Close Reading Analysis

of Pagliawan's Short Story: Kamatayon

A literary Critic presented to

DR. DOMINADOR PAGLIAWAN

Faculty of Arts and Science English Department

Abuyog Community College

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

in EL 119 with the descriptive title

Literary Criticism

by:

AUSTRIA, JANICE

BIHAG, KRIS

JOSER, MARK DAVE

SULIVA, REYNA

TISADO, REYNALYN

June, 2023
Abstract

A close reading analysis of a waray short story entitled "Kamatayon". Evaluating the

story to have a better understanding about the essence of life and death. This is to help

every individual, specifically children, realize and accept the reality and the nature of it

and prevent ignorance that may lead to fear, hatred and destruction. Also for the parents

who has the capability to give awareness and deal with their children. This analysis will

be done through a deep comprehension and discussion, by reading the story thoroughly

and taking down perceptions, and how could death be decline and accept in every

people’s lives. In this way those who do not have the clear vision of life will have their

eyes opened and accept the reality. For these reasons, all of the people will become aware

on the issue and be able to act in line with what is the right thing to do. This would also

help other researcher or critic to further comprehend and study about different challenges

in life and that this specific topic is one of them. Also I would recommend to study more

about the cycle of life where everyone needs to understand, and that we have to solve

issues similar to this, enable to have a better living and life awareness.

Keywords: Close Reading Analysis, death, awareness, parents, children

 Preface

This critic is an analization of Pagliawan's short story entitled "Kamatayon" which means

death. A waray story that gives emphasis on the nature of death. The story has the point

of view where an innocent child has to face and witnessed with the reality that death is

the fact of being physically unable to do anything, and that it is inevitable. A traditional

cultural practice and belief regarding death are depicted in the story. The main character,

which is a child of 7 years old, being clueless of the death of his stepfather whom he have

had treated as his own. It also demonstrates how ignorant, despite being observant, the

child was of the events surrounding the death of his so-called father. It also tackle not

only the physical death, but also the emotional and knowledge of a child and the parents

itself.

The reason that we wanted to critic this story is to enlighten everyone about death

specifically parents, to help their children be aware of it and help them accept that we are

all going to deal with it in any time, in our journey here in this imperfect world. Another

thing is that we all know that death is one of the reality in life that everyone of us do not

wanted to face, specifically losing someone who is close to us. We are the highest being

who are able to express within our hearts. The curiosity, innocence and love to anyone.

And that gives us the feeling of ignorance and acceptance of death.

According to David (2021) Children should be taught about death for them to understand

what happens when someone dies, and help them to cope with personal loss. This also to

prevent from children having the feeling of guilt, fear and worry. As long as they have

that capability to understand the situation already then it is better for them to know and be
aware of the fact. It is a matter of preparation for themselves and be able to cope up the

loss.

The one who should be responsible about the child’s growth and development is all by

the parents. From the starting point until forever, for being a parent has no end as well as

being a child. With this connection, all aspects in life are considered. Specifically those

necessary ones such as how to lived life with or without their guidance, and helping them

to be aware that in some point of life, whether they like it or not, life has an end. A

serious things that should be discussed by parents to their family members particularly

young children. This is the fact and this is the reality that needed to be faced. Also this

was the conflict observed from the short story, where the main character behaved as

mostly of his age would.

So to help every individual accept the reality about death is to give them awareness and

full knowledge about it, and let them know how to deal with it by the experiences and

strategies of the parents needs to teach. By the people who are more knowledgeable, and

who were once in that specific situation where they loss someone close to their hearts. It

could be difficult for young age to understand but they needed to. Regarding on this

issue, the study also come up with tips on how to help parents inform their children. And

this is the main reason of this critic.

 Narrative Review

A close reading is a very in-depth, careful analysis of a short text. This text can be a

passage selected from a novel, a poem, an image, a short story, etc. The analysis looks

carefully at what is happening in the short text, but isn’t necessarily isolated from

references outside the text (haverford.edu.). Close reading is deep analysis of how a

literary text works; it is both a reading process and something you include in a literary

analysis paper, though in a refined form. It is a process of finding as much information as

you can in order to form as many questions as you can (Writing Center). This is to know

the deep meaning behind the short story “Kamatayon”.

The dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is

forgotten (Eclesiastes 9:5). Which means there is nothing that a dead body can do, for

according to the Bible, the state of being dead is like sleeping peacefully. Where they

cannot hear, speak, and act. Also a body undergoes complex and intricate changes after

death. Its skin becomes brown, hard, and brittle and has a stretched appearance over

prominences like bones, mandible etc. the body shrinks in size (Shedge et al., 2023). This

leads to reform the real appearance of a man when he was still alive and breathing. The

skin tends to change color. The absence of oxygen from the body will make the skin

shrink and cold.

