PUPPY LOVE by Francisco Sionil José

PUPPY LOVE by Francisco Sionil José

Critique Paper

PLOT:

            Francisco Sionil José begins the story by introducing the character using the first person point of view. Jacobo Salcedo also introduces Gina, his first love or what we called puppy love wherein Gina’s brother is Jacobo or Jake’s friend. He states in the 2nd paragraph, last sentence that as long as a person has a money, that person can buy anything even honor. Jacobo Salcedo also introduces his father and mother’s occupation.

            Since Jacobo and Lito Garcia are friends, when they are playing, Gina, Lito’s sibling is also playing with them. Until one time, Jake went to Garcia’s hacienda to play with Lito but Lito is not there and Gina is the only one who face him. That is the time where they feel that they are attracted to each other. In life, we always thought that there is always challenges and that is what happened to Garcia Family. As the war began, their hacienda was taken by the Japanese that is why they went to Manila while Jake’s mother died because of the war and he went also to his uncle at Manila also to continue his study as a lawyer.

            Jake is hoping to see again Gina and that is where he found Carlos Cobello, one of the country’s richest men. After Jake top the bar, he immediately started going to Carlos firm. In almost a decade, he achieved a lot of his goals but still Gina is always appearing to his mind and has a place in his heart. Until they went to Bayside night club, he saw Gina in a green dress. Even though years had passed by, a lot of changes went out but the instinct that it was Gina is the only thing that comes into his mind. Eyes may not see it but heart can feel it. They got the opportunity to have some piece of talks but Gina did not introduce herself as Gina, she told other name. That night maybe the first step of Jake to get closer again to Gina. But everything went due to the opportunity that have lost because Jake has an appointment that time in Frankfurt wherein he will have a date with Gina. Career over love life is not easy to deal with. They did not meet that time because Jake went to Frankfurt for a month.

            Life goes on. Yes, destiny is very playful. You’ve met but you were not destined to be together. Maybe lessons are what it brings to our lives. Jake met Jenny and have the opportunity to have his own family with her. But it is not easy for him to love another girl immediately because he still love Gina that time but as what my professor in Philosophy have said to us, only time can heal everything. The pain, heartaches, and burdens can be erase as time goes by. Jake started to learn loving Jenny. But Gina is not yet happy because she was imprisoned and Jake went to the jail to talk and help her but she doesn’t want to. She’s guilty. They talk about what had happened before when they have to have their date. Revelations are so intense because Jake already tell everything to Gina and that was the most interesting part of the story, where Gina started to cry because Jake told to Gina that it was him, the one who haven’t eated an apple before. And then Gina started to cry.

            Francisco Sionil José is an excellent writer because even if it is in the last part of the story, he can still manage on how to get the interest of the readers. He ended the story but it feels like it wasn’t the end yet. Among all the stories that we have read in our subject 21st Century Literature, Puppy Love by Francisco Sionil José is my favorite even if we did not discussed it very well. Lesson learned that as long as the opportunity comes into our lives, as long as open doors are in front of us, grab and enter that opportunity because not all the time we can have it. It is more easy to accept if we grab that opportunity thatn regreting at the end because we did not do anything to fight for it. 

CHARACTERS:

·         Jacobo Salcedo or Jake- he is a hardworking student who became a lawyer. He is an intelligent man, as we all know that every lawyer has a critical thinking because they can provide evidence and make everything clear. Jake was conflicted during the time when he was making love with Jenny but it was Gina that he was imagining to be with. He was motivated to find Gina when he found out that Gina’s family become poor and he wanted to help Gina.

·         Gina Garcia- came from a rich family who loves reading books. Psychologically, she is a lady who is intelligent also. People who are used to read is knowledgeable enough because they read more than doing anything else. Gina is conflicted when the war began and started their life complicated they are not used into a poor living. What motivated the character is when Jake helped him by giving her a money that she even think that it can help her to start a new life.

·         Lito Garcia- Jake’s bestfriend and Gina Garcia’s brother. Lito is a good man because he can socialize to everyone despite of being a son of a rich man. Just like Gina, he was conflicted when the war began since they are both came from a rich family. What motivates him is when he picks up Gina at the Bayside because even though their life became complicated, he still have his sister.

·         Carlos Cobello- one of the country’s  richest man and also Jake’s bestfriend during college time. A man who is independent because not just his self, he can also help other people.

·         Jenny- Jake’s wife. A mature wife that every man wants. What motivates her is that she knows that Jake loves her.

POINT OF VIEW:

            The story use first person point of view wherein it was Jacobo Salcedo or shall we call Jake who narrates the story. It is more effective than second and thirt person point of view because as the reader reads the story, he or she may feel closer to the character itself. The information provided in this story is reliable because it is a universal feeling wherein everyone of us have a puppy love during our young ages. If this story was not narrated by first person point of view, there is a possibility that I can still understand it because the story is not only revolving to Jake. I realized that it is Gina, the main character of this story. 

SETTING:

Town of San Jacinto is the setting in the story. As I was searching, it is located in Pangasinan and it is still present.

THEME OR LITERARY MOTIFF:

            The title itself says it all that the story revolves on how puppy love between Jacobo Salcedo or Jake and Gina Garcia were developed. Puppy love can also be called as infatuation only because it is felt during adolescence period. Maybe it leaves mark or something that we cannot forget but it is not true love. It is just something that we cannot forget because it was our first time to be in love.

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