A Reflection on the Ritual
Ritual by Cirilio F. Bautista
STORY BY: CIRILO F. BAUTISTA PRESENTED BY: VIA RODEROS, LANCE
Take note of
Use of Flashbacks to reveal something about the
character
Light and Dark Imagery Ironies/Contradictions in the Story that would lead
to the central idea/ theme
Characters
Unnamed Narrator
- From the city and used to be poor
- Worked as a language and literature teacher in the
mountains where He met his friend Dayleg
- Had a wife named Luisa - Had brother named Roy
Characters
(Narrator) Can be assumed that he is engulfed in fear
because of his statement:
These two years I had tried to find peace, to re-order my life toward a more meaningful goal, but things eluded me. An indefinite fear was gnawing my mind.
Characters
Dayleg - From the mountains - Hunted (with the unnamed narrator) a sacred boar in the
sacred grove, not heeding the rules of his community
- Studied pedagogy and philosophy in the city and hopes
to breakaway from his the norms of his community
- Wanted to bring new knowledge/ civilization to his
community
Characters
Dayleg is blinded because: He acted rashly, even though he probably knew that
desecrating a holy symbol would probably serve no good purpose
Does not stop to consider the feelings of his tribe
Light Imagery
- the moment he was embraced by the light, the
single light that dangled from a single cord from the ceiling, I saw that the years...
Light Imagery
- the bright death masks of ancient mummery
the big, pot-bellied moon which on other nights I
might have found romantic but which now enwrapped me with a feeling of dread.
caught in the glare of the bright firelight, was a lone
man dancing
Light Imagery
the sun in its apex lighting the chunks of boars
flesh in harsh legs of luminance. . .
mouthing his antique incantation while the sun rose
higher and higher to surround his head with a crown of fierce light.
Dark Imagery
The world was a blanket of darkness. in the guise of images not brilliant in their
brokenness, which you can easily push into that cave of darkness called the Mind.
its two tusks were ivory in the fading light. . .
Emphasis on: Irony/Contradiction
Light Life New Knowledge/ Civilization Dayleg City Dark Death Rituals and Traditions
Narrator
Mountain
Irony
Dayleg
- wants to break away from his the norms of his
community
- Wants to enlighten his people
- In the end he returned to the old practices and
culture of his tribe community
Irony
The unnamed narrator
- He ran away because of his fears/inadequecies
- Although he was a stranger, he felt deeply affected by
what he did during his stay
- He was influenced by the character of Dayleg and he
returned to where he came from.
Irony
Character of Dayleg / City
Central Idea/ Theme
Character of the narrator / Village
Light Imagery
Dark Imagery
Dayleg is tribesman but wanted civilization for his people
In the end he went back to the practices of his tribe
Mans belief, practices and whole being reflects his roots. No matter where he goes, in the end he returns to where he came from
The narrator is afraid of going back to the city because of his doubts and fears
Light is associated with horror, Dark is associated with something bright
In the end he faced his fears and decided to go back to the city
Theme/ Central Idea
Reconciling the past/present, tradition/progress
Comparing/Contrasting
Dayleg
-Wants to bring about change or progress -Trying to improve his tribes future
Narrator -Does not want to move out of tradition -Haunted by his past
Both -Return to their roots -Are blinded by their beliefs/do not want to see things from other perspectives
Evidence
Narrator
-Luisa thinks he see things colored by his imagination -In the beginning of the story, it is also mentioned that he thinks he has been ensconced in his own world for too long
Dayleg -Inconsiderate of his tribes beliefs -Indifferent to women, prefers canned food
Ideas to highlight
the sun in its apex lighting the chunks of boars flesh in harsh legs of luminance, moving because the universe must complete its course.
The cat would eat fish but will not wet her feet.
Ritual: the Comfort Zone
Story meditates on the age-old problem of
reconciling the past and present, or combining tradition and progress
Both characters have beliefs that conflict with their
situations, both refuse to acknowledge their unjust attachment to their ideas