BARNACHEA, John Rey M.

12-Einstein

Literary Analysis of My Brother’s Peculiar Chicken

The story is very comical in nature, particularly in the fact that it tackles a subject matter
that may seem mundane. After all, why is it a big deal to find out if a certain chicken is male or
female? Alas, Filipinos are known for their pastime called sabong or cockfighting. This may be
thought of at first as part of the cultural influence of the Spaniards, since it is, after all, a form of
gambling (and a certain character in the ring is called ‘kristo’, but in reality, it has existed well
before the first colonizers came to the country. According to Pigafetta, Ferdinand Magellan’s
historian, they found the natives in Palawan “fighting huge, but tamed roosters,” obviously
referring to cockfighting.
Cockfighting was not the real main concept in the story, since it was only used in the end
to really show how peculiar the chicken is. It was also the reference of the Father in stating that
the chicken is a hen. Perhaps another aspect of Filipino culture that can be reflected in the story is
the riot that ensued after the cockfight, because no one really expected the peculiar chicken to win.
The bettors quickly judged the game as fixed, something that can be considered a common attitude
of Filipinos. From simple games to full-blown sports, there will always be a group of Filipinos
arguing that it is fixed or rigged.
My Brother’s Peculiar Chicken is a literary work that treats its readers to a slice of life in
the Philippines, emphasizing on cultural aspects.
BARNACHEA, John Rey M.
12-Einstein

Literary Analysis of We Filipinos are Mild Drinkers

It is not unusual for an author to put his or her persona in a character in their work.
Sometimes it is just a set of characteristics that exemplify their personality. Such is the case in
Alejandro Roces’ We Filipinos are Mild Drinkers. Like the protagonist, Roces also had experience
with Americans, having studied in the University of Arizona and Arizona State University. The
difference is that the main character in the short story encounters GIs due to the fact that the story
occurred (if I’m not mistaken) during the Spanish-American War. It is also due to the proximity
of the barrio to the base of some soldiers. Roces mingled with GIs during the World War II, leading
to his involvement in the war as a guerilla warrior. Both personas know the weaknesses,
whereabouts, and the vices of the GIs.
The protagonist is also very hospitable in nature, a characteristic that is common to
Filipinos. He is unable to give whiskey to Joe, thus he offered lambanog as an alternative. He also
tried his best to entertain his visitor despite being under excruciating pain while drinking the said
alcoholic beverage. The protagonist is also very fond of their native wine, and is unaffected by the
potency of the beverage.
Roces is also a wine connoisseur, and is very fond of lambanog. Just like the protagonist,
Roces is also mildly affected by the drink, even if it seems very strong to others.
It can also be assumed that the events in the story are somewhat autobiographical in nature
(first-person point of view). It can be implied that the story really happened to Roces’ life,
particularly due to the fact that he has had encounters with GIs and he is very fond of lambanog.
Perhaps he has dealt in a similar fashion when hosting American soldiers. Either way, Roces’
presence in the story is highly evident.