Creative Writing

Module 4
Elements, Techniques & Devices of Fiction
WEEKLY LEARNING PLAN
Quarter 1 – Week 5 l September 19 – 23, 2022
Day & Learning Competency Learning Tasks
Time
9:00 AM 1. Identify the various ✓ In order to understand the lesson well, do the activities in JUMPSTART. The first exercise,
– 10:00 elements, techniques Activity 1: Think and Craft Your Thought will enable you to plan for your possible
AM
and literary devices in masterpiece entitled “Covid Ko, Covid Mo, Covid ng Buong Mundo”. Activity 2: Neophyte
various modes of fiction. Writer Corner is an exercise to write a narrative fiction with a minimum of ten (10) sentences.
(HUMSS_CW/plg-1-11) Write your answer on your CREATIVE WRITING NOTEBOOK.
✓ Continue your journey in creative writing by trying to DISCOVER other tidbits of wisdom. Read
the comprehensive discussion of the lesson critically. This will help you to compose a brilliant
work of fiction.
✓ After reading the lesson, answer the enrichment activities in order for you to master the basic
concepts you have learned and enhance your writing skills. Enrichment Activity 1: The
Novice Craft – Write the story with yourself as the lead character. Narrate the events from the
first-person POV. Write your answers on your CREATIVE WRITING NOTEBOOK. Then
answer Assessment 1 by analyzing the sentences and identify the element and devices of
10:00 fiction used in the underlined words. Write your answers on your CREATIVE WRITING
AM – NOTEBOOK. Don’t forget to check your answer based on the Key Answers at the last page of
12:00 this module.
NN ✓ After that, read the story “How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife” by Manuel E. Arguilla
then answer Enrichment Activity 2: Project and Scribble. Choose one character in the story
then provide for the information asked in the outline. Write your answer on your CREATIVE
WRITING NOTEBOOK. This activity will hone your creativity in projecting a character as if it
exists in real life. After this, answer Assessment 2 by interpreting the sentences extracted
from the story. Limit your answer to 2-3 sentences only. Write your answer in your Creative
Writing notebook.
✓ PERFORMANCE TASK: Write four (4) journal entries and other short compositions exploring
the key elements of fiction. Journal 1 – write a descriptive paragraph that revolves around the
topic “The Star of My Life”. Use a minimum of 10 sentences only. Journal 2 – Write about your
1:00- 2. Write journal entries
experiences when you were still a Junior High student. Use foreshadowing as a literary
3:00 PM and other short
technique. The output should be as lengthy as 20 sentences. Journal 3 – Collate all the
compositions exploring
scenes in the given list and write a short story incorporating the elements, techniques and
key elements of fiction. devices you have studied in this lesson. Journal 4 – Analyze the story “How My Brother Leon
(HUMSS_CW/plg-1-13) Brought Home a Wife” and explain the different elements, techniques and devices of fiction
used by the author. Please be guided with the given rubrics. This will be submitted during face
to face session. This is due on September 30, 2022.
~~
 Target

A fiction writer should have a vast imagination in trying to incorporate her

brilliant ideas. Creativity counts most in expressing his thoughts through his
masterpiece. An output that truly catches one’s heart with a lasting memento on
the readers’ mind. A story full of thrills and excitements that basically touch one’s
emotion as an awakening from a psychological and emotional turmoil. In the same
manner, other bitter experiences of a person in his daily struggle simply boils down
to the study of fiction. Elements are indeed contributory to make the masterpiece
beautiful and interesting. Hence, the elements, techniques and devices of fiction is
given emphasis in this module. On the other hand, the novice writer is also required
to write journal entries and other short compositions incorporating the elements
of fiction at the latter part.

In the previous lesson, you have mastered the concepts of poetry. In this module,
your knowledge of fiction goes to a broader perspective.

This module gives you an overview about the elements, techniques and devices
of various modes of fiction which a neophyte writer needs to consider in order to
come up with an output which is in conformity with literary standards.

After this lesson, it is expected that you have gained thorough knowledge about
the following:

1. Identify the various elements, techniques and literary devices in various

modes of fiction. (HUMSS_CW/plg-1-11)
2. Write journal entries and other short compositions exploring key elements
of fiction. (HUMSS_CW/plg-1-13)

Before you proceed to the main lesson, let us refresh your mind and pour out
those brilliant ideas you have as a neophyte writer.

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 Elements, Techniques and Literary Devices
of Various Modes of Fiction

Elements Techniques and Devices

1. Character 1. Mood
2. Setting and Atmosphere a. Setting
3. Plot b. Point of View
4. Point of view (POV) c. Diction
5. Conflict 2. Tone
6. Theme 3. Symbolism and Motif
7. Irony 4. Foreshadowing
5. Euphemism
6. Imagery
7. Metaphor
8. Allusion
9. Epigraph

Elements of Fiction

The table gives you a hint about the topics covered in this module. A writer
needs to craft his/her ideas creatively in order to leave a lasting imprint in the heart
and mind of readers. In this module, you are introduced about the elements, techniques
and literary devices of fiction. As a finale, you will be asked to exercise your writing
skills to craft journal entries exploring key elements of fiction.

Discover

Let us proceed to the lesson proper. Read the comprehensive discussion of

today’s lesson critically. Relax and internalize the new concepts as you start
your journey in the world of fiction.

ELEMENTS OF FICTION

A. CHARACTER is an important element of fiction. Without a central character, there

is no story.
Characterization is the means by which writers present and reveal characters.

