Literature of Mindanao

(lit10)
Midterm

Submitted to:
Mr. Jovannie B. Malintad

Submitted by:
Giezel Jhing M. Bailado
(BSCE-4A)
 Module No. and Title Module 1: Literature: An Overview

Lesson No. and Title Lesson 1: Definition and Classification of Literature

Learning Outcomes At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:
• Define literature; and
• Identify the classifications of literature.

Time Frame 1 week

Welcome to the first lesson of Module 1, entitled “Definition and Classification of

Literature”. In this lesson, you will be able to determine the definition, classification, and
importance of the subject. You will have series of activities that lets you enhance your
prior knowledge. And to support your claims, lessons are made simpler for
understanding and check your answers.

#1 We want to know your goals in completing this module. In the space provided
below, write down your LITERARY GOALS for yourself and your expectations of
this module.

LITERARY GOALS

My literary goal is for me to develop and learn more about the literature of
Mindanao, because I want to know more about our own literature than other
countries literature. This is my first time taking up modular class and I find it
challenging.

JUMBLED WORDS

#2 Arrange the following jumbled letters to form words related to literature.

1. I R T N I W G S = WRITINGS 6. N F T N I O I N O C =
NONFICTION
2. I C I O F T N = FICTION 7. U T O R A H = AUTHOR
3. O K S O B = BOOKS 8. S A Y E S S = ESSAYS
4. R A T C E V E I = CREATIVE 9. R A M D A = DRAMA
5. O T E R P Y = POETRY 10. L R O A = ORAL

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 #3 Using the words that you formed from the activity earlier, share what you
already know about LITERATURE.

Those words stated that literature is a collection of written works that

forms arts.

EXPLAIN
What do you think C.S. Lewis meant with his famous quotation below?

"Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary
competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the
deserts that our lives have already become."

Explain your thoughts in at least 5 sentences.

Literature describe and adds to our common humanity while also

showing us the differences among people. It delves into tragic histories that
maybe we as individuals equipped to untangle. Literature is a way to bring past
experiences, prejudices, fears, and future hopes from past to present.
Literature’s involvement is more like a portal to places we know but perhaps in
our flurry of living forget how to access. It also helps us talk to each other about
our world and about ourselves. People can come together around literature as
around a fire; it connects common experience and ignites discussion.

Literature

• Literature is derived from the Latin “littera” which means “letter”, which refers primarily
to written texts. Therefore, literature is simply anything that is written.
• Literature consists of writings which recognize the meanings of nature and life, in
words of charm and power, touched with the character of the author, in artistic forms
of permanent interest
• Literature is the written, printed or oral productions of the human mind collectively,
which deals with themes of permanent and universal interest, characterized by
creativeness and grace of expression, as poetry, fictions, essays, etc., distinguished

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 from works of scientific, technical or journalistic nature (Webster Comprehensive
Dictionary, International Edition).

Types of Literature

• Oral literature is the literature of the ancient periods when they did not yet have much
concern about an enduring preservation of the expressions of their wits and emotions
or their experiences because what seemed to matter then to them was merely the
pleasure of being able to tell stories or being able to express themselves either in the
simplest way they can or in their kind of aesthetic sense. It is preserved and handed
down from one generation to another by word of mouth. Oral literature started
unwritten, but eventually captured for writing.
• Written literature is one that produced from the use of the pen by literary writer.
Written Literature is more permanent than oral literature because it remains as is.

Reasons Why People Write:

• For self-expression. It goes by the saying, “The mouth speaks what the heart is full
of.” Literature can be a great avenue for a person to express what they feel or think. •
To spread knowledge and information. Writing is a great way for us not only to share
information, but to learn from the information shared by other people.
• To pass on ideas and values. Preserving ideas and values can be difficult and writing
can mend to that problem. Passing on principles can be made easy by writings.
• To convey truth, accuracy, and evaluation. This allows others to analyze, evaluate,
form valid judgments, and make wise decisions.

The Qualities of Great Literature:

• Permanence - Great literature has a lasting influence and can stand though ages and
may still open a new world of meaning and experiences through different generations
• Universality - Great literature appeals to anyone, wherever, whenever and may be
constantly relevant. It deals with elemental feelings, fundamental truths, and universal
conditions.
• Artistry – Great literature draws to our aesthetic sense or sense of beauty.
• Intellectual Value – Great literature stimulates the way we think. It makes us realize
fundamental truths about life and human nature; thus, enriching our mental ability.
• Spiritual Value – Great literature motivates, inspires, and brings out moral values
which can make us better persons. It also relates to God’s plan and purpose for
humanity.
• Style – Great literature is evident with the distinctive way in which the writer sees life,
forms his/her ideas, and expresses them distinctly. The uniqueness of the writer
shows in his or her style.

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• Suggestiveness – Great literature draws to our emotions, stirs our imagination,
feeling, moves us deeply and evokes visions over and beyond the level of ordinary
life and experience.
In your own view, why is it important to study literature? As a college student, what is the
importance of literature in your life? Share your insights below.

Literature is one way for us to know the past and work with
the present. It is a way for the present to connect to the
INTRODUCTION
possible future. Literature enables one to better understanding
social situations, history, one’s own emotions and culture.

To me, we need to study literature because it serves as a

gateway to learning of the past and expanding my knowledge
FIRST BODY and understanding of the world. Literature is the foundation of
PARAGRAPH life. It places an emphasis on many topics from human
tragedies to tales and stories. While it is physically written in
words, these words come alive in the imagination of the mind.

It opens up a world of inspiration and creativity, while also

developing skills that are essential for today’s global
environment. It is a chance to discover how literature makes
SECOND BODY sense of the world through stories, poems, novels and plays.
Literature is also a form of the time travel that helps put today
in context about how” things used to be so much better” in
literature of the last generation, today and the future.

Sometimes literature allows us to do both, learn about

another world and learn about ourselves, too. Literature is a
great importance and is studied upon as it provides the ability
THIRD BODY to connect human relationships and define what is right and
what is wrong. Therefore, words are alive more than ever
before.

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 The world today is ever-changing. Never before has life
been so challenging for all. Life before literature was practical
and predictable, but in present day, literature has expanded
into countless libraries and into the minds of many as the
gateway for comprehension and curiosity of the human mind
and the world around them. Literature has provided a gateway
CONCLUSION
to teach the reader about life experiences from even the
saddest stories to the most joyful ones that will touch their
hearts. Learning about how people lived in the past can really
make you appreciate what humanity is able to accomplish and
endure.

ESSAY RUBRIC

Traits 4 3 2 1
There is one There is one There is one The topic and
clear, clear, topic. Main main ideas
wellfocused wellfocused ideas are are not clear.
topic. Main topic. Main somewhat
ideas are ideas are clear clear.
Focus and
clear and are but are not well
Detail
well supported by
supported by detailed
detailed and information.
accurate
information
Organizatio The The The There is no
n introduction is introduction introduction clear
inviting, states the main states the main introduction,
states the topic. A
topic and structure or
main topic, conclusion is
provides an conclusion.
and provides included.
overview of the
an overview paper. A
of the paper. conclusion is
Information is included.
relevant and
presented in
a logical
order. The

6
 conclusion is
strong
The author’s The author’s The author’s The author’s
purpose of purpose of purpose of purpose of
writing is very writing is writing is writing is
clear, and somewhat somewhat
there is clear, and there clear, and there unclear.
strong is is evidence of
evidence of some evidence attention to
attention to of attention to audience. The
audience. audience. The author’s
Voice author’s
The author’s knowledge
extensive knowledge and/or
knowledge and/or experience with
and/or experience with the topic is/are
experience the topic is/are limited.
with the topic evident.
is/are
evident.
The author The author The author The writer
uses vivid uses vivid uses words uses
words and words and that a limited
communicate vocabulary
Word phrases. The phrases. The
clearly, but the Jargon or
Choice choice and choice and
writing lacks clichés may be
placement of placement of
variety. present and
words seems words is
inaccurate at
accurate, times and/or detract from
natural, and seems the meaning.
not forced. overdone.
Sentence All sentences Most Most Sentences
Structure, are well sentences sentences sound
Grammar, constructed are well are well awkward, are
Mechanics, and have constructed constructed, distractingly
and Spelling varied but they have repetitive, or
and have
structure and similar are
length. The varied structure structure difficult to
author makes and length. The and/or length. understand.
no errors in author makes a The author The author
grammar, few errors in makes makes
mechanics, grammar, several errors numerous
in grammar, errors in
and/or mechanics,
mechanics, grammar,
spelling. and/or spelling,
and/or spelling mechanics,
but they do not
that interfere and/or spelling
interfere with
with that interfere
understanding.
understanding. with

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 understanding

Reviewer’s
Comments

-C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S-
You have finished the lesson in this module!

Module No. and Title Module 1: Literature: An Overview

Lesson No. and Lesson 2: Poetry

Title
Learning Outcomes At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:
• Define poetry.
• Identify the different types of poetry; and
• Create certain outputs in poetry according to instruction.

Time Frame 1 week

For this lesson in module 1, you will be dealing with poetry and its different forms.
When to write, how to write, and why do we write things in poetry or in poetic form.
Rediscover your wordplays, metaphors, and create a creative yet coherent output at the
end of the lesson.

#1 FIGURES OF SPEECH – REVIEW

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Revisit your high school lesson, enumerate at least 10 types of FOS and provide 1
example per FOS.

1. ANAPHORA
- Good day and good luck.

2. ASSONANCE
- Try to light the fire.

3. EUPHEMISM
- Sam is a big-boned boy.

4. HYPERBOLE
- I’m so busy trying to accomplish six million things at
once.

5. PARADOX
- I am nobody.

6. IRONY
- A garden who cannot grow his own garden plants.

7. METAPHOR
- Ben is a dog.

8. ONOMATOPOEIA
- Can you hear the clicks coming from the wall?

9. PERSONIFICATION
- The carved watermelon smiled at me.

10. SIMILE
- She looks like a flower but she stings like a bee.

#2 Share what you already know about POETRY.

It is a type of literature that expresses feelings through writing.

#3 THE POET IN ME

Create a short poem (free verse) with the

theme illustrated below A LIFETIME LOVE

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Being with my family
Makes me happy everyday
There is love in every doing
EXPLAIN
What do you think Carl Sandburg meant with his famous quotation below?

‘’Poetry is the journal of the sea animal living on land, wanting to fly in the air. Poetry is a
search for syllables to shoot at the barriers of the unknown and the unknowable. Poetry
is a phantom script telling how rainbows are made and why they go away.’’

Explain your thoughts in at least 5 sentences.

Art can be viewed in many different shapes and sizes. Poetry is an art that has
unbounded meaning. Poetry is such a surreal form of expressing your emotions, 10
thoughts, and experiences. There is beauty and meaning in the word itself and all it
represents. Poetry has a way of resonating with people on a deeper level. Poetry is a lot
 POETRY

Poetry is a type of literature that combines the sound and meaning of language to create
and express ideas and feelings. The language of poetry which uses imagery and
figurative language closely related terms is very rich, suggestive, and powerful. It is
expressed in regimented manner by the force of stanza, meter, rhyme, and other
regulating devices.

Figurative language:

1. Alliteration: The repetition of an initial consonant sound.

Example: She sells seashells by the seashore.
2. Anaphora: The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of
successive clauses or verses.
Example: Unfortunately, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time on the wrong
day.
3. Antithesis: The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
Example: As Abraham Lincoln said, "Folks who have no vices have very few virtues."
4. Apostrophe: Directly addressing a non-existent person or an inanimate object as
though it were a living being.
Example: "Oh, you stupid car, you never work when I need you to," Bert sighed.
5. Assonance: Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighbouring
words.
Example: How now, brown cow?
6. Chiasmus: A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced
against the first but with the parts reversed.
Example: The famous chef said people should live to eat, not eat to live.
7. Euphemism: The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively
explicit.
Example: "We're teaching our toddler how to go potty," Bob said.
8. Hyperbole: An extravagant statement; the use of exaggerated terms for the
purpose of emphasis or heightened effect.

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Example: I have a ton of things to do when I get home.
9. Irony: The use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning. Also, a
statement or situation where the meaning is contradicted by the appearance or
presentation of the idea.
Example: "Oh, I love spending big bucks," said my dad, a notorious penny pincher.
10. Litotes: A figure of speech consisting of an understatement in which an affirmative
is expressed by negating its opposite.
Example: A million dollars is no small chunk of change.
11. Metaphor: An implied comparison between two dissimilar things that have
something in common.
Example: "All the world's a stage."
12. Metonymy: A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is substituted for another
with which it is closely associated; also, the rhetorical strategy of describing
something indirectly by referring to things around it.
Example: "That stuffed suit with the briefcase is a poor excuse for a salesman," the
manager said angrily.
13. Onomatopoeia: The use of words that imitate the sounds associated with the
objects or actions they refer to.
Example: The clap of thunder went bang and scared my poor dog.
14. Oxymoron: A figure of speech in which incongruous or contradictory terms appear
side by side.
Example: "He popped the jumbo shrimp in his mouth."
15. Paradox: A statement that appears to contradict itself.
Example: "This is the beginning of the end," said Eeyore, always the pessimist.
16. Personification: A figure of speech in which an inanimate object or abstraction is
endowed with human qualities or abilities.
Example: That kitchen knife will take a bite out of your hand if you don't handle it
safely.
17. Pun: A play on words, sometimes on different senses of the same word and
sometimes on the similar sense or sound of different words.
Example: Jessie looked up from her breakfast and said, "A boiled egg every morning
is hard to beat."
18. Simile: A stated comparison (usually formed with "like" or "as") between two
fundamentally dissimilar things that have certain qualities in common.
Example: Roberto was white as a sheet after he walked out of the horror movie.
19. Synecdoche: A figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole.
Example: Tina is learning her ABC's in preschool.
20. Understatement: A figure of speech in which a writer or speaker deliberately
makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is.
Example: "You could say Babe Ruth was a decent ballplayer," the reporter said with
a wink.

Three Types of Poetry

1. Narrative poetry tells stories and has two forms:

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a. Epics are lengthy poems that embody the adventures of epic heroes and
divine forces. They are the oldest remaining form of poetry. Examples:
Biag ni Lam-ang, Epic of Gilgamesh, Beowulf
b. Ballads are narrative poems meant to be sung. They are briefer than the
epics and they usually tell stories about a person. Because ballads started
from the common people, they use repetitive and simple language as well
as supernatural touches. Example: Ballad to King Arthur

2. Dramatic poetry reveal stories, but one or more characters act out the poem.
There are plays that are written as dramatic poetry. This allows the writer to
reveal characters directly through dialogue/ monologue. William Shakespeare,
an English playwright, is the most famous dramatic poet. In the dramatic
monologue, the story is dramatically told by only one character.
Examples: The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe, Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare

3. Lyric poetry, the most familiar of the three, is a brief poem that articulates the
poet’s thoughts and feeling. The word lyric comes from the Greek word “rhein”
which means lyre, a harp-like musical instrument used by poets in ancient
Greece. Lyric poetry comes in many forms:
a. Haiku, one of the shortest lyric poems, is a Japanese verse of 17 syllables
arranged in three lines, the first line has 5, the second 7, and the third 5.
Example: Haiku poems of Matsuo Basho

Two cups of coffee

Wake me up enough to ask
“Did I have coffee?”

b. Ode is a serious elaborate lyric poem full of high praises and noble feelings
usually about things.
Example: Ode to Evening by William Collins (1721-1759)
Ode to Tomatoes by Pablo Neruda
c. Elegy is a poem of meditation on life and death. Many elegies mourn the
death of a famous person or a close friend.
Examples: An Elegy Written on a Country Church Yard by Thomas Gray
In Memoriam A.H.H. by Alfred Lord Tennyson
d. Sonnet is a 14-line lyric poem with a certain pattern of rhyme and rhythm.
Example

SONNET 18
By William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, s
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;

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 And every fair from fair sometime declines, By
chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade, Nor
lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st: So
long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So
long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

e. Song is a lyric poem intended to be sung.

