INTRODUCTION

            This introductory lesson focuses on activating your prior knowledge on literature. It may
sound repetitive on your part as you might have studied this already in Senior High School
Literature subjects. However, we would like you to have a smooth transition from high school
lessons to college lessons. After all, the keyword for this course is “literature”, so it is just practical
to start our discussion with something you are familiar with, so that you may not find it difficult to
adjust to the more complicated topics.
What is literature? Several ideas might be running in your head now, and slowly you are
able to recall what you have learned in high school.
As you read your lessons now through our online platform, as you watch the latest event
concerning COVID19, as you participate in
academic discussions through webinars, as you keep in touch with the people close to your heart
through the different social media apps,
you might realize that the world has become smaller.  
Even in the midst of lockdown due to the pandemic, people can still have a window to view what is
happening in society.

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Do you know about its origin? What are its developments?

Taken to mean only written works, literature was first produced by some of the world’s
earliest civilizations—those of Ancient Egypt and Sumeria—
as early as the 4th millennium BC; taken to include spoken or sung texts, it originated even earlier,
and some of the first written works may have been
based on a pre-existing oral tradition. As urban cultures and societies developed, there was a
proliferation in the forms of literature. Developments in print
technology allowed for literature to be distributed and experienced on an unprecedented scale,
which has culminated in the twenty-first century in electronic literature.

WHY STUDY LITERATURE? WHAT CAN BE ITS BENEFITS? 

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            By studying good literature, we learn more about human problems and difficulties. We will
know about universality of such problems
and ways to overcome them. Thus, it makes ourselves better human beings. Moreover, it allows
us to go to the places we’ve never been, meet persons we’ve never
met and encounter ideas that never crossed our minds. Furthermore, international understanding
and world peace could as well be achieved.

A
particular literary piece must possess these seven literary standards in order to be
called a peerless epitome of artwork capable of enduring the inevitable gusty tides
of alteration. To criticize it is to consider the seven literary standards. Be critical. Ask
yourself once in a while.
Does it move you? Does it tickle your imaginations? What does it suggest? What
lessons can be drawn out? Would it still be read and be a good reference hundreds
of years from now? Does it possess multifaceted natures for all sorts of audiences?
Does the style fascinate you? Is the style used unique? These are just some
of the considerations to check whether literary pieces follow the different standards
or not.

DIVISIONS OF LITERATURE

Prose – form of language based on grammatical structure and the natural flow of speech. Spoken
dialogue, factual discourse and a whole range of forms of writing normally use prose: literature,
journalism, history, philosophy, encyclopedias, etc., rely upon it for the bulk of what they have to
say.

Poetry – something that arouses a complete imaginative feeling, by choosing appropriate

language and selective words, and arranging them in a manner that creates a proper pattern,
 rhyme and rhythm.

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1. PROSE 
                               A. FICTION - These are works of literature which are based
from imagination.

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B. NON-FICTION - These are literary works that are based mainly on
facts rather than on the imagination.

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2. POETRY
           A. LYRIC - It expresses emotions, appeals to your senses, and often
could be set to music.

ODE - A poem of some length serious in subject dignified in style. It is written in spirit of
praise of some persons or things.
ELEGY - A poem written on the death of a friend or a poet.
SONG - A poem in a regular metrical pattern set to music. It has twelve syllables
(dodecasyllabic)
             and slowly sung to the accompaniment of a guitar or bandura.
CORRIDO - These have measures of eight syllables (octosyllabic) and recited to a material
beat.
SONNET - A poem containing fourteen iambic lines and a complicated rhyme.
FOLKSONG - These are short poems intended to be sung. The common theme is love,
despair, grief, doubt, joy, hope, and sorrow.
PSALMS - This is a song praising God or the Virgin Mary and containing a philosophy of
life.
PROVERBS - These are concise statements that teach ideas on morality and tradition.
            
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             B. NARRATIVE - A poem that tells a story, and has the elements of a
story. Narrative poems often have a rhyme scheme.

EPIC - A long poem about a hero concerning the beginning, the continuance and the end of event of great
significance.
METRICAL ROMANCE- A poem that tells a story of an adventure, love and chivalry. The typical hero is
a knight on a quest.
METRICAL TALE - A poem consisting usually of a single series of connective events
that are simple idylls or home tales, love tales, tales of the super natural or tales written for a strong moral
purpose in verse form.
BALLAD - The simplest type of narrative poetry. It is a short poem telling a single incident in simple
meter and stanzas.

             C. DRAMATIC - A poem where the speaker is someone other than the poet
himself.
                                       A dramatic poem often includes characters and
dialogue

DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE- It presents the speech of a single character who addresses

one or more persons
who are present and who are  listening to the speaker but remain silent.
SOLILOQUY - It is a passage spoken by a speaker in a poem or by a character in a play,
except that  there is no one present to hear him.
3. ESSAY
                  A. Formal - deals with serious and important topics. It has an authoritative style and
shows the masterful grasp about the topic.
It is in formal form and clear straightforward expression. Its main purpose is to teach and instruct.
                B. Informal - covers the light, ordinary even common subjects through a casual,
conversational, friendly, often humorous
but equally insightful as the formal essay.
4. DRAMA
                    A. Comedy - It is a type of drama intended to amuse the audience rather than make
them deeply concerned about the events
          that happened. The characters overcome some difficulties, but they always overcome their
ill fortune and find happiness in the end.
                  B. Farce - A comedy that depends for its humor on quick and surprising turns of events
and on exaggerated characters and
                         situations, or the type of humor characteristic of such a play.
                  C. Tragedy - It is a type of drama that shows the downfall and destruction of a noble or
outstanding person, traditionally one
                       who possesses a character weakness called a tragic flaw.

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                  D. Melodrama - A sensational dramatic piece with exaggerated characters and exciting
events intended to appeal to the emotions. 
                  E. Tragicomedy - It is a play that does not adhere strictly to the structure of tragedy.
This is usually serious play that also has some
                                  of the qualities of comedy. It arouses thought even with laughter.

IMPORTANCE OF LITERATURE IN SOCIETY

LITERATURE HELPS EXPAND HORIZON       

Literature gives its readers an inside look into how cultures from other parts of the
world differ from their own, and how customs from other
countries help shape on how their citizens view the world.  By opening their minds to
what different cultures have to offer, readers of literature
become more accepting of the unique differences of people from around the world.
It can also give them unique insights into their own past or
present cultures, and can help them make a stronger connection to others in their
own cultures.

