Wha ti st het he mea me ndpo i n tofv i e wi n" TheSc e nto fApp l e s " ? Th et h emeo ft h es h or ts t o r y ," Th eSc en to fAp pl e s"i sab ou th owfi r s tg en er a t i o ni mmi g r a nt sex pe r i e nc ea s ens eofl os sands eekconnec t i ont ot hei rpas tl i f eev eni ft he yhadc r eat edal i f ef ort hem i nt henewwor l d. Thes t or yr e v ol v esar ou ndSant o sandaFi l i pi nof ar merf r om I ndi anac al l edCel es t i noFabi a.Sant ost el l st he s t or yf r om hi spoi ntofv i ew.Thepl oti sf ai r l ydi r ect .Sant osi sdel i v er i ngal ect ur eonl i f ei nt hePhi l i ppi nes whe nFabi a,e x ci t edb yt heno t i onofs omeone,an y onef r om hi snat i v ePhi l i ppi ness peak i ng,at t endst hel ec t ur e a ndi n t e r r u pt shi ss p ea k i n ga bo uth owFi l i p i n owo me me nh av ec ha ng edf r o m2 0y e a r sa got h ep r e s en tt i me .Th e t wome me ns t r i k eupac on v er s at i onandFabi ai n vi t esSant o st ohi sf ar mf ordi nn ert hene x tda y .Sant o smeet shi s f ami l y ,eat sdi nn er ,e xper i enc es" t hesc entofappl e s"t hatc omesf r om hi sor c har dandt hek i t c hen.Theendi ng oft hes t or yemer ge swhenSant osi sdr oppedoffathi shot el andFabi as t at est hatt hi swi l l bet hel as tt i met he y s eeon eanot her .Thechar ac t er soft hest or yar eFabi a,ani mmi gr antf r om t hePhi l i ppi neswhoha sl i v edi na f a r mi nt h emi d we s tf o rt h el a st2 0o rs oy e ar s .Hi swi f e ,Ru t h ,wh oi sde v ot e dt ohe rh us ba nd ,a sh ern ame s ugges t s .Thei rs on,andSant os .Thema mai ni d eaoft hest or yi st ost r es st hatt hei mmi gr ante xpe r i en ce, par t i c ul ar l yt heFi l i pi noone,i sauni quee xper i enc ewi t hi nt hel e xi c onofAmer i c ant hought .I ts t r es sesand ex pl ai nsdi ffer entel ement swhi c hr angef r om i s ol at i on,al i enat i on,j oy ,happi nes s,r ev er i e,andr ec ol l ec t i on.T o beani mmi gr anti st ol i v eamongs t" t hesc entofap pl e s, "s omet hi ngnota spr es enti nt hehomel a nd,y e t s t r angel yr e mi mi ndi ngofi t .
The Scent of Apples by Bienvenido Santos: An Analysis (In which I am somehow nostalgic, too.) *** In my recent lurking on websites that feature blog posts about writing and reading fiction, I have come across an article created by a freelance writer. In In her post, she explained the manner in which she writes. At first I thought I was in for a very discombobulating read, considering that her writing style was actually not average and that her method may involve serious reference to classical didactic writers found on literature textbooks. But her style was surprisingly simple. She said that before she can write anything, she needs to come up with a single word from which all thoughts and ideas in the article would be derived. The Scent of Apples by Apples by Bienvenido Santos reminds me of this writing style. f course, that statement wasn!t intended to pose a comparison but was "ust an effect of a serious and curious rumination of an amateur reader # a sudden gush of ideas stemming from a glimpse of literary schema. $ostalgia, as it seems, is the word from which the entire short story emanates. ema nates. %hat!s more wonderful about the literary work was that the author doesn!t have to be blunt to elucidate. In fact, the work is simple yet it can rival the literary audacities audac ities of other short stories.
