Realism in Literature:
A Study Guide on the Short Story,
The Visitation of Gods
by Gilda Cordero-Fernando
Background of the Realism Trend in
Literature
• Realism is an artistic movement that begun in
19th century France wherein artists and
writers strove for detailed realistic and factual
descriptions. They tried to represent events
and social conditions as they actually are,
without idealization.
•
 Realism aims to interpret the actualities
of any aspect of life, free from
subjective prejudice, idealism, or
romantic color. It is in direct opposition
to concerns of the unusual, the basis of
Romanticism.
 It stresses the real over the fantastic.
• Realism also seeks to treat the
commonplace truthfully and uses
characters from everyday life. This
emphasis was brought on by
societal changes such as the
aftermath of the Civil War in the
United States and the emergence of
Darwin's Theory of Evolution and its
effect upon biblical interpretation.
Vignette
The Gods will be visiting Pugad Lawin area once
again. The teacher, pay and paints are moving heaven
and earth for a magnanimous progress for the God’s
visitation. All are in frenzy except for Miss Noel, an
English teacher. How can she change this mediocre
custom? Will she be able to do it alone?
The Author
Gilda Cordero-Fernando is a
multi-awarded writer, publisher
and
cultural
icon
from
the Philippines. She has
a B.A. from St. Theresa's CollegeManila
and an M.A. from
the Ateneo de Manila University.
• Gilda Cordero-Fernando was
born on June 4, 1932 in Manila
.
• Cordero-Fernando
has
two
landmark
collection of short stories: The Butcher, The
Baker and The Candlestick Maker (1962) and A
Wilderness of Sweets (1973). These books
have been compiled and reissued later
as Story Collection (1994). Another
book, Philippine Food and Life, was published
in 1992.
• Together with Alfredo Roces, CorderoFernando worked on Filipino Heritage, a 10volume study on Philippine history and culture
published by Lahing Pilipino in 1978.
• She founded GCF Books which published a
dozen titles that deal with various aspects of
Philippine culture and society.
• Cordero-Fernando has also worn numerous
other hats as a visual artist, fashion designer,
playwright, art curator and producer. In
February 2000, she produced a hugely
successful extravaganza.
GENERAL PRECEPTS
General Precept
Paragraph/ Sentence
Evidence of the General
Precept
Justification
1. Realism forwards that
literature’s function is
simply to report what
happens, without any
embellishments.
The letter announcing the
visitation (a yearly descent
upon the school by the
superintendent, the district
supervisors
and
the
division supervisors for
“purposes of inspection
and evaluation) had been
delivered in the morning in
the morning by the sleepy
janitor to the principal.
General Precept no.1 is
present in this part because
the story was presented in a
straight forward manner.
There is no embellishment
in what happened and was
stated in the perspective
view of a real happening in
real situation.
General Precept

The subject matter of
realist texts are the on
ordinary people and
ordinary events in their
lives.
Paragraph/ Sentence
Evidence of the General
Precept
Justification
The teaching staff and the
student body had been
divided into four working
groups.
General Precept no.2 is
present in this sentence in
the story because it
presents ordinary people.
The story is a ordinary
event in life and so the
people
involved
are.
Teachers and students are
considered to be ordinary
because
they
usually
appear in our everyday
lives and we can see them
everyday.
General Precept
Paragraph/ Sentence
Evidence of the General
Precept
Justification
 Realism highlights
the characters rather
than the actual plot.
Vainly, Miss Noel searched
in the crowd for the old
Language Arts supervisor.
All the years she had been
in Pugad Lawin, Mr. Ampil
had come: in him there was
no sickening bureaucracy,
none of the self-importance
and pettiness that often
characterized the small
public official . He was
dedicated to the service of
education, had grown old
in it. He was about the
finest man Miss Noel had
ever
known.
This part of the story
focuses in the sentiments
of the main character.
General Precept no.3 is
present
because
it
“highlights”
the
main
character’s
persona
through showcasing her
emotion. Through this, the
focus of the story strongly
believe in the realistic view
of the main character of
the situation she is tangled
with.
General Precept
Paragraph/ Sentence
Evidence of the General
Precept
4. The diction of Realist "I thought all teachers
texts are natural (talking hated strict supervisors."
Mr.
Sawit
elucidated.
and conversational).
"Didn't you all quake for
your life when Mr. Ampil
was there waiting at the
door of the classroom even
before you opened it with
your
key?"
"Feared him, yes," said
Miss Noel. "But also
respected and admired him
for what he stood for."
Justification
The General Precept no. 4
is prevalent in this part of
the story because the story
is
presented
in
a
conversational manner and
was natural because the
character’s dialogues are
proper because it is stated
in their own view not being
affected by any external
factor. The conversation is
natural due to the words
used;
stated
in
the
character’s occupation and
self understanding of the
situation present in the
story.
General Precept

Realism
focuses
mainly on present
issues and truth rather
than the past and
fantasy.
Paragraph/ Sentence
Evidence of the General
Precept
Justification
"Isn't it obvious? You
announce a whole month
ahead that you're visiting.
We clean the schoolhouse,
tuck the trash in the
drawers, bring out our best
manners. As you said
before, we rehearse our
classes. Then we roll out
the red carpet - and you
believe you observe us in
our everyday surrounding,
in
our
everyday
comportment?"
This part of the story shows
that general precept no. 4 is
evident in the story because
the situation is happening in
the present time and is one of
the concern of the character.
The situation is considered to
be timely due to the
contextualization
of
the
author of the character in the
story and does not present any
issue that has passed and is
considered to be a cliché to be
talked in the story’s content.
Guide Questions
Subject Matter/ Theme
• 1. Does the literary piece simply report events
without any embellishments? Does it present
the truthful representation of life?
• 2. Does the literary piece portray the way of
life of the common people?
• 3. Does the literary piece showcase problems/
issues relevant to the present time?
Character/ Persona
• 1. Is the character a representative of the
common/ average people?
• 2. Is the character more pragmatic in his views
and practices rather than idealistic or realistic?
• 3. How does the character react and act on
the events that happened in the story? Cite
sentences and phrases in the story.
• 4. Does the character in the story experience
conflicts from his/her environment especially
from the ongoing social issues that is beyond
his/her control?
Style
• 1. Does the literary piece highlight the
character rather the plot? How does it
highlight the character? Cite specific
sentences and phrases from the story.
• 2. Is the diction used in the literary piece
conversational ? Cite some sentences and
phrases.
• 3. Does the literary piece describe the world in
realistic detail and expose its absurdities?
• 4. Does the literary piece presents facts only?
Cite sentences and phrases in the story
showing such.
About the Researchers
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