Example: Sound of Silence by Bob Dylan and Paul Simon

SOUND OF SILENCE

Hello darkness, my old friend

I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence
In restless dreams I walk alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence
And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence
"Fools" said I,"You do not know Silence
like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you."
But my words like silent raindrops fell
And echoed
In the wells of silence
And the people bowed and prayed To
the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming

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 And the signs said, 'The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls
And whisper'd in the sounds of silence

#1. LYRIC POETRY: HAIKU

Use your current environment to draw inspiration in creating 3 haikus.

DOG RAIN

Sam the Labrador Rain drops from above

Loves to run and bark and sleep Cute little birds fly and tweet

What a charming dog Like music on ear

PANDEMIC

Always wear your mask

Observe Social Distancing

To stay alive

#2. LYRIC POETRY: SONNET

Create a Shakespearean sonnet (you can browse other resources for idea and
inspiration) cheating or copying from the internet is highly discouraged. You are free
to decide on your theme. Express yourself.

BETTER TOMORROW

I’m living in my own little world.

I’m happy there, it’s okay. 15

It’s much more fun than the real one,

 In your own view, why is it important to study poetry? Share your insights

INTRODUCTION

Poetry is a voice given to each one of us in our lifetime. It

can be a roar, a scream or even a whisper. A lot of this has
gone unnoticed, since poetry is not usually seen or noticed by
people on an everyday basis. This voice can be used to
express a variety of things. Often, people use poetry to
express how they feel when they are misunderstood. Writing
your feelings down in the form of poetry allows you to be seen
through the eyes of another person, and therefore poetry is

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 important to me.

Poetry can be as simple as food for the soul. It can be

FIRST BODY something more profound, it is a way to cross to the world.
PARAGRAPH So, it leaves me with one question; that why should we study
poetry at all? I think I know just the right words to answer it.

It is a way to express our inner most feelings, and to make

those feelings heard by others through the choice of our
words. Poetry is a bond, a bond of empathy between the
writer and the reader; it has emotions and connects the writer
SECOND BODY and the reader. Cause these poems have been written by
people to express their emotion that they normally would
have to hide from the world.

Poem allows you to see beyond the surface. Sometimes this

is done through metaphors or other abstract ways which
cause you to think really hard. For example, in olden times
THIRD BODY during the struggle of the common people, who were being
treated like dirt poetry was a gift they had through which they
could express their thoughts which led to a revolt and people
came to a common understanding.

Poetry offers a different aspect of language and form for

children. It is read differently from ordinary text in the way that
CONCLUSION it is read by both the eye and the ear. So, I conclude by
saying that poetry is important because it gives some people
who think of life more symbolically and meaningfully, the
ability to express themselves.

ESSAY RUBRIC

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 Traits 4 3 2 1
There is one There is one There is one The topic and
clear, clear, topic. Main main ideas
wellfocused wellfocused ideas are are not clear.
topic. Main
ideas are topic. Main somewhat
clear and are ideas are clear clear.
Focus and
well but are not well
Detail
supported supported by
by detailed detailed
and information.
accurate
information
The The The There is no
introduction is introduction introduction clear
inviting, states the main states the main introduction,
states the topic. A
topic and structure or
main topic, conclusion is
provides an conclusion.
and provides included.
overview of the
an overview paper. A
Organization of the paper. conclusion is
Information is included.
relevant and
presented in
a logical
order. The
conclusion is
strong
The author’s The author’s The author’s The author’s
purpose of purpose of purpose of purpose of
writing is very writing is writing is writing is
somewhat somewhat
clear, and clear, clear, and there unclear.
there is and there is is evidence of
strong some evidence attention to
evidence of of attention to audience. The
attention to audience. The author’s
Voice author’s knowledge
audience.
The author’s knowledge and/or
extensive and/or experience with
knowledge experience with the topic is/are
and/or the topic is/are limited.
experience evident.
with the topic
is/are evident.
Word Choice The author The author The author The writer uses

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 uses vivid uses vivid uses words that a limited
words and words and communicate vocabulary
phrases. The phrases. The clearly, but the Jargon or
choice and choice and writing lacks clichés may be
placement of placement of variety. present and
words is
words seems inaccurate at detract from
accurate, times and/or the meaning.
natural, and seems
not forced. overdone.
All sentences Most sentences Most sentences Sentences
are well are well are well sound
constructed constructed and constructed, but awkward, are
have varied they have distractingly
and have structure and similar structure repetitive, or
varied length. The and/or length. are
structure and author makes a The author difficult to
Sentence length. The few errors in makes understand.
Structure, author makes grammar, several errors The author
Grammar, in grammar, makes
no errors in mechanics,
Mechanics, numerous
grammar, and/or spelling, mechanics,
and Spelling errors in
mechanics, but they do not and/or spelling grammar,
and/or interfere with that interfere mechanics,
spelling. understanding. with and/or spelling
understanding. that interfere
with
understanding

Reviewer’s
Comments

19
 -C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S-
You have finished the lesson in this module!

Module No. and Module 2: Prose

Title
Lesson No. and Lesson 1: Elements of Poetry
Title
Learning Outcomes At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:
• define what prose is;
• enumerate the elements of fiction;
• give importance to symbolisms found in the
piece;
• reconnect with their culture through cultural
stories; and
• Analyze a short story.

Time Frame 2 weeks

Module 2 will bring you into the world of prose, the most experimented form of literature.
Prose, unlike poetry, is a form of literature that has no metric structure. The flow is
smooth as if it is spoken. Prose covers a wide array of written literature – both fiction and

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nonfiction. It also has less submission to structure, thus 21 st century writers could come
up with fresh type of prose, such as prose poems, science fiction, magical realism,
stream of consciousness with juxtaposition, and so much more. Lesson 1 will be dealing
with fiction, particularly, short story.

I. Recall the story of Cinderella. Summarize the story in 5 major events arranged in
chronological order.

1. Cinderella’s father got married again after her mother died and she
now live at her stepmother’s house together with her two stepsisters
and do all the household choirs by herself.

2. Cinderella receives invitation to the Prince Ball, but her stepmother

won’t allow her.

3. Cinderella’s Fairy God Mother showed up and places spell making her
a beautiful blue dress to wear and a fancy ride.

4. She ran away and slips for the reason why she leaves her shoe at the
stairs.

5. The prince is searching for her through the shoe she left and luckily he
finds the right foot and meet Cinderella and they live happily ever after.

II. It’s year 2025, five years after the spread of Coronavirus which affected the whole
world. With your imagination, think of how the world survived this pandemic and
the technological advancements people made to adjust in the new normal.
Arrange the events in chronological order.

1. People around the world obey and follows the rules and regulations
of the government and decrease the Covid-19 cases.

2. At year 2021, Philippines finds the cure to the so called virus and
donates vaccines around the world.

3. New technologies are invented to be used in medication and for

future use.

4. The laboratory who created the virus was closed by the help of the
president of every country.

5. The whole world is now Covid-free but still follows the rules and
regulations.

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III. Think of what the following objects symbolized and use them in sentence.
Example

Red rose – Love

I kept that red rose you gave me on the night of July to remind me of
the feeling of flying and falling.

1.

White candle --CRYING

White candle melts like tears in my eyes.

2.

Pencil – FRIENDS

My pencils are always there every time I need them.

3.

Water – LIFE

Water mess sometimes.

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 4.

Snake – UNFAITHFULNESS

My neighbor shows his snake treatment to

his partner.

5.

Grim reaper – DEATH

I can see the grim reaper calling my name to grave.

If prose is the most experimented type of literature, why does fiction still need to
follow elements?

Fiction still needs to follow elements to make the stories more interesting.

People love telling stories. Ask an elderly in a community and he or she might share
one too many events that happened in the past. These stories have lessons imbibed
with them. In a particular culture, such as Mindanao, we pride ourselves with not just the
natural resources, but also stories like legends, epics, myth origins, and many more.

These folktales still remain, especially with lumad as they symbolize the latter’s identity.
However, with the age of modernization, these stories also evolved to cater to the needs
of the growing readers. Still, the elements remain: conflict, characters, plot, tone and
mood, setting, point of view, and theme.

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 Generally, fiction is categorized into two major divisions – novel and short story. Novel
is a long story with subplots. Short story is, as the name implies, short in length with one
conflict and ends with single effect. Some pieces are neither short to be called a short
story or long to be called a novel. This gave rise to novelette – the third subtype.