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Types of Characters

Types of characters
1. Protagonist. The protagonist is the central figure around whom the story
revolves,like Katniss Everdean in The Hunger Games.

Antihero
The antihero can also be the main character in a story. Typically, we imagine our main
characters to be admirable. Perhaps they're people we'd love to know in the "real world."
But, have you ever read a book where the main character was lacking in sound moral
judgment?

2. Antagonist
Good, bad, or otherwise, most main characters will be faced with an antagonist,
or villain. Often, this is the person that stands in the way of - antagonizes - whatever the
main character is trying to achieve. Antagonists will set out all kinds of roadblocks and
be the source of several drama-filled scenes.
3. Foil. What would a story be without several juicy bits of drama? A foil is a character
(often the antagonist) whose qualities stand in stark contrast to another character (often
the protagonist). This contrast provides the reader with a better understandingof each
character.
For example, if the protagonist is loyal, brave, and morally sound, each of those
qualities will be augmented every time we read more about the foil character who's
disloyal, cowardly, and selfish.

4. Dynamic. A dynamic character is one who evolves or changes significantly over

time.This label is often reserved for the main character, given the conflict they're
trying to overcome. If they come out the other side, they've typically grown or evolved
in some way.

5. Static. In contrast to a dynamic character, a static character does not change over
time. Perhaps this is someone like the main character's father or mentor. They might
be consistently wise, or abrasive, or enlightening. This label is often reserved for
peripheral characters.

6. Round. Have you ever encountered a character with a difficult mother or spouse? You
can't tell whether they love or hate them. If so, you could consider that "difficult person"
a round character. This is someone with a complex personality. They're neither overtly
kind nor innately cruel. They may act inconsistently, rather than follow a smooth arc.
Somewhere deep down, they're most likely conflicted and, to the main character and the
readers, perhaps even a little contradictory.

7. Flat. A flat character is the opposite of the round character. These characters may
be overtly kind or inanely cruel - and it shows. When you think of a flat character, you'll
immediately perceive one characteristic and that will, essentially, define who they are.
In contrast to the complex nuance of a round character, a flat character is simple and
obvious.

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B. SETTING. The setting initiates the main backdrop of fiction by providing both
the historical time and the geographic location wherein your story takes place.

C. PLOT The sequence of actions and events in the story. To put it simply: you can’t
have a story without a plot. It doesn’t matter if you have a strong concept, an incredible
cast of characters, an important message, or all three. If you don’t have a plot, you don’t
have a story. So how do you ensure you not only have a plot, but a good one? Let’s start
from the beginning.
Plot point - An event or scene in your story.
Plot - The chain of events that make up your story, or the combination of your
plot points.
Narrative arc - The order of plot points in your story.

The Five Elements of Plot

1. Exposition
This is your book’s introduction, where you introduce your characters, establish the
setting, and begin to introduce the primary conflict of your story.
Often, the exposition of a story only lasts for a few chapters because readers are eager
to dive into the conflict of the story. Don’t wait too long to introduce your inciting incident
and get the ball rolling! Many authors make the mistake of having their exposition be
full of interesting but ultimately unnecessary information about the world in their book.
.
2. Rising Action. The rising action normally begins with an inciting incident, or a
moment that sets your story into action. As it progresses, you’ll have multiple moments
of conflict that escalate and create tension as the story moves toward the climax.

3. Climax. The climax is the peak of tension, plot, and character in your story. It’s the
moment that your reader has been waiting for—so make it exciting! Often, this is the
point in the story that everything changes, or where your main character is forced to
make a life-altering decision. It should be the point where the reader is unsure where
your story is going to go next. To use our roller coaster analogy, imagine you’re at the
top of the peak and everything stops: what’s going to happen? A great climax will leave
the readers with this feeling, forcing them to keep reading until the end.

4. Falling Action. Now that you’ve reached the peak of your story, it’s time to start
moving toward a more satisfying conclusion. This is the time to start resolving conflicts
and subplots so your story doesn’t feel rushed in the last few chapters. Thisis also
where any conflicts that arose as a result of the climax can start being resolved.

5. Resolution/Denouement. The resolution is the end of your story where you can tie
up the final loose ends and bring your story to its happy or tragic ending. Or, if you’re
writing a series, now would be the time to write a cliff hanger and leave them eager for
the next installment!

D. POINT OF VIEW. In a story, the point of view is the narrator’s position in the
description of events.

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 The 4 Types of Point of View

Here are the four primary Point of View types in fiction:

First person point of view. First person is when “I” am telling the story. The character
is in the story, relating his or her experiences directly.

Second person point of view. The story is told to “you.” This POV is not common in
fiction, but it’s still good to know (it is common in nonfiction).

Third person point of view, limited. The story is about “he” or “she.” This isthe
most common point of view in commercial fiction. The narrator is outside of the story
and relating the experiences of a character.

Third person point of view, omniscient. The story is still about “he” or “she,” but the
narrator has full access to the thoughts and experiences of all characters in the story.

E. CONFLICT - creates tension and interest to the plot.It refers to the different drives
and interest of the characters and forces involved in the story.A conflict may be
internal- that is , a psychological conflict arises from two opposite emotions or desires
felt by the lead character ; an internal disagreement between virtue and vice, good
and evil, which causes the character to suffer mental agony. A conflict may also be
external in nature. It is marked by an involvement of another characteror forces in the
story which put the lead character in struggle.

Types of Conflict
Conflict 1. Man Versus Self
These are internal battles that characters wage within themselves; these are internal
issues that affect their actions, motivations and interactions with other characters.
The conflict can be a recurring theme throughout the story or at a particular point in
time. In Julius Caesar, Brutus constantly struggles with his feeling towards his friend
Caesar and his country.

