Fil and Filippa: Story of Child Life in the Philippines
Encyclopedia
Fil and Filippa: Story of Child Life in the Philippines is a 1917 novel written by American
writer John Stuart Thomson
. In the novel, Thomson narrated the life in the Philippines based on his impression of the country as a first time visitor. He focused on the customs and the life at home of a Filipino
child. The story was written for children at the fifth
, sixth
, and seventh grade
levels in the United States
. The illustrations
for the book were drawn by husband and wife illustrator
s Maud and Miska Petersham.
and cultural novel begins with Thomson as the narrator who had just arrived in the Philippines. He met two children, namely Fil and Filippa. With the children, Thomson had a discussion about the history of the Philippines
, including how the archipelago
was named.
During the interactive discussion, Thomson was able to differentiate the United States from the Philippines. He described the Philippines as a group of islands that were rich in natural resources, culture, and traditions. He described the Philippines as "a string of pearl
s hanging from the golden Equator
.”
The book was written by Thomson during the American occupation of the Philippines. It was published in New York City
in the United States by the Macmillan Company. It is composed of nineteen chapters.
cart.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer John Stuart Thomson
John Stuart Thomson
John Stuart Thomson was an author from the United States. He wrote the books China Revolutionized, The Chinese, Bud and Bamboo, and Fil and Filippa: Story of Child Life in the Philippines.-Works:...
. In the novel, Thomson narrated the life in the Philippines based on his impression of the country as a first time visitor. He focused on the customs and the life at home of a Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
child. The story was written for children at the fifth
Fifth grade
Fifth grade is a year of education in the United States and many other nations. The fifth grade is the fifth school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 10 – 11 years old, and are preteens...
, sixth
Sixth grade
Sixth grade is a year of education in the United States and some other nations. The sixth grade is the sixth school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 11 – 12 years old...
, and seventh grade
Seventh grade
Seventh grade is a year of education in the United States and many other nations. The seventh grade is the seventh school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 12–13 years old. Traditionally, seventh grade was the next-to-last year of elementary school...
levels in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The illustrations
Book illustration
The book illustration is specific type of illustration, which appears in books. Some of modern illustrations are performed by American Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators....
for the book were drawn by husband and wife illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
s Maud and Miska Petersham.
Description
The historicalHistorical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
and cultural novel begins with Thomson as the narrator who had just arrived in the Philippines. He met two children, namely Fil and Filippa. With the children, Thomson had a discussion about the history of the Philippines
History of the Philippines
The history of the Philippines is believed to have begun with the arrival of the first humans via land bridges at least 30,000 years ago. The first recorded visit from the West is the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan, who sighted Samar on March 16, 1521 and landed on Homonhon Island southeast of Samar...
, including how the archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
was named.
During the interactive discussion, Thomson was able to differentiate the United States from the Philippines. He described the Philippines as a group of islands that were rich in natural resources, culture, and traditions. He described the Philippines as "a string of pearl
Pearl
A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other...
s hanging from the golden Equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
.”
The book was written by Thomson during the American occupation of the Philippines. It was published in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in the United States by the Macmillan Company. It is composed of nineteen chapters.
Characters
The main characters in the novel include Fil, a Filipino boy; Filippa, Fil's sister; Favra, Filippa's playmate; Moro, the Mohammedan, Fil's playmate; the father and mother of Fil and Filippa; the Padre, a priest; a guest; and the driver of a water buffaloWater buffalo
The water buffalo is a domesticated bovid widely kept in Asia, Europe and South America.Water buffalo can also refer to:*Wild water buffalo , the wild ancestor of the domestic water buffalo...
cart.
External links
- Fil and Filippa by John Stuart Thomson, Project Gutenberg
- "Fil and Filippa" by John Stuart Thomson, Inspiring Short Stories
- Fil and Filippa; story of child life in the Philippines (c1917), The New York Public Library
- Fil and Filippa Story of Child Life in the Philippines, Many Books
- Fil and Filippa: Story of Child Life in the Philippines (eBook), Open Library
- Fil and Filippa (PDF)(Quick view)