To illustrate the different elements of fiction, refer to this prose by Jamaica Kincaid,
entitled Girl:

Wash the white clothes on Monday and put them on the stone heap; wash the color
clothes on Tuesday and put them on the clothesline to dry; don’t walk bare-head in
the hot sun; cook pumpkin fritters in very hot sweet oil; soak your little cloths right
after you take them off; when buying cotton to make yourself a nice blouse, be sure
that it doesn’t have gum in it, because that way it won’t hold up well after a wash;
soak salt fish overnight before you cook it; is it true that you sing benna in Sunday
school?; always eat your food in such a way that it won’t turn someone else’s
stomach; on Sundays try to walk like a lady and not like the slut you are so bent on
becoming; don’t sing benna in Sunday school; you mustn’t speak to wharf-rat boys,
not even to give directions; don’t eat fruits on the street—flies will follow you; but I
don’t sing benna on Sundays at all and never in Sunday school; this is how to sew
on a button; this is how to make a buttonhole for the button you have just sewed
on; this is how to hem a dress when you see the hem coming down and so to
prevent yourself from looking like the slut I know you are so bent on becoming; this
is how you iron your father’s khaki shirt so that it doesn’t have a crease; this is how
you iron your father’s khaki pants so that they don’t have a crease; this is how you
grow okra—far from the house, because okra tree harbors red ants; when you are
growing dasheen, make sure it gets plenty of water or else it makes your throat itch
when you are eating it; this is how you sweep a corner; this is how you sweep a
whole house; this is how you sweep a yard; this is how you smile to someone you
don’t like too much; this is how you smile to someone you don’t like at all; this is
how you smile to someone you like completely; this is how you set a table for tea;
this is how you set a table for dinner; this is how you set a table for dinner with an
important guest; this is how you set a table for lunch; this is how you set a table for
breakfast; this is how to behave in the presence of men who don’t know you very
well, and this way they won’t recognize immediately the slut I have warned you
against becoming; be sure to wash every day, even if it is with your own spit; don’t
squat down to play marbles—you are not a boy, you know; don’t pick people’s
flowers—you might catch something; don’t throw stones at blackbirds, because it
might not be a blackbird at all; this is how to make a bread pudding; this is how to
make doukona; this is how to make pepper pot; this is how to make a good
medicine for a cold; this is how to make a good medicine to throw away a child
before it even becomes a child; this is how to catch a fish; this is how to throw back
a fish you don’t like, and that way something bad won’t fall on you; this is how to
bully a man; this is how a man bullies you; this is how to love a man, and if this
doesn’t work there are other ways, and if they don’t work don’t feel too bad about
giving up; this is how to spit up in the air if you feel like it, and this is how to move
quick so that it doesn’t fall on you; this is how to make ends meet; always squeeze
bread to make sure it’s fresh; but what if the baker won’t let me feel the bread?; you
mean to say that after all you are really going to be the kind of woman who the
baker won’t let near the bread?

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Conflict

This is the clash or the problem in the story. This moves the story forward and
motivates the characters to do what they did. For this to occur, there has to be opposing
elements. A story needs to have a good conflict to pique the interest of the readers or
else, it would just be a plain piece, sending everyone to question the characters and the
plot.

One problem for readers is to identify the conflict since some short stories proposed two
or more conflicts. This might be opposed to how short story is defined above, but having
a single conflict does not necessarily mean having really just one conflict. It means that
though there may be sub conflicts, there has to be one that should be resolved.
Sometimes, resolving one conflict could actually resolve all.

There are four types of conflict – man vs. man, man vs. society, man vs. nature,
and man vs. himself. Man vs. man is a character’s conflict with another character. Man
vs. society is a character’s conflict with the society such as group of people or the
system in general. Man vs. nature happens when the character gets tested with natural
forces like storms, typhoons, and more. Man vs. himself is when the character is trying
to contradict himself and finds that the problem is inside him or her.
In the piece above, the conflict is man vs. society. The speaker or the one talking
is telling the listener how to act accordingly to fit in the society. The guidelines the
speaker presented were everything the listener needed to know once the latter grows
up.

Character

This refers to any make-believe persons or animals in the stories. Sometimes, even
nonliving objects could be given life especially in magic realism.

When we talk of character, it does not necessarily need a protagonist and antagonist
since we have discussed in the conflict that nature and society could also show clash
with the main character. We could describe the role of the characters by identifying if he
or she is a principal character or supporting character.

The principal characters are the center of the story. In an adventure story, the hero
automatically becomes the principal character. It does not necessarily mean that the
principal character is only one, just like in the short story above. The two characters are
the major characters.

Those who are presented in the story but do not have that much of a spotlight are
considered the supporting characters. Their roles might be minor but they could
contribute a lot to the major characters so they should not be easily neglected.

In the story Girl, based on the reminders given by the speaker, the characters might be
two females, specifically a mother and a daughter. The mother reminds the daughter
how to act based on the societal roles, thus the title.

Plot

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 Plot is the flow of the story. It is the sequence of actions and events. It also charts the
development of the conflict. It follows the basic pattern of beginning, middle, and end.
The beginning presents what happened before the action starts, such as presentation of
the background of the main characters. When the complication occurs, it is now in the
middle part. This is where the story develops. The conflict is then brought to a resolution,
thus the end part. The plot has four types – traditional model, hanging-end model, flat
model, and montage model.

The figure above is the traditional pyramid model. The exposition is the situation
of the characters before the problem aroused. Then it leads into the rising action which
introduces the conflict. The climax is a series of actions or events that show how the
conflict is affecting everyone in the story. Falling action shows the outcome of the
conflict when the character or other forces tried to solve it. Denouement or conclusion
rounds off the action of the characters. For folktales, usual conclusion is when the hero
marries the princess.

The figure above shows a hanging

-end model plot. It ends in the climax, which means
That the readers were given some thrill on the story. However, the readers are also left
with too many questions and the character with unresolved conflict.

Other variants for this model only involves exposition and rising action. The
character did not act upon the climax for some reasons, but something internal took
place. It could be a self-discover or self-realization. Then it continues to the
denouement. Sometimes, the reader is the one who formulates the insights.

26
 In pop culture, like in movies, Pirates of the Caribbean with its 5 installments, has
its end-credits. This is shown after the credits is rolled out. A small clip is shown which is
connected to the current conflict, but leaves watchers questions on what happened.

A______B_________________C_______
__E

The model above is a flat model plot. A is the exposition, B is the rising action, C
is the climax, and E is the denouement. As what you could observe, falling action is left
out since no actions really is taking place.

Some authors pattern this model in real life where nothing out of the ordinary
really happens, which makes the story flat. It piles up on details and nothing more. The
story Girl follows this model since nothing is really happening. Though it may be flat, it
was still effective since it did not focus on a longer timeline. It is not also lengthy.

A B D

The model is called montage model. In this type of model, the reader would encounter
flashback, a literary device used when the character looks at past events. However, this
should be used successfully as some flashbacks enhances the story. If the reader is not
observant enough, he or she could not recognize the timeline of the plot.

Setting

This is the place and time of the occurrence of the story. The story must fit in the
timeline to have consistency with the other elements. If a story is set during pre-Spanish
period, the characters should dress and act like they are living there.

The setting also allows the reader to limit himself or herself in a particular period of time.
Aside from that, it draws the reader to the locale. Take a look at the example below:

The rains had made deep slough of clay road and Tinang followed the prints left
by the men and the carabaos that had gone before her to keep from sinking in
mud up to her knees. She was deep in the road before she became conscious of
her shoes. In horror, she saw that they were coated with thick black clay.
Gingerly, she pulled off one shoe after the other with the hand still clutching the
letter.

27
 The excerpt above was from A Love in the Cornhusk by Aida Rivera-Ford. In that
excerpt, the when and where were set. It happened just after the rain because the
character is still struggling to walk through the muddy road. It also happened in a rural
area because the road was not yet developed and the presence of carabao. With this
kind of knowledge, the readers would be able to set their mind on where Tinang is
walking.

In the Girl, although the where is left out, we could sense the when. Aside from
the characters being a mother and a daughter, they could be African-American because
of the importance the mother gives on Sundays being church day. Aside from that, the
language of the mother. With this knowledge, we could say that this probably happen
during the slavery of the Black Americans.

