1. How would you describe the persona and the persona's father?

- The father’s persona is bold and authoritarian man. He might be a government

official or soldier because of his stuffs on the wall like handguns, plaques, swords,
medals, and rifle.
2. How would describe their relationship? Would you say that your relationship with your
father is similar or different? Explain.
- The persona (son) and father’s persona are very strict and tough, the son needs to
obey his father’s rules. My father and I was different from the personas, my dad and
I was very close. He may also be strict, but he is also a clingy dad.
3. In lines 12-13 in the poem, there is the use of the words “snappy” and “snapped”,
respectively. What do these words mean? How do they add to the poem in terms of
sound? How do they add to your understanding of the relationship between the father
and the son?
- According to Merriam Webster, snappy refers to something done quickly and with
vigor or liveliness. Snapped, on the other hand, means to utter sharp, biting words.
Because the words are sounds, they add harmony to the poem. They help me
understand that the father was strict even with his son in terms of following the
rules.
4. What does Apo mean? Who is Apo in the poem? Cite evidence to support your answer.
- I discovered that Apo means Respect particle in Ilocano. When speaking to superiors
or strangers. It can be used with titles of family members, their names, or authority
titles.  From lines 7 to 9, Apo was the boss of the child's father (To prove that he
works hard, he also brought a photo of his boss whom he calls Apo, so Apo could,).
Apo is a powerful man, and he is none other than Ferdinand Marcos, the famous
dictator.
5. How would you describe the relationship between the persona’s father and Apo? What
does this tell us about the father’s perspective about martial law?
- The father's persona portrayed him as a devoted servant to his king, Apo. This
indicates that the father's persona will do whatever Apo orders him to do.
6. What kind of values does the persona’s father want to teach to his child,
specifically, about what it means to be a man? Do you agree with this values? Why or
why not?
- The values that the father wishes to instill in his child are discipline and respect for
elders and those who are far superior to you, even if they are not present. Yes, I
agree with these values because if we respect others, they will respect us in return.
7. Why is Apo compared to the “scary” Jesus in the hallway? What do they seem to have in
common?
- Apo, who is the late Ferdinand Marcos, compare to the “scary” Jesus as a metaphor
that Apo is very powerful. In the lines 22- 24 “his eyes following me like he was that
scary Jesus in the hallway, saying I know, I know what you’re doing.” tells that Apo
on martial law has eyes everywhere.
8. What do the father, Apo, and the “scary” Jesus have in common?
- - They all have one thing in common: they are all concerned with power. The father
works tirelessly for his powerful Apo. Ferdinand Marcos, on the other hand, is like
Jesus, who knows everything we do because of his power.
9. Read the last line of the poem. What does it mean? How does this regulate the
persona’s behavior?
- - This represents the fear that Filipinos felt during martial law, that there was always
someone watching their every move. Their fear is a self-imposed prison that has
prevented them from exercising their human rights, freedom of expression, and
voice of justice.
10. Do you think the persona’s perspective about martial law is the same as his father’s?
Why or why not?
- No, because the persona of the son was clearly young and soft. His apprehension
was palpable. His father once told him that that was not a place for boys, only men.
The narrator reasoned that it was so he wouldn't wander around and touch his
father's things, which could injure him. He can only interpret things literally because
he is too young to fully understand what his father was really trying to say.
11. How does this poem provide the reader a glimpse of what martial law was like? How did
the poem make you feel.
- - Apo on the wall depicts the tragic and traumatic experience that Filipinos endured
during martial law. It made me very concerned about how my fellow citizens felt
during those times. It will always be a reminder to us Filipinos to vote wisely in every
election for this tragedy to never repeat.

1. What is the dictionary meaning of “safe house”?

- According to Merriam Webster, it is a place where one may engage in secret
activities or take refuge.
2. What is the double meaning of the title the safe house why do you think this was used
for the title?
- A safe house is a secret place for sanctuary or suitable to hide people from the law,
hostile actors or actions, or from retribution, threats or perceived danger.
3. Why did the narrator feel unsafe?
- She felt unsafe because there are different uncles and aunties coming to their
apartment every day, locked in a room, and they are “talking about important
things.”
4. What makes you unsafe? Can you relate to the narrator? Why or Why not?
 - I often feel unsafe when people are looking at me weirdly or when someone I don’t
know keeps following me. Yes, because I think that it is just normal to feel unsafe
around the people we don’t know.
5. Why did the man in the story have band-aids instead of nails? What does this imply
about the visitors in the house?
- It is because he was tortured, they removed his nails that’s why he put band-aids
instead. This implies that the visitors in the house are people who experienced
torture.
6. Do you sympathize more with the visitors or the narrator? Why do you feel this way?
- I both sympathize with these people, but I sympathized more with the people who
experience torturement and injustices, because maybe they want their revenge
because of what they undergo.
7. Why did the mother leave? Do you understand this decision? Would you left as well?
Why or why not?
- The mother left because she did not want to be affliated with the rebellion the
uncles and aunties are planning. Yes, because at that time being against the
government is a big decision. Yes, but I will leave the house with my children
because I don’t want my children to grow in that kind environment and learn to be a
rebel.
8. How does the narrator’s view of martial law differ from her father ‘s view? Why does
she have a different point of view?
- The young little girl is not aware of what really is Martial Law. she does have a
different point of view since as a child she is clueless of what is happening around
her. She thinks it was safe and sound. The father’s point of view is exactly the
opposite of what her daughter thinks. By reading between the lines, he and the
other visitors are totally against Martial Law, forming an association of rebels; and to
the point that he would be captured by the government military means that he had
done a big thing that their enemies had to stop him from further doing actions
against the government.
9. How does the story affect you? How do you feel about the story? How does it affect the
way you look at martial law? What did you feel about it before and after reading the
story?
- The story had a significant impact on my understanding of the past as well as my
beliefs. Of course, I feel bad for the victims of injustice. Well, it changes my
viewpoint on the martial law, particularly for those who oppose it, like the father,
who is willing to give his life to preserve our nation's freedom. I initially believed it to
be a place where you are literally safe and well-protected. However, after reading
the story, I am sad for the girl because her home is no longer a secure place.
10. Why was it necessary for the narrator to tell us that she locks the door against visitors
nowadays? What does this symbolize? Do you agree with the narrator? Why or why
not?
 - There's a chance the narrator detects danger nearby. It might just be her intuition
telling her to be cautious and to never put too much faith in anyone. Locking the
door not only denotes safety but also establishes boundaries for your territory or
property. She might have a bad feeling about the visitor.

