Literature Finals

Postcolonial Literature

• Is the literature by people from formerly

  colonized countries. It exist on all

  continents except antarctica

• Writing that respond to the european

  discourse on colonialism. It explores the effect of colonization and how it has affected the colonized as well as the relationship between the colonizer and the colonized

Postcolonialism

• The historical period or state of affairs representing the aftermath of western colonialism

• ○  The term can also be used to describe the concurrent project to reclaim and rethink the history and agency of people subordinated under various forms of imperialism

• ○  Broadly a study of the effects of colonialism on cultures and societies

• ○  It is concerned with both how european

  nations conquered and controlled third world cultures and how these groups have since responded to and resisted those encroachments

• ○  It is an intellectual direction (sometimes also called an era or the post colonial theory) that exists since around the middle of the 20th century

Postcolonial Literature

Literature written in the language of former colonisers by natives of their colonies. Usually literature written in english by writers from former colonies of great britain.

Key Concepts of Postcolonial Literature

Reclaiming spaces and places

Asserting cultural integrity

Revising history

Primary Difference – Colonial vs Postcolonial Literature

0. The main difference between colonial and postcolonial literature lies in the time period the literature was created and the perspective of the literary text

   • ○  Colonial literature refers to the literature that was written during the colonial period, before the decolonization

   • ○  Postcolonial literature was written after the decolonization

   • ○  Postcolonial literature can be defined as a challenge and resistance to the

Characteristics of Postcolonial Literature

• Writers describe native people, places, and practices to counteract the inaccurate, generalised stereotypes

  created by the colonisers

  • ○  Writers chose to write in the language of

    the coloniser however most of them deliberately remould the language to reflect the rhythms of indigenous languages. They also invent new words, syntax and styles

  • ○  Postcolonial writers also reshape and rework colonial art forms by incorporating indigenous styles, structures and themes such as oral poetry and dramatic performance

• Postcolonial Studies

• Prominent since the 1970s

• ○  1978: Eward W. Said’s work, orientalism: a critique of western constructions of the orient

• ○  Term “postcolonial”

• ○  First in a study of Bill Aschrofy, Gareth

  Grifiths and Helen Tiffin, The empire writes back: Theory and Practice in Postcolonial literature and criticism

• Dominant issues in postcolonial literature

• Should the writer use a colonial language to reach a wider audience or return to a

  native language?

• ○  Which writers should be in the

  postcolonial canon?

• ○  How can translated postcolonial texts

  contribute to our understanding of

  postcolonial issues?

• ○  Has the predominance of the

  postcolonial novel led to a neglect of other genres?

• Cultural Imperialism (1) Theories:

• Culture (e.g. literature, language, popular

  culture) supports imperialism and is

  one way to spread it

• ○  The definition of the self and others are

  based upon representations rather than

  reality

• ○  A series of binary oppositions (exact

  opposites) were employed to at once define the colonized subjects and the colonizing masters

• ○  The West/ Self as civilised, just, moral, industrious, rational, Masculine

• ○  The oriental/ other as savage, lewd, lazy, superstitious, Feminine

• What are The Main Features and Themes of POst Colonial Studies

0. Postcolonialism often also involves the discussion of experiences such as slavery, migration, suppression and resistance, difference, race, gender and place as well as responses to the discourses of imperial Europe such as history, philosophy, anthropology and linguistics.

• What are three themes in Postcolonial Fiction?

Aside from the themes of alienation, exile, confusion of identity and search for the self, postcolonial fiction is also characterized by tensions between colonizer, and colonized or between the old colonial society, and the merging

postcolonial one

• Motifs and Themes

• Postcolonial has many common motifs

  and themes like cultural dominance, racism, quest for identity, inequality along with some peculiar presentation styles

• ○  Concepts which are quite connected with both colonozier and colonized

• ○  White europeans continually accentuated on racial discrimination for their superiority over colonized

• Postcolonial Literary Theory Purpose

• Postcolonial literary theory first emerged

  as a school of thought in the 1980s as a

  re-evaluation of narratives of European colonial rule and imperial expansion in literature

• ○  This school of thought became particularly concerned with how the global south and people of colour are presented in europe

• ○  Postcolonial theory considers how our world’s colonial past still influences literature today

• ○  The purpose of postcolonial literary theory is to address and critically examine literature produced in countries which were previously colonized

• Through critically examining such literature postcolonianlism seeks to deconstruct the western literary canon, which has traditionally favoured white voices

• ○  The overriding narrative behind colonization was that european nations represented the pinnacle of civilisation and culture