Point of View

This refers to who is telling the story. Point of view or POV is not to be confused with
the author. When analyzing a piece by itself, it would be better to leave out the author
and his or her personal life. The author and the narrator should not be mixed up.

Sa amin sa barkada, dalawa kaming mag-gu-goodbye-my-school-giidbye. Kick

out ako dahil sa kagaguhan daw. Si Minyong nama’y sa kabobohan daw.

(from Utos ng Hari by Jun Cruz Reyes)

The excerpt above is an example of first person point of view. The narrator is
talking about the events that unfolded in the story. It should be noted that whatever the
narrator said does not necessarily reflect what the author meant.

As expected, the shrimp insisted that the sparrow spend his time with her in the
water. At first, the sparrow obliged but, on the fifth day, the sparrow found himself
slowly drowning.

(from The Sparrow and the Shrimp by Abdullah Timan Madale)

The excerpt is using omniscient point of view. The narrator described what the two
characters are doing and has a vision of what is happening around them. The narrator is
someone with “higher consciousness” and this narrator can move anywhere.

The lady moves for the first time since you entered her bedroom; she extends her
hand again, you sense breathing by your side, and between the lady and you
another hand extends and touches the fingers of the old one. You look to the side
and a girl is there, a girl who you fail to see full length because she is so close
and her appearance so unexpected, without any sound – not even the sounds
that are not heard but are real because you feel them immediately, because in
spite of everything they are stronger than the silence that accompanied them.

(from Aura by Carlos Fuentes)

The excerpt above is an example of a limited omniscient point of view. The narrator is
only limited in giving commentaries about what is happening around the main character.
It went through the thought process of the character and put it into words.

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 With the short story Girl, that is an example of an objective point of view. The narrator
refused to give comments on what is happening around her but only states what she
wanted to say without much of descriptions. Imagine a video camera that only follows
the action of the actors, with no self-though narration. That is a representation of what
this type of POV is.

Tone and Mood

Tone and mood are not only seen in poetry but also in fiction. Tone is the author’s
attitude towards the story. It is set through setting, choice of words, and the other
elements mentioned above. Mood is the atmosphere that the author created. It is the
feeling that the readers get after reading the story.

These two may be different but they go together. Mood is completely reliant with the
tone. Tone and mood do not necessarily have to be the same, but they have to be
parallel. For example, if the tone is suspicious, the mood has to be suspenseful. This will
test if the readers understood how the author crafted the story. At the same time, this will
assess the author if he or she successfully established the correct tone.

Do not limit your tone and mood with words such as happy, sad, angry, and more. A
human is capable of too many emotions so be sure to be specific. To help you, here are
sample words you may use.

Amused Tone Light Mood

Angry Resigned Fanciful
Cheerful Optimistic Melancholy
Horror Pessimisti Frightening
Clear c Mysterious
Playful Frustrating Romantic
Formal Pompous
Gloomy Sentimental Happy
Gloomy Serious
Sorrowful
Humorous Suspiciou
Informal s Joyful
Ironic Witty Suspenseful

Theme

After all the elements were put together, the readers could now generate the theme of
the story. The theme is the core idea of the story. For folktales, the theme may be in the
form of lesson. Main point is that theme states the human significance of the story.

Theme is different from motif. Motif is simply a word or phrase that describes what the
story is about. For example, in the story Girl, the motif is role of female in the society.

29
However, the theme could be “Society may have dictated how a woman should act
accordingly, but she should also learn how to question the society.”

The readers are not expected to have general or unified theme. One reader might see
the story in a different flow. The important thing is the elements found all lead to theme
he or she generated.

After knowing the following elements, let us test your understanding. Identify the
elements of fiction in the myth below.

The Story of Ukinurot

Francisco R. Demeterio, SJ
The people lived in the heavens and there were yet no human beings on
earth.
However, on earth was glistening water and fresh green plants and trees.
Ukinurot, a hunter in heaven, was fed up with the never-changing diet of
meat, the brown and bare landscape and the warm clothing made of birds’
feathers

While hunting one day, a large bird swam into his ken. He aimed his bow
and arrow at it and shot. The arrow passed clean through the bird’s body
and landed on the ground, a distance away, and was deeply embedded in

30
the ground. As he pulled it, a good amount of soil came up with the arrow,
leaving a large hole in the ground. Ukinurot peered through the hole and
saw below him shining water and green earth. He summoned his
companions, men and women, and all were pleased with what they saw.

Then they decided to go down. They plucked the bird’s feathers and twined
a rope with them. Then one by one they climbed down. A rather fat woman
could not go through the opening.

Ukinurot was the last to descend. As soon as he touched earth, the rope
snapped. So they could no longer return. The fat woman who remained in
heaven, lights up the stars every night to remind the people below whence
they originally came.
The hole through below which they descended now shines as the moon.

Misamis Oriental myth

1. Describe Ukinurot’s character in not more than 3

sentences.

 Ukinurot is the great hunter from heaven and

leader of his companion. He’s the one who
discovers the other world called earth.

2. Describe the setting.

 Earth was glistening water and fresh green plants

and trees. And heaven where Ukinurot’s
companions live before.

3. What is the conflict of the story? How did it affect the

character’s action?

 The curiosity of the people to the new world they

discover. They did not think the outcome of what
they are doing.

4. What type of plot does the myth have? Identify the parts.

 Hanging-end model.

 Exposition - They discover the new world called

Earth and they decided to go down.
 Rising Action - The rope snapped.
 Climax - They can’t no longer go back to the place
they live before called heaven.
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5. What is the POV? Do you think the POV chosen is
appropriate? Why?

 The narrator of the story. No, because I want to

 In addition to the elements of fiction, symbols are also part of the basic concepts you
need to know in a piece. A symbol is anything that stands for something else. A dove,
for example, is universally known as a representation of peace. In the case of Maranaos,
sarimanok is a symbol of good fortune.

In literature, a symbol could be an object, a word, an action, a person, or an entire

scene. A symbol does not need to have a universal meaning. The representation could
be established in the context of the story.

But back there in your astana, you were already being tutored for maidenhood. I
was older than you by one Ramadan. I often wondered why you grew so fast
while I remained a lunatic dwarf.

(from Blue Blood of the Big Astana by Ibrahim Jubaira)

In this short story, astana is one of the major symbols. Astana, in Persian, meant
capital city. However, in Jubaira’s story it symbolized the different status of the narrator

32
and the one he is referring to. It is the big house of the princess and the sultan.
However, it is also where they were able to set aside societal roles and become normal
children.

Another symbol found in this story is the song Dayang-Dayang, which is usually
played during weddings among Moros. It was supposed to be joyful, but in the story, the
joyful song represented the unfortunate wedding of the princess to whom the sultan
arranged to. It also represented the sorrow of the main character seeing the princess
being wed to someone else.
Symbols are tricky. Sometimes, readers get to overthink what they represent. The
key is not to look for symbols while reading the story. Instead, get into the story and
notice the recurring word, object, etc. Chances are that those recurring words contribute
to the whole meaning of the story.

In the story Girl, at the last part, the mother told her daughter to always check if
the bread is fresh by squeezing them. The daughter asked what she would do if the
baker won’t let her go near the bread. Then the mother replied with a question you
mean to say that after all you are really going to be the kind of woman who the baker
won’t let near the bread?

Here, the bread became the turning point of the story. The piece may have
started off as sexist since the mother gave out all these orders to the daughter. Meaning,
the role has been assigned to her. Hence, after working hard how to be a woman, the
mother left a challenge to the daughter to not just accept any questions about what she
does. Instead, the daughter has to question those who question her actions despite her
efforts.

Below is the story entitled Magnificence. Read it carefully and answer the questions that
follows it. Be sure to answer in sentence form and make your answers complete.

