What is the title significance to the developments in the story the centipede?
Answers
The Centipede is a short story by Filipino author Rony V. Diaz. The story focuses on a boy who seeks revenge against his sister for her cruel and spiteful acts toward him.
The title significance of the short story “The Centipede” is the slaying of the centipede which is considered to be man’s most bitter enemy and an evil spirit.
EXPLANATION:
The centipede is a short story by the famous Philippine author Rony V. Diaz. In the story the narrator, who is a small motherless boy expresses his hatred and malice towards his elder sister Delia. Delia was eight years elder to him but hated him and treated all his loved pets with spite. Like an evil spirit she burnt down his beautiful collection of butterflies. Naturally the narrator couldn’t stand her so when he found a huge centipede pinned under a wood he drew an analogy between the centipede and his sister.
The centipede symbolised his venomous sister. Still he couldn’t kill her, he mercilessly killed the centipede and then dropped it on her lap to watch her being terrified and helpless. Ultimately he sought his revenge. The story’s title is justified through the metaphor of the centipede which always seeks revenge even at its own cost.