21st Century Literature

21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the world facilitates the understanding and
analysis of literary texts in various genres across cultures.

Highlights of 21st Century Literature

• The range of years in 21st century literature was written from (roughly) the year 2001 to
the present.
• In the early 2000 saw a steep increase in the acceptability of all types, inspired by the
coming of age of millions of people who enjoyed the works of writers such as C.S. Lewis
and J.R.R Tolkien.
• Some books were written in Simple English and works of -old writers were translate into
language that was easier to understand.
• Mythology was converted into graphic novel form to build interest among young readers.
• It is an imaginative writing.
• Most of the themes deal with current themes or situations and reflect technological
culture.
• Breaks traditional writing in the old century literature.
• 21st century is written by contemporary authors.
• This period is the emerging of different genres:
• IM (Instant messaging) Blog books
Digi fiction
Manga
graphic novels

Introduction to Philippine Literature

Most Essential Competency/ies - MELCS

Writing a close analysis and critical interpretation of Literary texts and doing an adaption of
these require from the learner the ability to identify:
-the geographic, linguistic, and ethnic dimensions of Philippine literary history from pre-colonial
to the contemporary.

Literature is from the Latin word

"littera" which means "a letter from the alphabet" Britannica defines literature as a body of
writing belonging to a given language or people.
literature, a body of written works. The name has traditionally been applied to those imaginative
works of poetry and prose distinguished by the intentions of their authors and the perceived
aesthetic excellence of their execution
Importance of literature

• Reading great literature exercises

the imagination.
• Reading literature transports us
 out of our current situations into other
periods and places.
• Reading literature enables us to see the world
through the eyes of others.
• Great works of literature have played a fundamental role in shaping society.
• Reading literature encouraged contemplation
and improves our language and vocabulary
Skills.
• Reading literature helps us understand humanity.

1. Pre-colonial Period (early times -1564)

-The roots of Philippine Literature can be traced back to the pre- colonial period.
-Literature in this period is any literature which existed before the Spaniards entered Philippine
soil.
-Subject matter is about the common experience of the people in the village, like their
experiences in food gathering, caring for the children, nature, and etc.
-Bulong - murmurs or incantation (e.g. Tabi Tabi po. )
-Bugtong - A riddle, or Bugtong in Filipino, is a statement or question that directly requires a
concrete answer or presents a puzzle whose hidden meaning has to be deciphered.
-Salawikain - A proverb is a simple and insightful, traditional saying that expresses a perceived
truth based on common sense or experience.
-Kasabihan - A saying is any concisely written or spoken expression that is especially
memorable because of its meaning or style. Sayings are categorized as follows: Aphorism: a
general, observational truth; "a pithy expression of wisdom or truth".

2. Spanish Period (1565- 1898)

-This period of Spanish colonization started in 1565 during the time of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi,
the first Spanish governor-general in the Philippines.
-Spanish language became the literary language.
-The colonizers used by Catholic religion to substitute the existing tradition.
-Literary works had a religious tone. Doctrina Christians was the first book to be printed in the
Philippines written by Juan de Palencia (Tagalog) and Fr. Domingo Nieva (Spanish)
-The Spaniards rendered all writing systems inoperable.
-There were 3 popular Filipino writers during this time:
• Dr. Jose P. Rizal - El Filibusterismo and Noli Me Tangere
• Emilio Jacinto - Katipunan newspaper
• "Kalayaan" and Kartilya Ng Katipunan
• Andres Bonifacio - Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa
3. American Period (1898 - 1946)

-During the American colonization (1898 - 1946), free public transportation for all children were
introduced.
-English was the medium of instruction in all levels.
-Because of this, Philippine literature was imitative of the American models of writing.
-These are the following notable Filipino writers during the American Period:
 • Paz Marquez Benitez
• Manuel E. Arguilla
• Francisco Arcellana

4. Japanese Period (1941 -1945)

-Between 1941-1945, the development of Philippine Literature was interrupted due to the
Japanese colonization.
-There was no freedom of speech and of the press.
-Newspapers in English were banned by the Japanese. This became a blessing in disguise as
writers started writing in Filipino.
-The common literary themes were nationalism, country, and life in the barrios.

5. Under the Republic (1946-1985)

-Post-war poetry and fiction were dominated by writers in English who were educated and
trained in writers' workshops in the United States or England.
-In the 1950s, every artist, writer, musician, critic or academician was given a grant to stay in the
U.S. through the Educational Exchange Program or the "Fulbright Program."

