Talisha Bernadette B.

Rosario
3ELS
Summary
Source: Sir's version as well as the one Hayoon posted ;)
urin! the ti"e when the #rench were driven out o$ Sicily% there once lived a #lorentine apothecary in &aler"o
na"ed Bernardo &uccini who was wealthy and respected a"on! his peers. He had a sin!le dau!hter 'y the
na"e o$ Lisa who was e(ceedin!ly $air and was o$ "arryin! a!e. )ne $ate$ul day% *in! &edro o$ +rra!on% havin!
recently 'eco"e the lord o$ the entire island% threw a "arvellus cele'ration at &aler"o. )n that day% Lisa% who
was acco"panied 'y other ladies% chanced to see the ,in! -oustin! at a street called .atalana. She o'served $or
so lon! that she $ound hersel$ !reatly ena"ored 'y the ,in!.
/hen the $estivities were over% she returned ho"e thin,in! o$ her new$ound love. Sadly% she thou!ht o$ o$ her
ran, which le$t her with little or no success 'ut% still% she continued to hold the ,in! in deep a$$ection and at the
sa"e ti"e $earin! to disclose her love to anyone else. Soon% she $ell ill. Her "other and $ather did everythin! in
their power to to heal their dau!hter 'ut she continued to $all deeper and deeper into sic,ness.
)ne day% the Lisa as,ed her $ather to call upon 0inuccuio d'+re11o% a $a"ed "usician who o$ten played $or the
,in! hi"sel$. Thin,in! that his dau!hter "erely wanted to 'e entertained% he a!reed. 0inuccio arrived with his
violin and san! to her a $ew son!s. /hen he $inished% she as,ed $or a private audience with hi". )nce everyone
le$t% Lisa told 0inuccio o$ her love $or *in! &edro and as,ed hi" to convey her secret to the ,in! hi"sel$.
0inuccio% $illed pity and "oved with !reatness was una'le to re-ect the !irl's re2uest. He sou!ht $or the help o$
0ico a Sienna% a talented poet% and entrusted hi" to co"pose a poe" that e"'odied the lady's a$$ections.
)nce everythin! was ready% 0inuccio san! the newly3co"posed son! to the ,in! durin! one o$ his $easts.
Everyone who heard the son! was "oved and the ,in! as,ed the "usician to who" the son! is concerned.
0inuccio replied that he can only tell the ,in! in private. )nce the ,in! was told o$ Lisa and her current situation%
the ,in! opted to visit her.
4pon seein! the poor !irl% he told her that a $air "aiden such as she is not $it to 'e so sic, and that she should
!et 'etter soon. The ,in! consulted with the 2ueen and $ound Lisa a suita'le hus'and% &erdicone. *in! &edro
returned to visit Lisa once a!ain% 'rin!in! with hi" &erdicone and told the" that they shall 'e wed with his
'lessin! and 'estowed the" with "any -ewels% valua'les and estates. 5n the end% ,in! &edro ,isses Lisa on her
$orehead and tells her that he will $orever 'e her ,ni!ht.
My Interpretation:
5n "y opinion% the story o$ &a"pinea illustrates the story o$ the unre2uited love o$ a !irl in the ti"e o$ 6iovanni
Bocaccio. The story shows the len!ths o$ what a si"ple !irl will do to to convey her love $or the ,in! hi"sel$. 5t
also depicts the strict nor"s and 'elie$ syste"s the people hold at the ti"e such as the di$$erence a"on! social
classes% and the people's traditions when it co"es to "arria!e.
Reflection:
5 would say that our selection is "uch li!hter than our previous selection which is the ivine .o"edy. The writin!
style o$ 6iovanni Bocaccio di$$ers so "uch $ro" ante +li!heri in ter"s o$ the seriousness o$ the e"otions in the
stories that they write. There is also a stron! touch o$ $e"inis" in the wor, o$ Bocaccio% which is pro'a'ly 2uite
di$$erent durin! their ti"e. 5'" !lad to see that the author holds wo"en in hi!h re!ard 'ut un$ortunately% the "ain
character in the story was incredi'ly passive when it ca"e to her actions% which led her to !ettin! sic,. 5t
pro'a'ly -ust illustrates how restricted wo"en were in their actions as co"pared to the wo"en o$ today.