to
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STEPHANIE F. ALOB 02/15/2020

God because of those senseless accidents of pain he encountered. Being a doctor, just like a
dedicated boxer, they do subjected themselves, voluntarily to pain, suffering of body and mind.
In what way? Being a so-called doctor or any position or specification in a medical profession,
they are always exposed to observe those people under medical care and hopelessly bearing
pain. Seeing and witnessing individuals who are experiencing pain, an intense mental and
emotional disturbance usually resulting too deep suffering and very intense pain that sometimes
can’t be cured anymore because bodies are not responding to those medicines prescribed by
our life-saver (except of God). Ethically, his duty as a doctor is sanctioned by God (for the
Catholics). But in reality not all doctors or any of those who are in medical profession can save
lives. They took notice how people fought for their survival and still don’t manage to help their
patient fight, continue and prolong their life at the most of their capability because of the
adverse conditions. Those penstrep, ampule, morphine, syringes, steel instruments, satchels and
other medical facilities, as doctors contends to strive against death is not capable of producing
effective results but sometimes or in worst, it turns out to be futile at all. Another incident
happened to Dr. Lazaro is when he lose his first son (name is not mentioned). His son committed
suicide in a boarding house, his wrist slashed. He did nothing to save his son’s life, his title as a
doctor is useless. These experiences of him as a provincial doctor made and lead him to have
doubts and later questioned all the things despite of being a doctor why he couldn’t do anything
in order to snatch those people from the jaw of death. From these traumatic events he is began
to lose his faith to the Supreme Being. This is why Dr. Lazaro turned out to be a non-believer of
Christ. He no longer believes in light. He lost his faith and hope. God turned abstract and
unknowable to him. It quietly shows that he’s blaming God for the consequences, we are all
aware that incredible miracles were already happened and continuously happening. We have to
trust God. We must believe there is God, because we are taught Holy Scriptures, and, on the
other hand that we must believe the Holy Scriptures because they come from God. Everything
happens for a reason, it’s the will of God. He has His own plan for His children.
Love
Lack of family bonding is a lack of love also because love is a powerful emotions felt. Love
whatever we mean by it- is important in the ethical life. Love not only makes the world go round,
as the song says, but it also makes the ethical life possible and necessary. We normally
understand love to be a virtue within interpersonal relationship, but it has its implication for
groups, organizations and societies. We have different forms of love, but in the story we have
two kinds of love, philia and agape. Philia is a love refers to filial, mutual or friendship love. But
this love is seen between Ben and his mother only. This ordinary love between family members
nurtures our need to belong to a group of fellow human beings in whose welfare we have an
interest, just as they do in ours. Another is the agape, it is more demanding and extraordinary
form of love refers to sacrificial or divine love. In the human condition it functions as a kind of
 St. Paul University Dumaguete
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STEPHANIE F. ALOB 02/15/2020

impossible possibility. Agapeic love is transcendent, meaning love is being outside or going
beyond the limits of possible human experience. This is what Ben showed in the story, his desire,
and passion and love to be committed to God. He wanted to serve God with all of his heart, mind
and soul. He stands for what he likes though his father telling him that if he can’t be a country
doctor like him he can be neurosurgeon or even an engineer. Dr. Lazaro does not possess love,
the way he talk to his wife. He talked to her like a stranger. Even to Ben, he sees Ben as
hedonistic son. It is when he uttered the words, “I thought he’d gone out again… Who’s the girl
he’s been seeing? Unlike his father, though he got lack of love from his father Ben didn’t showed
that he doesn’t love his father. Instead he still talked to his father how a child thought to talked
with their elder. He respects his father despite of the coldness of Dr. Lazaro to him and her
mother. Ben also showed love on Esteban’s week-child, he baptized the baby since it wasn’t
baptized yet because the baby’s parents are waiting for it to get well. He did it because he wants
the baby to see God. He wants the baby to have an eternal life.
Time
As claimed title of being a country doctor, his personal convictions, professional obligation, social
responsibility and duties made Dr.Lazaro to spent long day on the provincial. Thus, he doesn’t
have the time to bond with his family especially to Ben. Profession is something that defines
fundamental commitment, an intrinsic commitment to the public good, including willingness to
provide services beyond the call of duty. His sense of duty prescribed his ethical decisions. There
are no precious moments between them. Just the talk when Ben drove his father a sick call. In
this case he has no time to his family. But because time was moving toward them and around
and rushing away. Dr.Lazaro give chance to be with his son, a bonding moments to redeem those
wasted time supposedly allotted for his son.