QUIZ

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1. WHO IS
THE
AUTHOR
OF THE
2. WHO IS
ROSSANN
A IN THE
STORY?
3. WHO ARE
THE 3
CHARACTER
S IN THE
 4. COMPLETE THE
STATEMENT
“BUT LOOK AT HIS
EYES, THEY SEEM
TO BE SMILING.
LIKE THOSE OF THE
GIRL IN THE
5. COMPLETE
THE
STATEMENT
“I LOVE YOU,
BUT
____________”?
ANSWERS:
1. AMADO A. VINUYA
2. HOMER’S WIFE
3. HOMER, JASMINE,
& ROSSANNA
4. “PAINTING”
5. “I’M NOT IN LOVE
WITH YOU”
OBSESSI
ON
BY AMADO A. VINUYA
 II. AUTHOR’S
BACKGROUND
• AMADO VINUYA WAS BORN IN MANILA IN 1930. HE STUDIED IN THE
UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS AND THE FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY.
HE SERVED AS EDITOR AND PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER OF THE
MANILA HEALTH DEPARTMENT. A VERSATILE WORKER, HE HAS ALSO
BEEN A LABORER, SANITARY INSPECTOR, LABORATORY TECHNICIAN,
CLERK, AND RADIO ANNOUNCER. VINUYA ALSO WROTE FICTION. HE
HAS A POETRY COLLECTION, WITH PREFACE WRITTEN BY CARLOS P.
ROMULO, ENTITLED PREGNANT WOMAN AND OTHER POEMS (1968).
 III.
PLOT
 EXPOSIT
ION
THE WEATHERMAN HAD PREDICTED WET SNOW WHEN
THEY DROVE OUT TO LAKE CHENANGO. THEY HAD NOT
PLANNED ON IT. IT WAS AN IMPULSE ON HIS PART. FAILING
TO SEE WHAT HE WAS LOOKING FOR IN HAMILTON, HE
ASKED HER, SINCE THEY WERE ONLY A FEW MILES AWAY, IF
SHE WANTED TO GO TO PHIL'S COTTAGE, TO WHICH SHE
AGREED. HE HAD TOLD HER ONCE ABOUT PHIL'S COTTAGE
WHERE HE HAD BEEN SPENDING WEEKENDS TO GET AWAY
FROM THE CITY.
RISING ACTION
“IT’S A NICE PLACE.” “YES, IT IS.” “HAVE YOU BROUGHT YOUR
WIFE HERE?” “NO.” SHE STOPPED TALKING. HE TOOK HER HAND
AND HER EYES SHOT TO HIS, AND FOR A WHILE IT SEEMED THAT
SHE HAD STOPPED BREATHING. HER HAND WAS PERSPIRING.
“THIS… THIS IS A GOOD PLACE FOR YOU TO WRITE,” SHE
MANAGED TO SAY. “MAYBE YOU COULD COME DOWN HERE NEXT
MONTH WHEN YOUR TERMINATION COMES AND FINISH YOUR
BOOK.”
 CLIMAX
“I’M NOT ‘ROBIN’, HOMER,” SHE REMINDED HIM. “I’M JASMINE.” “I
KNOW. BUT TO ME YOU’RE ‘ROBIN’, BECAUSE I MOLDED HER AFTER
YOU.” “THAT’S JUST AN OBSESSION.” “MAYBE, BUT I KNOW I AM IN
LOVE WITH YOU.” “YOU CAN’T BE TRULY BE IN LOVE WITH ME.” SHE
SAID, “I'M A PUNK, BESIDES, WHAT ABOUT YOUR COMMITMENT TO
YOUR WIFE?” “I’M NOT IN LOVE WITH YOUR PAST, AND I HAVE NO
COMMITMENT TO ANYONE, NOT EVEN MY WIFE,” HE SAID, ALMOST
IRRITATED. THEN HE ADDED: “I DON’T KNOW WHAT HAS COME OVER
ME, BUT WHEN I BEGAN WRITING AGAIN, I BEGAN TO AVOID YOU AS
MUCH AS I COULD.” HE FELT MORE RIDICULOUS.
 FALLING ACTION
THEIR RELATIONSHIP HAD BECOME MORE THAN BUSINESS-LIKE:
IT WAS COLD AND STEREOTYPED. THEN HOMER’S TERMINATION
CAME. ON THIS LAST DAY AT THE OFFICE, JASMINE DID NOT COME
TO WORK. FOR THE REST OF THE DAY HER ABSENCE BOTHERED HIM
A LOT, NURTURED IN UNEASINESS AND IMPATIENCE. THE RED QUAIL
ON MONTGOMERY STREET TWO BLOCKS FROM HIS ROOM, WHICH
FOR MORE THAN A YEAR HAD SERVED TO TEASE AND TORTURE HIM
EACH TIME HE WALKED BY, NOW SUCCEEDED IN SWALLOWING HIM
UP. WHAT BEGAN AS ONE INNOCENT DRINK ENDED WITH ONE TOO-
MANY.
