Book Report in Developmental Reading

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Every Friday Guia went with him to the university but today she was nowhere and Sisang said that she left at daybreak. At that day Guia did not return home--- the day turned into week and PG was longing for her.

PG opened the door and come with the lunch basket and a bundle of books. The stranger lingered the door and PG said come in. the stranger said tha he is Ecco brother of Guia. He said that he was there to explain a lot of things and the first thing he said is Guia was already dead. He said that Guia steal PG’s most expensive watch because there is a child very ill and she still the earring and PDA because she’s giving money to her fellowmen. PG decided to go with Ecco to where Guia is buried. Ecco confessed to him what is happening to ramot and his clan is the land grabbers that make people in Ramot suffer hard.

Christmas and New Year came but he was still longing for Guia. He decided to make a terra cotta statue of Guia. Teroy offers to help him but he insists. He get the clay and started to make the statue. He decided to put sherds on the hand of statue to represent that Guia is generous. After molding the statue he decided to cook it in fire.

He woke up and saw that the statue was moving at first he taught that it was imagination but he realized that it was reality. He teaches the statue how to act like a human but it just keep on pointing out the painting that was made by Guia.

PG decided to bring the statue to Ramot though it was dangerous. They were seen by the land guards and when the land guards reach them the terra cotta statue of Guia hugged him and he don’t remember the things that happen after that.

Interpretation

This novel reflects to the current situation of our society. People who are close to our government can have a power to control and dictate what to do in a particular place and even people; it is shown at the part where the land guards kill all the people who go to the mountain side. At the part where Guia presented her artworks to PG, he saw that there is a melancholy on her painting though the girl in the painting is smiling, it represents that art portrays the things running in the mind of the artist and even though she try to make a happy girl in the painting she can’t hide her real feelings to a great artist because he can easily sense what emotion is invested in that particular art. Aside from that this book shows that there is always a person who is willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of the others and for the sake of her native land; it was shown when Guia gave all her salary to her fellowmen and she steal Betty’s earrings, PG’s PDA and most expensive watch just to gave it to her fellowmen because she knew that they don’t have money. Lastly it shows that there is a possibility that we can love other people the way we love our family; When Guia did not return he was longing for her though he knew that Guia steal his PDA, rolex and Betty’s earrings and after he knew that Guia was dead he made a terra cotta statue of Guia because he really miss her and before Guia died she said that she treat PG as her father and she’s so sorry on what she does.

Background of the author

Francisco Sionil Jose was born in Rosales, Pangasinan December 3, 1924. He studied at the Rosales Elementary School, Far Eastern University High School, and the University of Santo Tomas (UST). After WWII he took pre-medicine courses at the Manila College of Pharmacy and Dentistry, then at the UST, shifting to liberal arts later on. He was editor-in-chief of the university paper The Varsitarian. In 1947, he joined the staff of Commonwealth, a Catholic magazine.

F. Sionil received numerous awards for his work. Jose Rizal’s life and writings have influenced his work. Throughout his career, F. Sionil’s writings espouse social justice and change to better the lives of average Filipino families. He is one of the most critically-acclaimed Filipino authors internationally, although much underrated in his own country.

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