Critical essay

Lirio is a short story by Peter Solis Nery, originally written in the Philippines' Hiligaynon
language and in the magical realism style. The Hiligaynon Short Story category of the 1998
Palanca Awards for Literature awarded it first place. The narrative is also commonly utilized in
the teaching of Philippine regional literature. The short story narrates the life of Lirio the Mute
from her difficult birth to her magical transformation into a flower. Born to Rosa and Manuel, a
couple who were granted a child only in their old age, Lirio was also strange in addition to being
mute. She was fair skinned “like a white lily” and was always followed by a swarm of butterflies.
She was unschooled and only enjoyed gardening as her hobby. She fell in love with Noli, but he
also left for a job in Japan.Soon after, she married Itik, a police sergeant who was also a jealous
and terrible drunk who continually raped her throughout their marriage until one night when,
pushed to her limit, Lirio fervently prayed to be turned into a lily.

When reading Lirio in all its Hiligaynon majesty, one can't help but associate it with literary
traditions like magical realism, mythical references, symbolisms, and intertextuality, all of which
contribute to the story's richness and entices. With a focus on reader-response and postmodernist
critique, this essay will attempt to discuss the story's detailed underpinnings utilizing these norms.
Lirio conjures up the timeless Greek love story of the deity Apollo and the unwitting object of his
devotion, Daphne, who was transformed into a laurel tree to flee and elude the sun god's adoration.
Daphne pleaded to her river-God father Peneus to help her escape Apollo while being pursued by
the enamored god. She was changed into a laurel tree in retaliation. In his sadness at the loss of
Daphne, Apollo made the laurel tree his symbol.
The conflict between chastity (Daphne) and sexual impulses is a recurring element in the
tale (Apollo). This is also portrayed in the narrative Lirio, where the characters Lirio (chastity) and
Itik Lugay mirror this (sexual desires). The Lirio narrative has just been raised to the level of a
classic by utilising this traditional topic that still resonates to the public. Its pathos (or characteristic
that elicits sympathy) is extremely popular since the plot is immediately relatable. The tragic
heroine's character (that is, the fatal weakness that leads to her demise) is her inability to
communicate, which adds to the dramatic irony among all of the story's tensions. The references
in Lirio produced this depth and breadth in investigating and comprehending human nature while
appreciating the ancient writings in their totality.
According to Lola Pansay the midwife, all the butterflies went wild when Nanay Rosa gave
birth to Lirio the Mute. The opening sentence of the narrative provides the impression of magical
realism to the readers. It establishes an ominous tone and mood, which is a common literary
convention in this genre. The appearance of butterflies at Lirio's birth acts as a powerful motivator.
Butterflies are regarded as a sign of the soul in many ancient texts. Filipinos, too, have a habit of
associating and identifying butterflies with a loved one's wandering spirit. As a swarm of
butterflies travels the whole plot, the gathering of butterflies’ function as a leitmotif (a recurring
theme or picture) in the novel.
 Butterflies are always present at pivotal moments in the protagonist's life. As Lirio
transforms into a lily, the flower known locally as liryo, butterflies emerge from her mouth at the
conclusion. This is symbolic of her spirit departing from her body and giving life to an inanimate
object, the lily plant. The existence of these alibangbang in this narrative elevates regular
occurrences like as birth, baptism, weddings, and even death. The setting's small-town vibe is also
one of the shared qualities of all magical realism literature. Barrio Jardin, the story's setting,
exemplifies a close-knit neighborhood. The community has its own identity, which Lirio has —
fortunately or unfortunately — strayed from.

this story tells us about how at some point of our lives, we are like lirio. who cannot speak
or express what we have in our minds, that whenever we struggle about something, we endure the
pain, rather than asking help to our loved ones. We often try to find something we can lean on to.
The story of lirio should be a lesson to us that we should not let any person even that person is part
of your family abuse us, whether physical or emotional. We, should always seek help and never
be terrified of asking someone for help, in which this will help us free ourselves from trauma and
make our lives as beautiful as a flower.