Literature of Exile
Imaging the Filipino Migrant
What constitutes literature of exile?
recurring related themes of
separation,
exile,
expatriate life,
(im)migration,
(re)location,
travel abroad
What is the impact of these experiences on the writer’s lives and work and the national literature ?
How do these experiences influenced their sense of nation, identity and their concept of home?
Theme: the experience of exile
Exile itself has been the one central fact of our whole literary tradition. The expatriate choice is only one form of exile. For some, it takes the form of escape to a more seminal, intellectual centers of Madrid, Paris, HongKong and New York. For others, it implies Dapitan or Muntinlupa, for still others, exile into the past.
The exile referred to in the subsequesnt discussion is actual expatriation-exile from homeland, not just familial residence.
Filipino Migration to the United States
1st generation of filipino migrants to the US
1906-1946 approx 150,000 (to the sugar plantations of Hawaii and California)
2nd generation of Filipino migrants to the US
1946-1964 approx 30,000 Filipinos (mostly war veterans)
3rd generation
1964-1984 approx 630,000 Filipinos
among the first generation:
Jose Garcia Villa
NVM Gonzales
Bienvenido Santos
Carlos Bulosan
Nick Joaquin
The theme is fairly new to women’s narratives. It did not find its way into the stories by women of the generation of NVM Gonzales, Bienvenido Santos and Carlos Bulosan.
Most of the stories of exile that have emerged in the last few decades are written by women married to foreign men: Casper, Brainard, Skinner, Apostol. Most of their stories deal with homesick middle-class women. And the relocation is no longer confined to the United States.
A new variation of this theme –and one more likely to become significant in the future- focuses on the OFW and the mail order brides, the heartbreaking side of the contemporary Philippine Diaspora.
No longer confined to the United States
some examples
Fruit Stall (Kingcross, Australia)
Case 2182-93 Angela Cabading, Age 26(HongKong)
Character analysis
PROTAGONIST
Fruit Stall
Case 2182-93 Angela Cabading, Age 26
The Day the Dancers Came
America is in the Heart
Character analysis
PROTAGONIST
Fruit Stall
The fruit seller
Character analysis
PROTAGONIST
Case 2182-93, Angela Cabading, Age 29
Angela Cabading
Merlinda Bobis in "Fruit Stall" and
Nadine Sarreal in "Case 2182-93 Angela Cabading, Age 26"
from the lower class
pushed into exile by circumstances not completely within their control
both pay monstrous price for the exile
But both stories are sharp indictments of the system that condones—even encourages—such suffering, by turning a blind eye to the consequences.
Synthesis
Does the fact that these stories are written in English detract or contribute to their effectivity? Is this a relevant question?
( Reading assignment for next meeting )
The Day the Dancers Came by Bienvenido Santos
America is in the Heart by Carlos Bulosan
More Notes on May Day Eve
Reading Nick Joaquin’s May day Eve Brings to mind stories told us as children. But the second reading of the story, and a closer reading at that, will not only show you Joaquin’s fine craft but prove to his lofty ideal as well.
May Day Eve is the magic night, proper time to consult oracles, hold séances. Certain rites and runes are supposed to enable you at midnight to behold in a mirror the face of the person fated to be yours love.
The plot of the summary may be simple enough.
In one part, Joaquin intended to present the circumstances of Aqueda describing her encounter with the devil in the mirror to her young daughter. The child is keen in fact sees a similarity of his father to the description of the devil by her mother. The ambiguity of Aqueda weeping towards the end renders innumerable possibilities.
In yet another part Joaquin is more determined to show the circumstances of Don Badoy Montiya’s recollection of seeing a witch in the mirror. This, he recalled teary eyed to his grandson whom he saw standing before the mirror hoping to see his soon to be wife.
Some in fact have been guilty of looking at the story as a simple tale for little children, but Joaquin aims at something grander and loftier. His attention to present a man and a woman holding on to love until the death of them is worthy of note. His intention to exhibit the hazy romance of the old world, the quiet consummation of their love, itself an elevated thought, is a result of his great imaginative power.
The sexual overtones in the story are forgivable only because Joaquin aimed at a higher purpose. He is not only brave enough to make the suggestion but he is also dignified to scale those dangerous heights in good taste.
Initially, one is propelled to feel connection especially if one has been told of age-old ritual, but it is even true that you will at once be enthralled by it at first reading. The beauty of Joaquin’s language at once moves you.
Joaquin through his outstanding employment of the figures of speech in this quit simple story achieves this grandness in his work.
Many a times, Joaquin chose to repeat for amplification. This he intends to produce familiarity. He writes the following lines to begin the story so as to suggest a mood of the old world.
“…looked out upon the medieval shadows of the foul street where a couple of street-lamps flickered an a last carriage was rattling away upon the cobbles, while the blind black houses muttered hush-hush, their tiled roofs looming like sinister chessboards against a wild sky with clouds, save where an evil old moon prowled about in a corner or where a murderous wind whirled, whistling and whining, smelling now of the sea and now of the summer orchards and wafting unbearable Maytime memories of an old, old love…Guardia sereno-o-o! Alas dice han dado-o-o!”
