Q3: Lesson 4: B. Banana Heart Summer Analysis

Banana Heart

Told to be able to satiate hunger forever when eaten. Represents nourishment, survival, and love

Nenita

The protagonist + narrator. A 12-year-old girl navigating a difficult childhood and dysfunctional family life

Round, she is complex and is seen to have personal growth throughout the story

F/R (Nenita)

Dynamic, she undergoes significant change. Learning to cope with her reality, and grows emotionally, from a naive girl to someone with hope.

S/D (Nenita)

Nenita’s Father

An abusive and alcoholic figure, representing the struggles and frustrations of their improverished life

F/R (Nenita’s Father)

Flat, lacks much complexity or development, he is portrayed mainly as an abusive and alcoholic figure

Static, his personality and action remain the same throughout the story

S/D (Nenita’s Father)

Nenita’s Mother

A hard-working but overburdened woman who endures her husband’s abuse while trying to support the family

Round, she shows emotional depth as a woman struggling to hold her family together. She is complex

F/R (Nenita’s Mother)

Static, despite her depth, she does not change much throughout the story. her role is more on enduring and coping than envolving

S/D (Nenita’s Mother)

Setting

A small, impoverished village in the Philippines. This is rich in sensory descriptoins, especially of food and daily life in the community

Exposition

Nenita introduces her world—her family struggles, her father’s abuse, and her budding love for cooking

Rising Action

Nenita starts exploring cooking as an escape from her difficult reality

Climax

Nenita confronts her desires for a better life, the reality of her family’s dysfunction, and her own coming of age struggles

Falling Action

Nenita learns to reconcile her dreams and the harsh realities of her life

Resolution

Nenita finds a sesne of hope and empowerment through her experiences with her food and her journey toward maturity

Conflict

Man vs. Self
-Nenita’s internal struggle with her emotions, desires, and self-worth is the central conflict

POV

First person
-Narrated by Nenita, the protag, who reocunts her experiences, thoughts, and emotions as she navigates her coming of age journey

Themes (1)

Resilience and Survival
-how nenita uses food and creativyt to endure her harships

Themes (2)

Healing Power of food
- cooking becomes a metaphor for love, growth, and self discovery

Themes (3)

Family and dysfunction
- the novel delves into the complexitieis of familial relationships, including love, abuse, and responsiblity