My Father Goes to Court

Title: My Father Goes to Court

Author: Carlos Bulosan

Author’s Background:
Carlos Bulosan (November 24, 1913 – September 11, 1956) was a prolific writer and poet, best remembered as the author of America Is in the Heart, a landmark semi-autobiographical story about the Filipino immigrant experience. Bulosan gained recognition in mainstream American society with the 1944 publication of Laughter of my Father, which was excerpted in the New Yorker, Harper’s Bazaar, and Town and Country. He immigrated to America from the Philippines in 1930, endured horrendous conditions as a laborer, became active in the labor movement, and was blacklisted along with other labor radicals during the 1950s. He spent his last years in Seattle, jobless, penniless, and in poor health.

Source: http://www.historylink.org/File/5202

Vocabulary:

contagious - (of an emotion, feeling, or attitude) likely to spread to and affect others.
wafted - pass or cause to pass easily or gently through or as if through the air.
glower -  have an angry or sullen look on one's face; scowl.
anemic - suffering from anemia.
rosy – (especially of a person's skin) colored like a pink or red rose, typically as an indication of health, youth, or embarrassment.
herd - a large group of animals, especially hoofed mammals, that live, feed, or migrate together or are kept together as livestock.
feeble – lacking physical strength, especially as a result of age or illness.
tubercular - of, relating to, or affected with tuberculosis.
stride - walk with long, decisive steps in a specified direction.
gravel - a loose aggregation of small water-worn or pounded stones.

Source: Oxford Dictionaries © Oxford University Press

Characters:

Narrator – One of the child of the father of the poor family. He/she is very observant of his/her surroundings

Father (Poor family) – The father of the poor family is a witty person. On the day of trial, he was able to give a great response that made them won the case.

Father (Rich family) – The father of the rich family is a snob as he would glower down to the poor family from his house.

Children (Poor family) – The children of the poor family love the outdoors. They would go outside and play under the sun. They are healthy although they do not eat food as much as the rich family.

Children (Rich family) – The children of the rich family rarely go out. They would stay in their house and keep the doors and windows closed. At the latter part of the story, it is revealed that they became thin and anemic.

Servants (Rich family) – They prepared the household’s food.

Lawyer – The lawyer was on the side of the rich family.

Judge – The judge oversaw the complaint of the rich family to the poor family

                          
Setting:
Geographic Location: Philippines, Luzon

Setting 1:
Location: Town

Setting 2:
Location: Court

Exposition:

A poor family once lived in the country where they had a farm but due to a sudden flood they lost it. So, they transferred to the town where they lived beside a rich family.

The children in the poor family would enjoy playing outside while the children in the rich family would rather stay inside their house with their windows shut.

Rising Action:

One time, the servants of the rich family would could good food. For they had a big house, the children of the poor family would smell the wonderful aroma of the food. They would inhale the “spirit” of their food.

Sometimes the father of the rich family would look down towards the children of the poor family. As if he feels anger towards them. The children of the poor family would just enjoy the time they have with each other as they would always laugh and sometimes a neighbor that would pass by would join in laughter.

As time passed by, the rich family started to have problems. Their children would get so thin and anemic. Soon after the whole family would cough too. Compared to the faces of the children of the poor family that were bright and full of life, they look pale and sad. The children of the poor family wondered what have happened for they know that do not lack nourishment because of the food they have always prepared.

Then one day the father of the rich family was looking down at the children of the poor family who have grown healthy. Suddenly, he banged all the windows in his house and from that day on they never opened the windows of their house again. Their children do not come out anymore but they would still hear the servants cooking, and even if the windows were shut, they could smell the aroma of the food.

Then one morning, a policeman came and he came to the house of th3 poor family. The rich man filed a complaint that the poor family have been stealing the spirit of his wealth and food.

Climax:

The day came for them to go to the court. The poor family arrived first. Their father wore an old army uniform. Then the father of the rich family arrived who had gone old and sickly together with his lawyer. The poor family had no lawyer but they started anyway.

The father of the poor family was asked numerous questions to find out if he knows the situation of the rich family. He then asked for the children to show up.

The people in the court we are surprised. They were so thin and pale. The father of the poor family asked if the children truly believe it was his family stole the spirit of food from them. They said yes. Then the father said, “Then I will pay you right now”.

He took a straw hat from his child and asked them for coins then he went across the room then he jingled the straw hat full of coins. The sound filled the room and the audience turned towards the sound.

Falling Action:          

The father of the poor family went towards the father of the rich family. “Did you hear it?” “Hear what?” “The spirit of the money when I shook this hat?” the father of the poor family asked. “Yes” said the father of the rich family. “Then you are paid”.

The rich man was surprised. He fell to the floor. “Case dismissed” said the judge.

Ending:

The father of the poor family shook hands with the judge. He asked if the judge would like to hear his family laugh. “Why not?” said the judge. The father asked his children to laugh and they started laughing, followed by the audience then the judge who laughed the loudest of all.

Symbolisms:

Rich family and poor family – This symbolizes the difference of wealth between each family. But even if the rich family is wealthier than the poor family, the poor family our healthier and full of joy. This implies that wealth does not define happiness.

Army uniform – The father of the poor family wore an old army uniform in the court. This signifies that the father is ready to defend his family against the complaint filed by the father of the rich family like how a soldier would defend his nation from people that would harm its’ citizens.

Theme:                             

The story takes place in the Philippines and shows the usual mentality of the rich to the poor. That the poor our powerless to the rich and that the rich could do anything against them because they do not have the wealth to protect themselves. Like in the story, although the rich family had no strong evidence that there was a relation between the poor family and the health of his family. He judged them for something as illogical as “spirit” of food be could do so with his wealth, and he can even afford a lawyer to make this case a sure win.

Lesson:

Do not be foolish and blame others for your neglection. It was not others fault why your family is as healthy as other. Maybe it is poor lifestyle? It is not too late to change and be like other people who live a good life. And in a family, what keeps the relationship of each and every member firm is the bond that they all share. Wealth does not define happiness. Although it may contribute to satisfaction. Wealth fades but joyful memories last.