stylistic analysis of sinigang

8/15/2019 Stylistic Analysis of Sinigang

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EN 210: INTERFACING LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

John Paul C. Vallente Dr. Marar!ta R. "ren#a!nMA ELLT $1% November 21, 2015

A Tan o& 't(l!)t!*) !n V!lla*eran+) Sinigang:Linking Language and Meaning in Textual Analysis

I. Plot 'u,,ar(

The short story Sinigang written in 2001 by Marby illa!eran "short #or Marie

Aubrey $% illa!eran& narrates how Li'a, the main !hara!ter, deals with the issue o# her

#ather who had an extramarital a##air with (ylvia, and !onse)uently had a son, Lem% The

story takes *la!e in Li'a+s home where she, together with her Tita Loleng, *re*ares

sinigang #or the #amily dinner, as it is her #ather+s #avorite dish% uring the !ourse o#

*re*aring and !ooking, Tita Loleng asks Li'a about her en!ounter with (ylvia in the

wake o# Lem who died be!ause o# !an!er% -t is through Tita Loleng+s )uestions

.uxta*osed with the *ro!edures o# *re*aring sinigang that s*arked #lashba!ks in the

story revealing not only vivid memories o# how Li'a was made known about her #ather+s

/other #amily, how uneasy she #elt when she #inally met (ylvia, or how ran!orous and

*retentiously im*assive she is towards her #ather, T also, these #lashba!ks dis!lose

how un!onditional the love o# Li'a+s mother is, and that no matter how Li'a denies, her

love #or her #ather, in s*ite o# all his #laws, is never really lost% The man vs% man or more

*redominantly "though im*li!it& man vs% !ir!umstan!e !on#li!t is resolved when at the

burial o# Lem, the #ather says sorry to Li'a 3 a word that Li'a needed the most 3 yet,

whether she has #orgiven her #ather or #orgotten his #ias!o is not !learly resolved%

II. General Inter-retat!on o& the Tet

The distin!tive blend o# *ro!edural and narrative dis!ourses emanates #rom

Marby illa!eran+s short story, Sinigang whi!h leaves the reader a tang o# sym*athy #or

Li'a, the main !hara!ter who at the same time a!ts as the narrator in the story, and

anti*athy towards her struggles !on.uring u* a barrier that seemingly emotionally

se*arates her #rom her #ather, and #rom many *ortions in the text+s *lot% Nevertheless,

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Li'a makes an e##ort in #illing in these ga*s through ways she never wanted doing but

does anyway, either by !ir!umstan!e or by !hoi!e%

The story is told #rom the #irst *erson *oint o# view "as signi#ied by the narrator+s

use o# the *ronoun /-& where the in#ormation the reader re!eives is seen only through

the eyes o# the narrator% ur views are basi!ally built on the *er!e*tions o# the s*eaker

thus, what we learn #rom the narrator sha*es our understanding o# the other !hara!ters,

and *lot develo*ment% (in!e the narrator+s knowledge is limited to her own domain, it

#ollows that ours is too, there#ore, we !an at times be as sur*rised as the narrator when

something unex*e!ted takes *la!e% Moreover, this kind o# 4 used in the story allows

us to sym*athi'e with Li'a+s emotions, to ex*erien!e, one way or another, her inner

!on#li!ts, and to understand in a dee*er sense her *ersonality%

The main !hara!ter remains !om*osed and strong "*ar% 16& amidst #amilial

turmoil exem*li#ying her domesti! role as a daughter in a 7ili*ino #amily, that is,

submission to and !om*lying with *arents+ demands and re)uests% Though, at some

*oints in the text, she has tenden!y toward greater assertiveness and *robably,

eventually, rebellion "*ar% 88&, she has ke*t inta!t her virtues shown in her mature

!o*ing with un#avorable situations, and has regained her !on!e*t o# a /!om*lete #amily

im*lied in her imagining o# the dinner with his #ather a!tually in the #rame, though the

!onne!tion is not the same as it was "*ar% 91&%

III. Pre/a!l!n F!*t!onal Ele,ent)

The one:word title, Sinigang basi!ally hinted at *ro!edural dis!ourse in the text,

whi!h is a realisti! assum*tion as this is mani#ested by the narrator in !ertain *oints o#

the short story, most a**arent in *aragra*hs 5; to 56%


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the shameless daughter> her !rushing o# the said ingredients served as outlet o# her

resentment to her dad%

7urthermore, the title anti!i*ates the mix o# tastes 3 sinigang is a *er#e!t blend o#

