Understanding Local Color

Local color is defined as the use of regional detail in a literary or an artistic

work.

For example, in the play that you read in Grade 7, I Shall Have Other Birthdays,
the author made use of words like dulang, paminggalan, kundiman, buyo,
Ale, and expressions such as Tao po! and Pueh! These are not English words
but the author, in his creativity, deliberately chose to use them instead of their
English translation in order to display an authentic Filipino culture in his
masterpiece.

In the scenes in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 2, Mark Twain (the author)
purposely misspelled most of Jim’s lines in order for the readers to
“hear” his authentic African dialect. Here’s one of Jim’s lines in the novel.

Jim shook his head and said:

"Can't, Mars Tom. Ole missis, she tole me I got to go an' git dis water an'
not stop foolin' roun' wid anybody.

Can you rewrite this line using correct English?

Now let’s see if you could define the following words lifted from the story that
you are about to read. These words express local color. Be guided by the visual
and context clues.

1. All my clothes were new: the black shoes, the

green school uniform, and the red tarboosh.

Tarboosh is
.
Image: publicdomainvectors.org

2. I had to cross Abu Khoda to reach my

house, but the stream of cards would
not let up.

Abu Khoda is
.
Image: Google Maps
Vocabulary Development

Determine the meaning of the underline words through context clues.

Choose the letter of the word that means the same as the underlined word

3. I’m surprised that the billboards in EDSA

are still unmarred despite the strong winds a. crowd
and heavy rain. b. out of control
4. I hate throngs. I feel like I can’t breathe c. To make something
when I’m in a big gathering of people. appear by magic
5. I learned a trick from my father: conjuring d. Without damage
coin behind someone’s ears.

Meet the Author

Naguib Mahfouz, a novelist, playwright and

screenwriter, was awarded the Nobel Prize for
Literature in 1988. He was the first Arab writer to win
the prestigious award and only the second from the
African continent. Born in Cairo on December 11,
1911, Naguib was the most famous writer of fiction in
the Arab world. His works deal with some of life's
fundamental questions, including the passage of
time, society and norms, knowledge and faith, reason
and love. He often uses his hometown of Cairo as the
backdrop for his stories and some of his early works
are set in ancient Egypt. Naguib Mahfouz' body of
work comprises more than 30 novels and 350 short
stories. Many of his stories have been adapted for film.
Image: Wikipedia

How did you feel about going to school when you were younger? Were you excited?
afraid? reluctant? What was your impression of school on your first day? Did you find
school just as you had imagined?

As a child, what was your view about your world? Were you excited to grow up?
Why or why not?

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 READING WITH PARENT

Read the story below with you parent or guardian then do the
comprehension exercises that follow.

NOTE TO PARENTS: You will find comprehension questions as you read the text.
Ask those questions to your child and process their responses.

Half a Day
by Naguid Mahfouz

I proceeded alongside my father, clutching his right hand, running to keep up

with the long strides he was taking. All my clothes were new: the black shoes, the
green school uniform, and the red tarboosh. My delight in my new clothes, however,
was not altogether unmarred, for this was no feast day but the day on which I was
to be cast into school for the first time.

My mother stood at the window watching our progress, and I would turn toward
her from time to time, as though appealing for help. We walked along a street lined
with gardens; on both sides were extensive fields planted with crops, prickly pears,
henna trees, and a few date palms.

"Why school?" I challenged my father openly. "I shall never do anything to annoy
you."

"I'm not punishing you," he said, laughing. "School's not a punishment. It's the
factory that makes useful men out of boys. Don't you want to be like your father and
brothers?"

I was not convinced. I did not believe there was really any good to be had in tearing
me away from the intimacy of my home and throwing me into this building that stood
at the end of the road like some huge, high-walled fortress, exceedingly stem and
grim.

When we arrived at the gate we could see the courtyard, vast and crammed full
of boys and girls. "Go in by yourself," said my father, "and join them. Put a smile on
your face and be a good example to others."

I hesitated and clung to his hand, but he gently pushed me from him. "Be a man,"
he said. "Today you truly begin life. You will find me waiting for you when it's time to
leave."

PARENT-CHILD PROCESSING

Describe the father. How does he treat his son?

How does the child feel about going to school?

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 I took a few steps, then stopped and looked but saw nothing. Then the faces of
boys and girls came into view. I did not know a single one of them, and none of them
knew me. I felt I was a stranger who had lost his way. But glances of curiosity were
directed toward me, and one boy approached and asked, "Who brought you?"

"My father," I whispered.

"My father's dead," he said quite simply.

I did not know what to say. The gate was closed, letting out a pitiable screech.
Some of the children burst into tears. The bell rang. A lady came along, followed by
a group of men. The men began sorting us into ranks. We were formed into an
intricate pattern in the great courtyard surrounded on three sides by high buildings
of several floors; from each floor we were overlooked by a long balcony roofed in wood.