Example of Man Versus Self Conflict

The below excerpt from Gora by Tagore is an example of a momentary internal conflict.
“…as the cab drove away, the girl joined her hands in a brief namaskar. Utterly
unprepared for this gesture, Binoy remained frozen, unable to respond. Back home,
he repeatedly cursed himself for this minor lapse. Scrutinizing his own conduct in
their company from their first encounter to the moment of parting, he felt that his
manner had been rather uncivil. He tormented himself with futile thoughts of what he
could have said or done at specific moments.”

Conflict 2. Man Versus Society

These are conflicts where your characters’ firm beliefs are against norms that
the entire society as a whole endorses. It could be social evils or discrimination
practiced by society that is opposed by a minority.

Example of Man Versus Society Conflict

The excerpt below is from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It is the story set in a
fictional town in America at a time when racial discrimination was at its height.
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“Scout,” said Atticus, “nigger lover is just one of those terms that don’t mean anything .
It’s hard to explain – ignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebody is
favouring Negroes over and above themselves. ..”
“You aren’t really a nigger lover are you?”
“ I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody. It’s never an insult to be called what
somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesn’t
hurt you. So don’t let Mrs. Dubose get you down…”

Conflict 3. Man Versus Man

These sort of conflicts are the most common. Your characters will be opposed
by or will oppose the actions, reactions, motivations of another character or characters.
As a writer you can choose to use this sort of conflict to provide comic relief to your
narrative.

Example of Man Versus Man Conflict

Consider the example below; an excerpt from one of my favorites – Swami and
Friends by the legendary R.K.Narayanan.
“Oh wretched idiots!,” the teacher said, clenching his fists, “Why do you worship dirty,
lifeless, wooden idols and stone images? Can they talk? No. Can they see? No. Can
they take you to heaven? No. What did your Gods do when Mohammed of Gazni
smashed them to pieces, trod upon them, and constructed out of them steps for his
lavatory?...
Now see our Lord Jesus. He could cure the sick, relieve the poor, and take us to
Heaven. He was a real God. …
Did our Jesus go about dancing with girls like your Krishna? Did our Jesus go about
stealing butter like that arch-scoundrel Krishna? “
The teacher paused for breath. Swaminathan’s blood boiled. He got up and asked, “If
he did not, why was he crucified?”

Conflict 4. Man Versus Nature

Nature serves as the obstacle for characters. You could choose to write a
particular scene around a natural calamity such as a typhoon or tsunami. There are
many stories waiting to be explored because, in my opinion, an inspirational story
such as the triumph of human spirit over adversity will never go out of fashion.

Example of Man Versus Nature Conflict

The excerpt below is from Life of Pi by Yann Martel and a great part of the book
is set in the middle of the sea.
The ship sank. It made a sound like a monstrous metallic burp. Things bubbled at the
surface and then vanished.
Everything was screaming: the sea, the wind, my heart. From the lifeboat I saw
something in the water.
I cried, "Richard Parker, is that you? It's so hard to see. Oh, that this rain would stop!
Richard Parker? Richard Parker? Yes, it is you!"
I could see his head. He was struggling to stay at the surface of the water.
"Jesus, Mary, Muhammad and Vishnu, how good to see you, Richard Parker!
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Don't give up, please. Come to the lifeboat. Do you hear this whistle?
TREEEEEE!
TREEEEEE! TREEEEEE!
Conflict 5. Man Versus Supernatural
Supernatural elements are typically those that defy the laws of nature and are
beyond scientific understanding. Such a setting adds gravitas and drama to the story.
If you are using super natural elements you might want to make sure what genre you
are writing in.

Example of Man Versus Supernatural Conflict

Excerpt from Vikram and Baital, an Indian fairytale.
Remember the old saying, mighty Vikram!" said the Baital, with a sneer, "that many a
tongue has cut many a throat. I have yielded to your resolution and I am about to
accompany you, bound to your back like a beggar's wallet.
But pay heed to my words, as we set out upon the way. I am in talkative mood, and it
is well near an hour's walk between this tree and the place where your friend sits.
Therefore, I shall try to distract my thoughts, which otherwise might not be of the
most pleasing nature, by means of sprightly tales and profitable reflections.
The great king nodded.
• Remember that conflicts can be a recurring theme throughout the story or a momentary and
temporary obstacle
• Consider the above examples from literature. Observe how the conflict is introduced –
sometimes through dialogue and sometimes through narration
Are there other conflicts that would affect characters? Do write to us; an example would be
great. We’d love to hear from you.

F. THEME
The theme in a story is its underlying message, or 'big idea.' In other words,
what critical belief about life is the author trying to convey in the writing of a novel,
play, short story or poem? This belief, or idea, transcends cultural barriers. It is
usually universal in nature. When a theme is universal, it touches on the human
experience, regardless of race or language. It is what the story means. Often, a piece of
writing will have more than one theme.

G. IRONY
As conflicts create contraindication, events in the story may appear to be
radically different from what they actually are.