Magnificence
Estrella D. Alfon

There was nothing to fear, for the man was always so gentle, so kind. At night when
the little girl and her brother were bathed in the light of the big shaded bulb that hung
over the big study table in the downstairs hall, the man would knock gently on the
door, and come in. He would stand for a while just beyond the pool of light, his feet in
the circle of illumination, the rest of him in shadow. The little girl and her brother would
look up at him where they sat at the big table, their eyes bright in the bright light, and
watch him come fully into the light, but his voice soft, his manner slow. He would
smell very faintly of sweat and pomade, but the children didn’t mind although they did
notice, for they waited for him every evening as they sat at their lessons like this. He’d
throw his visored cap on the table, and it would fall down with a soft plop, then he’d
nod his head to say one was right, or shake it to say one was wrong. 33
It was not always that he came. They could remember perhaps two weeks when he
remarked to their mother that he had never seen two children looking so smart. The
praise had made their mother look over them as they stood around listening to the
Add to the man’s gentleness and his kindness in knowing a child’s desires, his
promise that he would give each of them not one pencil but two. And for the little girl
who he said was very bright and deserved more, he would get the biggest pencil he
could find.

One evening he did bring them. The evenings of waiting had made them look
forward to this final giving, and when they got the pencils they whooped with joy. The
little boy had tow pencils, one green, one blue. And the little girl had three pencils,
two of the same circumference as the little boy’s but colored red and yellow. And the
third pencil, a jumbo size pencil really, was white, and had been sharpened, and the
little girl jumped up and down, and shouted with glee. Until their mother called from
down the stairs. What are you shouting about? And they told her, shouting gladly,
Vicente, for that was his name. Vicente had brought the pencils he had promised
them.

Thank him, their mother called.The little boy smiled and said.Thank you. And the
little girl smiled, and said, Thank you, too. But the man said, Are you not going to
kiss me for those pencils? They both came forward, the little girl and the little boy,
and they both made to kiss him but Vicente slapped the boy smartly on his lean hips,
and said, Boys do not kiss boys. And the little boy laughed and scampered away,
and then ran back and kissed him anyway.

The little girl went up to the man shyly, put her arms about his neck as he crouched
to receive her embrace, and kissed him on the cheeks.

The man’s arms tightened suddenly about the little girl until the little girl squirmed out
of his arms, and laughed a little breathlessly, disturbed but innocent, looking at the
man with a smiling little question of puzzlement.

The next evening, he came around again. All through that day, they had been very
proud in school showing off their brand new pencils. All the little girls and boys had
been envying them. And their mother had finally to tell them to stop talking about the
pencils, pencils, for now that they had, the boy two, and the girl three, they were
asking their mother to buy more, so they could each have five, and three at least in
the jumbo size that the little girl’s third pencil was. Their mother said, Oh stop it, what
will you do with so many pencils, you can only write with one at a time.

And the little girl muttered under her breath, I’ll ask Vicente for some more. Their
mother replied, He’s only a bus conductor, don’t ask him for too many things. It’s a
pity. And this observation their mother said to their father, who was eating his
evening meal between paragraphs of the book on masonry rites that he was reading.
It is a pity, said their mother, People like those, they make friends with people like us,
and they feel it is nice to give us gifts, or the children toys and things. You’d think
they wouldn’t be able to afford it.

34
The father grunted, and said, the man probably needed a new job, and was softening
his way through to him by going at the children like that. And the mother said, No, I
don’t think so, he’s a rather queer young man, I think he doesn’t have many friends,
but I have watched him with the children, and he seems to dote on them.

The father grunted again, and did not pay any further attention.

Vicente was earlier than usual that evening. The children immediately put their
lessons down, telling him of the envy of their schoolmates, and would he buy them
more please?

Vicente said to the little boy, Go and ask if you can let me have a glass of water. And
the little boy ran away to comply, saying behind him, But buy us some more pencils,
huh, buy us more pencils, and then went up to stairs to their mother.

Vicente held the little girl by the arm, and said gently, Of course I will buy you more
pencils, as many as you want.

And the little girl giggled and said, Oh, then I will tell my friends, and they will envy me,
for they don’t have as many or as pretty.

Vicente took the girl up lightly in his arms, holding her under the armpits, and held her
to sit down on his lap and he said, still gently, What are your lessons for tomorrow?
And the little girl turned to the paper on the table where she had been writing with the
jumbo pencil, and she told him that that was her lesson but it was easy.

Then go ahead and write, and I will watch you. Don’t hold me on your lap, said the
little girl, I am very heavy, you will get very tired.

The man shook his head, and said nothing, but held her on his lap just the same. The
little girl kept squirming, for somehow she felt uncomfortable to be held thus, her
mother and father always treated her like a big girl, she was always told never to act
like a baby. She looked around at Vicente, interrupting her careful writing to twist
around. His face was all in sweat, and his eyes looked very strange, and he indicated
to her that she must turn around, attend to the homework she was writing.

But the little girl felt very queer, she didn’t know why, all of a sudden she was
immensely frightened, and she jumped up away from Vicente’s lap. She stood looking
at him, feeling that queer frightened feeling, not knowing what to do. By and by, in a
very short while her mother came down the stairs, holding in her hand a glass of
sarsaparilla, Vicente.

But Vicente had jumped up too soon as the little girl had jumped from his lap. He
snatched at the papers that lay on the table and held them to his stomach, turning
away from the mother’s coming.

35
The mother looked at him, stopped in her tracks, and advanced into the light. She had
been in the shadow. Her voice had been like a bell of safety to the little girl. But now
she advanced into glare of the light that held like a tableau the figures of Vicente
holding the little girl’s papers to him, and the little girl looking up at him frightened, in
her eyes dark pools of wonder and fear and question.

The little girl looked at her mother, and saw the beloved face transfigured by some
sort of glow. The mother kept coming into the light, and when Vicente made as if to
move away into the shadow, she said, very low, but very heavily, Do not move.

She put the glass of soft drink down on the table, where in the light one could watch
the little bubbles go up and down in the dark liquid. The mother said to the boy, Oscar,
finish your lessons. And turning to the little girl, she said, Come here. The little girl
went to her, and the mother knelt down, for she was a tall woman and she said, Turn
around. Obediently the little girl turned around, and her mother passed her hands over
the little girl’s back.

Go upstairs, she said.

The mother’s voice was of such a heavy quality and of such awful timbre that the girl
could only nod her head, and without looking at Vicente again, she raced up the
stairs. The mother went to the cowering man, and marched him with a glance out of
the circle of light that held the little boy. Once in the shadow, she extended her hand,
and without any opposition took away the papers that Vicente was holding to himself.
She stood there saying nothing as the man fumbled with his hands and with his
fingers, and she waited until he had finished. She was going to open her mouth but
she glanced at the boy and closed it, and with a look and an inclination of the head,
she bade Vicente go up the stairs.

The man said nothing, for she said nothing either. Up the stairs went the man, and the
mother followed behind. When they had reached the upper landing, the woman called
down to her son, Son, come up and go to your room. The little boy did as he was told,
asking no questions, for indeed he was feeling sleepy already.

As soon as the boy was gone, the mother turned on Vicente. There was a pause.

Finally, the woman raised her hand and slapped him full hard in the face. Her
retreated down one tread of the stairs with the force of the blow, but the mother
followed him. With her other hand she slapped him on the other side of the face again.
And so down the stairs they went, the man backwards, his face continually open to
the force of the woman’s slapping. Alternately she lifted her right hand and made him
retreat before her until they reached the bottom landing.

36
He made no resistance, offered no defense. Before the silence and the grimness of
her attack he cowered, retreating, until out of his mouth issued something like a
whimper.

The mother thus shut his mouth, and with those hard forceful slaps she escorted him
right to the other door. As soon as the cool air of the free night touched him, he
recovered enough to turn away and run, into the shadows that ate him up. The woman
looked after him, and closed the door. She turned off the blazing light over the study
table, and went slowly up the stairs and out into the dark night.

When her mother reached her, the woman, held her hand out to the child. Always
also, with the terrible indelibility that one associated with terror, the girl was to
remember the touch of that hand on her shoulder, heavy, kneading at her flesh, the
woman herself stricken almost dumb, but her eyes eloquent with that angered fire.
She knelt. She felt the little girl’s dress and took it off with haste that was almost
frantic, tearing at the buttons and imparting a terror to the little girl that almost made
her sob. Hush, the mother said. Take a bath quickly.

Her mother presided over the bath the little girl took, scrubbed her, and soaped her,
and then wiped her gently all over and changed her into new clothes that smelt of the
clean fresh smell of clothes that had hung in the light of the sun. The clothes that she
had taken off the little girl, she bundled into a tight wrenched bunch, which she threw
into the kitchen range.