To be aware means to know, to realize or to have interest in knowing about something, to

know that something is important. Awareness is knowledge of something (oxford

advanced learner’s dictionary). Awareness in general means, knowledgeable, being

conscious; cognizant, informed alert. It is the state or ability to perceive, to feel, or to be

conscious of events, objects, or sensory patterns (Abdul, 2012). The study use the term to

help the readers know on the importance of child’s awareness about death.

Parents are among the most important people in the lives of young children. From birth,

children rely on parents to provide them with the care they need to be happy and healthy,

to grow and develop well. But parents sometimes lack information and the support that

they need for good parenting (cdc.gov). They should be the individuals who are capable

of the growth and development of children.

According to Merriam-webster, children are young person especially between infancy

and youth. They sets out the rights that must be realized for every child – the rights to

survival, development, protection, and participation. It offers a vision of the child as an

individual and as a member of a family and community, with rights and responsibilities

appropriate to his or her age and stage of development (worldvision.org).

 Gathering Techniques

This analysis uses a close reading analysis, a thorough discussion about the story and the

meaning behind it. The study uses Qualitative approach in gathering data. The reason we

use close reading analysis is that we can fully understand and interpret the text or

meaning of the short story. According to Wiggins (2015), the goal of close reading is to

analyze the text, interpret why details and the text itself are significant. Therefore, it

focuses on “picking apart” and closely looking at what the author makes his/her argument

, why is it interesting.

Scope

This critic aims to help children to be knowledgeable about death, particularly parents, in

order to help their children be aware of it and accept that we will all have to deal with it

at some point during our journey here in this imperfect world.

Data Analysis

The critic went through a thorough reading and comprehension about the text itself and

its purpose to the readers. Data analysis was done with a supporting relevant narrative

texts from the important variables and in-depth discussion of the overall data collection.
 Results and Discussion

Kamatayon has a theme of death, being dead physically, mentally and emotionally. It has

3 main characters, the mother, older brother, and the 7 year old named Carlito. The

mother and brother serves as the guardian of Carlito in the specific setting of the story.

Carlito came to be an innocent child who doesn’t know about his stepfather’s death,

particularly the awareness of what it is to be dead physically. His mother and mourn as

how a wife would when their husband past away. The On the other hand they were

confused by Carlito’s behavior without even asking him why. They’ve ignored the fact

that the child needs to be informed about the situation, and instead slapped the blameless

poor Carlito.

The story started from a four year old point of view who was Carlito. Were he came to

observed the situation in their house, when his mother and brother came home with his

stepfather’s body carried by four people in a hammock. He was confused by the behavior

of everyone who was crying and gossiping about his father’s death. Confused by his

mother’s bulging eyes. It was 2 weeks since he saw his father and the time it was

admitted to the hospital because of serious illness from nail puncture. He then observed

the busy surroundings, where some people are making the coffin and others are preparing

foods in the kitchen. With this situation, Carlito went to a room to where his father was,

and lay beside him. His innocence made him do that, and made the people in their house

afraid and at the same time praise the child’s bravery. For it is too scary for a living soul

to hug and sleep beside a dead body even if it is a close member of a family. On the next

day, Carlito was awakened by the clamorous, the people were crying, and he noticed that

his father’s body was transferred into the coffin. The sun was already risen, and it gives
light inside the house. With that he slowly saw the terrifying look of his father. The most

terrifying part is the tradition where every youngster who is closely related to the late

man, would have to kiss its arm. Some of the children got to kiss but cried and wanted to

let go from the hands of those man who carried them, and some were escaping. He was

just bewildered by the scene he is watching. When the time comes, it was now his turn,

and in that moment he felt scared and tried to escape, but unfortunately he was caught by

his older brother. He was then terrified and wanted to let go, but was slapped by his

brother. Because of this, his body weakened and he was lift to kiss his father’s hand,

Carlito felt the cold on his lips and nose from the dead body, and that he give his all

strength and get to let go from his brother. He run and run just to stay away from the

house, felt cold and imagining that the dead was following and is behind him. Carlito felt

afraid by the transformation of his father’s body and face, where he tend to believe that it

was not his father, it was a monster. He felt angry to the old woman who lead the children

kissing the dead’s hand. Felt angry to his brother, and betrayal to his mother who did not

even defended him.

The setting was in a small house, it is somewhat the old times, where there is no

electricity yet. The old times where there hasn’t ambulance to deliver the dead body into

the house of its family, only 4 or more people who carries the body in a hammock. Coffin

was personally made from timber woods considering that they were also poor. And the

tradition when someone died, where people gathered, left and right where there is child

and adults are gambling. The night in the house of the dead is noisy. Another is the

tradition of kissing the hand of the dead. That’s too confusing and terrifying for the

children, seeing the face transformation of the man, from good looking into horrifying
one. Considering that embalming has not yet introduced or they were just too unfortunate

whom could not afford it.

