Cages of Freedom: 2015

Dalubhasaan ng Lunsod ng San Pablo

Brgy. San Jose, San Pablo City

Teacher Education Department

Setting of the Short Story “Zita”

By Arturo B. Rotor

Submitted by:

Suarez, Rizza O.

BSED II- Math

Submitted to:

Mrs. Lota Baldemora

INTRODUCTION

"Zita" is one of the famous pre-World War II short stories, written by Arturo Rotor on 1907 to 1988. The name might be familiar to you because Rotor was a very well known medical doctor and the disease "Rotor Syndrome" which he isolated and first correctly described is named after him. He also played a vital role during WWII in the government in exile, was a noted breeder of orchids and a widely respected music critic. (January 2015

The Setting is one of the essential elements of the short story “Zita”. It narrates when and where the story took place, its geographical locations, weather and social conditions, as well as the mood or atmosphere created by the story itself.

This report would focus on the first three aspects of the setting observed in “Zita”. This includes the Place or where the story took place, the Time or when the story took place, and the weather conditions observed in the story.

PLACE

· Pauambang

Pauambang is the place where Mr. Francisco B. Reteche, a school teacher, came from.

“TURONG brought him from Pauambang in his small sailboat, for the coastwise steamer did not stop at any little island of broken cliffs and coconut palms.”

· Land of Anayat

The whole story happened on the Land of Anayat, a province surrounded by sea named Anayat sea. It is where Mr. Reteche became the teacher of the province girl “Zita”, who has an exact name as his past lover.

"An exile has come to Anayat… and he is so young, so young." So young and lonely and sufficient unto himself. There was no mistaking the stamp of a strong decision on that brow, the brow of those who have to be cold and haughty, those shoulders stooped slightly, less from the burden that they bore than from a carefully cultivated air of unconcern; no common school-teacher could dress so carelessly and not appear shoddy.

· Don Eliodoro’s House

This is the house of Don Eliodoro, the owner of almost all of the coconuts in the island, and the father of Zita. It is a big house located near the school where Mr. Reteche was supposed to stay, but he refused and rather stay at Turong’s home. It is also the place where he taught Zita, how to become a lady.

They had prepared a room for him in Don Eliodoro's house so that he would not have to walk far to school every morning, but he gave nothing more than a glance at the big stone building with its Spanish azotea, its arched doorways, its flagged courtyard.

· Turong’s House

This is where Mr. Reteche stayed. It is a small hut located near the sea and far from the school and even from the church. It is owned by Turong, a fisherman and messenger who often delivers letters to Mr. Reteche.

He chose instead Turong's home, a shaky hut near the sea. Was the sea rough and dangerous at times? He did not mind it. Was the place far from the church and the schoolhouse? The walk would do him good. Would he not feel lonely with nobody but an illiterate fisherman for a companion.

· The Church

This is where Mr. Reteche often delivered his prayers secretly.

He never went to church, but then, that always went with learning and education, did it not? One night Bue saw him coming out of the dim doorway. He watched again and the following night he saw him again. They would not believe it, they must see it with their own eyes and so they came. He did not go in every night, but he could be seen at the most unusual hours, sometimes at dusk, sometimes at dawn, once when it was storming and the lightning etched ragged paths from heaven to earth. Sometimes he stayed for a few minutes, sometimes he came twice or thrice in one evening. They reported it to Father Cesareo but it seemed that he already knew. "Let a peaceful man alone in his prayers." The answer had surprised them.

TIME

One of the observable characteristics of “Zita” was that the narrator told the story using auxiliary verbs and action verbs in the past tense, such as brought, happened, were, was, tossed, opened and etc. This only implies that the narrator was telling a story from past events.

Apparent to this, the author also used or borrowed some words such as Don, Azotea, Provinciana, which are greatly used by the Spaniards. This means that the Short Story “Zita” might have occurred during the Spanish regime or during the period when the Philippines became a colony of Spain.

WEATHER CONDITION

The whole story has occurred in a fair and good weather condition. Although a part of it states that Mr. Reteche could be seen during the unusual hours when it was storming and the lightning etched ragged paths from heaven to earth, but then it discussed about the goodness of the climate by describing the condition of the sky.

The sky hangs over Anayat, in the middle of the Anayat Sea, like an inverted wineglass, a glass whose wine had been spilled, a purple wine of which Anayat was the last precious drop. For that is Anayat in the crepuscule, purple and mellow, sparkling and warm and effulgent when there is a moon, cool and heady and sensuous when there is no moon.

This statement describes the beauty of the night where a fair weather condition could be observed.

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