Lead Article
Bridging Seasons: Teaching Manuel Arguilla’s Midsummer and Anton Chekhov’s Misery
How can a student of literature in English at a Philippine university be assisted in gaining an understanding of seemingly remote concepts such as the winter described in Chekhov’s Misery? This paper reviews a methodology for doing exactly that. It illustrates how, for example, by first introducing a Filipino short story in English such as Manuel Arguilla’s Midsummer, the teacher can provide for a more emboldened and engaged discussion on seasons as metaphors for feelings. The paper also aims to show that accommodating Philippine literature in English in a literature course that has previously focused on western texts may lead students toward the shared and purposeful responsibility of constructing familiar meanings amidst the diversities found in “foreign” literatures.
