MAGNIFICENCE

Magnificence is a short story by the cebuano

writer estrella D. Alfon (1917-1983). It's one of
the stories contained in her short story collection

Estrella D. Alfon (1917-1983)

Freytag’s Pyramid
describes the five
key stages of a story,
offering a conceptual
framework for writing
a story from start to
finish. These stages
are:
1.Exposition
2.Rising Action
3.Climax
4.Falling Action
5.Resolution
Estrella Alfon
Estrella D. Alfon (July 18, 1917 – December 28, 1983) was a Filipina
author who wrote in English. She held an AA degree from the
University of the Philippines and was a member of the UP Writers
Club.In spite of having only a basic A.A. degree, she was eventually
appointed as a professor of Creative Writing at the University of
the Philippines, Manila. She held the National Fellowship in
Fiction post at the U.P. Creative Writing Center in 1979. She
would also serve on the Philippine Board of Tourism in the 1970s.
Magnificence
Vicente, a young man who worked as a bus conductor during the
day, offered to help a young girl and her brother with their Math
and English language assignments. In the evenings, he would go
to their house, and over a huge study table, he would help them
solve fractions and mull over language phrases. He also bought
them pencils which were all the rage at the siblings' school.
However, it turned out that there was a dark motive behind
Vicente's kindness and gentleness towards the two kids.
Magnificence
One evening during a tutoring session,
Vicente tricked the boy into leaving the room
and then proceeded to molest the girl. The
mother caught him performing the deed.
Angered by what she saw, the mother
slapped Vicente many times and drove him
out of the house. The story ended with the
mother tucking her daughter in her bed.
Exposition
The story starts with a man named Vicente, who comes
to the house of the two children, Oscar (a little boy) and
an unnamed little girl, to tutor them. The family trusted
the man because even though he was just a conductor,
he appeared to be gentle and kind, and it seemed like
there was nothing to fear when he was around.
Rising Action
One evening, Vicente came earlier than usual. The
children immediately put their lesson down and told
him the envy of their classmates from the pencils he
gave them. He then asked Oscar to get him a glass of
water.
Climax
Vicente got the trust of the little girl because he gave him
three pencils (he only gave two pencils to Oscar) . He
then held the little girl by the arm, took her up lightly and
held her to sit down on his lap. Then the little girl kept on
squirming and for some reason, she felt uncomfortable.
Vicente’s face was wet with sweat and his eyes looked
strange.
Falling Action
The girl jumped away from Vicente’s lap then her
mother came down the stairs holding their “merienda”
or snack for them. She sends the children upstairs and
then she talked to Vicente. She slapped him a couple
of times, without him resisting or defending, then
sends him away.
Denouement
The mother bathed the little girl and dressed her
in new clothes. The little girl went to sleep. The
mother then took the pencils and the clothes her
daughter have worn and put it aside for
tomorrow. Tomorrow came and she put it in the
fire.
Test your skills!
1. What figure of speech is established in the first line
of the short story?
2. Why pencils are recurring objects in the story?
3. How does the short story reveal gender roles?
4. Cite lines in the story that suggests foreshadowing.