1. Summary Dr.

Lazaro was called by Esteban over the phone, the father of a week-old child
who had a high fever, a bluish skin and its mouth would not open to suckle—tetanus of the
newborn, a hopeless case for Dr. Lazaro. Out of his profession and duty he said he would
go. Ben drove for him, in their way to meet Esteban at the station Dr. Lazaro tried to open a
conversation with him. He asked Ben what was the book he was reading. Ben told him about
it, and he mocked Ben of becoming a regular saint like her mother. He told Ben that perhaps
he would go on medicine after his A.B. but Ben was not quite sure about it because he
wanted to be a priest. They met Esteban and he led the way to their nipa hut. When they
reached the hut Dr. Lazaro saw the baby barely breathing. He injected a whole ampule, and
another after. He tried to draw air into the baby’s lungs, pressing and releasing the chest but
even as he worked to rescue the child, the bluish color of its face began to turn grey. Dr.
Lazaro gave up on the baby. Ben came close to the baby and baptized it by pouring a trickle
of water from a coconut shell on the infant’s brow. Dr. Lazaro watched Ben with surprise. Dr.
Lazaro told the parents that he cannot do anything about the baby anymore. Esteban’s wife
began to cry and the old woman comforted her that it is the will of God. Esteban pressed
folded bills to Dr. Lazaro’s hand and thanked him for coming that far and at that hour of the
night. When Dr. Lazaro and Ben was on their way home he asked Ben if he baptized the
baby and Ben confirmed it. Dr. Lazaro asked Ben what would happen if he did not baptized
the baby and the latter told him that the baby will not be able to see God. Dr. Lazaro
questioned the teachings of the church. He ceased to believe in God maybe because of the
things that had happen to him in the past. The story ended by Dr. Lazaro calling his son Ben,
Reverend Father Ben Lazaro with uncertain humor and he asked what should he do to gain
eternal life.II. Interpretation The Faith, Love, Time & Dr. Lazaro tells the reader that there
could be things in a person’s life that would make him lost his faith to God and how one
would want to devote his life serving God. The story demonstrates that for certain things that
had happened in Dr. Lazaro’s life like losing his other son and because of his profession he
questioned the existence of God. In spite of the fact that his wife is a religious and devoted
person he seemed not to believe in God. Even the fact that his son, Ben, wanted to be a
priest he still questioned the church and its teachings. The story has an underlying theme as
well, that love is about respect. Dr. Lazaro loves his wife that much that he respects her
being religious despite of his loss of faith. It is said that Dr. Lazaro’s wife keep herself busy
knitting some altar vestments, there were plaster saints she keeps inside their room in their
cases of glass,
2. 3. and there is also a Sacred Heart in their house. Dr. Lazaro did nothing to suppress about
this and I think it is because of respect. Dr. Lazaro asked Ben about his plans after finishing
his A.B. and when Ben shows signs of wanting to be a priest when he told him about the
book his reading Dr. Lazaro suggested that maybe he could go on medicine or engineering.
When Dr. Lazaro saw Ben baptized the infant he questioned the teachings of the church but
not Ben. It shows that he love his son that he respects what his son wanted to be. He even
called Ben a Reverend Father although he may seem mocking his son about it.III. Technical
Analysis A. Plot The story’s beginning already shows that there is a conflict encountered by
Dr. Lazaro. It shows that the conflict has something to do with Dr. Lazaro’s profession and
faith. There is, however a suspense whether Dr. Lazaro would be able to save the baby’s
life. When Dr. Lazaro gave up on the baby Ben baptized it believing that it will not see God if
it will not be baptized. The events on the story are not predictable. B. Setting The story’s time
and place setting is perfect for the story. The story took place in the house of Dr. Lazaro and
in the hut of Esteban and his family, in a barrio somewhere during midnight. The province is
a perfect place for the story, being remote and midnight, being remote time of the day. It
complements the character of Dr. Lazaro because he seems remote to his family in terms of
communication. It also complements the conflict in the story which is Dr. Lazaro being
remote to his faith. C. Characterization 1. Dr. Lazaro Dr. Lazaro is the main character in the
story. The story revolves around him as it is entiltled Faith, Love, Time & Dr. Lazaro. The
writer used Dr. Lazaro’s character to reveal how the three elements affect one’s life. There is
 a conflict in Dr. Lazaro’s faith for he had lost his faith to God long ago is reflected by his
dialogues: “..there’s a disease, suffering, because Adam ate the apple.”;”The Church
teaches, the Church say..” and his thoughts: “Soon the child will be out of it, you ought to be
grateful.”;”The world will teach him his great lessons.”;”Some night, huh, Ben? What you did
back in that barrio—your mother will love to hear about it.”;”Reverend Father Ben
Lazaro.”;”Father Lazaro, what must I do to gain eternal life?” The way he reacts and the way
he speaks, he speaks with disdain when he is pertaining about faith or about religion.
