SUMMARY

Dudong,17, is impatiently waiting for his father to return home so that he can tell
him of his love for Teang and his desire to marry her. He feels that at 17 he is a
grown man and is ready for the next important step in his life. When he tells his
father that he has asked Teang to marry him and wants his blessing, there is a
long and cruel silence. His father asks if he must marry her because Dudong is
very young. Dudong resents his father's question, and finally his father gives his
consent.

Nine months later, Dudong is waiting outside while Teang gives birth to their first
son, Blas. He feels young and inexperienced, a contrast to how he felt nine
months ago. Dudong did not want any more children, but they came
anyway. For the next six years, Teang gave birth. Seven children in all.

Teang did not complain. However her body was now shapeless and thin from
bearing so many children and from the hard work of caring for them and the
household. Even though she loved Dudong, she cried and wished that she had
not married so young. There had been another suitor, Lucio, who was nine years
older than Dudong. She chose Dudong because he was so much younger. Lucio
had married after she married Dudong, however, he was childless. She wonders
if she had married Lucio, would she be childless? She feels that would have
been a better lot in life. But she loves Dudong, even though life has made him
old and ugly.

One night Dudong goes outside and thinks about his life. He wants to have the
wisdom to know why life does not fulfill Youth's dreams. Why did life forsake you
after love? He never finds the answer.

When Blas turns 18, he comes home and tells Dudong that he wants to marry
Tena. Dudong at this time is only 36 years old, but he is portrayed as a much
older man. Dudong does not want Blas to marry so young. He asks the same
question his father asked him. Does Blas have to marry Tena? He does not
want him to make the same mistake he did. Blas also reacts with
resentment. Dudong realizes that he is dealing with Youth and Love, and they
will triumph over this situation. After that, comes real life. He gives his consent,
feeling sad and sorry for his son.

He called this "Footnote to Youth" because a footnote is an additional comment

or reference on the content of the text. He is telling youth to pay attention to the
lesson of this story.
Characters of Foot note to Youth

1.Dodong- Main character of the story who got married at the age of 17.

2.Teang- Regretted marrying at an early age.

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

Setting

in a province,
a farm or yard

Plot
"Footnote to Youth" involves the struggles that a young man named dondong has with
family life, marriage and the responsibilities of adulthood. At the beginning of the story,
dondong isn't sure about how to talk to his dad about his desire to marry Teang, the
love of his life. As the story goes on, dondong and Teang both have a hard time dealing
with their decisions and wonder if matters might have ended differently had their
choices not been the same.

Conflict

The main conflict in the poem "Footnote to Youth" by Jose Garcia Villa is the difficulty
that the two young lovers face by marrying so early in life.

Theme

Answer it is all about the story of Dodong who beleived that due to hid virility he
could already marry Teang!!!But in the end they wish they were not married
because of the different disadvantages of marrying at young age.

Moral Lesson

Marriage in a very young age when you are not yet prepared with the obligations
accompanied to it will give birth to more problems. Therefore before entering to a
married life, we must not only think twice but a hundred times...