21st Century Literature 2

GEOGRAPHY, LINGUISTIC AND DIMENSIONS OF PHILIPPINE
LITERATURE
YOUR OBJECTIVE
☐ Writing a close analysis and critical interpretation of literary texts and doing an adaptation
of these requirements from the learner the ability to identify:
a. the geographic, linguistic, and ethnic dimensions of Philippine literary history from pre-
colonial to the contemporary.
PASS THE MESSAGE

DIRECTIONS: Everyone except the player and the Coach will close their eyes (preferably with a
blindfold). The Coach will send a message via drawing to the first player. The first player will draw
the message then passes the message again. The game stops when the last player receives
and interprets the drawn message.
BEFORE WE BEGIN
What is literature?
The word literature is derived from the Latin term litera which means letter. It has been
defined differently by various writers. These are the following:
1. Literature expresses the feelings of people to society, to the government, to his
surroundings, to his fellowmen, and his Divine Creator. (Brother Azurin)
2. Literature is anything that is printed as long as it is related to the ideas and feelings of the
people, whether it is true or just a product of one’s imagination. (Webster)
3. “True literature is a piece of written work which is undying. It expresses the feelings and
emotions of people in response to his everyday efforts to live, to be happy in his
environment and, after struggles, to reach his Creator” (PANITIKANG FILIPINO)
BE SURE TO REMEMBER
TO THE LECTURE
LITERARY HISTORY/EVOLUTION OF THE PHILIPPINES
1. Pre-Colonial Period
 The evolution of Philippine literature depended on the influences of colonization and the
spirit of the age.
 The first Filipino alphabet called ALIBATA was replaced by the Roman alphabet.
 Indigenous Philippine literature was based on traditions and customs of a particular area
of the country.
 Ancient literature was written on the perishable materials like dried leaves, bamboo
cylinders, and bark of the trees.
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This module is exclusive to Mother Theresa Colegio Group of Schools students only.
 Literature was handed down to us through the word of mouth.
There were two literary forms during the pre-colonial period:
A. Written literature Examples:
a. Riddles or bugtong. These are effective ways to inculcate the ability of logical thinking
of a child.
b. Epigrams or salawikain. It reflects the hidden meaning through the good lines. It
provides good values.
c. Poems or tanaga – These are common forms of poetry that have a quatrain with 7
syllables each with the same rhyme at the end of each line. It also expresses insights
and lessons in life.
B. Oral literature Examples:
a. Chant. It is used in witchcraft and enchantment.
b. Balagtasan .This is a Filipino form of debate done in verse. The term is derived from the
surname of Francisco Balagtas the author of the Filipino epic Florante at Laura.
2. The Spanish Colonial Period (1565-1897)
The sixteenth century was the start of the deprivation of indigenous Philippine literature.
Spanish colonial government finally got on the scene. They were able to manipulate
literature by monopolizing it under religious orders. Literature evolves mainly on the themes
of Spanish/ European culture and course, the Roman Catholic religion.
3. The American Colonial Period (1898-1945)
 Philippine literature in Spanish was starting to lose its track in the first decade.
 The poems of Fernando Ma. Guerrero (Crisalidas), Balmori’s Se deshojo la Flor novel, and
many others discussed revolution and sentiments for patriotism and reform proved that
Philippine literature was used to claim freedom from the colonizers.
 Even if Philippine literature was in English, the preservation of the content for Filipino
experiences was achieved.
 Short story writers in English like Manuel Arguilla in his “A Son is Born,” was one of the
foundations of the Philippine literature, not in Tagalog or Spanish, but during this time, in
English. Poetry in English was also founded.
 Sarzuela was overpowered by English drama.
4. The Contemporary Period (1946 to present)
This period started during the rebirth of freedom from (1946-to the present). The Americans
returned in 1945. Filipinos rejoiced and guerrillas that fled to the mountain joined the
liberating American Army. On July 4, 1946, the Philippines regained its freedom and the
Filipino flag waved joyously alone. The chains were broken.
The State of Literature during this Period
The early post-liberation period was marked by a kind of “struggle of mind and spirit” posed
by the sudden emancipation from the enemy, and the wild desire to see print.
a. Heart of The Islands (1947) – a collection of poems by Manuel Viray
b. Philippines Cross Section (1950) – a collection of prose and poetry by Maximo Ramos
and Florentino Valeros
c. Horizons Least (1967) – a collection of works by the professors of UE, mostly in English
(short stories, essays, research papers, poem, and drama) by Artemio Patacsil and
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Silverio Baltazar. The themes of most poems dealt with the usual love of nature and
social and political problems. Toribio Maño’s poems showed deep emotional intensity.
d. Who Spoke of Courage in His Sleep – by NVM Gonzales
e. Speak Not, Speak Also – by Conrado V. Pedroche
The New Filipino Literature during this Period
a. Period of Activism (1970-1972)
b. Period of the New Society (1972-1980)
c. Period of the Third Republic (1981-1985)
d. Rebirth of Freedom (1986-present)
INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY
DIRECTIONS: On your notebook. Look for the famous literature pieces and famous authors from
the following period:
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TEST YOURSELF
I. WHAT IS IT AGAIN?
DIRECTIONS: Read the following statement carefully and the term of the meaning. (1 point
each)
1. __________ is the Latin term of the word literature which means letter.
2. According to __________ Literature expresses the feelings of people to society, to the
government, to his surroundings, to his fellowmen, and his Divine Creator.
3. It is recorded in __________ that Literature is anything that is printed
4. “True literature is a piece of written work which is undying…” is posted in __________.
5. __________ expresses the feelings and emotions of people in response to his everyday
efforts to live.
II. WHEN WAS THAT?

DIRECTIONS: Analyze the following scenario and deduce its period of existence. (1 point each)
1. In the palarong bayan every fiesta, Maneng is reign as the king of Balagtasan by his
kabarrio.
2. Eulogio is known to be patriotic, even in his school essays he would speak his heart crying
for the freedom of the Philippine literature, though it is written in a foreign language.
3. As a way of mental exercise, Fortunato and his friend often visit Nanay Penang’s house to
listen to her bugtongs.
4. It was the 4th of July when Andres composed a song to dedicate to his father who is a
guerrilla. “At last my father is free” is the title of his song.
5. Dolores is a young lady who is the heir of the enchantment services of her kin not until the
school year when she felt the unease of her kin’s pride and glory. That new school year,
their Maestra impose new teaching - the Catholic Doctrine.
JOURNAL ENTRY NO. 1

Name: ________________________________________ Strand/Level/Section: ___________
Date of Entry: __________________________________ Remarks: _______________________
LET US REFLECT!
DIRECTIONS: Reflect on what you have learned after taking up this lesson by completing the
chart below.
I thought….
_____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
I learned….
_____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
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ANG NAKARAAN. CHARADES
DIRECTIONS: Class will be divided according to their groups. A representative from the group will
draw a number that has a corresponding word/s. Once the word/s is drawn the representative
may begin to act out the word while the rest of the group will guess the word/s. 60secs is given
to act out a word. The team with the highest number of correct guess wins the game.
THE NEW FILIPINO LITERATURE DURING THIS PERIOD

Philippine literature in Tagalog was revived during this period. Most themes in the writings
dealt with Japanese brutalities, the poverty of life under the Japanese government, and the
brave guerilla exploits.
Many young people became activists to ask for changes in the government. In the
expression of this desire for change, keen were the writings of some youth who were fired
with nationalism to emphasize the importance of their petitions.
The Literary Revolution
The youth became completely rebellious during this period. This was proven not only in
the bloody demonstrations and in the sidewalk expressions but also in literature. Campus
newspapers showed rebellious emotions. The once aristocratic writers developed
awareness for society. They held pens and wrote on placards in red paint the equivalent
of the word MAKIBAKA (To dare!).
Writing During the Period of Activism
The irreverence for the poor reached its peak during this period of the mass revolution.
It was also during this period that Bomba films that discredit our ways as Filipinos started to
come out.
The period of the New Society started on September 21, 1972. The Carlos Palanca
Awards continued to give annual awards. Almost all themes in most writings dealt with the
development or progress of the country –like the Green Revolution, family planning, proper
nutrition, environment, drug addiction, and pollution. The New Society tried to stop
pornography or those writings giving bad influences on the morals of the people. All school
newspapers were temporarily stopped and so with school organizations.
Filipino Poetry during the Period of the New Society
The themes of most poems dealt with patience, regard for native culture, customs, and
the beauties of nature and surroundings.
The Play under the New Society
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The government-led in reviving old plays and dramas, like the Tagalog Zarzuela,
Cenaculo, and the Embayoka of the Muslims which were presented in the rebuilt
Metropolitan Theater, the Folk Arts Theater, and the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
Radio and Television
Radio continued to be patronized during this period. The play series like Si Matar, Dahlia,
Ito Ang Palad Ko, and Mr. Lonely were the forms of recreation of those without television
Filipino Films
A yearly Pista ng mga Pelikulang Pilipino (Yearly Filipino Film Festival) was held during
this time. During the festival which lasted usually for a month, only Filipino films were shown
in all theatres in Metro Manila.
1. Maynila…Sa Mga Kuko Ng Liwanag written by Edgardo Reyes and filmed under the
direction of Lino Brocka. Bembol Roco was the lead role.
2. Minsa’y Isang Gamu-Gamo, Nora Aunor was the principal performer here.
3. Ganito Kami Noon…Paano Kayo Ngayon led by Christopher de Leon and Gloria Diaz.
4. Insiang: by Hilda Koronel
5. Aguila: led by Fernando Poe Jr., Jay Ilagan, and Christopher de Leon
Comics, Magazines and other Publications
In this period of the New Society, newspapers donned new forms. News on economic
progress, discipline, culture, tourism, and the like was favored more than the
sensationalized reporting of killings, rape, and robberies.
After ten years of military rule and some changes in the life of the Filipino which started
under the New Society, Martial Rule was at last lifted on January 2, 1981.
1. Filipino Poetry • Poems during this period of the Third Republic were romantic and
revolutionary. Writers wrote openly of their criticism against the government. The
supplications of the people were coached in fiery, colorful, violent, profane, and insulting
language.
2. Filipino Songs • Many Filipino songs dealt with themes that were true-to-life like those of
grief, poverty, aspirations for freedom, love of God, of country, and of fellowmen.
Philippine Films during the Period

The yearly Festival of Filipino Films continued to be held during this period. The people’s
love for sensual films also was unabated. Below is the table of the list of Philippine Films during
the Third Republic
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History took another twist. Once more, the Filipino people regained their independence
which they lost twenty years ago. In four days from February 21-25, 1986, the so-called People
Power (Lakas ng Bayan) prevailed. Together, the people barricaded the streets petitioning
the government for changes and reforms.
Newspapers and other Publications

