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Why the English Teacher Died at
Christmas- Myra Muriel Go
Group 4Estrada
FajutaganaFernandez
GabrielIwarat
Jabonete
I. About the Author
Myra Muriel Go is a Filipina writer who wrote the short story: Why the English Teacher Died at Christmas.
II. Summary
Teacher Helen is forty years old and has been teaching the English subject for twenty years. She thinks that her efforts are all for naught as she still recieves grammatically incorrect sentences and improper English diction from her students. This was the reason why in the past five years, Teacher Helen is growing more and more disappointed and unhappy. Her collegues weren't much help, as they too have errors in their grammar and diction. On the day of the Christmas Program, Teacher Helen was not feeling well at all. She decided to go to the hospital where she met the receptionist at the medical specialist's center. As the two women chatted, Teacher Helen learned that the receptionist is a former English teacher and that according to her, trying to teach English was being Sisyphus and that quitting was the wisest thing she ever did in her life. This made Teacher Helen fall into a deep thought. She was examined by her doctor who concluded that her chest pains were imagined and that she was stressed because of taking her job too seriously. She returned to the school and walked to the auditorium wherein the Music teacher's opus was about to begin. As soon as she heard the mispronounced lyrics of the song “Deck the Halls”, she collapsed on the stage and died with a smile on her face.
II. Analysis
A. Characters
Protagonist:Teacher Helen -
English Teacher for 20 years; 40 years old (Flat character)
Minor Characters:
PrincipalReceptionist
(Former English
Teacher)Other Teachers
DoctorStudents 3rd
Person Limited
POV
II. AnalysisB. Setting
Central Time Setting:
Day of the Christmas Program
Period:21st Century
Christmas Season
Central Place Setting:School
Auditorium
II. AnalysisC. Conflict
Man VS Herself
Man VS Society
II. Analysis
D. Symbols
Deck The Halls
Christmas
Death of Teacher Helen
Deck the halls with boughs of holly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la. Tis the season to be jolly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Don we now our gay apparel,
Fa la la, la la la, la la la. Troll the ancient Yule tide
carol, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
See the blazing Yule before us,
Fa la la la la, la la la la. Strike the harp and join
the chorus. Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Deck The Halls
II. AnalysisE. Foreshadowing
• Why the English Teacher Died at Christmas (Title)
• “She was forty years old forty is supposed to be a very good age to be for any teacher” (2nd paragraph, 2nd sentence)
• “It was the day of the Christmas program, and Teacher Helen was not feeling well at all.” (1st paragraph, 1st sentence)
II. AnalysisF. Flashback
• “At Halloween they told her of their adventures. Mum! We went to trek and tret.
In the gentlest manner she would say, Oh, Trick or Treat! How wonderful. And Jund, that’s Ma’m. Maaa’m. Mum used to be an underarm deodorant.”
• “Just the day before, during their faculty meeting, Teacher Helen had to suffer through the entire two hours of English use being systematically slaughtered by the subject area coordinators.”
II. AnalysisG. Theme
The difference of the English
Language between the
Past and Present
Generation
Every person has his/her own flaw
The evolution of the English
Language through
generations
II. Analysis
H. Conclusion
Teacher Helen is an English Teacher that is growing tired of hearing the English Language used and pronounced improperly. This affects her both physically and mentally. Towards the end of the story, before finally dying, teacher Helen thought to herself that the people around her make her funny and that she no longer cared.
“It isn't what you have or who you are or where
you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is
what you think about it.” - Dale Carnegie
THANK YOU ^_^