Irene Ang Unang Kwento Analysis (an exerpt)

1. Nobela ni Ricardo Lee

2. Alam mo ba ang ibig-sabihin ng "CONJURE"?
Isa ka bang Capital S?
Me quota ang pag-ibig. Sa bawat limang umiibig ay isa
lang ang magiging maligaya. Kasama ka ba sa quota?
Ito ang unang nobela ni Ricky Lee, premyadong scriptwriter
ng mga klasikong pelikula gaya ng Himala, Moral, Anak at
iba pa; at awtor ng bestselling scriptwriting manual na Trip
to Quiapo.

3. Author
– Ricardo "Ricky" Lee (born as March 19, 1948) is a Filipino screenwriter,
journalist, novelist, and playwright.
– He has written more than 150 film screenplays since 1973, earning him more
than 50 trophies from various award-giving bodies, including a 2003
Natatanging Gawad Urian Lifetime Achievement Award from the Manunuri ng
Pelikulang Pilipino (Filipino Film Critics). As a screenwriter, he has worked with
many Filipino film directors, most notably with Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal.
Many of his films have been screened in the international film festival circuit in
Cannes, Toronto, Berlin, among others.

4. His Literary Career
– His body of works, which has spanned over forty years, include writing short stories, plays, essays, novels,
teleplays, and screenplays. A rare achievement for a writer, two of his short stories won first prizes at the
Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature for two years in a row (1970 and 1971). Thereafter, he
never joined any literary contest believing that writers should not compete with each other. His two-stage
plays Pitik-Bulag sa Buwan ng Pebrero and DH (Domestic Helper) played to SRO crowds. DH, starring Nora
Aunor, has toured the US and Europe in 1993. He has written more than 150 produced scripts, earning for
him more than fifty trophies from all the award-giving bodies in the Philippine movie industry. He has
never and will never write any literary work in English, a conviction he holds to this day.
– He was a staff writer of the Pilipino Free Press in the 70s. Throughout that turbulent decade until the 90s,
he wrote features and interviews for the Asia-Philippines Leader, Metro Magazine, Expressweek, TV Times,
Malaya Midday, The National Midweek, Veritas and Sunday Inquirer Magazine on topics as diverse as
street children, vendors around Quiapo Church, an NPA commander, unsung workers in the film industry, a
defunct Gala vaudeville-and-burlesque theater, film actors, an activist-martyr during a tragic peasant
protest march, teenage prostitutes, Director Lino Brocka, among others.
– In 2000, he was one of the recipients of the Centennial Honors for the Arts from the Cultural Center of the
Philippines and the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas for Tagalog fiction from the Unyon ng mga
Manunulat sa Pilipinas.

5. Books
– Among the books he has published are: Si Tatang at mga Himala ng Ating Panahon
(an anthology of his fiction, reportage, behind-the-scene musings and the full
screenplay of Himala), Pitik-Bulag Sa Buwan Ng Pebrero, Brutal/Salome (the first
book of screenplays in the Philippines), Moral, Para Kay B and Bukas May Pangarap.
His screenplay for Salome has been translated into English and published by the
University of Wisconsin–Madison in the U.S. as a part of its textbook in film studies.
– Ricky Lee has likewise published a screenplay manual, Trip to Quiapo, which is a
required text in many college communications courses.
– In November 2008, he launched his first novel entitled Para kay B (o kung paano
dinevastate ng pag-ibig ang 4 out of 5 sa atin) at the University of the Philippines-
Diliman Bahay ng Alumni. This was followed exactly three years later by Si Amapola
sa 65 na Kabanata, which was launched at the SM North EDSA Skydome and was
met similar public acclaim and support.