3. 4. The time speaks of Dr. Lazaro, of how time made him lost his faith, of how time is moving
fast behind him. The love speaks of Dr. Lazaro, of his love for his wife and son and the
respect he has for them. Dr. Lazaro seems to be avoiding something. He seems to be afraid
of something. This is shown when they are on their way to meet Esteban at the station when
he stared in the emptiness of the night outside the car he felt like being pulled by the
darkness. Even in their way to Esteban’s hut and they needed to cross the river he felt a
sudden fear of the black water and the emptiness and darkness of the field. He seems to
avoid speaking about his son as well for he committed suicide. Probably, it is one of the
reasons why he lost his faith. Dr. Lazaro being a doctor has committed himself to an oath
that he would always be of service to people in whatever circumstances, whenever
disregarding the time of day and wherever disregarding how far or near it would be even if it
is not his heart’s will. He tries to cure people because of his profession and not because of
goodwill. As a doctor he believes that his patients do not survive because their body cannot
take the pain anymore and not because it is the will of God.2. Ben The son of Dr. Lazaro
who Dr. Lazaro wanted to be a doctor but Ben wanted otherwise. He wanted to be a priest.
He is very eager to be of help as Dr. Lazaro observed of him. He willingly drove for Dr.
Lazaro. He even baptized the infant when Dr. Lazaro said that he had done everything he
could to save the baby but it was hopeless already as he put it.. He baptized it not wanting
for the baby not to see God when it goes to heaven because it is a Catholic belief.3. Wife of
Dr. Lazaro She is the religious wife of Dr. Lazaro. In the story she did nothing to persuade or
convince Dr. Lazaro to redeem his faith again maybe because of respect, the same thing
that holds Dr. Lazaro.4. Esteban and family Esteban is the father of the baby whom Dr.
Lazaro tried to save. There is a framed print of Mother of Perpetual Help in their hut. When
Dr. Lazaro declared that he had done everything the mother of the baby cried but the old
woman said “It is the will of God, my daughter.” When Dr. Lazaro bid goodbye Esteban said
“I shall be grateful always, doctor,” “And to your son,
4. 5. too. God be with you.” It only shows how religious and how faithful these people are. They
are contrary to the character of Dr. Lazaro. They are the type of Catholic who believes that
everything happens for a reason and it is God’s will.D. Point of View The story is told from a
Third Person Limited Omniscient point of view. The narrator enters the mind and feelings of
a sole character, Dr. Lazaro. The angle of narration allows the reader to know only how Dr.
Lazaro directly and exactly feels and thinks because after all the story is about love, faith,
time and Dr. Lazaro and it is Dr. Lazaro’s thoughts and feelings that have utmost
importance.E. Symbolism 1. Sacred Heart It symbolizes the faith of Dr. Lazaro’s wife. It also
symbolizes her religion which is Catholic. 2. Mother of Perpetual Help It symbolizes the faith
and religion of Esteban and his family. They are poor as Esteban handed only a few folded
bills to Dr. Lazaro. But the faith they have is bigger than them for they accepted the fate of
the baby as God’s will. In addition to this, even when Dr. Lazaro seemed to have done
nothing to save the baby or make it recover, because it was not mentioned whether the baby
died or survived, Esteban still wished God to be with Dr. Lazaro and Ben as they head home.
3. Darkness/Night The story begins with the “ the country darkness..” It symbolizes the faith
or loss of faith of Dr. Lazaro. 4. Lights Lights were mentioned in the story many times: “..the
lights on a distant highway at the edge of town.”, “.. the dimness of the single bulb under the
eaves.”, “Try it without the lights.”, “glow of the dashboard lights”, “swinging ball of the
flashlight beam..” All these lights mentioned were not bright lights but dim lights in the middle
of the vast darkness, in the middle of the night. It symbolizes the hope for Dr. Lazaro to that
 somehow there is still hope for him to redeem his faith again. The bus roared and its light
blinding Dr. Lazaro symbolizes the redeeming faith of Dr. Lazaro. 5. Coconut Shell and
Water It symbolizes baptism or as a whole the teachings of the Church.
5. 6. 6. Dust It symbolizes the dirt when Dr. Lazaro chose to live out of faith, in the darkness
that he’s now ready to clean away from his clothes and his skin, the dust that lingered on
them for a long time.IV. Judgment The story is a good literary piece for teaching moral
philosophy. It shows that in a person’s life there came the times that would measure and test
his/her faith, such is shown by the character of Dr. Lazaro. On the other hand, it is shown in
the character of Esteban and his family the faith because even when the baby in their family
is in a critical situation there was no situation in the story that shows their loss of faith and
hope. In fact they are even grateful although Dr. Lazaro was not able to do something for the
infant. The place setting and the time setting suits the story well for it exactly symbolizes the
faith of Dr. Lazaro, there is something missing and it is the light. It was said that there is an
obscure disappointment in his heart, that he feels a certain deprivation of joy. The Faith,
Love, Time & Dr. Lazaro does not only appeal to readers’ emotions but also teaches them
about moral problems in life.