Joyce Grace D.

Tero BSE-Eng4

A Formalistic Analysis of the Short Story The Dog Eaters

In every action theres an equal and opposite reaction. -Isaac Newtons Law of Interaction In every decision that a person will take, there is a corresponding consequences that either will lead his life to success or will lead his life to misery. If an individual is not able to handle the cost of the action taken, it will ruin and turn his life into wretchedness. The short story which is to be analyze is written by Leoncio P. Deriada entitled The Dog Eaters.

Formalistic approach will be used in analyzing the story. It primarily deals on the content of the text, meaning it is judging the literary work within the text. It puts emphasis on the literay work itself. The proponents of this approach were Robert Penn Warren (poetry is a valid source of knowledge that cannot be communicated in terms other than its own) and I.A Richards (his study on The Meaning of Meaning). The theme, the setting and the character (protagonist) will be the basis in analyzing the text.

The theme of the short story is suffering the consequences of the actions being done. Basically, the text revolves on the consequences on the decisions and actions done by the characters in the story. On the first part, Victor who is a former body builder and club bouncer eloped with Mariana who is an undergraduate college student because she gets pregnant. From that phenomenon, it turn their lives into misery especially that she's bearing another one in her womb. She can't stand it anymore especially that they always fight with each other and that, she tried to abort her child by drinking some herbal liquid which she bought desperately from Aling Elpidia.

Filipino setting is being portrayed on the short story. It is in a rural setting typically a barrio since it mentioned that around ten a.m people were already drinking tuba and those type of activity were commonly done by citizens who are staying on that kind of place. Their rented house is located near the street since it is mentioned that Mariana hung up classic curtains that could not completely ward off the stink from the street.

Mariana is the protagonist in Leoncio Deriadas The Dog Eaters. Mariana was being blinded by her feelings towards Victor that leads her life into misery. Upon reading the story, a person can really tell that she regretted the decisions that she made. Mariana is personified as woman with strong convictions on the areas culture of dog eating, yet later on defied the morality that she sets upon herself and the people around her.

The Dog Eaters is a short story that shows the reality of life, it deals on the consequences of the actions being done by the characters. The text circles on the effect on the choices and actions completed by the person involved in the story. It all started when Victor who is a former body builder and club bouncer eloped with Mariana who is an undergraduate college student because she gets pregnant. From that event, it directs their lives into the world of misery and desolation especially that Mariana is bearing another one in her womb. The situations that they are experiencing weakened the hope of Mariana, she can't stand it anymore especially that they always argue and fight with each other. She even tried to abort her own child by drinking some herbal liquid. It is in a Filipino and a rural setting typically a barrio since the evidences cited on the texts supports and shows the life of Filipino dwelling on such particular place. Mariana is the female protagonist in the story. She was being blinded by her feelings and emotions towards Victor that leads her life into depression and despair. In every decisions that an individual will take, he or she should make sure to stand for it no matter what. Regrets will always be at the end.