Visitation of the Gods by Gilda Cordero-Fernando

Gilda Cordero-Fernando is a multiawarded writer, publisher and cultural icon from the Philippines. She was born in Manila, has a B.A. from St. Theresa’s College-Manila, and an M.A. from the Ateneo de Manila University.

She started off as a writer and was awarded the Palanca Award for Literature several times. She has also written and illustrated children’s books.Her short stories are collected in The Butcher, The Baker and The Candlestick Maker (1962) and A Wilderness of Sweets (1973).

(Source: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3370901.Gilda_Cordero_Fernando)

Vocabulary

• Coronas Largas- a brand of cigarette
• sweepstakes-a form of gambling, especially on horse races, in which all the stakes are divided among the winners.
• conformism- the tendency to adopt the attitudes, behavior, dress, etc, of the group to which one belongs.
• pandemonium- wild and noisy disorder or confusion; uproar.
• insubordination- defiance of authority; refusal to obey orders.

Characters:

• Miss Noel- The main character of the story. A teacher who is beautiful and righteous. She doesn't try to achieve a higher position through getting the favor of her superiors. As a result, she isn't liked by some of the teachers in Pugad Lawin.
• Mr. Olbes- Principal of Pugad Lawin.
• Mrs. Olbes- wife of Mr. Olbes. She was not in good terms with Miss Noel, but after a certain lavatory incident, was able to forgive her.
• Mr. Ampil - former English Supervisor, who is looked up to by Miss Noel for his righteous ways. However, he died prior to the story.

The "Gods"

• Mr. Alava- the superintendent. Mr. Olbes wants to impress him during his inspection in Pugad Lawin.
• Mr. Sawit - the new English Supervisor who replaced Mr. Ampil. He is shown to be someone who doesn't hesitate to use his authority for his personal intentions. He knows Mr. Alava personally.

Minor Characters:

• Mrs. Divinagracia - Home Economics teacher
• Mr. Baz - National Language teacher
• Mr. de Dios - Physics Teacher
• Leon - a student of Miss Noel

PLOT

Exposition

We can see in this part the preparations made by the staff of Pugad Lawin for the upcoming inspection by the "gods". They prepared everything, from the classrooms, to the food, to the lodgings of the supervisors, and even their lesson plans. They made it so that they can impress and get the favor of the supervisors who will be inspecting the place. Miss Noel was also introduced in this part, wherein she was described as someone who is passionate when it comes to work. Due to her attitude, she gained praise and, at the same time, disapproval of her colleagues. The other teachers were also briefly described in this part.

Rising Action

The day of the inspection arrived. Miss Noel found out that the old English supervisor, Mr. Ampil, died, and that he was replaced by a new supervisor, Mr. Sawit. She also learned about the bad attitude of the new supervisor when he mentioned things about the deceased Mr. Ampil, whom Miss Noel deeply respected. They then proceeded with the inspections, which included how the teachers teach the class. Miss Noel's proficiency in her job was shown in this part. After the inspection, the supervisors were given a luxurious dinner, wherein Miss Noel was invited to dance, to which she reluctantly agrees to.

Climax

After the dances, the other supervisors decided to move on to another feast. Miss Noel decided to stay behind. As she was cleaning the venue, she was approached by Mr. Sawit, who asked her about her personal opinion about the inspection. She then mentioned that the inspection was just a farce, since they were given one month to prepare, which wasn't really a good thing. She also mentioned about the wrong that she saw among the supervisors. Mr. Sawit then says that Mr. Olbes may demote her during the reclassification, and that he might stop this if Miss Noel will ignore the wrongdoings during the inspection. She then had doubts about her job, and what she have been working on up to that day.

Falling Action

She continued thinking about her job, and about how she got different job offers. She was then approached by Leon, one of her students. Leon was a student who wants to become a lawyer. She wanted to support his dream in becoming Pugad Lawin's first lawyer. With this, she regained her confidence.


Ending/Conclusion

The story ended with Miss Noel, with her newfound confidence and pride, getting into a picture with the supervisor, and deciding to pursue the career of teaching even if she doesn't get a higher position.


Symbolism

There was a line which goes like this:

"Mr. Sawit's hot trembling hand (the same mighty hand that fathered the 8-A's that made or broke English teachers) found its way swiftly to her waist, and hot on her forehead Miss Noel endured the supreme insult of a wet fatherly kiss.)

Considering how their conversation went in the previous paragraphs, I believe that this action symbolizes how Mr. Sawit tramples on the ideals of Miss Noel. We can see in the story how Miss Noel's ideals are, and how Mr. Sawit hates this. He believes that these ideals won't get you anywhere, and that if you want to rise up the ladder, you need to adapt to the stupid system. This actions is like an insult to what Miss Noel has been working on for the past years, sticking to what she believes is right.

I believe that most people are too concerned with how they appear to others. They would like to get the favor of those around them for their personal satisfaction. They would go as far as showing a fake side of themselves. This story symbolizes how people try to get the favor of their superiors in order to rise up, instead of doing this through their achievements. This applies not only in schools, but even on larger scales, such as a national government. We cannot deny that corruption is one of the biggest problems of our country. This story represents how beautiful a system from the outside looks but is wretched in the inside.

While this story symbolizes some negative things, I also believe that this story also symbolizes hope for those who are passionate in their profession. This story shows that achieving a higher position would not be considered an achievement at all if you weren't able to contribute to the betterment of someone else. This was especially shown when Miss Noel decided that she would like to support the dreams of her students.

Lesson: 

• Never give up on a profession which you are passionate to. 
• Stick to what you believe is right. 
• Do not get eaten by the system. Getting achievements is the best way to climb up, not through favor currying.