Republic of the Philippines

CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY

S O LA N A C A M P U S
Iraga, Solana Cagayan, 3503

Monday, May 1, 20XX

Footnote to Youth by Jose Garcia Villa (Short

Story) - Summary, Critique, Literary Analysis
Footnote to Youth is a story by Jose Garcia Villa that was published
in 1933. The year the story was published plays an important role in
understanding the story and what it means. The situation in the
Philippines back in the 1930s is very different from today (it's 2021
as I write this). If you've read the story, then you should agree with
me when I say that it's an indictment of the common Filipino practice
of marrying young and unprepared. I'd like to think that marrying
young was way more rampant in the 1930s than in the 21st century.

The Characters

1. Dodong - A 17-year-old youth wanting to marry his sweetheart.

2. Teang - The girl whom Dodong wanted to marry.
3. Dodong's father
4. Dodong's mother
5. Lucio - A former suitor of Teang who was nine years older than
Dodong.
6. Blas - Dodong's eldest son.
7. Tona - The girlfriend of Blas.

Plot and Summary

The plot of the story is four-pronged. It has four parts that sweep
through two generations from the day Dodong decides to get married to
the day his eldest son Blas approaches him to tell him that he himself
wants to get married. Dodong was seventeen when he married Teang. They
immediately conceived Blas soon after. Blas is eighteen when he asks
his father permission to marry his sweetheart Tona. That said, the
story covers a time span of 17 years.

Part I - On a sunny afternoon after a hard day's work in the fields,

Dodong decides to tell his father that he wants to marry his
sweetheart Teang. He's only seventeen years old. After a sumptuous
dinner, he spills out his plans to his father. His proposition is met
with hesitation and discouragement. His father tells him that he's too
young to get married. But in the end, his father agrees to his wishes
and grants him the permission to marry Teang.

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 Republic of the Philippines
CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY
S O LA N A C A M P U S
Iraga, Solana Cagayan, 3503

Part II - Nine months after their marriage, Teang gives birth to her
first son. Dodong experiences a whirlwind of conflicting emotions
during the birthing process - confusion, fear, discomfort,
embarrassment, and guilt. But when he hears the little baby whimper
and cry, he swells with happiness.

Part III - Blas is followed by six more children. Dodong didn't want
any more children, but they came anyway. This makes him angry at
himself sometimes. The parade of children is also taking its toll on
Teang. She often wishes that she's not married. She sometimes wonders
if her life would've been better had she married Lucio, a former
suitor she rejected since he was nine years older than Dodong.

Part IV - Blas is eighteen years old. One night, he tells his father
that he wants to marry his girlfriend, Tona. Like his father before
him, Dodong doesn't want Blas to marry as he's too young. He knows
what's going to happen if Blas marries too early. He gives him
permission to marry anyway. But he does so with sadness in him.

Notes and Analysis / Study Guide for Students

- What is the meaning or central theme of the story? The story

highlights a problem in Philippine society - the practice of marrying
too young and suffering through the rest of the marriage. Dodong and
Teang, regardless of their love for each other and their children, are
obviously not happy with the way their lives turned out. It can also
be deduced from the first part of the story that Dodong's parents went
through the same predicament. The story puts a microscope on this
cycle of marrying young and then suffering through life.

- Is there a moral lesson in the story? It's obvious. Don't marry

young just because you are in love. Often, it's a recipe for disaster.
Parents can also take a lesson from the story. If your seventeen or
eighteen-year-old son tells you that he's going to marry his
girlfriend, don't be afraid to say no.

- Does the saying "history repeats itself" apply to the narrative in

the story? Yes. The whole story is history repeating itself. several
times Dodong's parents married young and suffered. Dodong married
young and suffered. Now Dodong's son is marrying young and Dodong
knows that his son and his future wife are going to suffer.

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 Republic of the Philippines
CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY
S O LA N A C A M P U S
Iraga, Solana Cagayan, 3503

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 Republic of the Philippines
CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY
S O LA N A C A M P U S
Iraga, Solana Cagayan, 3503

Production Team
Director Rosabella Chelsea Marquez
Cinematographer Dexter Taguba
Script Writer Rosabella Chelsea Marquez
Editor And Sound Technician Dexter Taguba
Dodong Christopher Cusipag
Teang Jessa Mae Reyes
Dodong's Father Johndave Mabborang
Dodong’s Mother Via Bulseco
Blas Mark Anthony Bertocio
Tona Kathlyn Dela Cruz
Teang’s Father4
Teang’s Mother 4

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 Republic of the Philippines
CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY
S O LA N A C A M P U S
Iraga, Solana Cagayan, 3503

FOOTNOTE TO YOUTH
Act 1
(The Plan of Dodong)

SCENE 1

On the farm, the sun was salmon colored and hazy. Dodong entered the scene while
having a thought to himself on how he was going to tell his father about marrying.
Teang. He was hesitant to say it, but he wanted his father to know. What he had to say
was important because it would mark a significant milestone in his life.

Dodong: (kinakausap ang sarili na parang problemado) sasabihin ko na kay Tatay ang plano kong pakasalan si
Teang…pero paano kung hindi niya ako payagan? Paano kung hindi niya ako maintindihan kung gaano kalalim
yung pagmamahal ko? (buntong hininga) Mahal ko si Teang e, mahal na mahal, ayaw ko siyang pakawalan,
ayaw ko na siyang mawala pa sakin. Hayst, bahala na basta sasabihin ko na kay tatay na gusto kong pakasalan
si Teang.

SCENE 2

After he unhitch the carabao, he starts walking to his way home. On his way a thought popped
into his mind. He was 17, he had pimples on his face, his upper lips were already dark, meaning
that he was already grown up. As he walked faster his feelings persuaded him. He thought of
young dreams of himself and Teang. Teang his girl. She had a small brown face and small black
eyes with straight glossy hair.

Dodong’s POV:

------------------------------------------------IMAGINATION ABOUT TEANG-------------------------------------------------

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 Republic of the Philippines
CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY
S O LA N A C A M P U S
Iraga, Solana Cagayan, 3503