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Love, Youth, and Life: A Reader- Response Analysis of Jose Garcia Villa’s “Footnote to
Youth”

The main character of the story was Dodong. His family lives in a farm and they are only poor.
At the age of seventeen, he wants to marry his love Teang. He thinks that he is not young anymore. He
wants to tell his father about his decision and ask for their blessing. After getting the blessing of his
father, he and Teang got married. After nine months, their first child came, Blas. Dodong was
embarrassed that in a very young age he will become a father; he was guilty. For six successive years,
more children came in their family. Teang is suffering hardships in her family; taking good care of their
children and their house. She starts to wonder what would her life will be if she didn’t marry Dodong. She
is not complaining but secretly regrets marrying Dodong. When Blas is at the age of eighteen, he told his
father Dodong that he wants to marry Tona. Dodong doesn’t want his son to do the same mistake he did,
to marry at young age. He was helpless and couldn’t do anything, he agreed on Blas to get married.
Dodong regretted his actions, he felt sad and sorry for his son.

The story mainly concerns the youth’s perspective on teenage marriage and teenage
pregnancy. This issue has been very alarming since then. Many youths or teenagers are getting
married or pregnant at a very young age. According to National Demographic and Health
Survey, one out of ten young Filipino women has begun bearing a child at the age of 15 to 19
years old. One factor that affects teenage pregnancy is lack of education, 44% of women who are
pregnant at young age has less education. Another factor is poverty, 37% of young women
belongs to poor households. The survey also shows that 19% of those young women had their
sexual activity before the age of 18. The reader’s insight about this issue is: youths are stubborn
and tends to make decisions without thinking about its consequences just like Dodong in the
story; youths are being aggressive.

The story is a great interpretation of the current issue. It shows a realistic scenario of the
youth today. Youths make their own decisions and immediately execute action but in the end,
they regret it. Dodong symbolizes the youth, blindly thinking of the future, doing actions without
thinking, do anything just to get what they wanted, and being easily affected by their raging
emotions. The story is also referring the responsibilities and hardships of having a family. It is
not a simple choice that can be ignored when sufferings or regret is felt.

Pascual, Raphael Angelo R. Gr. 12- St. John XXIII

Footnote to Youth is a note to the youth about being involved in early relationships and
being too fast in their actions. Teenagers often misinterpret the concept of love. When they are
involved in a relationship, there are times that their actions are uncontrollable. Like Dodong in
the story, they are stubborn. They do not have enough patience to wait. Without thinking of their
actions, it leads them in a situation wherein they are not prepared; life is formed. Love, youth and
life, according to the story youth and life triumphed on Dodong and resulted life. At the age of
seventeen or lower, teenagers are already often engaged in a relationship. They are in search for
a companion, for someone that can treat them special, and someone to express their love. They
misinterpret and exchange the meaning of infatuation and love. When they like a person it
becomes love for them, without thinking its deeper meaning and responsibilities ahead. Being in
love or in a relationship, they make start to decide for themselves. Their blind and unwise choice
like Dodong leads them in a situation they are going to regret. It is true that regret is in the end
and a person will only realize his/ her mistake when it already happened on him/her.

Such factors that affect teenage pregnancy and marriage are shown in the story. First is
poverty, it can be considered as the root of all other factors in youth’s involvement to teenage
pregnancy and marriage. Dodong’s family was just poor as they only live and works in a farm.
Being poor suggests them few and unwise choices. Also because of poverty, another factor
which is lack of education greatly contributes on early pregnancy. Being focused on living and
surviving, many of the youths are forced to ignore education and work for their household.
Without proper education, they are not able to make wise decisions and do not have enough
knowledge on such issue. They lack guidance from other people. They don’t have the basic
knowledge on such topic and unaware the consequences ahead.

The story also portrays the married life especially being married at young age. It is full of
responsibilities and hardships, if teenagers are not ready to face these things but chose the
married life, they will regret their decision in the end. For the youth today, being in love is so
exciting that they become unaware of the things and decisions they make. Youths let love or
their emotions overcome their actions and because of this, unwise decisions are made. The story
is a warning for the youth on what will happen if they rush on the things they want to achieve.
Youths are currently on the time of exploration and coping with their surroundings, on the other
hand, they must be wise and responsible on the things they are supposed to do.

Pascual, Raphael Angelo R. Gr. 12- St. John XXIII

Based on the reader’s experience and being at the age same as the main character, he
clearly show a different view in life. To be in love or in a relationship requires such things that
lacked in the main character. Being able to attain education, the reader had a different
perspective; youths must be wise and aware of the things ahead of their decisions. There are
really times in a relationship that time seems too slow and the youths want to rush and fast
forward to the future. The reader had learned that being youth is also an opportunity to grow and
develop. The married life is not too late for the youth and it can still wait. The youth must be able
to prepare for their future. They must not only focus on love or marriage. The reader experienced
such things that allowed him to think ahead. Married life is full of responsibilities youth might
not be able to do. Love, youth, and life are all gifts from God but these things happen in the right
time.

Based on both the reader and author’s perspective, everything that a person does has a
consequence he/she might regret in the end. Footnote to youth is a reminder for every person
especially to the youth that they must be knowledgeable and wise. They must be aware and have
a full understanding on the things they are encountering or will encounter and be able to apply
their learning to have a fulfilling life. Youths must also seek guidance from the elders and listen
to them to avoid wrong decisions. A part of the story also portrayed choosing the right decision,
between Dodong and the other suitor of Teang which is Lucio. What would be the life of Teang
if she chose Lucio who is much older than Dodong? Because of love, Teang chose Dodong;
similarly to the youths, they only consider love in choosing their partner. Youths fail to think
rationally and blinded by love. Because of it they rush and make things happen so fast but as
they rush things, that feeling of love fades as their feeling of regret shows up. It is always in the
end when youths will realize their careless actions. Based on the story, things that had been made
can’t be taken back like in Dodong’s case, even though he was embarrassed, it already happened
and can’t be changed; he must face the consequences of his actions. Dodong portrayed the life of
many youths today, being in love and blinded to rush actions then results to an unexpected new
life. Being unprepared and not planning ahead, Dodong decided to marry at a young age and led
him and his wife to hardships of having a family. Hence, the story is a warning for every youth
to think carefully of their actions for they might regret it in the end. Things that happen can’t be
changed therefore the youth must take their time to fully develop themselves to be responsible
enough and ready to enter the life of marriage or adulthood.

Pascual, Raphael Angelo R. Gr. 12- St. John XXIII