#ruity sourness and meaty sma!k that sometimes singly *o*s u* in the bud, but

o#tentimes *rodu!e a delight#ully distin!tive #lavor to the deli!a!y 3 that *arallels Li'a+s

ex*erien!e at the wake, and that re#le!ts the overall tone o# the narrator whi!h is

resentment !on!erning her #ather+s in#idelity%

The title also suggests the use o# lo!al language whi!h is !learly observable in

the !hara!ters+ dialogues 3 7ili*ino nouns like sinigang "*ar% 8&, palanggana "*ar% 5&,

hugas bigas "*ar% 5;&, kangkong "*ar% 59&, and adverbs in the 7ili*ino language su!h as na

"*ar% 2;& and talaga "*ar% 80& are used #re)uently in the narrative% These elements

#oreground the native #olk atmos*here o# the narrative that makes the setting,

!hara!ters, and the story more authenti! and !ulturally *enetrating%

The *resen!e o# inter.e!tions and vo!ali'ed *auses are made evident in some o#

the dialogues as well, #or exam*le, “Hmm. . .” "*ar% 2;&, “Oh. . .” "*ar% 26&, “Haay. . .”

"*ar% 80&% These #oreground the !ollo)uial s*ee!h exem*li#ied by the utteran!es in the

text !reating !hara!ters who are /humans involved in a !onversational situation%

The narrator+s language is mostly des!ri*tive es*e!ially giving attention to details

whi!h is observable even at the early *arts o# the story% 7or instan!e, in *aragra*h =

when Li'a is at the wake in #ront o# Lem+s !o##in, noti!e how the narrator *rovides vivid

des!ri*tion o# the !o##in by em*loying ri!h ad.e!tives in !on.un!tion with adverbs% This

style o# language use is evident almost in the entire text, whi!h stirs the senses o# the

readers to !reate a !lear imaginary *i!ture o# what is being des!ribed, and may also

intensi#y the #emininity o# the main !hara!ter as she lives in a #amily whi!h i# not #or the

#ather would be #emale:dominated%

Moreover, this des!ri*tive style is sustained in the manner o# ex!hanges between

Li'a and Tita Loleng% Li'a+s de#ensive stan!e in answering the )uestions is intensi#ied

by adverbs su!h as offhandedly "*ar%;&, carefully "*ar%;&, and vehemently "*ar%;2&, in e##e!t,

Tita Loleng be!omes extra !autious in her /*robe? 3 trying to get as mu!h in#ormation,

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at the same time, showing sym*athy towards her nie!e as im*lied by the *hrases

begged for understanding "*ar%21&, nodded understandingly "*ar%29& and gave…sympathetic

look "*ar%8;&% The use o# these words and *hrases that illustrate the !onversation does

not merely identi#y the one dee*ly a##e!ted by the !ir!umstan!es but also magni#ies the

di##eren!es in emotional maturity that the two !hara!ters have 3 Li'a who kee*s a sa#e

distan!e #rom the *roblem, and Tita Loleng who seemingly en!ourages her to rather

!on#ront it%

IV. L!nu!)t!* 't(l!)t!* Feature)

@e!urrent, relevant linguisti! #eatures in the text su!h as re*etition, grammati!al

deviation, and others that attra!t some degree o# #oregrounding are *resented and

dis!ussed in the table%


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meta*hor

with Li'a+s

ex*erien!e

in the wake

and

4ar%

candelabras each

supporting three

ro!s of high#!attage

electric candles . . .

causing the flowers

to release more of

their heady scent

before they wilted

prematurely

. . . the mourners

preferred to stay out

on the veranda for

fear that the heat

from the lights might

also cause them to

wither .

grie# and dullness in Lem+s wake,

Li'a !om*ared the mourners to the

withered #lowers> an illustration o#

meta*hor% The verbs /wilt and

/wither are !losely asso!iated to

death, thus these hel* in !reating a

!lear mental image o# what trans*ires

in the wake%

4ar% 1 $he knelt in front of

me% a sinner

confessing before a

priest so he could

wash away the dirt

from her past.

Li'a+s de*i!tion o# (ylvia as a

dirty sinner #urther intensi#ies how

roughly she thinks o# the woman, and

!om*aring hersel# to a *riest, all the

more *uts (ylvia into a darker

!hara!ter% Be !ould also note that

though her #ather also e)ually took*art in this adulterous s!andal, Li'a

never had a sense o# disgust towards

him, unlike the revulsion that she

#eels #or (ylvia as !an be *er!eived

in *aragra*hs 1 and 28% Li'a+s

se*arate treatment o# her #ather #rom

that o# (ylvia im*lies that her res*e!t

to and bond with her dad remain,

though not as intense as be#ore%

4ar% 22 a scene from a very

bad melodrama I

!as !atching . . .

