MIDSUMMER

Manuel Arguilla
Manuel Arguilla (Nagrebcan, June 17, 1911
an Ilokano writer in English, patriot, and martyr.

August 30, 1944) was

SUMMARY
It is noontime and a very hot day in summer. Manong was dragging his
cart towards the well when he saw a young woman who happened to be
Ading. Ading at that very moment was fetching a bucket of water from the
well. Manong observed the details of the very sweet and fresh young lady
which is undeniably attractive. At first, Ading didnt notice Manong while
Manong, on the other hand, was hesitating to talk or even approach her.
Ading left without leaving a word to Manong, but a moment later, she
returned to where Manong was. And on the second time around, while
Manong was eating, Ading approached him and stared at him. They had a
little conversation, and suddenly, with a bit of Adings clumsiness, the bucket
of water spilled in his food unintentionally. After that incident, Manong helped
Ading in filling the jar again. Ading examined how masculine are the features
of Manong which made her attracted to him even more. The sun is almost
everywhere, it is then that she invited Manong to her home which made
Manong more interested to her. Midsummer closes with Manong, following
Ading in the direction of her house where there is a shade of relief from the
heat of the day.
CHARACTERS

Manong strong, masculine (He lowered the bucketfell in a cluster over

his forehead)
traditional binata torpe (1. He turned to watch the graceful
figure beneaththe jar until it vanished. 2. He watched her with
lowered head as she approached and felt a difficulty in
continuing to eat.)

Ading young, sweet, and fresh (She was young, surprisingly sweet and
fresh amidst her
parched surroundings)
traditional dalaga---hospitable ( the girl spoke: Manong, why
dont you come
to our home and bring your animal with you? There is a shade yu
can sleep,
though our house is very poor.)

Other characters mentioned: bull, Adings Mother and Father, Manongs

Mother and Father
The descriptions of the characters were detailed --- shows the physical
attraction between the two.
Filipino culture and tradition was showed (e.g. way of eating, greeting,
hospitality, acceptance)
SETTING

Happened during the course of summer.

Place: Ilocos Norte, possibly in La Paz
Textual Evidence: On the right, stretched a sandy waste of low rolling
dunes.

PLOT

Exposition
Introduction of setting and the characters
(He pulled down his hat until the wide brim touched his
shoulders. He crouched lower under the cover of his cart and
peered ahead. The road seemed to writhe under the lash of the
noon-day heat; it swum from side to side, humped and bent itself
like a feeling serpent, and disappeared behind the spur of a low
hill on which grew a scrawny thicket of bamboo.
The man in the cart did not notice the woman until she had
rounded the spur of land and stood unmoving beside the road,
watching the cart and its occupant comes toward her.)
Rising Action
Manong sees Ading and followed her. However, she ignores him
at first.
(She stood straight and still beside the road and regarded him
with frank curiosity. Suddenly she turned and disappeared into
the dry gorge. Coming to where she had stood a few moments
before, he pulled up the bull and got out of the cart.Driving the
animal before him, he followed the path. It led up the dry bed of
the stream; the sharp fragments of sun-heated rocks were like
burning coals under his feet. There was no sign of the young
woman.)

Climax

Ading returned. Manong mustered the courage to talk to her.

They conversed and found comfort in each others company.
(When she was very near, he ate more hurriedly, so that he
almost choked. He did not look at her. She placed the jar
between three stones. When she picked up the rope of the
bucket, he came to himself. He looked up--straight into her face.
He saw her eyes. They were brown and were regarding him
gravely, without embarrassment; he forget his own timidity.)
(They laughed and felt more at ease and regarded each other
more openly. He took a long time fingering his rice before raising
it to his mouth, the while he gazed up at her and smiled for no
reason. She smile back in turn and gave the rope which she held
an absent-minded tug.)

Falling Action
After Manong helped Ading, Ading invited Manong to their house.
Manong refuses at first, but Ading insisted.
(He sent the bull after her with smart slap on its side. Then he
quickly gathered the remains of his meal, put them inside the
jute sack which had almost dried, and himself followed.)

Resolution
Manong felt stronger and more enthusiastic.
(He felt he could follow the slender, little figure ahead of him to
the ends of the earth.)

CONFLICT

Man vs. Self

The two main characters had a hard time taking the courage to
talk to each other. The conflict arises in their own minds, fighting
on what to do, and what consequences might go on after.

Man vs. Nature

The road seemed to writhe under the lash of the noon-day heat;
it swum from side to side, humped and bent itself like a feeling
serpent, and disappeared behind the spur of a low hill on which
grew a scrawny thicket of bamboo.

THEME

Attraction during the first meeting

The story is not so special meeting a man and woman that might
have a promising relationship in the future. The characters
conversation is plain just like the landscape setting but it was
filled with passion and emotions that captivate the readers
easily.

Traditional Filipino Courtship

The story may not directly pointed out Manong courting the
young lady, Ading, but the events during their first meeting is a
starting point on how the binata and dalaga usually fires the urge
to be with each other. Manong being kind of torpe and Ading
playing hard to get are some of the conservative attributes that
typical Filipino men and women have.

Sexuality
Based on how the author described what the characters
observed with each other, the details were kind of sexual in a
way. How Manong perceived the wetted breast of Ading and how
Ading was amazed with the masculinity if Manongs body.
(But she staggered a little and water splashed down on

her breast. The single bodice instantly clung to her

bosom molding the twin hillocks of her breasts warmly
brown through the wet cloth"The underpart of her arm is
white and smooth," he said to his blurred image on the water of
the well, as he leaned over before lowering the bucket made of
half petroleum can. "And her hair is thick and black.")

(He lowered the bucket with his back to her, and she had time
to take in the tallness of him, the breadth of his shoulders, the
sinewy strength of his legs. Down below in the small of his back,
two parallel ridges of rope-like muscle stuck out against the wet
shirt. As he hauled up the bucket, muscles rippled all over his
body. His hair, which was wavy, cut short behind but long in
fronts fell in a cluster over his forehead.)

SECOND REPORTERS:
Hannah Laine Abelo
Pamela Mennet Llorente
Charlyn Sulad