The Fruit Stall

Merlinda Bobis► Born on November 25, 1959 in Legazpi City, Albay.► A Contemporary Philippine-Australian writer and

academic.► Completed her bachelor of arts in Aquinas University

Legazpi City► Got her post-graduate degree in University of Santo

Tomas and University of Wollongong in Australia.► Current Sentor Lectuirer at the University of Wollongong.

Awards

Prix Italia (international award) for Rita’s Lullaby (radio play), 1998 Australian Writers’ Guild Award (AWGIE) for Rita’s Lullaby, 1998 Pamana Philippine Presidential Award for achievement in the arts (for

Filipino expatriates), 1998 Shortlist: The Age Poetry Book of the Year Award for Summer Was A

Fast Train Without Terminals (collection of poems), 1998 Winner, Out of the Ashes Trans-Tasman Short Story Competition for

White Turtle (short story), 1998

Commended: National Short Story Competition, Society of Women Writers for The Sadness Collector (short story), 1998

Joint winner, ABC Radio National’s 'Books & Writing Short Story Competition’ for The Tongue (also known as The Parable of Illawarra Street), 1997

Ian Reed Foundation Prize for Radio Drama for Rita’s Lullaby, 1995 Carlos Palanca Memorial Award in Literature (Philippine national

award), Honourable Mention for Ms. Serena Serenata (one-act play), 1995

Gawad Cultural Centre of the Philippines (National award for Poetry in Pilipino) for Mula Dulo Hanggang Kanto (‘From End to Corner’, collection of poems), 1990

CHARACTERS Marjory- protagonist in the story

- Seller of fresh fruits - wife of Jim

Jim- husband of Marjory Brian- the book seller Owen- helper of Brian Melvin- a Restaurateur from across the road Roy- the one who sold woolen carpets, blankets and books Sue- seller of Fruit-eze

- seller of stolen goods Eileen- seller of homemade cakes, biscuits and jams.

Setting of the story

Small shopping center near the sea. Six thirty in the morning.

Plot Summary

Everyday, marjory sold fruit under a small shopping centre near the sea with his husband Jummy. And also with their co-vendor, Brian and Owen

One day, a new vendor came to their small shopping centre, her name is Sue. She is selling a fruit-eze. A powdered vitamin supplements. Marjory screwed her face.

When the work started, Sue asked Marjory if she can eye her stuff when she's gone. Marjory accepted it. She picked up some flavoring. And someone came up and Marjory accidentally dropped the bottle and the flavoring explode at the floor. A man has an Alsatian puppy. The dog smell the flavoring on the floor

One day, two burly constables trooped approach to Marjory and Sue. One man pointed at Marjory. Her heart beat started to raced. The man said that she's the one whose been selling stolen foods

The senior constable said that she is little different to the descw. Marjory said that she's just sell fruits. Suddenly, she pointed Sue and said she is the seller of that goods. Sue had run off down the alley. Sue's shaggy wig had flipped over her head. The police gave chase, but Sue, now brown and scruffy,leapt through a hole in the throng of shoppers

Summary

When Sue gets on the same place where Marjory selling her fresh fruits and Marjory feels insulted because of that. Afterwards Sue insults the ware of Marjory and one day Sue leave her store to Marjory then the man go to Sue’s store and thinks that Marjory is the seller of Fruit-eze and stolen goods. Afterwards Sue try to flee.

Conflict

When the Man thinks that Marjory is the seller of Fruit-eze and stolen goods.

Theme

The truth can set us free. Like a woman in the story, her life seems misarable and always struggling in the dark because of her secret. She never felt the freedom to get along with other races in a foreign land due to her insecurities. People like her never prove enough confidence to show up to the world that being a Filipina is something you have to be proud of! It is not something to be ashame of because of the foreign impression that we, Filipina are cheap and easy to get. Let’s not degrade ourselves instead we must prove them wrong and that is a challenge to all of us.

Symbolisms

The Fruits in the story are, to begin with, the fruits the protagonist is selling.

And she herself is a kind of fruit, a commodity, sold to the highest bidder.

Plot Type

Classic plot- It begins when marjory started to fix her stall and it follows by the middle when sue came in the stall and started to sell her fruit-eze. The last, it end when marjory find out that Sue is the seller stolen goods

Point of View

Omniscient because Merlinda Bobis knows the feelings of all the characters and their thoughts also in the short story “Fruit stall”.

The author tells the story in third person (using pronouns she, he, etc).

References

James, R. (November 14, 2007). The Fruit Stall. Retrieved from http://illustratedshorts.com/the-fruit-stall/

Made by:

Peniel Joel Apas Iesha Riezl Reyes