Footnote
tAo
literary
Youth piece by
Jose Garcia Villa
JARDELEZA,
AIDRENE
KATE
SUJAN,
LACHMI
AYANA
·∙01·∙
Who
is
Jose
Garcia
Villa?
● a
poet,
a
critic,
a
painter,
and
short
story
writer
● was
born
in
Singalong,
Manila,
on
05
August
1908
● National
Artist
of
the
Philippines
title
for
literature
● Guggenheim
Fellowship
in
creative
writing
• suspended Villa from the
University of the Philippines
• fined P70 for "obscenity" by
the Manila Court of First
Instance.
Summary
Dudong is a 17 year old boy who told his father about his plan on getting
married with the love of his life, Taeng. As soon as he told his father that
he has asked Teang to marry him and wants his blessing, there was a long
and cruel silence. His father asks if he must marry her because they are
still very young. Dudong resents his father's question, and finally his
father gives his consent.
9 months later, Dudong is waiting outside while Teang gives birth to their
first son, Blas. He feels young and inexperienced, a contrast to how he felt
nine months ago. Dudong did not want any more children, but they came
anyway. For the next six years, Teang gave birth. Seven children in all.
Teang did not complain. However her body was now shapeless and thin
from bearing so many children and from the hard work of caring for them
and the household. Even though she loved Dudong, she cried and wished
that she had not married so young.
There had been another suitor, Lucio, who was 9 years older than
Dudong. She chose Dudong because he was so much younger. Lucio had
married after she married Dudong, however, he was childless. She
wonders if she had married Lucio, would she be childless? She feels that
would have been a better lot in life. But she loves Dudong, even though
life has made her old and ugly.
One night Dudong goes outside and thinks about his life. He wants to
have the wisdom to know why life does not fulfill Youth's dreams.
Why did life forsake you after love? He never finds the answer.
When Blas turned 18, he came home and told Dudong that he wants to
marry Tena. Dudong does not want Blas to marry so young.
He asks the same question his father asked him. Does Blas have to marry
Tena? He does not want him to make the same mistake he did. Blas also
reacts with resentment. Dudong realizes that he is dealing with Youth and
Love, and they will triumph over this situation. After that, comes real
life. He gives his consent, feeling sad and sorry for his son.
Elements of the Story
Characters:
• Lucio
• Dudong
- Suitor of Teang
Young
and
confident
Independent
• Tena
- love interest of blas
• Teang
and loves him dearly
-‐ muse
of
dodong
• Dudong father
• Blas
-‐ First
born
of
the
couple
- Silent hardworking
-‐ Followed
his
parents
foot
steps farmer
Elements of the Story
Setting Point of view Theme
Farm - Third person - Family (decision making)
Love
- omniscient -
- Responsibility
- Youth
Elements of the Story
Conflict How was the conflict resolved? How was the plot delivered?
Man
vs.
self The
conflict
was
presented
in
a
not
resolved
at
all chronological
order
·∙02·∙
Symbolism
an artistic and poetic movement or style using symbolic
images and indirect suggestion to express mystical ideas,
emotions, and states of mind
• “The sun was salmon and hazy in the west”
Salmon – pinkish-orange to light pink
Dodong being in love
Hazy – unclear
Feeling of dodong about his anxieties whether his father will allow him to
marry or not to marry Teang
• “short colorless worm marched blindly to
Dodong’s foot and crawled clammily over it”
Dodong: nature low in stature
“worm”: symbolizes its stand for the title of the story “footnote”
(which we placed at the bottom of our academic writings just like the
worm that also burrows deeper into the soil
Title: Why “Footnote to Youth”?
• Footnote
an
ancillary
piece
of
information
printed
at
the
bottom
of
a
page.
give
additional
information
to
the
reader
-‐
Youth
-‐ the
period
between
childhood
and
adult
age.
It
serves
as
a
note
or
a
reminder
that
the
life
of
having
your
own
family
in
a
young
age
will
not
be
easy
Local Colors
• “unhinched the carabao from the plow”
• “farmer who chewed areca nut, which he had learned to do
from his mother, Dodong’s grandmother.”
• Dodong
• Batalan - rear of barrio house for washing and for storage of
wate
Human Relevance
most
of
the
youth
are
experiencing
this
kind
of
situation
(teen
pregnancy,
wrong
decision
making)
Own analysis
footnote
to
youth
=
a
brief
reminder
for
the
Filipinos
especially
the
youth
of
what
a
real
life
could
be
today.
Insert photo of marriage here Insert photo of family life here
NOT TO CHARGE BLINDLY INTO
ADULTHOOD!
Thank you, next.
