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"The Boy Who Never Learned "

The Boy Who Never Learned was written by Susan Refalda- Mercaida. This is an example of a
short story which is a prose type of literature. It is a brief artistic form of prose fiction which
focuses on a single main incident that involves one or more characters and is intended to
produce a single dominant impression.The short story,The Boy Who Never Learned is about the
friendship between Danny Dimatuto, a boy that was mocked by other people because of his poor
intellect and Ben, a boy who stood above the rest and got along with Danny well. In analyzing
fictions such as short stories, important things should be considered.

First are the four main elements that are interrelated in making a unified story: plot,characters,
setting and theme. Also, the point of view and style of the author .

I. Plot.
It is the framework of fiction that consists of causally related sequence of events which through a
conflict of opposing forces lead to a crisis or climax, the turning point of the story. This climax,
then proceed to a resolution, the part where the complication is solved and ends or concludes
happily
or tragically.

In The Boy Who Never Learned, these basic parts can be identified. First is the exposition. It is
the part in the story where Danny was introduced through describing his physical appearance, his
thoughts and the origin of his sobriquet. Also, this is where Ben and other characters are
presented directly or indirectly in the story. Next is the complication. This is the portion in the story
where Danny went to Mang Doro to buy somemonay and Ben looked for him which then led to
the climax.

A.Climax
The climax took place when Ben confronted and got angry to Danny for what Mang Doro had
done and his response to it.And finally, the resolution happened when Ben confessed that he will
go to Manila to study and Danny bid goodbye to him. In addition to the elements, there
is also a conflict in the story.

B.Conflicts
The conflicts in the story are combinations of both external and internal conflict. However, Danny
basically experienced social conflict in the form of the mockery of Mang Doro and the people of
Banahaw because
of his mental incapacity, but as what was mentioned earlier, he also faced psychological conflict
(internal conflict) in the form of his fearfulness in being alone and intellectual
inability.

II.Characters
The second element of a fiction is the characters. They are the persons about whom the story is
told which influence the events and vice versa. The characters in the story are Danny Dimatuto,
Ben, Aling Carmen, Mang Carding, Mang Doro, Ben’s mother and the people of Banahaw that
mocked Danny. In relation to the conflict, the characters may be classified into two: protagonist
and antagonist. In the story, Danny is
the protagonist while Mang Doro and the people that mocked Ben are the antagonists.

In direct presentation, the author explicitly narrated what the characters are like.This is illustrated
in the following excerpt:
"Among the street urchins, Danny Dimatuto’s name evoked an image of a queer
hydrocephalus, a peculiarly robust boy whose shoulders sagged as if from and invisible burden.
His face was especially amusing with his thick underlip that held the mouth perpetually agape so
that flies were said to have travelled in and out of it in sheer delight and freedom. On the other
hand, in indirect presentation, the author implicitly described the characters by showing the
characters in action such as in the excerpt, “But he shortchanged you. Nanay gave you one peso
for fetching us water. Mang Doro should have given you four buns for your one peso...” Ben’s
point was etched with gathering fury. “But he cheated you, don’t you realize?” Ben was beside
himself. He was almost crying"

III.Setting
Third element is the setting. It refers to the time, place, and general environment in which a piece
of fiction took place.
First, the time of the short story, The Boy Who Never Learned, are different for every event such
as a Saturday afternoon when Danny and Ben talked about their dreams and one morning when
Danny tried to feed his dying pet, Broas. However, in general, the time of the short story is when
Danny was at his
last year in high school and before he left for Manila to further study. Then, the short story
occurred at Banahaw. Interestingly, in the story, the setting not only produced a background or
physical context for the action, but it also revealed the characters,shaped events and created
atmosphere from which the story evolved. For example, the railroad track and Danny’s thoughts
about a departing train enhanced the personality of Danny as being fearful to be alone while
Banahaw, the place itself, added a sense of Ben’s progress in studying further from a province to
Manila.

IV. Theme
Last among the elements is the theme. The theme is the underlying idea or a truth the author
wants to convey. Interestingly, the story conveys a vast number of messages. One is to have an
understanding heart as Danny. This means that the way we treat other people is more important
than any educational attainment. Another message that was expressed is about friendship. The
story communicates that true friendship looks beyond on any impediments of a person, despite
Danny’s condition, Ben became friends with him. Also, a true friend has a deep concern for his
friend, Ben wanted to inculcate in Danny’s mind the idea of shame and self-respect as a
prerequisite for respect from others. So, on my opinion, the theme can be interpereted
and expressed in two ways: “The way we treat other people is more important than our
intellect” and “Genuine friendship can surpass any boundaries.”

V.Point of view
In addition to the elements of the plot, the point of view of the author must also be identified in
evaluating a fiction.
The point of view refers to the angle of vision from where the story is told. Of the four different
points of view, the omniscient point of view was evident in the story. This is because the author
narrates the story using the third person pronoun, and he knows everything including the feelings
and thoughts of the character.
An excerpt that proves this is as follows, ''Ben liked the place where Danny Dimatuto lived. It
was only some distance from the newly paved road... How he loved the gentle sway, the soft
pillow that smelled fragrantly of starch the silent flicker of the gas-fed lamp... Danny felt lonely
even with this boy who is the son of his mother’s friend. Did the people he knew get afraid, too?
But they seemed so brave, so unafraid of everything. He wished he were like the rest, like Ben. ''

VI.Irony
In addition, the writer used irony specifically dramatic irony in that
Danny Dimatuto spoke highly of Mang Doro, saying he’s a good man, but the reader
exactly knows the opposite. Then, the author also utilized symbolism such that Ben
signifies a true and honest friend. Finally, the writer utilized suspense in that if Ben
would give up his friendship because of Danny’s dumbness after a quarrel between
them.
In analyzing and critiquing a short story, it is necessary to examine the elements of a fiction, the
point of view and the author’s style. after doing so,I truly appreciate and
understand the writer and the story itself