A COURSE MODULE FOR PHILIPPINE LITERATURE

PART 2: INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPINE LITERATURE

"Literature always anticipates life. It does not copy it but molds it to its purpose. The
nineteenth century, as we know it, is largely an invention of Balzac."
-Oscar Wilde

Lesson 1. Essence and Significance of Literature

Learning Objectives

At the end of this module, you should be able to:

1. define literature;

2. explain the significance of literature; and

3. identify and discuss the qualities of good literature.

Introduction

The prose is a form of language that applies ordinary grammatical structure and natural flow
of speech rather than rhythmic structure (as in traditional poetry). While there are critical debates on
the construction of prose, its simplicity, and loosely defined structure have led to its adoption for most
of the spoken dialogue, factual discourse as well as topical and fictional writing. It is commonly used,
for example, in literature, newspapers, magazines, and encyclopedias.

Prose benefits from the more informal metrical structure of verse that is almost always found
in traditional poetry. Poems usually involve a meter and/or rhyme scheme. Prose, instead, comprises
full, grammatical sentences, which then constitute paragraphs and overlook aesthetic appeal. Some
works of prose do contain traces of metrical structure or versification and a conscious blend of the
two literature formats is known as prose poetry.

READ

Prose

 The word prose is derived from the Latin “prosa” which means straightforward.

 It consists of writing that does not adhere to any formal structures (other than grammar).

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 It is non-poetic writing. It simply says something without necessarily trying to say it in

beautiful words.

 Prose writing can take beautiful form but less by virtue, of placement, or inclusion of
graphics. It is the ordinary form of written language.

 Most writing that is not poetry, drama, or song I considered prose.

 It is one of the major genres of literature and occurs in two forms: fiction and non-fiction.

TYPES OF FORMS

 Fiction
 A prose writing that talks about imaginary characters and events.
 Some writers base their fiction on actual events and people, to which they add
invented characters, dialogue, settings, and plot. Other writers of fiction rely on
imagination alone to provide their material.
 Non-Fiction
 A prose writing that presents and explains ideas or that talks about real people,
objects, or events.

Short
Story
Allegory
and Prose Novel
Satire

Genres
under
Fable FICTION Legend

Novella Parable

1. Short Story

 A fictitious narrative compressed into one unit of time, place, and action.

 It presents a sequence of events or plots.

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 It deals with a single character interest, a single emotion, or a series of emotions called forth
by a single situation.

 It is concise and creates a single effect or dominant impression to the reader.

 The events in the short story usually communicate a message about life or human nature.

ELEMENTS OF A SHORT STORY

Characters – a person or animal who takes part in the action of a short story.

Kinds of Character

Protagonist

 The main character in the story.

 He/she is the one exposed to conflict and is responsible to prove his/her worth and
accomplishing a mission.

 He/she must give life to the story and be an instrument that contributes to bringing home the
message as relayed by the writer.

Antagonist – a foil to the protagonist.

Dynamic Character –one who goes through some sort of change; they show character development
because of the action of the story.

Static characters – are those who do not change throughout the course of the story. They show
contrast to dynamic ones, refusing to grow and remaining in one place or mentality.

Round Character –a fully developed character, with many traits/characteristics –bad and well-shown
in the story. Usually, the protagonist, and often the antagonist, are round characters.

Flat Character – has only one or two distinct traits, ideas, or qualities/personalities. Usually, the flat
characters are the secondary characters.

Setting - It is the place and time of a story.

 It is when or where the story happens/ed.

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Theme

 The controlling idea or central insight of a story.

 The heart of the story.

 It is the topic or subject of the selection, which is sometimes stated by a character or by the
writer himself, but oftentimes, it is merely implied or suggested.

 It may be a significant truth or lesson. It can be a national, regional, universal, or personal

appeal. In effect, a theme may be confronting, castigating, persuasive, or didactic.

 In the fable the theme is its moral/lesson; in the parable-its teaching and fiction, it’s a view
of life.

Take Note: Moral vs. Theme

 The words moral and theme are not interchangeable. The theme of the story may be
expressed as a moral principle, but usually, the idea of a moral is too narrow to be used as
a statement of the theme.

Conflict

 The struggle or complication involving the characters, the opposition of persons, or the force
upon which the action depends in drama or fiction.

 There is a conflict if there is a struggle that grows out of the interplay of opposing forces
(idea/interest.)

Kinds of Conflict

 Man vs. Man

 Man vs. Himself

 Man vs. Society

 Man vs. Animal/s

 Man vs. Circumstances

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Plot

 The sequence of events of the story.

