Wuthering Heights: Wealth, Power, Authority

(this was a group term paper for my british literature 2 class, marious was incharge of the creative presentation, airo the research, and arvi the report. i did the paper.)

(sources:

www.wikepedia.org

http://www.angelfire.com/tx4/marxistviews/

–Karl Marx,Communist Manifesto)

Introduction

The world we live in is dictated by power and desire. Society teaches its populace to follow a supposed natural order of boundaries between class strata. Yet, from within the society itself, struggle between the classes emerge. This struggle tries to break down the barriers between the classes. The clashes of the social strata then promote political instability and unrest.

As these boundaries are broken, central change within the society is driven. Thus this triggers the rise of the lower classes. Though it may seem that through this, social class boundaries were then erased. The truth is another wall is created between them. Even if the world turns topsy-turvy, those on top will oppress the ones below.

Wuthering Heights showed these class struggles. Lives of the characters were driven by their beliefs of a proper class order, thus resulting to their interactions with each other in the novel.

The rise of Heathcliff is his rebellion against being a member of a supposed lower class stratum. His oppression was his driving force to rise up. He broke the boundary that hinders him to climb through the classes. Yet what he did was a total reversal of the classes, thus creating another wall that will hinder others.

The beliefs of their society became the bases of their supposed order. Thus dictating the rules they were playing with. Wealth and power are the reasons for greatness. This driving force teaches members of the society that those on top has the right to look down to the ones below. Such is the actions of Heathcliff. Thus promoting false consciousness.

Even the concept of love is affected. Loving a lower class is one thing, but marrying that someone is degrading to the upper classes.

Chapter I: Heathcliff’s Social Class and Oppression

During the beginning Heathcliff was introduced in Wuthering Heights, he was viewed to be “like the gypsies and is very dirty; he looks roguish and has a lack of education” (61). This resulted to his rejection by the family of Mr. Earnshaw. Though the head of the family, Mr. Earnshaw himself treated Heathcliff as an equal, his children did not. The Lintons also saw him as a boy not fit to live in a decent house (45).

In this situation, the line between classes was drawn. Though it is clear that Heathcliff is also in the same class stratum as the others, the fact that he was the way he was gave the society their view, him being lower than the others. We can see here the idea of “proper physical appearance to deserve a social class” is also affected by the view of the society. This view became the source of his further oppression in the following parts of the novel.

By the time of Mr. Earnshaw’s death, Hindley took over and became the head of the family. This triggered further degradation of Heathcliff. He was force to go down to a lower class and was treated as a servant. His supposed equality with other characters was taken from him. Hindley even called him a “vagabond” (52), treating him horribly, it was Hindley who drove him from their company to the servants” (40).

Again, the wall between the classes is further highlighted. Mr. Earnshaw was like a jackhammer for Heathcliff at the beginning. Mr. Earnshaw was the way for Heathcliff to break the class barriers. He obtained was “equal” to Hindley and Catherine. After Mr. Earnshaw’s death, Heathcliff lost the ability to bring down the wall between classes. He was then portrayed as low as the servants. Hindley made it his life’s mission to supposedly correct his father’s treatment to Heathcliff. Hindley then gave his best to reduce Heathcliff down to the class status he was supposed to be on. This would be the example of struggle between classes. As society had taught, the upper class must degrade the lower class. The lower class then must look up to those above.

One dialogue mentioned “I cannot sit in the kitchen. Set two tables here, Ellen: one for your master and Miss Isabella, being gentry; the other for Heathcliff and myself, being of lower orders” (86). This then is a clear distinction between the classes. The two tables represent the idea of being in the “right place” of the society. The classes must not cross to the others for it will be a violation of the supposed natural order of the society.

Capitalist Society then teaches the members of each class strata to be what they are supposed to be, thus misleading them from the true relations of forces between those classes. Those in the lower class are hindered by those above to rise. But then again, Heathcliff is no ordinary lower class.

Chapter II: The Idea of “Love”

In a classless society, love and marriage will come and go as they see fit. But in a Capitalist Society such in Wuthering Heights, they can not.

It was clear that Catherine loves Heathcliff. Yet, it was her view that it is not proper to marry him for they are not in the same social stratum. For Catherine, it “would degrade her” if ever she marries Heathcliff, “so he shall never know how she loves him” (73).She then decides to marry Edgar. In doing so she “will be rich, and she shall like to be the greatest woman of the neighborhood¦” (71).

Catherine’s view of marriage then could be said as a means of climbing the social ladder. If one wants to be in a higher status, he/she must marry up, not marry down. In doing so will promote the interest of those who will benefit from the marriage, in this case, Catherine. Heatchcliff, although she “loves” him, being in the lower class, must not be considered to be her husband. “When wealth is present, love will follow later.” a line from the movie “A Knight’s Tale” by the character Lord Ademar.

Heathcliff himself married Isabella for him to climb the social ladder. He used Isabella to come to power and in doing so abusing her love as what Catherine said, “I know he couldn’t marry a Linton; and yet he’d be quite capable of marrying your fortune¦.” (94).

Society then once again dictates the supposed order of things. Even in the concept of love and marriage, everything must follow a natural order. Given that the movement is going up, the wall between classes could have a door. But if to move down, the brick wall that divides the classes could transform and become steel. It can be concluded then that love just not enough.

Chapter III: The Promotion of False Consciousness

It is known that Hethcliiff eventually rose and climbed the social ladder. In doing so he attained equal footing as the other characters (87).

Heathcliff’s character shifted from being a servant to a refined person. When he said “I’ve fought through a bitter life since I last heard your voice” (88), his struggle against social odds was shown. It seemed then that he was able to break the barriers between the classes.

Yet, what Heathcliff did was the total reversal of power. He did not create a classless society; he shifted the classes and became a dictator. He took over and made Hareton a servant (180-181).

When Mr. Green took Heatchcliff’s side instead of Edgar’s, he did so to acquire the Grange. Heathcliff then used his power to lower others.

This reaction of Heathcliff to the other characters could be attributed to the fact of his oppression in the first parts of novel. The society taught him that those with power can and must be able to stay in power by any means possible, even if the idea is to degrade other people. An example would be the statement, “Should Hareton offer to leave me, he’s a dead man: persuade him to attempt it, and you are a murderess! Am I to lose all, without a chance of retrieval? Is Hareton to be a beggar? Oh, damnation! I will have it back: and I’ll have his gold too: and then his blood¦” (129).

Thus, the novel Wuthering Heights could be said to suggest the fact that a person can rise to the top, clearly stating that the lower class can indeed become an upper class. Yet, as what Heathcliff did, once on top that person can do anything that he/she wants. Therefore saying that power and wealth is everything as what a capitalist society is teaching.

Conclusion

In essence, Heathcliff did create a classless society, he made everyone his servants. As what he did to Cathy; “That lass Cathy owes me her service for her bread; I’m not going to nurture her in luxury and idleness after Linton is gone” (262).

Heathcliff was made by the society. Though it is clear that what he did was an amazing feat. Yet all of this was in fact what he experienced before he rose to power. He made everyone who he was and thus making himself those who oppressed him. The society gave him the impression of having power is to control. He was mislead to think that the only way to have a good life is rising to the top and staying there no matter what.

Fog

(this one is a failure. Enjoy it anyway.)

