CEN LIT FULL

21ST CENTURY LITERATURE FROM THE PHILIPPINES AND THE WORLD MIDTERM, A.Y. 2024-2025

I.  INTRODUCTION TO 21ST CENTURY LITERATURE

A.  DEFINITION

1.       It came from the Latin term “littera,” which means writing formed with letters.

2.       Literature is not restricted to writing; not all written works are considered literature.

3.       The shift to a contemporary definition of literature stemmed from two factors: the intentions of the author and the audience/readers’ subjective value judgment.

4.       In order for a work to be identified as literature, the two factors must agree that it displays excellence in form and style, and foregrounds language and uses it in artistic ways.

B.  SIGNIFICANCE

1.       Personal Impact

a.  Implants empathy and understanding

b.  Enables imagination

2.       Educational Impact

a.  Establishes literacy

b.  Builds critical thinking skills

c.  Enhances communication and vocabulary skills

3.       Historical Impact

a.  Preserves rich history

4.       Global Impact

a.  Establishes global ties

C.  STANDARDS (AISSPUS)

1.       Artistry

It appeals to broad audiences and possesses a sense of beauty in the writing that could even feel poetic.

2.       Intellectual Value

It stimulates critical thinking that enriches the mental processes of abstraction and reasoning.

3.       Suggestiveness

It is the quality relevant to the emotional power of literature to make readers feel deeply and stir the imagination.

4.       Spiritual Value

It elevates the spirit within the readers by bringing

moral values into the realm of the physical world.

5.       Permanence

It endures and can be read again, as each reading brings fresh delights and new insights. It should be long-lasting.

6.       Universality

It is forever relevant; it appeals to everyone, anytime and anywhere.

7.       Style

It is the peculiar way in which a writer sees life and forms his or her ideas.

D.  BRANCHES

1.       Prose

It is characterized by a greater focus on language and rhythm and less of a focus on narrative.

a.  Fiction (Imagination)

·         Novel - long prose; complex characterization and plot

·         Novella - long prose; shorter than a novel but longer than a short story

·         Short Story - short prose; simple characterization and plot

·         Sci-Fi - imaginative and futuristic concepts

·         Myth - early history involving supernatural

·         Legend - origin of things, places, and objects that we see around us

·         Parable - uses human characters in believable situations to teach a moral value

·         Fable - uses animal characters that espouse a lesson in life

b.  Non-fiction (Real-life events)

·         Essay - formal treatment of an issue written from the writer's point of view

·         Pamphlet - contains short essays, usually on a current topic, published without binding

·         Biography - details the life of a person written by another person

·         Autobiography - details the life of a person written by the same person

·         Textbook - contains facts about a particular subject

·         News Article - narrative of events that happen every day

·         Research Paper - provides analysis, interpretation, and argument

2.       Poetry

It is characterized by ordinary syntax contained in complete sentences and generally conveys a complete narrative.

·         Elegy - a lyric poem of sad themes such as lamentation for the dead, longing for a missing love, and grief for things beyond one’s control

·         Sonnet - a lyric poem of 14 iambic pentameter lines, usually about love and beautiful themes

·         Ode - a ceremonious lyric poem that addresses and often celebrates a person, place, thing, or idea

·         Hymn - a lyric poem praising God or the divine, often sung.

·         Ballad - a narrative poem that depicts a single incident that transpired in a person’s life

·         Epic - a narrative poem that accounts for the

heroic exploits of a community’s hero

3.       Drama

It is represented through performance and is more reliant on dialogue.

·         Tragedy - murders, deaths, insanity, and pain

·         Comedy - aims to make the audience laugh

·         Melodrama - characters are engaged in exaggerated situations that allow for intense emotional responses from the audience

·         Tragicomedy - a combination of the elements of tragedy and comedy yet ends on a happy note

4.       Criticism

It is a form of writing that studies, evaluates, discusses, and interprets works of literature. It uses a theoretical approach to interpreting the work, such as Formalism, Psychoanalytic, Feminism, Marxism, and Historical-Biographical.

E.  PHILIPPINE LITERARY TIMELINE

1.       Pre-Colonial Era

As ethnic cultures emerged across the archipelago, they diversified in terms of beliefs, values, and customs.

Oral Literature - most literature during the pre-colonial time was passed on through storytelling or through word of mouth.

Literary Forms

a.  Riddle - a statement or question having a double or hidden meaning

b.  Proverb - a general truth or piece of advice

c.   Folk tales - epics, legends, myths, and fables are varied, exotic, and magical and explain how the world was created.

d.   Folk song - expresses hopes and aspirations, the people's lifestyles as well as their loved ones

e.  Tanaga - is a type of Filipino poem using four lines, with each line having seven syllables only

2.       Spanish Colonial Era (Phase 1)

Spanish culture has deeply infiltrated the culture after three centuries of colonization. This profound cultural impact is reflected in the transformation of the Philippine literature.

