Asian Literature

The Bull

By: Mo Yan

The literature entitled “The Bull” is a heart felting story I’ve read in this subject. Yes, the plot twist is very cliché but for me, the emotion of the story really hit the bullseye to my heart. It is all about a father and son relationship. His son doesn’t want to be with his father or he is not proud to him but then when the emergency happens, his father save the whole village’s life because he killed the bull. After, he realized how blessed and lucky he was about his father. He felt proud about it and love his father unconditionally. The hidden message of that literature is that be happy and contented to the blessing God. You are not yet born but God wrote a story of your life already. Love your father and mother because they are a blessing and they help you live throughout your life.

-Patricia Jeanne Cesar

This story is all about jealousy. In this world, jealousy is visible. Every people want to be perfect, so what they see in other people they also want it in their selves. Same in the story the father, he has many enemies because other butchers are jealous of him. The people their also want to make fun of him, that's why his child face the consequence. The lesson that I've learned from this story is that we should be contented of what we have and all of us are unique in our own ways.

-Pamela Panes

The story entitled Bull by Mo Yan is an excerpt from a novel set in rural Chinese village where "blood money" of commerce rules. Which focuses on the villagers and the slaughter business in their village? A man named Lao Lan is a rich official who introduces the water injection method in meat for selling to make it look fresher however compared to his meat the other people's meat are maggot-infested if it didn't sell the first day which made the people realize that he's cheating. By this it revolves around on the bloody commerce; the willingness of a merchant to cheat and the mysterious ways of a salesman in doing business. However, a man named Luo Tong that Lao Lan did not use water in injecting his meat instead he uses formaldehyde that can kill bacteria and helps prevent it from spoiling and believes that it is not a good way on gaining wealth.

The strength of the story is the presence of Luo Tang because by that the son describes his father as a good person by comparing him to a tiger and that the story highlights the importance of humility as a person and dignity.

-Roa Jane Pantinople

"Bull" is a story written by Mo Yan. This story is all about a boy who lived in a village of butchers with his parents. The father is skilled at judging the weight of the cattle and is respected (and paid) for his talents. Because of this, traders liked him so some local butchers got envy to him and tries to embarrass the father. The boy was humiliated by this so he cursed and shouted his father but his father will just be quiet the whole time. But then, the butcher’s bull rebels and only the boy’s father can save the day. With that, the boy felt proud for his father and learned to respect his father.

Overall, the story is very nice to read. Even though it is lengthy but you will enjoy reading along the way. This story is not for kids because there are dialogues that are very vulgar and not appropriate to the young aged.

-Mikaella Joy Perez

The Bull is written by Mo Yan opens with a technical detail about forcing water through the arteries of slaughtered animals. Lao Lan used a bit of formaldehyde to keep his animals looking fresher than the other butcher’s wares. Luo Tong, his father, was an expert at judging animals- he would look at any beast and guess the weight and overall meat content. In a brief interlude, we see that Luo Tong is cheating with Auntie Wild Mule. The story is likely about a village and Luo Tong’s proficiency at his sill. When the story, turned around, Lao Lan, goes to remove his large bull from the premises and he got chased and had given no assistance by Luo Tong whom he just insulted.

-Paul Adrie Teoxon 

North American Literature

The Door

By: Margaret Atwood

We all know that doors are the medium so that we can enter/ exit in one place you go. Anywhere you go, there is always a door because without doors, you can’t enter and go out.

The poem “The Door” written by Margaret Atwood composed of 2 stanzas has 14 lines and a free verse poem. It uses symbolism which the door. She also described how door function and emphasizes how it open and close.

For me, the message of this poem is all about one person who is looking for opportunities in life. At first, he/ she is scared to take a risk but even though the first glance it is dark and don’t have any clue if you get any opportunities, at least you’ve tried. But in entering a door, you can’t escape easily; you should take the responsibility. You will face all the challenges for you to succeed. After conquering all the challenges you take, another door or be contented for what you have. But some doors are a “calling” which is a good calling because you might know that door is a door from heaven if you enter that door, you will find your eternal life and there is no turning back. It closes the door as it closes your life have on earth.