Sitting at the back seat of the car, Lacelle looks through her veil to the other vehicles her ride is passing one at a time. The engine is quiet and she could hardly feel any tremor though the driver cuts from one lane of the road to the other and then back. She holds the box she carried with her, wrapped neatly as a present near to her thigh to prevent it from falling off the seat. A card was placed on top of it, with the words: “Why this? Goodbye. Joseph”, which she quickly hid under the seat to prevent the driver to notice it. The sky is rather dark and there are tiny traces of rain drops on the car window when she notices the driver turns on the windshield wiper as the sky began to cry.

Biting her lower lip, Lacelle wishes to see more cars pass through theirs when her ride turns towards an open gate of a church. She could see a couple of people who seems to be waiting for someone whom they are expecting anytime to arrive. One of them walks back and forth from one side of the main door of the church to the other while another kept on wiping his face with a white handkerchief.

Lacelle looks at the other direction to the fence of the church. It is made up of metal bars with pointed end. A bird tries to land on one of the posts but because of its wetness, it slips and caught one of its wings to the tip of a spike making it fall senseless to the dip canal on the other side of the fence.

She crumples her skirt yet she could not feel the texture of the silk she is wearing due to the white gloves on her hands. Looking at her feet she barely recognizes it as her own because of the glass shoes with tiny chains they are wearing. She had one before, when she was still young, yet she could barely remember it. The ones still fresh to her mind are the black flat-heeled shoes she wore for six years until her eighteenth birthday four months ago when they finally gave in to their tiring work. Her father tried to give her new ones but could not afford to do so. An old associate of him gave Lacelle the ones she wore for the past 4 months. She received different gifts everyday since. Until that last gift she did not accept, a 21 carat diamond ring.

A strong right hand touches Lacelle’s shoulder, taking her away from her day dream. The car is now in front of the church’s main door. A man carrying an umbrella awaits her outside the back seat door of the car. He wears a matching black coat and pants with black tie and an earphone on his right ear. The man opened the door for Lacelle and waits for her to step out. She could barely move to the open door. The chains of her shoes seem to be connected to metal balls. The man looks inside the car, his eyes directly stares at Lacelle’s. Her heart beats faster making her move quickly yet burdened as she steps out of the car. Wetting her glass shoes, she left the box in the car.

The members of the entourage start to move a few moments after the organ started to play. Though the sound of the organ could be heard to the other side of the street, it evaded the eardrums of Lacelle who could only hear every drop of rain falling from the umbrella to her long skirt. Each drop sounding like the ones she heard on the sink three months ago while she was washing dishes. Mr. Karl Lopez gave her another gift.

“Another one?”

“Another one.” Karl answered with a grin. “Just think of it as a birthday present.”

“You gave me a birthday gift a month ago.” Lacelle continued her wok. Her eyes looked directly at the dishes she was washing. “Why?”

“It was your birthday. It is not everyday that you turn eighteen.”

“No Mr. Lopez,” Lacelle looked straight at the forty-five year old man wearing white pants and a white coat with a black shirt. “Why this? Why give me gifts even if it’s no longer…”

“I wanted to.” Karl interrupted touching his newly clean shaven chin. “What Karl wants, Karl gets.”

“Sir, you are a good friend of my father,” Lacelle set her eyes again to her task at hand. “But I could…”

“Why don’t I open it for you?” Karl reached for the small box on the side of the sink and slowly opening it. “I’m pretty sure you would want this.”

“Mr. Lopez… its…” Lacelle could not take her eyes off the item. “No. I’m sorry, I could not…”

Lacelle could see fog slowly crawling, going inside the church. Her head followed it, though it seems she was the only one paying attention to the phenomena. The man holding the umbrella slightly pushes Lacelle to make her start walking the aisle. All eyes turn towards the bride who seems to float towards the altar on a cloud made by her wedding gown. She carries a bouquet of white tulips with both her hands. Beads formed white roses on the right chest side of the of the tube designed gown. Its long veil covered her face as if preventing her to move far from where she is walking. She is moving too slow, still burdened by the glass shoes. She did not walk like this before. She moved swiftly with her flat shoes as if her feet had wings. She could always hear Joseph complain.

“For God’s sake Lacelle,” Joseph stopped for the third time. They were walking for fifteen minutes straight up this hill. “Wait up! Are you planning to leave me?”

“Is that a metaphor?!!!” Lacelle answered with a smile peeking from her lips when she saw him walking again.

“No!!!” Joseph shouted when Lacelle moved further. “Of course not!!!”

Lacelle was carving her name on a tree by the time Joseph reached the peak.

“The tree is lucky,” Joseph pouted.

“Think so?”

“Know so,” Joseph sat on the grasses while extending his left hand to Lacelle.

She is about to accept his hand when an organ playing snaps her back to reality. Mr. Karl Lopez is extending his hand to her. As if a marionette’s, her hand accepted his and let it guide her to the side of the groom. She could see Karl’s false teeth when he grinned though he tries to hide them. His face is clearly covered with make-up foundation to hide the wrinkles on the far end side of his eyes. Lacelle turned her eyes to the priest who already began the ceremony.

(“In the name of the Father, and of the son…”)

“You were late,” Karl whispered to Lacelle, keeping his eyes to the priest. “Why did you keep me waiting?”

(“We are gathered here today to…)

“I’m sorry Mr. Lo…” Lacelle bit her lips, trying to find the right words he would want to here. “I mean… Karl, we hit…. traffic.”

(“Are there anyone present here who wish to…)

“Better wish traffic would be the only one that would hit you today,” turning his head slightly, Karl’s eyes stare at Lacelle.

A sudden chill crawled all over Lacelle’s neck. Her body wants to shiver yet it could not, as if every nerve is tied and then petrified. The words shouted by the speakers of the church found their way to her ears yet they faded to the abyss of her mind. She heard but could not hear. Lacelle looks to the door to her left, the fog is now half way in.

One of the bridesmaids with one of the groomsmen, as if battery operated, steadily marches towards the couple. Lacelle could see them carry an eight shaped chord, with black and white stripes that looks like giant handcuffs with small chains connected to each other. She carried one before, but forgot what its use is. The bridesmaid, now on Lacelle’s side, loops Lacelle inside the smaller loop of the chord that seems to give Lacelle just an inch of space for breathing. Lacelle looks at the groomsman as he loops the larger loop of the chord to Mr. Karl Lopez, giving the groom an entire world to own. Loops and knots were never Lacelle’s friends. She could make some but never really perfected the craft. The first time she tried to tie a knot ended with her trying to undone what she tied for three hours but seceded only after she used a knife she borrowed from Joseph. Now she is tied inside a loop that others would say impossible to undone, but she knew she did it before, she could do it again.

Lacelle let her eyes roam to her left and notice that outside, the wind now whips the leaves that are falling from the bending branches of the trees that are lined parallel to the side the church, looking like the people, who are with the man who carried the umbrella, now divided to pairs at each side of all ten doors of the church. Their shooes are all covered by the fog. She could not find traces of sunlight no matter hard she tries. The only light she could find are the ones given by the fluorescent lights scattered inside the church.

A pair from the entourage makes their way to a candle standing a few steps from the altar. The groomsman took out a lighter from his pocket and uses it to light the candle with the help of the bridesmaid. The flame dances with the whipping wind for a few seconds then died. The pair quickly re-lighted the candle yet the wind killed the flame with a single gust. Beads of sweat start to fall from the groomsman’s forehead as he looks at Mr. Karl Lopez now looking at him without a single blink. Trying again, the bridesmaid re-lighted the candle, using both hands to protect the flame right after she lighted it. Contented that the flame would no longer be blown out, the pair makes their way back to their seats, yet as they seat down to their places the flame flickers out.