6. Contemporary Period (1986 present)

-The development of Philippine literature in various languages continue especially with the new
a publications after the Martial Law years.
-This was a period of activism and literary revolution. The writers during this period used words
to confront Martial Law and repression.
-Behind these scenes, oral literature flourished in the outlying communities of the Cebuanos, the
Ilokanos, the Tagalogs, the Samals, and the Ilonggos. The Philippine novel has remained social
realist.
-Established in 1950, the Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature had been giving cash prizes
for short story, poetry and one-act play writing as an incentive to Filipino writers.
• The prizes come from La Tondena, Inc.,
the firm founded by the late Carlos Palanca Sr.

CPAR

The word art is quite difficult to define and its definition has been highly contested throughout
history. The word originated from the Latin word ars which means skill and with the Greek word
techne which means technology. A common definition of art is that it is used to express ideas or
feelings through creative processes and imagination. This is often done through the various
forms of art discussed below.
Visual Arts
Visual arts is an expression of artistic ideas through images, structures, and tactile work.
Painting, sculpture, and architecture are considered as examples of it. Some visual artworks are
integrated which means it combines several medium to create a new and unique artwork.

Literary Arts
Literary arts is an expression of ideas through writing. There are many types of literary
artworks, and this can be categorized into:
- Poetry It is considered as one of the oldest forms of literature characterized by its imaginative
and figurative language. Some poetic forms are strict with rhymes and syllabic counts, like the
sonnet, while contemporary poetry pieces now go beyond the limits of form and more and more
writers dwell more into free verse.

Prose When an imaginative literary piece is not written in figurative language, then it is
considered as prose. Prose is usually written in complete and grammatical narratives. Examples
of prose are short stories and novels among others. Generally, prose is a literary piece that is
not poetry.

-Drama - When a text is written to be performed and not just read, then it is considered as
drama. Usually, people refer to dramas as plays.

Performing Arts
Performing arts is an expression of an artistic idea through written lyrics, text,
dramatization, and multimedia production. Performing arts usually require the musical theatre,
dance, and drama, a combination of different art forms, such as literary art for the material and
visual arts for stage design.

Space
When we say space, it can vary depending on what art discipline it pertains to. In visual
arts, this may pertain to emptiness which may either be positive space or negative space.
Positive space refers to a part which is enclosed in a shape, while negative space refers to the
opposite part which the shape is enclosing.
In other forms of art like literature and music, space may pertain to pauses and interval
between lines or notes.

Line
In visual arts, a line is a series of points. It may come in two characteristics:
•Form-curved, dotted, or broken

• Direction - vertical, horizontal, or diagonal

Shape and Form

Shape is formed by connecting both ends of a line. Shapes are two dimensional figures
with height and width. There are also different kinds of shapes as described below.
Geometric shapes are enclosed figures such as triangle, squares, and other structured figures
• Organic shapes are shapes found in nature. They do not have a structured form as
they are usually free flowing. Examples of these are the shape of a leaf or a cloud.

• Abstract shapes are like organic shapes for they lack definition, but they are not
necessarily found in nature. They are also asymmetrical and free flowing.
Similar to lines, shapes may contribute to meaning making when used in an artwork. For
example, a circle is usually associated with love, harmony, and infinity such as the case of an
engagement ring. Triangles, when upright, are seen to suggest stability because of its solid
base, while it suggests tension when upside down. Meanwhile, a square or a rectangle

Color
In visual arts, color is associated with the natural phenomenon in our environment.
Scientifically, when a light passes through a prism, it will produce different hues of different
wavelengths. These colors may pertain to lightness or darkness, coolness or warmth. Also,
colors may convey different meanings dependent to cultures and traditions of a region.

Value
In visual arts, value is considered a property of a color which pertains to its lightness or
darkness.
Texture
In visual arts, texture is the tactile or illusory surface of the piece. In music, texture is the
mood or quality of the composition.
Principles of Design
The elements of art may be organized in a way that it can create a more compelling
artwork. This organization of elements is called principles of design. Understanding the
elements and how they may go together will be of great help in improving, not just your
artistic skills, but also your capacity to understand art.

Scale and Proportion

Scale and proportion refer to the relationship of the elements, specifically its relative size
of parts of a whole. For example, when drawing a human standing beside a house, it is
important to ensure that the human is proportional to the house, which means ensuring that the
size of the element suggests what they are a human standing beside a house, as opposed to a
human standing beside a doll house.

General Chemistry

Matter is anything that occupies space and has mass.

