Module 10
Context and Meaning in
Literary Texts
How Writers and
Readers Shape
Interpretation
Review
[Link] is context in
literature?
[Link] does context
help us understand
a text?
Objectives
1. Explain how context affects
meaning in literary texts
2. Identify how an author’s
background influences a text
3. Analyze how readers’ experiences
affect interpretation
4. Relate a literary text to personal
and social experiences
Think about this…
Why do different
readers sometimes
interpret the same
story differently?
Let’s reflect..
[Link] your experiences
affect how you
understand a story?
[Link] your beliefs or
Context and Meaning
Context shapes how a
text is written
Context shapes how a
text is understood
Meaning is influenced by…
• The author
• The society during the
time of writing
• The reader
Remember that…
A text may have
different
interpretations
Interpretation must
be supported by the
text
Text Analysis
Background of the story
Lengua Para Diablo is an excerpt from the book “Banana Heart Summer”. It
is written by Merinda Bobis, who is an acclaimed Filipino Australian writer and
performer who has published in three languages. Her novels, short story and
poetry collections, and plays have received various awards. She was born in
Legaspi City, specifically at the foot of the Mt. Mayon, where she wrote also her
first writing. Some of her works comprise Philippine culture and maybe this
motivates her to write such literature excerpt concerning issues in our country
that we must not view it in a negative way but a motivation for changes. Her main
interest was painting, but she realized that her family was not able to buy the
things she needs in art school and materials for art practice so she decided to shift
her image-making to another language, poetry and making stories.
Vocab Match
1. Appeasement a. persuaded by sweet talk
2. Cajoled b. doing something very carefully
3. Scrupulously c. enjoying something greatly
4. Luxuriating d. calming someone’s anger
5. Piquant e. having a sharp, pleasant taste
1. There was more need for appeasement after he lost his job.
2. .She made it sound like Father’s fault, so he cajoled her with kisses and
promises.
3. First, it was scrupulously cleaned, rubbed with salt and vinegar, blanched in
boiling water
4. His silent tongue was already luxuriating in a multitude of essences.
5. He pampered into a piquant delight.
Vocab Match
1. Appeasement a. persuaded by sweet talk
2. Cajoled b. doing something very carefully
3. Scrupulously c. enjoying something greatly
4. Luxuriating d. calming someone’s anger
5. Piquant e. having a sharp, pleasant taste
1. There was more need for appeasement after he lost his job.
2. She made it sound like Father’s fault, so he cajoled her with kisses and
promises.
3. First, it was scrupulously cleaned, rubbed with salt and vinegar, blanched in
boiling water
4. His silent tongue was already luxuriating in a multitude of essences.
5. He pampered into a piquant delight.
What literary device is used in the repeated line “The devil ate his words, the devil
ate his capacity for words, the devil ate his tongue.”?
Anaphora- repeating a phrase at the
beginning of successive clauses
----combined with hyperbole and
metaphor
What does the line “The devil ate my words” mean about the father in this passage?
It means the father feels his words were
taken away by silenced- he can’t speak up or
argue with the mother, so he just gives an
excuse (“Before he shut his mouth”) and
does what she wants (getting her more
water).
• What does Lengua Para Diablo mean?
• Why did the father sell his tongue ?
• What happened after the father’s employer
sacked him?
• Why was the father incapable of speaking the
devil’s name?
• What does the two-day silence indicate
about the father?
• What does Lengua Para Diablo mean?
-the tongue of the devil
• Why did the father sell his tongue ?
-he hoped to get promises of comfort, a full stomach, and a better life for his
mother, essentially trading his voice for those benefits
• What happened after the father’s employer sacked him?
-the employer helped the neighbor find a cheaper hand (labor) for extending
his house, implying the father lost his job and was replaced or ignored.
• Why was the father incapable of speaking the devil’s name?
-he was so overwhelmed and silenced by the failed bargain that he couldn’t
even utter the devil’s name, showing his deep loss of voice and power.
• What does the two-day silence indicate about the father?
-the two days of staring in a dark corner show his profound despair,
reflecting his feeling of being trapped by his fate
• What does the narrator wonder about the
father’s tongue?
• How is the tongue prepared in the story?
• What does the narrator mean by “words
scraped off our capacity for pleasure”?
• Why did the father stop eating during the two
days of silence?
• What does the narrator wonder about the father’s tongue?
-the narrator wonders how the devil ate the father’s tongue, like it was cooked
and taken away
• How is the tongue prepared in the story?
-the tongue is cleaned with salt and vinegar, boiled, and scraped of its white
coating, then picked with a fork and cooked in olive oil with spices
• What does the narrator mean by “words scraped off our capacity for
pleasure”?
-it means the loss of the father’s voice took away the family’s ability to enjoy
things, like losing a source of happiness
• Why did the father stop eating during the two days of silence?
-he said he lost his taste for food; he wasn’t hungry because his tongue was
gone
• What is being described on the “devil’s
platter”?
• What does the narrator fantasize about
experiencing with the food?
• What is being described on the “devil’s platter”?
-a dish served with garlic, onion, tomatoes, bay leaf,
clove, peppercorns, soy sauce, sherry, butter, and
grated edam cheese
• What does the narrator fantasize about
experiencing with the food?
-the narrator imagines being cooked in various ways
with perfect seasonings and becoming an epicure,
indulging in the finest flavors
• What social issues are reflected in the text?
-Rich vs. poor- it shows people who have lots of
money and fancy food, and someone who
wants to experience that luxury
-loving expensive things-the writing focuses on
enjoying costly, tasty food a lot
-power gap- the person wishes to be apart of
the rich world and learn its secrets, showing
difference in power
• How does the author’s background affect the story?
1. Colonial mentality- the mention of Spanish/ Mexican
ingredients hints at the Philippines colonial past and cultural
blending
2. Socio economic realities- growing up in the Philippines, the
author may be drawing from observations of class
differences and economic struggles
3. Food as culture- Filipino culture is rich with food symbolism,
so the lavish meal may represent more than cultural identity
or aspirations
Questions
[Link] social issues are
reflected in the text?
[Link] does the author’s
background affect the
story?
[Link] do you personally
relate to the text?
Final thought…
Meaning is not only
found in the text,
but in the
interaction between
the text, the
THANK YOU