Aside #rom the #a!t that this

meta*hor is !ulturally relevant as it

#oregrounds 7ili*inos+ #anati!ism

towards soa* o*eras, it also de*i!ts

how Li'a *retended to understand

(ylvia+s side o# the story "*ar% 28&%

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Cere, Li'a seemingly identi#ies

hersel# as an a!tress in a television

drama *rogram where she needs to

a!t a!!ording to the s!ene% Li'a

su!!eeded in making (ylvia believe

that she has a!tually #orgiven her, but

the readers are #ully aware that that is

all *retense and su*er#i!ial%

4ar% 8= &hen my 'ad had

come out of the room

I remembered

sensing it

immediately%the

same !ayan animal

instinctively

perceives when it is

in danger

Li'a likens hersel# to an animal

whi!h instin!tively *er!eives danger

"*ossibly her #ather&% Cowever, the

*ronoun /it whi!h a**ears #irst in the

senten!e dismisses the idea that the

noun danger *ertains to Li'a+s #ather>in this !ase, danger may be e)uated

to the *robable res*onse o# Li'a

when she #inally sees her #ather in

the wake 3 her #ather #un!tioning as a

/stimulus that may trigger danger%

Li'a knows that her *robable

res*onse towards her #ather may

im*eril her im*assive stan!e and may

also !ause utter disres*e!t to Lem+s

wake, there#ore, dangerous% Li'a also!om*ared hersel# to an animal whi!h

gives us the notion that she #ully

knows how an en!ounter with her

#ather might unleash the aggression

in her like when an animal senses it

is in danger%

!& @e*etition

in meaning

4ar% 51 . . . s(ueezing and

mashing unsatisfied

until all of me had been crushed

The words squeezing, mashing

and crushed all !ontribute to de*i!t

how emotionally devastated Li'a is atthat !ertain moment% Cer demand #or

ex*lanation is so intense that she

ste**ed out o# her a*athy towards

her #ather that seemingly !aged her%

2. Ell!-t!*al 4ar% 1 “$o !hat The )uestion is elli*ti!al, that is, a

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ue)t!on)

at the

!,-ortant

-art) o& the

narrat!/e

happened)” *re*ositional *hrase whi!h normally

#inishes o## short:answer )uestions is

"deliberately& eliminated #rom the

senten!e% # !ourse, sin!e this is an

utteran!e, the notion o# the )uestion+s

ungrammati!ality may be dismissed,

but the im*li!ation o# this kind o#

utteran!e #orm is signi#i!ant to note%

The !on.un!tion / so indi!ates that the

utteran!e is a!tually a #ragment o# a

*revious dialogue by Tita Loleng, and

also that these deleted earlier

utteran!es segued into the

su!!eeding *art o# the senten!e,

“. . .!hat happened)” Adding u* to thesensitivity o# in#ormation that the

)uestion demands is the elimination

o# the *re*ositional *hrase 3 in the

!ake 3 that is ex*e!ted to !om*lete

the )uestion% Cowever, Tita Loleng

!hooses this elli*ti!al !onstru!tion to

*rote!t Li'a+s #eelings, and in order

#or her to *ro.e!t em*athy towards

Li'a+s #amily issue% 7urthermore, the

elli*sis ignites the interest o# the

readers about the event "the

un!ommon meeting& that lead Tita

Loleng to asking this seemingly

intriguing )uestion%

4ar% ; . . . I needed to ask.

“&hy)”

Li'a+s memory o# her #ather

!alling her “$inverguenza” "whi!h is

#oregrounded as it is neither an


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be!ame un#aith#ul, why he

abandoned them #or another woman

3 another #amily, or almost !ertainly,

why her #ather !ould not treat her the

same way as he treated Lem% Cer

#ather did not ex*e!t the )uestion @

did not know how or what to answer,

as in *aragra*h 50, “He met my gaze. I

!aited but he !ould not * could not *

ans!er me. He looked a!ay.” Also, it

!ould be in#erred #rom this *aragra*h

how regret#ul the #ather is o# his *ast

a!tions as he *robably knows how

this negatively a##e!ted *eo*le whom

he values 3 his daughter and Lemmost es*e!ially% Ce #eels that no

ex*lanation !ould a!!e*tably

rationali'e his *ast a!tions, so rather

than res*onding verbally to Li'a+s

)uestion, he o*ted to stay silent and

look away% Moreover, the #ather may

have thought that res*onding to

Li'a+s )uestion would ba!k#ire> it

would not su**ress her rage but

!ould *ossibly aggravate the situationand !ause !on#rontation, whi!h is

utter disres*e!t to the #uneral, at least

in the 4hili**ine !ontext% This !ulture

o# res*e!t #or the dead loved one

may also be the reason why Li'a,

though emotional at that moment,

!ould only ask her #ather “&hy)”

be!ause i# Li'a+s )uestions would

#urther go into details, she would

somehow be humiliating her hal#:

brother, Lem% -n this !ase, Li'a !ould

be seen as a mature, well:mannered

woman who has !ontrol over her

emotions, no matter how intense

these !ould be%

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. Phonolo!3

*al &eature

(Onomatopoeia

)

4ar% 85 Clack! Clack! "he

knife hacked violently

against the board.