Take also the pencils, said the mother to the watching newly bathed, newly changed
child. Take them and throw them into the fire. But when the girl turned to comply, the
mother said, No, tomorrow will do. And taking the little girl by the hand, she led her to
her little girl’s bed, made her lie down and tucked the covers gently about her as the
girl dropped off into quick slumber.

Questions:

1. Describe the characters of the young boy and young girl.

The children’s characters are like a lamb, they are innocent and
unknowledgeable what Vicente’s doing to them.

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 2. When the mother told the father about Vicente’s actions towards the kids,
how did the father react? From his reaction, what kind of father is he?

When the mother told her husband about what Vicente is doing to their
daughter, he did not pay attention about it he’s like unconcerned for what is
happening between Vicente and his daughter.

3. What kind of mother do the children have?

She’s a magnificence mom. She’s like a hero, she’s a very protective and
attentive mother to her children.

4. The pencil was mentioned many times. What does this object represent in
the story?

The pencil represents as the tool to what Vicente’s motif towards the girl.

5. Magnificence mean impressive. When translated in Filipino, this word

means kadakilaan. Why does the story have that title?

Because that’s what the mother did in the story, she’s being protective and
making her children safe as she could.

6. How did you react to the story? What would you do if this happens to
someone you know?

If it happens to someone, I know specially to my family Vicente receives more

than slaps. He will go to jail to be exact.

7. Every year, cases of women and children violence are piling up. It is even
happening now amidst this pandemic. What should the society do with this
matter?

RA 9262 is an existing law towards immoral acts. The government must give
the right punishment to those people who will do against the law.

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finishing this module!

How about a TV break?

Module No. and Title Module 3: Prose

Lesson No. and Lesson 1: Early Settlers in Mindanao

Title

Learning Outcomes At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:

• identify the culture of the early settlers of

Mindanao;
• trace the roots from present generation to the
past; and
• Appreciate the culture of the south through
creation stories.
Time Frame 1 week

Labelled as the “promise land”, Mindanao is an island with rich natural resources. These
natural resources contributed in the country in many ways, such as economic, tourist
attractions, and culture and arts. Tribes were forced to settle here after they were pushed
away in the plains. In total, there are 31 lumads in Mindanao. From this number, there
are 13 Muslim groups or Moros. T’boli is probably the group with most number.

Contrary to popular belief, Mindanao is not a place where the citizens are all Muslims,
even before. During the Spanish period, this island in the south was feared by the
colonizers not because of religious differences, but because most people here are
pirates who raid artilleries, trading galleons, and other basic necessities. This was their
way of showing protest against the Westerns.

At the present, Mindanawons learned to live harmoniously regardless of ethnicity. They

learned to accept that not all lumads are pirates and not all Moros are terrorists.
However, stories of the past have been slowly forgotten. The elders in the community
might have not passed them down successfully or the younger generations are just not
interested on them.

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Be reminded that it is the Mindanawons’ responsibility to keep the culture alive as before
since it is the right way to give back to the ancestors who have done their best to
preserve their way of life. This culture could not be found anywhere, but here. Be
grounded with your identity as it helped you form who you are right now.

Trace your roots from you until the last generation your family could remember. Take
note of your ancestors’ ethnic groups. Draw your diagram on the space below. You may
use a separate sheet if necessary. Based on your tracing, how many ethnic groups do
you see? What are they?

MOTHER SIDE
FATHER SIDE
Lumads
Ilongo
Mandaya
Cebuano
Spañol
Chinese

What creation stories do you know of? Summarize what you have remembered and write it on
space below.

THE CREATION OF HUMAN

God created the man on sixth day and created him through his image. He
used soil to form the body of the man and put hole on his nose so he could
breathe. And God created woman by getting one rib of the man. The reason
why God choose the rib because he assures that the man will love the woman
more than he could.

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 How the World Was Made
Mindanao Creation Story
This is the ancient Filipino account of the creation.
Thousands of years ago there was no land nor sun nor moon nor stars, and the
world was only a great sea of water, above which stretched the sky. The water was
the kingdom of the god Maguayan, and the sky was ruled by the great god Captan.

Maguayan had a daughter called Lidagat, the sea, and Captan had a son known as
Lihangin, the wind. The gods agreed to the marriage of their children, so the sea
became the bride of the wind.

Three sons and a daughter were born to them. The sons were called Licalibutan,
Liadlao, and Libulan; and the daughter received the name of Lisuga.

Licalibutan had a body of rock and was strong and brave; Liadlao was formed of
gold and was always happy; Libulan was made of copper and was weak and timid;
and the beautiful Lisuga had a body of pure silver and was sweet and gentle. Their
parents were very fond of them, and nothing was wanting to make them happy.

After a time Lihangin died and left the control of the winds to his eldest son
Licalibutan. The faithful wife Lidagat soon followed her husband, and the children,
now grown up, were left without father or mother. However, their grandfathers,
Captan and Maguayan, took care of them and guarded them from all evil.

After a time, Licalibutan, proud of his power over the winds, resolved to gain more
power, and asked his brothers to join him in an attack on Captan in the sky above.
At first they refused; but when Licalibutan became angry with them, the amiable
Liadlao, not wishing to offend his brother, agreed to help. Then together they
induced the timid Libulan to join in the plan.

When all was ready the three brothers rushed at the sky, but they could not beat
down the gates of steel that guarded the entrance. Then Licalibutan let loose the
strongest winds and blew the bars in every direction. The brothers rushed into the
opening, but were met by the angry god Captan. So terrible did he look that they
turned and ran in terror; but Captan, furious at the destruction of his gates, sent
three bolts of lightning after them.

The first struck the copper Libulan and melted him into a ball. The second struck
the golden Liadlao, and he too was melted. The third bolt struck Licalibutan, and
his rocky body broke into many pieces and fell into the sea. So huge was he that
parts of his body stuck out above the water and became what is known as land.

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In the meantime, the gentle Lisuga had missed her brothers and started to look for
them. She went toward the sky, but as she approached the broken gates, Captan,
blind with anger, struck her too with lightning, and her silver body broke into
thousands of pieces.

Captan then came down from the sky and tore the sea apart, calling on Maguayan to
come to him and accusing him of ordering the attack on the sky. Soon Maguayan
appeared and answered that he knew nothing of the plot as he had been asleep far
down in the sea.

After a time, he succeeded in calming the angry Captan. Together they wept at the
loss of their grandchildren, especially the gentle and beautiful Lisuga; but with all their
power they could not restore the dead to life. However, they gave to each body a
beautiful light that will shine forever.

And so it was that golden Liadlao became the sun, and copper Libulan the moon,
while the thousands of pieces of silver Lisuga shine as the stars of heaven. To wicked
Licalibutan the gods gave no light, but resolved to make his body support a new race
of people. So Captan gave Maguayan a seed, and he planted it on the land, which, as
you will remember, was part of Licalibutan's huge body.

Soon a bamboo tree grew up, and from the hollow of one of its branches a man and a
woman came out. The man's name was Sicalac, and the woman was called Sicabay.
They were the parents of the human race. Their first child was a son whom they
called Libo; afterwards they had a daughter who was known as Saman. Pandaguan
was a younger son and he had a son called Arion.

Pandaguan was very clever and invented a trap to catch fish. The very first thing he
caught was a huge shark. When he brought it to land, it looked so great and fierce
that he thought it was surely a god, and he at once ordered his people to worship it.
Soon all gathered around and began to sing and pray to the shark. Suddenly the sky
and sea opened, and the gods came out and ordered Pandaguan to throw the shark
back into the sea and to worship none but them.

All were afraid except Pandaguan. He grew very bold and answered that the shark
was as big as the gods, and that since he had been able to overpower it he would
also be able to conquer the gods. Then Captan, hearing this, struck Pandaguan with a
small thunderbolt, for he did not wish to kill him but merely to teach him a lesson.
Then he and Maguayan decided to punish these people by scattering them over the
earth, so they carried some to one land and some to another. Many children were
afterwards born, and thus the earth became inhabited in all parts.

Pandaguan did not die. After lying on the ground for thirty days he regained his
strength, but his body was blackened from the lightning, and all his descendants ever
since that day have been black.

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 His first son, Arion, was taken north, but as he had been born before his father's
punishment he did not lose his color, and all his people therefore are white.

