BICENTENARY HIGH SCHOOL ÓSCAR CASTRO ZÚÑIGA

Language and Literature

Guide 10
Name Course:

Explanation: Carefully read the following text and then carry out the activity associated with it.
OA 1 Form interpretations of works that address the same theme or problem,
comparing: • The relationship of each work with its contexts of production and reception
(history, values, beliefs, ideologies, etc.). • The treatment of the topic or issue and
the perspective adopted on these. The aesthetic effect produced by the texts.
Objective of the class: Analyze the aesthetic effect produced by a literary text.
They solve a questionnaire about the text 'The Composition'.

The Composition, Antonio Skármeta

On his birthday, Pedro was given a ball. Pedro protested because he wanted one of
white leather with black patches like those kicked by professional footballers. In contrast,
this plastic one seemed too light to her.
One wants to score a header and the ball goes flying. It looks like a bird because of how light it is.
Better –said the dad–, so you don't confuse your mind.
And he made a gesture with his fingers to make him quiet because he wanted to listen to the radio. In the last month,
Since the streets filled with soldiers, Pedro had noticed that every night the dad
He sat in his favorite armchair, raised the antenna of the green device, and listened attentively to the news.
who came from very far away. Sometimes friends would come who would lie on the ground, smoking like
chimneys and put their ears close to the receiver.
Pedro asked his mom:
Why do they always listen to that noisy radio?
-Because what he says is interesting.
What does it say?
Things about us, about our country.
What things?
Things that happen.
And why does it sound so bad?
The voice comes from far away.
And Pedro was sleepily peering out the window trying to guess which of the distant hills he would
It would filter the voice of the radio.
In October, Pedro was the star of the neighborhood football matches. He played on a street of
big trees and running under their shade was almost as delightful as anything in the river in summer.
Pedro felt that the whispering leaves were a covered stadium that cheered him on when he received.
a precise pass from Daniel, the son of the grocer, filtered through like Pelé among the big guys of the
defense and shot straight to the goal to score.
‘Goal!’ shouted Pedro as he ran to hug all his teammates who lifted him into the air.
because, even though Pedro was already nine years old, he was small and lightweight. That's why everyone
they called him "boy".
—Why are you so small? –they sometimes said to annoy him.
Because my dad is small and my mom is small.
And surely your grandfather and grandmother too because you are really tiny.
I am short, but intelligent and quick; on the other hand, the only thing you have quick is your tongue.
One day, Pedro made a swift advance along the left flank where the flag would have been.
corner if that were a real field and not the buried street of the neighborhood. He arrived in front of Daniel
he was in goal, he feigned with his waist that he was advancing, stepped on the ball until he put it to sleep in his
he lifted it over the body of Daniel who had launched himself earlier and gently rolled it
between the two stones that marked the arch.
—Goal! –shouted Pedro and ran towards the center of the field expecting to be embraced by his teammates.
But this time no one moved. They were all glued to looking at the warehouse.
Some windows opened. People peeked out with their eyes on the corner. Others
doors, however, slammed shut. Then Pedro saw that Daniel's father was being
two men were carrying him, dragging him, while a squad of soldiers pointed at him with
BICENTENNIAL HIGH SCHOOL ÓSCAR CASTRO ZÚÑIGA
Language and Literature

—Calm down -he said.

Don Daniel looked at his son:
Take good care of the business for me.

When the men pushed him towards the jeep, he wanted to reach into his pocket, and to
immediately a soldier raised his machine gun:
—Watch out!
Don Daniel said:
I wanted to give the keys to the boy.
One of the men grabbed his arm:
I do it.
He patted down the detained person's pants and where a metallic sound was heard, he manually inserted his hand and
he took out the keys. Daniel caught them in the air. The jeep left and the mothers rushed into the street,
They grabbed their children by the neck and put them in their houses. Pedro stayed close to Daniel in
in the dust raised by the jeep as it departed.
Why did they take him?
Daniel sank his hands into his pockets and tightened the keys.
My dad is against the dictatorship.
Pedro had already heard that about 'against the dictatorship'. The radio said it at night, many
times. But I didn't really know what it meant.
What does that mean?
Daniel looked at the empty street and said to it as if in secret:
They want the country to be free. They want the military to leave the government.
And is that why they take them to prison? - Pedro asked.
I believe.
What are you going to do?
I don't know. A neighbor approached Daniel and ran his hand through his hair.
I’ll help you close it –he said.
Pedro kicked the ball away and since there was no one on the street to play with, he ran until the
another corner to wait for the bus that would bring her father back from work. When he arrived,
Pedro hugged him and the dad leaned down to give him a kiss.
Hasn't your mom come back yet?
--No-- said Pedro.
Did you play a lot?
A little.
He felt his father's hand taking his head and gently squeezing it with a caress over the shirt.
Some soldiers came and took Daniel's father prisoner.
I already know it,
How do you know that?
They informed me by phone.
Daniel became the owner of the warehouse. Maybe he'll give me candies now, Pedro said.
I don't believe so.