It is an established rule in writing that one needs to carefully think of a title that makes a literary work worth reading. Santos! choice of title is an effortless adherence to this rule for it runs from the literal to the metaphorical and back, suggesting that various interpretations of readers from all ranges of literary exposure are appropriate. &he story itself is a display of artistic versatility ' a confirmation that however one interprets the title, the story won!t lose its meaning. (or this, The Scent of Apples is more than "ust a story of an immigrant (ilipino. &he story opened with a brief introduction of where the author was. &he imagery was vivid albeit the absence of several sentences teeming with ad"ectives, an introduction which writers like Sarah )unant and .+.+. &olkien may consider a literary Scrooge. %hen I arrived in alama-oo it was ctober and the war was still on. old and silver stars hung on pennants above silent windows of white and brick'red cottages . . &o compensate, however, the writer brings up a scene which everyone could relate to. And why would the physical environment matter when loneliness is already palpable in the mere look of a stranger!s face, enough to see and feel how longing creeps in their whole being. . . . an old man burned leaves and twigs while a gray'haired woman sat on the porch, her red hands /uiet on her lap, watching the smoke rising above the elms, both of them thinking the same thought perhaps, about a tall, grinning boy with his blue eyes and flying hair, who went out to war . . . &he historical period in which the literary work was written also contribute to the creation of an almost tangible environment despite the sparseness of descriptive text. ne thing that unites humans into an unwritten bond of brotherhood is the war, along with the bitterness of living during its span and surviving its cruelty. 0verything seems to be reminiscent of souls sent to a battle falsely thought of as great1 for what is great in something when it takes lives, tears hearts and ends happiness2 . . . where could he be now this month when leaves were turning into gold and the fragrance of gathered apples was in the wind2 . . . 3nder the lampposts the leaves shone like bron-e. And they rolled on the pavements like the ghost feet of a thousand autumns long dead, long before the boys left for faraway lands without great icy winds and promise of winter early in the air, lands without apple trees, the singing and the gold4 Amidst the gloominess of the location, the author was expected to speak before an audience regarding the culture of the 5hilippines, which was now becoming a 6lost country7. It is when a (ilipino farmer, 8elestino (abia, asked about the difference between (ilipinas then and now, to which the author responded that though their physical appearance changed, they remain the pure'hearted and nice women like
their past counterparts. &he farmer was pleased with the answer and he invited the author over to his house so he could meet his family. )uring their trip to 8elestino!s house the next da y, the author discovered what his life in the 5hilippines was. And when he met his family, he was struck by their simplicity and contentedness. 8elestino!s life stories hit him with the reali-ation that women, or people, regardless of whatever culture, possess a charitable and kind heart. &hat hospitality is not a racial trademark but an innate human /uality. +uth got busy with the drinks. She kept coming in and out of a rear room that must have been the kitchen and soon the table was heavy with food, fried chicken legs and rice, and green peas and corn on the ear. 0ven as we ate, +uth kept standing, and going to the kitchen for more food. +oger ate like a little gentleman. Along with this, the farmer!s relationship with his wife manifested that theirs was a relationship beyond the notion that companionship is a commodity. &hey stayed with each other through thick and thin. %omen, even miles beyond the 5acific, are loving, loyal and warm'hearted # the same characteristics 8elestino used to describe (ilipinas he was ac/uainted with. 9is wife +uth, at some extent, went way beyond the ad"ectives. +uth stayed in the hospital with (abia. She slept in a corridor outside the patients: ward and in the day time helped in scrubbing the floor and washing the dishes and cleaning the men:s things. &hey didn:t have enough money and +uth was willing to work like a slave. 8elestino!s life seemed to hit a sensitive cord within the author for he offered to send news to his family back home. But the farmer declined. &his scene creates the peak of the climactic revelations of the life of an immigrant (ilipino in times of war. $o matter how strong the nostalgia is, or dire the desire to be home, an exile can!t leave the place to where he was banished. It may be because of fear of being long forgotten, or the consolation one gets from people who tried to complete them no matter if the attempt can only get them somewhere still far from nirvana. %hatever that is, the pain of an individual whose heart stretches to both ends of the world has no measure. And Bienvenido Santos clearly, albeit succinctly, showed all those truths. &hus,The Scent of Apples was an expected masterpiece. Besides, who else can understand things 6peculiar to the exile7 other than an exile himself2 Thec ha r a c t er sa r e :
1. 2. !. $.
