Project in Literature to Mrs. Kaylin Paguio

1. Portents
By Jessica Zafra

2. Biography of Jessica
Jessica Zafra (born 1965) is a fiction writer, columnist,
editor, publisher, and former television and radio show
host. She is know for her sharp and witty writing styles.
Her most popular books are the Twisted series, a
collection of her essays as a columnist for the newspaper
Today (now Manila Standard Today), as well as from her
time as editor and publisher of the magazine Flip. She
currently writes a weekly column for InterAksyon.com, the
online news portal of TV5. She resides in Merto Manila,
where she is working on her first novel. She also managed
the Eraserheads during 1990s.
Her work often are about the current events (both
Philippine and international), tennis, mocies, music, cats,
books, technology, and her personal life. Her work has
been the subject of academic study. The main ingridient to
her work is often gun cynicism and irony.

3. Settings
21st Century
At the Office
At the House
At the Restaurants
At the Church
They believe at signs

4. Characters
 Ramon – candidate for the baby's father. He is
simple.
 Lawrence – another man whose chances are
high of being father. He is rich and very artistic.
 Wilma – she is the officemate of the narrator who
had four abortions.
 Pocholo – he is the officemate of the narrator
who always tell stories about war and ending of
the world.
 Filthy Man – dirty man whose been revealing
important secrets to Jessica.
 Dr. Manalo – Jessica’s doctor.

5. Plot Structure
Classic Plot
Start with the Expository
The second one is
Climax
Then at last is
Conclusion

6. Plot
 Exposition – the narrator learned about her
baby.
 Complication – she is thinking about the
abortion of baby
 Climax – she decided not to abort the baby
 Resolution – she can’t decide whether she
say or not about the baby to the possible
father.
 Conclusion – she decided to live with the
baby.

7. Conflict
Man vs. Himself
In the story she doesn’t
know how she will face
her problem because she
don’t have any
experience about what
she’s facing right now.

8. Theme
The message of the story is
that know when or what to
do or think first before you
do something so that when
you are already in the
situation you will know what
to do.

9. Symbolism

10. Plot Types or Devices
Literary Device: Hyperbole –
“I imagined a creature
ripping out of my stomach in
a gory mess, like the
monster in alien.
Plot Types: Classic Plot
Devices: None.

11. Point of View
1st person
POV/ 1st
person
narration

12. References
http://pinoylit.blogspot.com/200
4/12/portents-by-jessica-
zafra.html
https://prezi.com/biqjqmxo3my
d/copy-of-copy-of-portents/

13. Members
 Alonzo Adrian
 Aquino Russel
 Borbon Monree Lloyd
 Cuevas Christopher
 De Guzman CJ
 Dela Rosa Keith Neil
 Duliente Lloyd Inri
 Macalinao Jack Dave
 Soriano Nico
 Tolentino Jan Menard
 Abayan Eunice
 Guzon Alenia Fhaye