Living Through Poverty: Unearthing Social Setting in “One October Ends” by Emeniano Acain Somoza, Jr. (2025)

Abstract

This study examines the physical and social settings in the fictional short story “One October Ends” (2025) by Emeniano Acain Somoza, Jr. The setting in a fictional short story describes the time, place, atmosphere, conflict, and characters that are present within it. This research aims to explore the issue of physical and social settings. The method of this research is qualitative descriptive through a literary analysis approach. The discussion is divided into three main parts: first, the physical and socio- economic environment influences the roles and responsibilities of characters, particularly children. Second, the family home is a site of emotional safety and cultural values shaped by the setting. Lastly, the setting functions as a critique of broader social injustice and structural limitations. Each section highlights how place and poverty influence the characters’ lives, emphasizing that the setting in this story is inseparable from the human experience it portrays. The analysis results that most of the story is set in a poor village in the Philippines, with locations such as swamps, river mouths, and small bamboo houses—not just ordinary settings, but symbols of a harsh and limited life. The environment in this story serves as an ambivalent symbol: on the one hand, the world outside the house reflects danger and fear; on the other hand, the home becomes a safe space where the characters take care of and feel protected. In this context, the house symbolizes not only prosperity but also a symbol of solidarity, protection, and survival amid social injustice.