Lacelle notices the irritation of Mr. Karl Lopez. He could not take his eyes from the candle. She knows Mr. Karl Lopez is grinding his teeth. She giggles to the thought of his false teeth would fall off because of what he is doing. Though she could not see them directly, she knows the groom already shifted his eyes from the candle to her. Hairs from her nape stand with the chill which is crawling from her head to his feet. Looking down, her glass shoes are now shaking. A feeling she first felt outside that hospital room.

“I will help, but..’’ Mr. Karl Lopez said while touching his chin. “But you must do what I want, when I want it.”

“Mr. Lopez?”

“No questions. No buts or no operation for your father.”

“You are friends with my father.”

“No my dear. Your father is a tool,” he took a cigar and bit off the tip, spitting it at the base of the door. “All worn out.”

“I thought..”

“And no thoughts.”

Lacelle hears two loud words coming out from the mouth of the man beside her. “I do,” he said. The words echoed through out the church. Her ears try to not hear those words but they could not stop the words pushing their way to Lacelles’s eardrums. The words circled around Lacelle’s brain, recording there selves to her nerves, exploring every nerve until it flows with the blood, like needles following the veins, to the bride’s heart.

Not a sound could be heard after those words. Lacelle could not even hear herself thinking. Lacelle feels a tight grip on her wrist. She sees an aged hand holding her tightly. Blood could no longer reach her finger nails turning their ones rosy color to white. Her eyes are fixed to the priest she could hardly see. Not a single sound comes out from the speakers and she could not smell the incense being prepared by the altar boy. The taste of her cherry flavored lipstick now left her lips and the chill given by the cold wind could not pierce through her skin. But the pain given is there, it is with the fog now starting to cover her knees. And she heard herself say the recorded words.

“I do”

The priest asks for the ring bearer to bring the ring to the couple. Lacelle looks at the boy who seems to be just five years old. She always dreamt of having a little brother. But all was just a wish. When she was ten, her father was forced to sell all of his business stocks to Mr. Karl Lopez for him to pay for her wife’s legal representative; she was accused of being a swindler. But all was in vein for her mother was jailed. They never found out who accused her. A few months later, Lacelle’s mother died of disease inside the prison. Ever since, Mr. Karl Lopez became sort of a friend of their family.

The rings are being blessed by the priest after the boy started to return to his seat. Although not having the same size, the rings are both twenty-one carat gold adorned with tiny pieces of diamond. The larger one seems to belong to Mr. Karl Lopez who has the larger finger, while the other seems too small even for the fingers of Lacelle.

Lacelle felt his hand being raise to her shoulder level by a hand owned by the man beside him. She turned her head towards the man he ones knew as Mr. Karl Lopez, the man who helped their family for her mother’s case, the man who spoiled her with gifts, the man who she asked for help for her father’s sickness.

“You are going to marry me,” the man holding the cigar with his mouth told Lacelle.

“If I say no?”

“I will ask you something else as payment for your father’s operation and funeral,” Mr. Lopez lighted the cigar. “Didn’t I tell you that no questions?”

“Bu..” Lacelle stopped the word on her throat.

“Good, you are learning. Remember my dear, what Karl wants, Karl gets.” He puffed smoke to Lacelle’s face. “And I want you, the way I wanted your father’s business.”

Lacelle’s eyes widened with what he said. “It was you!”

“You really are a bright girl.”

Lacelle is now wearing the ring. Tough it was finish; she never really heard Mr. Karl Lopez’s vows. Now she must recite hers. As she reaches for the other ring, Lacelle holds the hand of that man.

“Take this ring as a symbol of my eternal,” Lacelle looks at the man as she forces herself push the next word out of her throat. “Love.”

“For better or for worst, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health.” And With a hard breath, Lacelle finally said, “Till Death do us part.”

Lacelle feels herself being guided to stand, her whole body turning to the direction of Mr. Lopez. The she feels coldness pressing on her lips, totally different from the warmth she felt from Joseph.

Lacelle could barely walk through the aisle. She could already swim on the fog that now covers her to her shoulders. But Mr. Lopez walks as if his shoes have wheels, almost dragging Lacelle to the door. The clapping of hands from the crowd sounds like as if they are choreograph. Greetings from the guests are heard over and over although each time they are heard from another mouth.

Almost at the door, Lacelle sees the man with the umbrella opening the door of a car waiting outside the church. The rain stopped but the sky is even darker as if it is going to bleed as long as it can.

Mr. Karl Lopez enters the car first. He sees the box Lacelle left earlier.

“Get in here,” he says as he shoves the box off the seat. “Who’s this from?”

“A friend.” Lacelle answers her face blank.

The man with the umbrella closes the door and the driver starts the engine of the car. Lacelle looks again to the fence of the church, still seeing no bird on it.

“Thoughtful friend,” Lacelle hears Mr. Lopez speaking.

“I asked him for it.”

“Him?”

“Joseph”

“That is nice of him.”

Think so?”

“I said..”

“Yes. No questions.”

Mr. Karl Lopez looks directly at Lacelle’s eyes. She looks back.

“I asked for this gift from him to get the one from yours.” She says as she opens the box.

“And that is?”

Lacelle takes out a newly sharpened knife from the box.

“You’re Life!” she says as she stabs Mr. Lopez’s chest, one hit after the other. The sky now bleeds as the fog covers Lacelle’s head.

Stories from a Bill: Susie’s Bus Ride

(another duck story. I used this to replace the story “A Chick Named Uno”)

Hi ducklings. My name is Bun Duck, a duck living in Duck Ville since I was a little duckling. Today I am going to tell you about a duckling I knew a long time ago. This is a story about Susie Duck and her very special bus ride.

One morning Susie Duck was waiting for a bus. She was going to visit Grandma Duck who lived on the other side of Duck Ville. Moments later, another duck stood beside Susie.

What’s up with this duck? Susie said to herself. Why is he using a cane to walk? Better not sit beside him on the bus. A cripple would ruin my style.

Susie always thought of herself as superior to those who are physically impaired. Being able to use all of her body parts properly, she believed that she can do better than those who were not as gifted as her.

Finally a bus came. The moment it stopped, Susie hurriedly board overtaking the duck with a cane on the way in the bus.

Susie rushed to find an empty seat. She found one vacant seat beside a lady duck wearing dark eyeglasses. She approached the lady duck and said, “Can I sit beside you? There are no other seats left.”

The lady duck turned her head towards Susie. She then moved to the vacant seat leaving the seat near Susie empty. Then, Susie sat down beside the lady duck.

A few minutes inside the bus, Susie could not help but notice that the lady duck was softly singing.

“Miss?” Susie said to the lady duck. “I am sorry to bother you again, but I must tell you that you really have a B E A U T I F U L voice.”

“Thank you little duckling,” said the lady duck.

“Please sing for me,” begged little Susie. “Please, please, please.”

“Well… ok,” said the lady duck with a smile.

The lady duck then started singing for Susie.

After an hour of bus ride, Susie can finally see Grandma Duck’s village.

“It is time for me to say good bye now lady duck,” Susie said smiling. “Thank you very much for singing for me. I could never sing like you”

“Do not mention it little duckling,” the lady duck humbly said. “Always remember that we should make most of what we have.”

“Yes lady duck,” Susie said proudly. “Those who do not have physical deformities like us are superior to those who have.”

“Is that what you think little duckling?” the lady duck kept on smiling.