 The events center on a conflict that may be external (outside the character) or internal (inside
the character).

 The customary way of ordering the episodes or events in a plot is to present them
chronologically, that is in the order of their occurrence in time.

Kinds and Elements of Plot

Traditional/Conventional. It is often conceived of as moving through five distinct sections or stages:

exposition, complication, crisis, falling action, and resolution.

Exposition – is the beginning section in which the author provides the necessary
background/information, sets the scene, and establishes the situation, and dates of the
action.

Complication – is sometimes referred to as rising action.

Climax –the moment at which the plot reaches its point of greatest emotional intensity.

Falling Action – once the climax or turning point has been reached, the tension subsides,
and the plot moves toward the conclusion.

Denouement –the untying of the entangled knots, or the part that shows a conflict or a
problem is solved, leading to its downward movement or end.

Resolution – the final section. It contains the last statement of the story.

Unconventional Plot. The unfolding of events may begin in any section of this kind of plot. The most
frequently and conventionally used device for interrupting the flow of a chronologically ordered plot
are flashbacks and foreshadowing.

Flashback – this literary device dramatically presents (often using a character’s

recollections, dreams, or reveries – this is a section in a story where the action is interrupted
to talk about an earlier event) scenes or incidents which took place before the beginning of
the plot.

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Foreshadowing – this plotting device puts in detail the earlier part of the story, the purpose
of which is to insinuate the possible outcome of the story.

Suspense – this is the feeling of excitement or tension in the reader experiences as the
action unfolds.

Surprise Ending – this is an ending that catches the reader off guard with an expected turn
of events.

In Media Res – the technique of beginning the story in the middle of the action, with
background information given later in flashbacks.

Flat Plot. A straightforward chronological plot. Events are made to happen from beginning to end
without any suspense or crisis along the way.

Point-of-View

 It is the manner of telling the story.

 It identifies the narrator of the story.

CLASSIFICATION OF POINT-OF-VIEW

 First Person Point-of-View

 It is also called the “I” point of view.

 The narrator tells his story from this point.
 Pronouns to be used are I, me, mine, we, us, and our (s).

 Second Person Point-of-View

 A second-person narrator speaks directly to the reader using the pronouns you,
your, and yours.

 Limited Third-Person Point-of-View

 The narrator is more distant, telling us about the story rather than playing a major
part in it. We learn about the characters through the outside voice.
 Pronouns to be used are he, him, his, she, her/ (hers), they, them, their (theirs).

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 Omniscient Point-of-View (All-Knowing)

 The narrator tells the story from the minds of all the characters. He/she has the
capability of entering the mind of every character.
 Pronouns to be used are he, him, his, she, her/ (hers), they, them, their (theirs).

Style

 It refers to the literary devices that the author used – the language in terms of choice of
words and the manner of presentation.

 Style varies from one writer to another.

 Many important pieces together make up a writer’s style, like tone, word choice, grammar,
language, and descriptive technique.

 Style is also what determines the mood of a piece of literature.

Note: Different types of literature need different styles, and different styles need different authors.

Mood

 The atmosphere or emotional effect generated by the words, images, and situation in a
literary work (the emotional ambiance of the work).

 It refers to the emotional impact felt by the reader of the work.

Tone

 To denote an attitude or feeling of the speaker or author conveyed by the language in its
artful arrangement.

 It describes the attitude of the narrator or persona of the work.

Images

 Are usually characterized by concrete qualities rather than abstract meaning.

Symbolism

 Stand for something other than themselves, they suggest not their concrete qualities, but
the idea of obstruction that is associated with them.

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2. Novel

 It is a long fictitious narrative with a complicated plot.

 It may have the main plot and one or more sub-plots that develop with the main plot.
 The elements are more developed because of their subplots, or independent, related stories.
 Characters and actions representative of the real life of past or present times are portrayed
in a plot.
 It contains all the elements of short stories but is longer than short stories.
 It is made up of chapters.

Note: The novel and short story differ from each other only in length and complexity; the novel is
longer because of several complications and twits to its plot.

Kinds of Novel

1. The Adventure Novel – it gives a story of an adventure on land or sea or in the forests or the
deserts or anywhere and about anything that throws the character to a test of physical
prowess and mental or moral endurance.
2. A Novel of Ideas– also called a philosophical novel. It tells of ideas, convictions, or opinions
about beliefs, religion, government, politics, etc., through characters strong or convincing
enough with their discourse and rationalization.
3. A Novel about Love –naturally gives a story of the intricacies and complexities that go with
love. Sometimes these intricacies and complexities come n the form of cultural barriers,
political rivalry, social status, family feuds, parental intervention, or psychological instability.
4. A Novel about Social problems – a novel that works on any problem in society, usually
motivated by a goal of bringing out this problem to win the attention that can solve it for a
better society. It aims to illuminate and draw attention to contemporary social problems to
incite change for the better.

