Zita is a short story about a girl who fell in love with her tutor. Let's just assume that this is Zita. Zita is a young girl, who's taught to act like a lady. A young lady that eventually fell in love with his teacher. In the earlier part of the story, the teacher was kind of "shocked" that the girl was named Zita, maybe because of the fact that she fell in love with another girl named Zita--- maybe the cause of his "gloominess." His teacher kept receiving letters enveloped in a blue envelope, and every time he opens it, he feels sad or he's acting strange. Maybe the letter came from his lover or a person that broke his heart. "Maybe"(just a wild guess because it wasn't mentioned in the story) she's also named as Zita. That's why he feels strange towards Zita. I think he likes Zita but he just couldn't admit it because he's trapped into a certain sentiment. Maybe that's the reason why he decided to move for awhile and stay in Zita's place as a teacher. This guy is very serious especially the way he talks. They have different attitudes--- Zita is the more optimistic one, and Mr. Reteche is the pessimistic one. Zita, sometimes, day dream about Mr. Reteche. Then one day, when Mr. Reteche received another envelope, Zita saw how he tore the papers into pieces and Zita asked him why he did it. He said that someday, Zita will also experience it or understand it. In the last part of the story, when Mr. Reteche was already departing(going back to where he came from), she received torn pieces of paper. Maybe this symbolizes as words unsaid(yeah). I don't exactly know but somehow I feel it that way. I'm not so into the story because I don't like the way it ended (honestly and seriously!) It is not a happy ending. ( -_-;;). Anyway, let's move on... Words left unsaid because you need to still "analyze" what it meant?hmmmm-- there are are still many hidden words behind it. The torn pieces are words unsaid because if they are meant to be directly said, of course it comes as a whole---clear and fixed. It also meant "broken" something is broken--- the feeling or somehow the thought. (Yeah right. I know you're somekindof, sortof, whatever lost about what I'm saying. It clearly shows I'm not really into the story. I don't like failed relationships, sad endings about love stories, and all those stuffs related or about it). The transition is too fast for me. Like everything was just a snap that's why it "somekindof" DID NOT broke the ice between me and the story. (yeah, enough Guia. Just shut up!)UPDATES :)))))

Arturo B. Rotors short story Zita focuses on the story of a young (in local terms) probinsyana, and how she is groomed to be a lady through a series of events in her life. However, this grooming results into sadness for both her and another person in her life.

Zita is reflective of the alienating nature of society during the time of its writing, especially in how society wants women to be: how they should dress, their manner, etc., and how these norms that society is imposing result in new and difficult issues for women of that period in history. The protagonist of the story (the eponymous Zita) is put into this period, as a girl whose transition to womanhood is put under various strains due to the nature of societys demands on women, as well as by a certain man. Throughout the story, Zitas transition from an innocent province girl (the aforementioned probinsyana) to a (at least in societys eyes) a refined and matured woman. However, despite this transition, which was something encouraged by everyone else in the story, she still encounters sadness (possibly even as a part or result of this transition).

In the end, despite her becoming all that society wants her to be, she ends up losing (or so it seemed) the man that possibly loved her. The story closes with Zita doing what she once witnessed Mr. Reteche doing as he was grooming her to be the woman society wants her to be, and finally understanding its significance.

In my opinion, Zita is focused on etching out how during the time of its writing (the period of American colonization of the Philippines), and even until the present, province girls often wish to be the same as the girls from the city, not being aware that even if they become something like the well-bred women or girls from the city, attaining happiness and getting what they want, especially in matters of love, is still a toss-up, or an absolute uncertainty; that no matter what one does, love remains that single most elusive desire of humans. It clearly visualizes the lengths that families from the province would have their children, especially daughters, go in order to be of the same social class or breed as that of the women from the high society in the cities. It also demonstrates how a man who seemingly has found what he wants in a province girl ends up destroying that which he has found by forcing it to become something it isnt (namely, by making her become something same as that of the city girls or women).

