21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World

ENGLISH LEARNING KIT

Writing a close analysis and critical

interpretation of literary texts

Target
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

Write a close analysis and critical interpretation of literary texts, applying

a reading approach, and doing an adaptation of these, require from the
learner the ability to identify: representative texts and authors from
Europ
 Knowing the author

MILAN KUNDERA
Literature can be seen as a collection of stories of various people,
Milan Kundera is widely known and recognizedCzechoslovakian-
historical places, significant events, and even fictional creations. But
born, France based writer. Born on April 1, 1929, Bruno ,
more than the stories and plot it presents an underlying concept
Czechoslovakia, Kundera comes from the middle class family. At a
can be observed and focused on – the values that every literary
young age, Kundera’s ideology was influence by experiences of war
work conveys to its reader.
and German occupation. He studied at Gymnázium Kapitána Jaroše
The values in stories are not evident or given away immediately. It
in 1948 and went to Charles University in Prague to study literature
needs to be unlocked and discovered by the reader. Through this
and aesthetics. Later on he transferred to the Film Faculty of the
values do not necessary tell us what is good or bad, how should
Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and graduated in 1952.
people behave or, what to believe in. Instead this values serve as a
Kundera wrote several stories and a successful one act play , The
guide that will help us think and realize what is morally right or
Owners of the Keys (1962). In 1984, he published his novel ‘The
accepted
Unbearable Lightness of Being’ which is known to be his best work
today.

Leading Comprehension

WHEN SHOULD A PERSON APOLOGIZE? AND

Setting the Context

LITERATURE AS A SOURCE OF VALUES

 Asking forgiveness or apologizing is one of the hardest acts that
people do when they commit mistakes intentionally or not. Make a
poem about forgiveness with a maximum of five stanzas and
minimum of three stanzas.

Post Test

Matching Type: match the items in column A with its correct

answer in column B
1. It is the world’s second A.Western
smallest continent. Civilization
Understanding the Text: NOVEL 2. He published his novel
‘The Unbearable lightness of Being’ B. Literature
1. What is the feeling of the character towards apologizing which is known to be his best work today.
first? 3. It is a collection of stories of various C. Milan Kundera
2. What beliefs does the character have on apologizing? people, historical places, significant
3. Explain the line : “I prefer a world where everyone would events, and even
apologize, with no exeption, pointlessly excessively, for fictional creations.
nothing at all, where they’d load themselves down with 4. It serves as a guide that will help D. Values
apologies” us think and realize what is morally
4. When should a person apologize? And when they should right or accepted.
not? 5. Europe is the birthplace of E. Europe
5. What does Alain’s action towards his father at the end of the
story tell us Responding as a Reader