He repeats exactly the same description of the foul street towards the end of the story to encourage the reader to remember the mood and promote further transport. The story should leave an impression that last even after the story has been put away.
Also note his asyndeton, his rapid flow of words with occasional stops.
“The ball had been in their honor: and they had waltzed and polka-ed and bragged and swaggered and flirted all night and were in no mood to sleep yet-no, caramba, not on this moist tropic eve! Not on this mystic May eve! – with the night still young and so seductive that it was madness not to go out, not to go forth..”
In fact, this beautiful word arrangement even if it is quite apart from the natural flow of words did not fail the computer auto-correction. As it is being typed in my computer, the program offered no automatic grammar correction at all!
May Day Eve immediately brings transport. His choice and striking words wonderfully attracts and enthralls.
“Mirror, mirror,
show to me
her whose lover
I will be.”
Joaquin’s phrasing not only used the words most striking but breathes life into what seem to be non-living as well consequently lending the work its delicious ambiguity and double meanings.
“She bewitched me and she tortured me. He ate my heart and drank by blood.”
test tayo next meeting.
May Day Eve is the magic night, proper time to consult oracles, hold séances. Certain rites and runes are supposed to enable you at midnight to behold in a mirror the face of the person fated to be yours love.
The plot of the summary may be simple enough.
In one part, Joaquin intended to present the circumstances of Aqueda describing her encounter with the devil in the mirror to her young daughter. The child is keen in fact sees a similarity of his father to the description of the devil by her mother. The ambiguity of Aqueda weeping towards the end renders innumerable possibilities.
In yet another part Joaquin is more determined to show the circumstances of Don Badoy Montiya’s recollection of seeing a witch in the mirror. This, he recalled teary eyed to his grandson whom he saw standing before the mirror hoping to see his soon to be wife.
Some in fact have been guilty of looking at the story as a simple tale for little children, but Joaquin aims at something grander and loftier. His attention to present a man and a woman holding on to love until the death of them is worthy of note. His intention to exhibit the hazy romance of the old world, the quiet consummation of their love, itself an elevated thought, is a result of his great imaginative power.
The sexual overtones in the story are forgivable only because Joaquin aimed at a higher purpose. He is not only brave enough to make the suggestion but he is also dignified to scale those dangerous heights in good taste.
Initially, one is propelled to feel connection especially if one has been told of age-old ritual, but it is even true that you will at once be enthralled by it at first reading. The beauty of Joaquin’s language at once moves you.
Joaquin through his outstanding employment of the figures of speech in this quit simple story achieves this grandness in his work.
Many a times, Joaquin chose to repeat for amplification. This he intends to produce familiarity. He writes the following lines to begin the story so as to suggest a mood of the old world.
“…looked out upon the medieval shadows of the foul street where a couple of street-lamps flickered an a last carriage was rattling away upon the cobbles, while the blind black houses muttered hush-hush, their tiled roofs looming like sinister chessboards against a wild sky with clouds, save where an evil old moon prowled about in a corner or where a murderous wind whirled, whistling and whining, smelling now of the sea and now of the summer orchards and wafting unbearable Maytime memories of an old, old love…Guardia sereno-o-o! Alas dice han dado-o-o!”
He repeats exactly the same description of the foul street towards the end of the story to encourage the reader to remember the mood and promote further transport. The story should leave an impression that last even after the story has been put away.
Also note his asyndeton, his rapid flow of words with occasional stops.
“The ball had been in their honor: and they had waltzed and polka-ed and bragged and swaggered and flirted all night and were in no mood to sleep yet-no, caramba, not on this moist tropic eve! Not on this mystic May eve! – with the night still young and so seductive that it was madness not to go out, not to go forth..”
In fact, this beautiful word arrangement even if it is quite apart from the natural flow of words did not fail the computer auto-correction. As it is being typed in my computer, the program offered no automatic grammar correction at all!
May Day Eve immediately brings transport. His choice and striking words wonderfully attracts and enthralls.
“Mirror, mirror,
show to me
her whose lover
I will be.”
Joaquin’s phrasing not only used the words most striking but breathes life into what seem to be non-living as well consequently lending the work its delicious ambiguity and double meanings.
“She bewitched me and she tortured me. He ate my heart and drank by blood.”
test tayo next meeting.
Reading Assignment and Notice of Exams
Reading assignment: Read the following literature of exile
The Day the Dancers Came by Ben Santos
Fruit Stall by Merlinda Bobis
Case #28XXX Angela Cabading by Nadine Sarreal
We will have a diagnostic test before discussion (20pts).
On Oct 1, we shall have our test on poetry (40pts).
Coverage:
Order for Masks (Virgie Moreno)
Montage (OA Dimalanta)
Coming to Grief (OA Dimalanta)
Manhattan Rain (Carlos Angeles)
Gabu (Carlos Angeles)
Bonsai (Edith Tiempo)
Lament for the Littlest Fellow (Edith Tiempo)
The Day the Dancers Came by Ben Santos
Fruit Stall by Merlinda Bobis
Case #28XXX Angela Cabading by Nadine Sarreal
We will have a diagnostic test before discussion (20pts).
