Colegio de San Gabriel Arcangel of Caloocan Inc.
Phase 10A Pkg 6 Blk 11 Lot 1-5 Bagong Silang, Caloocan City
Colegio de San Gabriel Arcangel of Caloocan Inc.
Phase 10A Pkg 6 Blk 11 Lot 1-5 Bagong Silang, Caloocan City
Author:
Consorcio Borje (1912-1981) he won the 1941 Commonwealth Award for Literature for
his collection of 47 short stories, The Automobile Comes to Town. His book was never
published because WWII came and the manuscript was lost.
Elements of Story
Theme: Courage, Love and being Responsible
In the story the big sister it shows how Inciang loved her brother Itong after their mother
died, she did everything for her brother Itong to send him to school at Vigan, it means that
though it is early for her to be a mother of her brother she still willing to accept that responsibility
of being a mother to her brother. Inciang is responsible enough for her brother Itong.
Plot (climax and Conflict)
For me the Plot of this story is when their mother died after giving birth to Itong and
Inciang becomes his mother throughout the years and she did everything to make Itong safe as
well as happy despite their situation.
Character
Itong is the younger brother of Inciang, he is the one who went to Vigan to Pursued his
study because he was granted to have a scholarship for being Valedictorian in their class when
he was in Elementary. When he has grown he becomes secretive to his sister, particularly about
his love life.
Inciang is the Big Sister as well as the eldest sibling of Itong she was stood as a mother
of her brother Itong after their mother has died she did everything for her brother just to make
her brother stay beside her.
Colegio de San Gabriel Arcangel of Caloocan Inc.
Phase 10A Pkg 6 Blk 11 Lot 1-5 Bagong Silang, Caloocan City
Father (Unknown) He never married again after his wife passed away, he chose to
prioritize their land instead, the only dream he wants for his son is to finish his study and be
successful.
Tiya Orin, she was the one who becomes supportive for the both of them Inciang and
Itong, she also encouraged Itong to pursued his study in Vigan.
Nena is the childhood friend as well as the crush of Itong she is also an Apple of the Eye
of Itong.
Point of View
First Person
The point of view of this is written from the first-person point of view because it is divided
between Itong and Inciang points of view which talks about the life of Itong and Inciang after
their mother's death. How Itong and Inciang survive throughout the years.
Tone
The tone in this story is being calm because the story talks about love, relationship as well as
responsibility.
Setting
The Story happened in the late 1940s at Ilocos Norte and Vigan where Itong continued his study
Reflection/Analysis:
This short story gives emphasize on how being responsible is important and the
communication, as well as relationship in our family, are. And the importance of being welleducated.
Colegio de San Gabriel Arcangel of Caloocan Inc.
Phase 10A Pkg 6 Blk 11 Lot 1-5 Bagong Silang, Caloocan City
Summary of “The Big Sister” by Consorcio Borje
The eighteen-year-old big sister, Inciang helps the twelve-year-old brother prepare his stuff for
the travel to Vigan. In the process, Inciang recalls her hardship in tending to the needs of her
only brother. Their mother has passed away giving birth to the brother of Inciang so she acts as
the mother to Itong. The father never married again and spends his time tilling their land and
help in the everyday sustenance of the family. Itong needs to go to school and being a
valedictorian graduate in the barrio elementary school, there is a need for him to pursue not only
his dream but more so of the dreams of the family members for him become a doctor or a
lawyer. Inciang feels in pain soon being apart from her brother for the first time. The rest of the
family and more of Inciang display support, love, concern, care for Itong. He left the first time
and the rest of the neighborhood tend up to the bus station. Inciang is in so much emotional
pain seeing his brother leave for Vigan but she displayed a firm attitude as everyone bids the
boy goodbye. A year has passed and Itong returns to the barrio. He displays an eagerness to
see his old friends and Inciang notices everything. Few more years and Itong has grown taller
and bigger, simultaneously he has changed in a way that he is no longer very tactile to his
sister. Inciang is affected and she observes more yet accepting that change is indeed inevitable.
The family needs to live a life despite the changes and Nena comes to the scene, someone
whom she feels could be her sister.