The Emerging Features of the

Selected Palanca Winning Works: A

Formalist Analysis of Contemporary
Philippine Short Stories

Gomez, Aivan James L.

An Undergraduate Thesis Proposal Presented to the Faculty of the

Department of English and Humanities, College of Arts and Social
Sciences, Central Luzon State University,
Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, Philippines
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN LITERATURE

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Short story is a work of fiction that can be read in one sitting

and its function is to impart lesson, capture a moment or bring up a

certain mood. There is no definite length for it as long as there is one

setting, one climax and few characters or only a main character ;

these characteristics of a literary piece falls under the genre, short

story. Short stories consist of elements of plot and these must work

together towards a common goal.

Writers use character to perform the action and speak

dialogue, moving the story along with a plot line. A short story can

have only one character (protagonist) and still it can be a complete

story. Most stories have multiple characters interacting, with one of

them as the antagonist, causing a conflict for protagonist.

The degree of comfort with extraversion is referred to as

connections to others. It is an illustration of character attributes as

lively, combative, conversational, extroverted, friendly, and vivacious

ambitious and incredibly motivated. These people are exceptional at

engagingly conversing and being positive all the time. These

personality traits are represented by this trait. co-operation,

tenderness, tolerance, forgiveness, selflessness, and emotional

stability supportive, polite, amicable, adaptable, and selfless

(Digman, 1990; Barrick and Mount, 1991).

Beginning a story is totally magical that can make happen in

writing when writers on different background come together to build

and combine new and unique ideas that in the end can make a

wonderful masterpiece(Esparza, Andrea. 3x prosetrainer). Beginning

a story is also important; this should capture the interest of the

readers to indulge in reading the whole story.

There are elements of a good story ending. Elements that

great story ending vary depending on the genre that you write as well

as the purpose of why you are writing(R.E Vance 2023)

Rationale of the Study

This study will determine the features of the selected Palanca

winning works that consist of the character types, the ways of beginning

and ending of the short stories . It is also the purpose of this study to find

out whether these stories have the same features or in what aspects they
are different from each other. The researcher also is interested in

analyzing the archetypes of the main character in the five selected stories.

There are some researches about analyzing narratives concerning

the theme. In this proposal, the researcher will research on other features

of the short stories. Some related literature are reviewed to support his

claims. Literature is a textual medium that, in terms of nationality, society

norms, and morality, replicates life. Gibson (2009). One of the genres of

literature is short story and this represents man’s life. Accordingly,

Mabanglo (2000) said that Philippine literature's solid underpinnings are

found in the country's rich, developing history and culture, which

captures the essence of what it means to be a Filipino. This relates to the

social side, which is concerned with the culture, assumptions, moral

principles, and consciousness of being a Filipino. There are

characteristics of Filipino people that are shown in the selected stories to

be analyzed. Some of which are the flexibility, hospitality, generosity, 1

and diligence of Filipino.

Literature Review

Short story is a work of fiction that can be read in one sitting

and its function is to impart lesson, capture a moment or bring up a

certain mood. There is no definite length for it as long as there is one

setting, one climax and few characters or only a main character ;

these characteristics of a literary piece falls under the genre, short

story. Short stories consist of elements of plot and these must work

together towards a common goal. A story plot is that what had

happened in the story, more specifically the plot is the series of events

that take place. It's the action of the story that drives that narrative

forward. (Kramer . 2022)

Compared to the novel, Short stories are remarkably had little criticism

devoted to it and a theory reveals few definitive statements about its

nature. Also, as compared to novels, short stories get more overlooked as

an art form, but this singular works of a fiction deserves a closer look.

Short stories give readers all the compelling characters , drama and

descriptive language of great fiction, but in truly compact package. Short

stories are considered a good source that can be used in language

classroom. (Wheeler, 2001, p.37) The researcher finds this study of

Wheeler view literature particularly short stories as helpful for the2

students especially in developing the communicative skills of the

learners. Stories serve as motivation not only for the learners but also to
2
every reader and to the teachers as well. The teachers can teach lessons

such as higher thinking skills using literary pieces.