Then the bus conductor approached Susie’s seat.

“Miss,” the conductor said. “We are here in your destination.”

“I am sorry but my grandma’s house is still s few blocks away.” Susie said to the conductor.

“Oh,” the conductor smiled. “No little duckling, I am talking to the lady duck beside you.”

“So I am where I am supposed to be,” the lady duck said. “Goodbye little duckling, see you again sometime, though I could not really see.”

The lady duck smiled once last time at Susie. The conductor then guided the lady duck out of the bus and said goodbye.

Finally the bus reached Grandma Duck’s house. The bus stopped and then Susie Duck stepped out smiling to herself. From then on the little duckling never discriminated any duck again.

That was the story of Susie Duck and her very special bus ride. Goodbye now little ducklings, my music teacher is already here. She needs my help to guide her to my house (wink).

Stories from a Bill: Ab Duck’s Digital Pet

(i made this story in the context of using ducks as characters. This also replaced the story “Annie”)

Hi ducklings. My name is Bun Duck, a duck living in Duck Ville since I was a little duckling. Today I am going to tell you about a duckling I knew a long time ago. This is a story about Ab Duck and his very special pet.

It was six in the morning when Ab Duck jumped out of his bed, wore his slippers and ran out of his room. That was a very special day, it was his birthday.

Ab Duck then saw Papa Duck reading a news paper in the living room while Mama Duck was cooking breakfast in the kitchen.

“GOOD MORNING MAMA. GOOD MORNING PAPA,” exclaimed the excited duckling. “Today is a great day for a new pet, isn’t it?”

Mama Duck smiled at Ab Duck as Papa Duck stood and picked up a small box with a ribbon from the living room center table.

“Happy Birthday little Ab Duck,” Mama and Papa Duck happily greeted him simultaneously.

“We know you really wanted to have a pet,” Mama Duck smiled.

“Take good care of it,” Papa Duck said as he gave the box to the duckling.

Curious and confused, Ab Duck opened the box. Inside he found a square shape device. It had buttons just below a square screen and a power button on its side.

Not knowing what to do with the device, Ab Duck looked at Mama and Papa Duck.

“This is called a digivice,” Papa Duck said. “This is used to raise digital pets called digimons.”

“Ab Duck, you will be the master of that digimon,” Mama Duck added. “It will start out as a digi egg and then will hatch into a digitama.”

“From then on it will depend on you on most things,” Papa said as he turned the digivice on. “Do not forget to feed and take care of it.”

“Your digimon will grow and evolve depending on how you raised it,” Mama Duck advised her child. “And remember that even though it is a digital pet, it still poops. So you must train it to do its number two in its digital toilet.”

A day passed by and the digital egg finally hatched into a digitama. It looked so cute with its round body and eyes. Ab Duck fed it with digital milk every time it asked for food. He bathed it, played with it through digital games and accompanied it to the digi toilet.

After another day it started to evolve. It was enveloped with a bright light which covered almost the entire screen. When the light disappeared, Ab Duck saw that his digitama already evolved into a digimon called koromon. Koromon had the ability to spit bubbles in different shapes and sizes.

“Koromon,” Ab Duck happily said to his pet. “Can you make a duck shaped bubble?

Koromon then inhaled deep. Then it exhaled a huge bubble that slowly took the shape of duck.

Ab Duck was very happy with his pet and said, “I love you Koromon, I really do. We will not be separated. I promised.”

Weeks and months passed by, Ab Duck was very happy with Koromon. But one day, Koromon fell ill. Ab Duck gave it digital medicine but it was no help. He tried all that he can to make Koromon better, but the pet’s condition got worst every day. Until the day came that Koromon did not wake up. Ab Duck was very worried so he asked for Papa Duck’s help.

“I am sorry son,” Papa sadly said. “I think Koromon was already too old.”

“What do you mean Papa?” Ab Duck said confused.

“Ab Duck, a digimon’s life span is not as long as ours.” Papa Duck said as he let the duckling sat on his lap. “You did a great job of raising you digimon son. But I am afraid that this Koromon is…”

“Papa no, Koromon is not dead… please do not let my friend die,” Ab Duck begged as he cried. “I promised that we will always be together.”

“Son,…”

Before Papa Duck could finish what he was saying, Ab Duck ran inside his room. The little duckling locked the door, jumped on his, covered his head with his pillow and cried more.

Then…

Tok, Tok, Tok

“Ab Duck,” Papa duck said just outside the door of Ab Duck’s room. “Please open the door son. I want to show you something.”

Ab Duck slowly approached the door. With tears, he opened the door and saw Papa Duck holding the digivice.

“Son, please look at the screen,” Papa hand over the digivice to Ab Duct.

The duckling looked at the screen and heard Papa Duck said, “That is called a digital dusts, it appears each time a digimon dies.”

A few moments later the dust settled and…

“Papa is this..?” Ab Duck happily said.

“Yes son,” Papa Duck smiled. “After a digimon dies, it’s data is transformed into digi dusts. The dust then forms a new digi egg with the data from the old digimon.”

“Ab Duck, everything dies but it does not mean that they will be gone,” Papa Duck continued. “They will stay forever by your side, in your heart. Like the digi dusts making a digi egg with the data you and Koromon had.”

From then on Ab Duck understood that with every end is a start of something new for the memories he had will always stay in his heart forever.

That was the story of Ab Duck and his digital pet. But now, it is time for me to go ducklings; it is already time to feed my Koromon (wink).

Nine Years and Beyond

Since that first week of June 2000, I never could get enough of my first love, Scouting.

Yes, once I was also a new recruit trying to learn all the basics, left, right and about face. I could still remember the looks of Christopher “Ehead” Engbino when he noticed me scratching my thighs because of the ants crawling inside my pants. I happened to start to know scouting on top of the anthill now still located in the middle of the CNHS grounds. That was Friday, my first day as a senior scout.

Since that day, I came a long way. I became a Venturer ranked scout when I entered third year, just three months after I graduated my favorite training, the Emergency Service Training Course. I was very proud myself when I got my venturer ID. I was one of the few who were able to achieve the rank. A few months later, I was one of the chosen few to join the Emergency Medical Service Training and become an EMT-Scout of the Davao City Council. Yet my real goal then was to become an Eagle Scout, I dream I never achieve, a frustration that I still carry today.

This is one of the main reasons why I still render my service to the CNHS scouting movement. I no longer want to have the rank; I’m too old for that. My goal now is to guide a high school student worthy enough to earn that prestigious rank. Although the path may be hard, I know that my Alma Matter is capable of producing a scout that could bring much honor and pride to the CNHS Boy Scouting Movement.

Though this reason is my driving force to continue service, I would say that my nine years in the movement made Scouting a part of my life. I tried once to stop my passion for scouting due to personal reasons, but I simply can’t. Scouting is now in my veins, flowing with my blood.

The movement taught me much, not only skills but also about life. Until the day that I die, I am proud to call myself a scout.

Log Entry 56

Introduction

Log Entry 56 was a journal entry supposed to be written thirty thousand years from now. It was about a student’s trip to a museum with exhibits about the 21^st century. It was based mainly on various science fiction movies but also follows both scientific and social theories of the current time.

The environment around the speaker was far different from today’s natural environment. The sun expanded to a red giant star as it consumed all its hydrogen from its innermost core, thus following the life cycle of a star. The red light gives way to the crimson sky of the earth. The expanded size of the sun made it extremely close to the Earth (destroying Mercury and Venus on the process). The distance of the sun from the Earth gave way to extremely high temperature environment during the day, but like mercury today the night’s temperature will be also extremely cold.