●General properties of matter:
○mass
○weight
○volume
○density
○specific gravity
Mass
Mass is the amount of matter in an object
The more matter is present in an object means the greater its mass.
It is usually expressed in grams (g) or kilograms (kg)
Materials that are compact have relatively greater mass than those with a hollow interior.
Weight
It is the measure of force that acts on an object.
It is expressed as the amount of matter (mass) multiplied by the gravitational force that acts on
it.
○The greater the gravitational force that acts on an object, the “heavier” it weighs.
It is expressed in newtons (N).
“Mass and weight are often interchangeable, but these are two different quantities.”
Volume
It is the amount of space occupied by matter
It can be measured using instruments with graduations or by getting the dimensions of the
object.
It is expressed in liters (L) for liquids, or cubic length (l3) for solids.
Density
It is the ratio between mass and volume.
It is expressed in kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m3) or grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm3).
Specific Gravity
It is the ratio of a substance’s density to a standard substance.
It is also known as relative density.
It is a dimensionless quantity.
Physical Properties
These are qualities that are readily observable or measurable without changing the matter’s
composition.
Physical properties of matter may be further classified based on whether it depends on the
amount of matter.

-Physical Properties
●melting point
●boiling point
●freezing point
●solubility
●metallic properties
●size
●texture
●shape
●color
Melting Point
It is the temperature at which a solid matter changes to liquid.
It varies according to its composition of materials.
Freezing Point
It is the temperature at which a liquid turns into a solid matter.
Boiling Point
It is the temperature at which liquid evaporates
The vapor pressure is equal to the pressure of its surrounding liquid at this temperature.
Solubility
It is the ability of a solute to dissolve in a given solvent.
It varies depending on its composition.
It is considered as a physical property as one can tell whether a material is soluble or not by
merely observing its physical appearance.
Metallic Properties
These are qualities that are observed specifically in metals.
○conductivity
○malleability
○ductility
Conductivity
It is the ability of a material to allow heat or electric charges to pass through easily.
Materials can be thermal or electrical conductors.
Malleability
It is the ability of a material to be flattened into thin sheets.
Ductility
It is the ability of a material to be easily drawn into wires.
- Chemical Properties
●biodegradability, combustibility, flammability, and reactivity.
Biodegradability
It is the capacity of a material to decompose through the actions of microorganisms
Combustion
It is a chemical reaction between a substance (fuel) and oxygen which results in the generation
of heat and light in the form of flame.
Combustibility
It is the ability of a material to combust or burn.
Flammability
It is the ability of a combustible material to catch flame easily.
Combustibility and Flammability
It is the main difference between the two properties: ease and rate of how an object burns.
Reactivity
It is the tendency of a substance to undergo a chemical reaction.
○fluorine: most reactive element
○noble gasses: no to little reactivity
Intensive properties are physical properties that do not depend on the amount of matter.
Extensive properties are physical properties that depend on the amount of matter

Pure Substances and mixtures

Matter may be classified according to their state or phase
Classification of matter
●physical properties - observable even without changing the composition of matter
○color
○size
Shape
●chemical properties - observed once a material undergoes a chemical reaction
○flammability
○reactivity
○biodegradability
●pure substances
○matter have a fixed or definite composition
●mixtures
○combinations of two or more substances
Element
●the simplest form of matter
●made up of only one kind of atom
●elements of different kinds also differ in the atoms that make them up
Periodic Table of Elements
●a useful tool that can help in identifying elements that exhibit similar properties
●classifies elements into 3 categories:
○metals - leftmost of the periodic table
○nonmetals - rightmost of the periodic table
○metalloids - staircase-like line between metals and nonmetals
Metals
●general properties:
○solid at room temperature
○lustrous
○malleable
○ductile
○heat/electricity conductor
Nonmetals
●general properties:
○opposite of metals
○gaseous or dull solids
○poor conductors of heat and electricity
Metalloids/Semimetals
●exhibit properties of both metals and nonmetal
●conducts heat and electricity but not as good as how metals act as conductors
●semiconductors
Compounds
●composed of two or more different elements that are combined in a fixed ratio by a chemical
reaction
○organic compounds - contains carbon and hydrogen
○inorganic compounds - do not contain carbon-hydrogen bonds
●Pure substances are classified as elements or compounds.
An element is the simplest form of matter made up of one type of atom.
A compound is made up of different types of atoms that are combined chemically.
●Mixtures are classified as homogeneous mixtures or heterogeneous mixtures.
A homogeneous mixture consists of particles that are evenly distributed all throughout.
A heterogeneous mixture consists of particles that are not evenly distributed all throughout
Colloids
●a heterogeneous mixture with particles that are bigger than those in a solution but smaller
than those in a suspension
Tyndall Effect
●the phenomenon wherein light is scattered.
Chemistry of Commercial Products:Pure Substances
-Medicines Products
●A food supplement is any substance that is ingested in order to make up for one’s nutrient
deficiency or to augment one’s dietary consumption.
●This substance can be taken in the form of pills, tablets, pastilles, ampoules, powder in
sachets, or liquid drink.
●Cleaning products are chemical products that are used to remove dirt on hard surfaces.
●The purpose of these products is to eliminate dirt such as dust, foul odor, and stain.
●Maintenance products are used for servicing, repairing, and restoring various materials or
equipment to keep them from functioning.
○Lubricants are oils that are used to reduce the friction on surfaces of objects that are in
contact.
Chemical products are materials that contain chemical substances that are manufactured and
processed for specific purposes such as medication, food preparation, cleaning and
maintenance, fuel resources, and construction.