ANOTHER

Rotors Zita, to simply put, is a story about young girl who falls in love with her teacher while he teaches her how be alady. Zita, the storys namesake, comes home to tell her father, Don Eliodoro, about the new teacher who comes to herschool. This event takes place after the speaker narrates the scene where Francisco B. Reteche, the teacher, is taken toAnayat by a fisherman named, Turong. Mr. Reteche is thought to be a strange person by the villagers who have becomeaware of his presence because of an aura of mystery that shrouds him he chooses to live with Turong than in DonEliodors house, and he does not give much care about where he stays, as long as he is able to go to school to teach. Going back to the scene where Zita tells her father of her encounter with Mr. Reteche, she makes sure to highlight themoment when the teacher is baffled by Zitas name. Though it was not stated why, it is implied that Mr. Reteche istroubled by Zitas presence in the class. Don Eliodor then later comments that she should have private lessons with him onhow to be a lady.The first few weeks in Mr. Reteches stay with him, Turong gossips to the others how the newcomer does not sleep, doesnot eat much, and just sits by the window to brood by himself. Every month, there was a letter in a blue envelope withgold design on its upper left hand corner that came for him. And once, Turong delivered one of the letters to him in school.During that time, the students (including Zita) were asked to write a composition that expressed the things they love most.After collecting their papers, Mr. Reteche recited a very short piece about a moth which Zita thought was a poorly writtencomposition. She was also upset that her composition was not chosen.Despite this, Zita remains interested in the enigma that is Mr. Reteche. At the same time, she continues to learn from him,evident in her taking notes with the difficult vocabulary he speaks with. In the midst of the events that continue to unfoldin the story (e.g. the villagers getting used to Mr. Reteches loner -type attitude), the reader discovers that the main femalecharacter of the story has fallen in love with her teacher. Then suddenly, as she stares out a window, Mr. Reteche comesto her house to tell her father that he accepts Don Eliodors request to teach Zita how to become a lady. Over the course of several weeks, the villagers notice a change in Mr. Reteche he was not walking by the seashore alone anymore, and hewas not interacting with the children of the village. Zitas lessons on how-to-become-a-lady seem to progress over time aswell evident in a party scene where acts in the right way. Many gentlemen want to dance with her, but she has eyes onlyfor one man who seems reluctant, and is bothered by the fact on how she looks so beautiful that night. Mr. Reteche andZita share a moment as they both dance.It is implied that a few days pass. Back in the classroom, Mr. Reteche once again receives a letter from Turong, and thistime Zita witnesses how he tore it up to pieces right then and there. He tries to put them back together, and answers Zitasquestion on why he tore the letter only to put it back together again it is something that she will understand someday.And sure enough, Turong comes home later from Paunambang, bringing a stranger whom the villagers take as someonerelated to Mr. Reteche because of the way he carries himself. This stranger pays Mr. Reteche a visit in the school , and thetwo discuss as Zita eavesdrops on them matters which gives implications of the events that were to happen the nextday. It is morning and Zita anxiously receives a letter from Turong. Hurt, she quickly tears up the letter, only to try topiece it all back together, crying as a great understanding dawns upon her.So besides the romance factor that this story by Rotor contains, I realized that the something between Zita and Mr.Reteche has, is something which exists even in the modern times a teacher-student relationship. Well, Zita and Mr.Reteche are not technicallyina relationship; however, any reader would notice the tension that Zita has towards Mr.Reteche, guided by the signs throughout the text. Although, I myself am not yet sure how old Mr. Reteche actually is.Come to think of it, why was he bothered by Zitas presence in the classroom in the beginning of the story? After discussing the story in the classroom which was why I couldnt put up this post last Tuesday, for fear of insufficientanalysis I learned that there were actuallytwoZitas in the Rotors story! ( ;) No wonder Mr. Reteche was sobothered when he came across the name of Zita (the student) in his class list. But to be honest, in my own humble opinion,I think that partwas kind of misleading. Not that I didnt want Mr. Reteche to react at all; I understand that thats one of the vital parts of the story that makes it clear that there are two Zitas. Perhaps, he shouldve said something like,