Kinds of Irony

1. Verbal irony. Verbal irony is close to sarcasm. Sometimes it works by

understatement, other times by overstatement. The words we hear do not carry the
intended meaning. In fact, they may be the very opposite
2. Dramatic irony. Then there’s a more substantive type of irony: dramatic. More is at
stake here because this kind of irony relates to character. When we hear Pap in The
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn proclaim seriously that he would have voted on

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election day “if I warn’t too drunk to get there,” we know we’re in the presence of a
character who is incredibly – and laughably – deluded. We know it, but he doesn’t. Every
word out of Pap’s mouth condemns him, but he never realizes it.
3. Situational irony.The third type of irony, situational, is surely the most frequently
used. You think things are going one way, but suddenly they make a hard 180-degree
turn. You’d never have predicted it, but there you are.

TECHNIQUES AND DEVICES OF FICTION

Fiction may very well be the most embellished form of writing. Even with only
its elements working together, it may still achieve coherence and structure. However,
more often than not, employing all the elements alone may actually result in a bland
story. It is on this premise that a writer must be able to embellish fiction by employing
several techniques and literary devices in order to come up with a narrative prose of
deep beauty and great significance.
1. Mood is a literary element that evokes certain feelings or vibes in readers through
words and descriptions. Usually, mood is referred to as the atmosphere of
a literary piece, as it creates an emotional setting that surrounds the readers.
The mood of fiction may be developed through the following elements.
a. Setting. A particular setting not only provides background and context to
the contents of one’s story but also sets the mood of the reader.
Example
“ The river , reflecting the clear blue of the sky, glistened and sparkled as it
flowed noiselessly on”.
- Pickwick Papers ( 1836 ), Charles Dickens, Dickens effectively created a calm
and peaceful mood in the setting. The description of idyllic sceneryimparts a
serene and nonviolent vibe to the readers.

b. Point of View. The story is observe through the narrator’s eyes.

Accordingly , the readers always rely on the writer’s point of view of the events
taking place in a story.
Example
“It would have been difficult to sink to a lower ebb of disorder, but to
Raskolnikov, in his present state of mind, this was positively agreeable. He
had got completely away from from everyone, like a tortoise in its shell,
and even the sight of a servant girl who had to wait upon him and looked
sometimes into his room made him writhe with nervous irritation. He was in the
condition that overtakes some monomaniacs entirely concentrated upon one
thing. His landlady had for the last fortnight given up sending him in meals,
and he had not yet thought of expostulating with her , though he went
without his dinner . Nastasya , the cook and only servant , was rather pleased
at the lodger’s mood and had entirely given up sweeping and doing his room;
only once a week or so she would stray into his room with a broom. She waked
him up that day”.
- Crime and Punishment ( 1866 ) . Fyodor Dostoevsky
It is through the eyes of the narrator that the readers get to feel the mood of
anxiety, irritation and introversion- the common moods of the socially inept-
of Dostoesky’s character, Raskolnikov.

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 c. Diction refers to an author's choice of words. When describing the events of
her story, an author never has just one word at her disposal. Rather, she must
choose from many words that have similar denotative meanings (the definition
you'd find in a dictionary), but different connotative meanings (the associations,
positive or negative with a given word).

Example
Imagine that a child in a story comes home from school and tells his parents
about his day.
Here are four separate ways he could describe his behavior at recess. Notice how
selecting one italicized word over another, shifting the diction, totally changes the
meaning of the sentence:
• 'Tommy made fun of me, so I nicked his eye with a stick.'
• 'Tommy made fun of me, so I poked his eye with a stick.'
• 'Tommy made fun of me, so I stabbed his eye with a stick.'
• 'Tommy made fun of me, so I gouged his eye with a stick.'

The words nicked, poked, stabbed and gouged all have similar denotative meanings, but
notice how an author's choosing one or the other would drastically affect how we
understand how well Tommy fared.
2. Allusion. An allusion is when an author refers to the events or characters from
another story in her own story with the hopes that those events will add context or depth
to the story she's trying to tell.
Example
One of the most alluded to texts in literature is the Bible, and specifically the
New Testament. Here is an allusion that a writer might make to the Biblical story of
Lazarus, who famously rose from the dead. Notice how using the allusion helpsintensify
the character's recovery:Night after night our hero lay in bed with the flu, hacking mucus
and blood and seeing behind his eyelids the angels or devils come to collect him. But
one morning, like Lazarus, he was whole again…
It should also be noted that an allusion doesn't have to specifically name the
character or event it's referring to.

3. Epigraph. A reference to another work that an author hopes will help readers
understand her own work. Unlike an allusion, an epigraph stands apart from the text
itself rather than being included in it.
Let's take a look at an epigraph from T.S. Eliot's famous poem 'The Love Song of J. Alfred
Prufrock.' The epigraph is from Dante's Inferno, and is meant to help Eliot's reader
understand that the poem that follows is a kind of confession.
If I but thought that my response were made
to one perhaps returning to the world,
this tongue of flame would cease to flicker.
But since, up from these depths, no one has yet
returned alive, if what I hear is true,
I answer without fear of being shamed