Newspapers that were once branded friendly newspapers became instant opposition
papers overnight. This was true of BULLETIN TODAY which became the opposition paper
Books
The Philippine revolution of 1986 and the fire of its spirit that will carry the Filipinos through
another epoch in Philippine history is still being documented just as they have been in the
countless millions who participated in body and spirit in its realization.
INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY
WHERE ARE WE NOW?
DIRECTIONS: On your notebook. Complete the table below, by providing well-known pieces
and its artist according to the category from the table.
YEAR
CATEGORY
1990-1999 2000-2009 2010-2020
Poetry
Author
Play
Author or cast
Radio (play)
TV series
Author
Films
Author/ director/ cast
Newspaper
Well-known author or newscaster
Books
Author
Music
Artist
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TEST YOURSELF
WHEN WAS THAT?
DIRECTIONS: Analyze the following scenario and deduce its period of existence. (1 point each)
1. During this period the so-called conservativeness of Filipinos were tainted because if sensual
films
2. Music during this time is commonly based on the true-life experiences of Filipinos. Music is
filled with grievances, cries for freedom, economic challenges.
3. This period tried to stop sensual paraphernalia to keep the Filipinos high moral.
4. It was in this period when campus journalism was tagged as rebellious as they wish the
readers to develop consciousness for our society.
5. It was during this period when your amiable newspaper grew its fang and becomes an
opposition.
6. In this period Filipino film creations reign for a month.
7. From this period Filipino fought for their freedom in four days. At this moment Filipino
democracy prevailed.
8. Not just for leisure but for the preservation of our culture, the government takes step-in
reviving plays and dramas that represent our history.
9. Twenty years ago, from this period when Filipino people were deprived of their
independence.
10. Filipinos’ undying interest in sensual films continues to prosper in this era. Proof of that is the
increasing production of these kinds of films.
JOURNAL ENTRY NO. 2

LET US REFLECT!
chart below.
I thought….
_____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
I learned….
_____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
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TEXTS AND AUTHORS FROM EACH REGION
YOUR OBJECTIVE
☐ Writing a close analysis and critical interpretation of literary texts and doing an adaptation
of these requirements from the learner the ability to identify:
a. representative texts and authors from each region (e.g. engage in oral history research
with a focus on key personalities from the students’ region, province, and town)
DAYUHAN SA SARILING BAYAN

DIRECTIONS: Name the region in the Philippines where the following historical landmarks belong.
BE SURE TO REMEMBER
Texts and Authors from each Region
Listed below are some notable writers from different regions and their contributions to
Philippine literature. Note that more authors of the 21st century are yet to be listed because they
are still waiting for their works to be published.
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NCR National Capital Region
•Michael M. Coroza, Jessica Zafra, Charlson Ong, Norman Wilwayco, Ana Maria
Villanueva-Lykes, Janet B. Villa, Naya Valdellon, Rosmon Tuazon, Lourd de Veyra
Region 1 Ilocos Region
•Paul B. Zafaralla, Santiago B. Villafania, Cles B. Rambaud, Jan Marc Austria, Ariel
S. Tabag, Manuel Arguilla
Midsummer Summary
by Manuel Arguilla
Region 1 – La Union
Introduction
The story of Midsummer is one of the revered works in the Philippines. It is thematically based on
the powers of attraction and gravitation that exist between two strangers, a young maiden,
Mahinhin Filipina named Ading, and a young Binata boy named Manong.
An Unforgettable Encounter
The unforgettable encounter takes place in a rural setting near a village well. The summer
was intense in its exhausting and uncompromising heat. Manong, traveling with his bull and cart,
arrived at the village well and found the comely figure of Ading to his surprise.
Ading Goes Neat to Manong
There are physical cues of breaking the ice as Ading offers a muted smile. As he
is consuming his meal, Ading draws nearer to him. The nerves are amplified and she spills water
on herself as a result.
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Manong Helps Ading
Gathering his wits, Manong helps Ading fill her jar of water again. Obliged and indebted
to his help, she invites him to her house. She assures him regarding her mother’s sanction and he
readily agrees to follow the damsel to her humble abode.
Conclusion
On the flip side, the brashness of sensual expression in the story also points to the flight of
fantasy that physical attraction can breed in young people’s minds.
The fact that the two were perfect strangers and could hardly vouch for each
other’s characters; their intimacy leaves an uncomfortable taste and highlights the youthful,
hormonal-driven frenzy that often overpowers sound judgment and rational thought.
Region 2 Cagayan Valley Region

•Jun Lisondra, Lovella G. Velasco
CAR Cordillera Administrative Region

•Ma. Luisa Aguillar-Carino, Dion Michael Fernandez, Rachel Pitlogay, Chinee Sanchez
Palatino, Charisse Acquisio
Region 3 Central Luzon Region

•Virgilio Almario, Rolando F. Santos, D.M. Reyes, Danton Remote, Marl Anthony
Cayanan
Region 4A
CaLaBaRZon
•Joel M. Toledo, Frank G. Rivera, Jimmuel C. Naval
Region 4B
MiMaRoPa
•Jose Dalisay Jr.
Region 5
Bicol Region
•Merlinda Bobis, Ricardo Lee, Victor Dennis Tino Nierva
Region 6 Western Visayas Region

•Felino GarciaJr., John Iramil, Isidro Cruz
NIR Negros Island Region

•Isabel D. Sibullen, Marianne Villanueva
Region 7 Central Visayas Region

•Michael Obenieta, Jeneen R. Garcia
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Region 8 Eastern Visayas Region
•Voltaire Oyzon, Timothy R. Montes
Region 9 Zamboanga Peninsula

•Mig Alvarez Enriquez, Servando D. Halili Jr. Antonio R. Enriquez
Region 10 Northern Mindanao Region

•Ralph Semino Galan, Judith R. Dharmdas, Anthony Tan
Crossing the River

by Dr. Anthony Tan
Came upon a river shrouded in mist.
Too early for bird call, or wing beat,
Too early even for wind.
A giant conch shell on a beaded string
Hung on the branch of a leafless tree.
it belonged to the boatman of the river.
With little energy I blew it long and thin,
Remembering what I had been taught,
Cupping it between my delicate hands.
On the edge of that feeble call
An apparition darkened the thick mist.
Slowly the bow emerged in the hush of dawn.
Beckoned me to his boat. Didn't tell him
Where to and he didn't ask, as if
My destination was already foreknown
He didn't paddle. He hesitated.
He waited as if he had forgotten something.
Looked me straight in the eye.
When I didn’t respond immediately,
he opened a bony hand,
The white palm trembling with greed.
The other hand gripped the head of a long pole.
then I remembered what I had been taught:
I dropped a silver coin into his open palm.
He gripped it, dropped it into a bulging purse
That was tightly sewn to his leather belt.
the drop of silver on silver
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Was the only sound in the soundless mist.
Only then did a fugitive grin light up his face.
Only then did he strike
The murky water in the pole.
There was no one to say goodbye to.
No friends. No kinsmen. No lovers.
the gurgle in the wake took the place of words.
The boat moved toward the other bank, where
He had unloaded his boat of so many strangers.
Region 11 Davao Region or Southern Mindanao Region
•Candy Gourlay, Salud M. Carrido
Region 12 SOCCSKSARGEN or Central Mindanao Region

•Christine Godines-Ortega, Jaime An Lim
Region 13 CARAGA Region

•Joey Ayala, Tita Lacambra-Ayala
ARMM Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (except Isabela City)

•Steven Prince Patrick C. Fernandez, Mehol K. Sadain
Karaniwang Tao
By Joey Ayala
Ako po'y karaniwang tao lamang
Kayod-kabayo, 'yan ang alam
Karaniwang hanap-buhay
Karaniwan ang problema
Pagkain, damit at tirahan
'Di ko kabisado 'yang siyensiya
Ako'y nalilito sa maraming salita
Alam ko lang na itong planeta'y
Walang kapalit at dapat ingatan
Kapag nasira, sino ang kawawa
Karaniwang tao, saan ka tatakbo
Kapag nawasak iisang mundo
Karaniwang tao, anong magagawa
Upang bantayan ang kalikasan
Karaniwang bagay ay 'di pansin
Kapag naipon ay nagiging suliranin
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Kaunting basura ngayo'y bundok
Kotseng sira ay umuusok
Sabong panlaba'y pumapatay sa ilog
May lason na galing sa industriya
Ibinubuga ng mga pabrika
Ngunit 'di lamang higante
Ang nagkakalat ng dumi
May kinalaman din ang tulad natin
Karaniwang tao, saan ka tatakbo
Kapag nawasak iisang mundo
Karaniwang tao, anong magagawa
Upang bantayan ang kalikasan
Karaniwang Tao
INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY
DIRECTIONS: On your notebook. Look for one listed author from your lecture and cite one of their
literary work.
TEST YOURSELF
I. FIND MY HOME
DIRECTIONS: Help the following Author listed on Column A reach their home that is listed on
Column B. (1 point each)
Author Region
1. Jose Dalisay Jr A. NCR
2. Isabel D. Sibullen B. Cagayan Valley Region
3. Voltaire Oyzon C. Cordillera Administrative Region
4. Ma. Luisa Aguillar-Carino D. Central Luzon Region
5. Candy Gourlay E. CALABARZON
6. Mehol K. Sadain F. MIMAROPA
7. Servando D. Halili Jr. G. Bicol Region
8. Lourd de Veyra H. Western Visayas Region
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9. Merlinda Bobis I. NIR
10. Jun Lisondra J. Central Visayas Region
11. Joel M. Toledo K. Eastern Visayas Region
12. Isidro Cruz L. Zamboanga Peninsula
13. Marl Anthony Cayanan M. Davao Region or Southern Mindanao Region
14. Michael Obenieta N. SOCCSKSARGEN
15. Christine Godines-Ortega O. Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
II. FIND MY NAME

DIRECTIONS: provided are the meanings and your task is to name them. (1 point each)
1. The song speaks awareness to the generation to take care of its only home planet.
2. “Too early even for wind.” The wind stands for the death of which poem?
3. In this literature the setting happened between two strangers. A mahinhin Filipina and a
binata. The two strangers can barely take off their attention to each other.
4. From his literature about the interaction of two strangers the author decided to leave the
fantasy to his readers. Who is he?
5. Who is being described in the selection below?
The white palm trembling with greed.
The other hand gripped the head of a long pole.
Then I remembered what I had been taught:
I dropped a silver coin into his open palm.
He gripped it, dropped it into a bulging purse
That was tightly sewn to his leather belt.
JOURNAL ENTRY NO. 3

LET US REFLECT!
chart below.
I thought….
_____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
I learned….
_____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
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21ST CENTURY LITERARY GENRES, ELEMENTS, STRUCTURES, AND
TRADITIONS
YOUR OBJECTIVE
☐ Compare and contrast the various 21st-century literary genres and the ones from the earlier
genres/periods citing their elements, structures, and traditions
WRITE NEXT TO YOU

DIRECTIONS: Deduce the words below. Be sure to remember how the alphabet is arranged. You
have 60 seconds per word.
FQJD USBHFEZ DPNFEZ
GJDUJPO NZUI MFHFOE
HFOSF Ibsbob pzbzj
BE SURE TO REMEMBER
Literary genre is a category of literary composition. Genres may be determined by literary
technique, tone, content, or even (as in the case of fiction) length.
 Epic satire
 Tragedy allegory
 Comedy pastoral
They can all be in the form of prose or poetry.