5. Local Color Novel – a work that incorporates cultural details of a particular region-dialect,
mannerism, and thought patterns-to portray a community, often sentimentality. Frequently
include eccentric characters.

6. Philosophical Novel – a novel serving as a vehicle to explore philosophical ideas.

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7. Psychological Novel – a novel whose primary focus is on the character’s emotions and
internal motivations as they respond to external events.

8. Realistic Novel – is guided by the principles of realism, the principle which believes in the
reflection of both the good and bad sides of life. The idea is that things must be shown as
they are.

9. Naturalistic Novel – is one inspired by the principle of naturalism, the principle which believes
in the depiction of life with both bright and seamy sides in the same way that realism does
believe.

10. Existentialistic Novel – is one greatly rubbed with a constant search for the meaning of
existence. In novel writing, existentialism comes into play when characters used are made
in quandary as to the meaning of life

11. Bildungsroman – also known as a coming-of-age story. It is a novel that focuses on the
psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood, in which
character change is extremely important.

12. Roman a Clef – also known as a novel with a key. It is a novel about real life, overlaid with
a façade of fiction.

13. The fictitious names in the novel represent real people, and the “key” is the relationship
between nonfiction and fiction.

14. Romantic Novel – is like any romantic piece of literature, it is guided by the principles of
romanticism.

Miscellaneous Prose Narratives (Fiction)

1. Legend- a prose fiction that attempts to explain the origin of things, places, and objects that
we see around us.
2. Novella –a long prose narrative but shorter than a novel but longer than a short story. It is
also known as a novelette.
3. Parable – is a short prose allegorical narrative that presents a philosophical outlook on life.
4. Fable – a narrative based on personified animals as its character in situations that are lifelike
and usually humorous.

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5. Allegory – a story in which characters and events are more symbolic than realistic.
6. Prose Satire – a piece of literature that tends to ridicule human follies and vices.

Activity 1: Reflection Paper

Directions: Write what you learned from the topics discussed above.

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Genres under Non-Fiction

Biography Autobiography Essay Letter Diary Journal

1. Biography – it is a form of non-fiction in which a writer tells the life story of another person.
Example: Cayetano Arellano by Socorro O. Alberto

2. Autobiography – it is a form of non-fiction in which a person tells his or her own life story.
A woman with no Face by Ms. Pilar Pilapil

3. Essays

 It comes from the French word “essai” which means an attempt.

 It is a short, non-fiction work about a particular subject.
 Most essays have a single major focus and a clear introduction, body, and
conclusion.
 The genres related to the essay may include 1) the memoir which tells the story of
an author’s life from the author’s point of view and 2) the epistle which is usually a
formal, didactic, or elegant letter.

Elements of Essay

Theme and Content – what is the main point of the essay?

 Trivial, commonplace, unusual, controversial

 Appraise, criticize, expand, comment, lament, celebrate

 Human nature, social conditions, manners, politics, attitudes, art

 Creating a single impression or producing a single effect with the work

 Present ideas, describe events, interpret experiences

Form and Structure – how are ideas ordered to achieve a single effect?

 Unity of expression, coherence, and cohesion

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 Orderly, systematic, logical manner

 Three basic parts: introduction, main body, conclusion

 Two major patterns: inductive and deductive

 Expository devices: definition, description, narration, analogy

TYPE OF ESSAYS

Two General Types of Essays:

Formal or Impersonal Essay

 Deals with serious and important topics like philosophy, theology, science, and
politics.
 It has an authoritative and scholarly style and shows the writer’s masterful grasp of
the topic.
 Its formal tone echoes detached objective, clear straightforward expression.
 Its purpose is to teach and instruct.

Informal or Familiar Essay

 It covers the light, ordinary, and even commonplace subject through bubbling,
casual, conversational, friendly, often humorous but equally insightful, stance as the
formal essay.
 It appeals more to the emotion than to the intellect, touching the sensitivity first, then
the mind.
 The personality of the author is revealed through a fluid style and light treatment of
the topic.

The modern essay was derived from the combination of these two general types. Several specific
types are the following:

Reflective Essay

 Serious tone and dignified in style, this type is mainly aphoristic.

