The Small Key

by Paz Latorena

It is about a woman named Soledad who is married to a man named Pedro

Buhay. They live on a farm. One morning Soledad finds herself knowing that the farm
will produce plenty but that she still had some inner feeling of discontent. She planned
to mend some of her husband's shirts, which were in a locked trunk. Pedro took out
from his pocket a string which held two keys, one large and shiny and one small and
rusty. He gave Soledad the large key to his trunk and put the small key back in his
jacket pocket.

Since it was hot that morning, he removed his coat before leaving to work in the
field. When he was gone, Soledad began to fold the jacket and the small key fell to the
floor. It is obvious that Pedro values the small key while Soledad fears it. Soledad
knows that the small key is a key to a different trunk. She tries to busy herself so that
she will not think about what the smaller trunk contains, but she cannot stop thinking
about it and reveals that the small trunk contains clothing that belonged to Pedro's first
wife.

She wonders why it is that he keeps her old clothing and why he seems to have
a special feeling about them. She obviously fears that Pedro still loves his first wife even
though she has been dead for many years by now. She reveals that she hates the
things in the small trunk and worries that they will destroy the relationship between her
and her husband. Despite her attempts to not think about the contents of the small
trunk, Soledad opens it.

At this point, Pedro returns home to find Soledad in bed with a fever. He went to
the city to call the doctor. He was also the one who has taken care and watched
Soledad the whole night. The next morning Pedro decided to cut some logs. A remnant
of a burned panuelo flew and he thought that somebody had been burning clothes. He
took a good look on the burnt remnant A puzzled expression came into his eyes. First it
was doubt groping for truth, then amazement, and finally agonized incredulity passed
across his face. He almost ran back to the house. In three strides he was upstairs. He
rushed back into the house to confirm it. At first, he was in denial. He decided to open
the trunk and Soledad has indeed, burned his first wife's clothing.

Pedro tries not to be angry and he expects that Soledad will explain things later. He
thought to himself that maybe, he’ll forgive her but because he loves her and he knows
that Soledad loves him too and did that thing out of love. But somehow he knew that
this incident would always remain a shadow in their lives.

Points to remember:

 It is pointed out in the story that there is a gender role. Mainly because since
Pedro is a man, he is the one to be most likely working at the farm. And since
Soledad is a woman, she is the one who’s left in the household for the house
works.
 Soledad feels insecure with Pedro’s first wife. She feels that as long as the
remnants of Pedro’s first wife are still there, she can never call Pedro her own
since it still holds a lot of power to Pedro.
 Urdaneta City University
College of Education
One San Vicente West, Urdaneta City

A Detailed Lesson Plan

in
English
(Literature)

Prepared by:
Princess Jessica A. Dizon
 (BSEENG-IV)

I. Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
 Unlock the different word difficulties;
 Understand the meaning of a short story;
 Fully understand and appreciate the given story and;
 To answer the given comprehensive questions.

II. Subjective Matter

a) The Small Key by: Paz Latorena
b) Materials: handouts, instructional materials, pictures
c) References: Philippine Literature p.212

III. Procedure

Teacher’s Activity Student’s Activity

A. Routine

Good morning class! Before Good morning ma’am!

anything else, I want you all to
please stand for a prayer.

Thank you Lord for giving us a

wonderful day here in school bless
us and guide us as we study and
pray in Jesus name we pray, Amen.

How was your day? Was it Fine ma’am.

enjoyable?

That’s very nice. Before starting, I

will first check your attendance.
Please say present when you hear
your name.

(The teacher will call their names (The students recites and says
one by one.) present.)

B. Motivation

Okay class, I want you all to please (The students closes their eyes.)
close your eyes.

Okay, now think of something very

important to you that was given by a Yes ma’am.
certain someone. Now, think about
 who that person was. Now do you
already have someone in mind?

Now, imagine that, that certain

someone leaves you without any
guarantee that he/ she will be going
back to you, maybe after many years
or maybe never. Imagine the pain
that you’ll go through with him/her
never coming back and the only
reminder of him/her is the thing that
he/she gave you.

Then after many years of waiting,

you have already accepted that, that
certain someone will never
comeback. You’ll meet someone that
will become an important part of your
life that knows about your past. And
then you’ll find out one day that the
very important thing that the certain
someone gave you suddenly
disappears and is now nowhere to
be found, only to find out that the
one who threw it away was the
person you met and invested your
trust with.

You can now open your eyes class. (The students will now open their
eyes.)

