1. PHILIPPINE
LITERATURE
GROUP III

2. The
dancers
by: alberto s. florentino jr.

3. The Dancers is a
story/drama written by Alberto
S.Florentino Jr. It is all about a typical
Filipino family composed of
Father, Mother and Children or Siblings.
It is a story of a poor family who
struggles in the harshness of poverty.
Because of poverty, Mang Tomas (the
father) wants his youngest daughter-
Nenita to join her sister Rita and make a
living at a young age as a club dancer.
The older brother –Tony does not
approve to his father’s decision and the
youngest sibling –Juanito seems
become submissive and no longer argue
with them. As well as their Mother does
not approve to her husband’s
decision, but then Mang Tomas
persistently insist because for him he
has the right and he has the authority to
decide for his daughters being their
father.

5. characters

6.  Mang Tomas (static)
PHYSICAL:
• Not that old to stop working.
• Strong and healthy.
• He is a man.
• Forty years of age.
• The father of Tony, Juanito, Rita and Nenita
• The husband of the wife (Mother).
SOCIAL:
• A calesa driver before.
• From a poor family.
• Catholic (affiliation)
PSYCHOLOGICAL:
• A high-handed Father.
• An idle husband/ Father.
• A wicked Father/husband.
• Selfish
• Disrespectful
• Useless.
• Sinful.
MORAL:
• Mang Tomas is not a good example to his family. He is immoral by tolerating his
daughters to dance at the club/salon even to go with the Chinese. He seems right for
himself even he is not, he doesn’t know how to listen to his son and wife.
(static because from the start to end of the drama/dialogue his character as a father insisting
his family to send his daughter Nenita to the salon/club was still the same and he was
victorious in sending his daughter at the salon/club at the end of the drama.)

7.  Mother (static)
PHYSICAL:
• She is a woman.
• An old woman.
• Wife of Mang Tomas.
• Her heart gets weaker and weaker everyday.
• Age (didn’t mention in the story).
SOCIAL:
• Market vendor.
• From a poor family.
• Catholic (affiliation).
PSYCHOLOGICAL:
• An industrious mother.
• A very loving mother.
• Religious
• A devoted Mother.
• Caring.
MORAL:
She is a good wife to her husband and a good Mother to her
siblings. She always praying for their safety and praying to
give them strength everyday. She always worry about her
children and still working hard to pay debts.
(static because no changes in her character as a Mother.)

8.  Tony (static)
PHYSICAL:
• Older brother.
• Eldest son.
• About twenty- one years of age.
• Wearing denim pants and T-shirts.
SOCIAL:
• A jeepney driver.
• From a poor family.
• Catholic.
PSYCHOLOGICAL:
• A good brother.
• Hardworking son.
• Respectful son.
• A loving son/brother.
• A supportive brother.
MORAL:
He is a good brother to his sister and a very supportive son to his parents. He
gives his money to his mother to be able to pay debts. And he respect his
father even his father hits him hard on the face but he never fight back.
(static because his character being a supportive son never change and he still
disapproved the decision of his father until the end of the story.)

9. Juanito (developing)
PHYSICAL:
• A thin gangling boy.
• Twelve years of age.
• Wearing shorts.
• Youngest son of Mang Tomas.
• The youngest brother of the family.
SOCIAL:
• He always accompany his sister Rita at the
cabaret/bar/club.
• From a poor family.
PSYCHOLOGICAL:
• Very emotional person.
• Very young.
• Childish.
MORAL:
Juanito, as a younger brother of the family, his
character being the source of information about
what happened to his sister –Rita, Juanito is a
supportive brother.
(developing because his character changed and
developed. At first he never intend to share
what really bothers him and he is so sensitive
and shouts if someone ask him why he is not
feeling well but on the later part of the story he
burst out his feelings and cry out loud and
refuses his sister to accompany them at the bar.)

10.  Rita (static)
PHYSICAL :
• Eldest child
• About 26 years old
• Very mature looking
SOCIAL :
• A dancer/ a club dancer
• From a poor family
PSYCHOLOGICAL :
• A supportive child
• Provider/ a good provider
• Emotional
• Hardworking
MORAL :
Being a dancer, Rita provides living for their family.
Maybe we can say that being a club dancer is an act
of immorality but if it is a pure act of dancing we
can’t say it is an act of immorality but an act of
entertaining people. Rita was sent to dancing at the
young age because of their need of money for the
medicines of their mother when it got sick.
(static because her character never changes.)

11.  Nenita (static)
PHYSICAL:
• A growing girl of seventeen years old
• Youngest daughter
SOCIAL :
• From a poor family
PSYCHOLOGICAL :
• Submissive
• She never protest not to go with her sister Rita.

