LITERARY

ANALYSIS
OF
FOOTNOTE TO
YOUTH

SUBMITTED BY:
Jerusalem, Ma. Kris Elaine C.
(BEED I – A)

SUBMITTED TO:
Sir Benster Andrew Alcaide
(Teacher)

SUBMITTED ON: 01 April 2019

 CHARACTERS:

Dodong - main character of the story who got married at the age of
17

Teang – girlfriend of Dodong and soon became his wife; regretted

marrying at an early age

Lucio - Teang's other suitor who got married after she did and who's
childless until now

Blas - Dodong and Teang's oldest son who followed their footsteps in
the end; Blas contemplated to marry Tona when he was 18

Tona – the woman whom Blas wants to marry

SETTING:

Where: It happened in a rural area, particularly in a farm.

When: The sun was setting in the west; after Dodong was done with
his work.
 PLOT:

Dodong, a 17-year old boy, wanted to marry Teang, his girl.

He asked his father’s permission to get married. His father,
thinking that since they are still young, their love would be short,
and still allowed them to get married. After nine months, Teang
gave birth to a child named Blas. For six consecutive years, a new
child came along. Dodong did not want any more children. But
they came. It seemed that the coming of children could not help.
Dodong got angry with himself sometimes. Teang was shapeless
and thin even if she was young. There was an endless work that
kept her tied up . . . cooking, laundering, the house, and the
children. She cried sometimes, wishing she had not married. Teang
did not complain even though she secretly regretted being married
at an early age. Sometimes she even wondered if she would have
the same life if Lucio, her other suitor who was nine years older
than Dodong, was the one she married. Lucio has had no children
since the time he got married. But she loved Dodong.

When Blas was 18 years old, he told his father that he

would marry Tona. Dodong did not object, but tried to make Blas
think twice before rushing to marriage - because Dodong doesn't
want Blas to end up like him.

THEME:

The themes of the story are enjoyment of youth, responsibilities, and

decision-making.

Marriage in a very young age, when you are not prepared yet with
the obligations accompanied to it will give birth to more problems.

TONE:

The author used a bunch of words that will make the reader feel what
the characters feel or simply putting the readers on the particular situation to
understand how worst the feeling of having the same life as Dodong has.