21ST CENTURY LITERATURE IN VARIOUS REGIONS

The precolonial literature includes all literature produced before the Spanish
colonization like chants, proverbs, songs, and folk narratives. These were all passed down
from generation to generation by word of mouth.

Philippine folk narratives are varied and distinct. They depict the people’s
livelihood, customs, and traditions.

1. Folktale – This is a characteristically anonymous, timeless, and placeless

tale circulated orally among a people.
2. Fable – This features animal characters or inanimate objects that behave like
people.
3. Legend – This is presented as history but is unlikely to be true.
4. Myth – This is told to explain a belief, a practice, or a natural phenomenon.
5. Epic – This narrative poem celebrates the adventures and achievements of a
hero

P HILIPINE LITERATURE DURING THE SPANISH COLONIAL PERIOD

Notes on the Spanish Colonial Period (1521–1898)

 Expeditions to the Philippines were sent by Spain in the 16th century. In their
conquest, the Spaniards brought Christianity with them. The clergy made a great impact
on faith, education, and government.
 Through the Manila-Acapulco trade (1565–1815), liberal ideas entered the
country. Also, the trade gave rise to a wealthier middle class. Children in middle class
families could then be sent to Europe to get an education. Upon their return, they brought
European ideals of liberty and freedom with them. Such ideals would then give rise to
Filipino nationalism.

Philippine Literature during the Spanish Occupation

The Spanish missionaries taught the gospel through the native language, so they
hired natives to translate Spanish religious instructional materials. Eventually, the natives
became fluent in Spanish and became known as ladinos.
 Ladinos mainly wrote devotional poetry. Two of them were Fernando
Bagongbanta and Gaspar Aquino de Belen. Bagongbanta wrote “Salamat nang
walang hanga/gracias de sin sempiternas,” which appeared in Memorial de la vida
cristiana en lengua tagala(1605), a book containing basic Catholic doctrines. On the other
hand, de Belen wrote “Ang Mahal na Passion ni Jesu Christong Panginoon natin na
tola” (1704), the earliest version of pasyon.

Also, the native drama called the komedya or moro-moro was popular. It
depicted the war between Christians and Muslims, wherein the former always wins.
The poet Jose de la Cruz (1746–1829) was a master of such art form.

Francisco Baltazar (1788-1862), the master of traditional Tagalog poetry,

became well-known for his work Florante at Laura (1838–1861), the most famous
metrical romance of the country.

Pedro Paterno (1857–1911) wrote Sampaguitas y poesias varias (1880), the

first poetry collection in Spanish by a Filipino; and the novel in Spanish Ninay (1885),
considered to be the first Filipino novel.

Jose Rizal (1861–1896), a prominent ilustrado and the country’s national hero, is
famous for the novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. These novels portray the
corruption and abuse of the Spanish officials and the clergy.

Andres Bonifacio (1863–1897), the founder of the Katipunan, wrote the poem
“Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Bayan.” This poem appeared in the Kalayaan, the official
newspaper of the Katipunan, in March 1896.

Leona Florentino (1849–1884), known as the “mother of Philippine women’s

literature,” was a poet in both Ilocano and Spanish. Twenty of her poems were preserved
and exhibited in Europe. The poems were included in the Encyclopedia International des
Oeuvres des Femme in 1889.

Philippine Literature during the Spanish occupation was mostly influenced

by Christianity as well as the European ideals of liberty and freedom through trade.
Filipino writers either wrote in Spanish or in their own tongue or both.
 Philippine Literature during the American and the Japanese Periods

The production of literary works in English is the direct result of the American
colonization of the Philippines. The first collection of poetry in English is Filipino
Poetry(1924), edited by Rodolfo Dato. The short story “Dead Stars” (1925) by Paz
Marquez Benitez is considered as the first Filipino modern short story in English. A
Child of Sorrow (1921) by Zoilo M. Galang is the first Filipino novel in English. The
novel His Native Soil (1940) by Juan C. Laya won first prize in the First
Commonwealth Literary Awards in 1940.

