THE SMALL KEY

Paz M. Latorena
 - Latorena, was one of the
foremost writers of the first
generation of Filipino English
writers, in both literary writing and
education.

- A poet, Editor, Author and Teacher.

- She wrote poetry under the

pseudonym, Mina Lys, which
according to Tanlayco had a
“romantic significance”.
January 17, 1908 – October 20, 1953
- She won the 3rd prize in Jose
Garcia Villa’s Roll of Honor for
the Best Stories of 1927 for her
story, “The Small Key”.

- She earned her master’s and

doctorate degree while
teaching literature courses in
UST.
A woman named Soledad is married to a man named
Pedro Buhay. They live on a farm.
During the harvest time it was very warm. Soledad
planned to mend some clothes and asked his
husband where his clothes which she ironed the day
before.
Pedro took out on his pocket a string which has two keys:
one large and shiny, the other small and rusty.
Pedro gave the large key to his trunk which
contained his clothes to Soledad and put the
small key in the pocket of his coat while leaving
to the field for harvest.
Soledad began to fold the jacket and the small
key fell on the floor. She knows that the small
key is a key to a different trunk.
She can’t stop thinking what’s inside the other trunk.
It was revealed that the trunk contains the clothes of
Pedro’s first wife. She wonders why it is that he keeps
her old clothing and why he seems to have a special
feeling about them.
She obviously fears that Pedro still loves his first wife
even though she has been dead for many years. She
reveals that she hates the things in the small trunk and
worries that they will destroy the relationship between
her and her husband. Despite her attempts to not think
about the contents of the small trunk, Soledad opens it.
Pedro returned home to find Soledad in bed supposedly
with a fever. He watched over her all evening until
the doctor arrived and told him that she was not sick.
 The next morning Pedro discovered a pile of ashes
and half burnt clothes in the backyard. He realized
what Soledad had done and rushed to look in the
trunk to confirm it. Soledad has indeed burned his first
wife’s clothes.
Pedro is angry and bitter that this has happened and he
expects that Soledad will explain things later. He thinks to
himself that he will forgive her because he loves her but
that even if she did it out of love for him, it will always
remain a matter of some resentment toward her for doing
it.
------------------------------END------------------------------
 This story is about a Filipino couple
living in a rural area and the kind of
relationship they had. The wife, Soledad was
jealous of the memory of her husband’s first
wife who passed away. The husband, Pedro
Buhay kept a small key of his late wife’s
trunk. His keeping of small key was the start
of the conflict.
• A typical very warm day in a farm.
Pedro Buhay

- husband of
Soledad, also know
as Indo.

- a prosperous
farmer
Soledad

- wife of Pedro
Buhay, also known
as Choleng.
Tia Maria
Dr. Santos
- the auntie of Pedro who
– doctor of Soledad
helped and cared Soledad.
It was warm. The sun up above the sky that was all blue
and tremendous. Pedro Buhay, a prosperous farmer, was
eating. He is in a hurry to get back to work.

When he removed his coat before leaving to work in the

field.
Soledad knew that the small key opened another trunk which
contained the clothes of Pedro’s first wife who passed away
long ago.
She kept busy to distract herself from thoughts of how it
threatens to destroy her relationship with her husband.

When Pedro was on the backyard and saw

burnt clothes.
When Pedro found out that the trunk was empty.

Pedro tried to not get angry. He expects an

explanation from Soledad later and eventually forgive
her but somehow he knew that this will affect their
relationship.
The main theme of the story is about the honesty
between two people specifically between husband and
wife in this story.

I think what the author is trying to point out here is that

memories of the past will always have effect on the
present lives of the people who had those memories.
Some people who aren’t capable of holding in their
feelings may do reckless things without thinking what
the consequences of their actions would be.
In every relationship, there should be trust between
couples. A man should give his full trust to his woman and
the woman should trust her man. Nowadays, it’s undeniable
that many couples are experiencing marital problems maybe
because a man searches for another woman and vice versa

If someone enters into a serious relationship, he should be

ready for commitment and being committed takes a lot of
sacrifices. The story “The Small Key” tells someone that
no relationship is perfect it is a matter of a couple handle a
certain misunderstanding. Pedro forgave her wife not even
thinking twice. For me, that’s the essence of love, being
ready to forgive and forget just to save the relationship.