What did you feel after hearing the Ma’am after putting my shoes in that
situation? Okay miss Jennica. situation, I felt betrayed.

Okay thank you Jennica, who else Because ma’am, it is her that I have
felt betrayed aside from Jennica? put my trust on. She knows what I feel,
Yes, Jess? Why would you feel what was the past and all of a sudden
betrayed? she’d throw it all away, it’s like
throwing the trust that I gave her.

C. Lesson Proper

Very good class! Who among you (Some students raises their hands.)
here loves reading?

You know class, there are stories

that you can read with just one
sitting and some stories that you can Yes ma’am.
read for a week or so. We often
times opt for a story that are shorter,
correct?

For these stories won’t take up so

much of our time. The stories that
 are not that long are called short
stories. It contains all the needed
events like rising action, climax and
so forth. On the other hand, the
stories that are long are called long
stories. Examples are novels, pocket
books so on and so forth.

The story that we will be tackling

today is entitled, “The Small Key.” It
is an example of a short story.

Okay class I will give you 5 minutes (The students will read the story.)
to read the handout that I have given
you.

D. Comprehensive Questions

Ma’am, as for the gender role of

Okay class, using Pedro and Pedro, since he is the man, it is
Soledad, the main characters as a pointed out in the story that he is the
point of reference, what specific one doing the works in the farm. As for
gender roles are highlighted in the Soledad, her role is the traditional role
story? Okay, Princess. of a woman where she will be the one
who’ll stay at home and do all the
household works.

Exactly! So by that, means that the

story was written in the times where
man are still considered to be Yes ma’am.
dominant than women. Right?

Ma’am it’s maybe because Soledad

still feels insecure with Pedro’s first
So class, why do you think that the wife. Maybe she feels that as long as
trunk of Pedro’s dead wife is the remnants of Pedro’s first wife are
something that threatens Soledad still there, she can never call Pedro
with her beautiful relationship with her own since it still holds a lot of
her husband? power to Pedro. Yes, his first wife
maybe dead, but the things are still
there. Their memories are still there.
Maybe she will not feel assured as
long as she sees those things.

Very good! Do you think Pedro really Yes ma’am. I still think that he loves
loves Soledad? Okay Eduard? her though it is stated in the story.
 If so, why does Pedro still keep the Ma’am it’s because his past wife will
belongings of his wife? always be a part of his life. It is not
that he’s still in love with the first, it’s
that she’ll always be in his heart.
Those things are the only pieces of
her memory. He keeps it because she
once became a part of his life.

That’s a really nice answer! Right? Yes ma’am. Even though Soledad
Because that’s the only thing that would apologize and Pedro accepts it,
reminds her of his wife. Okay class, that incident will always remain. Pedro
Pedro discovered towards the end of might forgive Soledad, but he won’t
the story, what Soledad did to his forget what she did. At the back of
first wife’s things. Do you think that their minds, they will still know that
this incident would affect Pedro and there will be a gap between them
Soledad’s relationship as husband because of what Soledad did.
and wife? How?

Exactly! Who do you think committed

a graver mistake? Is it Pedro, for still (The students will give their own
keeping his first wife’s belongings or opinions regarding the question.)
is it Soledad, for burning them?

No ma’am. I believe that

communication is the best way to
settle things in any relationships. If I
were Soledad, I will tell my husband
If you’re in the same situation as about what I feel about him keeping
Soledad, will you also do the same his first wife’s belonging. I won’t touch
thing? them without his permission or without
asking him, without knowing what I
feel because even though we’re
already married, it’s still his private
things. At least I know what are those.

E. Generalization

Okay class, I need a student who will

give the gist of the story. What was (The students will recite the summary
the moral of the story? What have in front.)
you learned?

Thank you, class. All in all, the

lesson of the story is that we should
always say what’s on our mind. Not
in a bad way but we should make
them especially the ones who are
important to us know what we’re
thinking and not just by keeping it to
 them and sorting things out on our
own accord. In a relationship, always
remember that there are two people.
So we don’t go making decisions by
ourselves. It should come in
balance.

That’s all very good class! I am very

glad to see that you all understood
our lesson!

IV. Evaluation
Class, I need three groups. This side will be group 1, this is group 2 and
this will be group three. What I want you to do is for you to make a story
mapping by using the Freytag’s pyramid in a sheet of yellow paper following
the organizer below.

V. Assignment

For your assignment class, I want you all to read the story entitled “Dead Star
by Paz Marquez Benitez.”