-Patricia Jeanne Cesar

In this world, all things are permanent. All the things that we have are just borrowed with to our God. The lesson that I've learned from this poem is that we should not unloved the people that who loves us. We should have time for them and make used of it.

-Pamela Panes

     The Door is a poem written by Margaret Atwood is all about life especially growth or self-awareness. In the poem the author used symbolisms such as the closing and opening of the doors which represents the stages of our lives, profound words and different terms which makes it harder to understand. However, there are words that complements other phrases which will give you get hints in knowing the hidden meaning of every stanza just like the fifth stanza, it gives us a message about family; having a family makes you busy or is not easy and the other stanzas are the different stages of a man's life.

-Roa Jane Pantinople

“The Door” is a poem written by Margaret Atwood. It is a free verse poem with 9 stanzas. It has no rhyme and no constant amount of lines. The poem is about our life here in this world. The writer uses the door as a symbolism of our life. Upon being born, you opened a door where the real world is. That world is where life begins, encounter obstacles, conquering them and ends. It is inevitable that we encounter struggles in life. You will never know what’s behind the door; it’s either will make or break you. All we have to do is never be afraid to knock and enter the door. Be ready to face them and accept your fate that God bestowed to you. Overall, Margaret Atwood made an amazing poem that inspired many people. I like how she used the door as a symbolism in the poem.  

-Mikaella Joy Perez

The Door is written by Margaret Atwood and was published in 2007. It is a poem that captures life through an image of a door opening and closing. In part where the author is scares of the spiders inside the door. But didn’t even notice it because she was going to dance and by the end, she steps in “the door closes”. It is like a door into the dark of death that swings open and shuts. Mortality disturbs this narrative as the poet speaks to herself. Like when you fell scared, the door swings closed. When the sun is coming out, it keeps away the thought about death and is filled with other positive things. When it rains, it rains moderately and snow comes, so does the family that drifted away. As spring arrives, “the door swings open; it’s dark in there.” The last stanza summarizes the whole poem as together with a vengeance of compression and fierce courage in the face of oblivion.

-Paul Adrie Teoxon

European Literature

Odyssey

By: Homer

We all know that every gods and goddesses have each story but connected to each other. The story I’ve watched is all about Odyssey is a king and has a wife and child but one day he needs to attend a war with his soldiers, but it took a lot of years before he came back to his kingdom.

For me, the hidden message of that is that you should be humble at all times, know your priorities and learn how to follow instructions. But even though how hard the problems you encounter, there is someone who will help you. In the story, Athena was the one who helped him throughout the circumstances but in real life, God is the one who will help us and give us a problem for us to learn and be mature enough to face trials. In every places, Odyssey can get lessons through other gods too. Like us humans, every trials/ challenges God given us we can get lesson and the solution as well. He gave the hardest battle in His bravest soldiers so never give up, never ever blame Him that He is not listening nor watching you because God always listens and watching us.

-Patricia Jeanne Cesar

The story is all about a king who is powerful and can talk to any gods. When time has come, he had a mission to go to war with his troops; they fought for them to have victory. After winning the battle, the king talked to the god of water and told the God that he won without asking for any help. By that, all the gods have punished him and his troops because Odysseus became boastful and the gods doesn’t like it. The punished Odysseus and it took how many years till the he has returned home.

-Pamela Panes

     Odyssey directed by Andrei Konchalovsky is based on the Ancient Greek epic poem by homer. It touches the aspects of loyalty, reality and spiritual growth. The movie is all about a mortal man named Odysseus king of Ithaca who had struggled 10 years returning to his homeland after winning the Trojan war. The story gives us lesson about the importance of humility and being faithful which is the greatest qualities a man should have even in the darkest of times; in doubt. The movie is also good for many people who are in a difficult situation because this movie will teach us a lesson in having a positive perspective about life and inspiration just like Odysseus, trials in life makes us stronger; We can learn from it and be better after it.

