Children of the City by Amadis Ma. Guerrero

Theme

            The theme of the short story is about the harsh realities of what it's like to live in a society of the lower class, of those who are oppressed under the hands of the wealthy, and of those who fight their way to survival every single day of their lives. 

Characters

1. Victor - an eight year old boy who lost his father to a strike and was left by his mother to his uncle. Victor is a courageous boy who had to face the difficulties of the real world in such an early age. Despite all the challenges thrown at him, he still managed to fight through it and survive another day. 

2. Victor's Father - a man of his own beliefs and values. He stands and fights for what is right while still trying to be a good father to his own family. 

3. Victor's Mother - usually opposed the views of her husband and doesn't have enough courage to fight against the unjust thinking of society. Usually chooses the easy way out and tends to think irrationally. 

4. Tio Pedring - Victor's uncle who was kind enough to take the little boy in after what he has gone through. He can be uptight and strict especially when it comes to Victor's work but gives fair rewards to the boy's gradual development.

5. Nacio - a friend of Victor who seems utterly confident in his way of doing things recklessly which apparently backfired in the long run. 

Summary

            The story started out with introducing Victor's father and how he was involved in a strike due to unfair compensation and disregard to the union by their work at the waterfront. Following the series of events regarding their insurgence to the authorities, his father was eventually killed in one of the fights the union got into. Victor's mother was full of dread because of what happened and unfortunately lost her way and found someone unworthy to be Victor's new father. It wasn't long before they ran away and left Victor all alone with his uncle, Tio Pedring.

             Tio Pedring helped Victor get a job at their newspaper company as a newspaper courier. Doing this job opened his eyes to the real world as he had no choice but to have foul-mouthed and audacious colleagues who made it seem like he can never be part of their crowd. He delivered newspapers continuously and got better at his job as time passed and as he faced more and more challenges every day. He worked tirelessly, losing and gaining confidence in himself repeatedly until he improved.

             Eventually, his only friend, Nacio, got killed in an accident. Despite feeling sad, he still excelled at his job until he got a big break from an American man who gave him more than what he earned in an instant. Because of this, he was questioned by his colleagues and was pressured as to why he wasn't like any of them. Victor held on to his beliefs for as long as he could but just like any other desperate person who gets tired of life's unrighteousness, he finally gave in to one of the first of many temptations of our crooked society.

How was the Marcos Administration depicted in the story?

             It can be compared to how people were treated during the Marcos Administration before. It shows how rebellions would break out because of the abuse of power and how much their non-conformity to the ways of the upper class men can easily put their lives at stake. Just like how Victor's colleagues questioned him about why he wasn't like them and forced him to do what they do.