6. Summary of Para Kay B
“4 out of 5 ang nadedevastate dahil sa pag-ibig”. Does it mean that only one has a shot of
happy ending? A mixture of comedy, romance, and complicated situations sum up Ricky Lee’s
first novel, “Para kay B?” A more intriguing question follows. “Sino ba talaga si B?”Lee’s first
novel revolves around 5 different stories that speak the truth about falling in love, accepting a
heart break, and falling out of love. These five situations can be related to any person’s love
story. Apart from this, the story also speaks of the writer’s insecurities and frustrations on
making the novel. It also expounds on the writer’s theory of love.“Para kay B” is a personal
journey for Lee because it also involves his own story. The balancing of characters greatly
affects the flow of the story. Each character has her own chapter, her own moment. Each
chapter has its own situation. Some of the situations are rarely seen in a normal context in the
society.The first chapter tells the story of Irene. Irene, a girl with a unique photographic
memory, falls in love with Jordan. But as they say, promises are meant to be broken. The most
painful heartbreak is being forgotten by the person who have made you a promise. The reality
of a broken promise will make the readers realize that only fairy tales have a happy ending.
The second story is Sandra’s story. Her story is about falling in love with one’s sibling. This
situation is unusual especially in terms of Filipino norms but is probably happening at present.
People are afraid to tell their own “Sandra story” because it conflicts with Philippine society’s
norms.

7. Erica’s story follows next. The chapter relates to a fictional world that refuses to fall in
love. This chapter describes the feeling of a person who is curious about love. It tells of
people falling in love for the first time. The chapter tells that anything that happens for
the first time is always memorable and most of the time, is the happiest feeling.
Unfortunately, some may be unsure if they are really in love. Because of this, most
people resort to wrong decisions.After Erica is another challenging story of Ester. The
creativity of Lee in giving life to the characters is a success especially in the said chapter.
In the said love situation, it tackles that even if you think that you are meant to be with
that person, the situation may not allow you to be together. Bessie’s story is associated
with a love that has not been admitted, and where mistakes happen. When one thinks
that one is now ready to confess his/her love, sadly, it is too late.
“Para kay B” has its own twist at the end. Lee’s imagination does not only deal with
each of the characters but also the life of a writer and his own ideologies. Quotations
expressed in the novel are encapsulated with lessons on how to survive a tragic chapter
in our life. It can also be cited as a status message in one’s facebook account. The soul
of “Para kay B” can be compared to a rollercoaster ride that we, people, mostly choose
to experience. In life, there are only two paths to take: the straight path and the curved
path. The straight path will take you to your destination fast and easy but will you enjoy
the journey? “Para Kay B” also discusses the curved path– although rough and
indefinite in shape but those rough edges of one’s journey will enable one to be strong
and to enjoy one’s existence more.

8. Summary of “Irene, Ang Unang
Kwento”
This is a story about a love long forgotten. Irene and Jordan are both lonely and
abused children from the town of San Ildefonso. One day, Irene finds the courage
to approach the ill- tempered Jordan whom she astounded using her photographic
memory. They soon felt a strong bond that eventually got disrupted due to an
unfortunate series of events. Years later, they meet again, but Irene soon realizes
that she fell in love with a long- forgotten memory instead of the real Jordan.

9. MAIN CHARACTERS
Irene – the first protagonist of the first short story of Ricky Lee from his book “Para
Kay B”. Irene is a 25 years old girl who have a talent to memorize and never forgot
events or memories that was connected to her life. Her friends call her “walking
internet” and “walking calculator”. She fell inlove when she was in highschool to a
boy named Jordan in San Ildefonso
Jordan- He was Irene’s lover in the past. He really hate San Ildefonso and Mayor
Ignacio. He promised Irene that he will marry her in the future. He gave Irene a
watch as a substitute to engagement ring. He once lived in a church by Fr. Zuniga

10. Brenda- Irene’s friend and also her co-worker
Susan-Irene’s friend who is a call center
Fr. Zuniga – the one who help Jordan when his parents die because of vigilantes.
They accuse his parents that they were NPA.
Mrs. Ignacio- The wife of Mayor Ignacio. Mrs. Ignacio was the one who wants to
expel Jordan from the church.
Mayor Ignacio- The mayor who were accused that has been corrupting in his term
in San Ildefonso and abused the trees in his city.
Siony- Irene’s stepmother who hated her so much.
OTHER CHARACTERS

11. CONFLICT OF THE BOOK
– The novel was initially a story of five women whose experiences of love crushed them
differently, save for one, as the title suggests: Irene, who had a photographic memory, could
not forget the promise of love she was given when she was very young, only to find out years
later that she was not even remembered by the man in her past; Sandra, who fell in
reciprocated love with her own brother, only to cause his lifelong suffering in the end; Erica,
who came from a community called Maldiaga where love was unheard of, left home wanting a
taste of love, only to realize that she was not really capable of loving someone; Ester, a widow
raising a sexually active gay son, finally admitted to herself that it was her female house helper
and friend whom she really loved all her life; and finally, Bessie, the promiscous lover who
seduced Lucas, who was incidentally the writer of all these five tales. The end of their stories
opened the metafictional designs of the novel that were explored in the concluding chapter,
where the Writer was presented as taking part in his own narrative, with conflicting visions of
his own characters, both as people who supossedly lived real lives and as merely imagined
personae. In the narrative rampage as the book reached its climax, the characters were able
to confront the Writer, were able to decide amongst themselves for better endings in their
respective stories, and were able to plea for salvation, and, well, yes, love, even in its most
deceitful guise.

12. CONFLICT OF “IRENE, ANG
UNANG KWENTO”
Irene never had boyfriends. But he try different date with different men. Yet, he
didn’t find one that will suit for her. Many men find him weird nor only look on her
breasts. Her longing love for Jordan is unconditionally for her. She really kept what
Jordan said when they were teenagers. “I will mary you In the future.” Her
conjured mother said that she thought she was inlove but didn’t what the meaning
of love. Irene soon realize it when he met Jordan. Jordan was different from a teen
with worn-out clothes. Jordan wears a business suit . He succeed in life when he
leave the San Ildefonso. But when he met Irene, he cannot remember anything.
Irene invites Jordan to have a sex in a hotel. She saw her conjured mother who
sympathizing her. She walk away in the room and realize that she only fell in love
with a long- forgotten memory instead of the real Jordan.

13. THEME
Devastated Love

14. SYMBOLISM
Manuscript – all of the characters in
the story are only manuscript of Rick
Lee’s works in his next project.

15. PLOT TYPE
Tragedy- the devasted love of five protagonist
Comedy- because of humor content in the
story
Romance- a love affairs on each stories.

16. PLOT DEVICE
He put the intriguing questions in the cover of the book. “Alam mo ba ang ibig
sabihing ng Conjure?”,”Isa ka bang kapital S?”. And the much more intriguing is the
title “Para Kay B.” And the question here was “Who is B?” .Ricky Lee used different
stories of ordinary people but connected to each other. In the last chapter , “Ang
Totoong Kwento sa Totoong Kwento” , he shows that the characters are only made
by his mind (Conjuring). The real story was about the one who made the five
stories about Irene,Sandra, Erica, Ester and Bessie. It is really composed of 6
stories. And the 6th story is about the author who were so inlove with Bessie.

17. POINT OF VIEW
FIRST PERSON -First person point of view
involves the use of either of the two pronouns
“I” and “we”.

19. BOOK REVIEW
Leah- When I read the book, I felt a roller coster feeling. In life, there are only two paths to take: the straight path and
the curved path. The straight path will take you to your destination fast and easy but will you enjoy the journey? “Para
Kay B” also discusses the curved path– although rough and indefinite in shape but those rough edges of one’s journey
will enable one to be strong and to enjoy one’s existence more.
Charles- I only read about Irene’s story . It is tragedy but at the same time, funny. The author has imaginative mind.
Kudos to Ricky Lee!
Renelle- The author was so witty that it makes me cry and laugh at the same time. I am not fond of romance but this
book made me to read more romance and tragedy. The book is not also about romance, it also reflects real life
government corruption and abuses in our country.
Melchor- My group mates only tell me about the story. And I can say , it was so beautiful because it can reflect people
who have been devastated love like me.
Bong- I do not really understand the story but in end, I was surprised that all those characters are only in the
manuscript and mind of an author.

20. MEMBERS
Leah Villeroz
Renelle De Leon
Charles Villanueva
Melchor Madric

21. THANK YOU~