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Biographical Context
Manuel Arguilla was born on June 17, 1911 in Nagrebcan, Bauang, La Union
to parents Crisonto Arguilla, a farmer and a carpenter and Margarita Estabillo, a
potter.
He was an Ilokano writer and he is known for his short story “How My
Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife” which won first prize in the Commonwealth
Literary Contest in 1940.
According to Yolanda Sotelo (2016) “Leon” was taken from the name,
“Manuel” or simply “Noel” spelled backwards. Maria could be “Auntie Pinay” or
Josefina, the wife of Salvador. It was Salvador who actually brought home a wife in
Negrebcan. But a cousin insisted that it must be Lydia, Arguilla’s wife, because the
story refers to Ermita, Manila where the couple had lived, at the end the story proved
that it was Manuel Arguilla’s story. To site some example from the story, Baldo the
brother of Leon was surprised when Maria called his brother Noel, “Now where did
she get that named? I pondered quietly to myself thinking father might not like it.
But it was only the name of my brother Leon said backwards and it sounded much
better that way.”
In the story Leon’s father wanted him to marry a woman from the same
province but it turned out that he married a woman he met in the city. The father has
come doubts about Marie so they face many challenges along the way in cluding the
passing in the so-called “Waig” instead of “Camoni Real” or the paved road.
According to Sotelo (2016) Sonza from the second generation of Manuel
Arguilla recalls his grandmother telling him and his cousins the time when she
played with her friends on the same cart is long gone now. The house of Arguilla is
still present in Bauang were the memories of How My Brother Home a Wife was
treasured.
Linguistic Context
Arguilla’s writing style in the story “How My Brother Leon Brought Home a
Wife ” is definitely very descriptive. He uses imagery when describing every scene
in the story. The following lines are examples of Arguilla’s descriptive style in the
piece, “The sky was wide and deep and every blue above us: but along the way they
saw tooth rim of the Katayaghan hills to the southwest flamed huge masses of clouds.
Before us the field swam in the golden haze through I looked at the sinking sun.” He
also used figurative languages which made the story more interesting, convincing,
and beautiful, such as personification, smile, onomatopoeia, alliteration, repetition,
and consonance. To site some examples from the text, “Now the shadows took fright
and did not crowd so near” personification, “Her fragrance is like a morning when
papayas are in bloom” and “And her voice flowed into his like gentle stream meeting
a strong one,” simile, “Ca Celin drove away hi-yi-ing to his horse loudly,” and
“Crickets chirped from their homes in the cracks in the banks,” onomatopoeia, “She
stepped down from the caretela of Ca Celin,” alliteration, “He did not say Maring,
he did not say Mayang,” repetition, and “The Camino Real curves around the foot
of the Katayaghan hills,” consonance. The message of the story was easy to
understand because it was clear and concise. And he also used symbolisms such as
Camino real as an easy life, Sky Sown with the Stars pertains to sense of
camaraderie, following way of Waig symbolizes hard life, atars for hope and
guidance, and rocky road in which the rock symbolizes struggles, difficulty, full of
obstacle or problems. The author also used dialogue, to site some examples from the
story, “Have we far to go yet, Noel?” she asked, “Ask Baldo” Leon said. He also
used local colors which brought life in the language that appeals to the surrounding
of Nagrebcan such as, caretela, papaya, duhat, sinta, calesa, manong, dangla,
arrais, andadasi, manang, and camachile. Arguilla describes each characters
emotion through powerful imagery.
Sociocultural Context
Argilla’s story depicts scenes in barrio Nagrebcan, Bauang, La Union where
he was born. According Casuyon, J. (2011) this story takes place in farm where
people would usually ride in carabao.
The social issue in the story is that how Marie a city-bred woman get the
approval of the father of Leon, a country man. And the differences between rural
and urban areas, Marie is concerned if she’s going to be accepted or not by Leon’s
family despite of her social status. She was tested if she is worthy to be the wife of
Leon. This was seen when Baldo ignored his older brother’s question about why did
they have to go to Waig instead of the Camino real.
In the story Marie discovered the differences the life of the people lived there
in the life of the people lived in the city. To site some examples from the text, “You
miss the houses, and the cars, and the people, and the noise, don’t you?” my brother
asked, “Yes, but in a different way I’m glad they are not here.”
The story proved the existence of true love were Filipinos are very emotional
when they think about true love. There are Filipinos who tend to sacrifice it truly
means that they value and they truly love that person (Adofina et. al, 2013). In the
story Marie sacrificed anything just to be happy with Leon, this means that their love
is true and genuine. Despite his father’s belief that Marie doesn’t belong to them and
it is impossible for her to adapt the way of their living in the province.
Filipino values or traits are revealed within the story. One trait is the goal
obtain one’s trust most specially in getting permission to marry the person you love.
Filipino parents are very strict when it comes to marriage. But what Marie did in the
test that the father of Baldo and Leon gave to her proved that she really deserved the
love of Leon. Another value is living a life contentment. Filipinos who live to rural
areas are known to be simple yet they are contented for what they have. Maria
embraced not only her loved for Leon but also everyone and everything that Leon
loves even she was born and raised in modernity of the city.
