Portents by Jessica Zafra

A written report

Grace Juno G. Sibit

Grade 11 STEM
February 17, 2022
A. Biography of the author

She was born in the year 1965. She is a fiction writer, columnist, editor,
publisher and former television as well as a radio show host. She is known for
her sharp and witty writing style. Zafra attended Saint Theresa’s College of
Quezon City, Quezon City, from prep school until the 6 th Grade, after which she
went to the main campus of the Philippine Science High School and then to the
University of the Philippines where she majored in comparative literature.

Her most popular books are the Twisted series, a collection of her essays as
a columnist for newspaper today, as well as from her time as editor and publisher
of the magazine Flip. She currently writes a weekly column for InterAksyon.com,
the online news portal of TV5, as well as for The Philippine Star which is called,
Emotional Weather Report. She also managed the Eraserheads during the 90’s.
She resides in Metro Manila, Philippines, where she is working on her first novel.
B. Summary of the literature
The story is about a woman who is making a decision whether she will abort
the fetus. In the line “Visions of blood and umbilical cords and feeding bottles
whirled before my eyes like malevolent frisbees”, she views the problem and felt
as if her problems rush towards her. She was unready and couldn’t imagine
herself being pregnant. Her problem is that she doesn’t know the father of the
child she is carrying now, that her belly is swelling up and getting bigger. There
were two choices for the father of the child, Lawrence and Ramon. She also
thought of what other people will say especially in Manila where people in their
neighborhood knows almost everything. While she was on her way to the office
she noticed there were goodluck charms and a filthy man came to her speaking
in gibberish. Her officemate Pocholo also mentioned seeing a man on horse
across the sky that could be a sign of an upcoming disaster that happened
before during world war and assumed an earthquake is about to happen. It
shows the society’s tradition of believing in signs and visions.

She also thought of getting the address of an abortionist from her officemate
Wilma but decided not to ask. There was a lot of things going through her mind
especially when she made a mental list of the reasons for and against having the
baby. It mirrors the society especially those who are in the same place as hers as
being pregnant and not even married, having a relationship with two people and
those who are thinking of abortion. Everyone at the office panicked at the thought
of at 2:30 an earthquake is about to happen. Only the protagonist in the story is
not bothered about the said upcoming disaster. She was more worried of being a
disappointment and she thought that the idea seem absurd. The story ended with
Ramon and her talking about being the last person on earth and she felt the kick
of her child in her belly.

C. Elements of the short story:

a. Plot:
Exposition: The story started when the protagonist knew about her
pregnancy.
Rising action: She doesn’t know the father of her child but there are two
candidates, Ramon and Lawrence.
Climax: She's deciding if she will ask her officemate Wilma who is an
abortionist.
Falling action: She decided not to ask and think about it more.
Resolution: The story ended when she felt the kick of her child in her belly
and she was still unsure but as a woman in my opinion it is and will be her
responsibility to be a mother.
b. Characters of the story:
Protagonist- The main character of the story and the person who’s
pregnant.
Ramon- He’s easy to bond with and can be the father of the child.
Lawrence- A rich and talented man as well as he has a high chance of
being the father of the child.
Wilma- Officemate of the protagonist that had four abortions.
Pocholo- Another officemate of the protagonist who tell stories about world
war and ending of the world because of his beliefs in visions and signs.
Filthy man- A man who came and speak to the protagonist with a dialect
of gibberish.

c. Problem:
Man vs. Himself
In the story she doesn’t know how she will face her problem or situation
because she don’t have any experience about what she’s facing right now
and what decision will she make.

Man vs Environment
In the story she was afraid of what the neighbors will say to her and what
reactions will they make.

d. Theme:
A woman who got pregnant by happening and thinks of an abortion.

e. Literary devices:

Hyperbole:

• Visions of blood and umbilical cords and feeding bottles whirled before
my eyes like malevolent frisbees.

•I imagined a creature ripping out of my stomach in a gory mess, like the

monster in Alien.

Simile:
•On this particular day she was clad in polyester cloth abloom with pink
and purple flowers, which made her look like a demented sofa.

•When I got back to the office people were scurrying about like newly-
beheaded chickens.
 •I saw my belly swelling up, my clothes rising like a circus tent, and all I
could think about was the ten pounds I’d just lost, and the new dress I
bought to mark the occasion.
•I was swallowed up by the crowd of people hurrying to work; rising above
the din of traffic, their footfalls sounded like the marching of a distant
army.

•On this particular day she was clad in polyester cloth abloom with pink
and purple flowers, which made her look like a demented sofa.

Personification:

•A thick layer of soot covered his emaciated body—he looked like a

walking pile of ashes.

D. What culture/s from the country where the story originated are evident from the
literary work?

Their strong beliefs of traditions in signs and visions.

•In the story her officemate Pocholo mentioned seeing a man on horse across
the sky that could be a sign of an upcoming disaster or catastrophe that
happened before during world war and assumed an earthquake is about to
happen.

•”My mother would freak. She’s in California, running a Filipino restaurant, and
she’s always going on about the decline of traditional Filipino values.” Her mother
does not agree to abortion and she would be more devastated if she has done
this.

E. What life lesson/s can be picked up from the work?

•The lesson of the story is to think first before you do something so that when you
are already in the situation you will know what to do or how to handle the
consequences that may occur.

•Let’s not lose hope and think for the best because it’s very important to be a
strong person so that you can also be strong for your child.

•Endings are also beginnings, we must take courage and fight the situation as
much as possible because the child has the right to live and he or she must not
suffer the consequences of your own actions.
References:
https://m.facebook.com/nt/screen/?params=%7B%22note_id
%22%3A266289051324945%7D&path=%2Fnotes%2Fnote%2F&_rdr

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Zafra