Here are the key points I understood from the discussion:
- Virgilio was struggling with whether to give up his family's land to the tenants as they demanded, or keep it for himself.
- This internal conflict was triggered after his conversation with Carding, who advocated for the tenants' rights to the land.
- At his dinner party, a debate emerged among his friends about social change, putting more pressure on Virgilio.
- Unable to decide on a course of action, and feeling trapped by the situation, Virgilio ultimately resorted to suicide as a way to escape his dilemma.
- His friend Nestor sensed Virgilio was troubled but didn't realize the full extent until after
Here are the key points I understood from the discussion:
- Virgilio was struggling with whether to give up his family's land to the tenants as they demanded, or keep it for himself.
- This internal conflict was triggered after his conversation with Carding, who advocated for the tenants' rights to the land.
- At his dinner party, a debate emerged among his friends about social change, putting more pressure on Virgilio.
- Unable to decide on a course of action, and feeling trapped by the situation, Virgilio ultimately resorted to suicide as a way to escape his dilemma.
- His friend Nestor sensed Virgilio was troubled but didn't realize the full extent until after
Here are the key points I understood from the discussion:
- Virgilio was struggling with whether to give up his family's land to the tenants as they demanded, or keep it for himself.
- This internal conflict was triggered after his conversation with Carding, who advocated for the tenants' rights to the land.
- At his dinner party, a debate emerged among his friends about social change, putting more pressure on Virgilio.
- Unable to decide on a course of action, and feeling trapped by the situation, Virgilio ultimately resorted to suicide as a way to escape his dilemma.
- His friend Nestor sensed Virgilio was troubled but didn't realize the full extent until after
Presented by Group 7 AUTHOR AND HIS BACKGROUND NAME OF AUTHOR: Rony V. Diaz Born in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, on Dec. 2, 1932 - First Novel
- Known for His
prize-winning short novel “to devote all (my) time to storytelling.” Two novels, Elegy for Candida and Quita y Pone, to form a trilogy with At War’s End Diaz’s net worth or net income is estimated to be $1 million – $5 million dollars OTHER WORKS: Death in a sawmill, Canticles for Three Women: La Merced Cycle The Centipede ABOUT THE LITERARY WORK STORY NO. 2: AT THE WAR'S END SETTING: During WWII somewhere in the Philippines ( Leyte, Manila) CHARACTER: Virgilio Serrano- the main character Don Pepe- Virgilio’s Father. Clara- Aunt of Virgilio and Don Pepe’s sister. Honesto Garcia- Clara's husband Carding Valdefuerza- One of the tenants Nestor Gallego- Closest friend of Virgilio Arturo- a driver of Virgilio Ricardo Valdefuerza- a lawyer. Josefa- housemaid Police Officer No.1 and Police Officer No.2- who investigates the crime scene. Victor- one of Virgilio's friend Zacarias- is also Virgilio's Enrique- one of Virgilio's friend. Apolonio- is also a friend of Virgilio. Father Sean O’Donovan, S.J.- a priest. Father Francisco Santander- the parish priest. Jose Jr.- is the son of Honesto and Clara. Restituto- a caretaker. CHARACTERIZATION Virgilio Serrano- the main character, a
sophomore student at the University of the
Philippines Diliman who came from a wealthy family.. Don Pepe- Virgilio’s father who worked hard to give Virgilio the best resources and opportunities in life. Clara- She is Don Pepe’s sister and wife of Honesto. She is also the one who looked after Virgilio’s. Honesto Garcia- Clara's husband, didn't have proper education but is strong willed and is street smart. Carding Valdefuerza- who happened to appear at the latter part of the story reveals on the real reason of Virgilio's life changing decision. Nestor Gallego- his confidant, and narrator of the story through his point of view, and who sense that there is something that is bothering Virgilio Arturo- a driver of Virgilio and who find out that he committed suicide, and he then rushed to Nestor to tell what happened. Ricardo Valdefuerza- believes that workers/farmers own the land; a lawyer. Josefa- is the housemaid knocked on the door of Virgilio’s bedroom. Police Officer No.1 – the one who went out to the yard to look for clues Police Officer No.2- the one who made a sketch of the scene and searched the bedroom systematically and the one who find the poem Victor- who declared and says “The war has given us the opportunity to change this country. The feudal order is being challenged all over the world. Mao Tse Tung has triumphed in China. Soon the revolution will be here. We have to help prepare the people for it.” Zacarias- is also Virgilio's friend and decided to make a career in physics and chemistry. Enrique- soon to be electrical engineering and also one of Virgilio's friend. Apolonio- is also a friend of Virgilio who attend the dinner party. Father Sean O’Donovan, S.J.- who refused to say Mass or to bless the corpse. Father Francisco Santander- the parish priest. Jose Jr.- is the son of Honesto and Clara. Restituto- a caretaker. CONFLICTS Man vs Self conflict and Suicide. LITERARY DEVICES: • Frame story • Foreshadowing • Point of View •Frame story • Foreshadowing
“THE evening before he
