LESSON 3

ACTIVITY 1.2

What is a prelude? Why is that the title of the story?

Prelude, a word defined as, or known as, an introductory piece of music; something meant as an introduction for something bigger.

That is the title, because the story starts with an event  that happens before the important event

What does Nenita feel for her husband? Why do you think she feels that way?

Nenita, was very considerate and caring towards her husband, even though she knew that her husband  had affairs.

She felt that way because her husband is cruel so she needs to obey what her husband wants.

What does her herbalista friend feel about Nenita’s husband?

For me, I think that  her herbalista friend hates the husband,

because of Nenita’s being considerate to her even though she knew that her husband had a lot of affairs. A true friend never wants to see his/her friend being hurt or suffer.

Who was the man that died in the first paragraph?

The man who died in the first paragraph was the husband of Nenita.

How do you think he died? What clues in the text helped you to reach that conclusion?

For me, I think Nenita murdered her husband silently by using the materials of her herbalist friend.

She was quick-tempered with her husband already, so she immediately killed her husband quietly.

Here are some clues that help me reach the conclusion:

Nenita then remembered that she also had to prepare the medicinal tea her husband needed to take with his dinner.

Thankfully, her friend, the herbalista, had just the right concoction for this ailment.

She could have prepared him then that other brew her friend had suggested at the time,

the one that would make his balls shrink, give him hallucinations, make his blood boil until his veins popped.

Certainly, hot enough to boil an old man’s blood and pop his veins.

What is the importance of the dried purples leaves? Do you think that these were used in the story? How?

I think that the purple leaves are one of the ingredients that her herbalist friend said. These purple leaves were used in the story, how?

It is the ingredients that I think Nenita mixes in the medicinal tea of her husband that caused the death of her husband.

Who killed the man? Explain your answer?

Nenita’s husband always cheated on her yet she didn’t mind at first but when she was quick-tempered with her husband already,

she immediately killed her husband quietly. 

The story ends with the feeling of heat? What are the many meanings of heat in the story?

The story begins and ends with heat, and Delgado illustrates how heat presents itself both physically and emotionally.

Heat stands for passion, anger, and the oppressiveness of life.

Why is it ironic that the widow was married to a judge?

It is ironic I think, because it is contingent on the circumstances; it is contingent on how the judge treats the widow and how he actually treat other people. A judge is a powerful figure in society, so it's amusing that he married a window instead of someone who hasn't married yet.

Do you think, with what happened, that some kind of justice was served? Why or why not?

In my opinion, there is some justice served in the story.

Justice for Nenita that her husband cheated on her. Her husband chose the decision to cheat on her. That is why the consequence of the husband's tragic death.