They took him away in a jeep like those that appear in the movies.
The father said nothing. He took a deep breath and stared sadly at the street. Despite the fact that it was
During the day, only the men who returned slowly from their jobs crossed it.
Do you think it will come out on television? -Pedro asked.
"What?" asked the father.
—Don Daniel.
No.
That night the three of them sat down to dinner, and although no one told him to be quiet, Pedro did not speak.
mouth. His parents ate in silence. Suddenly, the mother began to cry, silently.
Why is my mom crying?
The dad looked at Pedro first and then at her and didn't answer. The mom said:
I am not crying.
Did someone do something to you? - Pedro asked.
—No –she said.
They finished dinner in silence and Pedro went to put on his pajamas. When he returned to the living room, his
BICENTENARY HIGH SCHOOL ÓSCAR CASTRO ZÚÑIGA
Language and Literature

strangers, more confusing now due to the low volume. Almost guessing that his dad would take a
finger to the mouth to silence him, Pedro asked quickly:
—Dad, are you against the dictatorship? The man looked at his son, then at his wife, and then...
Both looked at him. Then he lowered and raised his head slowly, nodding.
Are they also going to take you to prison?
"No," said the father.
How do you know that?
You bring me good luck, boy –she smiled.
Pedro leaned against the door frame, happy that he wasn't being sent to bed like before.
He listened to the radio trying to understand. When the radio said: 'the military dictatorship',
Pedro felt that all the things that were loose in his head came together like a
puzzle.
Dad - he then asked - am I also against the dictatorship? The father looked at his wife.
as if the answer to that question was written in her eyes. The mom scratched her
cheek with a funny face, and said:
It cannot be said.
Why not?
Children are not against anything. Children are simply children. Children your age.
they have to go to school, study a lot, play, and be affectionate with their parents. Every time that
Pedro was told these long phrases, he remained silent. But this time, with his eyes fixed on the
radio, responded:
Well, but if Daniel's dad is in prison, Daniel won't be able to go to school anymore.
Lie down, boy - said the dad.
The next day, Pedro ate two pieces of bread with jam, washed his face, and ran away.
fly back to school so that they would not mark a new tardiness. Along the way, he discovered a kite
blue tangled in the branches of a tree, but no matter how much she jumped and jumped, it was hopeless.
The bell had not yet finished ringing ding-dong when the teacher entered, very tense,
accompanied by a man in military uniform, a medal on his chest, gray mustaches, and some
glasses darker than dirt on the knee.
The teacher said:
Stand up, children, and stand straight.
The children got up. The soldier smiled with his toothbrush mustache under the glasses.
blacks.
Good morning, little friends –he said–. I am Captain Romo, and I come on behalf of the Government, that is,
from General Perdomo, to invite all the children of all grades in this school to write
a composition. The one who writes the most beautiful of all will receive, from the general's own hand
Perdomo, a gold medal and a ribbon like this one with the colors of the flag. And of course,
he will be the flag bearer in the Homeland Week parade.
He put his hands behind his back, jumped open-legged, and straightened his neck, raising a...
a little the chin.
Attention! Sit down!
The boys obeyed.
--Well – said the soldier –. Take out your notebooks... Are the notebooks ready? Good! Take out a pencil...
Ready the pencils? Write! Title of the composition: "What my family does at night"...
Understood? That is to say, what you and your parents do as soon as you get home from school and from
work. The friends who come. What they talk about. What they comment on when they watch television.
Anything that comes to your mind freely and with complete freedom. Okay? One, two, three:
Let's get started!
Can it be erased, sir? - asked a boy.
—Sí –dijo el capitán.
Can it be done with a pen?
Yes, young man. Of course!
Can it be done on graph paper, sir?
—Perfectly. —How much do I need to write, sir?
Two or three pages.
—Two or three pages? –the children protested.
BICENTENNIAL HIGH SCHOOL OSCAR CASTRO ZUÑIGA
Subject: Language and Literature