The conflict is the innocence of the child where he knows nothing considering that no

one explained it to him, instead they leave him be and act in accordance with his prior

knowledge. Second is the lack of parenting, where it is the responsibility of the mother or

brother to tell him about his father and the overall situation. Last is the way the child

thing is so observant, where he is a kind of mature child to be informed, and in the end he

believed those superstitious ones like monsters. The child should have the chance to

mourn and yet because no one told him then he instead become childish in the eyes of the

people.

Carlito’s point of view was calm, confused, and terrified, where he remain calm hugging

and sleeping beside his father’s dead body. Confused by the behavior of the people

around him (including people’s mourning, the kissing on the hand and his brother’s

slapped on him). Terrified by the looks of his father which made him think it had into a

monster. And those feelings will remain forever unless he will be informed well.

Kamatayon is a waray story, waray is a local language in Samar and Leyte. It uses several

deep words that is hard to understand but it gives way to help the author express the

character’s point of view. It helps the reader enjoy the overall context since the author

choice of words are appropriate to the flow and theme of the story. It is somewhat short

but all are in. It gives detail information that even an elementary students would be able

to fully understand it.

Children from birth was given nothing but a life to started on. A parent for them to guide

into the right path and give them hope in difficult situations. They started from

breastfeeding, bubbling, smiling, crawling, walking and talking with the use of their

senses. With the presence of five (5) senses, they can modify anything around them and

started learning from it, this is according to Jean Piaget. As time goes by, the knowledge

to be imparted on to them is going spiral, it makes complex and broader. With this stage,

the parents are the main important individuals who should be there, showing and guiding

them the truth about life and not just the basic ones. Children’s curiosity began to activate

and with that, they also began to ask questions, do things what they want and explore. As

what it is said the life was given to them, and they needed the knowledge about it for

them to know how it functions, determine how to use it and identify things on how to

take care of it. Furthermore they should also be aware the life’s opposite which is death.

Death is one of the things in life that most of the people are afraid of. Because it is

literally the end of everything, the end of life. Most of the people are afraid to deal or face

with it, even just the death of someone close to our hearts. How much more in dealing

with individuals own life. Mostly of the children have fragile hearts, were they tend to

cry when something bad happen to them. But with good guidance accompanied by a

thorough explanation, would give them ease and stable mind.

From the short story, the Carlito was really innocent about his father’s death, all he know

was that, the last time his father was accompanied by his mother to the hospital because

of his father’s fever. After that he saw some of the people carried his father’s body with

the use of a hammock. Not knowing that he is dead and is not able to stand, talk, walk,

smile and the capability of breathing. By the busy surroundings, he did a crazy things
like, lying beside his father’s cold body, and made the adults scared of him for what he

did. His innocence made him confused, scared and suffered from that moment. He also

never had that kind of mourning and be able to show his love for his father even just for

the last time. It would be ashamed for him to know about it if he realized after couple of

years. That instead of knowing the situation, he then acted as nothing but an innocent

child.

The following were the effects as how a child or a person would behave when he/she is

clueless about Death (based from the story):

• Despite the fact that the body was cold and stiff and wrapped in a white blanket,

the child had no fear of his deceased father. This fearless child came and lay next

to his father. It was crazy thing to do to those who are aware of the situation.

Sleeping beside the dead is terrifying.

• He wanted to wake up and talk to his father, but his father was immobilized and

not breathing. He wasn’t informed that his being dead has the incapability of

doing nothing like a sleeping peacefully.

• Being confused of what was happening around him. Carlito was confused by the

look of the people to him. Where they were also confused by his behavior.

• He ignored the different rumor he heard from the people attending his Father’s

funeral including his family. And Let his older brother hit him for not following

the culture of kissing the hand of the dead from those children who were blood

related to him.
 • Overthinking of what is truly happening around and just guessing things and

mostly tends to believing something isn’t real. Carlito believed that it wasn’t his

father’s body but from a monster which is fictional or from a superstitious

beliefs.

Parents are the ones that children rely on specifically with their needs, not just with their

physical needs but also with their emotional and psychological needs. And here comes

the information or knowledge that are necessary for children in able for them to adapt and

be flexible in dealing with life including it challenges.

From the short story, it shows that the parents or even the brother of the 7 year old child

lacks on educating him. They weren’t able to inform the boy about what happened to his

father. First and foremost, the child has the right to know because he is a member of the

family, another is that he is the youngest among the sibling. They should have given him

explanation to understand the situation than beating him. Even if it is too early for him to

understand such challenge in life, they should have did their part in anyway. But they

leave the child curios, afraid and leave as it is.