"This is your new home," said the woman. "Here too there are mothers and
fathers. Here there is everything that is enjoyable and beneficial to knowledge and
religion. Dry your tears and face life joyfully."

We submitted to the facts, and this submission brought a sort of contentment

Living beings were drawn to other living beings, and from the first moments my heart
made friends with such boys as were to be my friends and fell in love with such girls,
as I was to be in love with, so that it seemed my misgivings had had no basis. I had
games: swings, the vaulting horse, ball games. In the music room we chanted our
first songs. We also had our first introduction to language. We saw a globe of the
Earth, which revolved and showed the various continents and countries. We started
learning the numbers. The story of the Creator of the universe was read to us, we
were told of His present world and of His Hereafter, and we heard examples of what
He said. We ate delicious food, took a little nap, and woke up to go on with friendship
and love, play and learning.

As our path revealed itself to us, however, we did not find it as totally sweet and
unclouded as we had presumed. Dust-laden winds and unexpected accidents came
about suddenly, so we had to be watchful, at the ready, and very patient. It was not
all a matter of playing and fooling around. Rivalries could bring about pain and
hatred or give rise to fighting. And while the lady would sometimes smile, she would
often scowl and scold. Even more frequently she would resort to physical
punishment.

In addition, the time for changing one's mind was over and gone and there was
no question of ever returning to the paradise of home. Nothing lay ahead of us but
exertion, struggle, and perseverance. Those who were able took advantage of the
opportunities for success and happiness that presented themselves amid the worries.

PARENT-CHILD PROCESSING

What is the boy’s first impression of the school? Is he favorably impressed?

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 The bell rang announcing the passing of the day and the end of work. The throngs
of children rushed toward the gate, which was opened again. I bade farewell to friends
and sweethearts and passed through the gate. I peered around but found no trace of
my father, who had promised to be there. I stepped aside to wait. When I had waited
for a long time without avail, I decided to return home on my own. After I had taken
a few steps, a middle-aged man passed by, and 1 realized at once that 1 knew him.
He came toward me, smiling, and shook me by the hand, saying, "It's a long time
since we last met—how are you?"

With a nod of my head, I agreed with him and in turn asked, “And you, how are
you?
“As you can see, not all that good, the Almighty be praised!”

Again he shook me by the hand and went off. I proceeded a few steps, then came
to a startled halt. Good Lord! Where was the street line with gardens? Where had it
disappeared to? When did all these vehicles invade it? And when did all these hordes
of humanity come to rest upon its surface? How did these hills of refuse come to
cover its sides? And where were the fields that bordered it? High buildings had taken
over, the street surged with children, and disturbing noises shook the air. At various
points stood conjures showing off their tricks and making snakes appear from
baskets. Then there was a band announcing the opening of a circus, with clowns and
weight lifters walking in front. A line of trucks carrying central security troops
crawled majestically by. The siren of a fire engine shrieked, and it was not clear how
the vehicle would cleave its way to reach the blazing fire. A battle raged between a
taxi driver and his passenger, while the passenger’s wife called out for help and no
one answered. Good God! I was in a daze. My head spun. I almost went crazy. How
could all this have happened in half a day, between early morning and sunset? I
would find the answer at home with my father. But where was my home? I could see
only tall buildings and hordes of people. I hastened on to the crossroads between the
gardens and Abu Khoda. I had to cross Abu Khoda to reach my house, but the stream
of cards would not let up. The fire engine’s siren was shrieking at full pitch as it
moved at a snail’s pace, and I said to myself, “Let the fire take its pleasure in what
in consumes.” Extremely irritated, I wondered when I would be able to cross. I stood
there a long time, until the young lad employed at the ironing on the shop on the
corner came up to me. He stretched out his arm and said gallantly, “Grandpa, let me
take you across.”

PARENT-CHILD PROCESSING

What did the boy notice as he walked home?

Why did the young lad call him “grandpa?”

_
_

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Exercise 1

Decide whether each statement is true, false, or the text does not say
anything about it. Write T, F, or DNS.

__ _1. The boy comes from a poor family and is afraid of being looked down
upon by other kids in school.
__ _2. The boy’s father takes his son’s education very seriously.
__ _3. The boy is favorably impressed by the big gates, high walls and tall
buildings of the school.
__ _4. The boy has many misgivings about school and they all turn out to
be true.
__ _5. The lady appears to be kind, but she can be tough and severe too.
__ _6. The boy seems particularly interested in such subjects as music,
geography, language, mathematics, and natural science.
__ _7. The boy’s father does not come to take him home as he has
promised because the narrator now is no longer the little boy so
many years ago.
__ _8. The narrator has mixed up the present with the past. He is now
actually a very old man.

Exercise 2

React to the following statements directly and indirectly stated in the text.
Which one do you agree or disagree with? Put or  then explain your answer.

 or  Statements Reason
9. School is a place that
makes useful men out of
boys (and girls).