LITERATURE GIVES A LOOK INTO THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

Literature provides a window into the past, allowing readers to see how their
ancestors and others dealt with day-to-day life.
Readers can see where their own people came from, and how the country they live
in became what it is today.

LITERATURE GIVES A VIEW INTO HUMAN CONDITIONS

Literature also helps readers to understand the human condition, and what makes
them who they are, whether talking about love,
war or other important themes throughout life.
After knowing the importance of literature to the society, there are some instances wherein people
voice out everything that triggers their curiosity then put it into writing. At some point, it goes
beyond the norm of a certain community that some people question their faith, beliefs, will, and
even their government. So, what do people of authorities do to this kind of literary works? They
ban them. In our next topic, we will know the reasons why do they ban some literary pieces. Let’s
start!
NOTE: Banning of books is not applicable to the whole world. There are some places or even a
place where they ban a book because it goes against the community’s standard.

After knowing the importance of literature to the society, there are some instances wherein
people voice out everything that triggers their curiosity then put it into writing. At some point, it
goes beyond the norm of a certain community that some people question their faith, beliefs, will,

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 and even their government. So, what do people of authorities do to this kind of literary works?
They ban them. In our next topic, we will know the reasons why do they ban some literary pieces.
Let’s start!

NOTE: Banning of books is not applicable to the whole world. There are some places or even a
place where they ban a book because it goes against the community’s standard.
 
REASONS FOR LITERATURE BEING BANNED
BOOK BANNING
Banning is the actual removal of materials from school curriculum library, community or
even nation--thereby restricting the access of others.
Each book that is banned or censored is done so for the content within the pages. There are a
few common reasons that books have been banned or censored in schools, libraries, and books
stores.
These include:

 RACIAL ISSUES
o About and/or encouraging racism towards one or more groups of people.
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Challenged at the Warren, IN Township schools (1981) because the book does "psychological
damage to the positive integration process" and "represents institutionalized racism under the
guise of good literature." After unsuccessfully trying to ban Lee's novel, three black parents
resigned from the township human relations advisory council.
(Source: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics)

 ENCOURAGEMENT OF "DAMAGING" LIFESTYLES/ ILL WILL

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o Content of book encourages lifestyle choices that are not the norm or could be considered
dangerous or damaging. This could include drug use, co-habilitation without marriage, or
homosexuality.
George by Alex Gino
 
Challenged, banned, restricted, and hidden to avoid controversy; for LGBTQIA+ content and a
transgender character; because schools and libraries should not “put books in a child’s hand that
require discussion”; for sexual references; and for conflicting with a religious viewpoint and
“traditional family structure”.
(Source: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10)

 BLASPHEMOUS DIALOG
o The author of the book uses words such as "God" or "Jesus" as profanity. This could also include
any use of profanity or swear words within the text that any reader might find offensive.
o This category, by the way, also covers blasphemy—because if it offends God, it offends a whole
lot of people. 
Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
Challenged, but retained, in the Bryant, AR school library (1998) because of a parent's complaint
that the book "takes God's name in vain 15 times and uses Jesus's name lightly."
(Source: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics)

 SEXUAL SITUATIONS OR DIALOG/LITERATURE WITH OBSCENE ACTS

o Many books with content that include sexual situations or dialog are banned or censored.
Live Show (2001)

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 The Schindler’s List brouhaha was not the last time that a president intervened in a dispute
involving the MTRCB. In March 2001, the board under film scholar Nicanor Tiongson allowed Jose
Javier Reyes’ “Live Show” to be shown in public theaters. Originally titled “Toro,” the lead
characters in the movie engage in sex in front of nightclub patronizers for money.
Tiongson’s decision was loudly opposed by the Roman Catholic Church under the late Jaime
Cardinal Sin.  Then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo promptly ordered that the film be pulled
out of cinemas, eventually deciding to ban it altogether after a review.
(Source: www.mcgi.org)

 PRESENCE OF WITCHCRAFT
o Books that include magic or witchcraft themes. A common example of these types of books are
J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Series. 
Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
Banned and forbidden from discussion for referring to magic and witchcraft, for containing actual
curses.
Source: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10 )

 RELIGIOUS AFFILIATIONS/ DEFAMATION OF OTHER RELIGION

o Books have been banned or censored due to an unpopular religious views or opinions in the
content of the book. This is most commonly related to satanic or witchcraft themes found in the
book.
Ang Dating Daan‘s Eliseo Soriano goes off the air (2004).
Eliseo Soriano, televangelist and the outspoken founder of the religious
group Ang Dating Daan, challenged the MTRCB when it suspended his show for
three months. The lengthy suspension came after certain INC ministers complained
about Soriano for hurling invectives at them on national television.
The SC affirmed MTRCB’s decision, explaining that “plain and simple insults directed at another
person cannot be elevated to the status of religious speech.” It also added that Soriano was
merely moved by anger and the need to seek retribution, and not by any religious conviction
when he made the offending remarks.
(Source: www.mcgi.org)

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 POLITICAL BIAS/ ANTI-GOVERNMENT
o Most commonly occurs when books support or examine extreme political parties/philosophies such
as: fascism, communism, anarchism, etc.
Banning of “Ora Pro Nobis” (1989)
 
This Lino Brocka masterpiece, which shows the bloody armed struggle
between government-sponsored paramilitias and Communists in Mindanao, was
banned from public viewing because of its supposed subversive theme.
The administration of then-President Corazon Aquino received flak for this censorship, with critics
citing the decision as proof that democracy has not been fully restored even after the 1986 People
Power Revolution. The movie was eventually shown during the 1989 Cannes Film Festival.
(Source: perpetualopinionator.wordpress.com)

 AGE INAPPROPRIATE 
o These books have been banned or censored due to their content and the age level at which they
are aimed. In some cases children's books are viewed to have "inappropriate" themes for the age
level at which they are written for.
“For Adults Only” rating on The Da Vinci Code (2006)
Based on Dan Brown’s novel of the same title, the highly-successful movie
triggered violent reactions from around the world especially from the Roman Catholic
Church and its allies.
In the Philippines, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines called
on MTRCB to have the movie banned mainly because of its claim that Jesus Christ

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 and Mary Magdalene had a relationship and in fact began a bloodline.  The MTRCB
ultimately decided to give the movie a “For Adults Only” rating.
(Source: www.mcgi.org)

NOTE: This example can also be under defamation of other religion.

Now that we are done with the reasons why some literary pieces are being banned, let us move
on now to our last topic for this week.
Do you think music is part of literature? Why?
I know that you’ve though of the definition of literature is which about expressing one’s ideas or
emotions and music is one of the ways for a person to express his/her feelings. So, yes, you are
right when you say that music is part of literature and that is our next topic.
 