killed himself, Virgilio Serrano gave a dinner party” •Point of View THEME The Intractable Conflict Challenge Summary "At War's End", set shortly after the end of WWII in Manila, it is told in the first person by a college friend of Virgilio. The story began when Virgilio welcomed his friends to their house, for the dinner he was hosting. Virgilio’s house was described as an ironic presence because despite of their house being well-maintained, the rest of the neighborhood was mostly wrecked due to the bombings during the world war Nestor mentioned that all of them were amazed of how smart and gifted Virgilio was. The dinner went well, and just in time the table was cleared; Victor opened the discussion about the benefits of the war. The room was split into two; those who want change through revolution and those who find it unnecessary. Before the discussion could go somewhere else, Virgilio asked to change the subject. He then played his piano for his friends; whereby Nestor could already sense that there is something that is bothering Virgilio. The chaos started when Virgilio did not appear for his breakfast at eight. Arturo, his driver climbed up to the window of his bedroom only to find out that he committed suicide. He then rushed to Nestor to tell what happened and then they reported the suicide to the police and went back to the house to check the crime scene. The policemen began searching the place, and interviewed the maids and the other house helpers. Before the dinner, without anyone’s knowledge, Carding talked to Virgilio regarding their rights on Serrano’s land rooting from the scientific socialism that has widely spread to the tenants, promising them that in every hard work they do comes a reasonable reward which is the piece of land for each. Although it was concealed and shared at the latter part of the story The Recognition stage happened when after few hours of searching the bedroom for clues and evidences, they then found a book of poem he written entitled “Down There” where Virgilio dedicated it for Nestor- as his confidant. Although it was a clear suicide, Nestor didn’t know what the book was for and what did it meant at that time, but he recognized that it has something to do about Virgilio’s death; something that may contain and conceal the reasons as why he did it so, he asked for it once the police were done investigating it. Virgilio might have recognized also that there are only two things that he can do- give up the land and take enough to sustain their lifestyle or not. Carding entered the scene asking Nestor if Virgilio left a last will and testament containing about the land. Out of disappointment, Carding said that Virgilio has changed his mind regarding it and they have no choice but to take the Serrano’s land by force. The day of the funeral, Nestor’s heart was racing because he knew the reason for Virgilio’s suicide. The last 2 words he said before the story end are “save me.” Moral Lesson Suicide is not a solution INDIVIDUAL UNDERSTANDING: Courtney: Virgilio has a great life but despite of having a great life he kill himself. The author did not conceal the meaning of the poem, names, and places written on “Down There”, that’s why I cannot fully understand why he kill himself is it because he is struggling whether he would give up the land or not? Or he is really a coward for not being able to stand on his decisions that’s why he kill himself? And there is Nestor, being haunted by this truth and the real reason of his friend’s death hence he said, “save me”. When I read it first , I really thought that the only problem was when Virgilio committed suicide. After reading it again, I read Nestor’s conversation with Carding as the one that has stirred the story. If Virgilio did not know the struggles and demands of the tenants himself through Carding, he wouldn’t have been bothered to decide whether to give up the land or not. It has stirred him inside that he simply cannot decide whether to give it up or not so he decided to kill himself, maybe, to escape his problem. Ammabelle: My understanding or reflection about the "At War's End" by Rony V. Diaz is their friendship of Virgilio and Nestor, their friendship is one of the good example. But I don't like the part that when Virgilio committed suicide, which is the main character. But his friend Nestor he is a good man but he didn't believe of his instinct. He knows that there's something bothering Virgilio but he didn't do anything, but I can't blame Nestor he is just human too. But I like Virgilio, when he wrote a message letter for his friend Nestor. Paolo: What I understood from the story “At War’s End” by Rony V. Diaz is Virgillio under pressure from classmates and influenced by what he reads, to question the justice of 1000 tenants and their family working in grinding poverty just to support him in leisured comfort. He begins to think once the time comes when he is in control of the estate he will either will it to the tenants or perhaps, after providing for aunt Clara, divide it up and end the feudalism his family has lived from for generations. Adamme: What I understood from the story “At War’s End” by Rony Diaz is Virgilio dinner party maybe serve as his last goodbye because before he killed himself he invited his love ones, his friends. Grendelle: What I understood from the story is maybe because of the dinner party trigger Virgilio kill himself because he is pressured what to do whether to gave up his land which his father worked hard for or not.
Johari: What I understood from that story is Virgilio Serrano has a big land and the tenants wants him to give them the land because they did nothing to it and it rightfully belongs to the workers. And because He did not know what to do he kill himself after the dinner party. Question Time