Libo and Saman were carried south, where the hot sun scorched their bodies and
caused all their descendants to be of a brown color.

A son of Saman and a daughter of Sicalac were carried east, where the land at first
was so lacking in food that they were compelled to eat clay. On this account their
children and their children’s children have always been yellow in color.

The Children of the Limokon

Mandaya

In the very early days before there were any people on the earth, the limokon (a kind
of dove ) were very powerful and could talk like men though they looked like birds.
One limokon laid two eggs, one at the mouth of the Mayo River and one farther up its
course. After some time these eggs hatched, and the one at the one at the mouth of
the river became a man, while the other became a woman.

The man lived alone on the bank of the river for a long time, but he was very lonely
and wished many times for a companion. One day when he was crossing the river
something was swept against his legs with such force that it nearly caused him to
drown. On examining it, he found that it was a hair, and he determined to go up the
river and find whence it came. He traveled up the stream, looking on both banks, until
finally he found the woman, and he was very happy to think that at last he could have
a companion.

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 The Story of the Creation
B’laan creation story
Recorded by Mabel Cook Cole

In the very beginning there lived a being so large that he cannot be compared with an
y known thing. His name was Melu, and when he sat on the clouds, which were his
home, he occupied all the space above. His teeth were pure gold, and because he
was very cleanly and continually rubbed himself with his hands, his skin became pure
white. The dead skin which he rubbed off his body was placed on one side in a pile,
and by and by this pile became so large that he was annoyed and set himself to
consider what he could do with it.

Finally, Melu decided to make the earth; so he worked very hard in putting the dead
skin into shape, and when it was finished he was so pleased with it that he determined
to make two beings like himself, though smaller, to live on it.

Making the remnants of the material left after making the earth he fashioned two men,
but just as they were all finished except their noses, Tau Tana from below the earth
appeared and wanted to help him.

Melu did not wish any assistance, and a great argument ensued Tau Tana finally won
his point and made the noses which he placed on the people upside down. When all
was finished, Melu and Tau Tana whipped the forms until they moved. Then Melu
went to his home above the clouds, and Tau Tana returned to his place below the
earth.

All went well until one day a great rain came, and the people on the earth nearly
drowned from the water which ran off their heads into their noses. Melu, from his place
on the clouds, saw their danger, and he came quickly to earth and saved their lives by
turning their noses the other side up.

The people were very grateful to him, and promised to do anything he should ask of
them. Before he left for the sky, they told him that they were very unhappy living on the
great earth all alone, so he told them to save all the hair from their heads and the dry
skin from their bodies and the next time he came he would make them some
companions. And in this way there came to be a great many people on the earth.

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 In the Beginning
Bilaan
In the beginning there were four beings (Melu, Fiuweigh, Diwata, and Saweigh), and
they lived on an island no larger than a hat. On this island there were no trees or
grass or any other living thing besides these four people and one bird (Buswit). One
day they sent this bird out across the waters to see what he could find, and when he
returned he brought some earth, a piece of rattan, and some fruit.

Melu, the greatest of the four, took the soil and shaped it and beat it with a paddle in
the same manner in which a woman shapes pots of clay, and when he finished he
had made the earth. Then he planted the seeds from the fruit, and they grew until
there was much rattan and many trees bearing fruit.

The four beings watched the growth for a long time and were well pleased with the
work, but finally Melu said, "Of what use is this earth and all the rattan and fruit if there
are no people?"

And the others replied, "Let us make some people out of wax."

So they took some wax and worked long, fashioning it into forms, but when they
brought them to the fire the wax melted, and they saw that men could not be made in
that way.

Next they decided to try to use dirt in making people, and Melu and one of his
companions began working on that. All went well till they were ready to make the
noses. The companion, who was working on that part, put them on upside down. Melu
told him that the people would drown if he left them that way, but he refused to
change them.

When his back was turned, however, Melu seized the noses, one by one, and turned
them as they now are. But he was in such a hurry that he pressed his finger at the
root, and it left a mark in the soft clay which you can still see on the faces of people.

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 Origin
Bagobo

In the beginning there lived one man and one woman, Toglai and Toglibon.
Their first children were a boy and a girl. When they were old enough, the boy
and the girl went far away across the waters seeking a good place to live in.
Nothing more was heard of them until their children, the Spaniards and
Americans, came back. After the first boy and girl left, other children were born
to the couple; but they all remained at Cibolan on Mount Apo with their parents,
until Toglai and Toglibon died and became spirits. Soon after that there came a
great drought which lasted for three years. All the waters dried up, so that there
were no rivers, and no plants could live.

"Surely," said the people, "Manama is punishing us, and we must go elsewhere
to find food and a place to dwell in."

So they started out. Two went in the direction of the sunset, carrying with them
stones from Cibolan River. After a long journey they reached a place where
were broad fields of cogon grass and an abundance of water, and there they
made their home. Their children still live in that place and are called
Magindanau, because of the stones which the couple carried when they left
Cibolan.

Two children of Toglai and Toglibon went to the south, seeking a home, and they
carried with them women's baskets (baraan). When they found a good spot, they
settled down. Their descendants, still dwelling at that place, are called Baraan or
Bilaan, because of the women’s baskets.

So two by two the children of the first couple left the land of their birth. In the
place where each settled a new people developed, and thus it came about that
all the tribes in the world received their names from things that the people
carried out of Cibolan, or from the places where they settled.

All the children left Mount Apo save two (a boy and a girl), whom hunger and
thirst had made too weak to travel. One day when they were about to die the boy
crawled out to the field to see if there was one living thing, and to his surprise he
found a stalk of sugarcane growing lustily. He eagerly cut it, and enough water
came out to refresh him and his sister until the rains came. Because of this, their
children are called Bagobo.

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 Answer the questions below in 3-5 sentences only.

1. In the story How the World was made, different characters were introduced
whichsymbolizehowtheMindanawonslivetheirlifeandvaluewhattheyhave.Ho
wisthe story affecting in the aspect of spiritually of the modern citizens of
Mindanao?

Today some people worship only one God and others worship something they
believed. There are also people who wants to conquer God by telling people that they are
the new God. But I can’t blame them for what they believe because we all have different
belief.

2. In the line “Pandaguan did not die. After lying on the ground for thirty days
he regained his strength, but his body was blackened from the lightning,
and all his descendants ever since that day have been black. His first son,
Arion, was taken north, but as he had been born before his father's
punishment he did not lose his color, and all his people therefore are white.
Libo and Saman were carried south, where the hot sun scorched their
bodies and caused all their descendants to be of a brown color. A son of
Saman and a daughter of Sicalac were carried east, where the land at first
was so lacking in food that they were compelled to eat clay. On this
account their children and their children's children have always been yellow
in color.”, how did it portray the differences of culture of the Whites, the
Blacks, the Yellow, and the other races?

Through their colors and which direction did God put them. North, South, East, and
West have different beliefs as we know/ learn today. Knowing that they have different beliefs
they have also different cultures.

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 3. In The Children of the Limokon, why do the Mandayans consider the
limokon as their ancestor?

According to the story Limokon was the first creature living on earth. They lay eggs in
different direction of river which hatch into humans. So mandayans think that because of
them they exist.

4. For the Bagobos in the story Origin, what is/are considered the most
important thing/s to have?

In the story entitled origin the most important things to have is home to live
forever. It is so difficult finding/ transferring from place to another. Because home makes
as safe from danger.

5. What similarities do the stories have?

All the stories told us the creation of the earth. Reasons humans existing and how
did they multiply. And how they worship their Gods.

6. After reading all of them, what can you say about Mindanao’s culture as
reflected in the stories?

It amazed me while reading the stories. There’s a lot of stories telling how Mindanao
people exist and their beliefs. I felt so happy reading this kind of stories.

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 Mainstream media has done efforts in telling the stories of Mindanao. Brillante
Mendoza’s film Mindanao and ABS-CBN’s A Soldier’s Heart are samples of their work.
How about you, as a Mindanawon, how would you encourage Mindanawons to
appreciate what we have, especially with

By looking and reading history about Mindanao. People now a days looking for
beautiful spots and here in Mindanao we can offer this to them, or shall we say they can find
it here in our place.

Phew! Prelims was tough.

h something delicious!

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