Republic of the Philippines

Commission on Higher Education

MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY GENERAL SANTOS CITY CAMPUS

General Santos City

A Term Paper about “The Longer Route” by Kurt Joshua Comendador

Presented to Professor Rossel Audencial

In Fulfillment in the Final Requirement in LIT101

Regional Literatures

Prepared by:
VALDUEZA, HONEYLETTE
 A.Y. 2021-2022
BACKGROUND OF THE AUTHOR AND HIS WRITING STYLE
Kurt Comendador is a Filipino writer based in General Santos City. He earned a
Bachelor of Arts in English Language Studies from Mindanao State University-General
Santos City and is currently enrolled in the Juris Doctor Program at the same
university's College of Law. In 2018, he was awarded his first writing fellowship at the
Davao Writers Workshop, as well as a Special Fellowship Grant from essayist Wilfredo
Pascual for the 3rd Nueva Ecija Personal Essay Writing Workshop. He was the Camp
Director of the first SOX Summer Writing Camp in 2019 and the Manuel E. Buenafe
Writing Fellow for the 26th Iligan National Writers Workshop.
He is a nonfiction writer and essayist, and the majority of his works were written
in narrative style, in which he used elements of storytelling such as plot, character,
setting, conflict, emotions, and a core message that he was attempting to convey to the
readers. Narrative writing can take many forms, but one thing is always true: the author
should take the reader on a journey with a beginning, middle, and end, which Mr.
Comendador has accomplished because he enjoys using his works to reflect on his life.
Most of his articles capture a certain event from his life, allowing him to express himself
and engage his audience on an emotional level. In order for his readers to think on their
lives and get anything from that experience, he wants to take them on a journey.

BACKGROUND OF THE SPECIFIC WORD TO BE READ

Kurt Joshua O. Comendador's essay "The Longer Route" was published on his
blog on July 20, 2020. It was about the long road and our journey towards our
destinations in life. The essay depicts the reality of life and how uncertain our decisions
could be because in every destination and goal, we have to find the right path to follow
and decide whether we continue or change our paths whenever we feel down and
unsure about where we are going. This essay gave emphasis on how we should never
stop looking and living our dream no matter what happens along the way of our journey.

PURPOSE OF THE PAPER

Term papers are typically written to explain a subject, describe an event, or make
an argument. It is a detailed essay that is prepared from scratch, usually several type
pages long, and is frequently expected at the end of the semester. Giving recognition
and respect to our native writers in Mindanao is the primary purpose of this paper.
Second, is to spread the word about these talented local writers and their literary
creations. Third is to eventually contribute in defining and strengthening the identity of
regional literature in Mindanao. Lastly, the purpose of this term paper is to examine the
composition's organization and examine the author's approach to the topic. Also to
pinpoint the key stylistic elements that were evident in the essay and contributed to the
author's ability to deliver his ideas in a logical order and to reflect on the essay's subject
matter and share learnings with subsequent readers.

SUBJECT MATTER OR TOPIC OF THE ESSAY

The article "The Longer Route" discusses our journey in life, the places we've
chosen to go, as well as the difficulties and adversities we may face along the road.

STRUCTURE OF THE ESSAY

This essay was written by Mr. Comendador utilizing the whorl of reflection
structure. Instead of luring us up the chronological slope of the plot, the author spirals
around his own journey and describes it to his readers. This causes us to come to a
number of realizations about our own journeys in life, including how it gets harder every
day, how it is compared to a long road, how it changes our paths and decisions along
the way, how it raises our standards, and even how it affects our next destinations and
goals in life.
When using the whorl of reflection structure, an author circles back around their
subject before making their point, which is frequently not what the reader was
expecting. The essay written by Mr. Comendador began with an unclear concept of
what will occur in the conclusion; while the events in the conclusion were foreseeable,
the reflection that will follow them is not. It is evident after reading the essay in its whole
that the aforementioned reflection is closely related to the essay's start. The advantage
of this structure type is that it appears more organic, much like how ideas are generated
in the mind. Additionally, it allows for a wider variety of perspectives, illuminating the
issues from several angles.
Various plots are offered, showcasing various concepts and viewpoints related to the
piece's subject matter:
 Plot 1- “Sometimes, for some romantic reasons, I would choose the longer,
slower route just to look for nothing in particular. Sometimes, I’d be walking.
Sometimes, I’d be riding on my yellow scooter. Sometimes, I’d be alone.
Sometimes, I’d be with somebody else.”
 The opening of the article draws the reader's attention to the author's
personal choices for the route he should travel. He would occasionally
decide whether to be alone or with someone.

 Plot 2- “I always say to myself that the longer the road, the more you get to see
things: lovely things, beautiful things; and even if you don’t wish for it, a few
horrifying things. There are things you wanna see again and there are things
you don’t wanna see in another lifetime. The more you see, the more you feel—
joy, loneliness, love, hatred, hope, romance, anger, contempt. The more you feel
emotions, the more you’ll feel alive.”
 This story highlights the beauty of longer rides because the more great
things we can experience in life, even if we don’t seek them out, the
longer we ride along. Despite the distance, we experience more feelings
along the road, which makes us feel more alive and inspired to keep
going.