The following were the effects as how a parent or a guardian would behave or deal when

he did not do his part which is the capability on educating children about this matter:

• Being restless with the behavior of the child. Where they’ve let the child do what

he wanted, and believe what he wanted to believe.

• Felt pity to the child’s innocence

• Thinking that the child is mad and crazy

 • Thinking that the child is innocent which is true, and with this he needed to know

for him to stop of the madness or behavior he is showing.

• Beating and Scolding the child without asking them why they are behaving like

that. Were in all can be fixed by good communication.

Overall there should be an action executed by parents for they are in capable and

importantly they are the first foundation of education before other institutions. Family is

the foundation of knowledge to every individual in the society specifically children.

Learning is not just knowing what it is to live, but also the matter of knowing how it

ends. Parents should have this guidance were giving their children the idea and

philosophy of life. Children’s mind are precious and should be taken care to grow and

develop holistically.
 Conclusion

In conclusion, this kind of serious topic about life should be thoroughly, discussed by a

family since they are the ones who have the right and in best position to inform the

family members. Death is not just a simple thing and is need to be considered specifically

as a part of a child's development. They have the right to know enable for them to be

aware of the things that might happen and be ready for their loss, for all of us are heading

towards death. As a parent they should be ready of this role as an educator. They’re one

of the foundation of learning of their child since it grows from them and within them.

The story has a good impact to parents, since it is for them to be aware that a child must

be knowledgeable about death. To know that children rely on them in their fragile stage,

they should help them in becoming firm and be able to stand powerful and mature when

they become adults. This knowledge serves as preparation about the end of everything

and that this is life, the reality.

The critic came up a tips on what to do to a child who faced such challenge in life, and on

how they will do it as a parent considering the child’s critical thinking and or age.

Be a parent. Show them love and understanding, that whatever may happen

you’re always be there to give them companion.

Be calm and prepare yourself to face the child. This is to make them relax and

comfortable. A person is very much believable if he has the aura of being calm

and prepared. You should look more stronger and reliable since you’re facing an

innocent child who will have the possibility to burst out their feelings after they

know.
 Take them to a quiet place. This is necessary for you to think peacefully and talk

freely. It would also help the child to fully understand the situation and will help

him take fresh air and calm his mind.

Tell them about death. That death is the end of life where we are all be facing

anytime. Tell them what it is to be physically dead, including the body

transformation, the incapability to do anything and that it’s the end of life.

Let them cry. That’s the way a child burst out their bad feelings. Even grown man

cries when hurting. It is necessary for us to let go the unnecessary feelings,

because it is healthy for the heart. It is a toxic that needed to go out in our body.

At the same time do not leave them until they are okay.

Tell them to not be afraid. It is for them to give a chance on watching and being

with their love ones for the last time. Do not let them believe of something like

monsters. Make them face the reality and not with those fictions.

Do not leave them alone. This will be until you are sure that he’s okay. If

possible talk to them, because children are confused and ask questions, and see to

it that you’re there or someone reliable is with them to be guided and answered.

All has the right to know the truth including children, with a better communication and

guidance, this kind of situation would not be so miserable in their part, since they’ve

understand.
 Recommendations

The critic recommends the following:

Parents. Be and educator by giving or sharing knowledge and information to

your children. Avoid hurting or punishing them physically, instead talk to them in a

manner that a child could understand.

Brother/Sister. Guide your siblings, longer your patience and act in accordance

with their level of development. Also avoid hurting or punishing them physically, instead

talk to them.

It is said that, “the youth is the hope of our country”, it means they are the most

individuals who have the capability to help the country with its issues or challenges, and

in this case, those knowledgeable one should help them and guide them to become one.

Not just relying them that they can do it on their selves, but they needed guidance to grow

and develop and contribute to the community. But before becoming youth, they started

from being infant, toddler and into teens. They have to undergo the process of learning

from the use of senses into something abstract. For the community to help them hone

their skills and potentials future researcher/critic should help them by studying how they

learn and grow from different perspectives and aspect. So the critic made a

recommendations for a small guide on future researcher/critic about the nature of life and

death to the growth and knowledge of young children.

The following are the recommendations for the future critic of a similar topic:

• Focus on the reality issues that can affect child's idea about life. This is to help

them with their curiosity on something and may help them be satisfy.

• Have a study that discusses about considering individuals level of development in

helping them understand every situation.

• Interview for a more credible hypothesis and result of the study

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StatPearls Publishing LLC. National Library of Medicine.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539741/

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Division of Behavioral and

Social Sciences and Education; Board on Children, Youth, and Families.(2016,

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Library of Medicine. National Academies Press (US).

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