• Edward Said’s Orientalism

• Edward Said was literary critic and

  professor who lived from 1935 to 2003

  • ○  In his text orientalism, said critiqued the study of the orient, arguing that the purpose of this study was to certify the identity of europeans rather than to be

    an objective form of academic study

  • ○  The concept of the “other” argues that the identity of every culture is dependent on the existence of a different other

    culture
    ■ Therefore, to assure their own

    sense of culture and self, western/ european scholars constructed those in the middle east and their culture as other

  • ○  The orient refers to the people of the Middle East

  • ○  The term orientalism in academic circles refers to western beliefs and teaching on the orient

  • ○  Said also explored how europe and the west often portrayed the middle east through false, romanticized images

  • ○  Through this exploration, said discussed the interaction between knowledge and power, arguing that a correlation exists between misrepresentations of the middle east in literature and art and the justification of colonialism and imperial policies

• Chinua Achebe’s an Image of Africa

• Chinua Achebe was a nigerian writer and

  literary critic who lived from 1930 to 2013

• ○  In his essay an image of africa: racism in conrad’s heart of darkness, achebe provides a critical analysis of Joseph Conrad’s 1899 novella heart of darkness,

  written during the colonial period

• ○  Achebe argued that Conrad presented africa as the other world, a foil to europe. This argument was based on how conrad dehumanised the african characters in the novella by portraying them without human expression or dialogue

• ○  Conrad’s image of africa in heart of darkness may be steeped in racist and xenophobic biases and stereotypes. However, conrad’s perspective of africa would have been developed by over a century of colonial narratives

• Therefore, the othering of Africa in Conrad’s heart of darkness underpins how literature reflected and maintained the colonial narratives which justified imperial polices by presenting colonised nations and people as inferior

• Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak

• Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak is an indian

  american literary theorist born in 1942

• ○  In her essay ‘can the subaltern speak’ spivak provided a commentary on how the practice of sati (or suttee) is often not documented in literature

• ○  This essay took an intersectional approach, considering both postcolonial and feminist theories by examining the presentation and representation of women previously colonized countries

• ○  Sati refers to the practice in which a widow sacrifices herself by sitting on her dead husband’s funerl pyre

• ○  An intersectional approach takes into account people’s overlapping identities to understand the interconnected systems of oppression they face

• ○  Spivak attributed this lack of documentation to the fact that western and male authors controlled the documentation of cultural practices

• ○  The lack of voice held by the subaltern is a form of cultural imperialism, which threatens to erase the history and cultured of certain peoples who are considered less than the majority (in this case, weterners and men)

• Postcolonial Literary Theory

• Postcolonial literary theory considers the

  power struggle between the historically colonising powers (European countries) and historically colonised nations.

• ○  The purpose of postcolonial literary theory is to address and critically examine literature produced in countries which were previously colonized and deconstruct the Western literary canon, which has traditionally favoured white voices.

• ○  Notable postcolonial literary theorists are Edward Said, Chinua Achebe, and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak

• ○  Postcolonial literary theory can be characterised as revisionist theory as it challenges established or traditional views held by academics

• ○  Notable themes present in postcolonial theory are conquest and anti conquest, national identity, othering, diaspora, and mimicry

American Occupation (1898 – 1912)

The US government formally acquire the PH from Spain with

the Treaty of Paris

➢ US govt. declared military rule in the PH on 12/21/1898

Morning of May 1, 1898

America’s involvement in the Philippines started.

An American flotilla commanded by Commodore George

Dewey sailed into Manila Bay, without losing a single sailor,

sank a Spanish squadron that was anchored there.

December 1898

➢ The Spanish-American War ended.

➢ Spain sold the entire Philippine archipelago to the United

States for $20 Million

March 1901

➢ Emilio Aguinaldo was captured and eventually pledged

allegiance to the United States.

The Philippine-American War

➢ Declared to be over a year later (1902), though Muslim

fighters in the Southern Philippines continued to resist until

1914.

Benevolent Assimilation

➢ To run America’s new possession, President McKinley

implemented this policy.

➢ The United States would control the Philippines temporarily

while it oversaw the transition to self-rule and

independence.

The Colonial Administration

➢ Headed by future president William H. Taft.

➢ Set up local governmental bodies and a system of universal

public education.

➢ It did little to reform the land tenure system, which gave a

few wealthy landlords control over the rural areas where

most Filipinos lived.

