6. Background
• Awiyao and Lumnay most likely to belong to the Igorot people who
inhabit the mountain areas of Luzon, the largest island in the
Philippines. The Philippine islands were settled by various migrants
from Southeast Asia for centuries. These peoples built up a number of
different cultures and clan-based social structures on the many
islands of the archipelago. In the 1500s, Spain colonized the islands,
spreading Christianity and the Spanish language. Following Spain’s
loss in the Spanish-American war of 1898, the Philippines became a
territory of the United States. During World War II, the islands were
occupied by the Japanese until gaining their independence in 1945.
The Igorot people maintained many of their traditional cultural
practices through the late 19th century. Even today, dance and
gangsa music form an important part of their celebrations
7. Major Characters
Lumnay
• Awiyao’s former wife who is still in love with him, despite the fact he
married another.
Awiyao
• The lead male in the story who loves Lumnay, but left her because
she didn’t produce children for him.
Madulimay
• Awiyao’s new, younger wife, with whom he hopes to have children.
9. Synopsis of "The Wedding Dance"
• "The Wedding Dance" by Amador Daguio, is a short story about a husband
and wife, Awiyao and Lumnay, who had been married for seven years. In spite
of being in love with his wife, Awiyao feels the need to marry again in order to
have a son. At his second marriage celebration, Awiyao goes to check on
Lumnay, knowing she was upset. Awiyao thought the answer to Lumnay's
sorrow would be to have her join the other women during the wedding dance.
Lumnay was in fact at his wedding, but left. She could not stand the idea of her
husband marrying another woman because she could not give him children.
10. EXPOSITION
•The story begins at night in a mountain
village in the Philippines, where Awiyao
has just been remarried.
11. CONFLICT
• Awiyao has left his wife Lumnay because she couldn’t give him a
child. He has now married Madulimay in the hope of having a
son. Lumnay is upset because she loves Awiyao and doesn’t want
this separation.
• The conflict here is Man vs. Society .The lead characters have to
follow their tribe’s custom , and it is resolved when they had a
heart-to heart talk that they should separate and continue with
their separate lives. And if Awiyao's second marriage will not
work he will come back to Lumnay's arms again. They should
follow their tribe's custom and on the part of Awiyao he shows
that he really wanted to have a child to follow his name but
there is a bit hesitance on Lumnay's part.
12. RISING ACTION
•Outside, the villagers are dancing in
celebration of the wedding. Awiyao leaves to
try and comfort Lumnay. He offers her many
items of the life that they built together.
Lumnay refuses them and clings to Awiyao,
wishing he would stay.
14. FALLING ACTION
•Lumnay sits on the side of the mountain
overlooking the blazing fire and dancing
women, thinking about how her life has
changed. She has a sense of desperation,
isolation, and worthlessness.
16. Point of View
• The Point of View used in this short story is the
Omniscient Limited – The author tells the story in
third person (using pronouns they, she, he, it, etc). We
know only what the character knows and what the
author allows him/her to tell us. We can see the
thoughts and feelings of characters if the author
chooses to reveal them to us.
17. "The Wedding Dance" Theme :
•If you truly love a person, you must let them be
happy
•Have you ever heard the saying “if you love
someone, let them go”? The story of Lumnay
and Awiyao wrestles with this difficult issue.
Despite how upsetting it is to Lumnay, she must
let Awiyao go, not only because of their culture,
but also because it is clear that he will not be
happy without a child.
18. Six Symbolic Elements
• Gangsas
The gangsas are culturally important. The sound of the gangsas represents the man in the
wedding ceremony. Like the gangsas, they are strong and provide a beat to the dance, or a
"beat to life".
• Dancing
Culturally, the dancing is a celebration of happiness. It is also a show of sexuality by the
women. Because Lumnay has not produced a child, she feels ashamed to dance and show
herself to the other men, as she believes no one will look at her.
• The Fire
The fire or flames signify the burning intensity of both love and hate that Lumnay feels in
the situation. When Awiyao stirs the embers in Lumnay’s dark hut, he stirs up both of
these feelings in her. Later, as Lumnay watches the bonfire from afar, her physical distance
from the fire reflects her emotional separation from the man she loves.
19. Six Symbolic Elements
• The Beads
The beads in the story symbolize the promise that Awiyao made to Lumnay. They
are also very precious and are worth 20 fields. The fact that Awiyao gives them to
Lumnay shows that he cherishes her, and that he still believes she has worth.
Although Lumnay rejects the hut and field Awiayo offers her, she accepts the
beads, suggesting her desire to remain connected to Awiyao.
• The Floor
A number of times the narrator draws the reader’s attention to the rattan floor as
Lumnay pulls it apart. This is symbolic of their marriage unraveling.
• The Night
The nighttime setting symbolically adds to the darkness and isolation that
Lumnay feels as she runs away from the village. As she works her way up the dark
mountain alone, she is unable to envision a path to the future. The reader, too, is
left in darkness with the unresolved ending.
20. Quiz Time!
Test 1 (Give the correct answers)
1.-3. Give the Three Main Characters of the story.
4. The title & Author of the story.
5. What Year thus the story written?
6. The __________were settled by various migrants from Southeast Asia for centuries.
7. Awiyao and Lumnay most likely to belong to the _________ people.
8. _________colonized the islands, spreading Christianity and their language.
Test 2 (Identify What kind of Symbolic Elements )
9. Symbolize the promise that Awiyao made to Lumnay.
10. Celebration of happiness. It is also a show of sexuality by the women.
11. ________ culturally important. The sound of the _________ represents the man in the wedding ceremony. Like the gangsas,
they are strong and provide a beat to the dance, or a "beat to life".
12. Signify the burning intensity of both love and hate that Lumnay feels in the situation.
13. Symbolically adds to the darkness and isolation that Lumnay feels as she runs away from the village.
14.-15. Bonus!
