Star Gunao

TVL XI SFRC

21st Century Literature

MARTINES

1. When the great bird hopped close to Richards feet, cocking it's crested head while digging it's claws
into the tender muscles of Richard's flesh.

2. I think for me, the stranger seems like an engkanto since he lives on a place which is surrounded by a
lot of trees just like an engkanto who can be found on trees.

3. The importance of Richards family to the village was that their family are the only persons who lives in
the village that knows and have witnessed the village's history.

4. Yes because Richard's kinda like neglecting his hometown just because of the circumstances he'd
been through.

5. Totoy was there to remind Richard his fate and responsibilties because he had turned his back from
his hometown and it's values for quite some time.

6. Because it seems like Richard embraced everything from the place where he grew up.

6.1 Because Totoy's english speaking skills isn't that good ang Richard's a pro.

7. It's ironic since it tackles about valuing ones culture.The message could there be regarding the english
language and that the Filipinos are now more fascinated with the english language than their own.

8. Martines is believed to a black bird which symbolizes darkness and death.

9.The village is blessed with lands and bountiful nature, and I totally agree that the modern Filipinos are
now more fascinated with the english language than their own.

10.Yes, because Richard wouldn't have achieved what has to be done if Totoy's not there to help him.

MALINCHE

1. Corte's Catholic worldview sees the conquest of the Aztec empire as a way to find good and other
riches, while Malinalli views it as a world that needed to be changed and be ridden of human sacrifices.
2. Because I believe that every human being, living or not, has different perspective about the world,
and I can't say that my view is closer to Malinalli's and Cortes because as I've stated, we have different
perspectives and we vision the world on our own differently.

3. Malinalli served as the voice of Cortes as she finds herself sexually drawn to Cortes.

4. Yes, because I could not look past what made her a victim, I can't imagine her being in that state as
she was someone who had been mistreated by her own mother and by her masters.

5. When she chooses to stay strong for her faith and for the sake of the people around her, especially
her grandmother.

6. When Malinalli disobeyed her Master Hernan Cortes, she became Cortes' voice.

7. Yes, I keep music close to me, as it's always been a strong pillar in my life and family.

8. It is agreeable, no one can refuse to listen when a person give advice and talk good words in the
kindedt way.

9. Words are powerful, it has the ability to control people of doing something.

10. Mexico and Philippines were like the same, both country's religion are Roman Catholic although
Mexico is more democratic than the Philippines.

THE GOOD BODY

1. Yes, because she had spent so much time changing her physical appearance for other people and
that's what I do too.

2. The girl often thinks about her own flaws, she's insecure and she felt like she's caged in her own skin.

3. Society's to blame. I think she felt that way because she's stuck with the thought that people will love
you when you're thin enough, and I also think that maybe she felt that way because she wants to be in
control about what she eats and all that.

4. Cosmo is a magazine which contains pictures of beautiful thin women, and that fueled her desire to
be thin enough and at the same drives her insane of how she's gonna be like those models.

5. Cosmo or Cosmopolitan symbolizes today's society, it's like a way of body shaming since people are
disgusted with someone who's fat.

6. America's picture of a perfect girl is someone who's skin and bone, someone's dainty and fragile
looking like you'll be afraid to hold her because she might break from your grip and that hunts the
narrator and drives her crazy since she's fat and doesn't have control on what she eats.

7. Maybe she means to say that her stomach's big like america.
8. It is ironic to set your mindset into something that you desire especially when you are the exact
opposite of it.

9. Body shaming is applicable to both gender and the fact that men developed eating disorders are
devastatingly true that proves us, society drives people to live their own nightmares.

10. Yes, I think it does, because we often let other people's judgement to be our motivation to do
anything, we kinda like let other people decide on what to do.

The Curious Incident Of the Dog in the Night Time

1. The story is confusing, it tells about the persons with autism but it is a gripping read that does a
wonderful job in bringing to life the world of the autistic.

2. No, I definitely didn't find the story funny because persons with disability is living their life in a very
different way and they're such difficulties vompared to normal people, like someone who's autistic they
had difficulty understanding relationship between people.

3. It doesn't really changed something for me because I'm not that kind of person who judge others by
looks and all, it actually amazes me and kinda like put me in dazzling haze everytime I see scars, bruises
and all those things that others find disgusting and ugly because I know all too well that people with
scars has been through so much and the fact that you're physically seeing them is an actual act of
bravery for they choose to live and continue their life despite of all the hurdles they've been through
and Christopher is an epitome of that kind of bravery.

4. I think he is both right and wrong because Christopher has a problem understanding figuratively and
he sees the world in concrete terms rather than subtleties which is pretty understandable with the
situation he's in.

5. Yes, he's definitely intelligent, there's something in him that's actually pretty awesome like I've never
met nor read about someone who can investigate who killed dogs, I mean who does that, and the fact
that he's special adds up to how I'm amazed by him.

6. We all have different stand in life and we all have different way of viewing things which is important
because if we're all the same how are we going to find out what's right and wrong if we're all moving,
thinking in synchrony.

7. Yes people are indeed confusing. We cannot predict nor tell what someone might be thinking right
now and it confuses us when we expect someone we knew to do this and then they did the exact
opposite of it.

8. I do relate with him, because the world is really a cruel place to be in, to be surrounded by the
judgement of others and he is actually right, it's too complicated to imagine things that aren't true.
9. Christopher's name means kind and helpful and I'm guessing that it's actually derived from the word
Christ and he just wants his name to affect people and accept and see him as him.

10. We should respect others no matter what they are and just be patient and understanding because
we're all in this together, instead of bringing others down we should just lift each other up.

