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Literary

Analysis of
Short
Stories
First-prize winners of
the Don Carlos
Palanca Memorial
Awards for Short
Story English
Category

October 13, 2017


University of the Philippines Cebu High School
Literature 11
First Grading period

Armor Literary Analysis by


Christian Balbero
Anna Marie Eunice C. Dinglasa

Phallic Symbols Literary Analysis by


Krizia Mae B. Garcia
Samantha Jane Gomez

The Auroras Literary Analysis by


Ar-jay Dayanan
Laarnie Igot

Three Kisses Literary Analysis by


Al-Keen Bureros
Rod Darcy A. Cordova

Zoetrope Literary Analysis by


Dexter Dave Bais
Alleja Alecses Intud
Suspect Victims
A literary Analysis of the short story, Armor
By Christian Balbero

Illegal drugs, as of now, is the biggest problem our country is facing. Our government has
done all it could do in order to diminish the problem, from the double-barrel to taking and
even done raids that causes death, just to save the people from drugs. On the other hand, the
government and the media are very one-sided in giving information about the illegal drugs, not
considering the life of the victims of these drugs.

The short story Armor received a Carlos Palanca Memorial Award for Short Story. It
talks about the life of the people which are considered to be involved in illegal drugs. It portrays
how people behind this move along with other people despite the threats on their lives and still
manage to disregard those and live normally.

In the story, a small-time drug dealer named Ronnie was told by his neighbor named
Oliver that he was on the blacklist of the so-called Death Squad. Before that, Ronnie was really
planning to commit suicide due to a lot of problems he is facing. However, upon seeing a poster
about a gay beauty pageant, he joined the pageant disregarding the threats on his life. While
preparing for the pageant, a young man named Biboy asked if he could sleep in Ronnies house.
Ronnie thought that Biboy could help him in preparing his costume that is why he permitted
Biboy to live with him in his apartment. One time, while he was finding the canvas for his
costume, a mysterious-looking bald man was looking intently at him so he hurried so that the
guy could not chase him. On the night of the pageant, Oliver was there also joining the pageant.
There he knew that the threat on his life isnt true. While he was on the stage, the bald man takes
Biboy in the audience. He tried to chase them but suddenly he stumbled on the floor and the
story ended there.

Ronnie is the main character in the story. He is described to be a small-time drug dealer
and a member of the LGBT community. At the start of the story, he planned to commit suicide
due to a lot of problems however he was still motivated when he saw the poster about a gay
beauty pageant on their barangay. His character, being brave and being creative, describes most
of the members of the LGBT community. Despite the threats and discriminations they receive,
they still remained brave. Another character in the story is Biboy. As characterized in the story,
he was once a drug-runner of Tiago. He also described himself as good in industrial arts and
helped Ronnie in making his costume. In the end of the story, Biboy was kidnapped by the bald
man. Other characters in the story are Tiago, who was allegedly killed by the Death Squad,
Oliver, the other gay who told Ronnie about the threat on his life and lastly, the mysterious-
looking bald man whom we could imply as part of the Death Squad.
Both Ronnie and Biboy are involved in illegal drugs that are why they are hunted by the
Death Squad. Instead of being afraid of those threats, they still managed to live their lives
normally however in the end their fate resulted in a tragedy and the readers of the story would
not know what really happened to both characters.

I believe that the setting of the story happened in Davao City. The Death Squad was
precisely referred to the Davao Death Squad. According to reports, the Davao Death Squad
was led by the former mayor and currently the president of our country, Pres. Rodrigo Duterte.
The Davao Death Squad, look for the people involved in illegal drugs and kill them silently. The
setting helped enhance the story for it helped the story to be realistic in a way that the story is
also concerned with the social issue regarding illegal drugs.

There are a lot of symbolism that can be found in the story. Ronnie symbolizes a person
that amidst of problems in his life, still continued to live normally but still very cautious of his
surroundings. Usually, when a person knew that his life is at risk, he would usually be paranoid
and would stress out. Oliver is also a symbolism of an envious person. An envious person would
always pull the person, he is envy with, down. We can identify the crab mentality in this manner.
Crab mentality is usually seen when alive crabs would be put in a pail. Usually, these crabs
would want to get out from the pail but other crabs on that pail tend to pull that crab down. The
last symbolism that I saw in the story is the armor. An armor is a protective covering normally
used by soldiers in order to protect themselves. In the story, Ronnie became the armor of Biboy.
As I was able to know the real definition of an armor, I realized that Ronnie became an armor of
Biboy. I think this manner would be observed in the part of the story when Ronnie helped Biboy
and let him sleep in his apartment and because of that Ronnie was protecting Biboy from all the
risk. I also believe that the author hid something at that part and he/she wanted the readers to
distinguish it. As we know that at the end of the story, it was Biboy who was kidnapped and not
Ronnie. However, like an armor, an armor also breaks when the strength of the enemy is really
strong, Ronnie was also broken.

As we know that a thing is illegal, we usually tend to sway to the right and not
considering the lives of the people in involved. It is always good to consider both parties and not
be biased. With an awareness of their lives, we would also know on what extent we could give
help to those people for these people are victims of illegal drugs. However, as the media and
other people in authority would be biased, these victims would always be viewed as suspects.
THE OTHER SIDE

(The unknown life of a criminal)

An analysis of Armor, a short story

By Anna Marie Eunice C. Dinglasa

People tend to think of criminals as the worse examples of a citizen. They are known
to abide the laws of the state and are said to cause catastrophic events to our society. But if
we come to think of it, all we know is the side being published by the media, the news, and
the statement of our policemen. However, did we ever think about those criminals? Did
we ever consider taking into account their reasons? Did we ever think of knowing and
understanding them? In this society, we are blinded by the stereotypical approach of the
people to certain issues, which prompted us to avoid being fair to the issue.