12. Elena (developing)
PHYSICAL:
• She’s around 23 years old.
• Gaudily dressed in a bright
colored, tight, short skin.
• She wears heavy make-up and a shawl
around her shoulder.
SOCIAL:
• CLUB DANCER
• Maybe from a poor family too.
PSYCHOLOGICAL:
• She’s emotional.

13. .SETTING.
a) Place: at a doorway, a wide low window and
three steps of adobe stones. At the front yard of a
poor family’s dwelling on the skirts of the city.
b) Time: Early evening.
c) Social Conditions: They are from a poor family.
d) Mood or Atmosphere: sarcastic, excited, violent
outburst, shocked, speechless, hate, scared,
crying, pain, struggling, screams, mad, calm, loud,
ignoring, shouting,sad, etc.
e) Language: Tagalog, English.
Scenery: two long wooden benches, one on each side.
Downstage, an old rattan chair, probably salvaged
from a nearby dump.
The street is to the left. The sound of children
playing can be heard.

14. .plot.

15. BEGINNING
Early evening, Tony came to their house
from working as a jeepney driver. He
noticed that his younger brother
Juanito, who is sitting in front of their
house, doesn’t join the other children
playing near their house. Tony is trying to
convince his brother to join the children
playing but Juanito shouted at him. Then he
saw his sister, Nenita, sitting indecently
while reading her comics, “Filipino
Komiks”, then Tony says “ look at the way
you sit! No wonder those boys at the corner
were all looking this way!” then Nenita sits
properly.But Juanito showed actions saying
that he don’t want to accompany his sister
in buying a new comics. And their father
noticed that Tony is already home, he
forced Tony to give him some money.

16. EXPOSITION
Nenita, a growing girl of
seventeen, sits on the long, wooden
bench at the right of her unshod
feet resting on it. And reading her a
copy of “Pilipino Komiks”. Then, at
that moment when Nenita gone to
buy a new comics, her Mother
arrived and talked with her husband
–Mang Tomas and they knew that
Mang Tomas went at the bar and
talked with the manager to let
Nenita take in-to work for him.

17. MIDDLE
COMPLICATION
When Rita noticed Juanito and said to
him that he must get ready because they are
getting late in going to work. Then she
entered the house to dressed up. Then
Elana, friend of Rita who also dance at the
salon goes over to Juanito and said that he
must move and get raedy but Juanito didn’t
even bother to answer Elana. Elena still keep
on asking Juanito if he will accompany them
and Juanito shouted “No!”. Then Elena
started rising her voice explaining and make
him to understand that if he will not go with
them their Mother will worry much about
Rita but still Juanito refused so madly.

18. CRISIS
And there after Juanito called Elena a harlot because of his
anger, Rita was so mad to Juanito and asking him why he called
Elena that way but instead of asking sorry to his sister Rita, he
burst out that it was true! Because he heard the young men talk
about her and they always talk about her. But Rita disapproved
and told Juanito a liar. Rita shakes him violently. Her nails
digging into his shoulder and because Juanito get hurt Juanito
said in pain “let me go or I'll tell you about the Chinese!”. Rita
shakes him with fury and said “what Chinese are you talking
about?”. Juanito screams “ARAY! YOU WENT WITH HIM LAST
NIGHT! I FOLLOWED YOU INTO A ROOM! YOU WERE GONE IN A
LONG TIME!” then Rita shouted him “Liar! Liar! Liar!”

19. Rita was so surprised and
shocked about what she heard
from Juanito. At the height of her
anger she slaps him several times
on the face and pushes him to the
ground. And Rita is about to kick
him –were it not for Tony
who, with his Father, had watched
the whole scene in silence from
the window. He steps forward
and stops her in time. Juanito
picks himself up and rushes down
the street crying.

20. OBLIGATORY SCENE
Because of that argumentation Rita still
wanted to go to salon even without
Juanito but their father tried to stop Rita
not because he don’t wanted Rita to
dance but their Mother can’t sleep at
night if she will go alone. So her father
Mang Tomas decided and got the chance
to let Nenita to join Rita to dance at the
salon.
Their brother Tony dissapproved his
father but his father suddenly hits him
hard on the face then Tony falls to the
ground and he quickly stands up dazed
with blood on his lips.

21. DISCOVERY
Then their Mother saw Tony with blood on his lips
but Tony run away. Then their Mother saw her
daughter Rita and Nenita dressed up and asked her
husband where they will go and Mang Tomas said
that they will go at the salon. . Then their Mother
started crying because she don’t want her baby
daughter –Nenita to dance at the salon but his
husband is stronger than her and she don’t have the
chance to stop him in letting Nenita to join Rita at the
salon. And Juanito, run to her crying…

22. conflict
a) Type: External Conflict
A struggle with a force outside
one’s self.
b) Kind: “ Man vs. Circumstances”
“Man vs. Man”

23. theme
Poverty ruins an individual, a family
and a society.