The
centipede
By: rony v. diaz
(short story ANALYSIS)
Background of the Author
Rony V. Diaz is an award-winning Filipino writer. He has won several Palanca
Awards. He joined The Manila Times in 2001 as executive director. He eventually
became publisher and president of the Manila Times School of Journalism. He
has taught English at the University of the Philippines Diliman and has worked for
the Philippine government as a foreign service corp. He is the author of the story
"The Centipede".
He is a recipient of a University of the Philippines Fellowship for Literature, a
Rockefeller Fellowship for creative writing and is a member of the University of
the Philippines Writers Club.
He was born in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija on December 2, 1932.
Rony Diaz earned his degree in AB English in the University of the Philippines
and MA Comparative Literature in Indiana University.
Some of his publications include: Death in a Sawmill and Other Stories (1978),
Introduction to Literature, co-author (1964), fiction anthologized in Modern
Philippine Short Stories (1962), and An Anthology of Carlos Palanca Memorial
Award Winners Volume 1 and Volume 2.
He received Palanca Awards in 1953, 1954 and 1957; Smith-Mundt fellowship in
1959; and Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship for his novel, All Others Are of
Brass and Iron. He was also the co-founder of Signatures, former member of UP
English faculty, director of UP Press, Director General of NMYC, and Chairman
of Board on Textbooks of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports
(DECS).
Literary Analysis
Plot
“The Centipede” all started with Eddie seeing his sister Delia beating his dog
Biryuk. He wanted to stop his sister but he could not do for the latter has a weak
heart. Eddie does want to free the dog from the cruel hands of his sister, but he was
powerless to do so.
A series of flashbacks followed in the story. Delia was 8 years old when Eddie
was born and when their mother died. Since childhood, Eddie has a natural love for
animals and insects, however Delia loathes them.
Delia being the oldest has a dominating nature. She acted like a boss to
Eddie and whatever she wanted must happen. On the other hand, afraid of
contradicting his sister for something bad might happen to her, Eddie didn’t always
put up a fight. He kept his patience after his sister destroyed everything he loves –
his monkey, his pigeons and his butterflies. He tried hard to control himself even
though the acts of his sister were already below the belt.
But then, everything has its own limits. When Eddie found out that Delia
stabbed the eye of his dog, he felt so much hate that he could not keep his temper
anymore. He was fed up. He was enraged. His hatred was like a venom on his own
soul. He got the opportunity to avenge everything when Berto, a helper in their
house, gave him a centipede. Upon receiving it, he wrapped it in a handkerchief,
then silently moved inside their house while his sister was embroidering a white
cloth. Without a second thought, he threw the centipede on his sister’s lap.
Eddie came back to his senses when he saw the result of his action. His
sister collapsed to her chair while clutching her breast and gasped heavily. He
regretted it and felt guilty but the damage has been done already. He cried while
kneeling before her as he exclaimed “but it’s dead!”
Characters
Eddie - The main protagonist in the story who was continuously looked down
by his sister.
Delia - She is Eddie’s sister. Her brother described her as the meanest
creature he knew.
Berto - Aside from being a helper, he is also a friend of Eddie and the one
who found the centipede.
Biryuk - Eddie’s dog whose eye had been pierced by Delia.
The Father - Eddie and Delia’s dad. He taught Eddie the basics of hunting.
Settings
The story happened at the hut where his sister Delia's playhouse is located,
at Eddie and Delia's house and at the woodshed where Berto is splitting up the
woods.
Conflicts
o Man Versus Man
This is evident between the siblings, Delia and Eddie. Delia’s
maltreatment and dislike toward Eddie made the latter’s anger
overflowed which led to an unexpected incident.
o Man Versus Himself
Due to Delia’s weak and frail body, Eddie had been forced to
suppress his innermost feeling toward his sister which is hatred. He
tried not to go against his sister’s wishes even though he was
oftentimes harassed by her.
Themes
Self-Control
It is one of the most important skills that we can learn to harness.
The positive effects spill over into many different parts of our lives
and allow us to make better decisions and experience a better
reality.
Self-control is not all bout denying yourself pleasures, it also
encompasses working towards a higher ideal and sacrificing some
things in the now in order to achieve long term goals.
Self-control can definitely help us curtail impulsive behaviors to
avoid unexpected situations.
Literary Criticism/Approach
Reader-Response Criticism
This type of criticism attempts to describe what happens in the
reader’s mind while interpreting a text. A reader-response critic
might also explore the impact of a particular text in his or her own
ideas or values. For example, one might reflect on how a particular
character seems admirable and unlikable and why. One might
reflect on how one’s religious, culture, or social values affect
readings. It also overlaps with gender criticism in exploring how
men and women may read the same text with different
assumptions.