Filipino Young man - who went to Kalamazoo, America for a conference Ruth - the wife of the man who invited this Filipino Young to visit their ouse. Roger - the child of Ruth and "elestino Fa#ia. "elestino Fa#ia - who inviited the %lipino &oung man
Rea l i s mi nSc ento fAppl esser v esast h et o ol o ft heaut ho rt od epi c tt h el i v esofFi l i p i nosi nabr oa d.I nt h i ssho r ts t or yt he r ear e s er i e so ft he me st h atar epr e sen t e dei t h eri nani mp l i c i to re xpl i c i twa yt hatb r i ngst h er ea dert or ea do n. I non eo ft h ec ha r a c t e rwh oc ap t u r e dmyun di v i d eda t t e nt i o ni si nt h es en set h att h ec ha r a c t e rp utat r a de ma r ki nh i ms el f“ j u sta Fi l i p i nof ar me r ”whi c hi sac ommont r a i tofaFi l i pi nowh os ee shi ms el fa saFi l i pi no“ on l y ” . Th i si sanof t enr es pons eo fF i l i pi no wh er e v era ndwh en ev e ri sa sk i n gh i m/ h era bo uts uc h..Wet e ndt obeas ha me da ndma k ei ti n f e r i o r ,r a ci a ld i s c r i mi n at i o np ers e; ho we ve rt h er ei sal s oal o to fpr e j udi c et hath asabs ol ut el yn ot i e swi t hr a cet hatt hec har a ct eri nt hes t o r ypor t r a ys .Th i si swhatt h e aut hori mpl i esi nhi sfi r s tpar t oft hes t or y . Th es t o r yf o cu se sont h er ea ls c or eo fF i l i p i n oswh oc an no tc o meb ac kt ot h ePh i l i p pi n esdu et op ov e r t y .I tmi r r o r st h ei mmi g r a nt c ha r a c t e rl o ng i n gt oco meba ckt ohi so wnl a nd .Andwh enhes ee saf e l l o w Fi l i p i n oh ewa sv e r yd el i g ht e dt oi n t r o du cehi mt ohi s f a mi l yl i v i ngi nas ma l l h ou seha vi ngana ppl eor c ha r d .I ti sme an tt os ho wt ha tn otal l Fi l i pi n osar el u ck yt og oab r o adandi ti s i n de edp os s i b l et h el i v e so fFi l i p i n ost ob emi s er a bl ea nds uff erf r o mp ov e r t yev e ni nab r o ad . Sa nt o ssh owst h ate v enwear ei naf o r e i g nl a ndwes t i l l c ar r yt h ema nn er st h atweFi l i p i n osha v e,h i sc ha r a c t e rs h owsh ow hos pi t abl eFi l i pi nosar e.I fwer egoi ngt ot ak eal ookatt hes et t i ngsoft hes t or ypar t i c ul ar l yt hes cenar i ooft henar r at orwer ehei s wi t hh i sf el l o w Fi l i pi n ogo i ngt oh i sf ami l y ’ spl ac e,t heaut horde sc r i bedt hepl a ceas“ t heb eau t yoft h eaf t e r n oonsee medi nt he d i s t anc e,ont hehi l l s ,i nadul l s of ts k y” .Wh ent he ygo ti n t ot heho us eofFa bi a,h i sde sc r i p t i ono ft hehou sewasr e pu l s i v es oashi s i mp r e s s i o nf o rh i swi f e ,me anwo r d sp e rs e .Bu twh ent wi l i g htc a mean dF ab i at o okh i mo ut s i d eh ewa samu s edoft h ev i e w.
bestAnswer :Ka l a ma zo o,Mi c hi g an ,USA.I t ' st h es t or yo faFi l i p i n of a r me rwh oc ome st ohe art h ea ut h or ,Bi e nv e ni d oN.Sa nt o s, s p e ak .Th eo p en i n gp a r a g r a phr e ad s : Wh enIa r r i v e di nKa l a ma z ooi twa sOc t o be ra n dt h ewa rwa ss t i l l o n.Go l dan ds i l v e rs t a r shu ngonpe nn an t sab ov es i l e ntwi n do ws o fwh i t ea ndb r i c k r e dc o t t a ge s .I nab ac k y a r danol dma nb ur n edl e av e sa ndt wi g swh i l eagr a y h ai r e dwo ma ns a to nt h ep or c h ,h e r r e dh an dsqu i e to nh erl a p,wa t c hi n gt h es mo ker i s i n ga bo v et h ee l ms ,b ot hoft he mt h i n ki n gt h es amet h ou gh tpe r h a ps ,a bo utat a l l , g r i n ni n gb oywi t hhi sb l u ee y e sa ndfly i n gh ai r ,wh owe nto utt owa r :wh er ec ou l dhebeno wt h i smo nt hwh enl e av e swe r et u r n i n g i n t ogo l dan dt h ef r a gr a nc eofg at h er e dap pl e swa si nt hewi n d?