Filipino writers in English during the apprenticeship period (1900–1930) imitated

American writing. The poet Fernando Maramag writes in the Romantic tradition in his
sonnet “Moonlight on Manila Bay” (1912). Filipino fictionists copied Sherwood Anderson,
William Saroyan, and Ernest Hemingway. Jose Garcia Villa used the Anderson pattern.
Manuel Arguilla and N. V. M. Gonzalez were influenced by Anderson and Hemingway.
Francisco Arcellana was influenced by Saroyan.

The Tagalog short story reached its maturity during the period. The best works
were compiled by the Liwayway magazine editors in Ang Pinakamabuting Maikling
Kathang Pilipino ng 1943, which came out in 1944. It is a collection of stories that won a
contest sponsored by the Japanese. The top four stories were “Lupang Tinubuan” by
Narciso G. Reyes, “Uhaw ang Tigang na Lupa” by Liwayway Arceo, “Nayon at
Dagat-dagatan” by N. V. M. Gonzalez, and “Suyuan sa Tubigan” by Macario Pineda

Philippine Literature in the Postwar and Contemporary Period

After World War II, the Philippines had to deal with the economy and the need for
rehabilitation and reconstruction of infrastructures. There was political, economic, and
social confusion, as well as great poverty, and these issues found their way into the
short stories and novels during that time.

Other subjects and themes include:

 religious faith  poverty

 superstitions  politics
 fantasy  nationalism
 social problems  mlity
 Literary Works

Some works written in the postwar and contemporary period

are:

Nick Joaquin under the name of Quijano de Manila. His short

story "May Day Eve," published in 1947, is about love in a patriarchal society.
It also made use of magic realism.

F. Sionil Jose, one of the most widely read Filipino writers in English,
wrote the short story "Waywaya," which is about pre-Hispanic society and the
people’s struggle for moral order.

Alejandro Roces, a Filipino author, essayist, and dramatist, wrote

the short story "We Filipinos Are Mild Drinkers." This story focuses on the
drinking habits and culture of Filipinos and Americans.

Edith L. Tiempo's poem "The Return" is a sentimental piece that

talks about life in old age.

Horacio de la Costa wrote the essay "History and Philippine

Culture," which emphasizes the importance of understanding and presenting
a nation’s culture.

Stevan Javellana wrote the first postwar Filipino novel in

English, Without Seeing the Dawn. This novel narrates what people
experienced during World War II under the Japanese rule in the Philippines.

Life and Works of Jose Garcia Villa

Jose Garcia Villa (Doveglion)

 During his college years, he wrote Man Songs, a collection of

controversial poems that was considered too bold by the University of the
Philippines and became the ground for his suspension from the said
institution.
 Some of his well-known literary works are "Mir-i-nisa" (won in
the Philippines Free Press in 1929), and "Footnote to Youth" (published in
1933).
 In the story "Footnote to Youth," Dodong is the symbol for the
Filipino youth. His decision to marry his love interest, Teang, at the age of
seventeen demonstrates the passion of teenagers when it comes to
relationships.

Life and Works of Carlos P. Romulo

Carlos P. Romulo

 Carlos P. Romulo was a Filipino diplomat, statesman, journalist,

and soldier. He was the first Filipino journalist who was awarded with the
Pulitzer Prize in Journalism. He was also the first Asian who served as
the president of the United Nations General Assembly.
 "I am a Filipino" is one of the many essays written by Carlos
P. Romulo. It was published in The Philippines Herald in August 1941.
 He also wrote the book entitled I Saw the Fall of the
Philippines, in which he narrated his personal experiences as an
aide-de-camp to General Douglas MacArthur in Corregidor. This book was
followed by a sequel, I See the Philippines Rise, a journalistic account of the
Philippine War in 1944.
 Among his other famous literary works are Mother America: A
Living Story of Democracy, a discussion of his political ideals about
American democracy in the Philippines, and I Walked with Heroes, his
autobiography.
 He was conferred as National Artist for Literature in 1982.

Life and Works of Francisco Arcellana

Francisco Arcellana

 Francisco Arcellana is a Filipino teacher and a contemporary

writer. He is one of the prominent Filipino fictionists in English.
  He was a member of the group The Veronicans, which was
composed of influential Filipino writers who aimed to use sensible literature in
order to create a greater impact on the Philippines.
 Some of his well-known literary works are the short stories "The
Man Who Would Be Poe," "Death in a Factory," "A Clown Remembers,"
"The Mats," and "Lina."
 His short stories "Flowers of May," "Christmas Gift," and "The
Mats," were adapted as screenplays.

Francisco Arcellana is a Filipino fictionist who demonstrated his

craftsmanship in writing great literary pieces such as "The Mats," a story that
highlights Filipino family values and pictures an interesting character coping
with the death of loved ones. In this short story, he uses writing techniques
such as emphasizing the characters’ actions and dialogues to reveal their
inner motives and emotions.

Life and Works of Nestor Vicente Madali (N.V.M.) Gonzalez

N.V.M. Gonzalez

 Nestor Vicente Madali Gonzalez

 He is the first president of the Philippine Writers’
Association.
 He was a recipient of the following awards: The Republic
Cultural Heritage Award, the Jose Rizal Pro-Patria Award, the Carlos
Palanca Memorial Award for Literature, and the National Artist Award for
Literature in 1997.
 Some of his published works are Seven Hills Away Children of
the Ash-Covered Loam and Other Stories and The Bamboo Dancers
 Seven Hills Away is a collection of short stories that sketch
the daily lives of the Filipino kaingeros in his hometown province, Mindoro.
 The Bamboo Dancers is a diasporic novel that features the
challenges faced by Filipinos in America.

Life and Works of Edith L. Tiempo

 Edith L. Tiempo

 Edith L. Tiempo She was known for using intricate and witty
representations to portray significant human experiences.
 Some of her well known poems are "The Return," a poem that
describes the characteristics of old age, "Lament for the Littlest Fellow,"
a poem that presents a metaphor to describe the plight of a submissive
wife under her domineering husband, and "Bonsai," a poem that gives a
look at how tangible objects could be keepers of memories and
emotions.

Life and Works of F. Sionil Jose

F. Sionil Jose

 Francisco Sionil Jose, widely known as F. Sionil Jose

 Waywaya: Eleven Filipino Short Stories is a compilation of

short stories about pre-Hispanic Philippine society.
 In 2004, he published the children’s book The Molave and
Other Children’s Stories.

Life and Works of Virgilio S. Almario

Virgilio S. Almario, popularly known by his pen name Rio Alma, is

a Filipino artist known for his poetry and literary criticism.

High Zoociety

The poem "High Zoociety" is part of the collection Doktrinang

Anakpawis (1979). Published during the martial law years (1972–1981), the
poem and the rest of the collection are considered committed poetry, that is,
of social awareness and concern. The title is a play on the term "High
Society," which refers to the rich and powerful.
 Life and Works of Alejandro Roces

 Alejandro R. Roces

 Alejandro R. Roces was known for his short story "We Filipinos
Are Mild Drinkers," a story about an American soldier in the Philippines who
brags about his drinking habits, but becomes overly drunk after
drinking lambanog offered by a Filipino farmer.

 He has also served as chairman of the Movie and Television

Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) in 2001.

 His other literary works are "My Brother’s Peculiar Chicken," a

story which talks about two brothers who were arguing whether the chicken
they caught was a hen or a rooster; Something to Crow About, the first
Filipino zarzuela in English about a man named Kiko who earns a living by
means of cockfighting; and Fiesta, a collection of essays about various
Philippine festivals.

Humor is a literary device which aims to make the audience or

readers laugh or be amused. Alejandro R. Roces employed humor in most
of his works. There are various types of humor. Some of which are
exaggeration/hyperbole, surprise, and sarcasm.

Sarcasm – is a literary device used to mock.

Exaggeration/Hyperbole – is a literary device used to make an

event appear better or worse than what it really is.

Surprise – is a literary device commonly found in unlikely

situation or an unexpected turn of events.
 Life and Works of Bienvenido S. Lumbera

 Lumbera, who was called Beny when he was a young boy

 Lumbera took a degree in journalism at the University of Santo
Tomas in 1950 and graduated cum laude in 1954. A year before his
graduation, his first published work, the poem “Frigid Moon,” appeared in
the Sunday magazine of the Manila Chronicle.