 DENOUEMENT
THERE WAS STILL A PAIN IN HIS HEAD AS HE DROVE OUT TO PHIL'S
COTTAGE THAT NIGHT. HE WANTED TO FINISH THE PAINTING TO SEE
HOW SHE WOULD LOOK LIKE. “YES, WHO ARE YOU?” HE SAID STARING
AT THE CANVAS, “I’LL KNOW, I’LL FREE YOU TOO.” DAYS LATER., THE SKY
WAS CLEAR FOR A WHILE AND THE SUN FLOODED THE LIVING ROOM.
WHAT A STRANGE DAY IN WINTER, HE THOUGHT AS HE LOOKED OUT
AND SAW THE LAKE, FEELING ALIVE. “I’VE FREED YOU,” HE SAID, HIS
EYES FIXED ON THE PAINTING. “IT’S NOW YOUR TURN TO FREE ME!”
 IV. ANALYSIS
• POINT OF VIEW: THIRD PERSON POINT
OF VIEW OMNISCIENT POV
• SETTING: GEOGRAPHICAL (LAKE
CHENANGO, HAMILTON, PHIL’S COTTAGE)
 CHARACTERS
• JASMINE: WHO IS RESEMBLE OF ROSSANNA AND THE
OFFICEMATE OF HOMER.
• HOMER: THE GUY WHO IS THE OFFICEMATE OF JASMINE AND
OBSESS IN HIS PAST.
• ROSSANNA: THE EX WIFE OF HOMER.
• MOIRA: SOMEWHAT A SECRETARY OF HOMER OR
OFFICEMATE.
 SYMBOLISM
• OBSESSION- SIGNIFIES THAT A PERSON IS OBSESS IN A PARTICULAR
THING OR PEOPLE AND IT OCCUR IN THE PAST OR IN PRESENT AS WELL.
• -PROBLEM OR CHAOS.
• ROBIN- A PAINTING THAT CONVEYS A YOUNG WOMAN WAS TRAP IN ONE
PLACE AND SEEKING FOR FREEDOM AND THE ARTIST ITSELF.
• PHIL’S COTTAGE- SYMBOLIZE AS THE STUDIO OF HOMER ON WHERE
HE MAKES HIS ART AS WELL AS HIS NOVELS.
 THEME
• OBSESS- HOMER WAS DEVOUR BY HIS PAST THAT MAKES
HIM IMPRISON HIMSELF AWAY FROM THE REALITY. HE
WAS LEFT BEHIND BY HIS WIFE AND JASMINE WHICH
LEAD HIM LETTING HIMSELF TO BE SWALLOWED BY HIS
EMOTIONS AND NEVER REALIZED THAT HE HIMSELF
WANTS TO BE FREE IN HIS HORRIBLE NIGHTMARE.
 CONFLICT
•PERSON VS PERSON
•PERSON VS SELF
LITERARY DEVICES

•FLASHBACK
 IMAGERY
• TOUCHING/ SEEING: “IT’S A NICE PLACE.” “YES, IT
IS.” “HAVE YOU BROUGHT YOUR WIFE HERE?”
“NO.” SHE STOPPED TALKING. HE TOOK HER
HAND AND HER EYES SHOT TO HIS, AND FOR A
WHILE IT SEEMED THAT SHE HAD STOPPED
BREATHING. HER HAND WAS PERSPIRING.
• SEEING- “A GOOD IDEA, BUT IT WOULD MAKE ME MISERABLE.”
“WHY?” THE INNOCENCE IN HER EYES BOTHERED HIM AND IT
STABBED DEEPER. “BRING YOUR STEREO AND BUY ENOUGH
GROCERIES TO LAST YOU FOR ABOUT A MONTH SO YOU WON’T
HAVE TO WORRY YOU GET SNOWED IN.”
• SMELLING- HE UNLOCKED THE DOOR, AND THE TOMBLIKE
CHILL OF THE COTTAGE AND A SMELL OF PAINT AND
TURPENTINE MET THEM. THE CURTAINS WERE DRAWN. HE
FLICKED ON THE LIGHTS AND IMMEDIATELY A YOUNG
WOMAN’S FACE WITH AN EXPRESSION, HER BODY NUDE AND
UNFINISHED STARED FROM A CANVAS LEANING AGAINST THE
WALL.
