PRELUDES
By Daryll Delgado
Prelude
• A preliminary to an action, event,
condition, or work of broader scope and
higher importance.
• Any action, event, comment, etc. that
precedes something else.
• Music opening a church service; an
introductory voluntary.
Motivation:
1. Why does it seem acceptable in
Philippine society for husbands to have
affairs with other women?
2. Is it acceptable to women? Why or why
not? What do you think or feel about this?
3. Should this attitude be changed?Why or
why not?
Background Knowledge:
Under Philippine law, when a woman is guilty of
adultery she commits a crime, while for a man, the
crime is not adultery but concubinage. In our country,
there is one set of laws for women, and another set
of laws for men, which shows that laws in the
Philippines are patriarchal in nature, and seem to
favor men over women.
This double standard is not only seen in our laws,
but in Philippine society as well, where one set of
rules seems to prevail for women, where another set
of rules seem to prevail for men.
Adultery and Concubinage
Adultery- voluntary sexual intercourse
between a married man and someone other
than his wife or between a married woman
and someone other than her husband
(Merriam-Webster.com 2015)
Concubinage – cohabitation of persons not
legally married.(Merriam-Webster.com 2015)
• This explores the issue of infidelity and
how it affects the family. Although there is
only one perspective found in this story,
there seem to be different perspectives
about infidelity that can be picked up from
the words of the other characters. One
should read this story closely as it is
carefully constructed to create a particular
conclusion at the end of the story.
EVENTS:
• 1.A man died singing. He had sung a total of
three songs before he heaved his last breath
and collapsed on a chair. It happened at the
Municipal Hall.
• 2. At that very moment, Nenita the wife, was
at home, picking leaves for a medicinal brew.
• 3. Nenita herself did not mind the judge
really, even if she had always found him
rather severe. It was the wife whom Nenita
did not feel very comfortable with. There had
been some very persistent rumors involving
the judge's wife that Nenita did not care so
much for.
EVENTS:
• 4. Willy Revillame was pulling her into his
arms, soothing her with words of
condolences, before handing her some cash
and offering his left cheek for a kiss.
• 5. She looked around guiltily, she thought she
heard her husband swear at her. She felt her
husband's presence in the living room with
her, even if she knew he was at the death
anniversary party. She quickly turned off the
TV and made her way to the kitchen.
EVENTS:
• 6.By the time she was almost done, she
had to prepare breakfast and brew a
special tea concoction for her grandson
who had spent all night drinking.
• 7. Nenita then remembered that she also
had to prepare the medicinal tea her
husband needed to take with his dinner.
She had yet to complete the five different
kinds of leaves
EVENTS:
• 8. She had not heard her husband sing this way in
a very long time, ever since he became ill-when
the sugar and alcohol in his blood burned the
sides of his heart, almost getting to the core of it.
• 9. She used to feel slighted whenever her siblingsin-law recalled with such intense, exaggerated
regret, the way their brilliant brother squandered
his money and his talent and oh, all the wrong
decisions he made along the way. Including,
though they would never say directly, his decision
to marry Nenita.
• 10. She had forgiven all of them. They were all
dead now save for one brother who lived in the
city. She never stopped praying for their souls, but
she was not very sorry that they died.
EVENTS:
• 11. She took him back every time his affairs with other
women turned sour. She took care of him when he
started getting sick, when the part of his heart that was
supposed to beat started merely murmuring and
whistling.
• 12. Thankfully, her friend, the herbalista, had just the
right concoction for this ailment. Even the doctors were
delighted with her husband's progress.
• 13. People say her husband went to Manila with the
judge's widow. Nenita never confirmed this. Nenita never
asked- She just took her husband back. Nursed him
back to health again.
EVENTS:
• 14. She could have prepared him then that other
brew her herbalista friend had suggested at the
time, the one that would make his balls shrink,
give him hallucinations, make his blood boil until
his veins popped. But she didn't, of course.
• 15. She did know that she would never use the herbs,
even if she wanted to keep, see, touch, and feel the
soft lump of leaves in her palm, every now and then.
She derived some sense of security, a very calming
sense of power, in knowing that she had that little
packet hidden in one of the kitchen drawers.
EVENTS:
• 16.She closed her eyes and trapped her breath in
her throat, the way she did when she listened to
the beats and murmurs of her husband's heart at
night.
• 17. Nenita remembered being told by her
husband that that was what it was about
• 18. And then she heard him choke, heave a
breath before he sang: Perderte. Long pause.
Perderte. Another Pause. Despises. And then
there was applause, in which Nenita joined, still
laughing at her silliness.
Guide Questions:
1. What is prelude? Why is that the title of the
story?
2. What does Nenita feel for her husband?
Why do you think she feels that way?
3. What does her herbalista friend feel about
Nenita’s husband?
4. Who was the man who died in the first
paragraph?
5. How do you think he died? What clues in the
text helped you to reach that conclusion?
Guide Questions:
6. What is the importance of the purple dried
leaves? Do you think these were really
used in the story?
7. Who killed the man? Explain your answer.
8. The story ends with the feeling of heat. What
are other meanings of heat in the story?
9. Why is it ironic that the widow was married
to a judge?
10. Do you think with what happened, that
some kind of justice was served? Why or
why not?
After Reading:
A Note to the Story
According to the playwright Anton
Chekhov,”If in the first act you have hung a
pistol on the wall, then in the following one it
should be fired. Otherwise, don’t put it there”
(Simon 2010). This is the principle of
Chekhov’s gun, which means that if an
important object or detail is mentioned in the
text, this should play a central role in the
plot. In the short story, what takes place of
Chekhov’s gun? How does this help in your
appreciation of the story?
EVALUATION: The Musical
In a big group, adapt the story “Preludes”
into a musical. Pick existing songs to help you
move the plot forward and find the right people
who can sing and act as Nenita, the herbalista,
nenita’s husband, and the widow. There can either
be two big groups in the class, or more depending
on the number of students.
EVALUATION: The Short Movie
In a big group, adapt the story “The God
Stealer” into a short movie. Pick and talk about the
setting (time and place) to help you move the plot
forward and find the right people who can play the
role of Sam Christie and Philip Latak(Ippig) . There
can either be two big groups in the class, or more
depending on the number of students.
Rubric:
 50%
 50%
Adaptation of the Short Story: Displays
an understanding of the elements of
fiction in the short story and
successfully adapts them into a
musical.
Stage Production: Includes the set,
props, quality of singing, and acting.
Rubric:
 50%
 50%
Adaptation of the Short Story: Displays
an understanding of the elements of
fiction in the short story and
successfully adapts them into a
short movie.
Stage Production: Includes the set,
props, acting, and setting.
Enrichment:
The musical should/could be recorded
and uploaded in You Tube or Vimeo. Invite
other classes to watch it on You Tube or Vimeo
and comment, to give you additional feedback
about how you staged the musicals
Enrichment:
The video should/could be recorded
and uploaded in You Tube or Vimeo. Invite
other classes to watch it on You Tube or Vimeo
and comment, to give you additional feedback
about how you staged the video.