Footnote to Youth ANALYSIS - Tabotabo
In the story, it is shown how adamant Dodong is. He kept on insisting that he was already old
enough to get married and was capable of having a family of his own. His parents were not okay with
his completely reckless and poorly thought out decisions however he did not seem to care about his
parents’ opinions and feelings and still proceeded to marry Teang. Dodong was blinded by love that
he is willing to sacrifice his youth and freedom. Eventually, Teang gave birth to their son but instead
of being over the moon seeing his child, Dodong felt embarrassed as he saw his wife screaming in
pain. He also felt a pang of guilt when he looked at his mother as he realized that at that moment, he
was already a father at a very young age. In contradiction to what he felt the night he announced to
his parents that he proposed to Teang and asked their blessing, he was filled with regret but he did
not tell his parents about it because he was ashamed and scared to confess that his decision to enter
the married life early was wrong. Dodong wasn’t the only one suffering from his choices in life. Teang
also wished that she had not married. After bearing a child for six consecutive years, she became
shapeless and thin. She realized that the role of being a mother and a wife holds a handful of
responsibilities. She was devastated and just like Dodong, she kept quiet and did not complain.
Footnote to Youth highlights the negative effects of a generational pattern that is being
maintained and not stopped. It can be seen that the same thing has happened to Dodong’s parents.
They also got married young and suffered the consequences of their actions. And when the same
thing happened to their son, they also just kept quiet and didn’t do anything to stop him. Sadly, their
son also bore the same burden they carry. While it’s true that most kids assume they know everything
about life, in truth, they’re only rookie explorers. Therefore, parents must guide their kids as they walk
through life in order to break the generational curse and their children won’t have to endure the
crippling effects of their decisions. The change must start with the parents.