-Roa Jane Pantinople

“The Odyssey” is a poem written by Homer ad was adapted in a movie in the year 1997; directed by Andrei  Konchalovsky. The story was all about a man named Odysseus who travelled in the sea to fight a war and his struggles before coming home to Ithaca. He experienced a lot of struggles in the sea. He even fought a giant cyclops and went to many places. There was a time that Odysseus together with his crews were already near Ithaca but his crews disobeyed a rule so their boat flew far away from home. Many gods helped them but I take many years that Odysseus finally returned home. Upon returning home, his wife Penelope had many suitors in the thought of Odysseus was already dead. It ends with Odysseus proves his identity, slaughtered the suitors and bring back his family and Ithaca.

The movie was a very amazing to watch. Even though the effects are not that good and not very high tech since it was shoot where technology were not that advance but still the movie emphasizes the fictional happenings and effects. The movie was not for all ages, only for adults only since it contains very matured scenes. Overall, the movie conveys the lesson well that even though we are lost, God is still on us. Even though we experienced trials in life, God will never leave our side. Perseverance is the key to success. Never give up easily and surely you’ll get the things that you really want.

-Mikaella Joy Perez

The movie “Odyssey” gives allusions to known Greek gods and goddesses, a large part of the belief systems of many ancient Grecians, and potentially the belief system of many people in the world today. The ideas of a hierarchy of gods and goddesses who fight against each other and against mortals, who control the earth , are present throughout the Odyssey which shows this sense of higher power that is present in many other scared texts. The Odyssey has a structure that is very similar to the sacred texts, being set up as a poem for a greater amount of flow and understanding. It contains various stories throughout that are alike in nature to the parables of Jesus in the Bible, each one describing aspects of morality or a part of the belief system in the text. Many sacred texts are set up in flowing, poetic way.

The Odyssey continually switches between different places, villages, and characters as the books change. This structure is very similar to the Bible, as each book focuses on something slightly different, but each part eventually makes a whole, coherent story, and belief system to follow. In addition to this, the different books each have different noticeable theme, each one pertaining to an aspect of the human condition, and describing proper morals and ethics. Throughout the Odyssey, stories that contain morals and present, a common theme in many other sacred texts. In the Bible, the parables of Jesus, the Commandments, and countless other stories, explain how to properly live your life, how to deal with others who are violent or against you. The idea of morals form some higher power that guide human behavior is a common theme in all sacred texts, and the same ideas are also present throughout the Odyssey. In the film, The Odyssey contains classical uses of language and is so fictional that they hear audible voices of gods and goddesses. During its time, the means of communication are pre- historical.

-Paul Adrie Teoxon

Latin Literature

The Story of a Pencil

Paulo Coelho

            It is entitled The Story of a Pencil because the story revolves bout the pencil. How much pencil give big meaning to our lives, they compare the pencil and reality to know the value of pencil and life. IT symbolizes how hard life is but you can still go through it. The parable has a good sequence of events displaying the plot in orderly manner. They use words fit for the general audience and has no unfamiliar words. It follows proper mechanics involving, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and etc. The story is teaching us how to look at things and how we should live our life.

            The following are definitions of words seen in the story such as; (1) Pencil as an instrument used for writing and drawing, (2) Grandmother is the mother of your father/mother, (3) Justice is the process or result of using loss to fairy judge, (4) Exterior is a location of the outside of something, and (5) Sharpener which is a tool used to sharpen a pencil. The story has also several advantages and disadvantages. These advantages are; setting characters with your own imagination, putting yourself in the story, and having no boundaries and limitations. While the disadvantages are; getting confused, it makes you overthink, and unable to explain or share the story well.

African Literature

The Refugee Mother and Child

Chinua Achebe

The poem is entitled, Refugee Mother and Child, because the setting refers to a refuge center that the mother and child are at. Both of them are refugees and in the poem the mother’s labor is described as, ”the air was heavy with odors of diarrhea of unwashed children…”at the setting where situations were tough. As refugees, they began to be unhealthy and physically unstable which gave effect to the child’s health and mother’s pregnancy. In terms of mechanics, the poem is free-verse, it has 20 lines in one stanza, the word choice is simple and easy to understand.