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4. Euphemism. A writer wishes to describe some graphic or offensive event using
milder imagery or phrasing. When an author does this, it's called a euphemism.
Example
Imagine that a sports broadcaster calling the action in a baseball game has to say
into the microphone that a player has just been struck in the genitalia with a line drive.
Obviously in the interests of taste, he doesn't wish to say 'genitalia' on the air, and so
instead he says:
'…it's a line drive up the middle and, oh my goodness, ladies and gentlemen, he seems
to have taken one below the belt…'
Notice how below the belt communicates where the ball hit the player but avoids
using the more explicit term.
5. Foreshadowing. When an author hints at the ending of or at an upcoming event
inher story without fully divulging it.
Example
At the end of Ernest Hemingway's famous novel A Farewell to Arms, a key
character dies while it's raining. To hint at that death, Hemingway earlier in the book
includes a scene where the character admits that she is afraid of the rain because
sometimes she sees herself dead in it.
While this is just an irrational vision, it also gives the reader an ominous detail and
hints at an event that might be to come.
6. Imagery. When an author chooses words for their connotative associations she
chooses sensory details for the associations or tones they evoke. This is the author's
selection of imagery.
Example
In Theodore Roethke's famous poem, 'My Papa's Waltz,' we see a young boy dance
with his drunken father. It's a happy memory for the boy, but also the poem hints at the
father's dangerous condition. One of the ways Roethke achieves this is through his
selection of imagery.
Consider the first stanza
The whiskey on your breath
Could make a small boy dizzy;
But I hung on like death:
Such waltzing was not easy.
While there are several examples of imagery here, think specifically about
Roethke's choice of 'whiskey' as the alcohol the father is drinking.
7. Metaphor. When attempting to describe an image or event, an author often will find
it useful to compare what she's describing to another image or event. This is called
metaphor, and it gives the reader a fresh, sometimes startling way of imagining what's
going on.

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Example
In Andrew Marvell's famous poem, 'To His Coy Mistress,' the speaker uses the
following metaphor to describe his fear of pending death.
But at my back I always hear
time's winged chariot hurrying near…

8. Tone. It is the attitude you, as the writer assume toward the theme or subjects of
the story. The manner of how you tell the story, how you presented its theme, or how
you approached a particular subject shows the tone of your work. Tone can be any
attitude, such as formal, informal, serious, comic, sarcastic, sad, or cheerful.
Example
“Thus the young and pure would be taught to look at her, with the scarlet letter
framing on her breast,- at her, the child of honorable parents, - at her, the mother of a
babe, that would hereafter be a woman, - at her, who had once been innocent, - as the
figure, the body, the reality of sin.”
- The Scarlet Letter (1850), Nathaniel Hawthorne
9. Symbolism and Motif. Symbolism gives the writer the freedom to add double levels
of meanings in fiction: a literal one that is self- evident and the symbolic one whose
meaning is far more profound than the literal one.
Motif. It can be seen as an image, sound, action or other figures that have a symbolic
significance and contribute toward other figures that have a symbolic significance and
contribute toward the development of the theme.
Example
“When trying to use the motif of “light and darkness”, symbols may be employed
to signify and carry the thought of the said motif throughout the story.

Symbols Possible Meaning How It Carries theMotif

Storm clouds Imminent danger/ Temporary darkness

problem
Moon shadows Guide Shades of light and
darkness
A candle A glimmer of hope A light in the darkness
A ray of sunshine Hope Emerging from darkness
A tunnel Trials Heading towards
darkness, seeing the light at the end
of the tunnel

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 Explore

Let us continue this week’s lesson through various enrichment

activities in order for you to master the basic concepts you have
learned and enhance your writing skills.

Assessment 1

Directions. Read and analyze the following sentences and identify what element
and devices of fiction best describe the given situation with underlined words. Write your
answer in your Creative Writing Notebook. Then check your answer based on the Key
Answer at the last page of this module.

1. Leoj and Loreen are not in good terms because the latter is a Daddy’s girl
and the former is given a meager allowance.

2. Shane, an online seller, meets the supplier in Agoo Hypermarket every

Wednesday.

3. During the darkest moments in her life, Shaira always keep on fighting and
guided with the dictum “ Behind the clouds , the sun is still shining.”

4. My hubby gave me three red roses during our “ First Year Wedding
Anniversary.”

5. Claire shed river of tears when they parted ways with Dee Jay.

Enrichment Activity 2: Project and Scribble

A writer must be able to project a character as if it exists in real life. Read the
story) entitled “How My Brother Leon Brought Home A Wife” below and provide the
following information asked. You may go beyond what are explicitly stated in the story.
Write your answer in your Creative Writing Notebook.

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 Name of the character :

1. Appearance
a.
b.
c.

2. Attitude / Temperament
a.
b.
c. __

3. Role
a.
b.
c.

How My Brother Leon Brought Home A Wife

Manuel E. Arguilla

She stepped down from the carretela of Ca Celin with a quick, delicate grace.
She was lovely. SHe was tall. She looked up to my brother with a smile, and her
forehead was on a level with his mouth.

"You are Baldo," she said and placed her hand lightly on my shoulder. Her
nails were long, but they were not painted. She was fragrant like a morning when
papayas are in bloom. And a small dimple appeared momently high on her right
cheek. "And this is Labang of whom I have heard so much." She held the wrist of one
hand with the other and looked at Labang, and Labang never stopped chewing his cud.
He swallowed and brought up to his mouth more cud and the sound of his insides was
like a drum.

I laid a hand on Labang's massive neck and said to her: "You may scratch his forehead
now."

She hesitated and I saw that her eyes were on the long, curving horns. But she came
and touched Labang's forehead with her long fingers, and Labang never stopped
chewing his cud except that his big eyes half closed. And by and by she was
scratching his forehead very daintily.

My brother Leon put down the two trunks on the grassy side of the road. He paid Ca
Celin twice the usual fare from the station to the edge of Nagrebcan. Then he was
standing beside us, and she turned to him eagerly. I watched Ca Celin, where he stood
in front of his horse, and he ran his fingers through its forelock and could not keep his
eyes away from her.
"Maria---" my brother Leon said.

13
He did not say Maring. He did not say Mayang. I knew then that he had always called
her Maria and that to us all she would be Maria; and in my mind I said 'Maria' and it
was a beautiful name.