The children put the pencil between their teeth and began to look at the ceiling to see if by a
A hole fell flying over them, the little bird of inspiration.
Pedro was biting the pencil, but he didn't get a single word out. He scratched the hole in his nose and
he stuck a little bug under the desk that came out by chance. Juan, at the next desk,
She was biting her nails, one by one.
Do you eat them? - Pedro asked.
"What?" said Juan.
The nails.
No. I bite them off with my teeth and then I spit them out. Like this! See?
The captain approached down the hallway and Pedro could see the hard golden buckle of his belt up close.
And you all, don’t you work?
Yes, sir - said Juan, and at full speed he furrowed his brows, stuck his tongue out between his teeth and put
a big 'A' to start the composition. When the captain went to the blackboard and began to
talk to the teacher, Pedro peeked at Juan's paper and asked:
What are you going to put?
Anything. And you?
I don't know,
What did your parents do yesterday? -Juan asked.
—The same as always. They arrived, ate, listened to the radio, and went to bed.
Just like my mom.
My mom suddenly started crying,
Women spend their time crying.
I try not to cry ever. It's been about a year since I last cried.
And if I hit you in the eye and make it purple, won't you cry?
And why are you going to do that to me if I am your friend?
Well, it's true. Both of them put the pencils in their mouths and looked at the turned-off light bulb and the
shadows on the walls and filled the hollow head like a piggy bank. Pedro approached Juan and said to him
whispered in the ear:
Are you against the dictatorship? Juan watched the captain's position and leaned towards Pedro:
Of course, idiot.
Pedro moved aside a bit and winked at him, smiling. Then, pretending to write, he returned to ...
to speak to him/her
But you are a child...
And what does that matter?
My mom told me that children... -Pedro started to say.
They always say that... They took my dad to prison in the north.
Just like Daniel's.
Aha. Just like that.
Pedro looked at the blank sheet and read what he had written: "What my family does at night."
Pedro Malbrán. Syrian School. Third Grade A.
Juan, if I win the medal, I will sell it to buy myself a size five soccer ball.
white leather with black patches. Pedro wet the tip of the pencil with a little saliva, sighed
he/she started up and took off:

When my dad comes back from work...

A week passed, an old tree in the square fell down, the garbage truck was there for five
Days went by and the flies stumbled in people's eyes, Gustavo Martínez from the house got married.
from across and shared some pieces of cake with the neighbors, the jeep returned and they took him prisoner.
Professor Manuel-Pedraza, the priest did not want to say mass on Sunday, at the school wall.
the word "resistance" appeared written, Daniel started playing soccer again and scored a goal with a bicycle kick and
another one of popcorn, the ice cream prices went up and Matlde Schepp, when she turned nine years old, she
she asked Pedro to give her a kiss on the mouth.
You're crazy! - Pedro shouted at her.
After that week passed, another one went by, and one day the soldier returned to the classroom loaded with
papers, a bag of candies, and a calendar with a photo of a general.
My dear little friends,
I must congratulate the military on behalf of my colleagues and General Perdomo.
 BICENTENARY HIGH SCHOOL ÓSCAR CASTRO ZÚÑIGA
Subject: Language and Literature

to reward your nice little works, I will give each one a candy, the composition with a note
and this calendar with the photo of the hero.
Pedro ate the candy on his way home and that night, while they were having dinner, he told his dad: —
At school, we were assigned to write a composition.
—Mmm…. About what? –asked Dad while eating the soup.
What my family does at night.
The dad dropped the spoon onto the plate and a drop of soup jumped onto the tablecloth. He looked at the
mom.
And what did you write, son? asked the mom.
Pedro got up from the table and went to search among his notebooks.
Do you want me to read them to you? The captain congratulated me.
And he showed them where the captain had written in green ink: 'Bravo! I congratulate you!'
The captain... what captain? - shouted the dad.
—The one who told us to do the composition. The parents looked at each other again and Pedro began to read:
Syria School. Third Grade...
The father interrupted him:
Yes, that's fine, but read the composition directly, will you?
And while the parents listened attentively, Pedro read:
When my dad comes back from work, I go to wait for him at the bus. Sometimes, my mom is at the
house and when my dad arrives he says what's up kid, how was your day. Good, my dad says and then how about
You left, here we are, my mom says. So I go out to play soccer and I like to score goals.
Little head. Then my mom comes and tells me, 'Come on, Pedrito, it's time to eat,' and then we sit down to the
table and I always eat everything except the soup which I don't like. After that, every night my
Dad and my mom sit in the armchair and play chess while I finish my homework. And they continue.
playing chess until it's time to go to sleep. And then, after that, I can't count because
I fall asleep. Signed: Pedro Malbrán. Note: if they give me an award for the composition, I hope so.
It's a soccer ball, but not made of plastic.
She looked up and realized that her parents were smiling.
Well, said the dad, we'll have to buy a chess set, just in case.

What is the text about?

2. What characteristics does the main character have?

3. Select at least three words from those presented below and create a text in which
Explain in which part of the work you identified with the selected term. Highlight the fragment of the
text.
Intriga - miedo - inseguridad - alegría - satsfacción - tranquilidad - horror - tristeza - emoción - felicidad -
fright
honestdad - suerte - desesperación - justcia - pasión.
BICENTENARY HIGH SCHOOL ÓSCAR CASTRO ZÚÑIGA
Subject: Language and Literature