" Sc entofAppl es "b yBi env eni doN.Sant osi sac ol l ec t i onof16s hor ts t or i es .Thel i t er ar yconfl i c ti nt hes es t or i esar e t h es t r u gg l e so ft h os ewh ol e av et h ei rh omeco un t r yan dt r yt oma k ean ewl i f ef a rf r o mh ome .Th ec on fli c tn oto nl y l i eswi t hout war ds t r uggl esi nanewl and,butal s owi t has t r uggl ewi t hi nt hei ndi v i dual sast he yt r yt opr es er v et hei r d r e am o fr e t u r n i n gho mes o me da y .
"Those trees are beautiful on the hills," I said. "Autumn's a lovely season. The trees are getting ready to die, and they show their colors, proud-like." "o such thing in our own country," I said. That remark seemed unkind, I reali!ed later. It touched him off on a long deserted tangent, but ever there perhaps. ow many times did lonely mind take unpleasant detours away from the familiar winding lanes towards home for fear of this, the remembered hurt, the long lost youth, the grim shadows of the years# how many times indeed, only the e$ile knows. The excerpt above represents that Fabio feels that he is living in exile, even though he may have lived in America for many years. He had to create an identity for himself that could bridge the gap between his cultural
and racial heritage as Filipino and his new status as Filipino American, living in a culture very different from his own. Each time Fabio smell the scent of the apples, he always remember our country, our country that has no apples. He has the feeling of loneliness everyday because he smells the scent of the apple every time. Looing at the bright side, Fabio has a good wife which is worthy of her namesae, the biblical !uth. He has a good"looing son and an apple orchard which gives him more apples than he can sell. His wife, his son, and the apple orchard are abundance enough, but his excessive nostalgia for home, where nobody remembers him, maes him blind to all these blessings. He wastes his abundance, lie the apples he gives to the pigs. Fabio should rethin the idea of home as not a place where he were born and grew up, but where he is at present, where his new family is. Thus, the feeling of loneliness, exile and isolation are the common feelings of immigrant Filipinos, it comes with the fear of no longer belonging to a culture which itself seems at times to be wasting away, and finds expression in the rhythm of arrangement provided by the selections in %cent of Apples.
Thes t or yt i t l edSc entofAppl ewaswr i t t enb yBi en v eni d o.Themor al oft h es t o r yi st h ataper s ons houl dbegr at ef ul f o ra nyj o bh eo rs hec ange t .Th es t o r yr e v ol v e da r o un di mi g r a nt swh oc amet ot h eU. S.a ndc ou l don l yge tj o bs pi c k i ngappl es .
PLOT
INTRODUCTION
RISING ACTIONS
CLIMAX
&he story opened with a brief introduction of where the author was. &he author, ;r. Santos, was asked to speak before an audience. 9e met 8elestino (abia < #$ust a Filipino farmer# as he called himself% t he night ;r. Santos left his hotel. In the course of the ;r Santos! discussion, ;r. (abia, asked how the (ilipino women of today were different from the stereotype he was familiar with. After the lecture, ;r. (abia told ;r. Santos about his farm and his family and invited him over to his house &hey finally arrived in the farm, the
FALLING ACTIONS
CONCLUSION
fragrance of apples diffusing all over the place. ;r. Santos finally met the wife of ;r (abia and his son +oger. &hey invited ;r. Santos to their humble home and catered him with food. &he author found a picture of an anonymous (ilipina wearing a traditional costume # another manifestation of how dire ;r. (abia!s nostalgia is. 9e bade farewell to the family and ;r. (abia took him back to the hotel. 9e offered to send news to his family when he got back to the 5hilippines but ;r. (abia refused, saying that they might have already forgotten him. &hey shook each other!s hand and said goodbye.