1. What does “lengua” symbolize?

- Lengua (Beef tongue) is also a dish made of cow’s tongue. In the story, Lengua
means words. The literal translation of the title is that the devil ate my words. The
significance of words is very important in the story. Words here symbolizes the
potential and ability to speak for oneself.
2. What did the father mean by “The devil ate my words”? What happened to him that
made him say that?
- In order to appease his wife, her father claimed that "the devil ate his words," which
is another way of saying that he forgot what he was going to say. Her father had to
be more accommodating because he had lost his job.
3. What does this tell us about Philippine society? Do you think this is still true today?
Explain.
- The narrative explains how unemployment has an impact on society as a whole. The
father is regarded as the head of the family and a role model in Philippine culture
who shapes the entire family. Therefore, a father's inability to communicate and
provide for his family will have a significant impact on his children's present and
future. 
4. Does the little girl understand what her father means? Why do you say so?
- No, the daughter did not comprehend what her father was saying. According to the
story, the father said that the devil swallowed his words, which his daughter could
not comprehend. The daughter believed that a devil had eaten her father's tongue
when, in reality, the father meant that he could not recall what he had intended to
say.
5. How does the girl misinterpret her father’s words?
- The girl in the story misunderstood her father because she believed that he had sold
his tongue to the employer and that this person had then cooked and eaten her
father's tongue in a traditional manner. The devil actually ate her father's words
when he claimed that. It indicated that he had forgotten his intended response.
6. In the end, when she is describing the lengua, how do you think the girl feels when
describing the lengua? Why does she feel this way?
- At her young age, she literally means a lot of things and never has an understanding
of what is happening in the world around her at that time, so I think she is a little bit
confused.
7. Why is it necessary to talk about Spaniards, when this is a story that takes place in the
Philippines? What is their significance in the story?
- The story’s setting was back in time when the Philippines was conquered by the
Spaniard. It is significant in the way that it shows that the Spaniards really influenced
the Philippines.
8. What does the girl wish for in the end? Why does she wish for it?
- She wished she could restore her father's speech and even his hunger. Perhaps it’s
because of her love to father and she only cares about him, also no one else wants
to live a life without a tongue.
9. What do you feel toward the little girl? What do you feel toward the father?
- I emphatize the girl because of the kindness she has for his father. Whereas I felt
sorry for the father due to the hard times he was going through.
10. What do you think the story is trying to say?
- - The narrative "Lengua Para Diablo" describes how unemployment has an impact on
society as a whole. Additionally, discussing family communication is a very important
topic.

1. What is a prelude? Why is that the title of the story?

- prelude means introduction to something. it was titled preludes
because the man sang 3 songs not for the dead person, the judge,
but he dedicated his songs for himself because he knew that he will
die later.
2. What does Nenita feel for her husband? Why do you think she feels that way? Cite
textual evidences.
- Nenita is trapped in a loveless marriage with a man who despises and undervalues
her very existence, and she, in turn, devalues and downplays her own life. As a
result, Nenita's feelings for her spouse can be interpreted as an attempt to
compensate for the lack of feelings she feels for herself. In other words, Nenita has
empathy for her cheating husband because she lacks it herself.
3. What does her herbalista friend feel about Nenita’s husband?
- To put it bluntly, she has a negative opinion of Nenita's husband. The friend, who
was aware of Nenita's husband's infidelity, advised her to give him a concoction that
 would shrink his balls, induce hallucinations, and cause his blood to boil until his
veins burst. Nenita, on the other hand, declined the offer.
4. Who was the man that died in the first paragraph?
- The man who died in the first paragraph is the husband of Nenita. He died after he
had sung three songs.
5. How do you think he died? What clues in the text helped you to reach that conclusion?
- We can assume that because it was intolerably hot outside that time, and the tuba
warmed their bodies even more enough to boil the old man’s blood and pop his
veins and die.
6. What is the importance of the dried purple leave? Do you think that these were used in
the story? How?
- The died purple leaves serves as a “gun” of Nenita
7. Who killed the man? Explain your answer.
8. The story end with the feeling of heat what are the many meanings of heat in the story?
9. Why is it ironic that the widow was married to a judge?
10. Do you think, with what happened, that some kind of justice was served? Why or why
not?