To our society today, the prominent issue that circulates around the country is the
war on drugs led by our president. Tokhang became the faade of the so-called war on
drugs, which is a movement to address the drug operations in the Philippines. In
connection to that, one way of exposing the noticeable joust between the government and
the drug royalties is by means of a short story. I deeply appreciate the fact that a short
story, somewhat related to the current phenomenon in our society, was created. That is the
award-winning story, Armor by John Bengan, a UP Mindanao alumnus and assistant
professor, on 2013.

Armor is a short story that tackles the issue of drug operations in the Philippines
and the rise of the LGBT community. Ronnie, the main character, is a gay who was once a
drug dealer. It started by Ronnie trying to commit suicide but was stopped by Oliver who
told him that he is part of the blacklist of the Death Squad (a group of people who chase
drug dealers in the vicinity). There he returned to his place when he noticed a banner
outside the barangay hall saying that there is an upcoming gay pageant. He was so ecstatic
to join the contest so he immediately signed up. At the time of choosing their
representative countries, many were arguing in getting Colombia and Venezuela, the
powerhouse of the Miss Universe pageant. Due to the commotion, the organizers opted to
do a draw lots in determining the countries the contestants would represent. Ronnie was
able to pick Great Britain, a winless country in the Miss Universe. Nevertheless, Ronnie
continued to prepare for the event by choosing his national costume. Inspired by the armor
of King Arthur, Ronnie was able to conceptualize a visually pleasing outfit for his national
costume. Aside from the national costume competition, the contestants also prepared for
their outfits in the different categories. Amidst his preparations, Biboy, a runner of the late
Tiago, a drug dealer allegedly murdered by the Death Squad, came to ask him if he could
stay in his house. Luckily, Ronnie agreed with a condition, if and only if Biboy will help him
in which Biboy gladly accepts the consequence. Coincidentally, Biboy is a fine arts graduate
so he could help in creating the armor for Ronnies costume. Ronnie continued to search for
possible materials. In the midst of choosing a used cloth for his gown, he spotted a
mysterious bald man however, he disregarded that fact and focused on his pageant instead.
The day of the pageant came. All contestants were looking so glamorous with their national
costumes. As Ronnie arrives, the other contestants send him daggers, as if judging him. The
moment he revealed his armor, everyone in the backstage were amazed at how intricately
it was designed. Suddenly, a gay wearing a kimono having two hair buns approached
Ronnie and Biboy. It turned out that the contestant who represents Japan is Oliver, in
which they discovered that Oliver threatened Ronnie so that Ronnie will not join. Too bad
Ronnie still joined the contest despite the alleged threat. The contestants went to the stage
and posed for the public. Everyone introduced themselves, and when it was Ronnies turn,
he spotted the same mysterious guy from before in the crowd. As he talked, he noticed that
it was approaching to Biboy until it reached Biboy and immediately grabbed the said man.
Ronnie was flabbergasted by the idea thus, he chased them which caused to break his
armor. The moment Ronnie arrived at the opening door/gate of the gymnasium, he was not
able to find any trace of Biboy and the mysterious man.

The short story is very timely and relevant. It depicts a life of a gay who was once a
drug dealer. In this case, we are able to see a glimpse of the life of a man dealing with drugs.
These people are usually known as the main culprit in our society but then, they are also
citizens of our country, and they have their own normal life. It is a unique way of
featuring a story wherein the main character is considered as a villain to our society.

War on drugs. It can be noticed that the story highlighted a typical scenario in the
Philippines as drug operations is a major threat. There are several efforts that are made to
lessen the circulation of drugs in the country; however, its prevalence made it a difficult
issue to address. In our country, most especially right now, the war on drugs became a root
to several extraneous events in our society. An additional factor to that is the fact that our
current president is an advocate of war on drugs, which strengthens the efforts to stop
illegal drug operations in the country. The Tokhang is one of the programs being made in
barangays and towns. The story was set in Davao (where President Duterte served as the
mayor for several years), where a program addressing the illegal drug operations was
established. A group of people is said to go after drug syndicates, and the group is called the
Davao Death Squad. Some lines highlighted the role the Davao Death Squad such as the line,

They have hired guns, the Death Squad, who used to go after drug pushers, but lately, theyd
been taking down street gang members, crystal meth users, petty thieves.
Their group was originally called the Davao Death Squad but in my opinion, for the sake of
being fair and neutral, the author opted to use Death Squad instead.

Extrajudicial killings. It can also be linked to the ongoing issue regarding the
extrajudicial killings in the Philippines. As we all know, it is rampant in the Philippines, and
it was clearly described in the story. The story itself is a person who is might become a
victim to the extrajudicial killings. It is allegedly a part of the war on drugs in which, people
who have been related to illegal drug transactions are being chased. A part of the story
depicts that it is normal to have drug dealers, runners, etc. to get killed because of the
Death Squad. A part of the story described the unfortunate fate of Tiago because he was
killed by those people who are after him.

Tiago, his go-to guy for crystal meth, was one of those whod been killed. They said a man on
a motorcycle stopped in front of Tiago who was chatting with regulars outside his karaoke
pub. The man shot him through the lungs four times.