Poetry Collections

Likhang Dila, Likhang Diwa (1993)

Balaybay: Mga Tulang Lunot at Manibalang (2002)

Critical Works

Abot Tanaw: Sulyap at Suri sa Nagbabagong Kultura at

Lipunan (1987)
Writing the Nation/Pag-Akda ng Bansa (2000)
Tagalog Poetry, 1570–1898: Tradition and Influences in Its
Development (2001)

Librettos

Tales of the Manuvu (1977)

Rama Hari (1980)
Sa Sariling Bayan: Apat na Dulang May Musika (2003)

imagery, a literary technique in which figurative language is

used to appeal to the reader’s physical senses.

juxtaposition, a literary technique in which two (or more) ideas

are placed side by side for comparison and contrast.
 LITERARY TEXTS OF DIFFERENT REGIONS AND GENRES

Poetry

Let’s Review!

Philippine Literature during the American Occupation of the

Philippines (1898–1940)

Philippine Literature in the 21st Century (2001 up to the present)

This body of literature includes digital writings, graphic

novels, textula, hypertext, and other emerging literary genres at present.

Amador T. Daguio’s poem “Man of Earth” and a piece

of textula by Frank Rivera.

Textula is poetry written and read on a mobile phone. It is

popularized by the playwright Frank Rivera, who came to be known as the
“makata sa cell phone.”

Poetic Terms

Allusion – Using this literary device, the writer refers to a

significant person, place, thing, or idea in culture, history, literature, or
politics briefly and indirectly.

Apostrophe – With this literary device, the writer addresses

someone or something that is not present in his work.

End rhyme – This rhyme occurs in the last syllables of verses.

Lyric poetry – This traditional poetry is characterized by its brevity,

emotional intensity, and musical quality.
 Fiction
Literary elements – These devices are inherent in a literary text.
Some examples are the characters, setting, conflict, plot, and theme of a short
story.

Literary techniques – These devices are used deliberately by a

writer in his or her work to convey a particular meaning. Dialogue is an
example.

Consider Francisco Arcellana’s short story "The Mats." Arcellana

focused on the character’s actions and dialogues to reveal their innermost
feelings, which can be clues to the literary meaning of the work.

DRAMA

Drama is a literary work that tells a story through actions and

dialogues. It is usually performed on stage.

Elements

Characters – These actors set the scene and flow of the story.

Dialogues – These are conversations between the characters.

Plot – This is the series of events that take place.

Stage directions – These statements tell the actors how they should
look, move, and speak. They also give the director a picture of how the setting
looks like, and what music and other sounds would set the mood of the play.
 Creative Nonfiction

It is a major genre of literature. It refers to narratives of real events

told in a literary style.

Kinds of Creative Nonfiction

 Memoir - This account is narrowly focused on a single event in

a person’s life.
 Biography - This is a detailed account of a person’s life
written by another person.
 Autobiography - This is a written account of the life of a
person written by the subject himself or herself.
 Diary - This is a collection of discrete accounts of a person’s
experiences and thoughts each day.
 Essay - This writing features any subject that the writer
personally comments about or describes.

Early 21st Century

This period saw the publication of collections of short essays and

narratives of young writers. Their works were Wala Lang (2004) by Bud
Tomas; Love, Desire, Children, Etc.: Reflections of a Young Wife (2005) by
Rica Bolipata-Santos; The King of Nothing To Do(2006) by Luis Katigbak;
and Stressed in the City (2007) by April T. Yap.

Popular Fiction
Popular fiction, also called genre fiction, refers to works of
literature that are intended for the masses or large audience. Its main
purpose is to appeal to the general public. Below are a few features of popular
fiction:

 Its story is plot-driven.

 Its characters are mostly stock figures.
 Its setting is either familiar or exotic.
 Its language is closer to everyday spoken language.
 It contains a lot of dialogues.
 Science fiction, also called sci-fi, at its core, deals with science and
technology. It is often lumped with the fantasy and horror genres under the
broader term “speculative fiction.” As this term suggests, sci-fi writers are
often preoccupied by the question “what if.”

Chick literature, or chick lit, is written by women who write for

women. The usual target readers are young and single women, especially in
their 20s or 30s. The stories deal with real life, usually love and
relationships, and they are written in a light-hearted tone.

Ghost stories are part of Filipino pop culture. They are a specific
kind of stories in the horror fiction genre. As the name suggests, a ghost
story features a ghost as one of its characters. Like any story in the horror
fiction genre, a ghost story is meant to scare its reader.

