Learning Activity 4.

1:

Direction: Before the lesson starts, differentiate the following:

A. Critic – It is a person who gives informative criticism, either to give formal and logical
reasoning and points out flaws to help improve what he/she is criticizing.

B. Critique (v) - It is an act of evaluating and judging something such as an establishment,

literary work, art and more.

C. Critique (n) – It is a written evaluation of something that is based on unbiased and critical
thinking. It evaluates the different aspects relating to the thing it is evaluating.

Learning Activity 4.2: Reader’s Digest!

Competencies: Explain the literary, biographical, linguistic, and sociocultural contexts and
discuss how they enhance the text’s meaning and enrich the reader’s understanding. And, Situate
the text in the context of the region and the nation. Then, Explain the relationship of context with
the text’s meaning.

Direction: Read the story of “The Small Key” by Paz Latorena http://thesmallkey.blogspot.com/?
m=1 and apply any of the two ways of criticism.

The written work is “The Small Key” by Paz Latorena, written around 1927. She was an
elementary teacher as she was studying education in the University of the Philippines. She was
with the UP Writers Club. This literary work won third place in Jose Garcia Villa’s Roll of
Honor. The story has a lesson, could mostly be learned or be taught to people who are still in
doubt or are exploring to see who will be their partner in life.

“The Small Key” is about a woman named Soledad, who is married to a farmer named
Pedro Buhay. The story starts on one morning when Soledad was thinking about the harvest the
farm will produce later on but she was still having some feeling of discontent. She plans to mend
some of her husband’s clothes, which were hidden in a locked trunk. She asked her husband for
the key and Pedro took out a string that had 2 keys, one large and shiny and one small and rusty.
He gave the large key to Soledad and hid the small on in his pocket. Soledad was feeling faint as
Pedro was leaving their house. It was a hot day so Pedro took off his coat and gave it to Soledad.
When Pedro left, Soledad folded the coat and the small key fell from the pocket. The key was
treasured by Pedro but it brought ill feelings to Soledad. The small key was for another trunk,
hidden by her husband. She tried doing tasks to distract her from the thoughts fuelled by seeing
the key and knowing what was it for, the trunk had clothing of Pedro’s first wife. She wondered
why Pedro kept them and why he would treasure them. She fears her husband still loves his first
wife even though she has been dead for years. She hates the things in it and fears that it would
ruin the relationship between her and her husband. As the feeling did not leave her, she opened
the trunk with the small key. Later on, Pedro came home to see that his wife had a fever, which
in actuality she did not. The next morning, Pedro discovered that Soledad burned the clothing in
the trunk when he saw a pile of ashes and a half burnt clothing in the backyard. He confirmed
what he feared by looking at the empty trunk. Pedro is angry and bitter that this has happened
and he expects that Soledad will explain things later. He thinks to himself that he will forgive her
because he loves her but that even if she did it out of love for him, it will always remain a matter
of some resentment toward her for doing it.

The story showcases a person’s fear of the past relationship of their significant other. It
shows that people react in certain situations if we are driven by our own emotions. People do not
think rationally because of the emotions it has brought upon themselves. Some people tend to do
things to satisfy their own wants even if they know the consequences of their actions. Through
this theme, we will know some nature of person: that we do some decisions without thinking
critically and later on, realize that what we’ve done is wrong. In the story, Pedro showcases a
Filipino attitude of keeping items for its sentimental value because it belonged to a deceased
person we loved. Soledad showcases another attitude which is being jealous and mistrustful
because of fear of the past events. The whole story gives an idea of a problem many relationships,
not only romantic relationships but all kinds of relationships, which is trust issues. People, with the
knowledge of the past which is full of betrayal has become skeptical of many things. They would
still doubt things that have proven to be true in front of them. This story portrays that even if Pedro
has reassured that he loves Soledad, she still doubts and fears that he is still in love with his first
wife. The story was really formed well with enough information for the readers to imagine the
scenery of the literary work. It is worthy of the recognition it receives that even it just won 3rd
place, it is a great piece of literary work. I can recommend it to anyone who likes stories with
relationship lessons.

Assess Learning

Competency: Identify the Critique/lens used in the selection.

Instruction: Identify the following sample excerpt critique and label them according to their type.

1. Formalist Criticism

“Dead Stars” Paz Marquez Benitez

First, it is possible to say that after what society has done to him (dehumanized him), he found at
peace in his place, and sought no more that illusive dream of yesterday. He understood, after
meeting her again, that it was nostalgia that was taking hold of his heart, and not the "love" that
he once felt for her. It is said in the story that he is not unhappy with his marriage, but a part of
him always slips away from the world in order to dream of another life that could have
blossomed, had he chose Julia over Esperanza. On the other hand, it is possible that there was no
real love to speak of, but a desire for something else. He desired youth. Although relatively
young, he desired the qualities that the youthful possessed: vigor, passion, vitality. These are a
few things that he lacked as a person and to find these in Julia gave him a sense of completeness.
It was a welcomed changed in his life, and he wanted to hold on to it for as long as he could,
since even if he couldn't be like Julia, he is comforted by the thought that he was able to meet
someone who is different from everybody else, and that she could have been his wife. He is
noted to be of a cool and calm demeanor, which is why it seems out of character if he suddenly
bursts with energy.

2. Historicism Criticism
Footnote to Youth reflects the personal life of Villa specifically his yearnings in life. Though the
story was modified into a complete contrast from his real life, it depicts his heart’s desires.
Certain events in his life motivated him to write Footnote to Youth. Villa’s obvious inclination
towards the solidification of a harmonious paternal relationship is clearly inscribed purposely to
reveal his personal perception and emotions on how an ideal father-and-son relationship is
supposed to be.

3. Archetypal Criticism

“Biag ni Lam-ang”

The author makes use of peculiar animals to adds up more flavor in the story and to have some
twist he even make use of old tribes and imaginary characters as well. Just like other mythology,
which almost ends up in a happy-ending this one follows the rule of a fairy-tale that everybody
lives happily ever after at the end of it. Yes, stereo-typical, but the difference of this with other
magical story is, it is native’s masterpiece that we Filipinos should be proud of. The story of
Lam-ang is very challenging and extraordinary story because when he was a child his father had
to go to the mountains to punish an Igorot’s band.