The following are definitions of words seen in the poem such as; (1) Tenderness means very loving and gentle, (2) Diarrhea is an illness that causes you to pass waste from your body very frequently, (3) Ceased is to stop happening, (4) Bottoms is the lowest part, and (5) Grave is an excavation for burial of a body. When it comes to the context of the poem, it refers to today’s situation especially for refugees who are in very difficult situations of their life and lose hope. In society, refugees are looked down by other people. It only reminds us that people are to be taken care of, especially to poor children who experience that situation wherein they were supposed to go to school and have a bright future.

The interpretation of the poem is about a mother’s pregnancy as a refugee. The first stanza describes her current situation which is pregnancy and near to give birth. The setting was also pertaining to a refugee center since she’s a refugee. The second stanza refers to a child whom she gave labor to. Because of her situation as a refugee, she has been unhealthy and had been very poor and as she gave labor to her sons, they found out that it is dead. If it wasn’t for the situation behind the pregnancy, her son could live a happily life.  

Asian Literature

The Satanic Verse

Salman Rushdie

The Satanic Verse is a novel that advertises apostasy wherein a person will abandon a previous loyalty to the religion that the person believed in. On the novel, it criticizes the teachings of Islam for containing too many rules & seeking to control every aspect of everyday life. Also, there is a part on the novel where Rushdie referred Muhammad “a conjuror”, “a magician” & “a false prophet”. With that, it makes the Muslims angry since there is a person who is criticizing their Islam beliefs. Muslims were known for being dedicated to their religion and have a strong personality. The Islam community requested Fatwa (death sentence) to the author of the novel and to ban the book to be read and published.

            When threats become seriously alarming, Rushdie was still strong in facing the situation. He is still willing to do interviews and face the people. With this, it affects not just his physical safety but also the safety of his family especially his son. It also affects his reputation as an author. Rushdie didn’t write that satanic verses intentionally we think that the Muslin won’t forgive and forget it, because even though it is not intentional, he just offended them.

            The author might have used third person instead of the first person point-of-view because writers fear editors will think their work is fictionalized, offers memoirists a different and perhaps keener perspective on themselves: third person in non-fiction is a distancing perspective. It’s non-chronological and uses different memoirists’ tools.

            This is what we have learned from Rushdie and why we thought of him writing the memoir. In every decision we make you take the responsibilities what will be the results. His revelations are shocking because even though he is sentenced to death, he didn’t take any reactions because he is ready to face the consequence. Also in every action/decision we make we should think wisely if we will commit sin or we could step on others. We think that he wrote these memoirs for us to be aware and awaken that in writing, you should know your limitations and consider others or should I say look at each side. For us to be strong enough and stand our side.

European Literature

Undeniable Things

Nanni Cagnone

            The poem is a free-verse and it has two stanzas, which is actually an excerpt of the original poem. The tone of the poem is melancholic, because it is all about death the rhythm of the poem is about relationship between the tone because the use of words construct perfectly and gives emotion throughout the poem. In a sociocultural context it depicts the culture of people in handling death of their oldies. The following are definitions of words seen in the poem such as; (1) Inclement is lacking-mildness, (2) Bewildered is deeply and utterly confused, (3) Indisputable is not disputable, (4) Mist is water in the form of particles floating or falling in the atmosphere, (5) Rustling is to act or move with energy or speed.

            The poem shows different figures of speech such as personification, because of the line ”at the end surging sunset, in the insecure maturing burning.” The interpretation of the poem is all about life, life that is near to death because in the other countries if your old and “useless” you will be sent to an orphanage by your family since they don’t value family that much. If you’re old they will hurt you physically and mentally and drag you down by saying “you will die soon”, “you’re unworthy of our attention.” But not all residents of each country treat old people like that.