The waters in the world of the log entry are all polluted following the non-stop disposal of human waste into the water, thus following the destruction of the oceans and sees, turning them acidic (as pointed out in the log entry).

Continued air pollution opened the way for the destruction of the sky (a little less intense than the sky in the world of the Matrix Trilogy). Smog was this world’s version of clouds and rain (like any other water not purified) was acidic.

In this world, the law of adaptation was shown. Human beings adapted to the environment with protective clothing against the harsh sun and polluted environment. Bionic modifications were made to make people a little less fragile than their biological bodies (such in the world of IRobot where Will Smith’s arm was substituted by a robotic counterpart).

Following the trend of “the smaller the better”, gadgets in this world were integrated with the bodily functions of an individual. A hand can be used as a phone or a computer (the given example in the entry). Other modified functions maybe a time telling eye (“watch”) or a coffee maker thigh. It may sound crazy but we must admit that even people of the present day hardly carry with them things more than the size of their palms.

It was also possible in this world of the log to purchase a robotic counterpart of a person’s body. This would limit the possible fatality of that individual. It may be done by transferring to the central processing unit of the robotic body the memories, personalities, habits, etc. of the individual. This could be vied as a modern version of spirit possession. The person literally possesses another body in this process.

Also following the evolution of words (shortcuts and using numbers in place of syllables or words), this world obtained a new system of language that depends mostly on numbers in place of letters. Such as the word “boy” spells “boy” in this world. The signified is the same, but the signifier would be different. Still, language being arbitrary, the two different signifiers still means the same sign.

Thus the world in the log entry could be said possible to happen. And they would view the world of today as primitive with the things this world is using. But it is also important to point out the environmental difference of that world with the world today.

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Booting…

Initializing Memory Recall…

Starting Log Entry 56

September 27, 30007

We had a fieldtrip today in one of those “historical” museums. The building was designed to look like those 21^st century buildings. It looked… weird. It has this extension called stairs that you must step on for you get to the portal (they called it door) used to get inside. Did the inhabitants of that age always did their daily existence the hard way? I was about to use my antigravity pod to carry me to the door, the portal, but my instructor said that at least for a day I must try for myself our “history”. If it was not for my parents’ wish that I would upgrade my academic standings I would not go through that primitive living.

In that building, an individual MUST do things manually. That portal-door, what ever they call it, must be opened using this huge knob the size of my fist. Then it needed to be swung to make a way to the interior of the building. Imagine that hard work? We did not create a portal through it because the material used for the building called cement would crumble to pieces it we alter its molecular structure to create a portal.

It was hard to move around that tiled floor (this material is far weaker than alloy, though I would say it looked shiny). I mean, the floors do not take you directly to where you wanted to go. I needed to use my feet for more than an hour, it really hurts. I think if I was not able to inject my muscle enhancers, I suffered severe muscle pain like three of my classmates.

Our first stop inside was the exhibit dedicated to clothing. At least they had clothes back then. But how the hell did they survived with those thin textiles. Some designs barely cover the skin. Did they have thick fur to protect them from the -50 degrees Celsius of the night? Or the hundred degrees heat of the red sun? I did not even see breathing apparatus that filters the air they breathe. Well, I did see an oxygen tank but my instructor said the people of those times used them to breath under water. That was another weird thing, why would they want to go under water with all those toxic waste in it. A steel bar melts the second its dip in the water, from the rivers to the oceans, all toxic. Oh those people also had shoes. But their shoes were made with a material called rubber. It felt soft when I touched it (did all their things back then…soft?).

The next exhibit was all about the 21^st century gadgets. I thought that I would enjoy this part of the trip. Hey, I’m a tech maniac. I always do part time jobs of dusting off industrial ash from the joints of bionic pets just to purchase upgrades for my right hand. I’m proud to say, my hand does not only make voice calls but also has a portable hologram projector for my 3d calls. My right middle finger, if inserted in a computer, could download to my hand’s disk all the current info I might use. Anyway, the museum has this display of what they call N93 cellular phone. I was disappointed. Hearing the term “cellular” gave me the idea of a cell size phone inserted at the side of a finger nail to make calls (just like the obsolete model T3 micro phone). But the N93 was the size of my fist (just like that knob on that door-portal). It could be used as a camera and that’s about it, very primitive. Oh and about micro phones, they had this sign saying “MagicSing, microphone model” (take note of the spelling). Well, it’s another disappointment. That MagicSing thing, it looked like (but a little smaller) one of those metallic penis upgrades. My instructor said people back then used that gadget to sing. How does it feel to use a metallic dick for singing?

The museum also had this exhibit about vehicles. Their cars did not fly. They had these round things covered with rubber called wheels in place of today’s hover pods. Imagine driving from the bottom of your apartment building to your room in the 1,500^th floor, now that would take some time. And they also travel on (and in) water using metallic transports called boats and submarines. Again this water issue, what’s with their water anyway? They had this shuttle like transport called aircrafts that merely fly around the sky. Well they also have shuttles for outer space travels but the engines could only take them as far as the moons.

But what really caught my attention was the next exhibit. It was a collection of images. These “Photos”, if we use their terms, showed what was it like back then. Their day sky was colored blue. I would say it has far more appeal than the crimson sky I always see today. Their sky also had these white things called clouds, fairly similar with the smog we have. And their moon looks like a giant sphere (imagine our two half circled moon put together). The sun, it’s yellow, and people bathe under its heat, naked, while lying on white sand beaches with blue colored seas in sight. Try doing that on our black sand beach and murky seas, surely the ultraviolet rays will roast you under a minute.

I’m getting tired; I still need to repair my broken cells because of all that walking. It is really hard to repair the biological part of the body. Multiple hours under healing rays are necessary. I wish I could save enough money to buy for myself a robotic body, with that body I could just put grease on my joints whenever they gut stuck. Or buy spare parts if the original parts got broken. Yes, I would save for that body; I could order one from the home shopping network just like my parents did.

Ending Log Entry 56…

Saving to secondary storage…

Shutting Down…

Jane’s Pride

“Even if you are not putting your pen on a paper, it does not mean you are not writing.” Mrs. Edith Tiempo said this to one of her students, my professor in Fiction 1, Timothy Montes.

A writer is an observer. And what else can a person observe better than his/her everyday life. I too do this. At least I have something in common with one of the “greats”, Jane Austen.

If I do not know better, I would say that the set used in the movies “Becoming Jane” and “Pride and Prejudice” were one and the same. Watching these movies in the same order as I did (watching “Becoming Jane” first) will tease the audience. Knowing the story of the novel “Pride and Prejudice” (mentioned in the movie) will become a must. But, if “Pride and Prejudice” is viewed first, and given that the viewer does not know the movie’s background, “Becoming Jane” would then seem strangely familiar and its credits would give a bit of a surprise.

Majority of the materials used by Jane Austen in her works (particularly “Pride and Prejudice”) came from her own life. Several facts from both movies can be pointed out to prove this. The parent characters for example, the mothers serve as the matchmakers, often times pushing their daughters to a marriage that will benefit them financially. The fathers on the other hand, though most of the times submissive to their wives, would prefer their daughters marry for love. The wealthy woman character serving as the “feared one” is also present in both stories. And my personal favorite, the looser suitor character nicknamed “booby”. Even the protagonists from these movies seemed to be the same person. Their wittiness, will, stubbornness and ways to manage a relationship are the same. The only clear difference would be their ability to play the piano.