"Yes, Noel."

Now where did she get that name? I pondered the matter quietly to myself, thinking
Father might not like it. But it was only the name of my brother Leon said backward
and it sounded much better that way.

"There is Nagrebcan, Maria," my brother Leon said, gesturing widely toward the west.

She moved close to him and slipped her arm through his. And after a while she said
quietly.

"You love Nagrebcan, don't you, Noel?"

Ca Celin drove away hi-yi-ing to his horse loudly. At the bend of the camino real where
the big duhat tree grew, he rattled the handle of his braided rattan whip against the
spokes of the wheel.

We stood alone on the roadside.

The sun was in our eyes, for it was dipping into the bright sea. The sky was wide and
deep and very blue above us: but along the saw-tooth rim of the Katayaghan hills to
the southwest flamed huge masses of clouds. Before us the fields swam in a golden
haze through which floated big purple and red and yellow bubbles when I looked at
the sinking sun. Labang's white coat, which I had wshed and brushed that morning
with coconut husk, glistened like beaten cotton under the lamplight and his horns
appeared tipped with fire.

He faced the sun and from his mouth came a call so loud and vibrant that the earth
seemed to tremble underfoot. And far away in the middle of the field a cow lowed softly
in answer.

"Hitch him to the cart, Baldo," my brother Leon said, laughing, and she laughed with
him a big uncertainly, and I saw that he had put his arm around her shoulders.

"Why does he make that sound?" she asked. "I have never heard the like of it."

"There is not another like it," my brother Leon said. "I have yet to hear another bull
call like Labang. In all the world there is no other bull like him."

She was smiling at him, and I stopped in the act of tying the sinta across Labang's
neck to the opposite end of the yoke, because her teeth were very white, her eyes were
so full of laughter, and there was the small dimple high up on her right cheek.

"If you continue to talk about him like that, either I shall fall in love with him or
become greatly jealous."

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My brother Leon laughed and she laughed and they looked at each other and it
seemed to me there was a world of laughter between them and in them.

I climbed into the cart over the wheel and Labang would have bolted, for he was
always like that, but I kept a firm hold on his rope. He was restless and would not
stand still, so that my brother Leon had to say "Labang" several times. When he was
quiet again, my brother Leon lifted the trunks into the cart, placing the smaller on
top.

She looked down once at her high-heeled shoes, then she gave her left hand to my
brother Leon, placed a foot on the hub of the wheel, and in one breath she had swung
up into the cart. Oh, the fragrance of her. But Labang was fairly dancing with
impatience and it was all I could do to keep him from running away.

"Give me the rope, Baldo," my brother Leon said. "Maria, sit down on the hay and hold
on to anything." Then he put a foot on the left shaft and that instand labang leaped
forward. My brother Leon laughed as he drew himself up to the top of the side of the
cart and made the slack of the rope hiss above the back of labang. The wind whistled
against my cheeks and the rattling of the wheels on the pebbly road echoed in my
ears.

She sat up straight on the bottom of the cart, legs bent togther to one side, her skirts
spread over them so that only the toes and heels of her shoes were visible. her eyes
were on my brother Leon's back; I saw the wind on her hair. When Labang slowed
down, my brother Leon handed to me the rope. I knelt on the straw inside the cart and
pulled on the rope until Labang was merely shuffling along, then I made him turn
around.

"What is it you have forgotten now, Baldo?" my brother Leon said.

I did not say anything but tickled with my fingers the rump of Labang; and away we
went---back to where I had unhitched and waited for them. The sun had sunk and
down from the wooded sides of the Katayaghan hills shadows were stealing into the
fields. High up overhead the sky burned with many slow fires.

When I sent Labang down the deep cut that would take us to the dry bed of the Waig
which could be used as a path to our place during the dry season, my brother Leon
laid a hand on my shoulder and said sternly:

"Who told you to drive through the fields tonight?"

His hand was heavy on my shoulder, but I did not look at him or utter a word until we
were on the rocky bottom of the Waig.

"Baldo, you fool, answer me before I lay the rope of Labang on you. Why do you follow
the Wait instead of the camino real?"

His fingers bit into my shoulder.

"Father, he told me to follow the Waig tonight, Manong."

15
Swiftly, his hand fell away from my shoulder and he reached for the rope of Labang.
Then my brother Leon laughed, and he sat back, and laughing still, he said:

"And I suppose Father also told you to hitch Labang to the cart and meet us with him
instead of with Castano and the calesa."

Without waiting for me to answer, he turned to her and said, "Maria, why do you think
Father should do that, now?" He laughed and added, "Have you ever seen so many
stars before?"

I looked back and they were sitting side by side, leaning against the trunks, hands
clasped across knees. Seemingly, but a man's height above the tops of the steep banks
of the Wait, hung the stars. But in the deep gorge the shadows had fallen heavily, and
even the white of Labang's coat was merely a dim, grayish blur. Crickets chirped from
their homes in the cracks in the banks. The thick, unpleasant smell of dangla bushes
and cooling sun-heated earth mingled with the clean, sharp scent of arrais roots
exposed to the night air and of the hay inside the cart.

"Look, Noel, yonder is our star!" Deep surprise and gladness were in her voice. Very
low in the west, almost touching the ragged edge of the bank, was the star, the biggest
and brightest in the sky.

"I have been looking at it," my brother Leon said. "Do you remember how I would tell
you that when you want to see stars you must come to Nagrebcan?"

"Yes, Noel," she said. "Look at it," she murmured, half to herself. "It is so many times
bigger and brighter than it was at Ermita beach."