MUSIC AS PART OF LITERATURE
Ano ang musikang Pilipino?
            Ang mga musikang Pilipino ay mga katutubong awit ng ating lahi na naimpluwensyahan ng
Kastila at Amerikano
Ano ang musikang makabayan?  
           Ang musikang makabayan ay mga awit na tumatalakay sa mga isyung panlipunan at
nagtataguyod ng malasakit sa bayan
Nahahati ito sa musikang mainstream at musikang alternatib
 Musikang mainstream           
              Ito ang mga nakasanayang awit na pinatutugtog sa radio
Musikang alternatibo
              Ito ang mga madalang mapatugtog sa radio
Bakit mahalaga ang paggamit ng musikang makabayan sa pagtuturo?
    Ipinakikilala nito sa kabataang pilipino ang sarili nating sining at kultura.
    Hinahasa nito ang kritikal na pag-iisip ng mga mag-aaral sa pagsusuri ng mensahe ng mga awit.
    Nagsisilbi itong lunsaran ng mga isyung panlipunan na dapat maunawaan ng mga kabataan.
    Nakakatulong ito upang maunawaan ang Sikolohiyang Pilipino at ang ating lipunan.
Papel ng musika bilang panitikan ayon kay Prof. Edru Abraham
    Ang musika ay dapat gamitin bilang sangkap ng pagkakaisa ng mga Pilipino.
    Ang musika ay bahagi ng karanasan ng ating lipi ay na hindi dapat ikahiya
at kailangang ipagmalaki pa nga at ipamahagi sa mundo.
EXAMPLE:
Song by Judas
DUKHA
 
Ako'y isang anak mahirap
Lagi nalang akong nagsusumikap

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 Ang buhay ko'y walang sigla
Puro nalang dusa
Paano na kaya ang buhay ko?
 
Sa akin ay walang tumatanggap
Mababa raw ang aking pinagaralan
Grade one lang ang inabot ko
No read, no write pa ako
Paano na kaya ang buhay ko?
 
Isang kahig, isang tuka
Ganyan kaming mga dukha
Isang kahig, isang tuka
Ganyan kaming mga dukha

Learning Content: 
Introduction:

POVERTY IN THE PHILIPPINES

Causes of Poverty
The main causes of poverty in the country include the following:
 low to moderate economic growth for the past 40 years;
 low growth elasticity of poverty reduction;
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 weakness in employment generation and the quality of jobs generated;
 failure to fully develop the agriculture sector;
 high inflation during crisis periods;
 high levels of population growth;
 high and persistent levels of inequality (incomes and assets), which dampen the positive impacts of economic
expansion; and
 recurrent shocks and exposure to risks such as economic crisis, conflicts, natural disasters, and "environmental
poverty."
Key Findings
The report's key findings include the following:
 Economic growth did not translate into poverty reduction in recent years;
 Poverty levels vary greatly by regions;
 Poverty remains a mainly rural phenomenon though urban poverty is on the rise;
 Poverty levels are strongly linked to educational attainment;
 The poor have large families, with six or more members;
 Many Filipino households remain vulnerable to shocks and risks;
 Governance and institutional constraints remain in the poverty response;
 There is weak local government capacity for implementing poverty reduction programs;
 Deficient targeting in various poverty programs;
 There are serious resource gaps for poverty reduction and the attainment of the MDGs by 2015;
 Multidimensional responses to poverty reduction are needed; and
 Further research on chronic poverty is needed.
The report comprehensively analyzes the causes of poverty and recommends ways to accelerate poverty reduction and
achieve more inclusive growth. In the immediate and short term, there is a need to enhance the government's poverty
reduction strategy and involve key sectors for a collective and coordinated response to the problem. In the medium and
long-term, the government should continue to pursue key economic reforms for sustained and inclusive growth.
Source: www.adb.org
 
HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE PHILIPPINES
Source: hurights.or.jp
Human rights are universal, inalienable, and indivisible. They are dynamic and continue to evolve
in response to the growing needs, concerns, and aspirations of individuals and communities. These rights
are enriched in the course of the struggle for their full recognition. The human and peoples’ rights
affirmed in this declaration are wholly consistent with contemporary international standards. Nothing in
this declaration shall be used to negate or deny any other rights – whether specified or inferred found in
national or international human rights instruments.
The promotion of human and peoples’ rights is pursued through individual and collective action.
They are the product or purposive struggle and are linked to the real conditions and concerns of the
people. While much has been achieved, much remains to be done. In this new millennium, there will
remain the need for human rights defenders so long as repressive regimes, systems, and structures exist
that threaten to thwart our gains.
In our world today, more and more people have become aware and thus aspire to live in an
environment that protects the universal standards of human rights. Human rights are a source of strength
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and power for people – they enable us to continue to work for peace, prosperity, progress, and
sustainable development. The cause of human rights enlivens our commitment to the realizations of the
fullness of life. This is our collective task as a people in solidarity with all the people of the world.

 
Lesson Proper:
As we are about to study a short story that can be best associated to poverty, it is but important to learn about the types
of conflict in literature as this would allow us to better appreciate our succeeding topic.

Types of Conflict
Literature without conflict is like living a monotonous life or watching a two-hour vlog of a person who recorded himself
sleeping for two literal hours – it is dull and boring. Oftentimes, we feel a tinge of pain as our favorite characters go
through hardships.
Not to mention how much we cried when star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet had to die together; or how Game of
Thrones character Ned Stark was beheaded just after we got so much attached to his character; and how we hated the
demigorgons for disturbing the coolest kids in Stranger Things. These struggles were necessary to keep us entertained,
just as how the pain that we experience adds color to the life that we are currently living.

So let's look at the seven of the most common types of conflict, using examples from famous novels to illustrate each
type.

 
CONFLICT – is any struggle between opposing forces.

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 Conflict Drives Characterization
Most enduring stories contain more than one of these types of conflict, and one conflict can develop into
another during a character's journey. It's important to understand your character's traits, as well as what type of
literary character he or she is, to comprehend more about any particular conflict.
 