Fear. I can say that even drug dealers, pushers, runners, users, etc. are afraid of the
current trend. Despite looking tough, it can be clearly observed that fear is present within
their selves. Even Ronnie, a tough gay, feels that the people who are chasing after drug
syndicates must be treated as someone to be feared of because they are people who are
capable of bringing down their lives. Others who are knowledgeable of the activities of a
drug syndicate also feel fear or pity to their friends because they know what the possible
fate of their acquaintances is. In the story, Oliver, a neighbor of Ronnie feels worried to him
as he paid Ronnie a visit. It can be clearly observed that threat is present in the words of
Oliver, and one would feel that it is actually normal because of past incidents such as
Tiagos death, etc. As a greeting line to Ronnie, Oliver said that the Death Squad is after
Ronnie, and for a second, I feel like Ronnie does not know how to react to this kind of
situation but he immediately composed himself. One can observe that these types of events
actually threatened those who are really affected.

The Death Squad, Oliver said. Theyre after you.

Never give up. Despite the rumors that hes part of the target list of the Death Squad,
he still continues to go for the crown of being hailed as the winner of the gay pageant. Even
though he was informed that hes next in line, it can be observed that his fighting spirit can
still be noticed. After being told by Oliver that hes one of the next targets, he still has the
sense of perseverance and will to walk on the stage with a smile. He even said that they
would chase after him in the stage; that is how dedicated he is to join the pageant.

After seeing Oliver out of the house, Ronnie resolved to stick to the plan. Before the Death
Squad entered the picture, he had already made his decision. If the Death Squad were truly
after him, they would have to race him down to that stage.
LGBT Community. The story also depicts the Filipino culture of having the LGBT
community. There are several LGBTs in the Philippines and people somewhat tolerated
them as part of the society. People even organize gay pageants because gays are known to
be smart and witty, just like pageant participants. That is why a pageant for them was made.
In pageants, gays (also termed as bayots) have their own preferences in choosing the
country that they wish to represent.

The deadline for registration had produced chaos: people argued over who would get to be
Miss Venezuela, Miss Puerto Rico, and Miss Colombia, powerhouses in international pageants.
The organizers, who didnt anticipate the complication, resolved the matter by making
contestants draw lots, to which most of the bayots grudgingly agreed. Flaunting a call center-
accented English, the most mestiza of the bunch grumbled when he didnt pick Miss USA. One
bayot, who clamored nakedly for attention, literally sang with joy when he plucked out Miss
Philippines from the glass filled with nations names.

Friendship. Biboy and Ronnie developed a friendship that is beneficial for the both
of them. It created a good effect to them which actually led to a good result. Biboy became
very helpful to Ronnie in the duration of his stay in Ronnies place. Also, Ronnie was able to
gain strength because of Biboys encouraging words to him. In the last part where Biboy
was caught by the mysterious bald man, Ronnie immediately went down the stage despite
the fact that he is a contestant. It signifies that they already created a strong bond of
friendship.

But the bald man, instead of taking aim at the stage, stopped behind where Biboy was
sitting. He clutched the boys arm, forcing him to stand as if Biboy were a child hed been
searching for all night. On stage, Ronnie tried to move. He tugged and heard a ripthe
armored sleeve had snagged on the hip of his dress.

Aside from having themes that are timely and relevant, the characters in the story
are well-written by the writer. From the main character, Ronnie, to Biboy, and the other
supporting characters of the story, they are well described and are given importance by the
author. Ronnie exudes a never give up charm. Despite the rumors about him, he still
focused on participating in the gay pageant. However, it can be observed that Ronnie has
bad health practices because he smokes cigarettes instead of eating his proper meal.
Especially when the pageant fast approaches, he prefers eating small meals in order to save
for the pageant.

I can say that Ronnie is round and static character. Throughout the story, it can be
observed that Ronnie developed a complex character because he is quite unpredictable. He
was very willing to join the contest but after he introduced himself, he went down the stage
to chase after Biboy and the mysterious man. It was an unexpected act for him because I
did not know that his value to Biboy as a friend reached that level wherein he gave up the
contest that he was joining in. Also, personally, I think that Ronnie is somewhat complex
because his approach to different types of people varies, according to their level of
closeness to him. It shows that despite being open to the people, he is also careful in
trusting others. Ronnie is a static character because I believed that he did not undergo any
change with his characteristics at all. What he is from the start is similar to what he is until
the end. It means that there is no significant change in his personality.

Biboy can also be considered a significant character in the story. Personally, I feel
like he added to the current mishaps that Ronnie experiences in his life. Two birds with
the same feather flock together, but I do believe that two birds with the same feather can
be a disaster. Both of them are somewhat related to drugs and it added to the factor that
they must be included in the target list of the Death Squad. I think that Biboy looked for a
place to stay in because I feel like he already knows that he was being chased after the
Death Squad, thats why he looked for a place to hide. He is a reason for the misleading of
the events because as a reader, I feel like the mysterious bald man was after Ronnie but in
the end, he was after Biboy instead. As a reader, I really thought that it would result in a
drama on the stage during the pageant (in which it actually did), but it did not chase after
Ronnie. Biboy also contributed to the boost in the confidence level of Ronnie because he
served as a friend who supports Ronnie to all of his endeavors.

Biboy is a flat character because from the start, he seemed like a supportive and
clingy friend to Ronnie, in which he actually remained as one. The fact that he is kind of a
drug syndicate remains the same, and it actually added thrills to the story. Biboy is a static
character because I think that he did not change at all. How he started as a character
remains the same until the end.

