Lesson 1: How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife by Manuel Arguilla

Name: Louise Kevin C. Belen Date: ________________

Program/Year/Section: BSED 2K

PRETEST

To ensure that you’ve already read the short story How My Brother Leon Brought Home
a Wife, summarize the story in 5-7 sentences.
The story How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife is about a province man having
a city born wife. When the man Leon introduces his wife Maria to the family the father
decided to took a detour to test Marias patience because Leon’s father knew that Maria
is not used to provincial life. They thought that Maria will be bored throughout the
journey but Maria enjoyed it. The father of Leon was glad because it means that Maria
is willing to change her city life into a provincial life. They accepted Maria as part of their
family like how maria accepted Leon even though there are difference on how they live
their life before.
ACTIVITY

The most significant contribution of Arguilla’s short story is the formal introduction of
local color to Philippine literature in English. Let’s see if you can extract more literary
elements in the short story that showed local color.

Filipino names Province life

Relationship How my brother

Leon brought City Life
between family
home a wife

Importance of Labang
marriage “carabao”
ANALYSIS

Why do you think it is important for Baldo’s father and Leon to initiate a rite of passage
for Maria? Limit your answer to 2-3 sentences.
I think it is because they will not be able to know if Maria is really willing to live in
provincial way since Maria is born in a city. It is important because Leon and Maria are
already married.

ABSTRACTION

Arguilla’s use of local color can be related to Postcolonial literary theory. Explain this
statement in 5-7 sentences.

Arguilla's use of local color can be related to post-colonial theory because it tackles
about culture. The story of How my Brother Leon brought Home a wife is about two
people with two different life living in the same country. Post-colonial critics are
concerned with literature produced by colonial powers and works produced by those
who were/are colonized. Therefore, is about adapting to change by learning other's
culture. Adjusting about living whether to continue into modern or traditional way of
living life.

REFLECTION AND INSIGHTS

Do you think it is really important for Filipino writers in English to utilize local color? Why
or why not? Explain your answer in 5-7 sentences.

Yes, Filipino writers in English should utilize local color. It is important because it will
reflect and represent our culture by using local color. Just because the language used is
in English does not mean that writers cannot use it to represent their own cultures.
Writers should always think that they only use English language to be able to represent
our culture internationally so that people from other countries will know about our
culture. It will be a great advantage for us because people will be able to understand
more about our country.
POST-TEST

Underline the elements in the short story that shows local color.

Kite of Stars by Dean Francis Alfar (2007)

Excerpt

It took almost sixty years for Maria Isabella and the butcher's boy to find all the
items on Melchor Antevadez's impossible list.

They traveled north to the lands of Bontoc and Cabarroquis (where the
Povo Montaha dwelt in seclusion).

They sailed eastwards to Palao'an and the Islas du'l Calami'an (where the
traders from countries across the seas converged in a riot of tongues).

They ventured westwards to the dark lands of Siqui'jor and Jomal'jig

(where the Silent Ones kept court whenever both sun and moon occupied the
same horizon).

They visited the fabled cities of the south: Diya al Tandag, Diya al Din, and
Diya al Bajao (where fire-shrouded Djin and the Tiq'Barang waged an endless war
of attrition).

They entered the marbled underworld of the Sea Lords of Rumblon and
braved the Lair of the M'Arinduque (in whose house the dead
surrendered their memories of light and laughter).

Important Note!

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