Source: https://www.scribendi.com/academy/articles/types_of_conflict_in_literature.en.html
 
After studying the different conflicts in literature, here is a short story written by Jose Villa about one of the root causes
of poverty. While looking into the conflicts in the story, notice how Villa tries to wake up the youth of all generations from
our deep slumber
 

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 by: Jose Garcia Villa
The sun was salmon and hazy in the west. Dodong thought to himself he would tell his father about Teang when he got
home, after he had unhitched the carabao from the plow, and led it to its shed and fed it. He was hesitant about saying
it, he wanted his father to know what he had to say was of serious importance as it would mark a climacteric in his life.
Dodong finally decided to tell it, but a thought came to him that his father might refuse to consider it. His father was a
silent hardworking farmer, who chewed areca nut, which he had learned to do from his mother, Dodong’s grandmother.
I will tell him. I will tell it to him.
The ground was broken up into many fresh wounds and fragrant with a sweetish earthy smell. Many slender soft worms
emerged from the further rows and then burrowed again deeper into the soil. A short colorless worm marched blindly to
Dodong’s foot and crawled clammily over it. Dodong got tickled and jerked his foot, flinging the worm into the air.
Dodong did not bother to look where into the air, but thought of his age, seventeen, and he said to himself he was not
young anymore.
Dodong unhitched the carabao leisurely and gave it a healthy tap on the hip. The beast turned its head to look at him
with dumb faithful eyes. Dodong gave it a slight push and the animal walked alongside him to its shed. He placed
bundles of grass before it and the carabao began to eat. Dodong looked at it without interest.
Dodong started homeward thinking how he would break his news to his father. He wanted to marry, Dodong did. He
was seventeen, he had pimples on his face, the down on his upper lip was dark – these meant he was no longer a boy.
He was growing into a man – he was a man. Dodong felt insolent and big at the thought of it, although he was by nature
low in stature. Thinking himself man-grown, Dodong felt he could do anything.
He walked faster, prodded by the thought of his virility. A small angled stone bled his foot, but he dismissed it cursorily.
He lifted his leg and looked at the hurt toe and then went on walking. In the cool sundown, he thought wild young
dreams of himself and Teang, his girl. She had a small brown face and small black eyes and straight glossy hair. How
desirable she was to him. She made him want to touch her, to hold her. She made him dream even during the day.
Dodong tensed with desire and looked at the muscle of his arms. Dirty. This fieldwork was healthy invigorating, but it
begrimed you, smudged you terribly. He turned back the way he had come, then marched obliquely to a creek.
Dodong stripped himself and laid his clothes, a gray under shirt and red kundiman shorts, on the grass. Then he went
into the water, wet his body over and rubbed at it vigorously. He was not long in bathing, then he marched homeward
again. The bath made him feel cool.

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It was dusk when he reached home. The petroleum lamp on the ceiling was already lighted and the low unvarnished
square table was set for supper. He and his parents sat down on the floor around the table to eat. They had fried
freshwater fish, and rice, bananas and caked sugar.
Dodong ate fish and rice, but did not partake of the fruit. The bananas were overripe and when one held them, they felt
more fluid than solid. Dodong broke off a piece of caked sugar, dipped it in his glass of water and ate it. He got another
piece and wanted some more, but he thought of leaving the remainder for his parents.
Dodong’s mother removed the dishes when they were through, and went out to the batalan to wash them. She walked
with slow careful steps and Dodong wanted to help her carry the dishes out, but he was tired and now felt lazy. He
wished as he looked at her that he had a sister who could help his mother in the housework. He pitied her, doing all the
housework alone.
His father remained in the room, sucking a diseased tooth. It was paining him, again. Dodong knew. Dodong had told
him often and again to let the town dentist pull it out, but he was afraid, his father was. He did not tell that to Dodong, but
Dodong guessed it. Afterward, Dodong himself thought that if he had a decayed tooth, he would be afraid to go to the
dentist; he would not be any bolder than his father.
Dodong said while his mother was out that he was going to marry Teang. There it was out, what we had to say, and
over which he had done so much thinking. He had said it without any effort at all and without self-consciousness.
Dodong felt relieved and looked at his father expectantly. A decresent moon outside shed its feeble light into the
window, graying the still black temples of his father. His father looked old now.
“I am going to marry Teang,” Dodong said.
His father looked at him silently and stopped sucking the broken tooth, the silence became intense and cruel, and
Dodong wished his father would suck that troublous tooth again. Dodong was uncomfortable and then became very
angry because his father kept looking at him without uttering anything.
“I will marry Teang,” Dodong repeated. “I will marry Teang.”
His father kept gazing at him in inflexible silence and Dodong fidgeted in his seat.
“I asked her last night to marry me and she said…yes. I want your permission… I… want… it…” There was an impatient
clamor in his voice, an exacting protest at his coldness, this indifference. Dodong looked at his father sourly. He cracked
his knuckles one by one, and the little sound it made broke the night stillness dully.
“Must you marry, Dodong?”
Dodong resented his father’s question; his father himself had married early. Dodong made a quick impassioned essay in
his mind about selfishness, but later, he got confused.
“You are very young, Dodong.”
“I’m seventeen.”
“That’s very young to get married at.”
“I… I want to marry… Teang’s a good girl…
“Tell your mother,” his father said.
“You tell her, tatay.”
“Dodong, you tell your inay.”
“You tell her.”
“All right, Dodong.”
“You will let me marry Teang?”

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“Son, if that is your wish… of course…” There was a strange helpless light in his father’s eyes. Dodong did not read it.
Too absorbed was he in himself.
Dodong was immensely glad he had asserted himself. He lost his resentment toward his father. For a while he even felt
sorry for him about the diseased tooth. Then he confined his mind dreaming of Teang and himself. Sweet young
dreams…
Dodong stood in the sweltering noon heat, sweating profusely so that his camiseta was damp. He was still as a tree and
his thoughts were confused. His mother had told him not to leave the house, but he had left. He wanted to get out of it
without clear reason at all. He was afraid, he felt. Afraid of the house. It had seemed to cage him, to compress his
thoughts with severe tyranny. Afraid also for Teang. Teang was giving birth in the house; she gave screams that chilled
his blood. He did not want her to scream like that, she seemed to be rebuking him. He began to wonder madly if the
process of childbirth was really painful. Some women, when they gave birth, did not cry.
In a few moments he would be a father. “Father, father,” he whispered the word with awe, with strangeness. He was
young, he realized now contradicting himself of nine months ago. He was very young… He felt queer, troubled,
uncomfortable…“Your son,” people would soon be telling him. “Your son, Dodong.”
Dodong felt tired of standing. He sat down on a sawhorse with his feet close together. He looked at his calloused toes.
Suppose he had ten children…What made him think that? What was the matter with him? God!
He heard his mother’s voice from the house.
“Come up, Dodong. It is over.”
Suddenly, he felt terribly embarrassed as he looked at her. Somehow, he was ashamed to his mother of his youthful
paternity. It made him feel guilty, as if he has taken something not properly his. He dropped his eyes and pretended to
dust off his kundiman shorts.
“Dodong,” his mother called again. “Dodong.”
He turned to look again and this time, he saw his father beside his mother.
“It is a boy.” His father said. He beckoned Dodong to come up.
Dodong felt more embarrassed and did not move. His parent’s eyes seemed to pierce through him so he felt limp. He
wanted to hide or even run away from them.
“Dodong, you come up. You come up,” his mother said.
Dodong did not want to come up. He’d rather stayed in the sun.
“Dodong… Dodong.”
I’ll… come up.
Dodong traced the tremulous steps on the dry parched yard. He ascended the bamboo steps slowly. His heart pounded
mercilessly in him. Within, he avoided his parent’s eyes. He walked ahead of them so that they should not see his face.
He felt guilty and untrue. He felt like crying. His eyes smarted and his chest wanted to burst. He wanted to turn back, to
go back to the yard. He wanted somebody to punish him.
His father thrust his hand in his and gripped it gently.
“Son,” his father said.
And his mother: “Dodong..”
How kind were their voices. They flowed into him, making him strong.
“Teang?” Dodong said.
“She’s sleeping. But you go on…”