Notable Changes in Philippine Literature

a.  Religion

b.  The advent of Written Literature

Written Literature - Literature found on paper. During this era in Philippine literature, most of the literary works were focused on religion.

Literary Forms

a.  Religious Literature

·         Prayer books

·         Doctrina Christiana (1593) - the first book published in the Philippines

·         Religious Lyric Poems

b.  Narrative Poetry

·         Pasyon - tackles the life and struggles of Jesus Christ through chanting or singing

c.  Dramatic Forms

·         Sarswela - a play with songs and dances depicting romantic love, often incorporating contemporary issues for relevance and interest

·         Senakulo - the live-action simulation of the life of Jesus Christ

·         Moro-Moro - the dramatization of the longstanding battles between Christians and Muslims

d.  Metrical Romance

·         Awit - dodecasyllabic four-line stanzas

e.g., Florante at Laura

·         Korido - octosyllabic four-line stanzas

e.g., Ibong Adarna

3.       Spanish Colonial Era (Phase 2)

In the last half-century of Spanish occupation, literature became a fertile ground for the expressions of a growing nationalist consciousness that paved the way for Filipino writers to flourish in using the vernacular.

Vernacular - language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region. Most of the writers wrote in the vernacular as their medium in writing.

Literary Forms and Distinguished Writers

a.  Novels

·         Ninay (The first Filipino novel) by Pedro Paterno - the first Filipino novel

·         Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo by Jose Rizal

b.  Essays

·         Marcelo Del Pilar and Graciano Lopez Jaena popularized this literary form.

4.       American Colonial Era

When the American colonizers arrived, they brought another groundbreaking cultural milestone: the English language, where Filipinos appreciated the new styles and genres of writing that the Americans brought.

Aside from the English language, Americans also made another important contribution to the country – Education. During their stay here in the Philippines, they built two of the most prominent universities, the University of the Philippines and the Philippine Normal University.

Literary Form

a.  Short Story

·         Paz Marquez-Benitez’s Dead Stars became the first successful short story written in the English language.

Notable Works (written in vernacular and in English)

·         Like the Molave by Rafael Zulueta

·         Ako and Daigdig by Alejandro Abadilla

·         Banaag at Sikat by Lope K. Santos

·         Anino ng Kahapon by Francisco Laksamana

·         A Child of Sorrow by Zoilo Galang (first Philippine novel in English)

·         Stealer of Hearts by Jose Panganiban (first collection of short stories)

·         Life and Success by Zoilo Galang (first Philippine book of essays in English)

·         A Modern Filipina by Jesusa Araullo and Lino Castillejo (first Philippine play in English)

5.       Japanese Colonial Era

During this time, the use of the English language was rejected, but on the other hand, the use of the vernacular strengthened.

·         Almost all newspapers in English were stopped by the Japanese. During this time, there was no freedom of speech or freedom of the press.

·         The only Filipino writers who could write freely were those who were living in the US. Most writers and authors were led to either go underground or write in Tagalog. The novels below talk about the uncomfortable social realities that the Filipinos were living during that time.

o   America is in the Heart by Carlos Bulosan

o   Without Seeing the Dawn by Stevan Javellana

influenced Philippine literature greatly.

·         The authoritarian government saw the power of literature, which led to the closure and shutting down of publications. Due to its declaration, social themes were very evident.

·         After the dictatorship, Filipino writers continued to write poetry, short stories, novellas, novels, and essays, whether these were socially committed, gender/ethnic related, or personal in intention or not.

·         The various literary awards such as the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, the Philippines Free Press, Philippine Graphic, Home Life and Panorama Literary Awards encouraged them to compete with their peers and hope that their creative efforts will be rewarded in the long run.

·         Soon, literary works written in Filipino and in English greatly flourished during this era.

II.  FUNDAMENTALS OF 21ST CENTURY LITERATURE

6.       Post-War Period

Amidst the chaos that ensued, Philippine writers found their voices, and the literary tradition endured. Post- colonial Philippines continued to produce exquisite literary works.

·         The return of the English language as a medium of writing.

·         The Don Carlos Palanca Awards for Literature started in 1950, and it is one of the prime award-giving bodies for literary excellence in the Philippines.

7.       Late 20th Century

Philippine writers reacted to oppression, censorship, and changes in government. By this point in our history, our literature has become multi- faceted in terms of language use and literary genre.

·         This era saw how politics affected writers and the way they write. The Philippine  political  landscape

A.  LITERARY ELEMENTS

1.       Setting (physical & chronological)

2.       Characters (doers of the actions)

a.  Protagonist

b.  Antagonist

c.  Flat Character

d.  Round Character

3.       Plot (what happens in a story)

a.  Exposition

b.  Rising Action

c.  Climax

d.  Falling Action

e.  Resolution

Plot Techniques

·         Suspense

·         Flashback

·         Telescoping

·         Foreshadowing

4.       Conflict (problem/struggle)

a.  Character vs. Character

b.  Character vs. Society

c.  Character vs. Nature

d.  Character vs. Technology

e.  Character vs. Supernatural

f.  Character vs. Fate

g.  Character vs. Self

5.       Point of View (perspective)

a.  First Person - “I” “me”, and “my”

b.  Second Person - “you” and your”

d.  Third Person – “he”, “she”, “they”, “them”, and “their”

·         Limited - the narrator exists outside of the events

·         Omniscient - the narrator knows all thoughts, actions, and feelings of all characters.

