FATHER SATURNINO URIOS UNIVERSITY

San Francisco St. Butuan City 8600, Region XIII Caraga, Philippines
Tel. Number 085-34130001 local 4853
Nursing Program

Name: April Tom O. Cuenca

Section: BSMA 2 – MA21; 6:00PM-7:30PM

Bread of Salt by Néstor Vicente Madali González

1. In The Bread of Salt, what does pan de sal symbolize/stand for/signify for the narrator of
the story in the beginning of the story and in the ending of the story?
• In the beginning of the story, “pandesal” or the bread of salt symbolizes how the boy was
used to his duty of buying rolls and pandesal for the breakfast table early in the morning.
To mention, the boy would not be able to see Aida every day if he does not go to the bakery
in the first place. Just like his late grandfather whom he used to serve, the pandesal also
signify the boy’s adoration for Aida, the niece of an old Spaniard whom he thought he was
destined to serve. Because of his young love for Aida, he was able to strengthen himself to
do things out of his comfort zone.
• “…and the bread was not ready” At the end of the story, the pandesal symbolizes the boy’s
awakening back to reality. The young boy was unprepared to face the reality of the world
and was too naïve to realize and accept the challenges in his life. Since society strikes
people with judgement, the pandesal symbolizes this truth and how the boy was not ready
to be judged.

2. Have you had similar experiences where an item or an object (or whatever applies to you)
stood or symbolized one thing in the beginning in your life then later on, signified something
different later on? Explain clearly.
• After my father’s death, our family struggled financially. In order to survive, my mother
would often boil sweet potatoes every morning for us to eat as it is all we could afford at
that time. This is the reason why sweet potatoes for me signify as food for the poor.
However, it all changed when I grew older as I have seen rich people eat sweet potatoes as
well. I remember 5 years ago when I visited my classmate’s house, I saw her mother and
father who were both lawyers eating sweet potatoes as their afternoon snack. I was shocked
because I cannot believe the sight of two wealthy individuals eating sweet potatoes. I
immediately asked my classmate if her parents eat sweet potatoes often, and to my surprise
she said yes. She then explained that her parents love eating sweet potatoes because it can
help prevent cancer, enhance brain function, and support the immune system. When I went
home, I then asked my mother why she would often serve sweet potatoes for breakfast
when I we were still young. She then told me that her mother had breast cancer and that
she loved eating potatoes because of its cancer-fighting properties as she believes that
eating sweet potatoes can lower her risk of acquiring breast cancer. Her reply changed my
perception about sweet potatoes. Now that I am a nursing student, I view sweet potatoes
not as a food for the poor but rather medicinal food for all.
3. How does the story make you feel? Choose an emoji and paste it here (or you can draw it
if you want) and give a short explanation.

I FEEL SAD AND I WANT TO CRY OUT OF PITY FOR THE BOY

• I feel sad and want to cry out of pity because I can relate to the boy. When I was still I
young, other people’s opinion really mattered to me to the point that I find affirmation from
what people think of me. Just like the boy, I was scared of being judged and afraid of facing
life’s reality. However, as I grew older, I learned to love my flaws and be proud of who I
am. My advice to the boy is that he should learn to let go of other people’s judgements as
it will empower him to stop being too hard on himself which will help him to love himself
and have more control of his life.