 Stories consist of characters and this element is one of the

focuses of the researcher. A character in the story can be human, animal

or any type of creatures, and this character possesses personality traits

that define him and that influence him how he behaves in the story. To

determine the types of characters and archetypes of the main characters

and how they behave in the story are given importance in this study.

According to Duffy and Petit (1953), one of the most crucial components

of a short tale, or even a play, is the character. Characters are essential

components of both short tales and movie plots. This is because ecause

plot is more than just a string of uncharacteristic events that serve to

define characters. A plot is the organization of character and action in a

work or narrative or drama in order to achieve a certain scene. Plot is

constituted by its event and role play as these are rendered and rules

toward achieving particular artistic and emotional effects(Abram, 1992)

Foster defined plot as effect relationship in the story(Katie, 2011)

Writers use character to perform the action and speak dialogue,

3

moving the story along with a plot line. A short story can have only

one character (protagonist) and still it can be a complete story. Most

stories have multiple characters interacting, with one of them as the

antagonist, causing a conflict for protagonist. The presence of

character may hence represent an important condition for consumer to get

immerse in the story and for the emergence of narrative that portation and

story success(van Laer 2014).

The degree of comfort with extraversion is referred to as

connections to others. It is an illustration of character attributes as

lively, combative, conversational, extroverted, friendly, and vivacious

ambitious and incredibly motivated. These people are exceptional at

engagingly conversing and being positive all the time. These

personality traits are represented by this trait. co-operation,

tenderness, tolerance, forgiveness, selflessness, and emotional

stability supportive, polite, amicable, adaptable, and selfless

(Digman, 1990; Barrick and Mount, 1991). Conscientiousness refers to

various traits that are needed in attaining the goal and success. Such of

these traits dependability , responsibility, orderly, industrious, watchful,

attentive, circumspect, and rational (Digman, 1990; Barrick and Mount,

1991). American novelist John Barth sums up this. He writes: "The 4

mother of all fiction is undoubtedly our inherent knowledge that our lives

are narratives, or that each of our lives is an ongoing story, and that Us is

inevitably the dominating, if not necessarily the central, character.'(J.

Singleton et al, 1996). This shows that stories portray the diversity of

events in one’s life, and no story is not derived from real life.
 Another concern of this proposal is the archetype of the main

character. Archetype, according to Professor Jung, are innate patterns of

thought and behavior that strive for realization within an individual’s

environment. Archetypes can be described as conceptual models that

integrate form and process, abstract examples of classes, or implicit

mental representations.

The four main archetypes that Carl Jung identified are the persona,

the shadow, the anima or animus, and the self. These archetypes remain

in existence through literature and other forms of arts. The repeating

themes in a story set the stage for all that follows, which aids in our

understanding of the Jungian archetypes. An opener is similar to an

appetizer because it gives you a taste of what's to come.

In his book "The Structure of the Psyche," Jung claimed that "all the most 5
influential ideas in history have their roots in archetypes."(Jung

C. Collected Works of C.G. Jung, Volume 8)

Since short stories have a beginning and an End, and they

encourage students at all levels of language proficiency to continue

reading them until the end to find out how the conflict is resolved (Elliott

1990).

Beginning a story is totally magical that can make happen in

writing when writers on different background come together to build

and combine new and unique ideas that in the end can make a

wonderful masterpiece(Esparza, Andrea. 3x prosetrainer). Beginning

a story is also important; this should capture the interest of the

readers to indulge in reading the whole story. Great authors show us

there are many ways to start a story. You could begin a novel with a

narrator/character introducing himself, like Salinger’s Holden Caufield or

Dicken’s David Copperfield, or you could begin in the thick of action, as

Ray Bradbury’s does in his classic novel, Fahrenheit 451 (1953). For

example, Salinger’s Holden Caufield in The Catcher in the Rye has a

strong voice and clear, disaffected teen persona.

