FOOTNOTE

TO YOUTH
JOSE GARCIA-VILLA

QUESTIONS
What is the ideal age of marrying?
How
can
generation?

you

describe

your

JOSE GARCIA-VILLA

August 05, 1908 February 7, 1997

He used the penname Doveglion

(derived from "Dove, Eagle, Lion"),
based on the characters he derived from
himself.

He was awarded the National Artist of

the Philippines title for literature in
1973.

He is known to have introduced the

"reversed consonance rhyme scheme in
writing poetry, as well as the extensive
use of punctuation marksespecially
commas, which made him known as the
Comma Poet.

JOSE GARCIA-VILLA

His ideas on
provocative.

He stirred strong feelings. He was

thought too individualistic.

He published his series of erotic

poems, "Man Songs" in 1929.

literature

were

JOSE GARCIA-VILLA

It was too bold for the staid UP

administrators,
who
summarily
suspended Villa from the university.

He was even fined P70 for

"obscenity" by the Manila Court of
First Instance.

ABOUT THE STORY

The story explores and talks about the
youth of today. It circulates on the
circumstances of marrying at an early age
and making life decisions at an early age.
It pictures the other side of our decisions
the consequences.

DEFINITIONS
Footnote
A note placed at the
bottom of a page of
a
book
or
manuscript
that
comments on or
cites a reference for
a designated part of
the text.

note - remark
annotation

Youth

The state or quality

of being young,
esp. as associated
with
vigor,
freshness,
or
immaturity.

adolescence
juvenile
youngster - lad young man

SETTING
The setting is in a barrio place, a farm land
that may be seen on a rural area.

CHARACTERS
Dodong
He was seventeen, he had pimples on his face, the down
on his upper lip already was darkthese meant he was no
longer a boy. He was growing into a manhe was a man.
Teang
She had a small brown face and small black eyes and
straight glossy hair. How desirable she was to him. She
made him dream even during the day.
Lucio
The suitor of Teang who was 9 years older than Dodong.
He had married after the marriage of Dodong and Teang
but he was childless.
Blas
He was eighteen.
Tona

PLOT
Exposition
Dodong wants to marry Teang and asks his
fathers permission.
Rising Action
Even if the father of Dodong thinks that his child
is still young to get married, he allowed him to do
so without objections. The mother, on the other
hand, gave her permission as well.
Climax
Dodong saw his child and wife laying on the
papag. He heard the cry of Blas, it pierced him
queerly. He could not control the swelling
happiness yet embarrassed as he is not still ready
to support a family. (Situational Irony)

PLOT
Falling Action
Secretly, Teang regretted their marriage.
She thought if she would have the same
fate if she married Lucio. Dodong finally
realized the hardships of marrying such an
early age.
Denouement
At 18, Blas wanted to marry Tona. Dodong
has no objections but he wanted his son to
think twice. As a loving father, he doesnt
want his child to suffer the same
consequences as his.

POINT OF VIEW AND

CONFLICTS
Third Person Omniscient
The narrator is the author. He knows the
way the characters think: Dodong and
Teang.
Man vs Himself
It deals with the regrets of the characters.

THEME
It is the allegory of defiance
and capitulation.

COMPREHENSION
CHECK
In what way does the
title suits in the
story?
What
is
the
predominant element
in the story?

What is the moral lesson of the

story?

VOCABULAR
Y BUILD UP
Footnote to Youth

Multiple Choice
Read each passage which were lifted
from the story and identify the correct
definition of each word in bold face.
If the definitions provided are both
correct, write letter C.
The letter of your answer should be
written in CAPITAL LETTER. Failure to
adhere will get a score of ZERO (0).

He walked faster, (1) prodded

by the thought of his (2)
virility.
a. noun

the
a.

verb
stimulate
or
persuade to do
something.

b.

verb - to cause
to decide not to
do something

quality
of
having
strength,
energy, and a
strong
sex
drive.
b.

nounmanliness

This field work was healthy,

invigorating
but
it
(3)
begrimed you, smudged you
terribly.

a. verb having no interior

flaws visible
b. verb to make dirty

He turned back the way he

had come, then he marched
(4) obliquely to a creek.

a. adv neither perpendicular

nor parallel
b. adv not straight

He turned back the way he

had come, then he marched
(4) obliquely to a creek.

a. adv neither perpendicular

nor parallel
b. adv not straight

A decrescent moon outside

shed its (5) feeble light into
the window, graying the still
black temples of his father.

a. adj producing a lot of

light: filled with light
b. adj not good enough: not
successful or effective

His father kept gazing at him

in
inflexible
silence
and
Dodong (6) fidgeted on his
seat.

a. vb to move or act in a
nervous or restless manner
b. vb to use force or move
forward or away from you

His father kept gazing at him

in
inflexible
silence
and
Dodong (6) fidgeted on his
seat.

a. vb to move or act in a
nervous or restless manner
b. vb to use force or move
forward or away from you

Dodong
traced
(7)
tremulous steps on the
dry parched yard.
a. adj

shaking
slightly
especially
because
of
nervousness, weakness, or
illness
b. adj affected with timidity

When Blas was eighteen he

came home one night very
(8) flustered and happy
a. vb to come together to
form or make (something)
b. vb to make (someone)
nervous and confused

Blas raised himself on his

elbow and (9) muttered
something in a low
fluttering voice.
a. vb to move with quick, light
movement
b. vb to utter sounds or words
indistinctly or with a low voice
and with lips partly closed

Dodong
looked
(10)
wistfully at his young
son in the moonlight.
a. adv having or showing sad
thoughts and feelings about
something that you want to
have or do
b. adv inspiring such yearning

ANSWERS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

A
C
B
C
B

6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

A
C
B
B
C