The Pre-colonial Period
1. Songs – These are forms of folk lyric that speak volumes of the typical rural lives and reflect
people’s aspirations and lifestyles. Here are some song categories of our ancestors
a. Folk Songs (Awit ng Bayan) – These are songs with lines often described as repetitive,
didactic, and sonorous.
Example:
Magtanim ay di Biro (Tagalog Dandansoy

Folk Song) (Visayan Folk Song)
b. Lullaby (Oyayi) – These are soothing songs often sung to put babies to sleep.
Example
• Sanggol kong anak na giliw
Matulog nang mahimbing
Marami akong gagawin
‘Wag mo akong abalahin.
c. Serenade (Harana) – These are courtship songs used by young men to capture the heart
of the girl they love.
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2. Epics – These are long narrative accounts of heroic exploits.
a. Ag Tobig Nog Keboklagan (The Kingdom of Keboklagan)
• https://youtu.be/Cq0GbHTdRVY
3. Myths – These are symbolic narratives, usually of unknown origin and at least partly
traditional, that ostensibly relate to actual events and are especially associated with religious
belief.
Examples: The Story of Bathala, and Ang Pag-aaway ng Dagat at Langit.
4. Legends – These are stories that explain the origin of things and phenomena in the
surrounding world.
Examples: The Legend of Maria Makiling, The Legend of Mayon, and The Legend of
Sampaguita.
5. Fables – These are brief stories for the children of the native Filipinos. These talk about
supernatural or extraordinary people and usually follow in the form of narration that
demonstrates a useful truth. These stories use animals as characters to represent a particular
attribute or characteristic
Example: Si Kuneho and Pagong
6. Folk tales (Kwentong Bayan) – These are stories that deal with the power of nature-
personified, their submission to a deity (Bathala), and how the deity is responsible for the
blessings and the curses in the form of calamities. These are often passed on from generation
to generation by word of mouth.
INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY
DIRECTIONS: As a group, watch Ag Tobig Nog Keboklagan (The Kingdom of Keboklagan). Fill
out the Literary Analysis form.
Source: https://youtu.be/Cq0GbHTdRVY
Literary Analysis Form

Term Definition Citation from the story
Plot …refers to the main events in a story. It's
also known as the storyline.
Character …refers to how the author describes his/her

characters.
Setting … refers to periods, geographic locations,

cultural contexts, immediate surroundings,
weather, times of day, or times of year
employed in the story.
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Point of view …refers to how the story is narrated.
Theme … refers to a broad idea or moral in a story.
TEST YOURSELF
DIRECTIONS: Match the Term on Column A to the meaning/scenario on Column B. (1 point
each)
A B
1. Songs A. Isabella is a young mother who would sing to her baby Ray so it would stop crying.
2. Folk Songs B. It determines the category of literature by its tone, technique, and content
3. Oyayi C. If you want to know the origin of something, you must read samples of this literature.
4. Harana D. These are folk lyrics about our ancestors’ everyday lives. Usually done with the
accompaniment of musical instruments
5. Epic E. An example of this is Ag Tobig Nog Keboklagan
6. Myths F. Norman can no longer contain his emotions and end up writing a whole lyric poem
for Emma.
7. Legends G. This symbolic narrative is often associated with religious belief
8. Fables H. Stories that uses animals as characters
9. Folk tales I. Example of this are Magtanim ay di biro and Dadansoy
10. Genre J. This narrative is passed down orally. Its central theme is fairly religious, speaking how
Bathala gives blessings and curses
JOURNAL ENTRY NO. 4

LET US REFLECT!
chart below.
I thought….
_____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
I learned….
_____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
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AFRICAN LITERATURE
YOUR OBJECTIVE
☐ Write a close analysis and critical interpretation of literary texts, applying a reading approach
and doing an adaption of these, require from the learner the ability to identify:
representative texts and authors from Africa
☐ Compare and contrast the various 21st-century literary genres and their elements structures
and traditions from across the globe
LET’S TOUR
DIRECTIONS: Watch the video closely and compare the country on the screen to the country
where you’re living.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-TmjpmNJjc
BE SURE TO REMEMBER
African Literature
African literature is composed of both oral and written works. Written works use two
languages: the African languages and European-derived languages.
African languages European-derived languages
Ethiopian Afrikaans (Dutch literary tradition or South
African literary tradition.)
Hausa
Shona
Somali English
Southern Sotho French
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Swahili Portuguese
Xhosa
Yoruba
Zulu
Oral tradition
a. Storytelling - The storyteller speaks, time collapses, and the members of the audience are in
the presence of history. History becomes the audience’s memory and a means of reliving
an indeterminate and deeply obscure past.
b. Riddle - In the riddle, two unlike, and sometimes unlikely, things are compared.
i. A pot without an opening.
ii. The silly man who drags his intestines.
c. Lyric - The images in African lyrics interact in a dynamic fashion, establishing metaphorical
relationships within the poem, and so it is that riddling is the motor of the lyric.
i. People were those who
Broke for me the string.
Therefore,
The place became like this to me,
On account of it,
Because the string was that which broke for me.
Therefore,
The place does not feel to me,
As the place used to feel to me,
On account of it.
For,
The place feels as if it stood open before me,
Because the string has broken for me.
Therefore,
The place does not feel pleasant to me,
On account of it.
(a San poem, from W.H.I. Bleek and L.C. Lloyd, Specimens of Bushman
Folklore [1911])
d. Proverb - In one sense, the experience of a proverb is similar to that of a riddle and a lyric
poem: different images are brought into a relationship that is novel, that provides insight.
i. Work the clay while it is fresh.
ii. Wisdom killed the wise man.
e. Tale - the images of the tale are made lyrical—that is, when they are rhythmically organized.
Such images are drawn chiefly from two repertories: from the contemporary world (these
are the realistic images) and from the ancient tradition (these are the fantasy images).
i. https://www.worldoftales.com/African_folktales.html#gsc.tab=0
20
f. Heroic Poetry - It is in heroic poetry, or panegyric, that lyric and image come into their most
obvious union. History is more clearly evident in panegyric, but it remains fragmented history,
rejoined according to the poetic intentions of the bard.
i. Hero who surpasses other heroes!
Swallow that disappears in the clouds,
Others disappearing into the heavens!
Son of Menzi!
Viper of Ndaba!
Erect, ready to strike,
It strikes the shields of men!
Father of the cock!
Why did it disappear over the mountains?
It annihilated men!
That is Shaka,
Son of Senzangakhona,
Of whom it is said, Bayede!
You are an elephant!
(from a heroic poem dedicated to the Zulu chief Shaka)
g. Epic - In the epic can be found the merging of various frequently unrelated tales, the
metaphorical apparatus, the controlling mechanism found in the riddle and lyric, the
proverb, and heroic poetry to form a larger narrative. All of this centers on the character of
the hero and a gradual revelation of his frailty, uncertainties, and torments; he often dies or
is deeply troubled, in the process of bringing the culture into a new dispensation often
prefigured in his resurrection or his coming into knowledge.
i. Mwindo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzmFEDNWTO8
Written Word
a. History and Myth
Myth, which is deeply, intensely emotional, has to do with the gods and creation, with
the essence of a belief system; it is the imaged embodiment of a philosophical system, the giving
of form to thought and emotion. It is the driving force of a people, that emotional force that
defines a people; it is the everlasting form of culture, hence its link to the gods, to the heavens,
to the forever. At the center of the story is a myth, the fantasy element, a character or event
that moves beyond reality, though it is always rooted in the real.
i. The Yoruba Creation Things Fall Apart Summary By Shmoop. (2013, October 22).
YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QE3ZUlctLI.
21
ii. Book of the Dead -The Egyptian Book Of the Dead: A Guidebook for the
Underworld - Tejal Gala. (2016, October 31). YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yv_MXNYbAo
INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY
COMPARE AND CONTRAST
DIRECTIONS: On your notebook. Compare and contrast African literature from Philippine
literature by completing the table and Venn diagram below.
Content
First, list down all the forms of literature we have discussed and tell whether the listed literature is
present in both countries.
(/) check mark if the literature is present and (x) mark if not. See sample below.
Oral Literature Philippine Literature African Literature
Sample item: riddle / /
Harana / X
Written Literature Philippine Literature African Literature
Core
Then, compare and contrast Philippine and African literature according to how you understand
each. Use a Venn diagram for this activity
22
TEST YOURSELF
DIRECTIONS: Read and evaluate each item carefully. Label them accordingly.
(1 point each)
1. This form of oral literature allows the audience to time travel to the past and experience
the history of Africa that eventually becomes their memory.
2. It contains images, metaphors and provides insight.
3. This form of literature does not only give away a glimpse of the African belief system but
also shows the everlasting culture of its peoples.
4. It is this person who sings and tells the stories.
5. In this form of literature, the present reality and ancient history co-exist.
6. This is usually done in rhythmic arrangement and contains both realistic and fantastic
images.
7. In all of the literature, this form contains the clearest slice of history. In this form lyric and
images is in fusion.
8. In this form of literature the protagonists are not just full of might but of frailty, not full of
blessings but uncertainties, and not full of life but limit.
9. This is the poem of African literature. It contains images and metaphors.
10. This form of oral literature compares two, unlike things.
JOURNAL ENTRY NO. 5

LET US REFLECT!
chart below.
I thought….
_____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
I learned….
_____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
23
AFRICAN LITERATURE – TEXTS AND AUTHOR
YOUR OBJECTIVE
LET’S CONTEMPLATE
DIRECTIONS: Contemplate the following quotes below. Pick the one that strikes the most for you
and relate yourself to it. Be ready to share your insight with the class.
“One of the truest tests of integrity is its blunt refusal to be compromised.”
“The only thing we have learned from experience is that we learn nothing from experience.”
“Art is man's constant effort to create for himself a different order of reality from that which is
given to him.”
“When suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him, he tells you not to
worry because he has brought his stool.”
“When old people speak it is not because of the sweetness of words in our mouths; it is because
we see something which you do not see.”
“A man who makes trouble for others is also making trouble for himself.”
BE SURE TO REMEMBER
African Authors and their Texts
CHINUA ACHEBE
Born
in Ogidi, Anambra, Nigeria
November 16, 1930
Died
March 21, 2013
Genre
Fiction, History, Short Stories
Source
Chinua Achebe (Author Of Things Fall Apart). (n.d.). Chinua Achebe (Author of Things
Fall Apart). https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8051.Chinua_Achebe.
24
Chinua Achebe was a novelist, poet, professor at Brown University, and critic. He is best
known for his first novel, Things Fall Apart (1958), which is the most widely read book in modern
African literature.
Things Fall Apart

