Title: A Formal Analysis of the Short Story People of Consequence

By: Dolly C.Cruz

I have known once a smart rich man who has started from rugs; he had sleepless
nights and hard days until he became such great man many adored. At the very moment of
victory, he loses his time, his life and his happiness. Now, the critic is asking you, is there
true happiness in wealth and high rank in the society? Can someone so great in one’s career
and dream fall so bad in life? Ines Taccad Cammayo’s piece entitled People of Consequence
reflects the people’s determination and hard work to attain the high position in the society.
Cammayo’s works have been published by different known publication like the Philippines
Free Press, Asia-Philippines Leader and more. Her work “People of Consequence” won First
prize for Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, 1970. The works of Cammayo
were collected in Hear the Wind Turning published in 1991 containing her renowned stories
(CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art. Vol IX, 1994).

This paper will make use of formalism to analyze the said text. The focus of formalism
is not much on the biographical, historical, political or social aspect of the text. It focuses
mainly on the literary elements such as the theme, plot, the point of view, conflicts and more
of the text (Critical Approaches to Literature, 2009). This paper will deal mostly on the
analysis of the text’s characters, its setting and its conflict which lead to how the story and
each character reacted in every situation encountered.

In the People of Consequence, Cammayo determines that striving hard is necessary

but striving too much to be accepted in a high social status can sometimes lead to
unhappiness and less appreciation of the simple things around. The main theme of the story
is enjoying and valuing every moment of living and to never forget the simple things. In the
text, both Meding and Camus became people of consequence or people of value and
significance in the society. From just being a houseboy for a German landlord and a maid for
the town mayor’s family, they rise up and become powerful. Camus worked so hard not only
as a chicken raiser, to going into fishing, truly a determined and smart in what he does.
Meding, Camus’ wife does crochets, peddles carabao milk, occasional fruits from the
backyard, her hard work is twice as much as the effort of Camus. These actions show how
much they value their work, how much want to be in the social status they want to be that
they fail to see how much they have changed and how they have disregarded the things
around worth appreciating. “The man in the mirror was someone he scarcely knew.” The
author tries to show a realization of Camus while looking at the mirror. How he see the
change that gotten him through time. “When his wife’s face appeared from the shadows in
the mirror, he felt even more saddened. He wondered did she ever feel the need to look and

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live well, to experience heady well-being (happiness).” The line shows Camus’ realizations of
the missing happiness in them for focusing on a single goal. In the last part of the story, the
author finally showed how Camus finally appreciated simple things, how he enjoyed the
normal things, “He watched the vendor pat layers of multi-colored ice cream into the cone,
yellow, violet, white.” “for the first time the enticements of the shops, hearing for the first time
the loud speakers talking to him alone.” The theme of the story sums up the overall message
of the story which is to work hard, as long as a person is willing to give an effort to reach a
goal, that person can really change his path and reach his aim. However, for most cases, not
just in the story but in reality, so many powerful, rich and famous people who are on top of
the society are not happy with their lives, they forget the essence of living. They focus so
much on their business, their way to earn and live, to make their name shine more, they
forget to appreciate life and its simple things to offer, they forget to be happy and to enjoy
each day of their lives. Sometimes, even how much people work hard to be someone else,
the roots will never be erased. Just like the situation of Camus and Meding, striving to be
powerful, but the fact that they were once not in such position will never ever be removed.

The characters of the literary work added flavor and color to the story. Camus, the
main character of the story was once houseboy for a German landlord then became a street
sweeper after an appointment by a town councilor. The name Camus which came from the
mythical name Sisyphus which gives the idea of pushing one’s strength to top for a high
social acknowledgment (from an existentialist writer), his character shows a man who is not
blessed with wealth but is driven, determined and smart as stated by his German landlord
“aspire to go to Manila to study,…because he would then cultivate further the inclination and
aptitude”. This is a dynamic character, Camus’ life changed as he goes higher in the society.
He boasts of his German friend, he felt very much important and need, he had lies about the
superintendent and the good lady and more; all these changes happened to Camus on his
way to the top, he is becoming a person of consequence and self- importance. However, this
character is also a reflective character filled with realizations and reflections that on the later
part he finally found out how much he has changed, he learned to value life and its little
things, he somehow finally had the glimpse of happiness. On the other hand, Meding,
another major character is twice as hard working as her husband Camus. Still a dynamic
character, she was once a quiet character but as she moves towards the higher level, she
become hard in collecting debts, she changed so much for power. She works nonstop after
having “learned the hard-driving manners of townsfolk”, she crochets, peddles carabao milk,
occasional fruits from the backyard and her husband’s catch, and doubles as a hard-hearted
usurer. She was like the boss of her own husband who pushes him to be with high ranking
people to finally get away from the lower rank. She dictates what should be done. She
indifferently stared at her husband that very moment when her does not want such things
anymore, and all she had in mind are “chicken, money, powerm high status…” She is a