The purpose of conclusion is to turn readers into fans. You must know 6
how to end a story worthy of the time and loyalty, readers have invested

in you. Your ending should be memorable and emotionally satisfying

tying up all loose ends. (Jenkins, Jerry. 2022). In this study, the

researcher also wants to find out which type of ending is commonly used

and which one has the strongest ending of the story.

There are elements of a good story ending. Elements that great

story ending vary depending on the genre that you write as well as

the purpose of why you are writing(R.E Vance 2023)

These are the 4 elements to end a good story.

1. Don't break the tone or voice of your story

It's important to write an ending that fits the main character

personality. Regardless of what your specific endling looks like.

2. Write an ending reader don't expect

Write an ending that reader didn't expect, because this is the way

they can be surprises and part of the fun of a story.

3.Take you time, But not too much

Consider the conclusion as a farewell exchange between your

character and the reader. If you say goodbye too quickly, your reader

won't feel any sense of closure. A too-long farewell could undermine the

impact of your conclusion.

4.Reveal your ending, don’t tell it

7
A brief epilogue might be required, depending on your particular

manuscript, but ideally, you should illustrate your conclusions rather than

simply restate them. This honors the reader and their time commitment

while also showcasing your writing skills.

 8
Theoretical Framework

When we are talking of literature, Formalism focuses on analysis,

interpretation, or evaluation of story features. A formalist critic scrutinize

the form of the individual part , the characters,the setting and all other

elements of the story. A formalist used to analyze all the devices that the

writers applied in their literary pieces.

Furthermore, A Formalist expects a greater degree of mental

intelligence instead of emotional intelligence from the readers.

New Criticism – New Criticism is an American Literary theory in

the 20th century. Its philosophy was taken from John Crowe Ransom’s
 The New Criticism, 1941. New Criticism talked about the closed-reading

approach.

In this closed-reading approach developed by I.A. Richards, only

words on-page were analyzed very closely in a text. It is being said that

the text should be very closely read and analyzed without referring to

external materials and issues such as cultural, political, and economic and

others. New Criticism do not focus on cultural, political or social issues

in the text, but rather in the textual world.

Conceptual Framework

Palanca Award Winner’s of year 2011, 2012,

2013,2015,2016

Types of character Ways of Beginning

Types of character
commonly used in and Ending the
archetypes of the
the five stories
main character
stories

Formalist Theory
Figure 1: Conceptual Framework of the Study

Figure 1 presents the conceptual framework of the study. In this

framework, the first box contains the short stories that are winners in the

Palanca award with the following years: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, and

2016. The next three boxes which are parallel to each other consist of the

features of the short stories that are to be studied or analyzed. The box

that is shown below is the theoretical approach that will be employed to

extract output from this research.

10
Conceptual Framework

A short tale is a piece of fiction that is meant to be read in one

sitting and has the purpose of teaching a lesson, capturing a certain

moment, or evoking an emotion. As long as a literary work has a single

setting, a single climax, and few characters or just the main character, it

fits into the category of a short story. There is no defined duration for it.

Plot components in short stories must cooperate to achieve a common

objective. A tale's plot, or more particularly, the events that occur, is what

happens in the story. The story's action is manifested in the elements of

the story . (Lindsay Kramer, 2022)

 There are different types of characters in the stories and various

specific functions throughout the plot . These functions determine which

archetypes and types of characters they are characterized.

Here I got six types of character by Terry W. Erwin II

1. Protagonist. The protagonist, whose mission and development are

what make the story run. This kind A character makes a sacrifice in order

to change psychologically. He overcomes challenges that would have

stopped him at the story's beginning. He demonstrates his transformation

by making clear adjustments to his behavior, attitude, and values, habits

or attire.
11

2. Antagonist. The person who sets out to achieve his objective in a way

that is

the main character into action.