The novel chronicles the life of Okonkwo, the leader of an Igbo community, from the
events leading up to his banishment from the community for accidentally killing a clansman,
through the seven years of his exile, to his return, and it addresses a particular problem of
emergent Africa—the intrusion in the 1890s of white missionaries and colonial government
into tribal Igbo society. Traditionally structured, and peppered with Igbo proverbs, it describes
the simultaneous disintegration of its protagonist Okonkwo and his village. The novel was praised
for its intelligent and realistic treatment of tribal beliefs and of psychological disintegration
coincident with social unraveling.
Read here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NRG03Z_HPf_DdZdYOnoyEbCtXwPgwcj/view?usp=sharing
Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QE3ZUlctLI
MARIAMA BÂ
Born
in Dakar, Senegal
January 01, 1929
Died
January 01, 1981
Genre
Literature & Fiction
Source
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/502766.Mariama_B
Mariama Bâ (1929 – 1981) was a Senegalese author and feminist, who wrote in French.
Born in Dakar, she has raised a Muslim, but at an early age came to criticize what she perceived
as inequalities between the sexes resulting from [African] traditions.
So Long a Letter
This novel is in the form of a letter, written by the widowed Ramatoulaye and describing
her struggle for survival. It is the winner of the Noma Award.
Read Here: https://www.litcharts.com/lit/so-long-a-letter/summary
25
CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE
Born
in Enugu, Nigeria
September 15, 1977
Website
http://chimamanda.com/
Twitter
Chimamandabooks
Source
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19992417.Chimamanda_N
gozi_Adichie
Her work has been translated into over thirty languages and has appeared in various
publications, including The New Yorker, Granta, The O. Henry Prize Stories, the Financial Times,
and Zoetrope. She is the author of the novels Purple Hibiscus, which won the Commonwealth
Writers’ Prize and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award; Half of a Yellow Sun, which won the Orange
Prize and was a National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist and a New York Times Notable Book;
and Americanah, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award and was named one of The
New York Times Top Ten Best Books of 2013. Ms. Adichie is also the author of the story
collection The Thing Around Your Neck.
The Purple Hibiscus

Fifteen-year-old Kambili and her older brother Jaja lead a privileged life in Enugu, Nigeria.
They live in a beautiful house, with a caring family, and attend an exclusive missionary school.
They're completely shielded from the troubles of the world. Yet, as Kambili reveals in her tender-
voiced account, things are less perfect than they appear. Although her Papa is generous and
well respected, he is fanatically religious and tyrannical at home—a home that is silent and
suffocating.
Read here: https://www.litcharts.com/lit/purple-hibiscus/summary
The Thing Around Your Neck

Searing and profound, suffused with beauty, sorrow, and longing, the stories in The Thing
Around Your Neck map, with Adichie's signature emotional wisdom, the collision of two cultures,
and the deeply human struggle to reconcile them.
Read here: https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-thing-around-your-neck/the-thing-around-your-
neck
26
COLLABORATIVE WORK
Critical Literary Analysis
DIRECTIONS: As a group, you are tasked to provide critical analysis of your chosen African
Literature. Use the format below.
Critical Literary Analysis – the title of Literature

INTRODUCTION
The introduction must provide the following:
1. the title and brief background of the author;
2. theme and
3. reader’s expectation via a thesis statement.
BODY
The body of your analysis must provide the following:
1. discussion/justification of your thesis statement and
2. citation of details of the story to support your statement.
CONCLUSION
Conclusion of your analysis must provide the following:
1. a summary of the points you have made and
2. your group’s collective and relevant comment/review about the literature.
JOURNAL ENTRY NO. 6

LET US REFLECT!
chart below.
I thought….
_____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
I learned….
_____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
27
EUROPEAN LITERATURE
YOUR OBJECTIVE
LET’S TOUR
DIRECTIONS: Watch the video closely and list down the facts that most interest you.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNx0akt3_XI
BE SURE TO REMEMBER
European Literature
European literature refers to the literature of Europe. European literature includes literature in
many languages; among the most important of the modern written works are those in English,
Spanish, French, Dutch, Polish, German, Italian, Modern Greek, Czech, and Russian and works
by the Scandinavians and Irish.
Important classical and medieval traditions are those in Ancient Greek, Latin, Old Norse,
Medieval French, and the Italian Tuscan dialect of the renaissance.
The Divisions of European Literature

Ancient Literature
Common forms of literature: Holy Scriptures, songs, poems, fables, anecdotes, parables
Materials:
clay tablets, papyrus paper scrolls
28
Influential Works:
The Epic of Gilgamesh – the world’s oldest epic
The Code of Hammurabi – the world’s first codified law
The Book of the Dead – the compilation of Egyptian pantheon, rituals
The Holy Bible – the sacred scriptures of Jews
Iliad and Odyssey – the epics of Greece
Metamorphoses – the compilation of Roman mythology and culture
Aeneid – the Epic of Rome
Medieval Literature | Dark Ages

Materials:
vellum (goat skin paper), parchment (sheep skin paper), wooden tablets covered in
green or black wax
Influential Works:
King Arthur – Geoffrey of Monmouth
Canterbury Tales – Geoffrey Chaucer
History of British People – Venerable Bede
Divine Comedy – Alighieri Dante
Beowulf – Anglo-Saxon tradition
Norse Mythology – Norse Tradition
City of God – St. Augustine of Hippo
Renaissance Literature | Rebirth or Revival

Common forms of literature: short stories, novella, tales
Influential People:
Johannes Gutenberg – invented the movable type printing press
Christopher Marlowe – wrote Doctor Faustus
17th Century Literature | Age of Reason

Influential Works:
Discourse on Methods – Rene Absalom – John Dryden
Descartes The Tragedies – William Shakespeare
Pensees – Blaise Pascal Don Quixote – Miguel De Cervantes
Complete Essays – Francis Bacon Life is a Dream – Pedro Calderon
Leviathan – Thomas Hobbes Paradise Lost – John Milton
Iphigenie – Jean Racine
18th Century Literature | Reason and Passion
Common forms of literature:
satire, argument, wit, plain prose, psychological novel, poetry, novel, satire
Influential Works:
Robinson Crusoe – Daniel Defoe
A Tale of the Tub – Jonathan Swift
29
An Essay on Understanding – Alexander Pope
Encyclopedie – Denis Diderot
Elegy wrote in a country churchyard – Thomas Gray
Candide – Voltaire
Social Contract Theory – Jean Jacques Rousseau
Poems of Scottish Dialect – Robert Burns
The Sorrows of Young Werther – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
A Dictionary of the English Language – Samuel Jonson
19th Century Literature

Influential People:
William Wordsworth – Lyrical Ballads
Samuel Taylor Coleridge – Rime of the Ancient Mariner
John Keats – Ode to Psyche
Percy Bysshe Shelley – Ode to the West Wind
Lord Byron – Don Juan
Fyodor Dostoyevsky – Crime and Punishment
Jane Austen – Sense and Sensibility
Guy de Maupassant – The Diamond Necklace
George Eliot – Middlemarch
Charles Dickens – A Tale of Two Cities
Thomas Hardy – Desperate Remedies
Leo Tolstoy – War and Peace
Anton Chekhov – Cherry Orchard
Henrik Ibsen – Enemy of the People
Gustave Flaubert – Madame Bovary
Ivan Turgenev – Fathers and Sons
Emile Zola – La Comedie Humaine
20th Century Literature

Influential People:
Joseph Conrad – Heart of Darkness
L. Frank Baum – Wizard of Oz
Rudyard Kipling – Jungle Book
Jack London – Call of the Wild
Henry James – The Golden Bowl
2
H.G. Wells – War of the Worlds
Gertrude Stein – Three Lives
Ezra Pound – Exultations
D.H. Lawrence – The Trespasser
Charles Dickens – A Tale of Two Cities
Arthur Conan Doyle – Sherlock Holmes
John Galsworthy – Quality
James Joyce – Ulysses
Virginia Woolf – Mrs. Dalloway
T.S. Eliot – The Waste Land
Aldous Huxley – Kangaroo
Franz Kafka – Metamorphosis
Ernest Hemingway – The Old Man and the Sea
Samuel Beckett – Waiting for Godot
Read more: Introduction To European Literature. (2017, June 22). The Mindsmith.
https://salirickandres.altervista.org/introduction-european-literature/.
21st Century Literature

Influential Works: (English Literature)
The History Boys (filmed 2006) premiered in 2004
Cloud Atlas (2004)— David Mitchell
The Crimson Petal and the White [2002] - Michel Faber
Atonement (2001) – McEwan
The Burial at Thebes (2004) - Seamus Heaney
Read more: English Literature - The 21st Century. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/art/English-literature/The-21st-century.
INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY
COMPARE AND CONTRAST
DIRECTIONS: On your notebook. Compare and contrast European literature from other literature
we have discussed. Be guided with the table below.
(/) check mark if the literature is present and (x) mark if not. See sample below.
Oral Literature Philippine African European

Literature Literature Literature
Sample item: riddle / / X
Harana / X X
32
Written Literature Philippine African European
Literature Literature Literature
TEST YOURSELF
DIRECTIONS: Discuss all four divisions of European literature and the 21 st European literature.
Minimum of 3 sentences maximum of 5 sentences. You may do extra research if you need
to. (20 points each)
1. by materials
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2. by forms of literature published during the period

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
3. by content based on texts and authors listed

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
JOURNAL ENTRY NO. 7

LET US REFLECT!
chart below.
I thought….
_____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
I learned….
_____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
33
EUROPEAN LITERATURE - AUTHOR AND TEXTS
YOUR OBJECTIVE
LET’S CONTEMPLATE
DIRECTIONS: Contemplate the following quotes below. Pick the one that strikes the most for you
and relate yourself to it. Be ready to share your insight with the class.
“Youth may outrun the old, but not outwit.”
“It seems to me that poverty is an eyeglass through which one may see his true friends.”
“we know little of the things for which we pray”
“people have managed to marry without arithmetic”
“Who shall give a lover any law?’ Love is a greater law, by my troth, than any law written by
mortal man.”
― Geoffrey Chaucer
BE SURE TO REMEMBER
European Authors and their Texts
GEOFFREY CHAUCER
Born
London, England
Died
September 19, 1400
Genre
Fiction, Poetry
Source
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1838.Geoffrey_Chau
cer
Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343 – October 25, 1400?) was an English author, poet,
philosopher, bureaucrat, courtier, and diplomat. Although he wrote many works, he is best
remembered for his unfinished frame narrative The Canterbury Tales.
34
The Canterbury Tales
The framing device for the collection of stories is a pilgrimage to the shrine of Thomas
Becket in Canterbury, Kent. The 30 pilgrims who undertake the journey gather at the Tabard Inn
in Southwark, across the Thames from London. They agree to engage in a storytelling contest as
they travel, and Harry Bailly, the host of the Tabard, serves as master of ceremonies for the
contest.
Read here: The Canterbury Tales | Summary, Characters, & Facts. (n.d.). Encyclopedia
Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Canterbury-Tales.
Watch here: Everything You Need To Know To Read “The Canterbury Tales” - Iseult Gillespie.
(2018, October 2). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0ZrBr9DOwA.
Read Tales here:

The Knight’s Tale
Read: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Knights-Tale
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WksNTH52-g
The Miller’s Tale

