Question

Activity 1: Influences in Literature

Directions: Identify the factor that predominantly influences each passage
below by writing your answer's letter in the blank.
A. culture B. Society C. Beliefs D. History E. Environment
_____1. I pushed the safety lever of the rifle off
and sighted along the barrel. The saddle of
the stock felt greasy on my cheek. The gun
was heavy and my arm muscles twitched. My
mouth was dry; I felt vaguely sick. I wanted
to sit down.
“You forgot to spit,” my father said.
Father had told me that hunters always
spat for luck before firing. I spat and I saw
the breeze bend the ragged, glassy threads
of spittle toward the birds.
“That’s good,” Father said.
Excerpt from The Centipide by Rony V. Diaz
_____2. “Papa, and when will the ‘long table’
be set?”
“I don’t know yet. Alfredo is not very
specific, but I understand Esperanza
wants it to be next month.”
Carmen sighed impatiently. “Why is he not
a bit more decided, I wonder. He is over
thirty, is he not? And still a bachelor!
Esperanza must be tired waiting.”
Excerpt from Dead Stars by Paz Marquez -
Benitez
_____4. “The Japanese will go to war against
the Americans before this year is out, Pepe,”
Quezon rasped, looking him straight in the
eye.
This was the reason the Serranos
prepared to move out of Manila. As discreetly
as possible, Don Pepe had all his personal
things packed and sent by train to Jaen. He
stopped inviting his friends. But when the
Steinway was crated and loaded on a large
truck that blocked the street
completely, the neighbors became curious.
Don Pepe dissembled, saying that he had
decided to live in the province for reasons
of health, “at least until after Christmas.”
Excerpt from At War’s End by Rony V. Diaz
_____3. The sun was in our eyes, for it was
dipping into the bright sea. The sky was
wide and deep and very blue above us:
but along the saw-tooth rim of the
Katayaghan hills to the southwest flamed
huge masses of clouds. Before us the
fields swam in a golden haze through
which floated big purple and red and
yellow bubbles when I looked at the
sinking sun.
Excerpt from My Brother Leon Brought Home
a Wife by Manuel Arguilla
_____5. If the waiter only knew enough about
Philippine cuisine, he might suggest venison
which is really something like tapang usa, or
escargots which the unstylish poor on
Philippine beaches know as snails. Or even
frogs legs which are a Pampango delight.
But this is the crux of the problem- where is
the rice? A silver tray offers varieties of
bread: slices of crusty French bread, soft
yellow rolls, rye bread, crescents studded
with sesame seeds. There are also potatoes
in every conceivable manner, fried
mashed, boiled, buttered. But no rice. The
Pinoys learn that rice is considered a
vegetable in Europe and America. The staff of
life a vegetable!
Excerpt from Where’s the Patis by Carmen
Guerreo-Nakpil

Answer 1

1.E. Environment (The character's surroundings, including the weight of the gun, the greasiness of the stock, and the wind affecting the spittle, all contribute to the character's feelings and actions in this passage.)

2. B. Society (The passage reveals societal expectations about marriage and age, as well as the pressure that unmarried individuals may face from their families and communities.)

3. E. Environment (The natural environment, including the sun, sea, sky, hills, and fields, shapes the setting and atmosphere of the passage.)

4. D. History (The passage takes place in the context of World War II, with the characters making preparations and discussing their predictions for the impending conflict between Japan and America.)

A. Culture (The passage discusses the differences in cuisine and food culture between the Philippines and Europe/America, highlighting how rice is a staple in Philippine cuisine but not necessarily in other parts of the world.)

Step-by-step explanation: