Analysis of The Fence
The author started the story by describing the two nipa houses. But if you go back to his introduction after reading the story, you would realize that these adjectives were pertaining to the two main characters, Aling Biang and Aling Sebia. ” They were two separate worlds, two opposing planets so near together that their repulsion had become stifled, and its repression become more envenomed. And yet but a yard of parched soil separated them, a yard of brittle-crusted earth with only a stray weed or two to show there was life still thriving in its bosom.”
Words from this paragraph maybe too far to explain the character’s feelings but it actually did. The author chose to compare the lead characters of his story to two opposing worlds that bounce away from each other resulting to this awkward distance between them. “–windows as desolate as the soul of the occupants of the house, as sharply angular as the intensity of their hatred. ” This clearly shows how each of the two characters treat each other. Cold, distant, deserted and empty. By this time the author already catched the attention of the readers. Here, he starts to narrate why the FENCE was built.
Aling Biang built the fence from hatred because she caught her husband with Aling Sebia and now she wants to protect her “properties” away from the “thief”. Aling Sebia on the other hand built the other half of the fence from hurt out of Aling Biang’s offensive and cold words to her. The author made use of the fence as the anger they both have for each other that is why the fence was built by BOTH of them, because aside from the fence they literally built, there is also the great hatred exerted by both their hearts like a barrier that keeps the two of them from forgiving each other.
The characteristics of their children may have also been the results of the quarrel between them. The hatred went on like a curse as their children grew to be sickly and ugly. The author even used ironies like “the fence his mother had built and strenghtened–to crush his soul. ” and “crushing sterness” of the fence. These ironies were used to describe what Iking felt towards the hatred that his mother acquired for years now, it was crushing him, his soul. He could have been happier when this anger between the two women wasn’t existing at all.
A situational irony between Iking and the daughter of Aling Sebia also occured when Iking had spoken to her for the first time, it was also the last time. As Iking awaits for the music, he loses hope and thought that maybe the hatred had also gone through the girl’s heart unlike him who kept no hatred or anger. This means that living a life in hatred is a choice you can take or reject. And “as the moon descended” literally pointed out to his heartbeat slowly dying. He died with a heart of no anger, with an ear waiting for music but was dissaponted.
So timely the guitar played as if it mourns for the death of Iking but Aling Buang rather took it a as a mock, she stood and looked accusingly to the other side, but she saw nothing other than the stately white fence which refers to her hatred. As she looks at her neighbor the only feeling she is able to find in her heart is hatred and nothing more than it. Lastly, the author wants us to know the effects of planting hatred within our hearts. I beleive that the author of this story acts as a omniscient third person. he knew each and every detail that only the two women should have known.
He also showed us what consequences having hatred can bring in our real lives. The theme of this story is mainly hatred. Hatred is an intense dislike or ill will. The author was able to describe to us how intense the hatred of the two characters contain for each other, he also would like to clear our minds that hatred shouldn’t be something we plant inside our hearts and nurture. This is something that would ruin us, our lives and the lives of the people around us. Why bother hating one person to death when you could have moved on and live a happy life. As they say, we only live once and hatred isn’t something worthy to waste a lifetime with.