 Plot 3- “There are times when I’ll feel heavy, slow, and powerless. That’s when
the road feels longer like it’s going to go on forever, without end, for an eternity.
Sometimes you’d get lost and there would be no time for looking: you only want
the ordeal to end. You’ll wish that you can go faster and faster. Then you realize
that it’s neither the road’s fault nor the method of going—you’re just heading to
the wrong destination. There are also moments when you’ll tread the road like
the monsoons: fast, fluidic, full of fervor. And when the road runs out, you’d still
want to go on.”
 The author spoke of the times that the trip becomes heavier and slower,
making it seem like a protracted ride with no end, in which the plot shifts
 to a depressing and unpleasant environment. The author also said that
even if we might get lost while traveling to our destinations, we shouldn’t
stop and try to find our way again.

 Plot 4- “Sometimes, you’ll be on the road while keeping an eye out for
something. Sometimes you’ll see it, or feel that you did. Sometimes, that
something would be there, right in front of your eyes, then you’ll gonna have a
slight moment to decide what you’re going to do next, a split-second decision, a
few precious seconds at most. Whether you’ll slow down to have a better look, or
maybe a full stop perhaps just so you can actually print it on your mind, on your
memory, the value, or the lack thereof, of the moment.”
 This plot demonstrates to the audience how unsure our choices may be
as we go through life. Sometimes on the road, we can see a better route
to take, which may cause us to second-guess whether to stick with our
original course or take the new course we believe is best for us.

 Plot 5- “At times, that something would be on another vehicle. Subconsciously,

you begin to follow it, you reduce your speed so you can dwell in the beauty of
what’s ahead of you. Sometimes it would be the same exact picture you have in
mind, and you’ll feel great about your decision to follow it. Sometimes, it just
ends in disappointment.”
 In this plot, the author wants us to understand that along the way, we will
always face temptation in the form of someone ahead of us taking a
certain path and eventually succeeding in his/her chosen path, and as
humans with ambitions, we sometimes do not think twice about not
following that person in that specific path thinking that we would also end
up successful, but in most cases, it will just be a big disappointment.

 Plot 6- “Inevitably, there would be some crossroads, plenty of them, really, and
you’ll have to decide whether you’ll keep following your current path or you’ll just
to let it go. Then, you’ll think about your destination. Always think about your
 destination. It is the ultimate goal. But as long as you’re on the road, keep
looking, keep searching.”
 Now that we have been introduced to the crossroads in our lives, the
author asks us to consider whether we should stay on our current course
or take a different one. Whatever we choose, the author added, we must
constantly consider our goals since, in the end, what we want is what
matters the most.

 Plot 7- “The road is long and makes you weary. You either ride fast or you ride
slow. The truth is, everyone has their own speed; their own pace; their own ways
of going; and you don’t even have to compare with them. Everyone doesn’t have
the same destination. Some would arrive first, some later. Some would prefer a
shortcut, some would take the longer path. Rarely, others would emerge and
carve their own path.”
 Now, it appears that the author is offering counsel and life lessons that
can be useful to us as we go. We shouldn’t compare our progress to that
of others because it could cloud our judgment because everyone moves
at a different pace toward their objectives. Instead, we ought to take our
time and concentrate on what we need to do in order to accomplish our
objectives and get where we’re going.

 Plot 8- “But no matter what happens, keep looking, keep living.”

 The final sentence of the essay, which is also its most motivating
passage, gives readers encouragement to keep searching and continuing
to live their dreams despite whatever may occur along the course of our
lives’ travels.

PROMINENT FEATURES OF STYLE EVIDENT IN THE ESSAY USED BY THE

WRITER IN DEVELOPING HIS POINT/S
The essay has a variety of stylistic elements that the author used to develop his
point(s). These characteristics include point of view, imagery, and symbolism.
  Point of View- A literary device called point of view is used to explain the
viewpoint or vantage point from which a story is told. In essence, point of view
refers to the "eyes" of the narrative speaker that establish the location or
inclination of vision from which the story is being recounted. The essay is written
in the first person, and it is significant to note how the author highlights his
opinions and experiences as a person who is likewise on a personal journey with
clear objectives.

 Imagery- The author’s use of imagery aided in the plot’s development. Writing
tangibly employing the five senses—sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell—is the
process of using language to evoke images in the reader’s imagination. In the
essay, we can see how the author makes the most of images like the long road,
the crossroads, and others to paint a picture in the readers’ thoughts, expand
their imaginations, and ultimately make his work more obvious by putting images
in our heads.

 Symbolism- Symbolism was especially useful in giving the composition depth.

The “long road” is a symbolism for everyone’s journey through life, which is like a
long road with many curves and bumps leading to our desired destinations.