Read: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Millers-Tale
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCLC14Xjgs8
The Reeve’s Tale

Read: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Reeves-Tale
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zux6z2d9CKo
The Cook’s Tale

Read: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Cooks-Tale
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRlP27Qdndc
The Man of Law’s Tale

Read: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Man-of-Laws-Tale
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqfxL_PiusM
The Wife of Bath’s Tale

Read: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Wife-of-Baths-Tale
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqSOUU29c-g
35
The Friar’s Tale
Read: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Friars-Tale
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-cY5783GYU
The Summoner’s Tale

Read: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Summoners-Tale
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxa9RCOu9-E
The Clerk’s Tale

Read: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Clerks-Tale
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3PRj_vNP4k
The Merchant’s Tale

Read: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Merchants-Tale
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTzrNeY9vac
The Squire’s Tale

Read: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Squires-Tale
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFJgqJoNBAk
The Franklin’s Tale

Read: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Franklins-Tale
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fACA4ILMLI
The Second Nun’s Tale

Read: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Second-Nuns-Tale
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvxIgwZ9WWQ
The Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale

Read: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Canons-Yeomans-Tale
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_ZQfHXyyqE
The Physician’s Tale

Read: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Physicians-Tale
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70pdMTKceBg
36
The Pardoner’s Tale
Read: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Pardoners-Tale-story-by-Chaucer
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pYY4a_KSoI
The Shipman’s Tale

Read: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Shipmans-Tale
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8gadBcn3X4
The Prioress’s Tale

Read: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Prioresss-Tale
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9pfEL0iU00
The Tale of Sir Thopas

Read: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Tale-of-Sir-Thopas
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0llhvN0gC0
The Tale of Melibeus (in prose)

Read: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Tale-of-Melibeus
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYbhYj2GhK0
The Monk’s Tale

Read: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Monks-Tale
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0rhEC8V5-E
The Nun’s Priest’s Tale

Read: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Nuns-Priests-Tale
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSAKfshz1qI
The Manciple’s Tale

Read: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Manciples-Tale
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_SbsV50RjQ
The Parson’s Tale

Read: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Parsons-Tale
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diPGumC6DMg
37
IAN MCEWAN
Born
in Aldershot, Hampshire, England, The United Kingdom
June 21, 1948
Genre
Literature & Fiction
Source
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2408.Ian_McEwan
Ian McEwan studied at the University of Sussex, where he received a BA degree in English
Literature in 1970 and later received his MA degree in English Literature at the University of East
Anglia.
McEwan's works have earned him worldwide critical acclaim. He won the Somerset
Maugham Award in 1976 for his first collection of short stories First Love, Last Rites; the Whitbread
Novel Award (1987), and the Prix Fémina Etranger (1993) for The Child in Time; and Germany's
Shakespeare Prize in 1999. He has been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction numerous
times, winning the award for Amsterdam in 1998. His novel Atonement received the WH Smith
Literary Award (2002), National Book Critics' Circle Fiction Award (2003), Los Angeles Times Prize
for Fiction (2003), and the Santiago Prize for the European Novel (2004). He was awarded a CBE
in 2000. In 2006, he won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his novel Saturday and his
novel On Chesil Beach was named Galaxy Book of the Year at the 2008 British Book Awards
where McEwan was also named Reader's Digest Author of the Year.
Atonement
We start out at the Tallis family's very upper-class English home in 1935, a few years before
World War II. The family is expecting a visit from their maternal cousins—the young twins Jackson
and Pierrot, and 15-year-old Lola—all of whom have been temporarily casting adrift by their
parents' divorce. The Tallis family is also expecting a visit from brother Leon and his friend, the
chocolate magnate Paul Marshall. With five (count 'em, five) people arriving, the house is in
something of an uproar—especially since father Jack Tallis is off in London at his government
job, while mother Emily Tallis is largely incapacitated with a migraine.
In the middle of all this burble and bustle, Robbie Turner, the son of the housekeeper,
realizes that he's fallen hopelessly, passionately in love with his childhood friend Cecilia Tallis.
Their courtship rituals result—as these things will—in a series of awkward sexual displays. Cecilia
jumps into a fountain in her underwear. Robbie accidentally gives Cecilia a letter he meant to
destroy in which he tells her exactly what he wants to do with her. Then they do some of those
things, not nearly privately enough, in the family library.
38
These embarrassing events are witnessed by Briony, Cecilia's imaginative 13-year-old
sister. Spurred by confusion, and by her penchant for making up stories, she decides that Robbie
is a "maniac" who is after her sister. This results in disaster when the twins run away after dinner,
and everyone races out to search for them in the dark. Briony finds Lola, who has been sexually
assaulted and sees a figure running away into the darkness. Though she does not see his face,
she is convinced that it was Robbie and accuses him of the police. Robbie is taken to prison,
despite the protests of Grace Turner (his mother) and Cecilia, who pledges her love and
promises to wait for him.
The novel now jumps several years to 1940. Robbie has been released from prison to join
the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) fighting in France against the Nazis. The war has gone
through, and so Robbie is trudging cross-country to the sea at Dunkirk, where he, his companions
Mace and Nettle, and the rest of the British hope to be ferried across to England and safety.
Robbie is wounded and increasingly delirious. He is sustained only by letters from Cecilia and his
hopes for their future together. He finally collapses into sleep, waiting for the evacuation which
is to begin the next day.
The narrative shifts to Briony. She is riddled with guilt since realizing that it wasn't Robbie
who raped Lola. In part to try to atone for what she has done, she refuses to go study at
Cambridge. Instead, to her mother's shock, she becomes a training nurse in London, where she
cares for some of the first British soldiers wounded in the war.
On one of her days off from the hospital, Briony goes to visit her sister and offers to tell
their parents and the court that her statement about Robbie was false. She discovers Robbie,
who has survived the Dunkirk crossing, staying in her sister's apartment—scandal! (Or at least the
landlady is scandalized, anyway.) Though it seems unlikely that Robbie's verdict can be
overturned, she promises to retract her statement before an official witness, to tell their parents,
and to write them a full account of what she did and why. She also tells them that Paul Marshall
has married Lola and that it was almost certainly he who raped her. Cecilia and Robbie do not
forgive her, since she did ruin their lives and it's hard to get past that. But there is some sense of
reconciliation.
The final part of the book is told by Briony in the first person. She is old now, and a famous
author. She has just learned that she has vascular dementia, a condition that will lead her to
senility, and then died in a couple of years. We learn that the book—yup, Atonement—is her
novel and that she is waiting to publish it until Lord and Lady Marshall—Paul and Lola—are dead
and cannot sue. She recognizes that she will not outlive Lola and that the book will therefore
not be released in her lifetime. She also reveals that the book is not entirely truthful and that
Robbie and Cecilia did not reunite but instead died separately during the war. And if that
doesn't make you cry when you turn the last page, then your heart is a big old lump of rock.
Witty documentary by: https://www.shmoop.com/study-

guides/literature/atonement/summary
Read more: https://www.enotes.com/topics/atonement/chapter-summaries/part-1-chapter-

11-summary
39
COLLABORATIVE WORK
Critical Literary Analysis
DIRECTIONS: As a group, you are tasked to provide critical analysis of Atonement. Use the format
below.
Critical Literary Analysis – the title of Literature

INTRODUCTION
The introduction must provide the following:
1. the title and brief background of the author;
2. theme and
3. reader’s expectation via a thesis statement.
BODY
The body of your analysis must provide the following:
1. discussion/justification of your thesis statement and
2. the citation of details of a story to support your statement.
CONCLUSION
Conclusion of your analysis must provide the following:

1. a summary of the points you have made and
2. your group’s collective and relevant comment/review about the literature.
JOURNAL ENTRY NO. 8

LET US REFLECT!
chart below.
I thought….
_____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
I learned….
_____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
40
CHINESE LITERATURE
YOUR OBJECTIVE
☒ Understand the history of Chinese literature
☒ Identify the characteristic of Chinese literature
☒ Determine the use of Myths
☒ Write a simple paper review about the styles and genre of Chinese Literature.
LET’S TOUR
Origins: c. 1400–221 BCE
The oldest specimens of Chinese writing extant are inscriptions on bones and tortoise
shells dating back to the last three centuries of the Shang dynasty (18th–12th centuries BCE) and
recording divinations performed at the royal capital. These inscriptions, like those engraved on
ceremonial bronze vessels toward the end of the Shang period, are usually brief and factual
and cannot be considered literature. Nonetheless, they are significant in that their sizable
vocabulary (about 3,400 characters, of which nearly 2,000 have been reliably deciphered) has
proved to be the direct ancestor of the modern Chinese script. Moreover, the syntactical
structure of the language bears a striking resemblance to later usages. From the frequent
occurrences in the bone inscriptions of such characters as “dance” and “music,” “drum” and
“chimes” (of stone), “words” and “southern” (airs), it can safely be inferred that, by the Shang
dynasty, songs were sung to the accompaniment of dance and music, but these songs are now
lost.
General Characteristics
Through cultural contacts, Chinese literature has profoundly influenced the literary
traditions of other Asian countries, particularly Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. Not only was the
Chinese script adopted for the written language in these countries, but some writers adopted
the Chinese language as their chief literary medium, at least before the 20th century.
The graphic nature of the written aspect of the Chinese language has produced several
noteworthy effects upon Chinese literature and its diffusion:
(1) Chinese literature, especially poetry, is recorded in handwriting or print and purports to make
an aesthetic appeal to the reader that is visual as well as aural.
41
(2) This visual appeal of the graphs has given rise to the elevated status of calligraphy in China,
where it has been regarded for at least the last 16 centuries as a fine art comparable to
painting. Scrolls of calligraphic renderings of poems and prose selections have continued to
be hung alongside paintings in the homes of the common people as well as the elite,
converting these literary gems into something to be enjoyed in everyday living.
(3) On the negative side, such a writing system has impeded education and the spread of
literacy, thus reducing the number of readers of literature, for even a rudimentary level of
reading and writing requires knowledge of more than 1,000 graphs, together with their
pronunciation.
(4) On the other hand, the Chinese written language, even with its obvious disadvantages, has
been a potent factor in perpetuating the cultural unity of the growing millions of the Chinese
people, including assimilated groups in far-flung peripheral areas. Different in function from
recording words in an alphabetic–phonetic language, the graphs are not primarily
indicators of sounds and can therefore be pronounced in variant ways to accommodate
geographical diversities in speech and historical phonological changes without damage to
the meaning of the written page. As a result, the major dialects in China never developed
into separate written languages as did the Romance languages, and, although the reader
of a Confucian Classic in southern China might not understand the everyday speech of
someone from the far north, Chinese literature has continued to be the common asset of
the whole Han Chinese people. By the same token, the graphs of China could be utilized by
speakers of other languages as their literary mediums.
The pronunciation of the Chinese graphs has also influenced the development of
Chinese literature. The fact that each graph had a monophonic pronunciation in each context
created a large number of homonyms, which led to misunderstanding and confusion when
spoken or read aloud without the aid of the graphs. One corrective was the introduction of
tones or pitches in pronunciation. As a result, a metre in Chinese prosody is not concerned with
the combination of syllabic stresses, as in English, but with those of syllabic tones, which produce
a different but equally pleasing cadence. This tonal feature of the Chinese language has
brought about an intimate relationship between poetry and music in China. All major types of
Chinese poetry were originally sung to the accompaniment of music. Even after the musical
scores were lost, the poems were, as they still are, more often chanted—to approximate
singing—than merely read.
Chinese poetry, besides depending on end rhyme and tonal meter for its cadence, is
characterized by its compactness and brevity. There are no epics of either folk or literary variety
and hardly any narrative or descriptive poems that are long by the standards of world literature.
Stressing the lyrical, as has often been pointed out, the Chinese poet refrains from being
exhaustive, marking instead the heights of his ecstasies and inspiration or the depths of sorrow
and sympathy. Generally, pronouns and conjunctions are omitted, and one or two words often
allude to highly complex thoughts or situations. This explains why many poems have been
differently interpreted by learned commentators and competent translators.
The line of demarcation between prose and poetry is much less distinctly drawn in
Chinese literature than in other national literature. This is reflected in three genres. The fu, for
42
example, is on the borderline between poetry and prose, containing elements of both. It uses
rhyme and metre and not infrequently also antithetic structure, but, despite occasional flights
into the realm of the poetic, it retains the features of prose without being necessarily prosaic.
This accounts for the variety of labels given to the fu in English by writers on Chinese literature—
poetic prose, rhyme prose, prose poem, rhapsody, and prose poetry.
Another genre belonging to this category is pianwen (“parallel prose”), characterized by
antithetic construction and balanced tonal patterns without the use of rhyme; the term is
suggestive of “a team of paired horses,” as is implied in the Chinese word pian. Despite the
polyphonic effect thus produced, which approximates that of poetry, it has often been made
the vehicle of prose like exposition and argumentation. Another genre, a peculiar mutation in
this borderland, is the baguwen (“eight-legged essay”). Now generally regarded as unworthy
of classification as literature, for centuries (from 1487 to 1901) it dominated the field of Chinese
writing as the principal yardstick in grading candidates in the official civil-service examinations.
It exploited antithetical construction and contrasting tonal patterns to the limit by requiring pairs
of columns consisting of long paragraphs, one responding to the other, word for word, phrase
for phrase, the sentence for sentence.
Chinese prose writing has been diverted into two streams, separated at least for the last
1,000 years by a gap much wider than the one between folk songs and so-called literary poems.
Classical, or literary, prose (guwen, or wenyan) aims at the standards and styles set by ancient
writers and their distinguished followers of subsequent ages, with the Confucian Classics and the
early philosophers as supreme models. While the styles may vary with individual writers, the
language is always far removed from their spoken tongues. Sanctioned by official requirements
for the competitive examinations and dignified by traditional respect for the cultural
accomplishments of past ages, this medium became the linguistic tool of practically all Chinese
prose writers. Vernacular prose (baihua), in contrast, consists of writings in the living tongue, the
everyday language of the authors. Traditionally considered inferior, the medium was piously
avoided for creative writing until it was adopted by novelists and playwrights from the 13th
century on.
Literary Use of Myths