Filipino Nationalists

➢ Suspected the United States of postponing independence

indefinitely while exploiting the island’s economic resources

and using the Philippines as a military base.

Changes brought by American Colonization

➢ English was introduced as the official language; education

system was reformed; port, rail, and road-building programs

initiated; and war-damaged settlements rebuilt

➢ Western architecture and urban planning forms were

introduced

Influences in the Educational System and Curriculum

➢ Use of English language as medium of instruction

➢ Providing Formal Education

a) Primary Education

b) Intermediate Education

c) Secondary Education

➢ Vocational Education

Japanese Occupation (1942-1945)

➢ Occurred when Imperial Japan occupied the

Commonwealth of the PH during WWII

December 7, 1941

Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

December 8, 1941

The Japanese bomb the Philippines,

destroying many aircraft at Clark Field.

February 8, 1942

Japan decides to regroup after its forces

are repelled.

March 1942

Having received reinforcements, the Japanese

strengthened their attacks.

March 12, 1942

Gen. Douglas MacArthur evacuated to

Australia from Corregidor.

Bataan Death March

The forcible transfer by the Japanese

Army of American and Filipino prisoners of war.

April 9, 1942

Gen. Edward King surrenders Bataan. Death

March begins

March 1, 1942

Final Japanese assault on Corregidor begins.

May 6, 1942

Gen. Jonathan Wainwright asks to surrender

Corregidor.

October 1944

Gen. Douglas MacArthur returns, coming

ashore at Leyte in the Southern Philippines.

February 3, 1945

The Battle of Manila begins.

March 4, 1945

Manila officially liberated, but the city is

devastated by bombing. The Manila Massacre, in which

about 100,000 people were killed.

April 3, 1946

Japanese Gen. Masaharu Homma directed

the battle for Bataan, is executed for his role in the death

march and atrocities committed in prison camps. American

and Filipino forces make up the firing squad.

Haiku

➢ Consist of 3 non-rhyming lines

➢ Has 17 syllables – 5 in the 1st line, 7 in the 2nd line, and 5 in

the 3rd line

➢ Traditional Haiku represent nature

➢ It should contain a kigo – a word that gives reader a clue to

the season

Tanka

➢ Depends on the number of lines and syllables instead of

rhyme

➢ With 31 syllables: 5, 7, 5, 7, 7

Revising history

➢ To tell things from the perspective of those colonized is a

major preoccupation of post-colonial writing

Asserting cultural integrity

Post-colonial literature seeks to assert the richness and

validity of indigenous cultures in an effort to restore pride in

practices and traditions that were systematically degraded

under colonialism

Reclaiming spaces and places

Post-colonial literature attempts to restore a connection

between indigenous people and places through description,

narration, and dramatization

Utos ng Hari

➢ The story revolves around a certain scholar named Jojo. He

is perceived as mischievous by his teachers, coming to class

drunk and disordered.

➢ It narrates the realities of being a student and the teachers

who are given specified nicknames that reflect the dynamics

within an institution.

➢ Jojo is a helpless student who cannot do anything but stare

and nod at everything his teachers say about him

➢ Several times, Jojo contemplated whether to confront his

teachers regarding his issues, but he knew/felt that they

would only invalidate his feelings and sentiments

Theory

➢ Realism – as it narrates ‘buhay-estudyante’ which is the

focal point of the story

Symbolism

Jojo

➢ Represent those students who are chained to the ideology

wherein they must always abide to the standards of society

or even the policies of the institution

Jun Cruz Reyes

➢ Pedro Cruz Reyes Jr.

➢ “Enfant Terrible” of Philippine Letters

➢ Introduced and popularized “wikang kanto”

Joi Barrios

➢ Maria Josephine Barrios-LeBlanc

➢ Freedom activist and rally poet

➢ Virgilio Almario recognized her as one of the 4 women poets

in PH literature

Gahasa (1900)

➢ Written in the 90s when attention was starting to be given

towards women’s rights

➢ Irregular Stanzas

➢ Third-person objective POV

Themes

➢ Violence on Women – the use of force and abuse towards a

female victim is implied in the poem

➢ Poor Justice System – in the last line, we notice that a trial is

to begin. It does not, however, give any indication or

assurance that the victim is to meet justice. The awful experience shall be repeated again and again, each time finding fault in the victim instead of the accused

➢ Gender Inequality – victim blaming

Ang Pagiging Babae ay Pamumuhay sa Panahon ng Digma

(1990)

