NVM Gonzales’ “The Bread Of Salt” and Gregorio C. Brilliantes’ “The Cries Of Children On An April Afternoon in the Year 1957” are stories that both similarly center on a teenage male protagonist and somewhat broach the idea of innocence and naivety brought about by youth. “The Bread Of Salt” is about an ambitious fourteen-year old, lower class boy who dreams of success and aspires towards winning the heart of a young lady named Aida. Unfortunately, Aida belongs to a prominent Spanish family. And towards the end, the protagonist realizes they cannot be together as he does not have the same social status as Aida and her family. In the end, he becomes aware of the hierarchical class system of the society. On the other hand, “The Cries
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These traits are seen in Ricky, with the way he is around girls. This is shown in the lines “Fat and preoccupied, her mother would emerge from a hallway to pass through the sala, scarcely glancing at their corner of the spacious room where they exchanged, behind a newspaper they held up as a screen, brief nibbling kisses. “Not here, Ricky, not here, please, Ricky,” she would say when he pleaded for more.” when he elaborates on his relationship with Leny, or when Ricky says “Not until you introduce me, puede ba?” talking to his sister, asking to be introduced to Mila, who he seemed to have an attraction to. This shows his assertive and aggressive qualities. In “The Bread Of Salt”, this is shown through the narrator’s excessively impractical dreams and aspirations. Upon joining the band, he would dream about touring the world as a famous musician, obtaining wealth, and receiving praise. These are seen in the lines “That night l dreamed l had returned from a tour of the world’s music centers; the newspapers of Manila had been generous with praise. I saw my picture on the cover of a magazine. In New York, he reported, a millionaire had offered me a Stradivarius violin, with a card that bore the inscription: “In admiration of a genius your own people must surely be proud of.”” It can be inferred through the stories that both characters are ambitious …show more content…
In both stories, both protagonists are faced with a reality check on how life and the world truly are. In “The Cries Of Children…” this is shown through three tragic flash-forwards in Ricky’s life. It is revealed that although Leny and Ricky do pursue their relationship, it does not end well. Leny will end up marrying an American and die after their car falls deep into a frozen lake in Michigan. The second one is about Ricky’s niece Agnes, who in present time is quite crafty and clever, yet in the future is admitted into a mental institution. The last one is about Mila, a friend of Ricky’s sister who turns out to be his future wife. However, after some ten years of marriage and four kids, he cheats on her and she leaves him for another man. The flash-forward ends with Ricky with a gun, in search of Mila. These flash-forwards reveal that the future isn’t necessarily as easygoing and mild as Ricky’s present life and highlights how unsuspecting he is of the events to come. In “The Bread Of Salt” this is shown when the narrator realizes he cannot win Aida’s heart because she is from an upper class family while he is from the lower class. This can be seen when Aida tells him “If you wait a little while till they’ve gone, I’ll wrap up a big package for you.” after seeing him slip food into his pockets. He was ashamed
These traits are seen in Ricky, with the way he is around girls. This is shown in the lines “Fat and preoccupied, her mother would emerge from a hallway to pass through the sala, scarcely glancing at their corner of the spacious room where they exchanged, behind a newspaper they held up as a screen, brief nibbling kisses. “Not here, Ricky, not here, please, Ricky,” she would say when he pleaded for more.” when he elaborates on his relationship with Leny, or when Ricky says “Not until you introduce me, puede ba?” talking to his sister, asking to be introduced to Mila, who he seemed to have an attraction to. This shows his assertive and aggressive qualities. In “The Bread Of Salt”, this is shown through the narrator’s excessively impractical dreams and aspirations. Upon joining the band, he would dream about touring the world as a famous musician, obtaining wealth, and receiving praise. These are seen in the lines “That night l dreamed l had returned from a tour of the world’s music centers; the newspapers of Manila had been generous with praise. I saw my picture on the cover of a magazine. In New York, he reported, a millionaire had offered me a Stradivarius violin, with a card that bore the inscription: “In admiration of a genius your own people must surely be proud of.”” It can be inferred through the stories that both characters are ambitious …show more content…
In both stories, both protagonists are faced with a reality check on how life and the world truly are. In “The Cries Of Children…” this is shown through three tragic flash-forwards in Ricky’s life. It is revealed that although Leny and Ricky do pursue their relationship, it does not end well. Leny will end up marrying an American and die after their car falls deep into a frozen lake in Michigan. The second one is about Ricky’s niece Agnes, who in present time is quite crafty and clever, yet in the future is admitted into a mental institution. The last one is about Mila, a friend of Ricky’s sister who turns out to be his future wife. However, after some ten years of marriage and four kids, he cheats on her and she leaves him for another man. The flash-forward ends with Ricky with a gun, in search of Mila. These flash-forwards reveal that the future isn’t necessarily as easygoing and mild as Ricky’s present life and highlights how unsuspecting he is of the events to come. In “The Bread Of Salt” this is shown when the narrator realizes he cannot win Aida’s heart because she is from an upper class family while he is from the lower class. This can be seen when Aida tells him “If you wait a little while till they’ve gone, I’ll wrap up a big package for you.” after seeing him slip food into his pockets. He was ashamed