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Reading Notes: Part A Filipino Tales


Similar to the folktales and short stories seen in the other units, the Filipino folktales consist of a collection of short stories. An interesting and notable story of the collection was The Clever Husband and Wife. The story recounts a Servant who manipulates his master to obtain a wife and money. It is interesting to note the name of the servant, Pedro. Pedro seems to be more of a Latino name, rather than a traditional Filipino name, so this is perhaps commenting on the Spanish influence on the Philippines since the the Philippines used to be a colony of Spain. Additionally, the name of the wife, Marta, also indicates Spanish influence. The doctor's residence, a hacienda, is also a Spanish word meaning a large estate or plantation. Overall, it is clear that the Spanish have had a large influence on the Philippines.  I also found interesting the title of the story and the outcome of the story. While the servant and his wife were certainly clever in stealing money from the doctor and his sister, their trickery's would eventually fail in the end. I see this story as exploring how trickery and crime is dishonest and eventually leads to justice. However, the story's title labeling the servant and wife as clever seems to suggest the opposite and almost approve of their deceiving behavior. Upon researching Tagalong, which is what the narrator is characterized as being,  I found that it means a person from central Luzon In the Philippines islands. Additionally, Tagalong also references to the language of the people. The language has been influenced by Spanish and English and is supposed to be the considered as the national language of the Philippines in the standardized form known as Filipino. Overall, the story is an interesting read and my first exposure to Filipino stories.

Bibliography: Filipino Popular Tales by Dean S. Fansler (1921).

Wikimedia: Flag of the Philippines under Spanish rule

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