The story was also written beautifully by the author. I feel like Armor is the title
because armor serves as the connection of all the events that happened to Ronnies life
during that span of time. From the pageant to Biboy, to the other contestants, to himself, to
the bald man, and to his loss, the armor was there. I feel like the armor is like Ronnie,
before the pageant, it was prepared to be ready as a statement of the national costume of
Ronnie; during the pageant, it was acknowledged by everyone that it was beautiful and
visually pleasing just like Ronnie; after the pageant, it broke just like how Ronnie felt when
Biboy was caught by the mysterious man. The armor serves as a representation of Ronnie,
and the experiences of Ronnie. The author decided to have it as the title because, in the
story, it was highly emphasized by the author, and it is a key representation of certain
events in the story.

Foreshadowing can be noticed in the story because, in the part where Oliver
threatened Ronnie, it actually happened to Ronnie. By reading the story, one can say that it
is a strategy of Oliver to do that to Ronnie but that strategy serves as a prediction of what
might happen to someone who is related to Ronnie in the future. It can be observed as a
warning to Ronnie and the people around him.

The events in the story are very ironic. What the audience expected that Ronnie is
the one being chased by the mysterious bald man, however, at the end of the story, it
turned out that it was Biboy who was caught. Its as if leading the audience to a wrong
conclusion which was proven in the last part of the story.

Overall, the chronological arrangement of events in the story makes sense. I can say
that Armor is a story that is easy to understand. Timely and relevant, that is all I could
describe to the story. The writing style of the author is direct in which it directly pertains to
events, terms, etc. to the story. The story is factual, and one can say that it might be an
adaptation of a real-life story. Armor is a wonderful short story, and I was able to
understand why it was awarded as first place in the short story English category in the Don
Carlos Palanca Awards. The short story is easy to comprehend, so I suggest that everyone
must read the story. Its definitely worth the time, and it is an eye-opener for everyone.
Analysis on Phallic Symbols

By Krizia Mae Garcia

The short story "Phallic Symbols" was written by Alexis Abola. Phallic symbols are any
object that looks like the male sex organ, phallus. The title itself conveys what the content of the
short story would be. But it is just like a coating, covering the real essence and what really is the
message of the story. I believe that the author used this style of writing to catch the attention of
the readers. The way the story was written was very interesting especially for the boys and also
one thing is that it was humorous. Mr. Alexis Abola made fun of some of the phallic symbols but
at the same time, it was really realistic. He showed things or actions on how girls do their thing
with the phallus. The story may be very interesting because of its sexual nature but the story
wanted to tell the readers to avoid sexual intercourse to avoid teenage pregnancy which can
destroy their lives and their future.

The story started by introducing Bettina Galang, one of Felise's friends (the persona of
the story), who'd rather be dead than being fat. As I continue reading the story, the name Bettina
Galang did not appear again and so I was a little bit confused. As the story continues, there were
names mentioned and then gone and so I quickly judged the story that it had many characters but
has no use in the story. However, I noticed that although these names just appeared once, it
helped in the development of the story. Their experiences were stated for the readers to better
understand the real meaning of the story. Then a name of significant role has been mentioned,
Jenny. It was her story which conveyed the true message of the story. She was a high school
student, just like Felise, and she was vying for valedictorian. One time, the teachers and the
students have noticed her consecutive absences and rumors say that she's pregnant. Well, it was
definitely true. The real mystery was who was the father of her baby and the public quickly
judged her boyfriend, Henry, to be the father but he denied it. When Felise visited Jenny, Jenny
also denied that Henry was the father of her baby. Later on, they found out that the real suspect
for Jenny's pregnancy is her father. For the phallic symbols, it was present throughout the story
that gave interest and fun time with the readers. The phallic symbols may be overused in the
story because I noticed that in every move of the characters there's always the "phallic symbols".
However, it may be like that to achieve what the title is conveying to the audience.

The story was mostly written in English, mostly because the author has used some
Filipino words in the story such as balisong, tisoy, sarap, suman, buti pa and mayabang. It was
effectively used in the story to fully express some scenes in the story. There are English
counterparts of the words however, I think that there are really words that has different levels of
the extent of their meaning as how readers would perceived it. Just like using tisoy instead of
handsome; balisong instead of knife and mayabang instead of overconfident. These words would
mean differently when used in English and in Filipino.
The imagery of the story is also strong that I can imagine what happens in a scene. For
example is this line "Miss Maya, short and pale and sweet-faced, a bloody knife in her hand, an
evil, evil man at her feet bleeding to death. Miss Maya smiling like a horror-movie heroine."
From that description, I can imagine how Miss Maya looks like and I can picture out in my mind
how the scene looked like. "Our math teacher who also happens to be the assistant principal for
discipline cocks her head at us and gives us the stare that can melt steel." I can also tell from this
line how deadly the math teacher stared at them that it can really melt a steel as they described it.

Talking about phallic symbols, if it's not how girls do their thing with it, it is how
destructive it could be. The story revealed how destructive men could be through naming phallic
symbols that have harmful effect on the people, society and to a country. Cigarettes, rifles and
nuclear bomb speaks of it. Men are destructive in their own ways but they could be good in some
sense too. Mentioned, in the story were drumstick and longganisa and other food. Foods are
essential in our lives, it gives us energy and nutrients to survive.

The story was a sexual one, it talks things such as sexual intercourse, taking in pills to
avoid getting pregnant and such. The story started by introducing Bettina Galang with the
statement she said that shed rather be dead than fat because her boyfriend would leave her if
she's fat. From the very start of the story, it showed how girls are so conscious of their bodies in
the fear that men would dump them or men would like them and they'll stay single that no one
will ever like them. From this, the author, I believe, established that men only admire or like
skinny women or model-like women as what Felise said. This implies that it would be hard for a
fat woman to have a guy to like her and be committed unto her.