"The air here is clean, free of dust and smoke."

"So it is, Noel," she said, drawing a long breath.

"Making fun of me, Maria?"

She laughed then and they laughed together and she took my brother Leon's hand and
put it against her face.

I stopped Labang, climbed down, and lighted the lantern that hung from the cart
between the wheels.

"Good boy, Baldo," my brother Leon said as I climbed back into the cart, and my heart
sant.

Now the shadows took fright and did not crowd so near. Clumps of andadasi and
arrais flashed into view and quickly disappeared as we passed by. Ahead, the
elongated shadow of Labang bobbled up and down and swayed drunkenly from side to
side, for the lantern rocked jerkily with the cart.

"Have we far to go yet, Noel?" she asked.

16
"Ask Baldo," my brother Leon said, "we have been neglecting him."

"I am asking you, Baldo," she said.

Without looking back, I answered, picking my words slowly:

"Soon we will get out of the Wait and pass into the fields. After the fields is home---
Manong."

"So near already."

I did not say anything more because I did not know what to make of the tone of her
voice as she said her last words. All the laughter seemed to have gone out of her. I
waited for my brother Leon to say something, but he was not saying anything.
Suddenly he broke out into song and the song was 'Sky Sown with Stars'---the same
that he and Father sang when we cut hay in the fields at night before he went away to
study. He must have taught her the song because she joined him, and her voice flowed
into his like a gentle stream meeting a stronger one. And each time the wheels
encountered a big rock, her voice would catch in her throat, but my brother Leon
would sing on, until, laughing softly, she would join him again.

Then we were climbing out into the fields, and through the spokes of the wheels the
light of the lantern mocked the shadows. Labang quickened his steps. The jolting
became more frequent and painful as we crossed the low dikes.

"But it is so very wide here," she said. The light of the stars broke and scattered the
darkness so that one could see far on every side, though indistinctly.

"You miss the houses, and the cars, and the people and the noise, don't you?" My
brother Leon stopped singing.

"Yes, but in a different way. I am glad they are not here."

With difficulty I turned Labang to the left, for he wanted to go straight on. He was
breathing hard, but I knew he was more thirsty than tired. In a little while we drope
up the grassy side onto the camino real.

"---you see," my brother Leon was explaining, "the camino real curves around the foot
of the Katayaghan hills and passes by our house. We drove through the fields
because---but I'll be asking Father as soon as we get home."

"Noel," she said.

"Yes, Maria."

"I am afraid. He may not like me."

"Does that worry you still, Maria?" my brother Leon said. "From the way you talk, he
might be an ogre, for all the world. Except when his leg that was wounded in the
Revolution is troubling him, Father is the mildest-tempered, gentlest man I know."

17
We came to the house of Lacay Julian and I spoke to Labang loudly, but Moning did
not come to the window, so I surmised she must be eating with the rest of her family.
And I thought of the food being made ready at home and my mouth watered. We met
the twins, Urong and Celin, and I said "Hoy!" calling them by name. And they shouted
back and asked if my brother Leon and his wife were with me. And my brother Leon
shouted to them and then told me to make Labang run; their answers were lost in the
noise of the wheels.

I stopped labang on the road before our house and would have gotten down but my
brother Leon took the rope and told me to stay in the cart. He turned Labang into the
open gate and we dashed into our yard. I thought we would crash into the camachile
tree, but my brother Leon reined in Labang in time. There was light downstairs in the
kitchen, and Mother stood in the doorway, and I could see her smiling shyly. My
brother Leon was helping Maria over the wheel. The first words that fell from his lips
after he had kissed Mother's hand were:

"Father... where is he?"

"He is in his room upstairs," Mother said, her face becoming serious. "His leg is
bothering him again."

I did not hear anything more because I had to go back to the cart to unhitch Labang.
But I hardly tied him under the barn when I heard Father calling me. I met my brother
Leon going to bring up the trunks. As I passed through the kitchen, there were Mother
and my sister Aurelia and Maria and it seemed to me they were crying, all of them.

There was no light in Father's room. There was no movement. He sat in the big
armchair by the western window, and a star shone directly through it. He was
smoking, but he removed the roll of tobacco from his mouth when he saw me. He laid
it carefully on the windowsill before speaking.

"Did you meet anybody on the way?" he asked.

"No, Father," I said. "Nobody passes through the Waig at night."

He reached for his roll of tobacco and hithced himself up in the chair.

"She is very beautiful, Father."

"Was she afraid of Labang?" My father had not raised his voice, but the room seemed
to resound with it. And again I saw her eyes on the long curving horns and the arm of
my brother Leon around her shoulders.

"No, Father, she was not afraid."

"On the way---"

"She looked at the stars, Father. And Manong Leon sang."

18
"What did he sing?"

"---Sky Sown with Stars... She sang with him."

He was silent again. I could hear the low voices of Mother and my sister Aurelia
downstairs. There was also the voice of my brother Leon, and I thought that Father's
voice must have been like it when Father was young. He had laid the roll of tobacco on
the windowsill once more. I watched the smoke waver faintly upward from the lighted
end and vanish slowly into the night outside.

The door opened and my brother Leon and Maria came in.

"Have you watered Labang?" Father spoke to me.

I told him that Labang was resting yet under the barn.

"It is time you watered him, my son," my father said.

I looked at Maria and she was lovely. She was tall. Beside my brother Leon, she was
tall and very still. Then I went out, and in the darkened hall the fragrance of her was
like a morning when papayas are in bloom.

