YZRA MELLE G.

DOMINGCIL BSA-3

ACTIVITY  2. 0
Read- Understand-Analyze
Give the following, base from the given literary piece
using your own words.

Background of the Author:

Manuel Arguilla was Ilocano who wrote in English and
best known for his short story “How My Brother Leon
Brought Home a Wife” which received first place in the
Commonwealth Literary Contest in 1940.Most of his
stories depict scenes in Barrio Narebcan, Bauang, La
Union, the place where he was born. He earned his
Bachelor of Arts in Education in 1933 in the University
of the Philippines. He became a member and later on the
president of the UP Writers’ Club and editor of the
Literary Apprentice of the said university. He got
married to Lydia Villanueva, also a writer in English
of Ermita, Manila.

Characters in the story( characterize them one by one):

Baldo - Narrator, brother of Leon
Leon - The husband of Maria
Maria - The wife of Leon
Labang - the family cow
Father - the one who instructed Baldo on what he will
do while he is on the road with Leon and Maria.

Sypnosis / Summary:
Leon and his wife Maria are about to return to Leon’s
village after getting married. They had met in the city
and Maria has never lived in a village. They are
greeted by Baldo, Leon’s younger sibling, as their
horse carriage stops outside the village.
Baldo welcomes the new member of the family. He is
impressed by her beauty and soft feature. He observes
her nice fragrance and radiant smile. He ties their
bull, named Labang, to the cart and Leon hauls their
trunk on it.
Baldo encourages Maria to touch Labang’s hair and
horns. She is awestruck at Labang’s strength and horns.
Leon helps her on the cart and she sits on a bale of
husk. They start their journey and Leon has the reins.
After going a little further, Baldo takes the reins and
takes a sudden route change into the rocky road of Waig
and surrounding fields. Leon enquiries about the change
of route and Baldo assure him that he is only following
their father’s orders.
Baldo and Leon both question Maria about her views
about their village, fields and rocky roads. She is
enthralled by the natural beauty and simple lifestyle.
She condemns the sheer number of vehicles and noise in
the city.
She loves the starry and clear skies over the lush
fields. She and Leon even start to sing a song that
Leon was taught by his father about the sowed fields
under clear skies. They meet a couple of people after
coming out of the fields but not many as most people
avoid using the fields after dark.
They finally reach their house and are welcomed by
Leon’s mother and sister. They are smiling and excited.
Leon enquiries about his father who is in his room
struggling with leg pain (injured in the revolution).
Baldo goes to tie Labang and when he returns he finds
Maria talking and crying with his mother and sister.
His hears his father’s call and goes to meet him.
His father questions about Maria’s conduct and her
behaviour throughout their journey to the house. It was
test designed to see if she can adjust and accept the
life of the village and make it her home.
Baldo reassures him about her live for Leon and
commitment to their marriage. He confirms his
observation that Maria was ready to embrace their house
as her home.
Their conversation is disturbed as the new couple
enters to meet with the father. Baldo leaves the room
giving them some space with the head of the family.

Exposition:
The story starts off where the narrator introduced His
brother Leon and Maria, where he describes Maria and
her physical appearance, he also described how his
brother Leon is in love with Maria, and that's where
their journey begins.

Conflict:
The main conflict is Leon's father, he doubt that Maria
can can live in a province where Leon-her soon to be
husband live, because she grew up in a city.
Rising Action:
The problem was introduced when Maria was afraid that
the father of Leon would not accept her in the family.

Climax:
When they got home, their father did not welcome them.
He was said to be in his room; “his leg is bothering
him again.” Baldo saw his mother and sister Aurelia and
Maria in the kitchen who seemed like crying. His father
removed the roll of tobacco in his mouth when he saw
Baldo and started to ask something about Labang.

Falling Action:
 It is when Baldo left the room of his father to go
take care of Labang and talk to Brother Leon and Maria.

Resolution:
The story’s resolution is where baldo finished talking
to Leon and Maria, and describing how Maria smelled
like a morning where a papaya just bloomed.

Theme:
 The theme of the story is about the journey in life,
and how it has a lot of obstacles and problems that we
should be prepared in facing.

Moral:
The lesson of the story is even though there are a lot
of obstacles and problems in life, there is a possible
solution especially when you're with the one you love.