Upon reading the story, your whole attention would be much devoted to reading being
much caught up with the topic of the story and being excited what would happen next in the
course of the story. However, in a deeper sense, it teaches us to be very careful with our action
especially when it comes to sexual things. What I learned from the story is that one mistake will
change the course of your life. From the top of the class to being someone having a dark and
gloomy future. Value studying above anything else for it is the only way to success.
Phallic Symbols

Literary Analysis

By Samantha Jane Gomez

The story Phallic Symbols is a story that is quite sexual but also has a touch of humor. It
is a high school students view on a phallic symbol, which means any object that may represent
or resemble a male sex organ or phallus. However, despite having a comedy-sexual-like mood, it
actually has a deeper story in it. It was a story that revolved around a teenager or high school
student who was facing a serious problem, which is very timely today in our society, the teenage
pregnancy.

Honestly speaking, it was a little bit confusing at first regarding on whom the story will
revolve. In the first paragraph, Bettina Galang was introduced by the persona of the story Felis,
and as you read it, you can actually assume and say that the story would revolve around her. This
is because Felis mentioned Bettinas problem of being fat and because of that, Bettina said she
would rather be dead than live like that. However, as the story goes on, you will realize that she
is just one of the many characters introduced and which the author gave a little focus and
emphasis in the story.

The plot was interesting and the readers, who are not just adult but also teenagers will
really appreciate and can relate to the story. Even though it has some sexual vibe in it, it was not
that bad at all. Just like every time Felis and her friends see phallic symbols, they would do or
say something sexual about it. Its audacious and loud actions might offend some but if you are
open minded then it wouldnt bother you at all.

The characters in the story were bold and honest which made it realistic and relatable
especially the characters of Felis and her friends. When there is a good and happy side of the
story, theres also always a problem faced by the characters. Felis classmate named Jenny, who
has vying for class valedictorian, was noticed to be absent in class more often and rumors say
that she was pregnant. A few days later, they learned that it was true and they asked her if the
father of the baby was her boyfriend, Henry. They only got confused when she said no. Even
Henry himself denied it, which fueled up more of their curiosity. Later on, they were slapped by
the sad truth. They found out that the father of Jennys baby was her very own father. Jenny has
been strong for herself despite the horrible and sad situation and that is what made her one of the
best characters among all. The author had given Jennys character good role in the story thus
giving readers lesson and motivation that no matter how life seems to go wrong, just stay
composed and strong and everything will be fine.
The story has a lot of imagery, especially phallic imagery that made the story relatable to
the title itself and it has a connection between Jennys issue. To add more, it gave emphasis to
the theme of the story which is men are destructible in whatever form they might be. According
to Felis, phallic symbols could be smoke from bombs or rockets and that made them conclude
that men are indeed destructible. That is why at the end of the story, Felis became cautious after
she knew about the truth behind Jennys pregnancy. She started bringing with her a knife to
protect herself from any harm that men might bring.

The place where the story took place was not well- described by the author but despite
this, the readers can still decipher where the setting was. The setting was appropriate to the story
plot, which is a school-set story.

The authors style of writing was simple that the readers can understand it without any
difficulty. The choice of words was not complex or deep and the transitions were very smooth. In
addition to this, the plot twist was unexpected and impressive since it did not come up to me as a
reader that her father did it since he wasnt introduced in the story. It is not just like any other
clich stories wherein the father of the baby would turn out to be one of the main characters
boyfriend.

The story Phallic Symbols might be sexual but it has something more in it the teenagers
mindset and open-mindedness toward a certain issue or topic, the teenagers boldness and
honesty in words and actions, and how teenagers face problems at a young age. Indeed, it
deserved to win First Place in the Palanca Award.
The Auroras

A literary analysis of the short story, The Auroras

By Ar-jay Dayanan

This Palanca Awardee for short story is centered on the life of a female protagonist
named Aurora Kuusela, who was the Miss Philippines of 1953. She was married to Jakob
Kuusela, the brother of Finlands pioneer Miss Universe, Armi Kuusela. The trio later came back
to the Philippines for somewhat a celebration. Her stay in the Philippines has prodded her
memories of her melancholic past over the yearsthe mother whom she lost, the General who is
allegedly responsible for it, and her juvenile affection towards to Colonel Manuel Nieto.

The short story commenced in such a manner that rendered me to delve and indulge
repeatedly into it and has retained that pace all throughout. I can describe this with how the
author has written and constructed every detail of the story. Although I may have failed to fully
interpret most of it, the presence of a very plausible flow has provided me a bantam of a notion
of what the author is trying to convey. Additionally, the employment of foreshadowing and
flashbacks were contributory factors to the impact and color of the plot.

The triad alongside Colonel Manuel Nieto, the unnamed General, and few other
characters were vaguely introduced in the story. Perhaps I can attribute this with how the author
has fixed his focus on narrating the heroins past and present life, rather on each characters
individuality. Moreover, the characters, especially the protagonist, have kept very static
personalities in the entire story.

Symbolic lines were incorporated into the story. It was substantiated with the existence of
Auroras jade-laced comb gifted by her mother, an object of a testimony of a joyless past being
without herthe mother she lost at a young age.

