STORY

ANALYSIS
PHILIPPINE LITERATURE

SUBMITTED TO:
Mrs. Arlyn Abeto

SUBMITTED BY:
Renchie T. Gonzales
BSIT 2-1
TITLE: THE TRAP By Kerima Polotan Tuvera

REGION: ARRM

1. Where does the primary action take place? Explain.

-The primary action takes place in Cabuyao in Elisa’s new home that is all sawali except
for the roof which is nipa, and the floor which is bamboo. It also takes place in her new
school; ground, clinic, and Mr. Gabriel’s room.

2. What is the time setting for the action? Period of history? Season? Time of the day?

-The time setting is during the day, month of classes. There is no exact period, season
and time of the day.

3. How much time does the story cover?

-The story covers from the day Elisha’s family left Tayug and moved to Cabuyao,
resumed going to her new school, until Elisha confession to Mr. Gabriel.

4. How does the story get started? What is the initial incident?

-The story started when Elisha’s family moved to Cabuyao, she wanted to reached the
place before dark so that people will see them arrived. She is 14 years old suffering from
adolescence. Her knees grow rough and dark, and her breast starts to swell which she
think is absurd. Before she left Tayug she told her 18 years old friend Salud her new
condition, but Salud only laughed at her. Elisha easily hates people she don’t like, and
when Salud laughed at her she refused to be shaken off. She is confused why Salud did
not cry when she left Tayug. As soon as Elisha arrived in Cabuyao they are exchanging
letters.

5. Briefly describe the rising action of the story?

-The rising action of the story The Trap is when Elisa resumed schooling. She hates the
principal, Miss Ramos. She described her as an elderly spinster who wore tight rimless
glasses on her nose. There she met her new English teacher, Mr. Gabriel. A peculiar man
who is calm but short, thin and stoop. In this part Elisa already noticed how her body
change physical and emotional. She is confused. She falls in love with Mr. Gabriel.
6. What is the high point or the climax of the story?

-The high point of the story is when one of Elisha’s classmates, Leonor left a note in her
house to ask what is wrong with her and they already missed her. Elisha’s absently
replied “I Love Mr. Gabriel”. Then the scandalous gossip began which threatens Mr.
Gabriel job. The note made the rounds and reached Miss Ramos. Elisa remained silent
and accepted suspension.

7. Discuss the falling action of the story or the close of the story.

-The falling action of the story is when Elisa sees “Elisa Gabriel” written on the
blackboard after school that day. She then leaves and takes the long way home, but as
soon as she put her books down she runs back all the way and stumbles into Mr.
Gabriel’s room. They surprised each other and she fell to her knees. In that position the
words wrung from her “Mr. Gabriel. Sir, I love you”. When she stood up and burst into
tears, Mr. Gabriel approached her and led her to the door, telling her “Run home, Elisa”
he said “Run home.”

8. Does this story create any special mood? Explain.

-Yes it does. The mood of the story is light and made me laugh at the same time. It
shows the real situation of a girl who is experiencing Adolescent stage.

9. Is this story realistic or true to life? Explain your answers by giving examples.

-Yes the story is realistic, all of us undergo adolescent life and it’s the very confusing
stage. Our hormones are developing and our body changed a lot, physically and
emotionally. In this stage we already have our own puppy love or what we called crush.
Elisa developed feeling towards her teacher which I think it’s normal to a 14 years old
girl who is suffering Adolescent life and confuse about that time. In reality, most
students experienced having crush towards their teachers and I think it’s not unusual.

10. Are the events or incidents of the plot presented in flashback or in chronological order? Justify.

-The incidents of the plot are presented in flashbacks. In the beginning, the narrator is
Elisa herself narrate what happened in her 14 years old self. The ending, where Elisa
confessed her feelings towards Mr. Gabriel she narrates “I never found out if he went to
my father about this, or even told Miss Ramos, but I can see myself in the dusk of that
room years ago, in that absurd posture, alone with the strange gentleman to whom I
had lost my young heart.”
11. Was the selection written as a short story or is it a condensation or excerpt? Is it taken from a
collection of stories?

-The Trap is a short story written by Kerima Polotan Tuvera. It is not taken from a
collection of short stoies.

12.  What is the general theme of the story? What is the underlying theme? Name any other stories
with a similar theme?

-The general theme of the story is about adolescent and the underlying theme is
Growing Up is Not Easy. There are confusions that we encounter in which we must
share it to our parents so that we have an idea on how to handle the situation. I haven’t
read stories similar with this theme, this is the first.

13. Identify yourself with any of the characters? Explain.

-I can see myself as Elisa, a young and curious girl. I don’t deny that I am still immature
and I don’t do critical thinking sometimes because what matters to me the most is what
I feel. I easily attracted to someone who is caring and calm, and Rejection is what I am
afraid of.

14. Does the story contain any following elements? Explain.

-The story is written in first person point of view. The narrator is Elisa and it presented in
a flashback. The tone is light, suitable to any reader. It uses Juxtaposition, which makes
the readers excite what will happened and eventually lead to an open ending.

14 . Was there a villain in the story? A hero? A dynamic character? Describe.

-There is no villain in the story. Heroes and dynamic character don’t exist in the story as
well. The only present is the round and flat character. The Round Character is Elisa, in
her narration we already know what kind of girl she is. Elisa described Mr. Gabriel as a
calm teacher. His action in taking Elisa in the clinic after she accidentally swung a Scythe
in her leg is normal for a teacher. Mr. Gabriel is not fully explained in the story that’s the
reason why he considered as Flat Character.

15. Can you find any examples of figurative language? Cite them from the selection.

-In Elisa’s letter to Salud she said “Miss Ramos a witch, when she’s around she gives off
a smell that makes me sick” the line is consist of Allusion and Hyperbole. Simile is also
used in the ending line “The wind had picked up a mournful sound like the far-off
despairing wail of an animal caught in some trap, and now it reaches us both where we
stood in the deserted corridor of the school.”
16. Does the story contain a single effect or impression for the reader? If so, what?

-The story struck me because I never thought that veteran author like Kerima Polotan
Tuvera had a short story that consist a teen fiction genre, and a juvenile unrequited
love. I did not expect the ending! It can classified as a cliff-hanger ending similar to Edgar
Alan Poe’s tragic dark short stories such as A tale tell heart and A Cask of Amontillado.

17. Name one major personality trait of each leading character, and tell how the author makes the
reader conscious of its trait.

-Elisa’s personality is so confusing as much as she confuses to her own self too. I think
it’s because she is just a girl who is not mature and still experiencing adolescence. She is
so puzzled when Salud did not cry when she left Tayug, it is because Salud is already
mature and Elisa is not. Her innocence is genuine, especially when her teacher, Mr.
Gabriel brought her to the clinic to clean her wound, she is easily swayed that makes her
more confuse, when in fact she is already crushing her teacher because of being caring
and calm. Kerima inscribed Elise how is a teenager is. Those characteristics of Elise are
wholesome and exist in real life.

18. Does the story have a moral? If not, what do you think the purpose of the author was?

-The moral of the story is we all have confusions in life and sharing that to our friends
and family will not make you less human. The purpose of the author is to make the
reader realized what will happen if we make decisions without thinking. I am amazed on
how Mr. Gabriel handles the situation. He did not get angry towards Elisa even though
his job is at stake. His personality shadows Maturity.