1st Century Literature in Various Regions, 21st Century Literature from the

Philippines and the World

Life and Works of Alejandro Roces

 Lesson5 chapters
 Questions

Objective
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to identify Alejandro R. Roces’s contributions to the
development of Philippine literature.

Who is Alejandro R. Roces?

What are his contributions to the development of Philippine Literature?

Learn about it!

Alejandro R. Roces as a Filipino Writer
 Alejandro R. Roces was a Filipino literary writer. He was born on July 13, 1924.
 He was a playwright, an essayist, and a short story writer. He was also a columnist at
the Philippine Star, the Manila Times, and the Manila Chronicle.
 He attended the Ateneo de Manila University for his primary and secondary education
and the University of Arizona where he earned his degree in fine arts. He pursued further
studies at the following institutions: Far Eastern University (master’s degree); Ateneo de
Manila University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, St. Louis University, and
Tokyo University in Japan (doctorate).
 Alejandro R. Roces was known for his short story "We Filipinos Are Mild Drinkers," a
story about an American soldier in the Philippines who brags about his drinking habits,
but becomes overly drunk after drinking lambanog offered by a Filipino farmer.
 From 1961 to 1965, he served as the Secretary of Education under the regime of former
president Diosdado Macapagal. He has also served as chairman of the Movie and
Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) in 2001.
 His other literary works are "My Brother’s Peculiar Chicken," a story which talks about
two brothers who were arguing whether the chicken they caught was a hen or a
rooster; Something to Crow About, the first Filipino zarzuela in English about a man
named Kiko who earns a living by means of cockfighting; and Fiesta, a collection of
essays about various Philippine festivals.
 Alejandro R. Roces was conferred as National Artist for Literature in 2003.
 He died on May 23, 2011.

Read the synopsis of “My Brother’s Peculiar Chicken” below, one of Alejandro R. Roces’
notable works.

Synopsis:
Kiko and his brother found a peculiar chicken. They argued whether it was a hen or a rooster.
Kiko believed that it was a rooster, while his brother thought otherwise. Kiko’s brother
emphasized that it could not be a rooster as the chicken has neither wattles nor comb. Their
parents took turns in looking at the chicken and had different thoughts about it; thus, they ended
up arguing like their children. Kiko and his brother asked the chieftain about it, and he thought
that it was a bird of a different kind. They also asked Mr. Eduardo Cruz, someone who studied
poultry raising, and he suggested examining the insides of the chicken, to which Kiko refused.
They both agreed to bring the chicken to a cockpit and have it fight with a rooster from Texas.
However, the rooster performed a love dance around the peculiar chicken. It turned out that the
peculiar chicken was waiting for a chance to attack. It stubbed its spur into the rooster, and won.
Kiko’s brother was convinced that the chicken was a rooster. However, when he was holding the
chicken, it suddenly quivered and laid an egg.

Humor is a literary device which aims to make the audience or readers laugh or be amused.
Alejandro R. Roces employed humor in most of his works. There are various types of humor.
Some of which are exaggeration/hyperbole, surprise, and sarcasm.

 Sarcasm – is a literary device used to mock. In the story, the chicken crowed and Kiko
triumphantly asked his brother if he heard it. Kiko then mocked his brother by saying “I
suppose you are going to tell me now that hens crow and that carabaos fly.”
 Exaggeration/Hyperbole – is a literary device used to make an event appear better or
worse than what it really is. In the story, Kiko’s brother shared how they were almost
whipped for arguing too much.
 Surprise – is a literary device commonly found in unlikely situation or an unexpected turn
of events. As the brothers ran from the mob, Kiko’s brother was convinced that the
chicken was a rooster based on how it defeated its opponent, until it laid an egg.

Summary
Alejandro R. Roces was best known for his short stories, "My Brother’s Peculiar Chicken" and
"We Filipinos Are Mild Drinkers." He employed humor in most of his works, usually tackling the
Filipinos’ fascination of cockfighting.
NAME: ____________________________________ Year and Section: ________________

Read the synopsis of “My Brother’s Peculiar Chicken” below, one of Alejandro R. Roces’
notable works.

Synopsis:
Kiko and his brother found a peculiar chicken. They argued whether it was a hen or a rooster.
Kiko believed that it was a rooster, while his brother thought otherwise. Kiko’s brother
emphasized that it could not be a rooster as the chicken has neither wattles nor comb. Their
parents took turns in looking at the chicken and had different thoughts about it; thus, they ended
up arguing like their children. Kiko and his brother asked the chieftain about it, and he thought
that it was a bird of a different kind. They also asked Mr. Eduardo Cruz, someone who studied
poultry raising, and he suggested examining the insides of the chicken, to which Kiko refused.
They both agreed to bring the chicken to a cockpit and have it fight with a rooster from Texas.
However, the rooster performed a love dance around the peculiar chicken. It turned out that the
peculiar chicken was waiting for a chance to attack. It stubbed its spur into the rooster, and won.
Kiko’s brother was convinced that the chicken was a rooster. However, when he was holding the
chicken, it suddenly quivered and laid an egg.

 Sarcasm – is a literary device used to mock

 Exaggeration/Hyperbole –. is a literary device used to make an event appear better or

worse than what it really is

 Surprise – is a literary device commonly found in unlikely situation or an unexpected turn

of events.