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His father led him into the small sawali room. Dodong saw Teang, his girl-wife, asleep on the papag with black hair soft
around her face. He did not want her to look that pale.
Dodong wanted to touch her, to push away that stray wisp of hair that touched her lips. But again that feeling of
embarrassment came over him, and before his parents, he did not want to be demonstrative.
The hilot was wrapping the child. Dodong heard him cry. The thin voice pierced him quietly. He could not control the
swelling of happiness in him.
“You give him to me. You give him to me,” Dodong said.
Blas was not Dodong’s only child. Many more children came. For six successive years, a new child came along.
Dodong did not want any more children. But they came. It seemed that the coming of children could not helped. Dodong
got angry with himself sometimes.
Teang did not complain, but the bearing of children told on her. She was shapeless and thin now, even if she was
young. There was interminable work to be done. Cooking. Laundering. The house. The children. She cried sometimes,
wishing she had not married. She did not tell Dodong this, not wishing him to dislike her. Yet she wished she had not
married. Not even Dodong whom she loved. There had been another suitor, Lucio, older than Dodong by nine years,
and that was why she had chosen Dodong. Young Dodong. Seventeen. Lucio had married another after her marriage to
Dodong, but he was childless until now. If she had married Lucio, she wondered, would she have borne him children?
Maybe not, either. That was a better lot. But she loved Dodong…
Dodong whom life had made ugly.
One night, as he lay beside his wife, he rose and went out of the house. He stood in the moonlight, tired and querulous.
He wanted to ask questions and somebody to answer him. He wanted to be wise about many things.
One of them was why life did not fulfill all of the Youth’s dreams. Why it must be so. Why one was forsaken… after love.
Dodong could not find the answer. Maybe the question was not to be answered. It must be so to make youth Youth.
Youth must be dreamfully sweet. Dreamfully sweet. Dodong returned to the house, humiliated by himself. He had
wanted to know a little wisdom but was denied it.
When Blas was eighteen, he came home one night, very flustered and happy. Dodong heard Blas’ steps for he could
not sleep well of nights. He watched Blass undress in the dark and lie down softly. Blas was restless on his mat and
could not sleep. Dodong called his name and asked why he did not sleep.
“You better go to sleep. It is late,” Dodong said.
Blas raised himself on is elbow and muttered something in a low fluttering voice.
“Itay..” Blas called softly.
Dodong stirred and asked him what it was.
“I’m going to marry Tona. She accepted me tonight.”
Dodong lay on the red pillow without moving.
“Itay, you think its over.”
Dodong lay silent.
I loved Tona and… I want her.”
Dodong rose from his mat and told Blas to follow him. They descended to the yard where everything was still and
quiet.The moonlight was cold and white.
“You want to marry Tona,” Dodong said. He did not want Blas to marry yet. Blas was very young. The life that would
follow marriage would be hard…
“Yes.”

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“Must you marry?”
Blas’ voice was steeled with resentment. “I will marry Tona.”
“You have objections, Itay?” Blas asked acridly.
“Son… n-none…” (But truly, God, I don’t want Blas to marry yet…not yet. I don’t want Blas to marry yet…)
But he was helpless. He could not do anything. Youth must triumph… now. Afterward… it will be Life.
As long ago Youth and Love did triumph for Dodong… and then Life.
 
Dodong looked wistfully at his young son in the moonlight. He felt extremely sad and sorry for him.
 
ELEMENTS OF THE STORY
•      Dodong - Main character of the story who got married to Teang at the age of 17.
•      Teang - Regretted marrying at an early age.
•      Lucio - Teangs other suitor who got married after she did and who’s childless until now.
CHARACTERS
•      Blas - Dodong and Teang’s oldest son who followed their footsteps in the end. Blas
contemplated to marry Tona when she was 18.
•      Tona - The woman whom Blas wants to marry.

SETTING The setting is in a RURAL AREA. Specifically in a farm.

POINT OF VIEW The point of view is in Third Person.

•           Exposition - The exposition of "Footnote to Youth" introduces Dodong, the protagonist, his
PLOT OF THE
fiance and his father. It also introduces the conflict Dodong is facing, which is that he must tell
STORY
his father that he plans to marry. He knows his father will think he is too young, but he is
determined to marry the woman he loves.

•           Rising Action - The rising action occurs when Dodong is interested in marrying Teang and
tells his father that he wants to do so. He considers marrying Teang as essential to his life
and even holds back momentarily from sharing it with his father, fearing resistance. He is only
seventeen, as his father reminds him, but Dodong is too stiff-necked to reconsider. He does
not even notice the helpless look in his father's eyes, which suggests that he should not
marry.

•           Climax - Dodong married Teang. After nine months, Teang gave birth to a child named Blas.
For six consecutive years, a new child came along. Teang did not complain even though she
secretly regretted being married at an early age. Sometimes she even wondered if she would
have the same life if Lucio, her other suitor who was nine years older than Dodong, was the
one she married.
Lucio has had no children since the time he married. When Teang and Dodong were twenty
they looked like they were fifty. When Blas was 18, he told his father that he would marry
Tona. Dodong did not object, but tried to make Blas think twice before rushing to marriage -

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 because Dodong doesn't want Blas to end up like him.
•           Falling Action - Dodong comes to a realization that early marriage can ruin one's life. Dodong
had seven children. He is not only ashamed in front of his parents for his youthful paternity,
but also gets angry at himself because the birth of so many children could not be helped.
He is also humiliated. He realizes that life does not fulfill all the dreams of youth.
And also when Dodong can’t do anything to change the mind of his son into marrying Tona.
•           Denouement - Dodong was helpless. He couldn’t do anything but to give his consent. 
Dodong felt really sad and sorry for his son.