On Oct 1, we shall have our test on poetry (40pts).
Coverage:
Order for Masks (Virgie Moreno)
Montage (OA Dimalanta)
Coming to Grief (OA Dimalanta)
Manhattan Rain (Carlos Angeles)
Gabu (Carlos Angeles)
Bonsai (Edith Tiempo)
Lament for the Littlest Fellow (Edith Tiempo)
Some Notes on May Day Eve
The following notes from May Day Eve were gathered from different blog sources:
The catholic imagination filters anything pleasurable and beautiful and luxuriant as tempting and therefore evil. Not surprisingly, the central characters in May Day Eve were both young, good looking, at the prime of their (sexual) lives and therefore teetering on the edge of sin. Which brings us to why evil is often represented as a beautiful temptress or as an extremely attractive man always ready to seduce you, or even as a highly coveted, rare object that can give you power, prestige or wealth (think Friday the 13th, Bedazzled, etc., Decadent Chociolate, a sinful treat.)
possible central idea
leventually, husband and wife will realize that they are married to the devil and the witch
a cynical assessment of marital relations (but I hope that we all prove this wrong when our own time comes)
The catholic imagination filters anything pleasurable and beautiful and luxuriant as tempting and therefore evil. Not surprisingly, the central characters in May Day Eve were both young, good looking, at the prime of their (sexual) lives and therefore teetering on the edge of sin. Which brings us to why evil is often represented as a beautiful temptress or as an extremely attractive man always ready to seduce you, or even as a highly coveted, rare object that can give you power, prestige or wealth (think Friday the 13th, Bedazzled, etc., Decadent Chociolate, a sinful treat.)
possible central idea
leventually, husband and wife will realize that they are married to the devil and the witch
a cynical assessment of marital relations (but I hope that we all prove this wrong when our own time comes)
Notes on Poetry
Lesson Overview
Poetry or Prose?
What makes a good poem?
Form and Content
Organic Unity
Poetry or Prose?
Some questions to consider:
1. Does the piece make use of metaphorical or figurative language?
2. Does it have concreteness, particularity, sensuous shape?
3. Is it a piece that should not be read on its literal sense alone?
Metaphorical/Figurative Language
The use of metaphorical/figurative language is the use of the different figures of speech
Figures of speech gives us the pleasure of recognizing similarities in the otherwise different natures of objects
Denotative Language
By concreteness, we mean poetry’s use of visuals in terms of IMAGES.
By particularity, we mean the use of specific objective reality or situation, a particular emotion, or a particular point of theme.
Literal vs Figurative
Is it a piece that should be read on the literal sense alone?
Figurative language -A form of language use in which writers and speakers convey something other than the literal meaning of their words.
Literal language- A form of language in which writers and speakers mean exactly what their words denote.
SNAIL
by Conchitina Cruz
You fall behind
Because of the cloud
On your back.
It is heavy
With rainwater.
When I stop
To wait,
You hide
In the cloud,
Choosing to drown.
FORM CONTENT
Beauty Truth
Pleasure Instruction
Artfulness Lesson
2. ORGANIC UNITY
All the parts work together.
Every element in it contributes to the meaning and the beauty of the work.
Music
Architecture
Painting
Literature
Culinary Arts
Emotional/Intellectual Value
A good poem then possesses concentration and intensity that makes it memorable.
Brings an engagement of the senses, the emotional, the mind.
Poetry may be this or that, but it shouldn’t necessarily be this or that, except delirious and lucid.
Robert Desnos
Poetry or Prose?
What makes a good poem?
Form and Content
Organic Unity
Poetry or Prose?
Some questions to consider:
1. Does the piece make use of metaphorical or figurative language?
2. Does it have concreteness, particularity, sensuous shape?
3. Is it a piece that should not be read on its literal sense alone?
Metaphorical/Figurative Language
The use of metaphorical/figurative language is the use of the different figures of speech
Figures of speech gives us the pleasure of recognizing similarities in the otherwise different natures of objects
Denotative Language
By concreteness, we mean poetry’s use of visuals in terms of IMAGES.
By particularity, we mean the use of specific objective reality or situation, a particular emotion, or a particular point of theme.
Literal vs Figurative
Is it a piece that should be read on the literal sense alone?
Figurative language -A form of language use in which writers and speakers convey something other than the literal meaning of their words.
Literal language- A form of language in which writers and speakers mean exactly what their words denote.
SNAIL
by Conchitina Cruz
You fall behind
Because of the cloud
On your back.
It is heavy
With rainwater.
When I stop
To wait,
You hide
In the cloud,
Choosing to drown.
FORM CONTENT
Beauty Truth
Pleasure Instruction
Artfulness Lesson
2. ORGANIC UNITY
All the parts work together.
Every element in it contributes to the meaning and the beauty of the work.
Music
Architecture
Painting
Literature
Culinary Arts
Emotional/Intellectual Value
A good poem then possesses concentration and intensity that makes it memorable.
Brings an engagement of the senses, the emotional, the mind.
Poetry may be this or that, but it shouldn’t necessarily be this or that, except delirious and lucid.
Robert Desnos
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