Zita is a short story about a girl who fell in love with her tutor.

Let's just assume that this is Zita. Zita is a

young girl, who's taught to act like a lady. A young lady that eventually fell in love with his teacher. In
the earlier part of the story, the teacher was kind of "shocked" that the girl was named Zita, maybe
because of the fact that she fell in love with another girl named Zita--- maybe the cause of his
"gloominess." His teacher kept receiving letters enveloped in a blue envelope, and every time he opens
it, he feels sad or he's acting strange. Maybe the letter came from his lover or a person that broke his
heart. "Maybe"(just a wild guess because it wasn't mentioned in the story) she's also named as Zita.
That's why he feels strange towards Zita. I think he likes Zita but he just couldn't admit it because he's
trapped into a certain sentiment. Maybe that's the reason why he decided to move for awhile and stay
in Zita's place as a teacher. This guy is very serious especially the way he talks. They have different
attitudes--- Zita is the more optimistic one, and Mr. Reteche is the pessimistic one. Zita, sometimes, day
dream about Mr. Reteche. Then one day, when Mr. Reteche received another envelope, Zita saw how
he tore the papers into pieces and Zita asked him why he did it. He said that someday, Zita will also
experience it or understand it. In the last part of the story, when Mr. Reteche was already
departing(going back to where he came from), she received torn pieces of paper. Maybe this symbolizes
as words unsaid(yeah). I don't exactly know but somehow I feel it that way. I'm not so into the story
because I don't like the way it ended (honestly and seriously!) It is not a happy ending. ( -_-;;). Anyway,
let's move on... Words left unsaid because you need to still "analyze" what it meant?hmmmm-- there
are are still many hidden words behind it. The torn pieces are words unsaid because if they are meant to
be directly said, of course it comes as a whole---clear and fixed. It also meant "broken" something is
broken--- the feeling or somehow the thought. (Yeah right. I know you're somekindof, sortof, whatever
lost about what I'm saying. It clearly shows I'm not really into the story. I don't like failed relationships,
sad endings about love stories, and all those stuffs related or about it). The transition is too fast for me.
Like everything was just a snap that's why it "somekindof" DID NOT broke the ice between me and the
story. (yeah, enough Guia. Just shut up!)
UPDATES :)))))

Arturo B. Rotors short story Zita focuses on the story of a young (in local terms) probinsyana, and how
she is groomed to be a lady through a series of events in her life. However, this grooming results into
sadness for both her and another person in her life.

Zita is reflective of the alienating nature of society during the time of its writing, especially in how
society wants women to be: how they should dress, their manner, etc., and how these norms that
society is imposing result in new and difficult issues for women of that period in history. The protagonist
of the story (the eponymous Zita) is put into this period, as a girl whose transition to womanhood is put
under various strains due to the nature of societys demands on women, as well as by a certain man.
Throughout the story, Zitas transition from an innocent province girl (the aforementioned probinsyana)
to a (at least in societys eyes) a refined and matured woman. However, despite this transition, which
was something encouraged by everyone else in the story, she still encounters sadness (possibly even as
a part or result of this transition).

In the end, despite her becoming all that society wants her to be, she ends up losing (or so it seemed)
the man that possibly loved her. The story closes with Zita doing what she once witnessed Mr. Reteche
doing as he was grooming her to be the woman society wants her to be, and finally understanding its
significance.

In my opinion, Zita is focused on etching out how during the time of its writing (the period of American
colonization of the Philippines), and even until the present, province girls often wish to be the same as
the girls from the city, not being aware that even if they become something like the well-bred women
or girls from the city, attaining happiness and getting what they want, especially in matters of love, is
still a toss-up, or an absolute uncertainty; that no matter what one does, love remains that single most
elusive desire of humans. It clearly visualizes the lengths that families from the province would have
their children, especially daughters, go in order to be of the same social class or breed as that of the
women from the high society in the cities. It also demonstrates how a man who seemingly has found
what he wants in a province girl ends up destroying that which he has found by forcing it to become
something it isnt (namely, by making her become something same as that of the city girls or women).