•           Conclusion - “History repeats itself”

  Footnote to youth talks about the youth as of today. It was written by Jose Garcia Villa
in 1933.
  It is the basic story of marrying at a very young age and questioning the wisdom of
making life choices at a young age that must be lived with.
  It also shows that a father’s wisdom is not always something you can base your life
on.
  If you make a decision even at a young age, sometimes you must live with the
consequences.

•           The theme of foot note to youth is teen marriage. The story revolves around the main
character Dodong , his pursuit of his love for Teang and the realization of the complexity of
THEME early marriage.
•           It also speaks about  responsibilities and realities and decision Making.

•           Don’t rush things.

MORAL OF THE
•           Don’t make decisions that will ruin your future.
STORY
•           It’s better to use both our heart and mind.

 
 

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LITERARY DEVICES
These are techniques which shape narrative to produce an effect on the reader.
Plot Device – is an object, character or concept introduced into the story by the author to advance its plot.
Plot Twist – any unexpected turn of the story that gives a new view on its entire topic. A plot twist at the end of the story
is called a twist ending.
Flashing Arrow – a technique used to focus the reader’s attention on an object or a location that will be important later in
the story.

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Red Herring – a plot device that distracts the reader’s attention from the plot twists that are important for the story. It is
used to maintain tension and uncertainty.
Death trap – a plot device that the villain uses to try to kill the protagonist and satisfy his own sadistic desires.
Comic Book Death – a technique which makes a major character “die or disappear forever”, but the character re-
appears later in the story.
Dark and Stormy Night – a cliché-like opening that usually includes darkness, violent lightning and a general mood of
solitude.
Reverse Chronology – a technique where a story begins at the end and works back toward the beginning.
In medias res – a literary technique where the narrative starts in the middle of the story instead from its beginning. The
characters, setting and conflict is often introduced through a series of flashbacks.
Analepsis (flashback) – presents the events from previous to the current time frame. Flashbacks are usually presented
as character’s memories and are used to explain their backgrounds and the back-story.
Prolepsis (flash forward) – presents events that will occur in the future.
Foreshadowing – it is a premonition, much like a flash forward, but only hints at the future.
            *FINALES. There are several patterns for story endings:
Cliff-hanger – an abrupt ending that leaves the plot incomplete, without denouement. It often leaves characters in a
precarious or difficult situation which hint at the possibility of a sequel.
Twist Ending – an unexpected finale that gives an entirely new vision on the entire plot. It is a powerful technique but it
can leave the reader dissatisfied or frustrated.
Happy Ending – a finale when everything ends in the best way for the hero
Poetic Justice – type of a happy ending where the virtue is rewarded and the vice is punished.
Deus ex machina – a plot device dating back to ancient Greek theatre, where the conflict is resolved through a means
(by god, deus) that seem unrelated to the story. This allows the author to end the story as desired without following the
logic and continuity of the story.
 

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My Father Goes to Court

By Carlos Bulosan
My Father Goes to Court is a humorous story by Carlos Bulosan. It is perhaps the most famous one among the stories in his
collection The Laughter of my Father, published in New York by Harcourt and Brace 1944, having previously appeared in The New
Yorker on 13 November 1943.
My Father Goes to Court
By Carlos Bulosan

When I was four, I lived with my mother and brothers and sisters in a small town on the island of Luzon. Father’s farm
had been destroyed in 1918 by one of our sudden Philippine floods, so several years afterwards we all lived in the town
though he preferred living in the country. We had as a next door neighbour a very rich man, whose sons and daughters
seldom came out of the house. While we boys and girls played and sang in the sun, his children stayed inside and kept
the windows closed. His house was so tall that his children could look in the window of our house and watched us
played, or slept, or ate, when there was any food in the house to eat.

Now, this rich man’s servants were always frying and cooking something good, and the aroma of the food was wafted
down to us form the windows of the big house. We hung about and took all the wonderful smells of the food into our
beings. Sometimes, in the morning, our whole family stood outside the windows of the rich man’s house and listened to
the musical sizzling of thick strips of bacon or ham. I can remember one afternoon when our neighbour’s servants
roasted three chickens. The chickens were young and tender and the fat that dripped into the burning coals gave off an
enchanting odour. We watched the servants turn the beautiful birds and inhaled the heavenly spirit that drifted out to us.

Some days the rich man appeared at a window and glowered down at us. He looked at us one by one, as though he
were condemning us. We were all healthy because we went out in the sun and bathed in the cool water of the river that
flowed from the mountains into the sea. Sometimes we wrestled with one another in the house before we went to play.
We were always in the best of spirits and our laughter was contagious. Other neighbours who passed by our house
often stopped in our yard and joined us in laughter.

As time went on, the rich man’s children became thin and anaemic, while we grew even more robust and full of life. Our
faces were bright and rosy, but theirs were pale and sad. The rich man started to cough at night; then he coughed day
and night. His wife began coughing too. Then the children started to cough, one after the other. At night their coughing
sounded like the barking of a herd of seals. We hung outside their windows and listened to them. We wondered what
happened. We knew that they were not sick from the lack of nourishment because they were still always frying
something delicious to eat.

One day the rich man appeared at a window and stood there a long time. He looked at my sisters, who had grown fat in
laughing, then at my brothers, whose arms and legs were like the molave, which is the sturdiest tree in the Philippines.
He banged down the window and ran through his house, shutting all the windows.

From that day on, the windows of our neighbour’s house were always closed. The children did not come out anymore.
We could still hear the servants cooking in the kitchen, and no matter how tight the windows were shut, the aroma of the
food came to us in the wind and drifted gratuitously into our house.

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 One morning a policeman from the presidencia came to our house with a sealed paper. The rich man had filed a
complaint against us. Father took me with him when he went to the town clerk and asked him what it was about. He told
Father the man claimed that for years we had been stealing the spirit of his wealth and food.