New and Emerging Literary Forms in the 21st Century

Literary Genre

This refers to a type or category of literature. It has a specific

form, content, and style. The four main genres of literature are
poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and drama. Under each of those genres
are different genres.

Literary Technique

This is a literary device deliberately used by a writer to convey a

specific idea or meaning. An example is motif, an object or idea that is
repeated in a literary work. Another literary technique is the use of
figurative language, an example is personification, a figure of speech in
which an inanimate object is given human qualities.

The illustrated novel presents images that tell some parts of

the story, while the other parts are told in words. The graphic novel tells
a story in comic book format. A work of doodle fiction contains doodles
and hand-written graphics.
 Flash fiction is known for its extreme brevity. A typical work of
flash fiction is only a few hundred words long. Examples are the stories
in Fast Food Fiction: Short Short Stories To Go (2003), edited by Noelle Q. de
Jesus. The collection features stories written by well-known Filipino writers like
Gemino H. Abad, Gregorio Brillantes, Jose Dalisay, Jr., Jessica Zafra, and
Lakambini Sitoy.

Slipstream, or the “fiction of strangeness,” features elements of

fantasy, science fiction, and serious fiction. For many, works of slipstream
are difficult to categorize because of their similarities with speculative fiction.
The collection Philippine Speculative Fiction, edited by Dean Francis Alfar and
Nikki Alfar, contains stories that are slipstream fiction.

Metafiction is about fiction itself. A work of metafiction can be a

story about a writer who writes a story or a story about another work of
fiction. Some works of metafiction by Filipinos are the novel Ilustrado (2010)
by Miguel Syjuco and Hari Manawari (2011) by German Gervacio.

Magic realism is a fiction genre in which magical elements are

blended with reality. It is characteristic of the stories by Latin American
writers like Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Jorge Luis Borges, and Isabel Allende.
The short story “The Death of Fray Salvador Montano, Conquistador of
Negros” by the Filipino writer Rosario Cruz Lucero has elements of magic
realism.

Literary Works by Writers from Luzon

Kundiman - This is a genre of Tagalog folk love songs that

express an intense longing for a beloved, a cause, or the motherland.
They are usually played in minor chord, giving them a sad, melancholic sound.

Kambubulag - This is the Kapapampangan term for a type of native

moth. It comes from the root word “bulag” meaning “blind,” and there are
Filipino superstitions about becoming blind after encountering moths.
 Context is the background of the text which may have been
influenced by the author’s life, language, society, and culture.

Diction is the choice of words that suit the writer’s intended

purpose.

Context – This is the background of the text which may have

been influenced by the author’s life, language, society, and culture.

Imagery – This language awakens the reader’s sensory

perceptions through words and phrases.

Cacophony – This sound device refers to words or phrases with

harsh sounds that create a disturbing tone.

Euphony – This sound device refers to words or phrases with

melodic sounds that create a calming tone.

Electronic Literature

Electronic literature refers to works commonly published and

shared on the Web. Unlike traditional printed literature, it has features that
could only be presented through multimedia.

Kinds of Electronic Literature

 Hyperpoetry – This is a kind of graphic poetry, which combines

words with images. It has no standard lines or verses, but its words are
arranged in a way that it creates meaning and visual effect.
 Hyperfiction – This contains hyperlinks. When readers click on
a hyperlink, they go to another Web page that contains the next part of a
story.
 Photo poem – This uses real-life images or electronically
generated images as representation of the textual poem.
 Silent comics – These have no verbal dialogues. The
dialogues are presented through symbols.
 Textula – This poem is intended to be shared through the
SMS.
  Blog – This Web site is where a person writes about his or her
personal opinions, activities, and experiences.

English Literature

 Epic poem - This is a long narrative poem usually about a

hero and his deeds. A well-known example is Beowulf.
 Sonnet - This poem has fourteen lines that follow a rhyme
scheme. A well-known example is Sonnet 18 of William Shakespeare. It
starts with the famous line, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”
 Drama - This piece of writing tells a story through dialogue,
and it is performed on stage. A well-known example is The Importance of
Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde.
 Novel - This is a long prose narrative usually about fictional
characters and events, which are told in a particular sequence.