Bringing the Dolls by Merlie M. Alunan

Background

➢ About the relationship of a mother and her child

➢ Reflects the author’s own experience with her family

➢ It has a subtitle “for Anya,” which directly pertains to her

daughter

➢ First-person POV

Theme

➢ Awakening of a mother to the fact that her daughter is a

different person from her, capable of making her own

decisions when it comes to matters of loyalty and love

Symbolism

➢ Dolls – the description of the dolls in poor condition suggest

a metaphorical representation of past hardships or trauma

within the family. Its physical imperfections symbolize the

brokenness or incompleteness within the family

➢ The mother decides that the dolls cannot accompany them,

reflecting her desire to move forward

Bui Doi in the City of Angles

Background

➢ Bui Doi in the City of Angels is part of Wigley’s 2014 Memoir

Falling Into the Manhole, which features a wide range of

essays, from narrative about pop culture to honest

anecdotes of his life.

➢ Bui doi means “dust of life” in Vietnamese which refers to

American-Asian kids who were left behind in Vietnam after

the Vietnam war

Summary

➢ Wigley is a mixed race child who never met his foreign

father. He recounts his experiences of being bullied for

being different living in Angeles City, Pampanga

➢ His being different was not always a sad case for this allowed

him to be a beneficiary of the Pearl S. Buck Foundation who

allowed Americans to support the children on American

expats in the PH

Analysis

➢ Bui Doi in the City of Angels explores the emotional

repercussions of being left behind by a father causes to a kid

John Jack Wigley

➢ Attributes many of his works to his being a poor biracial, and gay kid in Pampanga

➢ His works are both witty and poignant, complex but straightforward

The Conversion by J. Neil Garcia

Analysis

➢ Explores the brutal imposition of masculinity on a young boy who identifies as a girl

➢ Through vivid imagery and emotional shifts, the persona

grapples with the trauma of forced conformity, the loss of

his true identity, and the vicious cycle of violence

perpetuated through generations

Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag

Synopsis

➢ About Julio Madiaga, a fisherman, who ventured into the

chaotic city of Manila to find his missing lover, Ligaya

Paraiso. In his search for his girlfriend, he gradually saw

Manila for what it really is, cruel, unforgiving, especially to

those of his social standing

Theories

Marxist Criticism

Depicted the struggles of the lower class against the higher

class, as often shown through the interactions of the

construction workers and Mr. Balajadia as well as through

Atong’s family’s loss of their land to the rich© Alarva, Luzhen Ira Klea E. | 5

Realism

➢ A city that was believed to be a place of possibilities and

opportunities turned out to be a place of suffering

Conflict Theory

➢ The state of the poor was perpetuated by the acts of the

rich. It is an unfortunate state where the poor gets poorer

while the rich get richer

Feminist Theory

➢ Prostitution. With different women shown as willing and

unwilling participants. This showed the enforcement of

certain gender roles.

Symbolism

Allegorical Names

➢ Julio Madiaga from Matiyaga or Hardworking

➢ Ligaya Paraiso means Joyful Paradise

➢ Ah Tek that sounds like Atik – Filipino slang for money

Edgardo M. Reyes

➢ One of the leading lights of the 1970s group of writers, Agos sa Disyerto

➢ Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Short Story in Filipino,

1960, 1964

➢ Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for One-act Play, 1965

Si Janus Silang at ang Tiyanak ng Tabon

Synopsis

➢ Sa Tournament ng TALA Online sa bayan ng Balanga,

namatay ang lahat ng manlalaro maliban kay Janus.

➢ Sunod-sunod pa ang naging kaso ng pagkamatay ng mga

kabataan sa computer shops sa iba’t-ibang panig ng bansa.

Kinontak si Janus ng nagpakilalang Joey, isa rin umano sa

mga nakaligtas sa paglalaro ng TALA na gaya niya. Hindi

inasahan ni Janus ang mga matutuklasan nya mula rito na

mag-uugnay sa kaniya sa misteryo ng kinahuhumalingan

niyang RPG—at sa alamat ng Tiyanak mula sa Tabon!

Themes

Philippine Mythology

➢ From the title itself, it is evident that the story will revolve

around Philippine mythology. As mentioned earlier,

mythological creatures of the Philippines are the characters

in TALA Online.