When the day came for us to appear in court, father brushed his old Army uniform and borrowed a pair of shoes from
one of my brothers. We were the first to arrive. Father sat on a chair in the centre of the courtroom. Mother occupied a
chair by the door. We children sat on a long bench by the wall. Father kept jumping up from his chair and stabbing the
air with his arms, as though we were defending himself before an imaginary jury.

The rich man arrived. He had grown old and feeble; his face was scarred with deep lines. With him was his young
lawyer. Spectators came in and almost filled the chairs. The judge entered the room and sat on a high chair. We stood
in a hurry and then sat down again.

After the courtroom preliminaries, the judge looked at the Father. “Do you have a lawyer?” he asked.

“I don’t need any lawyer, Judge,” he said.

“Proceed,” said the judge.

The rich man’s lawyer jumped up and pointed his finger at Father. “Do you or you do not agree that you have been
stealing the spirit of the complaint’s wealth and food?”

“I do not!” Father said.

“Do you or do you not agree that while the complaint’s servants cooked and fried fat legs of lamb or young chicken
breast you and your family hung outside his windows and inhaled the heavenly spirit of the food?”

“I agree.” Father said.

“Do you or do you not agree that while the complaint and his children grew sickly and tubercular you and your family
became strong of limb and fair in complexion?”

“I agree.” Father said.

“How do you account for that?”

Father got up and paced around, scratching his head thoughtfully. Then he said, “I would like to see the children of
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 complaint, Judge.”

“Bring in the children of the complaint.”

They came in shyly. The spectators covered their mouths with their hands, they were so amazed to see the children so
thin and pale. The children walked silently to a bench and sat down without looking up. They stared at the floor and
moved their hands uneasily.

Father could not say anything at first. He just stood by his chair and looked at them. Finally he said, “I should like to
cross – examine the complaint.”

“Proceed.”

“Do you claim that we stole the spirit of your wealth and became a laughing family while yours became morose and
sad?” Father said.

“Yes.”

“Do you claim that we stole the spirit of your food by hanging outside your windows when your servants cooked it?”
Father said.

“Yes.”

“Then we are going to pay you right now,” Father said. He walked over to where we children were sitting on the bench
and took my straw hat off my lap and began filling it up with centavo pieces that he took out of his pockets. He went to
Mother, who added a fistful of silver coins. My brothers threw in their small change.

“May I walk to the room across the hall and stay there for a few minutes, Judge?” Father said.

“As you wish.”

“Thank you,” father said. He strode into the other room with the hat in his hands. It was almost full of coins. The doors of
both rooms were wide open.

“Are you ready?” Father called.

“Proceed.” The judge said.

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 The sweet tinkle of the coins carried beautifully in the courtroom. The spectators turned their faces toward the sound
with wonder. Father came back and stood before the complaint.

“Did you hear it?” he asked.

“Hear what?” the man asked.

“The spirit of the money when I shook this hat?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Then you are paid,” Father said.

The rich man opened his mouth to speak and fell to the floor without a sound. The lawyer rushed to his aid. The judge
pounded his gravel.

“Case dismissed.” He said.

Father strutted around the courtroom the judge even came down from his high chair to shake hands with him. “By the
way,” he whispered, “I had an uncle who died laughing.”

“You like to hear my family laugh, Judge?” Father asked?

“Why not?”

“Did you hear that children?” father said.

My sisters started it. The rest of us followed them soon the spectators were laughing with us, holding their bellies and
bending over the chairs. And the laughter of the judge was the loudest of all.

Aguila, Augusto Antonio A., Joyce L. Arriola and John Jack Wigley. Philippine Literatures: Texts, Themes, Approaches.
Espana, Manila: Univesity of Santo Tomas Publishing House. Print.

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Elements of the Short Story (My Fathers Goes to Court)

SETTING: In the City
CHARACTERS: the young narrator, poor father, wife and his children, rich man, rich man’s
children, servants, policeman, judge and the lawyer
PLOT
Exposition:
There was a young narrator describing his family who lived in a town with a rich neighbor. This family's children often
goes out to play along with each other and always find themselves laughing, while the rich man's children are always
kept inside the house. The family often hang and stand beside the rich man's window to see whatever they are up to.
They always unintentionally smell the rich aroma of those foods their neighbor's maids are cooking.
 Rising Action:
As time went on, the rich man's children became thin and anemic, while the young narrator's family grew even more
robust and full of life. Their faces were bright and rosy while the others were pale and sad. Soon, the rich man started to
cough and his wife began too. Then their children started to cough, one after the other. Until one day, the rich man
suddenly closed their windows after seeing the young narrator's siblings; healthy and full of life.
Climax:
One morning, a policeman from the presidencia came to the young narrator's house. The rich man had filed a complaint
against them stating that they've been stealing the spirit of their wealth and food. The day came for the two families to
face the trial in the court. The rich man had a lawyer while the young narrator's father stood by his decision to not hire
any.
Falling Action:
The trial began by the rich man's lawyer started to ask annoying questions to the father. After answering, the father
requested to bring the complainant's children to the stand and began to ask almost the same questions he answered.
After being somehow proven guilty by the lawyer and the rich man's children, the father agreed to pay the crime they
committed.
Denouement:
The father agreed to pay the crime they committed. He walked over to where his children were sitting and took his straw
hat and began filling it up with centavo pieces. With the permission from the judge, he strode into the other room with
the hat full of coins in his hand while the doors of both rooms were wide open. The sweet tinkle of the coins carried
beautifully in the courtroom. All the people heard the sound. He talked to the rich man and said: "That's the spirit of
money, you are paid". The rich man fell to the floor as the father stands the case to be dismissed.
 

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.....End of lesson... :) 

         INTRODUCTION
                  Poetry has been around for almost four thousand years. Like other forms of literature,
poetry is written to share ideas, express emotions, and create imagery. Poets choose words for
their meaning and acoustics, arranging them to create a tempo known as the meter. Some poems
incorporate rhyme schemes, with two or more lines that end in like-sounding words. Today, poetry
35 | P a g e
remains an important part of art and culture. From Shakespearean sonnets to Maya Angelou’s
reflective compositions, poems are long-lived, read and recited for generations.

The poem entitled “The Poverty of the Woman Who Turned Herself into Stone” is a classic
Filipino poem that was written by Lina Sagaral-Reyes, a classic Filipino poet.
The speaker of the poem, which is a woman, sees and describes the situation of the
character presented in the poem. The poem is in the third person point of view. The “stone” in the
poem represents the state of the woman wherein she is no longer capable of feeling any emotion.
It represents her being numb to the cold and pain from the judgment of the people around her. It
can be implied that she has turned into a stone-hearted woman. She is always angry and does not
feel sorrow. Her life is only of a single color – gray – which is a color that symbolizes sadness,
bleakness, and dullness.
Poverty forced the woman to endure her struggles without complaining. She thinks that
there is nothing she can do anymore to change her life, so she just remains where she is and just
listens to the voices of the people who weigh her down. Poverty also made her blind, and she
chose not to see the ugly truth and reality. She just allowed herself to be swallowed by the
darkness of her suffering.
 