Early Chinese literature does not present, as the literature of certain other
world cultures do, great epics embodying mythological lore. What information exists is sketchy
and fragmentary and provides no clear evidence that organic mythology ever existed; if it did,
all traces have been lost. Attempts by scholars, Eastern and Western alike, to reconstruct the
mythology of antiquity have consequently not advanced beyond probable theses. Shang
dynasty material is limited. Zhou dynasty (c. 1046–256 BCE) sources are more plentiful, but even
these must at times be supplemented by writings of the Han period (206 BCE–220 CE), which,
however, must be read with great caution. This is the case because Han scholars reworked the
ancient texts to such an extent that no one is quite sure, aside from evident forgeries, how much
was deliberately reinterpreted and how much was changed in good faith in an attempt to
clarify ambiguities or reconcile contradictions.
43
Poetry
The first anthology of Chinese poetry, known as the Shijing (“Classic of Poetry”) and
consisting of temple, court, and folk songs, was given definitive form somewhere around the
time of Confucius (551–479 BCE). But its 305 songs are believed to range in date from the
beginning of the Zhou dynasty to the time of their compiling.
The Shijing is generally accounted for the third of the Five Classics (Wujing) of Confucian
literature. The other four are the Yijing (“Classic of Changes”), a book of divination and
cosmology; the Shujing (“Classic of History”), a collection of official documents; the Liji (“Record
of Rites”), a book of rituals with accompanying anecdotes; and the Chunqiu (“Spring and
Autumn [Annals]”), a chronological history of the feudal state of Lu, where Confucius was born,
consisting of topical entries of major events from 722 to 481 BCE. The Five Classics have been
held in high esteem by Chinese scholars since the 2nd century BCE. (For a discussion of the Yijing
and Shujing, see below Prose.)
The poems of the Shijing were originally sung to the accompaniment of music, and some
of them, especially temple songs, were also accompanied by dancing. (In all subsequent
periods of Chinese literary history, new trends in poetry were profoundly influenced by music.)
Most of the poems of the Shijing have a preponderantly lyrical strain whether the subject is
hardship in military service or seasonal festivities, agricultural chores or rural scenes, love or
sports, aspirations or disappointments of the common folk, and the declining aristocracy.
Apparently, the language of the poems was relatively close to the daily speech of the common
people, and even repeated attempts at refinement during the long process of transmission
have not spoiled their freshness and spontaneity. Despite this, however, when the songs are
read aloud and not sung to music their prevailing four-syllable lines conduce to monotony,
hardly redeemed by the occasional interspersion of shorter or longer lines.
Prose
Prior to the rise of the philosophers in the 6th century BCE, brief prose writings were
reported to be numerous, but of these only two collections have been transmitted: the Shu,
or Shujing (“Classic of History”), consisting of diverse kinds of primitive state papers, such as
declarations, portions of charges to feudal lords, and orations; and the Yi, or Yijing (“Classic of
Changes”), a fortune-telling manual. Both grew by accretion and, according to a very doubtful
tradition, were edited by Confucius himself. Neither can be considered literature, but both have
exerted influence on Chinese writers for more than 2,000 years as a result of their inclusion in the
Confucian canon.
The earliest writings that can be assigned to individual “authorship,” in the loose sense of
the term, are the Laozi, or Daodejing (“Classic of the Way of Power”), which is attributed
to Laozi, who is credited with being the founder of Daoism and who might have been an older
contemporary of Confucius; and the Lunyu (“Conversations”), or Analects (selected
miscellaneous passages), of Confucius. Neither of the philosophers wrote extensively, and their
teachings were recorded by their followers. Thus, the Laozi consists of brief summaries of Laozi’s
sayings, many of which are in rhyme and others in polished prose to facilitate memorization.
Likewise, the Analects is composed of collections of the sage’s sayings, mostly as answers to
44
questions or as a result of discussions because writing implements and materials were expensive
and scarce. The circumstances of the conversations, however, were usually omitted, and as a
consequence, the master’s word often sounds cryptic and disjointed, despite the profundity of
the wisdom.
By about 400 BCE, writing materials had improved, and a change in prose style resulted.
The records of the discourses became longer, the narrative portions more detailed; jokes,
stories, anecdotes, and parables, interspersed in the conversations, were included. Thus,
the Mencius, or Mengzi, the teachings of Mencius, not only is three times longer than
the Analects of Confucius but also is topically and more coherently arranged. The same
characteristic may be noticed in the authentic chapters of the Zhuangzi, attributed to the
Daoist sage Zhuangzi, who (as stated in the epilogue of the Zhuangzi)
BE SURE TO REMEMBER
Four Novels that Form the Core of Chinese Classical Literature
1. Water Margin
2. Journey to the West
3. Romance of the Three Kingdoms
4. Dream of the Red Chamber
Dating from the Ming and Qing dynasties, these four novels are the bedrock of Chinese
literary culture. Their influence has spread across Asia to inform elements of Japanese, Korean,
and Southeast Asian mythology. The writing and dissemination of these four works marked the
emergence of the novel form in China as a counterpart to more refined philosophical and
poetic works. The more expansive form of the novel allowed for a synthesis of the historical and
the mythological, whilst also developing along more accessible narrative lines. These works thus
marked limited but notable democratization of literature which is perhaps most evident in their
use of vernacular Chinese, rather than the Classical Chinese which had previously dominated.
These four works also revealed the novel’s potential to embrace a multitude of perspectives,
and to allow for irony; this permitted writer to voice previously suppressed critiques about the
ruling order, whilst also expressing the vast multitude of voices that made up the Chinese
populace.
1. Water Margin
Published in the 14th century, Water
Margin was the first of the four classical novels to
be released and introduced the vernacular
form and style to which the others would adhere
to. The title has been translated in several ways,
including as Outlaws of the Marsh, Tale of the
Marshes, All Men Are Brothers, Men of the
Marshes, or The Marshes of Mount Liang, and
whilst doubts persist over the identity of the
45
author, most attribute it to Shi Nai’an, a writer from Suzhou. The novel is set in the Song dynasty
and depicts a group of outlaws who eventually go on to serve the Emperor in battling foreign
invaders. It was based on the real-life story of the outlaw Song Jiang, who was defeated by the
Emperor in the 12th century, and whose gang of 36 outlaws came to populate folk tales
throughout China. These folk tales generated mythology around Song Jiang which led to various
dramatic adaptations and printed retellings. These precursors would all go on to inform Water
Margin, which condensed and synthesized the various tales which had erupted around the
Song Jiang story. Some have attributed Water Margin’s success to its ironic representation of
common grievances against the ruling classes. Its depiction of outlaw’s rebellion tapped into
resentments held by many during the Ming dynasty, and the novel was indeed banned for a
period for its potential for promoting sedition. The novel has gone on to be the subject of
numerous modern adaptations and has continued contemporary relevance in its prototypical
tale of rebellion, repression, and subservience.
2. Journey to the West