3. Round character. He has a developed personality and exhibits a wide

range of

inconsistent characteristics. Round characters are typically growing or

dynamic

character ( transform in some way during the course of a story) ( change

in some way over the course of a story).

4. Flat character. In a fiction or book, this character only exhibits one or

possibly two personality qualities, and those attributes never change. A

specific type of flatness is stock character. persona that most readers will

recognize right away

5. Static character. In a story, this character largely doesn't change.

novel. The events of the novel do not change a fixed character's

perspective, demeanor, or behavior, perception, and drive.

6. Foil character. Through contrast, another character is strengthened by

12
this one.

The contrast between Cinderella's elegance and beauty and her evil,

conceited stepsister is an example.

When authors from diverse backgrounds work together to develop

and mix fresh and original ideas, the beginning of a novel can be

completely amazing and result in a great masterpiece (Esparza, Andrea.

3x prosetrainer). A story's opening is crucial; it should pique readers'

interest and entice them to read the entire thing. Great writers

demonstrate that there are numerous ways to begin a story.

The entire context clue should be used to construct the

ending. rather than just being deduced from one thing or the last sentence.

Therefore, it's crucial for the creation of story endings to convey the
context hints for making future predictions. in a conclusion. However,

choosing a fair conclusion is not just determined by appropriate

representation of the context cues, but also on the language

comprehension skill using implicit knowledge. That goes beyond what

the text can say. A fair conclusion should include into account rather than

focusing on just one or two, consider all related ideas. one. In addition,

using common sense understanding drawn from ConceptNet (Speer and

Havasi 2012),

Research Literature

Classification show that formalism is classified into text oriented

approaches, like structuralism, this approach focuses that analysis on the

intrinsic and structural aspects of literary work and tries to analyze the

elements of a text like character, characterization and plot, especially for

the narrative structure. Klarer state that Formalism also tries to analyze

structurally elements of a text, such as characters in a plot, which older

school traditionally explain on a merely thematic level(Klarer, 1999:84)

The literary critique and interpretation trend known as Russian

Formalism first appeared in Russia in the second decade of the 20th

century and persisted there until approximately 1930. With the notion

above,the Formalist school Formalist school, emphasized that literature

should not be studied only to know the historical or cultural background

of a certain type of people but also look on the story features analysis. In

this regard, proponents of a formalist approach to literature attempted not

only to isolate and define the "formal" properties of poetic language (in

both poetry and prose), but also to research how specific aesthetically

motivated devices (for example, defamiliarization [ostranenie])

determined the literariness or literary quality of a piece of writing.

Formalism is a type of critical approach where the main

focus is on the word structure of the text being studied. With this kind of

approach the language's structure is given more emphasis rather than its
14
implication. (S. Matterson, The Great Gatsby, 1990)

Statement of the Problem

While in literature mostly you can look into the characters in terms

of gender, you can also look how they can be in the story, how they will

grow and mature inside of the story.

This study aim to identify the characteristics of Selected Palanca

Winning Works year 2011, 2012, 2013,2015,2016. The study specifically

aims to answer the following problems.

1. What are the types of characters that are common in the five stories.
 A. Protagonist

B. Antagonist

C. Flat

D. Round

E. Foil

F .Static

2. Determine the archetype of the main character in the story.

A.the lover

B. the hero

C. the magician

D. the outlaw

E. the explorer

F. the sage 15
G. the innocent

H. the creator

I. the ruler

J. the caregiver

K. the jester

L. Everyman
3. How do the writers begin their stories ? Do they have the same type of

beginning the stories?

A. Begin with a action or dialogue

B. Ask a question

C. Describe the setting

D. Begin with background information

E. Main character introduce himself or herself

16

4. How do the authors end their stories ? Do they have the same type of

ending the story?

A. Provide a twist in a Tale

B. End on an Epilogue

C. Resolved ending

D. Unresolved ending

E. Expanded ending
F. Unexpected ending

G. Ambiguous ending

H. Tied ending

Significance of the study

The purpose of this study is to analyze the five selected stories

concerning the types of character , their beginning and ending employed

by the authors . It is also important to recognize the message of all the

five stories .

