A Crtique Paper of Puppy Love by: Francisco Sionil Jose

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“Life must go on”

The story “Puppy Love” by Francisco Sionil Jose is an interesting story about falling in love at a very young age. It’s not new to hear or read this kind of story because it is commonly happening even in real life. Puppy love, a love felt by a person but doesn’t last long.  Just like on what happened to me before. I had many crushes and I can’t count this on my hands and I even forgot who they are. Maybe it’s just an infatuation but there’s a boy that I really admired the most. I always wanted to see him and even just in simple things, he makes me happy. He was my grade 8 classmate but because it’s just a puppy love, I learned to forget my feelings for him. We are now best friends and sharing each other’s story about our life and crushes. That’s why nothing is permanent and life is a continuous cycle.

The plot of the story goes well and it follows the plot line, from the beginning of the story where characters living their childhood in San Jacinto until the war and they grown up and had their distinctive lives.  The exposition of the story gives introduction about the life of the characters including the main character. Jacobo Salcedo comes from a poor family in the town of San Jacinto and he lives with his father and mother before the war. Jacobo’s father raised fighting cocks and his mother sells in the market, also plays jueteng. His childhood best friend is Lito Garcia, Gina’s older brother. Gina Garcia loves to read romance novels. They both  mestizo and mestiza who belonged to a very rich family in the town. They go to the same public school to learn and play together. In rising action wherein the conflict in the story is starting to reveal, Jacobo Salcedo gets attracted with Gina Garcia and falls in love at a very young age. He wanted to go often in Gina’s house just to play and see her pretty face. But when the war came they were separated. In the climax of the story or the most exciting part is when Jacobo accompanied his personal acquaintances in the Bayside and he saw Gina. Even Gina didn’t reveal her real identity, Jacobo assures it was her. After how many times conversing and dancing with Gina in the club, he invited her to have a lunch with him. Jacobo would have date with Gina at long last. That was the perfect time together with Gina. But Jacobo had to leave on a sudden business trip for a month. In falling action wherein the conflict is starting to resolve is when, Jacobo got married with Jenny, a manila girl who studied college in California and looked like Gina. Jacobo learned to love Jenny truly and had three children with her. Jenny reads the morning papers; a woman made an ultimate punishment on her errant husband and died of blood loss. As Jacobo looked at the paper, he saw the face of Gina and the memories of the past alive again. Even she looks older; he never forgets her sparkling eyes. In resolution of the story wherein the conflict is will finally resolve when Jacobo goes to the prison to see and help Gina. She rejected the help of Jacobo because she was guilt. Jacobo started to reminisce from the past and revealed to Gina about his puppy love. His lasting memory for the daughter of the richest man in town before. The little girl which he fell in love with but, it’s now only a memory from the past.

In the characters of the story, Jacobo Salcedo is the main character in the story because the whole story is almost talking about his life. He is known as Jake. He is a peasant boy who lives in a bamboo house at San Jacinto. Jacobo knows how to appreciate things even though his family is poor and their house is not built in bricks. At a young age, he falls in love and even he is young he is a wide thinker that everything might change even his love for Gina “It lasted oh so long-to this very day, as a matter of fact, when in my middle age and in my decrepit state, it should have withered and died” (1).  As time pass by, Jacobo doesn’t forget Gina until he become a successful business man and he is determined to find Gina. I do believe that even time passes there’s someone in our life that we would never forget because of the memories we’ve been through with them. He is determined to work hard as he is entrusted of his Carlos Cobello whereas he owes a lot. Just like myself, as my parents working hard and sacrificing to raise me I always keep in mind their hardships because it motivates me to do good as well. Jacobo is also a person who is not easy to give up and knows how to understand people.  Even though there’s a time that he should tell the truth to Gina about himself in the club he prefers to keep quiet because he doesn’t want her to feel embarrassed. He is a responsible businessman with priorities for he prefers to attend his business trip even he knows Gina is waiting for him in Alberti to have their date. He learned to forget and accept new love. Jacobo married with Jenny and learned to love her with their three children. In our life there are some reasons why there are chances that we meet people who have been part of our lives but sometimes it’s just it. Since in the story there are chances for them to see each other still, they are not fate to be together. We cannot force our feelings because it may change. The other character, Gina Garcia is a mestiza younger sister of Lito Garcia which whom Jacobo Salcedo falls in love with. She loves to read novels especially romances and her favourite book to read is Wuthering Heights. As I notice, her attitude influenced a lot by reading romances novels. Just like what he did to his childhood friend Jacobo. He kissed Jacobo at a young age and keeps to her mind about the kind of husband she wants as she grows up. She belongs in a rich family in the town of San Jacinto but she doesn’t hesitate to play and interact to the peasant boy Jacobo. It shows that social ladder is not a hindrance to share happiness and memories. Gina lost their wealth due to war and his father debts. She works in a club and become a hostess. Nothing is permanent and lasts for a long time. We don’t know what will be our life tomorrow but, we are the one who creates our destiny. Even if we’re in our downfall the key to surpass it is in our hands. We have our choices to make our lives better. There are so many ways to success and we should protect our dignity.  Lito Garcia is a mestizo best friend of Jacobo. He belongs in a rich family in town. Even his rich enough he likes to play and doing assignments with Jacobo. Just like Gina he doesn’t hesitate to interact with the peasant boy Jacobo. As he is the older brother of Gina, he should not let Gina work in a club and leads Gina into a good work. Carlos Cobello is a rich friend and boss of Jacobo Salcedo that helps him to be successful. He is a kind of person that willing to help a person who in needs.  He is a good influence to Jacobo to become a better person in life. Jenny is an understanding wife of Jacobo. She understands Jacobo’s past and motivates their child to become independent like Jacobo before. She is a kind of wife that would do everything to fulfil the happiness of her husband.

The setting of the story explains well by the author. The setting states from the past event during Spaniards that’s why people belong in rich family like Gina and Lito learned to speak Spanish until the Japanese war came. Even Jacobo belong in a poor family and his house is made from a bamboo; his personality is different from where he belongs. He knows how to respect and understand other people until he gets old. The story also states the present happenings about the lives of the characters.

The story is told from the first person. The main character is the one who’s telling in the story. He tells about he’s life and how he’s love for the other character started and ends up. I think the author used first person as the point of view in order to explain and discuss well about the main characters thoughts, feelings and etc. The information told in the story is more reliable because it comes from the main character who usually stating about himself.  

The title of the story Puppy Love suggests itself to the theme of the story which is “Nothing Lasts Forever”, Jacobo fell in love with Gina at a young age and it lasted for a long time until he grows up, but still he ended up marrying with another woman Jenny. He becomes faithful and loyal as he learned to love Jenny. Also in our life, best opportunity is not often comes and in the story there’s an opportunity or chances that they will be together but Jacobo did not make it. But no matter what happens, even they are not destined with each other; life must go on because there’s someone who will knock and open our hearts that we are willing to accept and love.