Denaga, Jenny A.

MKTMGT-2101
Si Mabuti
Ni
Genoveva-Edroza Matute
Reflection Paper

“Si Mabuti” is a short story written by Genoveva-Edroza Matute. It is cited as the most
anthologized Tagalog language short story. The author used the first-person point of view wherein
the story was narrated by one of the characters who is a student of Mabuti. Additionally, the author
used different techniques that help readers to be fascinated and more interested to read the story,
this includes flashbacks and plot twists. Flashbacks were used to tell the past events that happened
before the current point in the story and plot twists to surprise the readers with an unexpected
ending. The story implies that no one is perfect.

The story of Si Mabuti started with a student who is silently crying at the library of their
school when the teacher, whom they called Si Mabuti approached her. Si Mabuti is a typical
teacher with a not-so-typical life. Both characters encountered different problems, but they found
each other in a place they didn't expect, to cry and to feel the comfort of one another. In this story,
I believed that no one is flawless, everyone makes mistakes and makes wrong decisions, but the
important the is we have the courage to deal with them, overcome them, and resolve them. At the
end of the story, the narrator found out the reason why the teacher only tells stories about her child
and avoids the father of her child. It is because they are not the first family, and she probably thinks
that they have no right to be proud of each other. She maybe knows that what they did was an
immoral act, especially since she is a teacher. On the other hand, if we look further, we will know
that she is very deserving to be called or to have the title of Mabuti. It is because she became
contented, “Si Mabuti” didn't seek greater attention from the father of her child. She bears all her
sufferings inside because she probably thinks that those are the payment for all her not-so-good
actions.

In this story, I believe that what we see is not always true or what really exists, she may be
happy on the outside but what we don't know is that she is lonely inside. We must always know
the story behind a person's actions. Everyone has their own good sides but not all can see it. So, if
you are given a chance, grab it, just like what the narrator or the student did. She didn't judge the
teacher but instead see the beauty behind her. Moreover, there are times that surrendering and
giving up was the best solution to all our problems, but we must understand that everything
happens for a reason and at the right time, we can experience the happiness that we truly deserve.