Answer:
Characters:
- Don Badoy Montiya
- Doña Agueda
- Anastasia (Agueda's sister)
Setting:
- 19th century Manila, particularly in Intramuros
Time:
- May Day Eve, with flashbacks spanning several years
Place:
- Intramuros, Manila, primarily focusing on Don Badoy's ancestral house
Plot:
- The story revolves around the tumultuous relationship between Don Badoy and Doña Agueda, from their initial attraction to their bitter marriage.
Conflict:
- The central conflict is the disillusionment and bitterness that grows in Badoy and Agueda's marriage over time, despite their passionate beginnings.
Key events:
- Agueda performs the mirror ritual to see her future husband.
- Badoy and Agueda's marriage.
- The revelation of their differing perceptions of each other as a "devil" and a "witch."
Climax:
- The climax occurs when the truth about their perceptions is revealed, highlighting the irreparable rift in their relationship.
Resolution:
- The story concludes with a tragic resolution where Badoy's love for Agueda fades, and they are unable to reconcile their differences.
Tone:
- The tone is melancholic and reflective, exploring themes of disillusionment and the passage of time.
Point of view:
- The story is primarily told from Badoy's perspective, with flashbacks to key moments in his relationship with Agueda.
Analysis and Evaluation:
- You've touched on the use of magical realism and symbolism (such as the mirror) in Joaquin's narrative, which adds depth to the exploration of love and memory.