ANOTHER


Rotors

Zita
, to simply put, is a story about young girl who falls in love with her teacher
while he teaches her how be a
lady. Zita, the storys namesake, comes home to tell her father, Don Eliodoro
, about the new teacher who comes to herschool. This event takes place after
the speaker narrates the scene where Francisco B. Reteche, the teacher, is taken
toAnayat by a fisherman named, Turong. Mr. Reteche is thought to be a strange
person by the villagers who have becomeaware of his presence because of an
aura of mystery that shrouds him

he chooses to live with Turong than in Don
Eliodors house, and he does not give much care about where he stays, as long
as he is able to go to school to teach.
Going back to the scene where Zita tells her father of her encounter with Mr.
Reteche, she makes sure to highlight the
moment when the teacher is baffled by Zitas name. Though it was not stated
why, it is implied that Mr. Reteche istroubled by Zitas pre
sence in the class. Don Eliodor then later comments that she should have
private lessons with him onhow to be a lady.
The first few weeks in Mr. Reteches stay with him, Turong gossips to the others
how the newcomer does not sleep, does
not eat much, and just sits by the window to brood by himself. Every month,
there was a letter in a blue envelope withgold design on its upper left hand
corner that came for him. And once, Turong delivered one of the letters to him
in school.During that time, the students (including Zita) were asked to write a
composition that expressed the things they love most.After collecting their
papers, Mr. Reteche recited a very short piece about a moth which Zita thought
was a poorly writtencomposition. She was also upset that her composition was
not chosen.Despite this, Zita remains interested in the enigma that is Mr.
Reteche. At the same time, she continues to learn from him,evident in her
taking notes with the difficult vocabulary he speaks with. In the midst of the
events that continue to unfold
in the story (e.g. the villagers getting used to Mr. Reteches loner
-type attitude), the reader discovers that the main femalecharacter of the story
has fallen in love with her teacher. Then suddenly, as she stares out a window,
Mr. Reteche comes
to her house to tell her father that he accepts Don Eliodors request to teach
Zita how to become a lady. Over the course of
several weeks, the villagers notice a change in Mr. Reteche

he was not walking by the seashore alone anymore, and he
was not interacting with the children of the village. Zitas lessons on how
-to-become-a-lady seem to progress over time aswell

evident in a party scene where acts in the right way. Many gentlemen want to
dance with her, but she has eyes onlyfor one man who seems reluctant, and is
bothered by the fact on how she looks so beautiful that night. Mr. Reteche
andZita share a moment as they both dance.It is implied that a few days pass.
Back in the classroom, Mr. Reteche once again receives a letter from Turong,
and thistime Zita witnesses how he tore it up to pieces right then and there. He
tries to put them
back together, and answers Zitas
question on why he tore the letter only to put it back together again

it is something that she will understand someday.And sure enough, Turong
comes home later from Paunambang, bringing a stranger whom the villagers
take as someonerelated to Mr. Reteche because of the way he carries himself.
This stranger pays Mr. Reteche a visit in the school , and thetwo discuss

as Zita eavesdrops on them

matters which gives implications of the events that were to happen the
nextday. It is morning and Zita anxiously receives a letter from Turong. Hurt, she
quickly tears up the letter, only to try topiece it all back together, crying as a
great understanding dawns upon her.
So besides the romance factor that this story by Rotor contains, I realized that
the something between Zita and Mr.Reteche has, is something which exists
even in the modern times
a teacher-student relationship. Well, Zita and Mr.Reteche are not technically
in
a relationship; however, any reader would notice the tension that Zita has
towards Mr.Reteche, guided by the signs throughout the text. Although, I
myself am not yet sure how old Mr. Reteche actually is.
Come to think of it, why was he bothered by Zitas presence in the classroom in
the beginning of the story? After
discussing the story in the classroom


which was why I couldnt put up this post last Tuesday, for fear of insufficient
analysis

I learned that there were actually
two
Zitas in the Rotors story! ( ;



) No wonder Mr. Reteche was sobothered when he came across the name of
Zita (the student) in his class list. But to be honest, in my own humble opinion,I
think that part
was kind of misleading. Not that I didnt want Mr. Reteche to react at all; I
understand that thats one of the vital parts of the story that makes it clear that
there are two Zitas. Perhaps, he shouldve said something like,