Family

➢ Janus is deceived by mythological creatures through the

image of his family

Edgar Calabia Samar

➢ Received the Philippine National Children’s Book Award for

Best Read for Kids in 2016 and 2018

➢ He has won multiple awards in the National Book Awards,

as well as in numerous categories of the Palanca Memorial

Awards for Literature

Ang mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan

Background

➢ Has been adopted into a film, led by Joshua Garcia

➢ Reflects Ong’s style, mixing horror with introspection on the

Philippine Society

➢ He may have aimed to provoke thought on tradition,

modernity, and the supernatural

Characters

➢ Galo – protagonist and narrator, a young college student in

Manila known for his intelligence. He represents the

modern Filipino Youth, grappling with personal and societal

issues while struggling to reconcile the past and present

➢ Mama Susan – Galo’s grandmother. She symbolizes

tradition, faith, and the past embodying the old ways that

Galo struggles to understand

➢ Mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan – symbolizes the unseen

forces or influences in society

Themes

➢ Sins and Consequences – “Galit ka sa nakaraan, takot ka sa

hinaharap. Hindi ka masaya sa kasalukuyan, wala kang

sinasambang Diyos!..”

➢ Family Dynamics – “Kaya mahal na mahal ko mga magulang

ko e… mga pariwara na, nag-anak pa!”

➢ Fear of the Unknown – marked by Galo’s experiences in

Mama Susan’s House

➢ Technology v. Tradition – “Hindi kami gumagamit ng

teknolohiya. Oo nga’t napapadali nito ang buhay. Pero hindi

kami nagmamadali.”

Symbolisms

➢ The Cult – represents the allure of blind faith and the

dangers of fanaticism

➢ The Latin Messages – symbolizes the hidden truths and

deeper meanings

➢ Galo’s Glasses - symbolizes his attempt to see the world

clearly, both literally and metaphorically

➢ The Journal - symbol of Galo’s inner thoughts and feelings,

both the revealed surface and the secret within

➢ Mama Susan’s Death – end of an era

Bob Ong

➢ Bob Ong is a penname used by the author

➢ Charlson Ong

➢ Filipino Chinese writer

➢ His writing is characterized by its humor, satire, and social

commentary

➢ Gawad CCP Para sa Sining, the CCP Thirteen Artists Award,

NCCA Alab ng Haray

The Woman who had Two Navels by Nick Joaquin

Background

➢ The author’s purpose was to revive interest in Philippine

National life through literature and provide necessary drive

and inspiration for a fuller comprehension of their cultural

background

➢ Won the fist Harry Stonehill Award for Novel in 1961

Synopsis© Alarva, Luzhen Ira Klea E. | 6

➢ Connie, a wealthy young Filipino woman, comes to Hong

Kong to see Pepe Monson and asks him to perform surgery

to correct her two navels

➢ Pepe's sense of reality grows unstable as he listens to

Connie's stories and sits in her surreal presence. Pepe then

meets Connie's mother and learns of Connie's relationship

with Paco Texeira, a jazz bandleader whom Pepe has known

since childhood. Paco tells Pepe the story of how he was

drawn to Connie's mother and Connie while performing in

Manila.

➢ After becoming obsessed with Connie, who he accuses of

being evil and driven to torture him, Paco returns to Hong

Kong with a fatalistic belief that he is helpless against Connie

and her mother's allure.

➢ The novel ends with Pepe reflecting on how his father was

similarly disturbed upon returning from a trip home to the

Philippines; like Paco, Pepe's father is a ghost of his former

self. Now that the barrier between worlds has been

breached, Pepe believes he isn't safe from the disillusion

haunting Paco and his father.

Themes

➢ Postcolonial Filipino Identity - The search for identity within

a postcolonial cultural context. The novel is concerned with

how Filipinos define their cultural and national identity

when their newly independent country has long been

colonized by Spain and the United States—the two now-

severed umbilical cords of Filipino history.

➢ Reality v. Fantasy – When Connie tells Pepe at the beginning

of the novel that she has two navels, and Pepe believes her,

Joaquin signals to the reader that the story blends the

credible and the fantastical with destabilizing

consequences. The more Pepe sits in Connie's presence, the

more he finds his sense of reality becoming blurry

Symbolism

➢ Two Navels - the two navels she longs to rid herself of

represent how she is torn between a familial allegiance to

the high-society world of her cold, wealthy mother and the

morally and spiritually virtuous world she escapes to in the

Chinese quarter as a teenager.

➢ Crabs - The crabs Pepe's father hallucinates as crawling all

around him are a symbol of his soul being lost somewhere

between fantasy and reality.

➢ Fur Coats - The fur coats Connie and her mother wear are

symbols of wealth and class disparity.

Nick Joaquin

➢ Nicomendes Marquez Joaquin

➢ Penname – Quijano de Manila

➢ National Artist of the Philippines for Literature in 1967