Name: Jamel P.

Daza Subject: Philippine Literature: The Region

and the Nation

Course and Section: ABLCS 2-2 Instructor: Ms. Carmencita Caridad

MODULE 3
CHECKPOINT ACTIVITY 4:

ACTIVITY 4
1. What is the significance of the title of the short story, “Bangkang papel” in relation to
the life experiences of the boy in the narrative?
The story revolves around the young boy waiting for his father to arrive, who has built a
collection of paper boats he is eager to float. More than just the fact that the child is playing
paper boats into the water, this narrative emphasizes the special role paper boats play in a
child's imagination. It is also a symbol of the young boy's desire in the story which was dashed
when his father died. His father, who died during the height of the war, left him and his siblings
orphaned. Even if others around you are peaceful, it is difficult to live. So in other words, it
depicts the victims' relatives as being negatively affected by the war. Another result would be
that many families would be separated and many children would be affected in the future if the
conflict between the soldiers and the rebels persisted. If the rebellion doesn't stop, then this will
happen in our country. Peace and quiet does not exist.

2. Discuss the epiphany/ies of the boy protagonist in the short story.

When the young boy realizes something terrible has happened, and gets out of bed. While the
neighbors are standing outside, his mother is found caressing Miling's hair and staring off into
space. His mother has not responded to his questions, so he just keeps asking. But then he
discovered that 15 people had died, and his father was one of them.

3. Share your own epiphanies about Matute’s short story, “Bangkang Papel.”
During the course of reading Matute’s narrative, I was moved by the fact that the Boy had a
dream of having a paper boat drift, and that dream then wasn't fulfilled as a result of what
happened to his father.