Intro to Philosophy
INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
Doing Philosophy
“Philosophy” came from two Greek words:
Philo which means “to love”
Sophia which means “wisdom”
Philosophy originally meant “love of wisdom.”

Philosophy is also defined as the science that by natural light of reason studies the first causes
or highest principles of all things.

-Science
• It is an organized body of knowledge.
• It is systematic.
 • It follows certain steps or employs certain
procedures.
-Natural Light of Reason
• It uses a philosopher’s natural capacity to think or human reason or the so-called
unaided reason.
-Study of All Things
• It makes philosophy distinct from other sciences because it is not one dimensional or
partial.
• A philosopher does not limit himself to a particular object of inquiry.
• Philosophy is multidimensional or holistic.
-First Cause or Highest Principle
• Principle of Identity – whatever is; whatever is not is not. Everything is its own being, and
not being is not being.
• Principle of Non-Contradiction – it is impossible for a thing to be and not to be at the
same time.
• Principle of Excluded Middle – a thing is either is or is not; between being and not-being,
there is no middle ground possible.
• Principle of Sufficient Reason – nothing exists without sufficient reason for its being and
existence.

Branches of Philosophy
Metaphysics
It is an extension of a fundamental and necessary drive in every human being to know what is
real.
A metaphysician’s task is to explain that part of our experience which we call unreal in terms of
what we call real.
He claims that everything we experience is water (“reality”) and everything else is “appearance.”
-Idealist and Materialist
Their theories are based on unobservable entities:mind and matter.
They explain the observable in terms of the unobservable.
-Plato
Nothing we experience in the physical world with our five senses is real.

Reality is unchanging, eternal, immaterial, and can be detected only by the intellect.
Plato calls these realities as ideas of forms.
Ethics
It explores the nature of moral virtue and evaluates human actions.
-Socrates
To be happy is to live a virtuous life.
Virtue is an awakening of the seeds of good deeds that lay dormant in the mind and
heart of a person which can be achieved through
True knowledge = Wisdom = Virtue
Courage as virtue is also knowledge.
William Edward Burghardt Du Bois
An African-American who wanted equal rights for the blacks.
His philosophy uses the same process as Hegel’s
dialectic (Thesis > Antithesis > Synthesis).
Epistemology
It deals with nature, sources, limitations, and validity of knowledge.
=Sources of knowledge=
-Induction
gives importance to particular things seen, heard, and touched
Empiricist – advocates of induction method
Empiricism is the view that knowledge can be attained only through sense experience.
-Deduction
gives importance to general law from which particular facts are understood or judged
Rationalist – advocates of deduction method
-Pragmatism – the meaning and truth of an idea are tested by its practical consequences.
Logic
• Reasoning is the concern of the logician.
• It comes from the Greek word logike, coined by Zeno, the Stoic (c.340–265BC), which
means a treatise on matters pertaining to the human thought.
• It does not provide us knowledge of the world directly and does not contribute directly to
the content of our thoughts.
• It is not interested in what we know regarding certain subjects but in the truth or the
validity of our arguments regarding such objects.
-Aristotle
First philosopher to devise a logical method
-Zeno of Citium
One of the successors of Aristotle and founder of Stoicism
Other influential authors of logic
Cicero, Porphyry, and Boethius
Philoponus and Al-Farabi, Avicenna, and Averroes
Aesthetics
It is the science of the beautiful in its various manifestations – including the sublime, comic,
tragic, pathetic, and ugly.
It vitalizes our knowledge. It makes our knowledge of the world alive and useful.
-Hans-Georg Gadamer
A German philosopher who argues that our tastes and judgments regarding beauty work
in connection with one’s own personal experience and culture.

