An Analysis of NVM Gonzalez's Children of the Ash-Covered Loam

Elements

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Characters

Tarang

• He is seven years old
• He is the brother of Cris

Tatay

• He is the father of Tarang and Cris
• The archetype for the traditional masculine Filipino father—is the leader of the family, confident, independent, and is very assertive

Nanay

• She is the mother of Tarang and Cris
• The traditional archetype for Filipino mother (she takes care of the children and cooks for the family); however, she has shown independence and strength at times.

Cris

• She is Tarang’s little sister who could barely walk

Paula

• She was the person who gave the pig to Tarang’s family

Tia Orang

• The midwife who assisted Nanay

Tio Longinos

• He lives at a clearing which he owns
• He owns Bokal
• He gave a pullet to Tatay for Nanay’s camisa

Tia Pulin

• She is Tarang’s aunt
• She helped during the offering with Tarang’s family

Tia Adang

• She is Tarang’s aunt
• She helped during the offering with Tarang’s family

Bokal

• The carabao of Tio longinos
• Tatay used him for transportation

Tarang’s Pig

• The pig given by Paula to Tarang for him to take care of

Setting

Time

Time moves fast in the story. It was also revealed that it was around June based on the approaching rainstorms (wet season)

Place

• Malig
• Tarang’s hut
• Tatay’s kaingin
• Barrio
• Paula’s house

Parts of the Plot

Exposition

• From pages 201 (1st paragraph) to 203 (7th paragraph)

1. Tatay comes home with a pig for Tarang to take care of
2. Tarang is playing alone in the yard at afternoon instead of with his little sister Cris
3. Tatay reveals that he got the pig from Paula when he met her at the barrio and after he had helped her (since he owed her). He states that Paula offered the pig after he fixed the fence for the pigs. In addition, he says that she also offered to let them keep half of the pig’s children if it gives birth.
   1. Tarang was not able to understand what Tatay and Nanay were talking about during this moment
4. The reason the family harvests is to pay those they owe

Rising Action

• From pages 203 (8th paragraph) to 204 (before the last paragraph)

1. Tarang takes care of the pig
2. Tarang would independently take care of himself because his parents were often busy working at the kaingin
3. Tarang meets Tia Orang; she tells him to inform his parents that she is available when they need her for planting
4. Tarang goes with his family to the Kaingin to help. Usually Cris stays at home, but one morning they go with Cris to the Kaingin
5. Tatay sold Paula’s gift to Nanay (a camisa) for a pullet that he believes will give them luck

Climax

• From pages 204 (last paragraph) to 207 (4th paragraph)

1. Tarang follows Tatay to the middle of the kaingin
2. Tatay beheads the pullet in front of Tarang and lets it blood coat the ground to mark ownership of the land
3. Tatay, Nanay, Tio Longinos, Tia Pulin, and Tia Adang started planting
4. Tarang starts to take action and cover the seeds properly using his toe
5. The group says that they should have waited for Tia Orang, but the father asserts that it is too late. At this point, Tarang was able to understand much of the conversation, unlike before when Nanay and Tatay were talking with each other.
6. Citronella graass was used to appease evil spirits
7. The family ate supper early and slept because of the rain
8. They had to make a roof for the pig’s pen
9. Thunderstorms forces the family to stay at home
10. Tarang has became more observant and aware; for instance, he starts to become curious about the nature of mushrooms.

Falling Action

• From pages 207 (5th paragraph) to 209 (2nd paragraph)

1. Tia Orang visits the family
2. Nanay and Tia Orang talk about Nanay’s potentially new child
3. Tia Orang applies medicine to Nanay’s stomach
4. They eat supper together
5. Tia Orang starts telling stories about curses
6. During sleeping time, Tarang kept distance away from Nanay because he feels that he is a man now
7. Tarang could hear Tia Orang speaking words that did not belong to men or women during her sleep

Resolution

• From page 209 (3rd paragraph) to the last paragraph of the same page

1. Tarang could hear music produced by the rain
2. Tarang hears his dad wake up
3. Tarang hears the children of the pig he took care of but no reaction from the mother pig (implying that it died)
4. Tarang went to see what is happening outside and discovers that the rice grain grow from the ash-covered loam

Analysis

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Style of Writing

• From a third person point of view
• Uses a lot of indigenous terminologies
• Very straightforward but detailed

Conflict

The story possesses a man vs himself conflict since it deals with Tarang growing and becoming mature and independent

It also has a man vs nature conflict because it involves the characters trying to deal with the nature of their environment

Character Development

Tarang

Tarang grows from being ignorant and not curious to someone who is more aware, mature, and independent

Themes

• The cycle of life where life emerges from death
  • How the seeds grew from the ash-covered loam or the kaingin
  • How the family owns the land by killing the pullet
• Common filipino archetypes like leader fathers, hardworking mothers, and superstitions.