Assessment 2
Directions. Read between the lines and interpret the following sentences extracted from
the story “How My Brother Leon Brought Home A Wife”. Limit your answers to two to
three sentences only and write it in your Creative Writing notebook.

1. She was fragrant like a morning when papayas are in bloom.

2. She looked up to my brother with a smile, and her forehead was on a level with his
mouth.
3. All the laughter seemed to have gone out of her.
4. I watched the smoke waver faintly upward from the lighted end and vanish slowly
into the night outside.
5. She hesitated and I saw that her eyes were on the long, curving horns.

Great job! You have understood the lesson.

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 Performance Task

In this particular phase of the module, let us try to enhance your writing skills
as a novice writer. Brainstorm and organized your thoughts as you weave your
brilliant ideas in the printed page.

Write journal entries and other short compositions exploring the keyelements
of fiction. Please be guided with the rubrics below. Use a white bond paper for
each journal.

Novice Writer Journal No. 1- Memoirs Rewind

Write a descriptive paragraph which consists of ten sentences that revolve around
the topic “The Star of My Life”.

Novice Writer Journal No. 2 – Reflect and Plot

Recall your experiences when you were a Junior High student and vividly craft
the exposition. Use foreshadowing as a literary technique. The output should be as
lengthy as twenty sentences.

Novice Writer Journal No. 3 - Color My World with Words

Collate all the scenes listed below and write a short story incorporating all the
elements, techniques and devices you have studied in this particular lesson. Write
your story in a bond paper.

Scene 1 – Plaza. Jamaica won in an amateur singing contest during the town
fiesta.
Scene 2 –University. She purposively spent her prize for her college education.
Scene 3 - Review Center. She took the courage to enroll in a review center in
preparation for the board examination.
Scene 4 – Venice Hotel. She took her Oath Taking for the Board Examination
Scene 5 - Prosperous International Hotel. She was hired as the VP for
Operations because of her wit and talent.
Scene 6 - She met a business magnate who is the major stockholder of BPI.

Novice Writer Journal No. 4- Story Analysis

Analyze the story “How My Brother Leon Brought Home A Wife” written by Manuel
Arguilla based on the different elements, techniques and devices of fiction. Explain
the different elements, techniques and devices of fiction used by the author. Write your
answer on a bond paper.
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 Short Story Rubric

CATEGORY Exceptional (A) Good (B) Fair (C) Poor (D)

Setting Many vivid, Some vivid, The reader can The reader has
descriptive descriptive figure out when trouble figuring
words are used words are used and where the out when and
to tell when and to tell the story took where the story
where the story audience when place, but the took place.
took place. and where the author didn't
story took supply much
place. detail.
Characters The main The main The main It is hard to tell
characters are characters are characters are who the main
named and named and named. The characters are.
clearly described. Most reader knows
described. Most readers would very little about
readers could have some idea the characters.
describe the of what the
characters characters
accurately. looked like.

Problem/ It is very easy for It is fairly easy It is fairly easy It is not clear
Conflict the reader to for the reader to for the reader to what problem
understand the understand the understand the the main
problem themain problem the problem the characters
characters face main characters main characters face.
and why it is a face and why it face but it is not
problem. is a problem. clear why it is a
problem.
Solution/R The solution to The solution to The solution to No solution is
esolution the character's the character's the character's attempted or it
problem is easyto problem is easy problem is a is impossible to
understand, and to understand, little hard to understand.
is logical. There and is understand.
are no somewhat
loose ends. logical.

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Dialogue There is an There is too There is not It is not clear
appropriate much dialogue quite enough which
amount of in this story, dialogue in this character is
dialogue to bring but it is always story, but it is speaking.
the characters to clear which always clear
life and it is character is which character
always clear speaking. is speaking.
which character
is speaking.
Organization The story is very The story is The story is a Ideas and
well organized. pretty well little hard to scenes seem to
One idea or organized. One follow. The be randomly
scene follows idea or scene transitions are arranged.
another in a may seem out sometimes not
logical sequence of place. Clear clear.
with clear transitions are
transitions. used.
Creativity The story The story The story There is little
contains many contains a few contains a few evidence of
creative details creative details creative details creativity in the
and/or and/or and/or story. The
descriptions that descriptions descriptions, author does
contribute to the that contribute but they not seem to
reader's to the reader's distract from have used
enjoyment. The enjoyment. The the story. The much
author has really author has author has tried imagination.
used his/her used his/her to use his/her
imagination. imagination. imagination.

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Mechanics The story The story The story The story
contains no contains few contains many contains so
errors in minor errors in and/or serious many errors in
grammar, usage, grammar, errors in grammar,
or mechanics. usage, or grammar, usage, and
mechanics. usage, or mechanics that
mechanics; may errors block
interfere with reading.
reading.
Requiremen All of the written Almost all Most (about Many
ts requirements (about 90%) the 75%) of the requirements
(typed, double written written were not met.
spaced, # of requirements requirements
pages, font, were met. were met, but
margins) were several were
met. not.
Title Page Title page has a Title page has Title page has Title page has
graphic or fancy the title, the 3 of the 4 fewer than 3 of
lettering, has the author's name, required the required
title, author's illustrator's elements. elements.
name, date, and name, and the
class period. year.

Key Answer
Jumpstart
Activity 1 and 2
Answers vary

Explore
Enrichment Activity 1
Answers vary

Assessment 1
1. Character
2. Setting
3. Theme
4. Symbol
5. Symbol

Enrichment 2
Answers vary

Assessment 2
Answers vary
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