36 | P a g e
As the title suggests, this is a poem about a dry season which is dry in the sense that the persona
is poor, but who, in spite of his poverty, manages to see the brightest side of things and to make
do with the deprived conditions under which he lives. The conflict here is clear between the
conditions of extreme poverty and the attitude of cheerfu1ness and what this attitude sees of
abundance in his environment.
 The diction is very well-defined between the two elements of tension in the poem. For example,
the objects of poverty are pictured in the words: "broken pieces"; "our lean and hardwood house";
"cracked glass"; "no special feast"; "rice and fish and coffee"; "there is no wine"; "everything is
spare and useful"; "floorboards creaking and creaking"; "the sunhammered tree outside our
crooked window"; "dry season."
The words that bespeak his attitude of seeing abundance and the things around him are: "it is a
wonder"; "a fine day"; "Stm spilled"; "the wind lolloping"; "the birds singing and singing"; "we pick
up broken pieces" (showing willingness to make do with the broken pieces); be glad for several
things: that his pain is personal, that he has a bed which is in one comer, that he has a table, that
there is a "China jug of water/Will do to make us relish appetite"; "everything is spare and useful to
keep alive."

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There are many different types of poems. The difference between each type is based on the
format, rhyme scheme and subject matter.

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Item 1: The following are characteristics of 21st century literary works, EXCEPT

A: None of the above.

Item 2: Literature is language in use; as such, language becomes the medium or the tool of literature. Therefore,
language is separable from literature.

A: False

Item 3: Atlases and encyclopedias are examples of fiction because these are literary works based from fact.

39 | P a g e
A: False

Item 4: Literature reminds us that we are human beings. Which among the following explains this further?

A: Literature reminds us that we have our own limitations, insecurities, and imperfections; that despite our
shortcomings, we learn from our experiences and the experiences of others.

Item 5: Which among the following is the prevailing theme of the song Dukha?

A: Poverty

Item 6: Novellete, often referred to as a “slice of life” is a fictitious narrative compressed into one unit of time, place
and action; it deals with a single character interest, single emotion called forth by a single situation.

A: False

Item 7: In what context can one understand the message of the song Dukha?

A: a father who works abroad for the family

Item 8: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the
estate,’ So he divided his property between them.”

A: Parable

Item 9: Iliad and Odyssey, Beowulf, and El Cid are examples of literary pieces under

A: Epic

Item 10: The story, “Magnificence” uses a pencil as a symbol for the harassment did to the children. What literary
standard does it belong?

A: Suggestiveness

Item 11: Literature presents life and experience not by telling you what they are but by showing them to you
through a medium called

A: language

Item 12: “Long ago, in Mt. Makiling, there lived a beautiful goddess. She often shows off herself to people living at
the foot of the mountain as a human.”

A: Legend

Item 13: Poets are mirrors of the future who cast gigantic shadows upon the present.

A: True

Item 14: Which is NOT a role of music in literature?

A: It is the creative expression of views and feelings that is in opposition with the norms that people live by.

Item 15: Great literature observes no limits. It appeals to all because it deals with the basic feelings of people. This is
under what literary standard?

A: Universality

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Item 16: The following are true about the reasons for teaching literature to students, EXCEPT:

A: It develops mostly the analytic skills of learners.

Item 17: A certain literary piece can still become a masterpiece even if it lacks factuality.

A: True

Item 18: The Good Samaritan is about a traveler who (may or may not have been a Jew) is stripped clothing, beaten,
and left half dead alongside the road. First a priest and then a Levite comes by, but both avoid the man. Which
literary standard is being described?

A: Spiritual value

Item 19: Which is NOT true about literary appreciation in the classroom?

A: It can only be facilitated through classic literature.

Item 20: There was a father who cannot accept that his son is a gay. At the end, he killed his own son by stabbing
him with a knife.”

A: Short story

Item 1: In the story, “My father Goes to Court”, what is the main reason why the rich man filed a case against the
poor family?

R: The poor family stole the aroma of their food every day.

Item 2: _ is the literary and dramatic plot device in which a villain who has captured the hero or another sympathetic
character attempts to use an elaborate, improbable and usually sadistic method of murdering them.

R: Death trap

Item 3: In the story, “My Father Goes to Court”, what is the reason why the rich family is not healthy even if they
always eat good food?

R: The family is just stuck inside their house that is why they are not getting any fresh air.

Item 4: It is an unsuspected occurrence or turn of events in the story that completely changes the direction or
outcome of the plot from the direction it was likely to go.

R: Plot twist

Item 5: In a story employing this technique, the first scene shown is actually the conclusion to the plot.

R: Reverse chronology

Item 6: What is the mood of the story, “My Father Goes to Court”?

R: Happiness

Item 7: A _ is a plot device in which a component of a story ends unresolved, usually in a suspenseful or shocking
way, in order to compel audiences to turn the page or return to the story in the next installment.

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R: Cliffhanger

Item 8: In the story, “My Father Goes to Court”, what situation is presented when the other family is just smelling
the aroma of their neighbor’s food without having a chance to eat the same kind of food?

R: Being poor

Item 9: In the story, “My Father Goes to Court”, what does it tell us about human rights?

R: Human rights is not consistent for the people to enjoy.

Item 10: This is common type of conflict in which one character’s needs or wants are at odds with another’s.

R: Man vs. Man

Item 11: In literature, it is a common literary device used in mysteries and thrillers that can lead readers down a false
path or otherwise distract them from what’s really going on in the plot.

R: Red herring

Item 12: It is a literary device in which the plot goes ahead of time, meaning a scene that interrupts and takes the
narrative forward in time from the current time in story.

R: Prolepsis

Item 13: In literary terms, it is a plot device used when a seemingly unsolvable conflict or impossible problem is
solved by the sudden appearance of an unexpected person, object, or event.

R: Deus ex machine

Item 14: It is a window to an earlier occurrence that provides critical information to the story.

R: Flashback

Item 15: It is an external conflict that occurs in literature when the protagonist is placed in opposition with the
government or a cultural tradition or common norm of some kind.

R: Man vs. Society

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