POINTS/INSIGHTS THAT CAN BE LEARNED ABOUT THE SUBJECT MATTER OF

THE ESSAY
1. We should never let other people’s goals or those who came before us influence
our own because ultimately, that is what matters. Instead, we should always be
focused on our own goals and destinations. We all have various capacities and
rates of success, thus it is not a good idea, in the author’s opinion, to compare
our velocities in life.
2. We must always be prepared for temptations and detours on every journey we
take because they may help us stay steadfast in our choices. Uncertainty may
arise and cause us to question our own judgment, but we must always consider
what is best for us and give things serious thought before acting or making
 changes in our life since there are two possible outcomes: a successful outcome
or disappointment.
3. Every person has their own journey and goals in life that they desire to
accomplish. In our competitive environment, nothing is simple. No matter what
challenges we encounter along the way, we must always keep in mind that the
best thing we can do to complete the difficult route and arrive at the destination is
to keep seeking out new paths to take whenever we feel lost and to keep
pursuing our dreams whenever we feel heavy and unmotivated.

SIGNIFICANT HUMAN EXPERIENCE

Most people know me as a very bubbly and outgoing person who always
radiates positive energy to those around her. I am an extrovert, but they had no idea I
was an introvert who had few friends when I was younger. When I was still in
kindergarten, my father abandoned me. I was so young that I hardly remember what
happened that day because my memories are so hazy now. I’m not sure how I felt the
day he left, but I’m sure it wasn’t a good experience. I was one of the children that had
broken families at a very young age. I used to hate my father so much for being so
careless and callous and leaving my mum all by herself without any help. But when I
was in high school, my viewpoint shifted. Since seventh grade, I have attended a
Catholic school, and this has greatly aided in my ability to understand why such painful
events happened to me at that time. Because I was so weak as a child, the purpose of it
was to help me mature and become stronger in life. I was able to appreciate the
importance of that incident in my life’s path as an adult. When it first started, I wanted to
finish my journey right there since it was so painful and I just wanted to take my life.
My life’s journey did not get off to a fantastic start, but it made it simpler for me to
stick with my decisions as I had already decided on the course I wanted to go in. These
experiences were like the potholes on the road I was traveling on. I still have a long way
to go until I accomplish my goals, so it wasn’t the end of the road.
I believe I understand the author’s point when he wrote, “But no matter what
occurs, keep searching, keep living,” in his essay. It was intended for those who were
considering giving up on their path and abandoning their aspirations. The author wanted
the readers to think back on their journey and use all the good and bad things that
happened along the way as a lesson and inspiration to keep moving forward, to keep
looking, and to keep living because we still have a long way to go before we reach the
end, and we should end it happily.

COPY OF THE LITERARY PIECE ANALYZED

“The Longer Route”
by: Kurt Joshua Comendador

Sometimes, for some romantic reasons, I would choose the longer, slower route just to
look for nothing in particular. Sometimes, I’d be walking. Sometimes, I’d be riding on my
yellow scooter. Sometimes, I’d be alone. Sometimes, I’d be with somebody else.

I always say to myself that the longer the road, the more you get to see things: lovely
things, beautiful things; and even if you don’t wish for it, a few horrifying things. There
are things you wanna see again and there are things you don’t wanna see in another
lifetime. The more you see, the more you feel—joy, loneliness, love, hatred, hope,
romance, anger, contempt. The more you feel emotions, the more you’ll feel alive.

There are times when I'll feel heavy, slow, and powerless. That’s when the road feels
longer like it’s going to go on forever, without end, for an eternity. Sometimes you’d get
lost and there would be no time for looking: you only want the ordeal to end. You’ll wish
that you can go faster and faster. Then you realize that it’s neither the road’s fault nor
the method of going—you’re just heading to the wrong destination. There are also
moments when you’ll tread the road like the monsoons: fast, fluidic, full of fervor. And
when the road runs out, you’d still want to go on.

Sometimes, you’ll be on the road while keeping an eye out for something. Sometimes
you’ll see it, or feel that you did. Sometimes, that something would be there, right in
front of your eyes, then you’ll gonna have a slight moment to decide what you’re going
to do next, a split-second decision, a few precious seconds at most. Whether you’ll slow
down to have a better look, or maybe a full stop perhaps just so you can actually print it
on your mind, on your memory, the value, or the lack thereof, of the moment.

At times, that something would be on another vehicle. Subconsciously, you begin to

follow it, you reduce your speed so you can dwell in the beauty of what’s ahead of you.
Sometimes it would be the same exact picture you have in mind, and you’ll feel great
about your decision to follow it. Sometimes, it just ends in disappointment.

Inevitably, there would be some crossroads, plenty of them, really, and you’ll have to
decide whether you’ll keep following your current path or you’ll just to let it go. Then,
you’ll think about your destination. Always think about your destination. It is the ultimate
goal. But as long as you’re on the road, keep looking, keep searching.

The road is long and makes you weary. You either ride fast or you ride slow. The truth
is, everyone has their own speed; their own pace; their own ways of going; and you
don’t even have to compare with them. Everyone doesn’t have the same destination.
Some would arrive first, some later. Some would prefer a shortcut, some would take the
longer path. Rarely, others would emerge and carve their own path.

But no matter what happens, keep looking, keep living.

REFERENCE
Comendador, K.J. 2020. The Longer Route. Retrieved on June 23, 2022 from
https://kukunotebook.wordpress.com/2020/07/20/the-longer-route/