The female writer that Jane visited mentioned a line that caught me “that’s what the imagination is for”. Experiences (includes learning) and imagination, are the materials for a writer. Basing on her works, Jane seemed to have had lots of supply of both, allowing her to be one of the bests.

The Chick Named Uno

(this is another final story for children’s lit.)

Once there was a chick named Uno who only had one leg. Uno did not have any friends because other chicks from the Chick Academy of Chicken Land often mocked him because of his appearance. They made harsh jokes and called Uno names such as one-legged freak, putol, bunny (because Uno needed to hop to move around) and many others.

Most of the time, Uno would sit on his chair and watched other chicks play outside the classroom during recess. But one day, as Uno watched other chicks play, Uno did not know that Teacher Hen was observing him.

“Uno? Is something wrong” Teacher Hen asked. “Why don’t you go out and play with the others?”

“Uhm, no thank you ma’am,” Uno looked down. “I will just stay here and wait for our class to start.”

Teacher Hen looked at Uno. She knew that Uno was ashamed because of the way he looked. Other chicks did not want to play with Uno because he cannot jump high, run fast, or pull hard. Uno was just different.

RRRRIIIINNNNGGGG

“Chicks, its time for our next class,” Teacher Hen called the other chicks. “Stop playing and come inside the room.”

The chicks then started to run inside the room. They were shouting and giggling and joking at each other. Some of them walked towards Uno.

“Hey bunny,” a chick said to Uno. “Hopping around lately?”

“Putol!” another chick shouted at Uno. “Putol! Putol! Putol!”

“Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!!” the chicks laughed.

Uno sunk in his seat. His eyes started to water but he did not want to cry. He held his breath to prevent his tears to flow down his cheeks. Then…

“Stop teasing Uno!” Teacher Hen scolded the other chicks. “You should not mock others!”

The chicks then giggled as they ran to their seats. Their eyes were secretly looking at Uno’s leg as they sat.

“Class,” Teacher Hen said. “This time we will learn about teamwork. I will divide you into two groups and we will play a game.”

“Yehey!!!!” the chicks shouted in a chorus.

Only Uno remained silent. He knew the other chicks do not want him to be with any group. He will only cause his team to loose.

“Uno,” Teacher Hen said. “You will be with Group A.”

“But teacher,” a chick from Group A argued. “We do not want Uno to be with us.”

“Yes ma’am,” another Group A chick said pointing his wing at Uno. “He will only drag us down.”

“Ma’am?” Uno said in the verge of tears. “Ma’am, they are right. I will just sit here and watch them play.”

“No Uno!” Teacher Hen answered. “Its either they play with you or they do not play at all.”

All chicks were silent. They can not believe that Teacher Hen would allow a freak to play with them. She must be out of her mind, they said to their selves.

Outside the room, Teacher Hen told the chicks to go to their respective groups.

“Chicks,” Teacher hen announced. “Our game will be about endurance. I want group members to form a circle. Hold the wing of the chick beside you.”

The chicks followed Teacher Hen’s instruction. Group B was confident that they will win the game. Uno is with the other group, he will be their weak link.

“Each group member must support his or her teammates,” Teacher Hen added. “On my signal I want you all to stand using only one leg, the first group to fall will loose the game. The game starts… NOW!!!”

All chicks stood with one leg. After a few moments, most of the chicks started trembling. They are not used to stand with only a single leg. Then a Group B member fell down and dragged the other members.

Meanwhile, Group A members’ legs were also trembling. But when the chick beside Uno was about to fall down, Uno held the chick’s wing tight and pulled hard to keep the chick standing.

“And the winner is,” Teacher Hen announced. “Group A.”

Group A cheered as Group B applauded them for their victory.

“Uno,” a Group A chick said. “We could not have won with out you. We are sorry we underestimated you because you only have one leg.”

“Its okay,” Uno answered with a smile. “I too underestimated myself. Now I know I can do something that others can not as others have something that I don’t have.”

“Very good chicks,” Teacher Hen said as she smiled. “All of us are unique in our own way. We should not judge anyone with just the way they looked.”

Since then, the chicks Chick Academy of Chicken Land treated each chick as unique as they are special.

Being a Bat: A Critical Approach on Nick Joaquin’s Cave and Shadows

Introduction

Faith and trust, love and lust, greed and power, will these make a human being happy? What are the things humans could do to achieve these?

Cave and Shadows of Nick Joaquin showed the capabilities of human beings enable to achieve happiness. The novel clashed different institutions of the societies, together with their beliefs and traditions. Here, ups and downs of males and females could be seen. No gender is above the other. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. Although it is a fact that the main protagonist is male, it is also a fact that his story revolved around the life (and death) of the female characters of the novel. Other male characters too, though exerting authority in most aspects, are submissive to female characters in one way or the other. But still, other women characters were shown to be directly submissive to men, in some cases they were shown only as a tool for sex and lust, the notable scene for this would be the live show in one of the bars in the novel.

The novel too indicated that females had equal power with men during the Pre-Hispanic and even during the Spanish Era. Notable female characters from the past gave great deal for the justification of some of the beliefs and traditions sighted by the novel.

In religion, the continuing struggle of Paganism and Christianity was symbolized by both beliefs’ struggle for the control of the cave. Both beliefs wanted the cave for their own, both using history as their tool to gain advantage over the other. Thus various historical sightings in the world of the story were necessary.

The immortal conflict between beliefs in politics was also shown in the novel. To quote one line, “For one to love his/her country, he/she must hate anyone else.” Thus, being nationalistic solely depends on how one believes a country should be run.

The church-state conflict is also notable. It influenced some characters in what to believe and what would they do. Some characters were once in the side of the state, totally shutting out the church, yet made their change of heart and vice versa.

In a way or another, Cave and Shadows unmasked the real face of the society, humanizing it, with out the traditions and beliefs that cover its being.

Chapter I: Characters

Jack Henson

The main protagonist of the novel, Jack was asked by his ex-wife to investigate the strange death of his stepdaughter. Although Jack keeps on saying he would never want to do anything else for his ex-wife, Alfreda needed only to lift a finger for him to leave his home in Davao and investigate Nenita’s, the stepdaughter, death as stated by another character Pocholo Gatmaitan.

Jack could be said as a natural detective, he asks the right questions at the right time, though he keeps involving himself with trouble whenever he get close into something. An example would be when he found out regarding the secret passage from the village chapel to the cave, which he suspected to exist believes the way used to get Nenita inside the cave without the guard outside knowing. He was locked inside the passage by a character not wanting him to get even closer.

With high regard for women, Jack’s character acted with women character with rather fluidity. He could shift his characteristics from one woman to the other. Though she contested some of their ideas (specially the ones of Ginoong Ina), he never went as far as abusing them emotionally and even physically.

His sexual urge cold also not be denied, it seems at first sex is nothing to him when he got no reaction when he watched a live show in a bar, yet this was falsified when he felt sexually aroused when he danced with Chedeng knowing the woman was also in the mood for sex.

Pocholo Gatmaitan

Cholo is the mayor of the city and was a boy once with Jack. He was said to be the Holy Joe of their group, making excuses that he can not join for lunch because he had a heavy date only to get caught by his peers that he was pulling the caroza of the Blessed Virgin Mary for a procession.

He became a typical politician who was able to mingle with his supporters and critics. Several demonstrations were set up against him because of his decision to lock down the cave to prevent further riots between the faction who all wanted control over it.

