lit 161 generations

7/28/2019 Lit 161 Generations

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Miguel Franco T. Dimayacyac

Prof. Maximo Pulan, Jr.

Lit 161 B

February 13, 2013

Unpacking Generations

Ninotchka Roscas Generations is a classic Filipino story in all aspects. On the

surface, readers can see the Filipino idea of extended family, with Selo living with the family

of his son. Moreover, the story is very Filipino because of the scenery used, the descriptions

of the farm etc. However, as a student of literature, this level of reading has not been

satisfactory. The story carries with it different ideologies and a very strong message regarding

the status quo during the contemporary times when Rosca published Generations.

Generations, published in The Likhaan Anthology of Philippine Literature in English

from 1900 to the Present, is a story full of implied meanings and is highly susceptible for

multiple readings and interpretations by different readers. For this exercise, however, the

story shall be examined under a watchful eye bearing in mind the fact that the story has very

close similarities to the events that transpired in the martial law days. This limitation of

reading is important because it focuses attention as to what needs to be done and what is

important in the text.

Rosca is a feminist activist and a human rights advocate (SpeakOutNow.org). Thus

Generations has a clear feminist undertone. But this is only half of the package. In the same

biography, it is revealed that Rosca experienced struggles during the Martial Law era, being

politically abused and deprived of human rights (SpeakOutNow.org). This is clearly an

experience of a Marxist background and sentiment. Therefore, it is logical to say that

Generations is a story that reflects on the feminist and Marxist undertones that are prevalent

during the Martial Law years.


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In the story, it is clear that the only identifiable character is Selo, the grandfather. He

is somehow depicted as the patriarch. He is described in the story as an old man mumbling in

corners regarding his life. He is like the reflective person of the story. But our focus falls on

why is he the only character clearly identified in the story. The reason lies in the political

context of the story. Being a story placed in the days of Martial Law, the elderly are somehow

classified as persons that are no longer a threat to the government or in the prevailing political

discourse. The other characters, being ambiguously identified, reveals to us that there is a

dense political discourse going on in the story. The ambiguous identification implies that the

other characters identification are withheld for one reason or another because they are

somehow outlawed based on the prevailing norms of the time. This could be inferred as the

mysterious disappearances of people during the martial law era, the desaparacidos. However,

pursuing such reading of the ambiguity of characters will not do justice to the literary work

since there is only a pinch of information to work on.

Moving on, it is noticeable that the story balances the uses of quotations for

conversations and internal dialogue within the story. Upon further inspection of the story,

quotations are used for conversations involving people with voice or authority in the society,

such as people in higher classes from the perspective of Selos family, or involving people

with vested authority, either from the law or from other means (e.g. the boys conversation

with a landlord figure, the girls confrontation with the soldiers at the office, the incident

between the father and mother). This can be gleaned on as authority gives voice to the people,

and this voice carries a bit of credibility and impact.

For the structure of the story as a whole, it is clear that there is a class struggle and

gender struggle. For the class struggle, it is clear that it is between the peasants and those

with authority. From a Marxist perspective, those with authority are usually those who have

the money or resources to be there in a position in the pedestal. And these people with


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authority can clearly literally push over peasants who are barely getting past their day to

day lives. A clear example would be the scene where the landlord figure declares to the boys

that their father owes 10 more sacks. It is clear that there is an internal struggle here because

the boys cannot see the big picture yet. Their eyes are not yet open for the harsh reality out

there, beyond their yard. And yet, the landlord figure does not care. All he wants is his share,

which I will not call fair because the concept of fairness is not present in the society Rosca

is trying to depict in a Marxist point of view. Another example of class struggle in the story is

the point where the father is arrested in violation of the curfew, and according to the guards,

other laws. There is a conflict of interest here because the father believes that the law is just

kept in the office and thus it does not simply apply to men. The fathers view that human laws

tend to be oppressive and favorable for those in power are more often than not, the sentiments

in a Marxist view of todays society laws favor the capitalist. The father tries to send a

message that it is his right to get drunk any time he wants but he fails; this is simply a

message that not all human rights are accessible to every person every time. The guards, for

me, stands in for a more vague capitalist institution that is only promoting self-serving

interests, putting no regard at all to the workers, or in Generations, Selos family.

But calling it only a class struggle alone is an oversimplification of issues present in

Generations since there is a denser undercurrent inside the story. The story portrays a very

patriarchal society, where males possess majority of the slice of the pie of authority.

However, in very subtle, yet artistic manner, Ninotchka Rosca has been able to insert feminist

agenda in the story. She sends a message that the feminist movement is alive and is calling

for more recognition and a clearer identity of who is the Filipina.

The battered wife scene presents how the status quo in the society is, that women are

just there to be shock absorbers, or stress machines to be worked out by men in order to

release their frustration and anger to issues bothering them. Though already battered badly,


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the wife still shows compassion and sends her children to catch their father up to prevent

being arrested by the guards. However, it is peculiar that the female child is always on

charge. Disregarding the birth order as the reason of leadership, it could be that the mother

perceives the girl as more fit, as more capable, as more qualified to do the tasks as compared

to the boys. Another issue worth noting is the scene where the girl sacrifices herself for the

sake of her fathers liberty.

In the issues raised regarding gender issues, it is clear that Generations is voicing out

that women can do what men can do. Though this is the old battle cry for feminism, it has

been infused with later ideas of feminism, most notably that women should be given equal

opportunities with men and should be treated with fairness and equality as with men. The

decision of the mother to declare the girl in charge is a statement that women can carry

responsibilities and can fulfill their tasks at hand with more reliability. This can be seen as the

girl sacrifices herself just to fulfill her responsibility of brining her father home. Clearly, this

has been a statement for women empowerment and gender equality.

There are also points in the story where females tend to overthrow the males in the

pedestal. It is also a clear sign that Rosca is championing the future for women that women

have their space in the society, and this space is in all aspects equal with those held by men. It

seems that there is a sort of role reversal as the story progresses. From the start, it could be

gleaned that the story focuses on the power held by males. As the story progresses, the power

struggle shifts the power to the females.

Generations seek to challenge the status quo of class struggles and gender equality

issues. It builds on a greater discourse regarding human rights and human dignity as inferred

from the contemporary period when said story is published. On the surface, it could be

treated as a regular story with a moral lesson involved. But on a deeper note, Generations is a


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very dense work of art that aims to pass on political discourses that are not acceptable to the

writer and to the marginalized group.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

SpeakOut : Biography and Booking Information Ninotchka Rosca: Contemporary Writer

And Human Rights Activist. SpeakOut. n.p. n.d, Web. 11 February 2013

Rosca, Ninotchka. Generations. The Likhaan Anthology of Philippine Literature in Englishfrom1900 to the Present. Ed. Gemino Abad. Quezon City: University of the Philippines

Press, 1998. 297-306. Print.

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