Indeed, with the authors intricate style of writing and plot design, the story did just not
come out a mere spectacle of entertainment, but it also resulted as literary work that enabled me
to think beyond what is being read on the surface. With this attitude being done in the piece, it
truly deserved its feat of being the foremost, among the many nominees, for the Best Short Story
category in the 2014 Palanca Award.
The Auroras
A literary analysis
By Laarnie Igot

The Auroras is a short story by Sasha Martinez that won the 1st prize for Short Story
Category during the 64th Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature last 2014.It is a short
story that talks about the life of Aurora Kuusela who was crowned the Miss Philippines of 1953.
Because of the unhappy and despondent events that happened in her life for the past eight years,
she decided to stay in Finland and there she married Jakob Kuusela. Jakob Kuusela is the brother
of Armi Kuusela, the first ever Miss Universe from Finland. The Philippines welcomed them
warm-heartedly by the people and some of the officials of the government. All the way through
her stay in one of the most prominent hotels to relax, there she reminisced her miserable past
where she lost her loving mother, her first true love Colonel Manuel Nieto and of course her 16-
year-old self who is still immature and young.

The story started with the arrival of the Miss Universe, Armi Kuusela, in the Philippines.
Her outstanding and beaming beauty make her shined the most among all and undoubtedly won
the Miss Universe title. She is asked by the people how she felt being the Miss Universe and was
welcomed kindly by the people. The author then introduced the characters Jakob and Aurora
Kuusela then the general and the colonel. The characters were not introduced directly but instead,
the readers will later know the importance of each character as you go through the story. The
setting was first stated in the story. It happened in the Philippines and maybe during the 1990s.

The most highlight part of the story is when Aurora was reminded of her past love which
is Colonel Nieto when she saw him at the hotel where they were staying. Colonel Nieto was one
of the officials who welcomed them. She fell in love with a cadet but still, she was very young at
that time and had a very little knowledge about how to handle a relationship. She always visited
the area of Manuel Nieto even though she was restricted to come. Eight years ago, the Colonel
gave her a letter that says his feelings toward her. He also felt the same towards her.

Literary devices such as the use of flashbacks made the readers really into the story. The
use of words and the construction of the sentences were very complex making me as the reader
to have a little understanding about the story. The dialogues of each character were not easily
distinguished given that there are no proper quotation marks used to indicate the dialogues. The
rough transition makes confusion on what happens next and its hard to distinguish what is past
and the present. Personally, I dont totally understand the whole story actually because of the use
of very intricate words that are not on my level. What I write was really based on what I
understand so far and what I know about happening in the story.
Three Kisses
An analysis
By Al-Keen Bureros

In this days, we can easily find Filipinos almost anywhere. There are also some Filipinas
who work abroad, to find their husband and raise their family there. A number of Filipinas here
in the Philippines wishes to find foreigner husband too for the same purpose which is to be rich.
As her neighbors can authenticate by the size of the house, a car parked in front of their home
and balikbayan packages she sends to her family. They believe that marrying a foreigner is the
easiest way to make their lives a glamorous one.
With the use of technology in this modern life, communication anywhere in the world is
now achievable with just one click on the internet and there you go, you can easily talk to a
person how such a great distance is to one another. Because of this, Filipinas are now dating
foreigners that you see in your areas have gotten their boyfriend or husband from online dating.
It will no longer be astonishment to us because Filipinas really possess an exotic beauty
worldwide. Philippine women are among the prettiest faces that you can find around the globe.
In fact, Filipinas are strong bets in every beauty pageants. But how can a Filipina secure that her
foreigner husband she wants to be with has this moral virtue which is an essential aspect of
marriage? Which in some cases, we frequently discern in several reports about maltreatment of
many Filipinas from their husbands.
Ma. Elena Paulmar, a 41 years old teacher of Butuan City made her very first Palanca
entry which is a short story not expecting to win entitled Three Kisses. Her entry became the
first prize in the Short Story category of the 2010 Carlos Palanca Award. Three Kisses is
actually a romantic love story between a Filipina-Cebuana named Satunina Dimaculangan with
her Belgian husband Ruben Peeters. At first, Nina was struggling with her loneliness being far
from her family in the Philippines when she went to Belgium to meet Ruben despite their ages.
They were married in the Philippines and went back to Belgium to live there. Nina learned about
the Belgian kiss, once on the right cheek, another on the left and yet another one on the right
cheek again and that kind of kiss is what the title of the short story Three Kisses implied. Until
one day, there's a certain conflict that changes the course of their lives. It was when Ruben's
savings was lost and he found out that her daughter was the one who stole his money. His
daughter Ida argued about her share as a daughter of Ruben, Otherwise all of it will go to his
new wife, she said. That thing established contempt to Nina, because of what she heard during
Ruben and his daughter's conversation. From that situation, I can pinpoint that it is part the
culture of the Belgium community that when someone loses a parent and the partner decided to
be married again, all of the family's property must be majority distributed to his/her sons and
daughters rather than the new husband/wife. I don't know, but here in the Philippines, it is quite
similar but not totally because the new husband/wife will have the same rights as to the
sons/daughters of the widow/widower living under the same roof because he/she is now a part of
the family unlike other countries in which at exactly 18 years old they are now going to live their
own life to be independent enough.
The story also highlighting how lucky Nina is with her husband, regardless of what she
did. She almost left Ruben because she could not get away from her family in the Philippines and
also because of what she encountered in many days as a wife. When she went back to the
Philippines to attend her niece's high school graduation without Ruben. There was a time in
which Ruben tried to make a call to Nina in which Nina didn't answer. But days later Nina felt
guilty of what she did in the few days. With that, she went back to Belgium in a realization that
she needs to undertake her responsibility and her promises in their marriage. These testify how
altruistic we Filipinos are. Even if there will be blocks or consequences that tend to be an
impediment in doing what the heart wants, we just forget about all of this and center our
attention to the call of our duty. But unfortunately, days after Nina went back to Belgium, she
was rushed to the hospital after her hand hurts and can't move her fingers as it moved slowly to
her stomach and her chest. She was diagnosed with breast cancer. After the operation, Ruben
comforted her. It was in the bathroom where Ruben and Nina prove the true quintessence of
marriage-in sickness and in health until death do us part. He kissed her right cheek, then to the
left, then her right again, the Belgian Kiss.
The story really strikes the heart of the reader. It may be denoted to middle-aged yet the
emphasis of the story about the unconditional love between a couple is powerful. The Belgian
Kiss indicates friendship, family relationship, to comfort someone and to show respect. But
above all, for me, it can also be a symbolism of everlasting love in which it will never fade and
never remain endlessly. Unconditional love-in its simplest form means appreciating someone
else for who they truly are. It means loving them when they are unlovable and in spite of their
imperfections and mistakes. At a deeper level, it means never, ever questioning whether you'll
feel any other way toward a person. It's just a comfort knowing that this is a constant in your life.
It will always just "be."
Three Kisses
An analysis
By Rod Darcy A. Cordova

