Mentar, Marc Nathaniel M.

BSBA 2-2

The Scent of Apples : Reflection

The story depicts about the life of every Filipino who is far away from his country. The
story tells us how much he missed his country, the land that he had to leave. That he is
curious what his country looks like in the present. It also showed us his great
understanding for a friend who he had realized, or even wished feels the same way he
does. I have realized how painful it is to part with your country. The land of your birth.
That there is only one home where our heart dwells. That there is only one place where
we long to stay most. That there is only land where you can look around and smile – a
real smile and say what your heart wanted to say. That is home.

New Yorker in Tondo : Reflection

We sometimes isolate ourselves from others in terms of being able to attain things that
we have long yearned for. We feel honored to be able to achieve a “certain” thing in life.
That why we see ourselves who out stand among others. But, there are times that we
think so much high of our self-esteem, resulting to such horrible things that we treat to
others. It because when we think high of ourselves, alongside it, we also think low to
others. That’s why we often judge them, not even realizing their emotions. That’s why in
the end, there are some who feel guilty for the things that they have done to others, we
tend to regret in the end. That’s why it is important to just live life as a normal one, even
though you have achieve lots of things in life. There’s no need to boast. Just know to
understand others.

Dead Stars : Reflection

Dead stars is a beautiful and typical love story that highlights the confusion on
the relationship between a man named Alfredo Salazar, who has his fiancé in the person
of Esperanza and they have been engaged for quite some time. Society views them
as an ideal couple. Their wedding is about to take place shortly. Before the wedding,
however, he sees another girl, when he goes with his father to a judge's house. He
tries to seek love in her, but she declines. In that way, Alfredo becomes a little bit
confused in his upcoming wedding where he is about to choose between two options, to
do what he should do by marrying Esperanza as prescribed by his parents or to do
what he wants to do by having Julia Salas, his dream-the dead star in his life.
The relationship between Alfredo and Julia seemed to be genuine, but as the
moment passes by the affection they had wasted and disappears like such a
disillusioned dead star, reminiscent of the past that no longer exists. No, he doesn’t
find her to be distinct from that individual he considered her to be all these years
because of lost youth. His shame, weakness, and being unreasonable are innate human
deformities. Alfredo considers something particular from Julia Salas that Esperanza does
not have, and I think of it as childish for him to distinguish the two females. He
considers females as his fantasies’ subsequent choice when it’s fading.
May Day Eve : Reflection

In the short story, I have reflected that even though men and women were different both
must be treated fairly and equally. For God made us equal.
Like men, women must have the capacity to decide and fulfill their own
desires. Women must like men be the masters of them selves and not be the slave of
anyone else. Women too have a brave side in them.
Another is that, we must not take revenge. For in taking vengeance we are also
destroying our self. The Lord forgives those who have sinned against him, so why can’t
we human forgive. The Lord said “You must forgive 70 x 7”.
Lastly, we must not be selfish in giving and sharing our love. The purpose why we live is
of love. If each of us has love in our hearts then everybody would be peaceful and the
world we are living will be at peace.

Divided by Two : Reflection

Francisco Arcellana’s two short stories “The Mats” and Divide by Two” are both stories
of hardships that each and every family goes through and how they deal with it.
The Mats, a story about a father coming back home to his family from a trip, with of
course “pasalubong”, a tradition Filipinos have been doing every time one of them go to
a different place. It is their way of bring a piece of that place back with them and share it
with others. And for this family the father had bought each member of the family their
own specially made mats. But the most touching part of the story was that the father had
also gotten three other specially made mats for three daughters that had died. That was
the really moving part of the story for even though three people from their family had
died they are still remembered and are still a part of their lives no matter what happens.
Divided by Two is basically about the love affair between two neighbors. And ever since
one these neighbors had put up a fence which unevenly measured pressure between the
two started heating up. And just because of a fence being built between two houses a
husband and a wife led to the revelation that the wife had been having an affair with the
man next door, who also is married. Even though these things had been a lot to take the
wife had still chosen her husband.
These stories undergo different situations and different emotions. The Mats is a very
moving story and it true in most cases, that when somebody close to your heart dies
they will never go away and be forgotten. And as for Divided by Two, it shows that
marriage can be difficult and that no matter what happens you have agreed to be in that
marriage, whether or not it may be difficult you will still struggle and fight for the one
you love.