10. “Don’t you want to be

useful like your brother?”
- the boy’s father

11. School is like a new home,

and everything enjoyable
and beneficial is available
there for us.

12. Nothing lies ahead of

students but exertion,
struggle and perseverance.

13. Only those who are able to

take advantage of the

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 opportunities for success
and happiness that can
succeed.
14. Life begins at school.

Exercise 3
What is the symbolic meaning of the following images based on how they are
used in the story? Circle the letter of your answer.

1. Garden a. beauty b. innocence c. femininity

2. School a. students b. memories c. training and nurturing
3. Fire a. danger b. summer time c. heat
4. Circus a. fun b. dream c. things out of control
5. Buildings a. wealth b. modernization c. barriers

Exercise 4
What changes took place in the story in just “half a day” before and after the
narrator went to school? Get answers from the choices.
CHOICES
BEFORE SCHOOL AFTER SCHOOL • Streets were lined
Within the Narrator with gardens.
• A young boy
6. 7.
• The streets are
surged with children.
Neighborhood • Noisy and crowded
• On both sides were
8. 10. fields filled with trees
and plants.
9. 11. • An old man

Exercise 5
Deepen your understanding of the story by answering the following
questions.

12. Could the story really have happened in “half a day?” What does the title imply?

13. How does the narrator perceive the world at the modern time?

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14. What did the story teach you about your time on earth and what
characteristics should you develop in order to cope with it?

Recall the elements of the story Half a Day using the short story report
template on the next page.

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USING LOCAL COLOR IN STORY TELLING
Share your personal story of a memorable first-day-of-school experience. Use
terms, words, or expressions unique to your culture for a more creative way of
writing.

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 The following sentences are taken from Alice Walker’s novel, The Color Purple,
which depicts the lives of African American women in early 20th century rural
Georgia.

Directions: Determine the meaning of the underlined words/expressions that

reflect local color.

For example: She say It too soon, Fonso, I ain’t well.

Answer: am not

1. He never had a kine word to say to me.

2. By time I git back from the well, the weather be warm.

3. She ast me bout the first one. Whose it is?

4. She like she gon cry.

5. It not! It not! Naw, I say It not!

6. He say, Look like you done got yourself in trouble.

Naw Suh, she say. I ain’t in no trouble.

7. He run his hand over his slicked back hair and try to feel if there’s
a bugga in his nose.

8. One reason is she say whatever come to mind, forgit about polite.

9-10. She (the baby) was about two month old . I embroder the name
Olivia in the seat of all her daidies.

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Let your teacher know your overall experience in finishing this lesson. Share your
answer by completing the chart below.

Question Lesson Activity Comments

Which lesson activity
do you find easy to
answer?

Which lesson activity

do you find difficult to
answer?

Which lesson activity

someone assisted you
in answering? Who
assisted you?

Which lesson activity

do you want extra
assistance from your
teacher?

In what way this

lesson can be
applicable to you in
real life situation?

Photo credit: https://www.pngflow.com/en/free-transparent-png-mokqn/download

Gonzales, Carolina T., Nelda R. Francisco, and Estrella E. De Vera. English

for 21st Century Learning. Manila: Rex Publishing House, 2018.

“The Nobel Prize in Literature 1988.” NobelPrize.org. Accessed May 24, 2020.
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1988/mahfouz/facts/.

Naguib Mahfouz. PDF file. May 20, 2020.

http://coachcenglish.weebly.com/uploads/1/3/3/7/13371658/half_a_day.
pdf.

“Critical Analysis of Half a Day by Naguib Mahfouz's.” Campuscrosswalk, November

24, 2017. https://campuscrosswalk.org/critical-analysis-of-half-a-day-by-
naguib-mahfouzs/.

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 Miranda, Mary. “Half A Day by Naguib Mahfouz.” LinkedIn
SlideShare, September 1, 2014.
https://www.slideshare.net/MaryMiranda/half-a-day-by-
naguib- mahfouz.

Half a Day. PDF file. May 20, 2020.

http://heep.fltrp.com/cce/image
s/jd2xs.pdf.

“Local Color.” Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster. Accessed

May 24, 2020. https://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/local color.

“Local Color.” Local color dictionary definition | local color defined.

Accessed May 24, 2020. https://www.yourdictionary.com/local-
color.

“The Use of Black English in Literature.” phoebe. Accessed

June 11, 2020. http://phoebejournal.com/the-use-of-
black-english/.

Walker, Alice. The Color Purple. 1st ed. New York:

Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, 1982.

Acknowledgements

Writer: Mary Angeline V. Garcia, MT-I

Editor: Marichu J. Hernandez, Head Teacher VI
Reviewers: Vicente M. Victorio, Jr. EPS
Management Team: Maria Magdalena M. Lim-Schools Division Superintendent
Aida H. Rondilla-Chief Education Supervisor-CID
Lucky S. Carpio-EPS
Lady Hannah C. Gillo, Librarian II-LRMS

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