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hardworking, frugal woman and this is how she lived her life. Meding in the story shows a
person who has nothing is mind but power, when all she cares about is money and going to
the high status of life. Her character until the end did not really find the glimpse of fulfillment
and happiness, a glimpse of appreciation of the simple things in life. This character is very
common nowadays, even before. With all the money they have, all they can eat from
breakfast until dinner is a dried fish and rice (corn) just to save money, they love money that
much. The author presented this character as someone who has not realized the beauty of
life and happiness. Another major character is Camus’ German landlord who “told Camus
that his punishments were for his own good because he must learn to shed his indolent and
clumsy ways if he ever hoped to amount to anything.” This character is like the wisdom giver
of Camus, the one he always boasts with his friends. He is a father like figure who throws
painful words that matters most but still gives you what you need. The author made this
character the light of Camus to not be completely blinded by power. The lessons he taught
him became Camus’ guide as he continues his life. These main characters of the story show
the reasons why Camus and Meding worked so hard. Camus seeing the wealthy life of his
German landlord and Meding the luxurious life of the town mayor’s family, it inspired and
pushed them to be somebody in the society as well.

The turning point or the main conflict of the story is when they realized especially
Camus that they are not getting any younger but they are not happy with their lives and they
do not value and enjoy their existence, they only focus on going on top of the social status. It
was the part when Meding lead Camus to try the suit she prepared for him. Reflections and
realizations then went around the whole scene. “All their life, sentiment had had very little
meaning perhaps because love had never figured in the courtship. Camus married Meding
because his father and her father had agreed on the union.” From their marriage itself which
was just arranged, the lack of affection is obviously seen. Without such affection how can
love and happiness in marriage be felt and experienced. The author emphasizes this kind of
marriage, the unhappiness they have felt inside since the very beginning for the sake of
family relationships. “Sometimes when the barrenness of living engulfed him with a misery he
could not understand, he felt that this was as it should be, life is hard, why should he
complain, she was an ardent example of what hard work and frugality could bring.” This line
proves how miserable they are living for power and power only, living and working so hard to
be accepted by the society of class and power. The author shows a reflection of a man as to
how and why their lives went out like that and all he can do is accept. “She listened to him
indifferently; already in her mind, she was counting the chickens which she must catch, tie up
and cage in stripped baskets.” “He wondered did she ever feel the need to look and live well,
to experience heady well-being.” This shows a question asking if the wife has ever been
happy in her entire life when all that is in her mind is “high status and money”. These lines

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show how unhappy they were, how miserable they have lived their lives. Living for money
and status only!

In the end, the critic thinks that the short story is truly award winning, it reflects the
reality faced by powerful people who has nothing in mind but power and status. Therefor as
its theme suggests, people should live each day with happiness and appreciation, people
should learn to value each day and learn to see the simplicity and the joy the world has to
offer behind all the standards in the society. As the characters show, people should never be
blinded by just one focus. One must learn to reflect and try to look back to be able to see
more of the world. Lastly, realizations and reflections should not take place on the later part,
each day; one should reflect on oneself and try to see if one is happy with what he or she is
doing. With this, the critic says the society has its own standards; people must work hard to
be able to live and suffice the needs, but if working hard brings out changes that ruin one
self, one must try to widen his or her vision to see more clearly what caused such thing to
happen. Happiness is a choice, choosing to enjoy each day of your life amidst busy
schedules and hard working days is a choice you have to make today!