Perhaps the most influential of the four
classic novels of Chinese literature, and certainly
the most widely known beyond China’s borders,
Journey to the West was written in the 16th
century by Wu Cheng’en. It depicts the
pilgrimage of the Buddhist monk Xuanzang to
India, and his resultant travels through the
Western provinces of China, accompanied by his
three disciples. Whilst the framework of the story is
based on Buddhism, the novel draws on a host of
Chinese folk tales and mythology, as well as
pantheism and Taoism to create its fantastical
cast of characters and creatures. These creatures include various demons who Xuanzang
encounters along his travels and a variety of animal-spirits who assume human form. This latter
category includes the three disciples, who are characterized as a monkey, a pig, and a river
ogre, and who are bound to Xuanzang as they attempt to atone for their past sins. An early and
partial English translation of Journey to the West by Arthur Waley was entitled Monkey and
focused on the exploits of this character, which has also been the case with many subsequent
adaptations. Journey to the West was an early example of the Shenmo genre, which
incorporated a range of fantastical fiction focusing on the exploits of gods or demons and was
very prominent in the rise of vernacular Chinese literature during the Ming dynasty, as the
centuries-old folk tales were written and disseminated for the first time. Journey to the West was
the most famous example of the Shenmo, and remains omnipresent in China, in a huge variety
of adaptations. The novel's continued relevance is a reflection of its paradigmatic qualities, as
with the Greek myths of Homer, it set down the ancient myths of Chinese culture for the first time,
and remains a repository for those myths even today.
46
3. Romance of the Three Kingdoms
A historical novel which recounts the political
intrigue and deceit within the Three Kingdoms
period of Chinese history, Romance of the Three
Kingdoms combined history, legend, and
mythology to tell the tumultuous story of this era. This
epic tale was written by Luo Guanzhong and
incorporates hundreds of characters, weaving a
multitude of complicated plotlines in its portrayal of
the disintegration of a unified China into three
warring kingdoms, the three states of Cao Wei, Shu
Han, and Eastern Wu, and their eventual
reconciliation and unification. Romance of the
Three Kingdoms remains hugely popular in China,
and has had a profound influence on national identity since it dramatizes one of the
foundational myths of the nation; that of its disintegration and unification. The belief in the
cyclical nature of history is expressed succinctly in the opening line of the novel: ‘It is a general
truism of this world that anything long divided will surely unite, and anything long united will surely
divide’. The complexity of the political world it depicts, as well as its epic length and density,
can make reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms a challenge. However, it remains a uniquely
potent work, which informs Chinese political consciousness event today in a way that rivals
Shakespeare’s place in English self-identity.
4. Dream of the Red Chamber

Written in the mid-18th century during the Qing
dynasty, Dream of the Red Chamber was the last of
the four great novels of Chinese literature to gain
prominence. It is a semi-autobiographical work that
focuses on the financial and moral decay of author
Cao Xueqin’s family and by extension the Qing
dynasty. Recognized for its formal beauty and
innovation, Dream of the Red Chamber has spawned
a scholarly field of its own, ‘Redology’, which is still a
thriving academic subject in China. The novel is
markedly more nuanced and precise than its fellow
classics, and it offers an incredibly detailed rendering
of the life of 18th-century Chinese aristocracy, paying particular attention to the complexities of
social conventions in this esoteric world. The novel is thus a repository for those interested in
Chinese culture, granting readers an insight into the religious, social, and political world of upper-
class China. It also offers insight into a wide variety of aspects of Chinese culture, from medicine
to mythology and art, all of which continue to inform contemporary culture in China.
Read more: Samuels, A. J. (n.d.). The Four Classic Novels Of Chinese Literature. Culture Trip.
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/china/articles/the-canonical-works-the-four-classic-novels-of-chinese-literature/.
47
INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES
Do the following tasks.
1. Make a timeline showing the development of Chinese literature.
2. Write a simple paper review about the styles and genre of Chinese Literature.
48
AMERICAN LITERATURE
YOUR OBJECTIVE
☐ Discuss the brief history of American literature.
☐ Discover the characteristics of American Literature
☐ List down famous American authors and their great contributions.
LET’ S FLY TO AMERICA
PERIODS OF AMERICAN LITERATURE

The history of American literature stretches across more than 400 years. It can be divided
into five major periods, each of which has unique characteristics, notable authors, and
representative works.
The Colonial and Early National Period (17th century to 1830)
The first European settlers of North America wrote about their experiences starting in the
1600s. This was the earliest American literature: practical, straightforward, often derivative of
literature in Great Britain, and focused on the future.
In its earliest days, during the 1600s, American literature consisted mostly of practical
nonfiction written by British settlers who populated the colonies that would become the United
States.
 John Smith wrote histories of Virginia based on his experiences as an English explorer and
a president of the Jamestown Colony. These histories, published in 1608 and 1624, are
among the earliest works of American literature.
 Nathaniel Ward and John Winthrop wrote books on religion, a topic of central concern in
colonial America.
49
 Anne Bradstreet’s The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America (1650) may be the earliest
collection of poetry written in and about America, although it was published in England
 A new era began when the United States declared its independence in 1776, and much
new writing addressed the country’s future. American poetry and fiction were largely
modeled on what was being published overseas in Great Britain, and much of what
American readers consumed also came from Great Britain.
 The Federalist Papers (1787–88), by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay,
shaped the political direction of the United States.
 Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography, which he wrote during the 1770s and ’80s, told a
quintessentially American life story.
 Phillis Wheatley, an African woman enslaved in Boston, wrote the first African American
book, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral (1773). Philip Freneau was another
notable poet of the era.
 The first American novel, The Power of Sympathy by William Hill Brown, was published in
1789.
 Olaudah Equiano’s autobiography, The Interesting Narrative (1789), was among the
earliest slave narratives and a forceful argument for abolition.
 By the first decades of the 19th century, truly American literature began to emerge. Though
still derived from British literary tradition, the short stories and novels published from 1800
through the 1820s began to depict American society and explore the American landscape
in an unprecedented manner.
 Washington Irving published the collection of short stories and essays The Sketch Book of
Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. in 1819–20. It included “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip
Van Winkle,” two of the earliest American short stories.
 James Fenimore Cooper wrote novels of adventure about the frontiersman Natty Bumppo.
These novels, called the Leatherstocking Tales (1823–41), depict his experiences in the
American wilderness in both realistic and highly romanticized ways.
The Romantic Period (1830 to 1870)

Romanticism is a way of thinking that values the individual over the group, the subjective
over the objective, and a person’s emotional experience over reason. It also values the wildness
of nature over human-made order. Romanticism as a worldview took hold in western Europe in
the late 18th century, and American writers embraced it in the early 19th century.
 Edgar Allan Poe most vividly depicted, and inhabited, the role of the Romantic individual—
a genius, often tormented and always struggling against convention—during the 1830s
and up to his mysterious death in 1849. Poe invented the modern detective story with “The
Murders in the Rue Morgue” (1841).
 The poem “The Raven” (1845) is a gloomy depiction of lost love. Its eeriness is intensified by
its meter and rhyme scheme.
 The short stories “The Fall of the House of Usher” (1839) and “The Cask of Amontillado”
(1846) are gripping tales of horror.
 In New England, several different groups of writers and thinkers emerged after 1830, each
exploring the experiences of individuals in different segments of American society.
50
 James Russell Lowell was among those who used humor and dialect in verse and prose to
depict everyday life in the Northeast.
 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Oliver Wendell Holmes were the most prominent of the
upper-class Brahmins, who filtered their depiction of America through European models
and sensibilities.
 The Transcendentalists developed an elaborate philosophy that saw in all of creation a
unified whole. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote influential essays, while Henry David Thoreau
wrote Walden (1854), an account of his life alone by Walden Pond. Margaret Fuller was
editor of The Dial, an important Transcendentalist magazine.
 Three men—Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, and Walt Whitman—began publishing
novels, short stories, and poetry during the Romantic period that became some of the most
enduring works of American literature.
 As a young man, Nathaniel Hawthorne published short stories, most notable among them
the allegorical “Young Goodman Brown” (1835). In the 1840s he crossed paths with the
Transcendentalists before he started writing his two most significant novels—The Scarlet
Letter (1850) and The House of the Seven Gables (1851).
 Herman Melville was one of Hawthorne’s friends and neighbors. Hawthorne was also a
strong influence on Melville’s Moby Dick (1851), which was the culmination of Melville’s
early life of traveling and writing.
 Walt Whitman wrote poetry that described his home, New York City. He refused the
traditional constraints of rhyme and meter in favor of free verse in Leaves of Grass (1855),
and his frankness in subject matter and tone repelled some critics. But the book, which
went through many subsequent editions, became a landmark in American poetry, and it
epitomized the ethos of the Romantic period.
During the 1850s, as the United States headed toward civil war, more and more stories by
and about enslaved and free African Americans were written.
 William Wells Brown published what is considered the first black American novel, Clotel, in
1853. He also wrote the first African American play to be published, The Escape (1858).
 In 1859 Frances Ellen Watkins Harper and Harriet E. Wilson became the first black women
to publish fiction in the United States.
 Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, first published serially 1851–52, is credited with
raising opposition in the North to slavery.
 Emily Dickinson lived a life quite unlike other writers of the Romantic period: she lived largely
in seclusion; only a handful of her poems were published before her death in 1886, and she
was a woman working at a time when men dominated the literary scene. Yet her poems
express a Romantic vision as clearly as Walt Whitman’s or Edgar Allan Poe’s. They are sharp-
edged and emotionally intense. Five of her notable poems are
 “I’m Nobody! Who are you?”
 “Because I could not stop for Death –”
 “My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun”
 “A Bird came down the Walk –”
 “Safe in their Alabaster Chambers”
51
Realism and Naturalism (1870 to 1910)
The human cost of the Civil War in the United States was immense: more than 2.3 million
soldiers fought in the war, and perhaps as many as 851,000 people died in 1861–65. Walt
Whitman claimed that “a great literature will…arise out of the era of those four years,” and what
emerged in the following decades was literature that presented a detailed and unembellished
vision of the world as it truly was. This was the essence of realism. Naturalism was an intensified
form of realism. After the grim realities of a devastating war, they became writers’ primary mode
of expression.
 Samuel Clemens was a typesetter, a journalist, a riverboat captain, and an itinerant laborer
before he became, in 1863 at age 27, Mark Twain. He first used that name while reporting
on politics in the Nevada Territory. It then appeared on the short story “The Celebrated
Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” published in 1865, which catapulted him to national
fame. Twain’s story was a humorous tall tale, but its characters were realistic depictions of
actual Americans. Twain deployed this combination of humor and realism throughout his
writing. Some of his notable works include
 Major novels: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876), Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
(1885)
 Travel narratives: The Innocents Abroad (1869), Roughing It (1872), Life on the
Mississippi (1883)
 Short stories: “Jim Baker’s Blue-Jay Yarn” (1880), “The Man that Corrupted
Hadleyburg” (1899)
Naturalism, like realism, was a literary movement that drew inspiration from French
authors of the 19th century who sought to document, through fiction, the reality that they saw
around them, particularly among the middle and working classes living in cities.
 Theodore Dreiser was foremost among American writers who embraced naturalism. His
Sister Carrie (1900) is the most important American naturalist novel.
 Maggie: A Girl of the Streets (1893) and The Red Badge of Courage (1895), by Stephen
Crane, and McTeague (1899), The Octopus (1901), and The Pit (1903), by Frank Norris, are
novels that vividly depict the reality of urban life, war, and capitalism.
 Paul Laurence Dunbar was an African American writer who wrote poetry in black dialect—
“Possum,” “When de Co’n Pone’s Hot”—that were popular with his white audience and
gave them what they believed was reality for black Americans. Dunbar also wrote poems,
not in dialect—“We Wear the Mask,” “Sympathy”—that exposed the reality of racism in
America during Reconstruction and afterward.
 Henry James shared the view of the realists and naturalists that literature ought to present
reality, but his writing style and use of literary form sought to also create an aesthetic
experience, not simply document the truth. He was preoccupied with the clash in values
between the United States and Europe. His writing shows features of both 19th-century
realism and naturalism and 20th-century modernism. Some of his notable novels are
 The American (1877)
 The Portrait of a Lady (1881)
 What Maisie Knew (1897)
 The Wings of the Dove (1902)
52
 The Golden Bowl (1904)
The Modernist Period (1910 to 1945)

