SINIGANG

By Marby Villaceran

SETTINGS- In the kitchen of Liza’s home. In Bulacan, at Lem’s funeral

CHARACTERS

Liza –the main protagonist

Tita Loleng – Liza’s companion while preparing sinigang

Mother of Liza- Liza can’t say no to this individual, even when she’s been asked to attend a funeral.

Father of Liza- Adultery resulted in the person having a mistress and a child. Liza’s family’s problem-
maker.

Sylvia- Liza’s father’s mistress.

Lem- Liza’s stepbrother and Liza’s father’s good son, but he died tragically.

PLOTS

Liza is assisting her aunt in the preparation of Sinigang as Tita Loleng asked about event happened on
her half-brother’s funeral.

EXPOSITION -Liza met Sylvia, her father’s mistress and Lem’s mother, and held her hand, begging for her
understanding. Since Liza wanted Sylvia to let go of her hand, she pretended to understand, and Sylvia
hugged her unexpectedly. Liza did not move, despite her desire to get away from Sylvia. Liza’s mother
was the one who invited her to the funeral, knowing that her father knows she can’t say no to her
mother.

RISING ACTION -When Liza’s father emerged from his room, she immediately raised her defenses. As her
father approached the coffin , she simply continued to stare at the person inside. He talks of Lem being
an acolyte in church and how good of a child he was, in contrast to Liza, who he labeled a shameless
child.

CLIMAX -Liza recalls her memory before Tita Loleng chose to stay with them. Her mother was always the
one who cook. When they discovered the truth about her father’s mistress and his son as a result of
adultery, Liza was in her second year of high school. She recalls how affected she was by the news,
especially since she had been a Daddy’s girl up until that point.

FALLING ACTION -While Lem’s coffin was being lowered into the dug grave, her father started crying.
She remembers wondering if her father would mourn if she died as well. When she turned to face her
father, he apologized to her. When she finished preparing sinigang, she imagined being with her family
before the truth was revealed, and how genuinely happy she was with them.

RESOLUTION

CONFLICT -Man vs. Himself

THEME -The fundamental theme of the short story is that adults, particularly parents, should not expect
for immediate forgiveness, especially from their children, when they have caused an issue such as
infidelity, because they may forgive you but it will not be sincere. It also has a message about how some
of their children can forgive but never forget, that there will always be a scar on their hearts that will
take a long time to heal. The child who was very connected to or looked up to his or her parents was
always impacted by the issues that their parents caused.

POINT OF VIEW

First Person – The narrator takes part in the story, expressing her thoughts and emotions and utilizing
the pronoun ‘I’ to tell it.