Philippine Literature

Name : _________________________
Course and Year: ___________________________

Assignment: Answer the following questions as you read Manuel E. Arguilla’s Rice.

1. Read up on shared tenancy and how it impacted the lives of landless farmers.
Initially, the agreement that governs the shared tenancy is just and fair. It has
had a positive impact on farmers, resulting in better real per capita incomes
and reduced poverty levels. Shared tenancy is when two persons agree on a
joint venture for agricultural production in which one party contributes his land
and the other his labor. The product thereof will be divided between them
proportion to their respective contributions. However, this system has brought
landless farmers to suffer in poverty. Imagine, Philippines is known to have
less rice productivity over the Asian countries what more they could get after
harvesting. By the time of rice-transplanting, many tenants have already
eaten up a large portion of their store of rice and as a result they have to
borrow from their landlord. When the harvest season comes near, their
situation is indeed miserable. They have almost no rice to eat. Most of the
tenants are deeply in debt as a result of the usury of the landlord.
2. Who are the major characters in the story? Is the carabao one of them? Why
or why not?
The story emphasized Mang Pablo's way of life with his wife and children. It
focuses in great detail everything from their appearances to their actions,
especially when hunger strikes their life. The main characters, in my
perspective, are Mang Pablo and his wife, Sabel, and their two children.
Additionally, the carabao also take part. For me, the carabao is already an
essential part of their family especially that it helps them supplying for food.
Given that the story revolves about the life of being a farmer is also a
manifestation that the carabao is also a major character.
3. What is the underlying problem?
It all started when farmers have suffered rice shortages and their feet brought
them to borrow rice from the Senora. Unfortunately, they went home without
rice and even forced to accept the Senora’s arrangement that in every 5
cavans of rice they borrowed, they will repay a 10 cavans. Also, if they are
caught gathering snails in the field, they will be punish by paying 5 cavans of
rice.

4. What is the major conflict? How does it reflect the Philippine socio-political
landscape at the time?
Man vs. Society
The major conflict of the story reflected the situation of the Philippine socio-
political landscape at the time which is Feudalism. It was then a heated issue
where every one of us knew. The oppress society have come to gather
themselves and dedicated to advancing democratic rights and defend about
 how this system affects the poorest unit in the society which commonly are
the farmers. Under feudalism, the way that land was ruled and controlled was
very different from the way our land is dealt with in the present day. It is
basically a series of grants of land in return for services and supplies. The
whole system was based on loyalty, especially in the upper classes. Majority
of that time, farmers had to do a lot of work and didn’t get much
compensation.

5. Who of the characters can you identify with, and in what way?

Mang Pablo – He is the viewpoint even at the beginning of the story. He is the
hardworking husband of Sebia and the father of a three children.
Sebia – She is the wife of Mang Pablo that is being describe in the story as
thin due to poverty.
Andres – He is one of the companion of Mang Pablo that is also a farmer. He
is the husband of Osiang.
Osiang – She is the wife of Andres.
Senora – An old woman who have no mercy for the farmer.
Watchman – He caught Mang Pablo’s family in the field gathering snails and
made them pay a multa.
Mang Pablo and Sebia’s children – They were caught gathering snails for
food with their mother in the field.
Elis – Mang Pablo’s co farmer who plans on doing robbery because of
hunger.