-t em*hasi'es the tension

between Li'a and her #ather when

they got a !han!e to talk at the wake

s*e!i#i!ally that o# Li'a+s inner

struggle whi!h she would #ail to

ex*ress o*enly to her #ather 3 “I

kne! my father !as staring at me but I

refused to look at him. He approached

and stood ne+t to me. I remained

silent.”"*ar% 86&

4. Collo*at!o3

nal 5rea6)

lea#!n to

A,7!u!t(

4ar% 56 I remembered the

flo!er petals . . . I

had thro!n . . . into

the freshly dug grave . . .

-t is im*ortant to take note o# the

!ollo!ational breaks em*loyed in

these *arts o# the story whi!h leads to

ambiguity, that is, sin!e the wordsdeviate #rom the normal, a!!e*ted

syntax they now a!)uire multi*le

meaning that might be inter*reted

di##erently% The *hrase “freshly dug

grave” assigns another meaning to

Lem+s death 3 it is not *urely sorrow

but, in a way, the adverb /#reshly

denotes a new beginning #or Li'a+s

#ather to be /the #ather that he used

to be% Also, Lem+s death !ould be the

#ather+s liberation #rom his *ast

a!tions, as Lem is seen as the NLD

link that !onne!ts the #ather to (ylvia%

4ar% 56 His hand heavy !ith

sadness fell on my

shoulder.

The senten!e !ould not literally

suggest that the #ather+s hand is

heavy with sadness, and that it #ell on

Li'a+s shoulder% -n a literary sense,

this senten!e re*resents how the

#ather re*ents #or the distress that his

*ast a!tions have !aused Li'a and

her hal#:brother, Lem% This *aragra*h

intensi#ies his a*ologeti! stan!e

!on!erning the un#avorable

!onse)uen!es o# his in#idelity%

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4ar% 92 . . . I had cooked his

favorite dish and I

!ould give him a

smile that would

never quite show,

not even in my eyes.

e!ause Li'a+s smile is illustrated

in this *art o# the text in a manner

that does not really resemble a smile,

the readers are le#t *u''led% This

stresses how Li'a deals with her

#ather will never be the same again

as it is easy to #orgive but not to

#orget% n the other hand, how Li'a

rea!ted to her #ather+s re*entan!e

"*ar% 5& is not detailed in the text, but

the su!!eeding *aragra*hs would

lead us, the readers, to believe that

through the #ather+s a*ology, Li'a is

able to a!!e*t the bitter truth, and is

able to restore her identity that on!ewas lost> that, a#ter all, she is still her

#ather+s daughter% # !ourse, it is not

ex*li!it in the text that she has

#orgiven nor #orgotten> the .udgment

is le#t to the readers% Cowever, sin!e

Li'a was able to /imagine having

dinner with her #amily, !om*lete

again, though not the same as it was,

it !an be !on!luded that she made

her way to a!!e*tan!e 3 the leastshe !ould give thus #ar%

Con*lu)!on

Through s*e!i#ying the re!urring linguisti! #eatures in the text .uxta*osed with

inter*retative !omments, the link between #orm and meaning !an be seen more !learly%

The stylisti! analysis o# the text+s #orm allowed the a**li!ation o# in#erring meaning that

gradually leads us to the overall uni#ying themes o# the short story 3 s*e!i#i!ally, the

7ili*ino #amily, in order to endure, should u*hold the value o# #orgiveness and

a!!e*tan!e> generally, li#e itsel# is a struggle, how one+s li#e will turn out de*ends on

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how one looks at and takes these struggles% -n Li'a+s !ase, she !hose a!!e*ting and

living with her #ather+s mistakes, and starting all over again, be!ause, essentially,

ha**iness is a !hoi!e%

8or6 C!te#:

Villaceran, Marby. “Sinigang” "he ,est -hilippine $hort $tories. RP literature Group, 2001. Web.

23 Sept. 2015.

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stylistic analysis of sinigang

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