Teodoro, Marc Exequiel Maam Luciana L.

Urquiola
2A20 Lit 102A

The Children of the City

By Amadis Ma. Guerrero

Why is the story a naturalistic fiction?

The reason why this fictional story is a naturalistic one is because it downright
shows the reader how terrible life can be and how bad things happen to good people.
Is it not terrible enough that a young boy as young as 8 years old losses his father in a
fight for a cause? To top this incident off the story deprives the young boy of a mother
who had an affair with a man completely different with his father. In his early age,
Victor already experienced how cruel the world is. He worked as a newspaper boy in
the dangerous street of Avenida. In that dark street he learned how to curse-say bad
words and smoke cigarette because he was influenced by a group of unmannered
teenagers. He found himself alone in the street; sometimes being beat up by bullies.

He had to sacrifice his childhood. He lost the chance of having a bright future
when his father died. He also experienced how mean the city is. A city flushed with
triumphant charity campaigns, where workers were made to sign statements certifying
they received minimum wage, where millionaire politicians received Holy Communion
every Sunday, where mothers taught their sons and daughters the art of begging,
where orphans and children from broken homes slept on pavements and under
darkened bridges, and where best friends fell out and betrayed one another.

Simply a single mistake of one ignorant person can give a dominant domino
effect to the lives of people. People become the way they are, not because of fate, but
they play the cards that life has dealt to them. The story shows us the way life turns
and how what we become rests upon our defiance and decisions. This has been a
phrase through the decades but it portrays some kind of truth.

Yes, bad things happen to good people but that doesnt mean that we should
idly stand by and let fate decide what happens to us.

Teodoro, Marc Exequiel Maam Luciana L. Urquiola

 2A20 Lit 102A

The Day the Dancers Came

By Bienvenido N. Santos

It was early November, yet the streets of Chicago were filled with snow. Fil
Acayan is a 50 year-old Filipino U.S. citizen who used to be a corporal at the US Army
and who is now roommates with another Filipino U.S. citizen named, Tony Bataller who
is a retired pullman porter that looked like the life was taken out of him, but in contrary
his attitude towards the things in life are better than what Fil or mostly anyone else had
to offer.

Fil was so excited with the coming of the dancers. Fil blabbers to Tony his
anticipation for the dancers and Tony finds it that Fil feels like the dancers are coming
for him. He imagined that despite the of the apartments small size, the delicious
chicken adobo, the well-stuffed relleno and his warm hospitality will make up for it and
the dancers will enjoy their stay at their apartment. While Fil was blinded by his
ignorant day-dreaming Tony was aware that this was far from reality.

Fil sets out to go to the Hamilton hotel where the dancers were supposed to stay
and Tony went out to the hospital to get his condition checked. Fil makes a move on
trying to introduce himself, but to his dismay, none of the dancers bothers take notice
of him or accept his invitation to come over to his apartment.

Fil returns home later that day after visiting the hotel. He takes a nap, weary
from his travel and disappointment. He had this dream where he talked to Tony about
his dilemma regarding the dancers not coming home with him though Tony had
something important to say it was nevertheless worthless for Fil. When he wakes up he
goes to the concert right away.

During the concert Fil waited eagerly for Tony and held onto the hope that Tony
was coming. When he came home from the concert he realizes that Tony had just come
home and he takes out his portable tape recorder which he plays to listen to sounds
that he recorded during the concert. Tony suddenly insists that Fil turn the thing off. Fil
panics and wanting to know how Tonys visit to the doctor went, he suddenly presses
many buttons on the recorder to the point that he accidentally deletes everything the
other sounds he used to record, and the sound of the concert that he had just done
so.

Teodoro, Marc Exequiel Maam Luciana L. Urquiola

 2A20 Lit 102A

The Day the Dancers Came

By Bienvenido N. Santos

Why is the central character of the story pathetic?

The central character of the story, Fil, is pathetic simply because he was
downright ignorant to reality and is sensitive to simple and inferior emotions. Though
we cannot blame him for his ignorance since we should understand that he is old and
alone we should take into account that his inadequacy to what is happening in real life
is somewhat the root of his selfishness. Therefore this is what makes him utterly
pathetic. Other than that he is tacitly programmed to never let go of things and not that
there is something wrong with that but his value for these mediocre things in life are
too high and precious that Tony can no longer comprehend with what his friend is up
to. Fil should accept that fact that lifes greatest moments are not preserved by a simple
tape recorder or some magic sound mirror or whatnot, but they are contained within
the heart, with consideration of others and not by simple emotions.