The short story, May Day Eve, written by Filipino author Nick Joaquin, features three main characters, named Agueda (female), Badoy (male), Anastacia (female), and Voltare (male). These characters are involved in a dramatic tale with a little touch of magic; however, this story is no fantasy or fairy tale.
The short story, May Day Eve, is really about the slow and excruciating demise of love, which comes on fast and furious at first, and then grinds slowly to its end. In this story, Badoy and Agueda fall in passionate love, because Agueda believes that Badoy is her true love; she find his name through a magic mirror, where she chants until she sees the name of her future husband.
Then, she pursues Badoy single-mindedly, based only on the prediction of the magic mirror and the mystical incantation she chanted. This proves to be a mistake, as the marriage degrades into misery and bitterness, and soon, neither bride nor groom can remember the feelings of infatuation they once shared. Since their relationship was not based on lasting bonds of friendship, it is doomed to perish when the hard realities of daily life cause the first blush of romance to fade out. Like a withered rose, their love wilts and dies, petal by petal, until everything is dry, arid, and sad.
To learn more about this important short story, which is one of the best-known works of literature in the Philippines, why not pick up a copy at the library? Since short stories don't require a big time commitment, you can enjoy the story from start to finish in a single morning, afternoon or evening. If you love this author's work, seek out more of his writing, and enjoy literature that captures a little bit of the essence of the Filipino people.
- About the story
The short story, May Day Eve, is really about the slow and excruciating demise of love, which comes on fast and furious at first, and then grinds slowly to its end. In this story, Badoy and Agueda fall in passionate love, because Agueda believes that Badoy is her true love; she find his name through a magic mirror, where she chants until she sees the name of her future husband.
- Agueda is not sensible
Then, she pursues Badoy single-mindedly, based only on the prediction of the magic mirror and the mystical incantation she chanted. This proves to be a mistake, as the marriage degrades into misery and bitterness, and soon, neither bride nor groom can remember the feelings of infatuation they once shared. Since their relationship was not based on lasting bonds of friendship, it is doomed to perish when the hard realities of daily life cause the first blush of romance to fade out. Like a withered rose, their love wilts and dies, petal by petal, until everything is dry, arid, and sad.
To learn more about this important short story, which is one of the best-known works of literature in the Philippines, why not pick up a copy at the library? Since short stories don't require a big time commitment, you can enjoy the story from start to finish in a single morning, afternoon or evening. If you love this author's work, seek out more of his writing, and enjoy literature that captures a little bit of the essence of the Filipino people.