Advances in science and technology in Western countries rapidly intensified at the start
of the 20th century and brought about a sense of unprecedented progress. The devastation of
World War I and the Great Depression also caused widespread suffering in Europe and the
United States. These contradictory impulses can be found swirling within modernism, a
movement in the arts defined first and foremost as a radical break from the past. But this break
was often an act of destruction, and it caused a loss of faith in traditional structures and beliefs.
Despite, or perhaps because of, these contradictory impulses, the modernist period proved to
be one of the richest and most productive in American literature.
A sense of disillusionment and loss pervades much American modernist fiction. That sense
may be centered on specific individuals, or it may be directed toward American society or
toward civilization generally. It may generate a nihilistic, destructive impulse, or it may express a
hope at the prospect of change.
 F. Scott Fitzgerald skewered the American Dream in The Great Gatsby (1925).
 Richard Wright exposed and attacked American racism in Native Son (1940).
 Zora Neale Hurston told the story of a black woman’s three marriages in Their Eyes Were
Watching God (1937).
 Ernest Hemingway’s early novels The Sun Also Rises (1926) and A Farewell to Arms (1929)
articulated the disillusionment of the Lost Generation.
 Willa Cather told hopeful stories of the American frontier, set mostly on the Great Plains, in
O Pioneers! (1913) and My Ántonia (1918).
 William Faulkner used stream-of-consciousness monologues and other formal techniques
to break from past literary practice in The Sound and the Fury (1929).
 John Steinbeck depicted the difficult lives of migrant workers in Of Mice and Men (1937)
and The Grapes of Wrath (1939).
 T.S. Eliot was an American by birth and, as of 1927, a British subject by choice. His
fragmentary, multivoiced The Waste Land (1922) is the quintessential modernist poem, but
he was not the dominant voice among American modernist poets.
 Robert Frost and Carl Sandburg evocatively described the regions—New England and the
Midwest, respectively—in which they lived.
 The Harlem Renaissance produced a rich coterie of poets, among them Countee Cullen,
Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, and Alice Dunbar Nelson.
 Harriet Monroe founded Poetry magazine in Chicago in 1912 and made it the most
important organ for poetry not just in the United States but for the English-speaking world.
 During the 1920s Edna St. Vincent Millay, Marianne Moore, and E.E. Cummings expressed
a spirit of revolution and experimentation in their poetry.
 The drama came to prominence for the first time in the United States in the early 20th
century. Playwrights drew inspiration from European theatre but created plays that were
uniquely and enduringly American.
 Eugene O’Neill was the foremost American playwright of the period. His Long Day’s
Journey into Night (written 1939–41, performed 1956) was the high point of more than 20
53
years of creativity that began in 1920 with Beyond the Horizon and concluded with The
Iceman Cometh (written 1939, performed 1946).
 During the 1930s Lillian Hellman, Clifford Odets, and Langston Hughes wrote plays that
exposed injustice in America.
 Thornton Wilder presented a realistic (and enormously influential) vision of small-town
America in Our Town, first produced in 1938.
The Contemporary Period (1945 to present)

The United States, which emerged from World War II confident and economically strong,
entered the Cold War in the late 1940s. This conflict with the Soviet Union shaped global politics
for more than four decades, and the proxy wars and threat of nuclear annihilation that came
to define it were just some of the influences shaping American literature during the second half
of the 20th century. The 1950s and ’60s brought significant cultural shifts within the United States
driven by the civil rights movement and the women’s movement. Before the last decades of
the 20th century, American literature was largely the story of dead white men who had created
Art and of living white men doing the same. By the turn of the 21st century, American literature
had become a much more complex and inclusive story grounded on a wide-ranging body of
past writings produced in the United States by people of different backgrounds and open to
more Americans in the present day.
Literature written by African Americans during the contemporary period was shaped in
many ways by Richard Wright, whose autobiography Black Boy was published in 1945. He left
the United States for France after World War II, repulsed by the injustice and discrimination he
faced as a black man in America; other black writers working from the 1950s through the 1970s
also wrestled with the desires to escape an unjust society and to change it.
 Ralph Ellison’s novel Invisible Man (1952) tells the story of an unnamed black man adrift in
and ignored by, America.
 James Baldwin wrote essays, novels, and plays on race and sexuality throughout his life,
but his first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain (1953), was his most accomplished and
influential.
 Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, a play about the effects of racism in Chicago, was
first performed in 1959.
 Gwendolyn Brooks became, in 1950, the first African American poet to win a Pulitzer Prize.
 The Black Arts movement was grounded in the tenets of black nationalism and sought to
generate a uniquely black consciousness. The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965), by
Malcolm X and Alex Haley, is among its most-lasting literary expressions.
 Toni Morrison’s first novel, The Bluest Eye (1970), launched a writing career that would put
the lives of black women at its center. She received a Nobel Prize in 1993.
 In the 1960s Alice Walker began writing novels, poetry, and short stories that reflected her
involvement in the civil rights movement.
 The American novel took on a dizzying number of forms after World War II. Realist,
metafictional, postmodern, absurdist, autobiographical, short, long, fragmentary, feminist,
stream of consciousness—these and dozens more labels can be applied to the vast output
54
of American novelists. Little holds them together beyond their chronological proximity and
engagement with contemporary American society.
 The Beat movement was short-lived—starting and ending in the 1950s—but had a lasting
influence on American poetry during the contemporary period. Allen Ginsberg’s Howl
(1956) pushed aside the formal, largely traditional poetic conventions that had come to
dominate American poetry. Raucous, profane, and deeply moving, Howl reset Americans’
expectations for poetry during the second half of the 20th century and beyond.
 In the early decades of the contemporary period, American drama was dominated by
three men: Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, and Edward Albee. Miller’s Death of a
Salesman (1949) questioned the American Dream through the destruction of its main
character, while Williams’s A Streetcar Named Desire (1947) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
(1955) excavated his characters’ dreams and frustrations. Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia
Woolf? (1962) rendered what might have been a benign domestic situation into something
vicious and cruel. By the 1970s the face of American drama had begun to change, and it
continued to diversify into the 21st century.
CHARACTERISTICS OF AMERICAN LITERATURE

Characteristics of American literature include an emphasis on pitting the American ideals
of forward-looking pragmatism and energy against what is often depicted as the effete
traditionalism of Europe, as well as an emphasis on exploring the American Dream. While trying
to develop a distinct voice, American writers also very much leaned into European traditions.
Hero Initiation
 Comes from a partially divine background.
 A character might not fit in; to advance he has to prove himself
 Morally Ambiguous - Not perfect and easy to relate with Hero dies to be a martyr, a legend;
Creates empathy (We feel along with everyone else and share the same feeling) for a
greater cause.
 Involves historical fact and legend, mostly male of noble birth that values courage and
honor, fairly superhuman, complete quest, his actions determine the fate of the hero
 Universal Theme is Good vs Evil
Trickster
 Exist to embody Human flaw
 Tricksters are punished because they are the bad guy, and you have to punish the bad
guy
 Still regarded as a cultural hero
Symbolic Landmarks
 Relates human characteristics and emotions to geography and topography
 Animals can be given human characteristics
 Objects and Animals are given equal standing with humans in terms of the universe
55
MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF AMERICAN LITERATURE
American has such a large and varied literature that we can make no true
generalizations about it. But three characteristics seem to stand out and give it a flavor all its
own.
First, American literature reflects beliefs and traditions that come from the nation’s frontier
days. The pioneer ideals of self-reliance and independence appear again and again in
American writings. American authors have great respect for the value and importance of the
individual. They tend to reject authority and emphasize democracy and the equality of people.
They often celebrate nature and a sense of boundless space.
Second, American writers have always had a strong tendency to break with literary
tradition and to strike out their own directions. Writers of other counties seem to absorb their
national literary traditions. But many American authors have rejected the old to create
something new.
Third, a lively streak of humor runs through American literature from the earliest times to
the present. In many cases, a dash of salty humor saves a serious theme from becoming too
sentimental. American humor tends to be exaggerated rather than subtle. It reflects people’s
ability to laugh at themselves even during the most difficult times.
INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES
Do the following tasks.
1. List down (10) famous American authors and their famous contributions.
2. Using the literary pieces of the famous authors, identify the characteristics and the theme of
their works.
56

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GEOGRAPHY, LINGUISTIC AND DIMENSIONS OF PHILIPPINE

PASS THE MESSAGE

II. WHEN WAS THAT?

JOURNAL ENTRY NO. 1

THE NEW FILIPINO LITERATURE DURING THIS PERIOD

Philippine Films during the Period

Newspapers and other Publications

JOURNAL ENTRY NO. 2

DAYUHAN SA SARILING BAYAN

Region 1 Ilocos Region

Region 2 Cagayan Valley Region

CAR Cordillera Administrative Region

Region 3 Central Luzon Region

Region 6 Western Visayas Region

NIR Negros Island Region

Region 7 Central Visayas Region

Region 9 Zamboanga Peninsula

Region 10 Northern Mindanao Region

Crossing the River

Region 12 SOCCSKSARGEN or Central Mindanao Region

Region 13 CARAGA Region

ARMM Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (except Isabela City)

II. FIND MY NAME

JOURNAL ENTRY NO. 3

WRITE NEXT TO YOU

FQJD USBHFEZ DPNFEZ

GJDUJPO NZUI MFHFOE

HFOSF Ibsbob pzbzj

They can all be in the form of prose or poetry.

Magtanim ay di Biro (Tagalog Dandansoy

Literary Analysis Form

Character …refers to how the author describes his/her

Setting … refers to periods, geographic locations,

Theme … refers to a broad idea or moral in a story.

5. Epic E. An example of this is Ag Tobig Nog Keboklagan

7. Legends G. This symbolic narrative is often associated with religious belief

8. Fables H. Stories that uses animals as characters

9. Folk tales I. Example of this are Magtanim ay di biro and Dadansoy

JOURNAL ENTRY NO. 4

Sample item: riddle / /

Written Literature Philippine Literature African Literature

JOURNAL ENTRY NO. 5

Things Fall Apart

The Purple Hibiscus

The Thing Around Your Neck

Critical Literary Analysis – the title of Literature

JOURNAL ENTRY NO. 6

The Divisions of European Literature

Medieval Literature | Dark Ages

Renaissance Literature | Rebirth or Revival

17th Century Literature | Age of Reason

19th Century Literature

20th Century Literature

21st Century Literature

Oral Literature Philippine African European

Sample item: riddle / / X

2. by forms of literature published during the period

3. by content based on texts and authors listed

JOURNAL ENTRY NO. 7

Read Tales here:

The Miller’s Tale

The Reeve’s Tale

The Cook’s Tale