ABRAHAM R. SABDAO JR.

BS CRIMINOLOGY III-A

I. Read “Early Harvest” by Bienvenido Santos.

II. Know about the background of the author.

1. Why did the author make him the narrator of the story?
2. Identify the narrator of the story. How old is he?
3. At what point in Philippine History did the story happened?
4. Do the story have been more effective if it had been told from the point of view of
another character? Why or why not?
5. Why is the story titled Early Harvest?
6. Explain the theme of the story.

Answers:

I.
II. About the author.
Bienvenido N. Santos
(March 22, 1911 – January 7, 1996)
Bienvenido N. Santos was a Filipino-American fiction, poetry and nonfiction
writer. He was born and raised in Tondo, Manila. His family roots are
originally from Lubao, Pampanga, Philippines. He lived in the United States
for many years where he is widely credited as a pioneering Asian-American
writer.
-Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards (1956, 1961, and 1965)
-Republic Cultural Heritage Award in Literature American Book Award (1980)
-Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship

1. Maybe he made himself the narrator of the story because he and the character
came from the same country of birth. Maybe he and Selmo have the same
characteristics.
2. The narrator of the story is Selmo, a boy who live in a little barrio near the town of
San Juan. It was not stated in the story on how old Selmo is.
3. The story happened during the Japanese occupation in the Philippines, probably
in 1941 to 1945.
4. Yes, even though they change the point of view of the story. The moral lesson
will still be the same.
5. It was titled Early Harvest because much of the crops had been harvested a day
before the Japanese soldiers will come back for it. But it rained heavily and the
farmers may have the chance to persuade the Japanese soldiers. Luckily the
Japanese soldiers didn’t appeared on that day.
6. There is a stage in life wherein you feel like you’re losing hope, wherein you feel
like you couldn’t handle the problems. Always remember that there is God, have
faith and ask for guidance. God will never leave you and he will give you courage
and strength to face any problems that comes along in your life.

Submitted to: MRS. FLORIAN J. LUMIBAO Philippine Literature