This study can also be used by future researchers as their reference

having similar topics about types of a characters, beginning and ending

17
the stories.

Definition of Terms

The following terms are conceptually defined.

1. Types of Character - Character categorize types by the role they play in

the narrative.(2023 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc)

2. Formalism Approach - focus on the arrangement of language rather

than on the implication of the words. (S. Matterson,1990)

3. Archetypes - A literary criticism, images, figures, character types,

settings, and story pattern. According to the Swiss analytical

psychologist, Carl Gustav Jung, are universally shared people across

culture.(Cherry. Kendra 2022)

18
Chapter 2

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This Chapter presents the research method that will be used by the

researcher in conducting this study. It concludes the Theorical and

conceptual framework, and also the definition of terms, research design

and the data gathering technique.

Research Design
 To better comprehend ideas, opinions, or experiences, qualitative

research entails gathering and evaluating non-numerical data (such as

text, video, or audio) (Pritha,2022). It can be used to get a comprehensive

understanding of a situation or to come up with fresh research concepts.

In the humanities and social sciences, qualitative research is frequently

employed in fields like anthology, sociology, education, health science,

history, and more.

Scope and limitation of the Study

This study will focus on five short stories winners of Palanca

Award of year 2011, 2012, 2013,2015,2016. It will focus on analyzing

the commonly used types of characters the authors used as well as the

beginning and ending of the stories.

Data Gathering Procedures

The gathering procedure shall have four phases.

Phase I - Researching about the Palanca Award Winners and in the

following years: 2011, 2012, 2013 , 2015, 2016.

Phase II - Read the Short Stories repeatedly until you totally

understand the meaning of the stories

Phase III - Know all the commonly used types of character, character

archetypes, beginning and ending the stories, and analyze the features of

the stories.

METHODOLOGY OF DATA ANALYSIS

In order to gain more knowledge and insight about character common in

the five stories, you need to identify their Image true out the whole story

if the character turn into

Antagonist

Protagonist

Flat
Round

Foil

Static

By identifying the main chaacter we will use the charcater archetypes to

the main character if the character was a

The Lover

The Hero

The magician

The outlaw

The explorer

The sage

The innocent

The creator

The ruler

The caregiver

The jester

Everyman
Beginning of the story is to make the audience more interested in the

story to read till the end, we will now analyze if the author use and

Begin with a action or dialogue

Ask a question

Describe the setting

Begin with background information

Main character introduce himself or herself

With beginning their also and ending, Ending a story is the most crucial

part because of what the audience on how they will react to the story final

part. By knowing and how the writer ending the story they might used an

Provide a twist in a Tale

End on an Epilogue

Resolved ending

Unresolved ending

Expanded ending

Unexpected ending
Ambiguous ending

Tied ending

Ethical Consideration
 REFERENCES

Abrams, M.H. (1999). A Glossary of Literature of Literary Terms.

Seventh Edition. Heinle & heinle.

Andrea Esparza, 3x Prosetrainer The Prose Train

Duffy, Charles and Henry Petit. 1953. A Dictionary of Literary Term. USA: Brown
Book Company.Analaysis of characterization of the main character in” social
network” movie script

Katie, 2011:320 A journal analysis of main character plot and conflict in

the novel witch of protobello by Coelho Paulo
Nasrullah Mambrol(19, Otc, 2020) Russian Formalism, Literary Theory
and Criticism
T. van Laer et al. In stories we trust: How narrative apologies provide
cover for competitive vulnerability after integrity-violating blog posts
International Journal of Research in Marketing (2010)
Speer, R., and Havasi, C. 2012. Representing general relational

knowledge in conceptnet 5. In LREC, 3679–3686.

Wheeler, p.37, 2001 A Case Study of the use of Short Stories in a Junior
Secondary ESL Classroom in Hong Kong
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED545620.pdf