Three Kisses is a short story about a widowed old woman who was longing for love, and
then married an old foreigner man. She never expected this to happen because it was only her
friend that introduced her to the Belgian guy. The story revolves around this woman as she
experiences the advantages and the disadvantages of being a foreigner in a country. This ends as
the woman knew that she had cancer, and the man took care of her.

The way that the story is arranged is not that basic because actually there are flashbacks until
the current happenings. The way the flashbacks were outlined were also extraordinary because
the transition is good. There are also times when a story within a story is used. There is a good
outline and each part is connected to the proceeding parts. The story is very detailed from what is
in the rightmost part of the room up to the leftmost part of the room. Also, the place and time are
given, and so you will be able to understand it more easily. There is a good expression and good
presentation of the characters because of the author was able to give specific and particular
component in each one. There is an impact on the story and the reader, especially to the matured
people. Students can hardly perceive the real meaning of the story because they cant still relate
especially the married and then going outside of the country part. However, it is significant not
only to the Filipino who is not outside the country but also to those Filipinos who aspire to work
abroad. There is originality, although some of the scenes were expected. As for example is that
when Nina was deciding if she will come back to Belgian or not. Later on, she decided to go
back to Ruben. People will most likely learn from this short story especially when he/she wanted
to go outside the country and look for his/her love.

The main characters of the story are Ruben and Nina. Nina was the widowed lady who
symbolized all the females who are strong to stand up with their opinions and ideas. Ruben, on
the other hand, is related to the people who are foreign to a country but was able to marry a wife
on this area. Although there was a miscommunication between the two, they were able to live
both a happy and a sad life. The disease of the lady could also be a symbolism. The breast cancer,
and it cant be denied, that it was the one who united the two. It was the one which made them
realize that they really love each other.

Being able to give the message to the reader that love is not only a single thing that a person
needs, thats the main point of the story. However, it is one of the many things that a person need.
Love is just one thing, but its everything. I can say that it was love for Ruben that Nina felt
before she traveled alone again to Belgium.

For me, the authors purpose in writing this short story is, so that people who are longing to
have someone living by their sides will be able to know what struggles he/she will face,
especially when it is a foreigner. Being with someone you love or someone you are comfortable
with is no equal to anything.

I have read a lot of short stories and Three Kisses might be one of the best. I can say that it
is one of the best because I read the story at one time. It was only in our Pre-calculus subject that
I read the story before our panel discussion. Although it was only a short time reading the whole
story, I was able to comprehend the whole story. It is a story and it is composed of each element
of a short story. I am a type of a person who will not read the story unless it interests me. I
finished the story and it only means that it inspires and interests me.
Zoetrope

A literary analysis

By Dexter Dave Bais

Life is just a sequence of events produced by the illusion of motion of showing


progressive phases of the present as it turns into the past -- a mixture of recurring memories.
Sometimes, the past keeps on holding our present, the previous experiences will be the basis of
our present consequences, and the present consequences will be a reminder of what we can do to
prevent the past from chaining us back. Will it not define us they say? The past will always be
there, the cause will have its effect as the tree its fruit. But then who are we when we abandon
the past, a blank slate or just a new piece of mixed-up artwork?

The story Zoetrope took place in the Philippines, more specifically in the centralized and
urban areas. Though it wasnt clearly stated in the story, the scenes and the culture, and the
names of the characters depict that it all took place in the Philippines. The story went back and
forth, from the present to the past and back. But though there were such changes in scenes, the
transition was perfectly smooth and showed clarity and a build of the point towards the hidden
ending. The change of pace, from present to past and back was a great factor as to the character
development and the build-up of the climax, not only does it amplify the emotions stirred from
between the lines, but it emphasizes the spirit of family, marriage, feminism, parenthood, and
faith.

