Galamay, Leighy H.

Lingan, Jetrina L.
Enriching Vocabulary
1. Find the meaning of each italicized word or phrase in a dictionary.
a) with a slight rolling gait
- the way a person’s walk in which the weight of the body moves from side to
side more than usual
b) to vanquish my cowardice
- to overcome or to conquer something
c) surprised at my impudence
- rudeness; lack of manners
d) he’s done time
- have been done in prison
e) the dark labyrinths of cynical distrust
- a complex maze of pessimistic disbelief
f) it exalted him
- elevated in rank, power, or character
g) a she-bear in the taiga
- swampy, coniferous forest of high northern latitudes
h) across the steppe
- a large area of flat, unforested grassland

1. In the two episodes of Yevtushenko’s A Precocious Autobiography presented here, the

author recalls important experiences which threatened, developed, and strengthened the
point of view toward life. What is that point of view?
The point of view that was tackled in these two episodes is how we overcome and
face our fear and stand up with our beliefs.

2. How did he overcome his fear of Red? What do you think of the strategy he used?
He overcome his fear of Red by becoming strong physically and fought with Red.
He trained three weeks with parallel bars and weights and read a textbook on jujitsu.
After he trained, he faced Red, still in fear but fought him until Red fell and withdrew
with his lieutenants.
His strategy of becoming strong physically is the first thing everyone might think
to overcome their bullies. And that is what we thought, too. Bullies bully their targets
because they are weaker than them. They will not attack those stronger because they
cannot fight against them and surely will lose. If you became strong, no one would dare
to bully you again. But whatever strategies we used, like what he said, “There is no need
to fear the strong. All one needs is to know the method of overcoming them.”

3. Comment on the engineer’s statements that “all men are scoundrels” and “society is not
based on love but on mutual hatred.” What reasons did he give for such pronouncements?
Refute or defend his views.
 The engineer’s statement of “all men are scoundrels” can be based on the
society’s judgement about men. Since men commit more violence than women, we
cannot evade the thought of “men are trash”. But I certainly disagree that “all men are
scoundrels”. We cannot judge all men because of their high rate of criminal acts. There
are still men out there that lives with humanitarian actions, kind, and are paragon of
virtue. My relatives and friends can be a great example.
“Society is not based on love but on mutual hatred.” This statement of the
engineer was created because of what is happening in the world: wars between countries,
killings, rape, and other incidents that cause conflicts with others. Nonetheless, I believe
that the society is based on love, not on mutual hatred unlike his pronouncement. It is
because love is a strong emotion which can be resulted into kindness, honesty, and trust
to other people. For me, with love, everyone will bloom in their best and the society will
be intact, eradicating every hatred and be in peace.

4. Why did Yevtushenko think that the engineer’s arguments were abhorrent but
convincing?
We live in a world where love keeps the society together and can conquer
everything. But the situation Yevtushenko sees opposes this. The demon’s argument was
supported with facts (the demon and the woman live together yet hates each other). They
were compacted because of their needs even though they despise each other. It is an
abhorrent argument as it is not love that keep them together but mutual hatred but
convincing because it is what the reality that other people live on.

5. Suppose the driver didn’t fetch Yevtushenko’s philosophy from the tackles desert, do you
think Yevtushenko would have lost his faith in his fellowmen? Give proof to support
your answer.
Yes, in our life, we will not be able to avoid scenarios where our trust to other
people will be shaken, our sense of trust will blur the thin line between trusting and
feeling betrayed. Betrayal will step up instead. That’s why if the driver didn’t return, at
split seconds, he will doubt him. his faith will be tested. To prove this, remember the
scene where it was mentioned that his father left for the woman? That he only receives
letters from him seldomly.
6. The following statements express Yevtushenko’s philosophy about mankind, do you
agree with him or not? Give your reaction to his views.
a. There is no need to fear the strong. There is a special jujitsu for evert strong man.
This statement is undeniably true. The fear over something is inevitable. And if
this fear will frighten you until your knees will tremble, then will you just submit
yourself to it? Remember, there is always a solution to every problem; if there’s a
will, there is a way. In overcoming those things, problems, or fear, we first need to
face it. We can’t solve or win anything if we keep on running from it if we keep on
escaping it. We need to be brave and face it with firmness and courage. Just keep on
trying until you win over it. Until we overcome it.
b. If one wants to be a poem, he must not only write poems but also how to stand up for
what has is written.
Yes, if you really want to do something, don’t just keep on saying it, do it! You
must walk the talk and achieve it. Our words should be in line with our actions. We
should always do it for ourselves, we should do things that we decided to do and
 stand by what we say, because if we don’t, we will just live with the fear of it, and the
regrets that we didn’t even dare to try.
c. There are demons in every person’s life to test one’s faith in humanity.\
ALWAYS. In this life, we wont live without being tested by demons in any
aspects. These demons are just waiting for the perfect time to try and shake things up,
especially our relationship with other people. It will try to ruin things just for us to
doubt the people around us. If our trust to other people is shallow, then there is a
tendency that our relationship with other people will fall apart. But is its deep and
promising, then there’s no test that will blur it.
d. So many demons have come my way but no one of them ever shake my faith in my
fellowmen.
For me, this depends on the situation you are in. A trust that has become faith is
unshakable. If you trust this person, then you will have faith in him. if you have faith
in him, you must trust him. but if a person continuously breaks your trust, and keeps
on hurting you, even if you don’t like it, you will question them, you will start
doubting them and that’s normal. It is up to you if you will disregard those and keep
trusting them or do not trust them all again.

Lingan , Jetrina L. Date: October 4, 2022

[ PS. Ma’am I answered this part on my own because on the direction given in this part,
my partner should be the one next to me in alphabetically order, and since I am an
irregular student, no one approach me so I decided to do it individually.]

5 Imagery

1. VISUAL
A. From his peaked cap, always worn back to front., his forelock tumbled down
in fiery-cascade, and out of this world round pockmarked face green eyes
like cat’s, sparkled with scorned for everything and everyone crossing his
path.
B. The demon had a woman living with him-― a plain, sad-looking, little
woman with the evasive eyes of a beaten dog.

2. AUDITORY
A. But I made up a quick jabbing movement, and Red, howling with pain, rolled
on the ground.
B. “Get out, you bastard,” the driver said tonelessly.

3. TACTILE
 A. He sat wriggling his hairy toes in the warm water in delight.
B. I wandered around near the truck, chewing the harsh leaves of the desert
plants with slightly acid moisture.

4. KINESTHETIC
A. He sat wriggling his hairy toes in the warm water in delight.
B. The driver said nothing but his tattooed hands tightened on the wheel.

5. ORGANIC
A. I struggled with instinctive fear but lost and took my heel.
B. Pounding it with my fist in shame and impotent fury at my cowardice.