BASIC TEXTUAL AND CONTEXUAL READER’S APPROACHES

Figures of Speech

Figures of speech, also referred to as figurative language, are

words or phrases that express meanings in a nonliteral way. These
expressions are often used for comparison and for conveying emotion.

There are numerous figures of speech, and these can be classified

into different categories. Among these categories are the following:

 Figures of relationship
 Figures of emphasis
 Figures of sound
 Figures of Relationship

Figures of relationship include simile, metaphor, metonymy,

and synecdoche

A simile compares two unlike things with a common quality. The

comparison is done using words such as like or as.

A metaphor is a comparison that is done by stating that one thing is

another in order to suggest their similarity or shared qualities.

Metonymy refers to using a thing or idea that is not referred to by its

own name but by a different one, a name of something with which it is closely
associated.

A synecdoche uses a part of something to represent the whole or

the whole to represent a part.

Figures of Emphasis

Hyperbole uses intentional exaggeration to achieve emphasis or

produce a comic effect.

An oxymoron is a word or a combination of words with contradictory

meanings, as in bittersweet and open secret.

A paradox is a statement that appears to hold contradictory ideas

but may actually be true.

Figures of Sound

Alliteration refers to the use of closely spaced words that have the
same initial sounds.

Onomatopoeia is the use of words that imitate the sound of what

they are referring to.
 Literary Techniques

Literary techniques or devices refer to specific methods writers

employ in their works to convey messages. Readers, on the other hand, look
for several literary techniques when examining or analyzing a text or simply
evaluating a text’s artistic value.

Anaphora, sometimes called epanaphora, refers to the repetition

of a word or phrase at the beginning of a sentence to create an artistic or
heightened effect.

An antihero is a fictional character who does not possess the

traits, such as pride and valor, expected of a hero.

Cliff-hanger is a literary technique used by the author to arouse

curiosity among readers by ending a chapter or story abruptly.

Juxtaposition is a technique authors use in their works to compare

two different things, or two contrasting ideas to be able to emphasize
their differences, such as good and evil, life and death, truth and lies, among
others. This technique is also used to develop a character, resolve a conflict,
or clarify various concepts.

Foreshadowing refers to lines or dialogues in a story which give

the reader an idea of what is about to happen without spoiling or
explicitly stating the plot’s entirety. When writers use this technique,
especially in mystery or thriller novels, they provide “red herrings”
(misleading or false clues) to divert the readers’ expectations.

Catharsis refers to the emotional release or cleansing of the

characters, or audience or readers, from strong emotions usually
brought by learning of the truth or when confronted with difficult
situations.

Stream of consciousness, sometimes referred to as interior

monologue, is a literary technique that is usually associated with Modern
writers. The plot is developed based on the characters’ reminiscence or
recollection of events and thought fragments.

Hamartia, or tragic flaw, is a technique commonly found in Greek

tragedies. It refers to the tragic hero’s error in judgment, which leads to
his or her downfall.

Critical Reading Strategies in Literature

Critical Reading

Critical reading has an academic or professional purpose. Unlike

reading for pleasure, it requires critical thinking skills like doing analysis,
developing an argument, and doing an evaluation.

Critical reading strategies in literature vary in purpose and focus.

Previewing a Text

Previewing a text enables a reader to get the sense of what the text
is all about and how its parts are organized. A reader can take a look at the
facts about the author and the work and the title of the work.

Contextualizing

Contextualizing a text is considering the time and place in which the

text was produced. A reader can read about the writer’s life to see how his or
her experiences shape the writing. Also, a reader can examine how a text
reflects the society or culture. Lastly, a reader can consider the significant
events in history that influence the text.

Asking Questions

Asking questions about a text allows one to understand and

remember the content of a piece of literature. A reader asks questions about
the main ideas or literary elements; and such questions are answered in his or
her own words.
 COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. Who are the main characters in the short story?

2. What is the plot of the short story?
3. What is the conflict?
4. What are the theme, motifs, and symbols used by the writer?

Reflecting

Reflecting on a text involves examination of the reader’s personal

responses to the text. The reader relates the new learning to his or her
previous learning as well as to his or her own beliefs.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. Have you had experiences similar to that of the character of the

story?
2. What feelings did you have as you read the story?
3. Which character do you feel a connection with and why?
4. Is there any part of the story that you find difficult to understand?
5. How did the story change your way of thinking?