ELEMENTS OF A SHORT STORY – PRELUDES
1. Characters: (Write a short description of each character)
Nenita - the story's major character; the widow of the deceased husband
Nenita's husband - good singer; died because of his sickness; had relationships with
several women
Judge - hated by everyone; his 9th death anniversary is celebrated at the hall
Judge’s widow - the mistress of Nenita's late husband
Herbalist friend- the one who gave the medication to Nenita
Grandson - heartbroken; also likes music; sent off to the city
2. Setting: (Describe the location and the time)
The narrative took place at 3 p.m. in the Municipal Hall, where the sun was high and
dry, and the heat crept into the bones of the people. It also happened in Nenita's home,
particularly in the sala and kitchen, where she was cooking and watching TV.
3. Conflict (Lift a line from the story to support your answer)
The narrative focused on several conflicts, particularly within married couples.
Adultery, concubinage, and gender discrimination are examples of these conflicts. "Nenita
took her husband back again when, with the money her in-laws sent for his medication, he
went away to be with one of his women. People say her husband went to Manila with the
judge's widow. Nenita never confirmed this."
4. Point of View (Lift a line from the story to support your answer)
Third Point of View (Narrator's Perspective) - "A man died singing. He had sung a
total of three songs before he heaved his last breath and collapsed on a chair."
5. Theme: (Explain the theme)
Gender inequality - It demonstrates how women may accept their husbands who are
having affairs, but it is a different story for women who are having affairs. Women
who cheat are labelled as "whores" by those who believe they have forfeited their
female dignity.
Love and betreyal - Even though she knew he was unfaithful to her, Nenita was
described as kind, caring, understanding, and compassionate towards her husband in
the narrative. Her spouse was ungrateful; rather than recognizing Nenita's hard work,
he decided to cheat and see other women.
6. Write the Plot Structure of the Story
a. Exposition - It happened at the Municipal Hall. The time was three in the afternoon.
The sun was high. Heat seeped into people’s bones. Someone’s 9th death anniversary
was being celebrated.
b. Complication - Nenita's husband used the money from her in-laws to pay for his
medicine. He used the money to join the judge's widow to Manila.
c. Climax - Nenitas's herbalist friend recommended a medicine that would shrivel his
husband's ball, cause hallucinations, and make his blood boil till his veins burst.
d. Denouement - Nenita continued to look after her husband and declined the
medication provided by her herbalist friend.
e. Resolution - While performing a classic Spanish song about kissing someone for the
final time, Nenita's husband died.
7. Short Reflection about the Story (What is it about? Did you get any value/s from the story?)
Daryll Delgado's Preludes was an interesting story to read since the events were
inverted or reversed, and you had to find out what was going on first. The author of the
narrative use foreshadowing and flashbacks to confuse the reader and therefore urge them to
read the novel. The narrative comes to a terrible conclusion when the woman uses her
herbalist friend's medicines to quietly murder her husband.
This brief, eye-opening narrative made me more conscious of the harsh realities of life,
particularly in terms of relationships. It made me more cautious about others in my close
surroundings, but not to the point of shoving them away. Also, I should not rush into a
relationship without first getting to know the individual, both good and bad. Real life isn't a
fairy tale in which everything goes as planned. It's called reality, not fiction, for a reason:
everything and everyone on this planet has flaws and problems, but that's good because it
helps us grow as a person.