A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS

1. I expected that the story would tell about Afghanistans culture and it did.

2. Burqa is like a padded head piece to be worn by women in their place to cover their body, just like
Arabians veil which is used to worn to cover their face.

3. My answer will be both yes and no. Yes, because I want to experience how it feels having to hide your
body or something like that. And no, because it's pretty sad having to hide your face, body and just
having yourself hidden under that clothing.

4. Burqa symbolizes the Afghanistans culture and beliefs, also they're muslims.

5. When Mariam already felt comfortable wearing it for the reason that no one could recognize her and
know her secrets.

6. It shows that Afghan or Muslim society doesn't show equality for women, since they have to hide in
that kind of clothing.

7. It is important to show that in the story for us to understand how much their society have changed.

8. Because she's different in terms of clothing and her traditions kinda like shifted a bit.

9. I would describe their relationship as a married couple because I think in the future they will become
a happy and contented family because Mariam is very comfortable with Rasheed and also Rasheed loves
her and treats her well, which is needed to build a strong bond between a man and a woman.

10. I was amazed by her sice she still find confort in a man despite of what she's been through and that
is something that I wouldn't find in a man for I fear that history will repeat itself.

THE FOLDED EARTH

1. After reading the excerpt I feel like I have a mixture feelings.

2. Yes, because I know that his promise to Maya will leave her broken and alone.

3. It tells us how death can come unexpectedly.

4. Their relationship was hindered by their families but despite of that they're still dearly in love with
each other.

5. I haven't experienced loosing someone who's really dear to me, but I can feel how tragic it is to be on
Maya's position because once you're broken you will not be the same person again for the fact that
you'll lose a piece of yourself that will affect your whole being.

6. Because I know that if you truly love someone, you will still love that someone in spite of what others
think of you.

7. The setting affect the story since it is a tradition in India that you can't be wed with someone who has
different religion as yours.

8. I think I have both inside me because I'm as deep as the sea, I often think deeply and sometimes the
waves are like the only way for me to be in reality again. And I'm as mysterious as the mountains, like
you'll be curious of what's going on inside my head especially if you've seen how spurious my smile is
and I think my own curiosity is something that leads me to do everything and sometimes that leads me
to unfold stories and see the face of others behind the mask just like what mountains hides behind it's
woods.

9. People long to be somewhere else to find peace and to understand and know themselves more, they
wants to feel like they're home again because for a minute there we felt like we belong to somewhere
else but here.

10. Maya's love for Michael made him believed in him and trust him that he would always come home
to her. They love each other dearly that they trust each other and support each one of them to do what
they love.

THE BOY NAMED CROW

1. A light that guides him through his journey, the crow was like his guardian who was immensely
concern about him regarding his future.

2. Maybe he was the narrator's puppet who's full of wisdom.

3. The boy named crow was the narrator himself who told the story about his life since he was a child.

4. The sandstorm represents a person who walked to the wrong path and would like to change his
directions to make everything's right.

5. I do agree that fate is like a small sandstorm that keeps changing direction. Although it's still you who
can manage and control what's up ahead you.
HAPPICUPPA

1. The effects it has on the coffee bean soup was that it will grow on huge plantation and ripen
simultaneously which will be harvested with machines because the cells of plants have been changed in
an artificial way.

2. Yes, it may become true since everything is possible in science.

3. It causes diseases genetically.

4. It can change something on both humans and animals genes.

5. Environment is where we live and work, while society are the people who shares similar customs and
laws.

*SLAVERY

I am going to write exactly what I felt and saw during my experience of the “Slave Trade”

I stood there. I felt ashamed, bare, and like a failure. Sweat was dripping down my black skin as I
awaited to be sold. Despite my best efforts, I still landed here.

I am a 30 year old African-American woman and soon to be slave. I was taken from my family and they
are now dead because they were too weak to work.

The rusted, iron shekels hung loose on my bony wrists and my nose was filled with the awful stench of
white men.

A white man with a beard pointed at me and yelled, “Who wants this one? Oh C’mon she aint that
skinny! OK how about $100? That’s a cheap price!”

My shoulders sagged and my head drooped lower. The least that could have happened was that people
would want me.

“OK…what ‘bout $50? $30…? $10…?” but then a white man shouted, “I’ll take her for 10!” The
auctioneer growled, obviously wanted a larger profit, but nevertheless he nodded and undid my
shackles.

My new owner grabbed my shirt and treated me like a piece of property not a person. We walked for 3
miles when we came to a stone house. He led me down to the musky cellar. There were 4 walls, but one
looked different. It was a door!

“Sorry about treating you like that. Couldn’t risk suspicion.” The man let go of my shirt. He opened the
secret door and motioned for me to go in. Seeing my hesitation he responded, “This is called the
underground railroad. It is an escape for black slaves. You are now free!” I stepped into the tunnel
without a word. Unable to speak.

“A group will pass by here in a few hours. Their leader is very nice; you will accompany them to the
north where you will be free!” He closed the door with a smile. I sat and waited for hours until I saw a
light at the end of the tunnel.

The group was coming! As they were steps away a short black lady stepped forward and spoke,
“Welcome the freedom! My name is Harriet Tubman.”

IMPORTANCE OF LITERATURE IN A 21ST CENTURY WORLD

Hi! I'm Star and I will be pointing out the importance of literature in a 21st century world.

Literature sparks empathy and understanding. It'll help you learn about past lives, ecapism and
possibilities. It is definitely much more than its literary meaning, which defines it as ‘an acquaintance to
letters’. In fact, it lays the foundation of a fulfilling life. Literature adds ‘life’ to ‘living’.