Ctitique Paper 1 - Short Story Review

Name: Vergara, Jannie Leila N.
Section: GAS - 111

Date: January 4, 2017
Teacher: Ms. Jenny Sobrevega
PROMDI@MANILA
INTRODUCTION
A. ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND THE REGION
Genevieve L. Asenjo is a product of a community of

farmers in Tobias Fornier, Antique. She is the author
of four books including Lumbay ng Dila (The
Melancholy of the Tongue), winner of the country’s
2011 National Book Award. She is fiction writer, and
poet. She also does literary translation and plans to
build a storytelling house. Her short stories and
poems have appeared in many magazines and
anthologies. She translates into the Philippine
languages Kinaray-a, Hiligaynon, and Filipino, and is
the founder-director of Balay Sugidanun (Storytelling House). She is Associate Professor
of literature and creative writing at De La Salle University-Manila. Her participation is
made possible by a grant from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S.
Department of State. She received Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Short Story in
Hiligaynon. She has been a Writing Fellow to National Writers Workshops (Iligan in
1997; UP-Davao in 2001) and currently serves as panelist for workshops in Antique,
Iloilo and Bacolod. Her works have been published in national magazines, anthologies,
journals, and websites. She is one of the first recipients of the Fray Luis Writing Grant of
the University of San Agustin for poetry in Kinaray-a and Filipino.
Historians believe that the earliest people who settled on the island of Panay were
tribal Negritos or Atis. Oral history, relayed as the "Maragtas", states that ten "datus" or
minor tribal chieftains from Malay escaped persecution from a city called Odtohan from
Borneo due to a tyrant ruler called Makatunaw. The ten datus, led by Datu Puti, sailed
northward with their families and communities, landing on Panay after departing Borneo.
There are claims that the narrative of the Maragtas is dated to 1212 to fit with the
transition of the Sri Vijayan Empire to Majapahit but there are no written evidence about
this, nor there are any existing claims that links the datus to Borneo. Nevertheless, the
Maragtas narrative is to be considered as part of the local history of the people.
Upon arrival, the Malay datus met the Ati chieftain Datu Marikudo and his wife
Maniwantiwan. They offered the chieftain a salakot which includes a golden necklace,
earrings, bracelets and trinkets they wore when they fled Borneo among other gifts of
pearls and fine clothes as a display of respect and to buy the land for them to live. Datu
Marikudo responded to the datus' generosity by giving the Malayans the lowlands and
moving to the mountains with his Ati tribe as the mountains are sacred to them. The
legacy of this landing is commemorated annually in Antique during the Binirayan
festival.
The island of Panay was then divided into three sakups: Hantik, Aklan and Irong-
Irong. Aklan became the present-day Aklan and Capiz, Irong-Irong became Iloilo, and
Hantik (also called Hamtik or Hamtic) became Antique. Hantik was named for the large
black ants found on the island called "hantik-hantik".
Being a coastal province, and having been vulnerable to attacks by Moro raiders,
Antique was guarded by a series of watchtowers, like the ‘Old Watchtower’ in Libertad
and Estancia Hill in Bugasong all of which were built under the direction of the Spanish
friars. he Antiqueños are noted for their industry. They are renowned weavers throughout
the Visayas. The Bugasong patadyong, a tube cotton fabric of plaid design, is highly
valued because of its fineness of weaving. Piña cloth is also produced in looms
throughout the province. Wine manufactured from the sap of the coconut is a cottage
industry. The rugged and varied land of Antique offers visitors a variety of outdoor
activities. Diving and beach enthusiasts would have a great time discovering the
unspoiled islets of Antique.
B. OVERVIEW OF THE SELECTION
The story dramatizes the life of two women who embody longing for roots after
being displaced and lured by the promise of urban progress. Both are “promdi” in the
city, but the character Julia Sebastian seems to have integrated well into city life after
years of being away from Antique–and quite willfully, after several struggles. She
reconnects with her roots through her encounter of Teray, who unlike her has no chance
of moving up in the city.
C. CHARACTERS IN THE STORY/PERSONA IN THE POEM
 Julia Sebastian, lead character. 22-year-old woman with beauty and brains. Came
from a family of activists and now an assistant creative director of Harrison
Communications in HSBC Enterprise Building located in Ayala Avenue.
 Teray, foil character. Julia’s neighbor in Antique and their manicurist way back in
high school. She is the foil or opposite of Julia because she is the exact figure of
failure that the lead character is not. Teray also manifests the failure of Julia–of
emulating a totally urbanized personality and thus setting aside her values, or
basically forgetting who she is.
CRITIQUE PROPER
D. ANALYSIS OF THE SHORT STORY
 Setting – In this story the city—Manila—serves as a contrast to Antique, in the island

of Panay in the Visayas. The city-setting where Julia currently resides locates her as
one actively performing her city life by way of her motivations and actions, as well as
her view of the world and of herself. The encounter with Teray is an encounter with
the specter of her hometown. In that short trip to help a townmate, Julia is somehow
able to rekindle her love of her old hometown.
 Plot - Sitting on her bed, Julia is using her laptop, inside her rented studio type room
in Gil Puyat Avenue when she got a text from Teray, their neighbor in Antique that
also became their manicurist way back in high school. Julia is a daughter of an
activist that is now experiencing a good state of life in Manila rather than the old
times in Antique. Julia called Teray to decline her request to accompany her to
Caloocan to escape from her employer in Fort Bonifacio, but she did not have the
chance to say that she has a full schedule because of Teray’s continuously speaking.
And because of that, Julia decided to accompany Teray only in Monumento and wait
till she ride in the Jeep while she will be watching the movie and do her other works.
In the next morning, they meet at Baclaran Church chatting, while eating their lunch
in Jollibee. Teray happened to mention the souvenirs she wants to buy for her family
even though they are experiencing vicissitude in life and Julia thinks that her one trip
in David Salon or Derm Clinic is much more expensive than the things Teray wants
to buy. She excuses herself to the restroom because she cannot contain the feelings
anymore. Julia looks for her ATM and HSBC card in her shoulder bag as they ride in
the taxi going to SM Manila.
 Point of view – The POV used was the 3rd person’s POV, in which the narrator
relates all action in third person.
 Symbols – the symbols used are the following:

a. Aga – it refers to the actor Aga Mulach, who was known to have endorsed the
fastfood chain Jollibee in commercials for a long while.
b. Mongoloid – a colloquial term for a child with Down’s syndrome.
c. Breakgame – it is a mispronunciation of brick game, a popular gadget game
in the 1990’s to the early 2000’s.
E. APPLICATION
The story tries to tell us that not everything you see will lead you to a better life
and as for me, what you see is not what you get.
F. RECOMMENDATION
I would recommend it to the people that is struggling to go to Manila thinking that

is easy to live there and has the chance to have a good life, not knowing the hardships of
the people living there every day that it is not easy as what they think.

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Name: Vergara, Jannie Leila N.

Section: GAS - 111

A. ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND THE REGION

Genevieve L. Asenjo is a product of a community of

B. OVERVIEW OF THE SELECTION

D. ANALYSIS OF THE SHORT STORY

 Setting – In this story the city—Manila—serves as a contrast to Antique, in the island

 Symbols – the symbols used are the following:

I would recommend it to the people that is struggling to go to Manila thinking that

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