Why the English Teacher Died at

Christmas- Myra Muriel Go

Group 4Estrada

FajutaganaFernandez

GabrielIwarat

Jabonete

I. About the Author

Myra Muriel Go is a Filipina writer who wrote the short story: Why the English Teacher Died at Christmas.

II. Summary

Teacher Helen is forty years old and has been teaching the English subject for twenty years. She thinks that her efforts are all for naught as she still recieves grammatically incorrect sentences and improper English diction from her students. This was the reason why in the past five years, Teacher Helen is growing more and more disappointed and unhappy. Her collegues weren't much help, as they too have errors in their grammar and diction. On the day of the Christmas Program, Teacher Helen was not feeling well at all. She decided to go to the hospital where she met the receptionist at the medical specialist's center. As the two women chatted, Teacher Helen learned that the receptionist is a former English teacher and that according to her, trying to teach English was being Sisyphus and that quitting was the wisest thing she ever did in her life. This made Teacher Helen fall into a deep thought. She was examined by her doctor who concluded that her chest pains were imagined and that she was stressed because of taking her job too seriously. She returned to the school and walked to the auditorium wherein the Music teacher's opus was about to begin. As soon as she heard the mispronounced lyrics of the song “Deck the Halls”, she collapsed on the stage and died with a smile on her face.

II. Analysis

A. Characters

Protagonist:Teacher Helen -

English Teacher for 20 years; 40 years old (Flat character)

Minor Characters:

PrincipalReceptionist

(Former English

Teacher)Other Teachers

DoctorStudents 3rd

Person Limited

POV

II. AnalysisB. Setting

Central Time Setting:

Day of the Christmas Program

Period:21st Century

Christmas Season

Central Place Setting:School

Auditorium

II. AnalysisC. Conflict

Man VS Herself

Man VS Society

II. Analysis

D. Symbols

Deck The Halls

Christmas

Death of Teacher Helen

Deck the halls with boughs of holly,

Fa la la la la, la la la la. Tis the season to be jolly,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Don we now our gay apparel,

Fa la la, la la la, la la la. Troll the ancient Yule tide

carol, Fa la la la la, la la la la.

See the blazing Yule before us,

Fa la la la la, la la la la. Strike the harp and join

the chorus. Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Deck The Halls

II. AnalysisE. Foreshadowing

• Why the English Teacher Died at Christmas (Title)

• “She was forty years old forty is supposed to be a very good age to be for any teacher” (2nd paragraph, 2nd sentence)

• “It was the day of the Christmas program, and Teacher Helen was not feeling well at all.” (1st paragraph, 1st sentence)

II. AnalysisF. Flashback

• “At Halloween they told her of their adventures. Mum! We went to trek and tret.

In the gentlest manner she would say, Oh, Trick or Treat! How wonderful. And Jund, that’s Ma’m. Maaa’m. Mum used to be an underarm deodorant.”

• “Just the day before, during their faculty meeting, Teacher Helen had to suffer through the entire two hours of English use being systematically slaughtered by the subject area coordinators.”

II. AnalysisG. Theme

The difference of the English

Language between the

Past and Present

Generation

Every person has his/her own flaw

The evolution of the English

Language through

generations

II. Analysis

H. Conclusion

Teacher Helen is an English Teacher that is growing tired of hearing the English Language used and pronounced improperly. This affects her both physically and mentally. Towards the end of the story, before finally dying, teacher Helen thought to herself that the people around her make her funny and that she no longer cared.

“It isn't what you have or who you are or where

you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is

what you think about it.” - Dale Carnegie

THANK YOU ^_^