The story revolves around Fran, a wife and a mother of one. The author describes the
people around Fran from Frans perspective(first person point of view) and Fran from her present
and her burdensome past. Fran described her husband Joaquin to be quite the simple, thoughtful
and yet the kind of man who values a sound explanation for stuff that needs empirical data, and
also a porn photographer and described him to have a big head, literally. She also portrayed her
son to be a one-in-a-hundred-million due to Clays precocious imagination. The conflict starts
with Fran and Joaquins decision to get divorced, and though unknowingly, their son Clay
grasped the situation and handled the burden of both parents getting separated. Fran had
undergone the intrinsic change of both her attitude and view in her life, both as a parent and as a
person. Though Joaquin, did not take on the stage, he became both a foundation to the idea and
spirit of family, that no matter what happens he will be there and will stand as the pillar of the
household, though ironically the introduction of the story was about their divorce. Clay remained
as the child who had wondrous and precocious imagination that became the focus of the things
that had happened from Frans weighty past, and started to be both the effect of the problem, and
the solution of what holds back the lives of those who have been kept in distress and struggle,
not only Fran but also Joaquin that shared most of the reason to her past. All three characters
pictured reality and are common that we could directly believe and retell their story.

The story takes a bend from Frans past and how it holds her present. The story goes from
present-past and back, wherein the past shows the reason to why the present Fran and the conflict
came to life, though it is not clearly stated, the interpretation behind the words has reflected how
it has become such. And just like reality, the past definitely takes a hold of our future, but it
doesnt have to stay that way, because the present is an ever-changing process, and the past will
be just another fleeting memory.

The conflict in the story was between the planned divorce between the couple and how
they handle their child Clay in times of need and especially in their current situation. The
problem lies in both internal and external. Their 4-year old son Clay was diagnosed to have had
cancer which unfortunately happened when they have just recently decided to get separated. But
the other conflict was with Fran, she had an internal war between becoming the good mother and
the person she was then when she tried to decide on aborting her child and more. The memories
haunted Fran and played her through the situation they were in, and made her act half-heartedly
towards her family, but more importantly to his dying son, Clay.

The story took a turn when Clay died. When the burden of suffering such an experience
has stopped, the demise of watching their son under these circumstances came to an end. It
became the peak and the halt of the emotions that built up from both the parents and Clay who
had rest in peace. All the things that held Fran, and all the decisions she made from when she
was still the happy and free woman, then became a wife, until she was with Clay, and until the
time she watched Clay in his death-bed, it has all flung and dropped and all that remains is the
regret, the despair, the empty feeling left behind from all that has been built up from the start
until the day of Clays death has come, In the end, I faltered and heard a wail roaring through
my ears
Zoetrope

A Literary Analysis

By Alleja Alecses Intud

The family is the basic unit in every society. As the generations pass, different types of
families emerge, with different values, foundations, and etc. That being said, every family has
their story that only they know and understand. Richard C. Cornelios Zoetrope is a story that
offered a look to one type of family this generation has, and like any family, they have their own
story. The short story Zoetrope displays a serene, emotional and slightly humorous picture of a
family, marriage, parenthood and, misgivings.

The story opens up with Fran describing Joaquin, Clay, and Clays imaginary brother
Buddy. At that point, their family is on the verge of separation. Broken families made as an issue
is quite common here in the Philippines because we are a family-oriented country. Unlike
countries in the west, such as the USA, separated families are quite many there and are normal.
The story also displayed Frans family as a nontraditional kind of family. This is shown in the
part when Clay called Fran Frannie instead of mama, mommy and other names for mothers.
Again, this type of family is not yet entirely accepted in the Philippine society, at least it was
how the story made it be, because people, especially mothers, looked at Fran and Clay oddly,
which was described as throwing daggers in Frans way and stopped to flick an antagonistic
look at Fran.

Since we opened the topic of family, the topic of marriage will follow. Fran and Joaquin
are married; however, they are planning on a legal separation, which was mentioned by Clay as a
form of a question. Planning on a separation is difficult. The line I saw happy Christmases
going down the tubes, replaced by lengthy arguments over at whose place Clay would spend the
holidays proves that Fran is aware of the consequences of separation. Even with this, a lot of
people like Fran and Joaquin still choose to separate albeit the consequences for certain reasons,
such as abuse, fell out of love and much more.

Following marriage is parenthood. Parenthood, as what many would say, is like climbing
mountain difficulties are inevitable. It takes a lot of effort, a lot of time, a lot of passion and a
lot of everything to be able to raise a child. Sometimes parents feel that they might slip but they
have to keep climbing for the welfare of the child. Only when they reach the top will they see the
fruits of their travails. When Fran was pregnant, she felt so sure in keeping the child initially, as
what the story stated. Later, she wavered and decided to take a visit to an abortionist, but didnt
continue the operation. Unfortunately, the child died right after birth. This was described in the
story as the baby had expired like a canned good gone sour. Even though she thought of
aborting the child, Fran cannot stop the hurting she feels, especially when her lover that time left
her.

Another theme focused in the story was the flaws of Fran, as a mother, a lover, a wife and
a woman. The flaws of the characters, not only Frans, presently made the story more realistic
and admirable. It molded the story to be more understandable and relatable, too many readers,
and this is also due to the modernized way of speech used in the story.

Zoetrope, according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is an optical toy in which series of


figures on the inside of a revolving cylinder are viewed through slits in its circumference and
appear like a single animated figure when spun. This toy was the what Fran bought upon the
request of Clay before the end. The last part was one of the most emotional in the story. It did not
only concluded the story but it also showed the essence of family, marriage, parenthood,
misgivings, hurt and love. Like the zoetrope, Frans life was a revolving cylinder with her
experiences, choices, and misgivings as figures. When the cylinder revolves, it created a single
animated figure. Animated, not still, because the happenings in Frans life was just a part of
something even longer and greater. Sooner, the same emotions would evoke another set of
happenings.

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