Stylistic Analysis of "A Tale of Two Chances" by Paulo Bedonia Masangcay

INTRODUCTION
            The essay deals with the two chances given to two persons by the Almighty. The first chance was for the father of the author, who had another chance of breathing the fresh air of the Earth and the other was for the author of the essay. He was given an exemplary chance of reuniting with his father whom he said he had cared less than his mother. “A Tale of Two Chances” really makes a person believes in the power of prayers and of God.

ANALYSIS

“…it has lost its meaning (talk about “used-upness” of something)” (First paragraph)

-      Informal language was used in writing the essay and it showed that the essay was not intended to be published it is the author’s journal entry for the day, instead. It illustrated the author’s reflection about what had happened in his life. As I noticed, the author used unacceptable English word like “used-upness” to create an effect that he is addressing people of no definite class nor status.

“Just recently, my father and I were given a precious chance - for my father a chance for a prolonged life, and for me a chance to prove my worth as a son.” (Second paragraph)

“When he was much younger, a glass of water was enough to alleviate the problem.” (Fourth paragraph)

-      The two sentences above are examples of the formal language the author had used in the text. It created an impact of seriousness and deep sorrow of his father’s near death experience. Moreover, it showed the author’s great respect and love for his father by carefully choosing the words to include in his essay about his father.

“The news that my father was rushed to the hospital I learned via the most widely-used social networking site in the world – friendster! Kidding. Of course, facebook!” (Third paragraph)

-      The use of the word kidding in this sentence created an atmosphere of lightness of the text itself. It suggested that the author, though he is talking about his father’s near death experience, somehow coped up with what had happened. It also assured the readers that the theme of the essay is not about death or losing someone.

-      Including the social networking site where the author got the news about his father indicated that the essay was written just recently.

“It was my brother in Kazakhstan who posted it on my wall; but instead of pounding my keyboard to ask him for the details, I grabbed my cell phone and in a span of one minute, I was able to send my inquiries to the rest of my family.”

“My two brothers-in-law struggled in carrying my father from the house to the car, as they braved the continuous shedding of tears from up above. My folks’ wailing and praying kept in sync with the distinct swooshing sound of the pouring rain.  Out of despair, my nurse sister was literally jumping like a lunatic (her own description), for the flimsy hope of survival seemed to waver even more.” (Third paragraph)

-      The effect of using compound sentences is that the sentences heightened the emotion of the essay. It created an illusion of suspense for the readers while reading the last three sentences of the fourth paragraph. It is as if the readers, too, are waiting for the result of his father’s labored breathing.

-      I also noticed that in the third and fourth paragraph where the author narrated his father’s suffering, he used compound and lengthy sentences that seemed to evoke a nervous feeling for the readers. As a reader, it seemed that when you get to the third and fourth paragraph you feel worried and at the same time losing your breath while reading the essay.

“No one. Not even my siblings who were first-hand witnesses of our father’s near-death experience. This incident was undeniably a testimonial proof of how powerful a prayer can be! Until now, my eldest sister is having goose bumps every time she recalls this fateful event. For three nights and three days, father was confined in the hospital. On the second day, he was up and about, walking to and fro inside the I.C.U.” (Fifth paragraph)

-      On the fifth paragraph you can feel that the nervousness the author felt had ceased as well as that of the readers. The feeling of light emotions was the effect of using short sentences. Meanwhile, the relaxed feeling of the author upon knowing that his father was already fine was the effect of using commas, which also indicated pauses and somehow elicited a feeling of relief.

“I do not think of him the way I always think of my Inay” (Sixth paragraph)

-      Using the author’s call for his mother—Inay, suggested that the text was a personal essay.

-      The use of the possessive pronoun my before the name Inay denoted the author’s love and affection to his mother.

“Like me less - it’s your prerogative as a reader. I’ve got my reasons. But no matter how sound my justifications can be, I know, I’m at fault. He doesn't deserve my apparent nonchalance, for it is also a fact that my father has earned the respect of many because of what he went through, especially during those times when our family was still young and life was utterly hard.” (Sixth paragraph)

-      On the last paragraph the author had shown his regrets by using short sentences and commas with the compound-complex sentences. When you read the sentences I have quoted, you can feel his regret of his nonchalance towards his father because of the commas he had used. Notice that more commas appeared in the middle of the last paragraph creating the feeling of repentance from the author.

Analyzing the essay helped me realize the author’s feelings while writing the body of the essay, from his nervousness while waiting for his relatives to reply on his messages to his relief upon knowing that his father’s life was prolonged up to the feeling of regret that he had cared less of his father. The essay suggests only one thing, we must do everything we need to do while we are still uncalled by God to be with Him that in the end we will not be regretful. As one book says, “There is no such thing as ‘too late’ in life”, as long as we have our time we must spend it with people we love and treasure the most.