Alex Manzano

A senator who once was an altar boy, Alex is the son of Don Andong who was once a great politician and critic. Alex is closely connected to the youth, especially to the militant sector. He was said to be the once who let in a group of demonstrators inside the congress.

Alex is separated with his wife Chedeng because of the fact that Alex hired assassins as his new set of bodyguards. He wants to be always in control of things, especially to women. This was justified when he demanded Chedeng to return and serve him as his wife, yet this demand was stopped by his father. Another instance was when a hooker named Yvette admitted to Jack that she slept with Alex.

Alex is hinted through out (until chapter 8) the novel as the brain behind the murders that had happened. His trademark car, a white Camaro, is always seen to places where an event that lead to a murder or the murder itself took place.

He considers women more dangerous than men; he said this after the funeral of his son Andrei. “Only she’s a woman (Chedeng); therefore she is more dangerous.” His son’s death took him away from believing on anything. He blames himself for his son’s death resulting to his suicide.

Andrei Manzano

Andrei was torn between his parents claim for his custody. He had great respect for his grandfather Don Andong until his father told him that his grandfather allowed a hoax to happen and did not do anything about it. He was going to leave with his mother, Chedeng, to America until he found out that she was in league with his grandfather in the hoax.

He was one of the so called KK boys, a group of militant youth which he led to march to the cave and force it to be reopened. The demonstration happened during a typhoon and ended with a tragic landslide which took Andrei’s life.

Don Andong Manzano

Don Andong was the father of Alex. He allowed a hoax to happen in the cave resulting to Andries disrespect to him. After the death of his son and grandson, he decided to enter a monastery.

He shows great deal of authority in the novel yet frequently blames himself as the source of all the trouble that was happening to the people that surrounds him. He was said to be anti church during his younger days but is now a devoted Christian.

Chedeng Manzano (Merceds Manzano)

The wife of Alex and is planning to leave the country with his son. She frequently states that she betrays her husband and doesn’t want it to happen again and running away would be her only choice. She blamed her husband for their son’s death and postponed her trip because of it.

Chedeng flirted with Jack in various situations; the most clear among these is her dance with Jack showing that she wanted to have sex with him.

Alfreda Coogan

Alfreda was the ex-wife of Jack, although did not really appear in the novel and is minor character, Jack’s motives would never be justified without her. She was hinted through out the novel as a woman with authority especially over Jack. Her demand for Jack to investigate made him fly back to Manila and left his so called “island refuge” in Davao.

Nenita Coogan

The source of all the fuzz in the story, Nenita was found dead in the cave. Her death and how she got inside the cave were total mysteries until Jack uncovered them one at a time. She was mentioned to be a typical teenager in reverse. She does not want to be involved with the showbiz icons; rather she wants to remove the masks of all the people around her. She believes all are not who really they are saying.

Everybody was surprised that she found out a virgin during the autopsy of her body given her reputation as a “pakawala” in town.

Monica Manzano

The daughter of Don Adong who leaves with him after she got separated from her husband, Monica is sort of an all around helper in her father’s house. Yet she could seen that has authority over her father for he always follow the wills of her daughter regarding his health and the house.

Ginoong Ina

A leader of a cult that claims the cave as their holy place, she informed Jack that Nanita returned to life as the goddess of the cave.

Chapter II: Plot Summary

The plot of the novel revolves mainly on Jack Henson’s struggle to uncover the truth regarding the strange death of her stepdaughter Nenita Coogan.

The girl was found in the cave (which was claimed by Chrisyians and pagans, with Ginoong Ina as the leader, to be their place of worsdhip) as if that she was just sleeping smelling sweet. Jack investigated how body got inside the cave even though the caves mouth was locked down as ordered by the town mayor. He later discovers a secret passage inside the chapel of the village on top of the hill where the cave is located. His investigation made him conclude that his old friend Alex Manzano was behind the murder and treats on his life. But as situations began to build up, Alex and his son Andrei died. Alex left a letter for Jack but Jack decided to let Pocholo burn it. Pocholo eagerly did giving Jack the evidence that it was Pocholo who was really behind all the troubles, including the setting up of Alex.

Pocholo ran away after he was exposed and Jack confronted Ginoong Ina who informed Jack that Nenita came back to life for her to touch the life of Jack as a goddess.

Jack decided to return to Davao with Chedeng but Monica disagreed and told Chedeng that Jack wanted to go back to Davao with her, not Chedeng. Chedeng left for New York and Jack returned to Davao a lonely man.

Chapter III: Society

The society of Cave and Shadows is being influenced by the different institutions found in the novel, mainly the church and the government, family ties in contrary to Philippine tradition seems to be not strong in the novel. The society was then seen as a Gemini with two faces for women in it, one good bad.

It could be said that women became representations of the two sides of the society. In one aspect, women became a source of labor force in terms of their physical attributes. An example would be the live show held in one of the bars in the novel. Men needed only to pay five pesos, although this could be said already a huge amount of money during the time setting of the novel, to see the show. Seeing a woman having sex is not the end of the privileges of the audience, they could also demand the performers to have sex with them, thus establishing the fact of capitalists control over the women who engaged in such work. The labor force in these works could also be said abused (although it could be said they are already sexually abused) in terms of working hours. Yvette for instance never slept in one straight day in the novel because she had to be an a-go-go dancer for VIPs for a whole night, then a GRO the following morning and a live sex performer at lunch. She was only able to take a simple nap for a few minutes when Jack tabled her (her job for the afternoon) for some questions.

The labor force too could also be said as expendable anytime, justified by the fact that Yvette was gunned down easily when she tried to warn Jack.

Sighting the history sighted by the novel, it was sad that women became a part of the labor force when they were the ones who forage for crops for a particular tribe. A sort of promotion was given to them when they started to grow crops on their own, yet still it could be said they are still under the capitalist society. Although, it was stated that because of this so called promotion, women started to have voice in the society, which was symbolized by the gradual growth of power of the goddess of the cave who started as a simple cave anito.

In another view, women in the novel became a huge voice in the society in terms of their authority over specific men. In some cases, women became the capitalists. An example would be the Ginoong Ina who hires people in able to research whether people are believes in her cult or not. A capitalist attitude of the character was clearly seen when she insisted of claiming the cave as a place of worship, this could said as and action to claim a territory in competition.

Chedeng too is a boss of her own. She owns her own shop and has her own employees. Still, she is another the capitalists rule for her shop is finance by her husband Alex. Giving the later a say on what she has to do. She was also influence by her father-in-law. Though he was seen as the protector of Chedeng against the husband, his Don Andong’s influence over her gave way for the lost of respect of Andrei to his mother.

In another concept, women became also a source of oppression to other women. An example would be Chedeng’s statement that why should Jack believe Yvette given her reputation as a hoar, thus, justifying the fact that women too view other women of other class status as lower than them. Another example would be Ginoong Ina’s beliefs that enable to become a dalagang banal, one must first become a true Filipino, thus an half American girl like Nenita must first tan herself, discrimination to some women.

Perversion by women, on the other hand, could be said is accepted only by men in the society. Yet the acceptance is only another way of abusing the women of the society. It was seen in the example of the live show. Other women thus not accept this fact and consider them immoral (Chedengs discrimination to Yvette). Being vulgar by women is also only accepted by a portion of the society. Nenita’s attitude was only accepted by the cult of Ginoong Ina and some members of the militant group, while others (especially other major characters) discriminate her because of this.