• HEARING- HE PRETENDED NOT TO HAVE HEARD HEAR. HE WENT TO THE
BATHROOM AND FOUND AN ELECTRIC HEATER, AND DISCOVERED THREE
MORE IN THE BATHROOM. HE TOOK TWO OF THEM, PLACED THEM ABOUT
SIX FEET APART, FACING EACH OTHER, IN THE LIVING ROOM AND
PLUGGED THEM IN. THEY SAT ON THE FLOOR BETWEEN THE HEATERS.
• TOUCH-“THEY ARE HERE,” HE GLADLY TOLD HER AS THE ICY METAL
TOUCHED HIS FINGERS.
• TASTE-“THIS IS THE MOST HORRIBLE COFFEE I’VE EVER MADE,” SHE
SAID, AFTER TAKING A SIP FROM HIS CUP. “I THINK I’LL JUST HAVE WINE.
IT WILL WARM ME UP, TOO.” IN HIS MIND HE AGREED THAT IT WAS THE
WORST COFFEE, AGGRAVATED BY THE WINE IT, HE EVER HAD. HOWEVER,
IN ORDER NOT TO OFFEND HER, HE FEIGNED THAT HE LIKED IT.
• TOUCH-OH, HOMER, I’M COLD,” SHE SAID, WRAPPING HER ARMS AROUND
HER, THERE WAS A HINT OF IMPATIENCE IN HER VOICE.
• SMELLING-“ROBIN IS NOT FLUFFY.” SHE LAUGHED. “I’LL TELL HER THAT.” HE
SMILED, AND THEN SHE SAT UP AND ASKED: “MAY I KISS YOU, ROBIN,” “OH
ROBIN? HE FELT RIDICULOUS. SHE HESITATED. “YE, BUT ONLY ON MY CHEEK.”
“OH, ROBIN,” HE SAID AS HE BROUGHT HIS MOUTH TO HER CHEEK. THE HAIR
THAT PARTLY CONCEALED HER FACE SMELLED OF FRESH SHAMPOO.
IS THAT WHY YOU’VE BEEN NASTY TO ME IN THE OFFICE LATELY? SHE ASKED
QUICKLY. “NO, I WAS NEVER NASTY TO YOU, NOT AT ALL,” HE MURMURED.
BREATHING QUICKLY, HE KISSED HER EYES, HER EAR AND HER NECK. HE
COULD SMELL THE STALE WINE AND COFFE BOUNCING FRM HIS BREATH.
• SEEING- HE STOPPED KISSING HER, THEN WITHDREW, WATCHING HER EYES.
HER EYES WERE WET, PERHAPS BECAUSE SHE FELT LIKE CRYING. “PLEASE,
LET’S GO. ITS GETTING DARK.
• HEARING-“AND ME”? “YES! AND YOU!” HER VOICE WAS LOUD IN THE MOTEL
ROOM. SO THEY WENT BACK TO HER TOWN. HE LEFT HER ON THE
DOORSTEP OF THEIR HOUSE, LIKE A BOTTLE OF MILK, AND DROVE AWAY
WITHOUT A WORD. A MONTH LATER, SHE CALLED UP AND TOLD HIM THAT HE
PARENTS WATED TO SEE HIM. THEY HAD AGREED ON THE PILL, WHICH SHE
WOULD TAKE FOR A YEAR.
• TOUCH-“I ADMIRE THIS GUY, WHOEVER HE WAS,” THE SHERIFF REMARKED.
“THE REFRIGERATOR HAS A STOCK OF FOOD, BUT IT SEEMS HE NEVER
TOUCHED IT. HE’S ALL SKIN AND BONES.”
• SEEING-“YEAH,” THE OTHER MAN SAID. “BUT LOO AT HIS EYES, THEY SEEM
TO BE SMILING. LKE THOSE OF THE GIRL IN THE PAINTING.
CULTURAL IMPLICATION
• WE CAN’T LOVE SOMEONE TRULY IF WE
DON’T KNOW THE WORD ACCEPTANCE.
• IF WE LET OURSELVES TO BE
SWALLOWED BY OUR EMOTIONS WE
CANNOT MOVE FORWARD.
 TITLE IMPLICATION
• OBSESSIONS OCCUR IN DIFFERENT FORMS AND
WAY AND IT HAPPENS WHEN WE PEOPLE ARE
OBSESS ON A PARTICULAR THING OR A PERSON.
TEENAGERS ARE THE MOST EXAMPLE OF THIS
AND SOMETIMES OBSESSIONS RISES IF WE CAN’T
GET OR GET WHAT WE WANT.
 THANKYOU
FOR LISTENING
ACTIVITY
ESSAY: 3-5 SENTENCES
DO YOU SUPPORT THE IDEA
THAT WOMEN ARE SUPPOSED
TO HAVE “FREEDOM OF
CHOICE” WHEN IT COMES TO
CHILDBEARING?