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 Its short and sharp ‘quotable quotes or choice of maxims cut deep into memory like a proverb
or an adage.

 The subject matter spurs thinking and rouses keen observation.

Narrative Essay

 Uses an accident or event, not for the sake of the story but to shape the theme.

 Narration is often used more to make the idea clear and endearing than to present a plodding
plot.

Descriptive – add vividness, reality, and animation to the narrative essay.

Speculative - theories or poses some questions in an interacting subject or it may just rumble along
aimlessly, merely speculating and prying into some problems.

Biographical

 Portrays character or sketches of life, not simply chronicling it.

 It is analytical and interpretive, depending upon which side of the character or individual is
emphasized.

 This is also known as a character essay.

Nature

 Aims to picture the world of trees, flowers, birds, mountains, animals, and plants.

 It may either be pictorial or reflective or both depending upon the mood and aim of the writer.

 It always possesses the human touch and sensitiveness to the beauty of outdoor life.

Critical – includes biography, literary criticism, book reviews, and other prose compositions that aim
at the analytical judgment of literature.

Didactic

 Enforce a moral or lesson.

 It is serious and has the tone of a teacher explaining or trying to convince.

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 It does away with the moods and fancies but concentrates wholly on driving lesson

Scientific

 It contains excellent logic, clarity of expression, and organized presentation of the sequence
of ideas.

 It is purely expository in nature, objective in method, a system that practically leaves no room
for the exposition of the writer’s personality.

4. Letter - A written message which displays aspects of an author’s psychological make-up not
immediately apparent in his more public writings. It is a prose form which by force of its style
and the importance of its statement becomes an object of interest.

5. Diary – a daily written record or account of the writer’s own experiences, thoughts, activities,
or observations.

6. Journal – a magazine or periodical especially of a serious or learned nature.

Other Prose Forms:

1. Historical Prose –prose dealing with historical events.

2. Scientific Prose –prose that deals with the subject of science.
3. Current Publications – books, magazines, or newspapers that are commonly known or
accepted or in general usage at the time specified or, if unspecified at present.
4. Literary Criticism – the analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of literary works; it does not
mean “finding fault with.”
5. Book Review – an article dealing with the contents, literary worth, etc. of a book, especially
a recently published book.
6. Philosophy - A prose form that deals with the processes governing thought and conduct. It
also deals with the theory of the investigation of the principles of laws that regulate the
universe and underlie all knowledge and reality.
7. Travel – a written account of trips, journeys, tours, etc. taken by the writer.
8. Parody – an imitation of another author's work, where ridicule is the main objective.
9. Anecdote – a brief narrative concerning a particular individual or incident.
10. Pamphlet – a small book on topics of current interest.

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11. Eulogy – writing in praise of a dead person, event, or thing.

12. Speech – the general word for a discourse delivered to an audience whether prepared or
impromptu.

 Address – implies a formal, carefully prepared speech and usually attributes

importance to the speaker or the speech.

 Oration – suggests an eloquent, rhetorical sometimes merely bombastic

speech, especially one delivered on some special occasion.

 Lecture – a carefully prepared speech intended to inform or instruct the

audience.

 Talk – suggests informality and is applied either to an impromptu or to an

adder or lecture in which the speaker deliberately uses a simple

conversational approach.

 Sermon – a speech by a clergyman intended to give religious or moral

instruction and usually based on Scriptural text.

Activity 2: Essay Writing

A. Directions: Write a reflective essay about the moment when you felt discouraged and
disappointed by something that someone said.

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References:

Lacia, Ferdilyn, C., et al. (3rd Ed.), (2015). The Literatures of the Philippines. Quezon City, Metro
Manila, Philippines: Rex Book Store, Inc.

Saymo, A. S. (2014). Philippine Literature. Manila, Philippines: Erehwon Artworld Corporation

Ang, J. G. (2012). Literature 101 (Philippine Literature: A Course Reader). Manila, Philippines:
Mindshapers Co., Inc.

Marco, L.L. et al. (2009). Philippine Literary Heritage (from Spanish Period to Present). Manila,
Philippines: Mindshapers Co., Inc.

PNU Reviewer: General Education. (2019)

Rubrics/ Criteria for Grading

Rubric for Activity 1: Reflection

Reflective Thinking –5

Analysis –5

Making Connection –5

Mechanics –5

20 points

Rubric for Activity 2. Essay

Focus and Details - 1 point

Organization - 1.5 point/s

Voice - 1.5 point/s

Word Choice - 3 points

Sentence Structure, Grammar, Mechanics, & Spelling - 3 points

10 points

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