Man Versus Circumstances (Coupled with Stupidity)

Sat, 03 Apr 2010 11:55:59 -0400

Man versus Circumstances- The character in the story struggles against circumstances.

One of the six elements of a short story is Conflict. This refers to the struggles or problems the characters in the story encounter. There are four kinds of Conflict; Man vs. Man, Man vs. Society, Man vs. Himself, and Man vs. Circumstances. Out of all the four kinds, Man vs. Circumstances is perhaps the most challenging. The character fights against something that is bound to happen. His will power and determination is tested as he tries to overcome unfavorable circumstances. Man vs. Circumstances can bring out frustrations, regrets, and self-pity in one character. But in the end it will depend on how he handles the inevitable; positively or negatively, constructively or destructively.

One example of Man vs. Circumstances is evident in the famous movie/novel A Walk to Remember. The girl faces death in the end, and the boy struggles to save her. The girl eventually dies, and the boy has to move on with his life. Other examples of Man vs. Circumstances are; death, poverty, shotgun marriage, unwanted pregnancy.

In my literature class, I have struggled to make my grade six students understand the four kinds of Conflict. Though I had succeeded, they still had a hard time differentiating the four. And so I pulled out the best technique (for me) to make an individual understand a concept: to tap to his experiences. We discussed about problems in life (some were personal and private) and their daily experiences and associated them to our lesson. To make it fair with my students, I also shared some of my personal experiences related to the lesson. It’s been nine months since we had this lesson, and I wish there were still a chance for me to go over this lesson and see if they had had a good grasp of the relationship of this particular lesson to real life scenarios. But since they’re graduating from elementary, I just hope that when they encounter The Six Elements of a Short Story in high school, they would be able to go beyond the context and delve into the reality of life reflected by this particular lesson.

Lately I have been battling against Circumstances. This made me realize how even a trivial event could tremendously affect the future. There were times when I knew I could have done what ought to be done, but because of unexpected circumstances (simple or complicated), I ended up clenching my fists with frustration.

First situation:

Since my laptop’s keyboard was busted, I needed to buy an external keyboard to make my laptop useful once again. I was so delighted to know I had enough time to finish my paper works provided I could work with my laptop. Arriving home, I switched on the laptop and searched for my bag. But the freaking bag was missing. Later on, I realized I had left it in the shop where I had bought the keyboard. That was ridiculous. I bought a keyboard to make my work faster, but how could I work without the things to be encoded. It’s all in my bag. I knew the next day I would be facing the greatest hindrance of an excellent output: rushing! The next morning, I woke up early for work. I was putting on my clothes when I noticed that my laundry basket was a little bulkier than usual. I took off the clothes I had disposed yesterday, and low and behold, the bag was there. To my intense disappointment at mystupidself, I stomped the laundry basket so hard. (So it’s not Man vs. Circumstances after all. It’s Man vs. His Own Stupidity)

Second situation:

Just a couple of weeks ago, my wallet got snatched. I literally cursed myself many times for being so stupid (Man vs. Himself.. haha). Being robbed off prior to this, I should have known better. (It was actually the second time something got snatched from me). Common sense would dictate that it’s not safe to stuff your wallet in your pocket at the back of your pants. Here’s what happened. One night, I and a bunch of colleagues were walking down Session Road, enjoying the night after a long stressing day; unaware of the barbaric motives of people around us. On my way home, I noticed my wallet was gone (I mean, stolen). I was *literally* crossing my fingers the driver wouldn’t single out every passenger to find out who hadn’t paid yet (some jeepney drivers are so keen in spotting “hudas-not-pay” passengers). Good thing I reached my destination without hearing curses from the driver. As to the snatcher, I didn’t condemn him (yet) since I acknowledged my stupidity, until the inevitable happened. 5 days after that incident, my dad got admitted in the hospital. And to help with the hospital bill, I needed to process my PhilHealth. However, my PhilHealth ID was in my wallet. Until now, I just can’t stop cursing the snatcher. He could have been kind to at least return the wallet with my ID’s. But of course, that’s not the way it is. Robbery takes no decency. How much money was there in my wallet, anyway? 40 pesos. He must have even burned the wallet because of dismay. Absolutely, there is no chance of retrieving my stolen wallet.

Third Situation:

Gone are the days that teachers use manual aids for their paper works. Everything is with the touch of the computer. From lesson plans to student records, everything is computerized. As a result, there is an undeniable need for a teacher to own a personal computer or a laptop. I am so lucky to have been handed a laptop. Though it’s not technically mine, I am so thankful to have it since the first year of my teaching. It tolerates my laziness in writing manually. Honestly, I just couldn’t stand the thought of aching hands and a burning butt due to nonstop paper works. Let’s face it. We want our noodles instant, how much more our tasks.

Anyway, since my laptop isn’t really mine, that gives my other siblings consent to use it even against my will (huhu..). One time, my sister borrowed it and promised to return it the next day. I was hesitant to lend it because I knew I would be needing it so bad the next coming days considering she was taking it to a far, far away place. But in the end, courtesy won over selfishness (this is actually against my philosophy.. haha). The next days, as expected, I was loaded with lots of works. I needed the laptop so bad. I was waiting for her arrival until 9 PM. But for some (important) reason, she couldn’t come home that night. Had I known she wasn’t coming home, I would have found a way to accomplish what I ought to accomplish. I just wasted time waiting for nothing. It wasn’t her fault she couldn’t come home that night. It wasn’t my fault I was generous. Now, this is a complete example of Man versus Circumstances.

"To destabilize an arrogant man, feed his ego with fake compliments."

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 10:33:56 -0400

“To destabilize an arrogant man, feed his ego with fake compliments.”

"If you allow everybody to walk over you, you become a carpet."

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:46:14 -0400

“If you allow everybody to walk over you, you become a carpet.”

Photo

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:27:26 -0400

My judgments are never wrong. They just change.

Man Versus Circumstances (Coupled with Stupidity)

"To destabilize an arrogant man, feed his ego with fake compliments."

"If you allow everybody to walk over you, you become a carpet."

Photo