All in all, the society of the novel could be considered as a society which both treats women on the same level with men and as subordinates. Authority is given to some women although they also used the power to oppress other women not in the same class as theirs.

Chapter IV: Issues

An issue found in the novel that is worth mentioning is the discrimination of women to other women. The examples sated in Chapter III justify this fact. Here, what Audre Lorde said was clearly seen, “The master’s tools could not destroy the master’s house.” Thus, discrimination to women then could not be erased from the society if women themselves discriminate each other. Women shout for equality from their oppressors, the men. Yet within their ranks, they became oppressors themselves to other women.

Another issue would be traffic of women as shown in the novel. Abuse of women were shown in the scene where a live show was stated where men were the audience. Indeed the woman (Yvette) allowed herself to be abused, yet it could not be denied that that act of perversion is a clear harassment to the female sexuality. Prostitution too was seen, yet still the woman aloud the abuse to happen to her. An example is the orgy where Yvette was paid to go. Even the fact of being tan first before being a Dalagang Banal is already a discrimination to other races that the character Nenite aloud.

Therefore it could be said that in the novel, some issues of oppression against women were aloud by women themselves.

Chapter V: Conclusion

Finally, it could be said that the oppression of women by the society in the novel is aloud by women themselves. Even though for a fact that they do exert authority in the society, only a few of them do so and thus applying it to demand equal rights with men. It could also be seen in the novel that men are also threatened by the authority of women and are deliberately submissive though it is also a fact that some may find a way not to submit such as Pocholo who was the cause of Nenita’s death.

The novel then showed both sides of the Gemini society that praises women and at the same time oppresses them.

Bibliography

Lorde, Audre. Age, Race, Class, and Sex:

Women Redifining Society

Rubin, Gayle. The Traffic of Women:

Notes on the Political Economy of Sex

Queer Theory

Bus Ride

(this was an attempt to create a short short story)

Ismael turned his head to the window of the bus. This was his first ever bus ride without his parents. The trees seemed flying as the bus speed pass through each one of them.

Why does this trip takes too long to get their? Ismael asked himself after the ride started a few minutes ago.

The bus had blue comfortable seats. Ismael could freely move from his seat to the one just beside him. There were many vacant seats through out the bus as well. Even though the air conditioner was just turned on a few minutes ago, the air inside the bus was cool.

The lady conductor herself looked pretty with her uniform; tight white polo and blue jeans. The driver was very manly with his mustache.

The conductor approached Ismael smiling. She stood in front of him slightly leaning to the seat in front of Ismael’s.

“How old are you son?” the lady said to Ismael while holding the bus ticket

Last month was Ismael’s eight birthday. Just this morning in the dining room, his mother concluded that he is old enough to ride a bus by himself.

“But mama,” Ismael argued. “I can’t”

“Darling, it is just a thirty minute trip,” her mother said smiling. “If I am not busy I would love to go with you visit grandma.”

Ismael pouted as he ate his breakfast cereals. He chewed his food as if gnawing the flesh off a chicken drumstick.

Bus rides gave Ismael chills up his spine. The air inside the air-conditioned buses is heavy, carrying different odors from people sweating heavily because of the cramp space. One time Ismael saw this kid a few years younger than him puking on one of the seats.

“Finish your meal and get dress,” his mother’s voice snapped him back into reality.

Ismael felt his feet heavy as he dragged himself off his seat. He heard the roaring engine of a bus and smelled the stench of its tires rolling non-stop through a day.

“Ismael, please hurry up,” his mother’s voice was getting louder. “Your grandmother is already waiting for you.”

Yes, grandma is waiting for me, Ismael whispered to himself. They had not seen each other since his birthday. Ismael entered his room and approached his drawer. He pulled out a green polo shirt with a crocodile on its right chess side. This was the gift his grandmother gave him. She placed this on her lap as she sat on her wheelchair during Ismael’s birthday party.

Ismael took of his clothes and slowly slid the polo shirt on. He took one of his cargo shorts out from his drawer and then put it on.

“I’m eight years old miss,” Ismael said to the conductor.

“Eight,” the lady smiled. “I guess you’re old enough to be riding alone. Where to son?”

“I am going to my grandmother’s house,” said Ismael as he took out fifty pesos from his pocket. “One to Mintal please.”

“Mintal it is,” the lady gave Ismael a ticket in exchange for his money. “Here son, your change.”

The conductor then smiled one last time and proceeded to the back of the bus. After a few moments, the bus started to slow down. The driver opened the door and a young man stepped in.

Ismael stared at the man. The man was wearing a tight red shirt and tight cargo pants. He seemed to have rosy cheeks and red lips. The man found him a seat across Ismael just as the bus started to move.

Ismael turned his head slightly towards the man. Looking at his side, Ismael saw the man smiled at him. Ismael quickly turned his head back to the window, seeing again the trees the bus passed by.

“You look handsome darling,” Ismael’s mother said to him as he came out of his room. “Seems just yesterday you were my baby, now you are my young man.”

His mother approached him and buttoned his polo shirt. She tacked it in his shorts and combed his hair the way Jose Rizal would do it.

“Here Ismael,” his mother handed him two fifty peso bills as they walked outside their house. “Remember that the fare from Calinan to Mintal is only twenty five pesos.”

Ismael did not bother to listen. He added all the expenses in his thought. Twenty-five pesos from their house to Mintal, add six pesos for the tricycle ride from the highway to his grandmother’s house. Multiply it by two for a total of sixty pesos.

“The extra money will be your allowance for the rest of the day,” her mother drew Ismael back to reality as a tricycle passed by. She called the tricycle and gave the driver six pesos.

“To the bus terminal please,” Ismael’s mother said as she gestured Ismael to enter the tricycle. She waved her hands goodbye to Ismael as the tricycle moved away. When Ismel saw his mother entered their house, he un-tacked his shirt and re-combed his hair using his fingers.

The bus stopped again. This time a woman wearing an all white uniform and white shoes entered. She had a pony tail and small pearl earrings. She walked passed Ismael and sat behind him.

Ismael wanted to look back to closely see the lady, but he could not make himself kneel on his seat the way he always do when his parents were with him. This time, he stayed on his seat, glued his vision to the trees that seemed to be flying. He swung his legs for a while but he stopped them later using his hands as he heard the lady behind him chuckled. He bit his lips and started counting the trees starting over every time he misses one. Over and over again he counted. He can feel his heart pounding his lungs as the lady’s chuckle echoed into his mind. Over and over he counted the flying trees through the window near his seat and then through the window of the seat near the man in red. Counting, yet thinking about the lady behind him.

The tricycle stopped. Ismael got off and saw the bus waiting in the terminal. He slowly dragged himself near the bus, looking down he bit his lips. He counted every pebble he passed by, starting over starting over every time he misses one. Over and over again he counted. He can feel his heart pounding his lungs as the sound of the bus’ engine echoed into his mind. Over and over he counted the pebbles his left foot kicked then the pebbles stepped on by his right foot. Counting and thinking about his grandmother waiting for him.

Ismael pressed the button near the window. A red light turned on then the bus stopped. Ismael stood slowly, careful not to look behind him, to the lady in white. He walked passed the man in red to the conductor who was sitting near the driver. The bus door opened. Ismael steeped down and saw a group of tricycles waiting for passengers near a street intersection. The bus door closed, he took a deep breath and looked back. As the bus moved, he saw the man in red smiled at him. He turned and called a tricycle.

“To Santan Street please,” Isnael said to the driver with a smile.