WESTERN PHILOSOPHY
- Individualism
- More on hands on
EASTERN PHILOSOPHY
- Collectivism
- Spiritual Approach
FILIPINO THINKING: FROM LOCAL TO GLOBAL
Conscious of his own particular life and his world.
Filipinos do have their own philosophy
Three dimensions of Filipino thought:
• Loob: Holistic and Dimensions
• Filipino Philosophy Time
• Bahala na
• Filipino Thought and Values: Positive and Negative Aspects

Methods of Philosophy
Philosophizing- is to think or express oneself in a philosophical manner.

Methods of Philosophizing
• Phenomenology
focuses on a careful inspection and description of phenomena and appearances,
defined as an object of conscious experience, that is that which we are conscious of.
• Existentialism
• truth might be based on ones attitude or outlook
• authentic self as the personally chosen self, as opposed to public or "herd identity"
• essence
• Postmodernism
postmodernism has come into vogue as the name for a rather diffuse family of ideas
and trends that in significant respects rejects, challenges. or aims to supersede
"MODERNITY"
• DIVERSITY
• THERE'S NO TRUTH
 • Analytic Tradition
using common experience and ordinary language to analyze concepts and language
in philosophy.
• Logic & Critical Thinking
serves as paths to freedom from half truths and deceptions. critical thinking helps us
uncover bias and prejudice and open to new ideas not necessarily in agreement with
previous thought.
2 BASIC TYPES OF REASONING
inductive reasoning (observation)
deductive reasoning (investigation)
• Fallacies
defect in argument other that its having false premises. to detect fallacies, it is
required to examine the argument's content.

Usually Committed Errors

• Appeal to pity
The attempt to distract from the touch of the conclusion by the use of pity.
• Appeal to ignorance
The assumption of a conclusion of fact based primarily on lack of evidence to the
contrary. Usually best described by, Absence of Evidence is not Evidence of
Absence
• Equivocation
Using an ambiguous term in more than one sense thus making an argument
misleading.
• Composition
Inferring that something is true of the while from the fact that is true of some part of
the whole. This is the opposite of the fallacy of division.
• Division
Inferring that something is true of one or more if the parts from the fact it is true of
the whole. This is the opposite of the fallacy of composition.
• Against the person
Attacking the person making the argument rather that the argument itself, when the
attract on the person is completely irrelevant to the argument the person is making.
• Appeal to force
Which someone uses force or a threat of force to gain acceptance for their
conclusion.
• Appeal to people
 Occurs when someone claims that because an action or belief is traditional, it must
be good or true.

• False cause
Link between premises and conclusion depends on some imagined causal
connection that probably does not exist.
• Hasty Generalization
Is a conclusion that is not logically justified by sufficient evidence.
• Begging the question
When you use the point you're trying to prove that very same point. Rather than
proving the conclusion is true, it assumes it.

The human person as an embodied spirit

To “embody”as “making visible,”

• Transcendence
Existence or experience beyond the normal or physical level.

• Hinduism (Humanity goal: liberation (moksha) of spirit (jiva))

• Brahman
Hindus truly only believe in one God, but their God takes on different forms. The
three most important form of Brahman are Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the
Preserver, and Shiva the Destreyor.
• Metempsychosis
The individual soul enters a new existence after the death of the body. The sum
total of past moral conduct, or karma, determines the condition of the soul and
the quality of its rebirth.

• Buddhism (From tears to enlightenment)

• Four Noble Truths lead to "Eightfold Path"
a. life is full of suffering
b. suffering is caused by passionate desires
c. only as these are obliterated, will suffering cease
d. eradication of desire may be accomplished by following 8 fold path
• The Biblical and Humanity (Christianity)
1. Subject
2. Home of complete human being
3. Source of spiritual insight

• The HBC - Concept of Body

Hinduism - Body as unreal (mihya)
Buddhism - Source of suffreying
Christianity - Temple of Holy Spirit
• The HBC - Concept of Soul
Hinduism - metempsychosis
Buddhism - Has the bodily desires
Christianity - Psychological aspects
• The HBC - Concept of Spirit
Hinduism - samsara (life's cycle)
Buddhism - inner self
Christianity - beyond physica self