6.       Theme (central message)

B.  LITERARY TECHNIQUES

1.       Sound Devices

It is a literary tool employed in verse plays, poetry, and prose to emphasize various sounds.

a.  Rhyme - correspondence of sounds

·         End Rhyme - at the end of the lines

·         Eye Rhyme - looks the same but sounds differently

·         Identical Rhyme - spelled differently but sound the same

·         Internal Rhyme - found within the same line in a poem

b.  Alliteration - repetition of the initial consonant sound of a series of words, often consecutively

c.    Assonance - the repetition of the internal vowel sounds

d.  Consonance - the repetition of consonant sounds in the middle or at the end of words

e.  Onomatopeia - the process of creating words that sound like the very thing they refer to

2.       Figures of Speech

It refers to the creative use of language to generate an effect.

a.  Simile - the comparison of two different things using "like" or "as"

b.    Metaphor - comparison of two unrelated things without using "like" or "as"

c.  Personification - inanimate objects are given characteristics of humans

d.  Hyperbole - uses exaggeration or overstatements for emphasis or effect

e.  Euphemism - an indirect, or vague term that often substitutes a harsh, blunt, or offensive term

f.  Oxymoron - refers to the use of two contradictory terms together.

g.  Irony - a set of words to convey a meaning that is opposite of what is said.

3.       Imagery

It uses vivid descriptions that appeal to the senses of the readers to create a bigger and deeper picture of the story.

a.  Visual Imagery

b.  Olfactory Imagery

c.  Auditory/Aural Imagery

d.  Gustatory Imagery

e.  Tactile Imagery

4.       Symbolism

It is the creative and imaginative use of symbols to represent ideas and qualities.

·         White dove - peace/freedom

·         Santa Claus - Christmas/gifts

·         Red roses - love

·         Wedding ring – marriage/eternal love

·         Mockingbird – innocence

C.  LITERARY APPROACHES

Literary Criticism

·         A systematic process that includes multiple aspects of studies.

·         It is the comparison, analysis, interpretation, and/or evaluation of works of literature.

1.       Formalist Approach

·         It    stemmed   from   Ferdinand   Saussure’s

development of structuralism.

·         Formalists assume that the keys to understanding a text exist within the text itself and thus focus a great deal on - form (i.e., irony, paradox, imagery, metaphor, setting, characters, symbols, and point of view.)

·         The meaning is extracted from the whole piece.

2.       Psychoanalytic Approach

·         It stemmed from Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, who came up with a theory of a tri-partite psyche.

·         He believed that the human psyche was divided between the Id, the Superego, and the Ego, which were constantly at war with one another.

·         Psychoanalytic critics believe that there are core issues that define our beings in fundamental ways.

·         It aims to psychoanalyze characters in texts as if they were real people.

3.       Feminist Approach

·         It stemmed from Simone de Beauvoir, best known for her groundbreaking ideas surrounding feminism.

·         This school of theory looks at how aspects of our culture are inherently patriarchal and aims to expose misogyny in writing about women.

·         It examines images of women and concepts of the feminine in myth and literature and uses the psychological, archetypal, and sociological approaches.

4.       Marxist Approach

·         It is a political, social, and economic theory, fathered by Karl Marx.

·         He claims that economics is the base on which the superstructure of social, political, and ideological realities is built.

o   Bourgeoisie - the ones who control the world’s economic, natural, and human resources, who can manipulate the culture to maintain their position of power

o   Proletariat - the ones who perform manual labor and seen as machines rather than human beings

·         It examines how economic structure shapes society, with the means of production as the base and the institutions created by the social, political, and ideological systems.

5.       Historical-Biographical Approach

·         Its focus is on the life, times, and environment of the author, and this approach deals with the effects of these factors on the work of art.

·         The life of the author, the historical events and the values of his age help us understand the work, and in a similar way the literary work gives information of the author and his own period.

D.  WRITING A CRITIQUE

Before start writing, it is important to have a thorough understanding of the literary piece that will be critiqued.

·         Study the literary piece.

·         Make notes on key parts of the literary piece.

·         Formulate a thesis statement

Structure of a Critique

I.  Introduction - aims to capture the reader’s interest

A.  Hook

B.  Information about the literary piece

C.  Thesis statement

II.  Body - expresses the development of the central idea.

A.  Summary

B.  Critical Evaluation

1.  Topic sentence

2.  Evidence from research/Textual evidence

3.  Explanation

4.  Link

III.  Conclusion - gives a sense of completeness to the reader

A.  Restate the thesis

B.  Summary of the main points

C.  Relevant comment about the work