Rachelle M. Aurellano
IP 411: Ilokano Literature in Translation/English
Final Exam
3. To ‘remember’ in Ilokano literature is always to become a ‘member again’ (re+member) and such a remembering is a resistance to forgetting as is evident in many stories on returning to one’s birthplace.
I believe that to ‘remember’ in Ilokano literature is always to become a ‘member again’ and such a remembering is a resistance to forgetting. In many of the stories in Module III, I found that this thesis statement is true. Every Ilokano, who has left their homeland, have always longed for returning to their roots, the very place of remembrance. And this kind of “remembrance” is to become part of the aesthetic landscape, the culture, the language, of remembering childhood memories to painful experiences, encounters and (mis)encounters, and/or historical references to acts of resistance. All these and more, of such a remembering is a resistance of forgetting, depending upon the experience of the Ilokano.
The Avocado Tree, by Marcelino A. Foronda, Jr., is wonderful example of such a remembering that is a resistance to forgetting. It is a story of sad memory of a women who reminiscing about a wonderful, but horrible, tragic past. Upon arriving at a house that brought sorrow and pain, a woman in her late fifties stared absentmindedly into the distance, past the fence which separates the yard from the road fronting the house. Standing there, her eyes gazed at the avocado tree and began the narration of her past. She spoke of love and death, as if they had no meaning years ago and the narration began with the history of that avocado tree, which was now thin and bleak-looking. The woman explains how the avocado tree in that very yard, was planted by her husband, to be grown together with their only son. Despite the good intentions of the husband, their son did grow up as they expected him to grow up, and this led to a tragedy of a father killing his own son, and eventually killing himself.
In Sing, Cicada, Sing, by Gregorio C. Laconsay, is about a longing for home and upon returning, the characters remember what it was they have forgotten after moving away. Upon returning home, Dr. Pete Ringor and his nurse wife, reminisced about their childhood days, when life seemed so much simpler then. Dr. Ringor recalls the days he used to chase the singing cicada, but could never do it. He remembers everything form his childhood, that he once enjoyed doing, and somehow tries imitates what he did in his older age. And its interesting because by remembering, he becomes a ‘member’ again as he reminisces throughout the entire story. However, this remembering is also a resistance to forgetting, because back then, life wasn’t so busy. This busy-ness that he experienced after becoming a doctor and having a nurse for a wife led him to forgetting the values about life itself. As a doctor and a nurse, they became caught up with their work, although it didn’t bother either of them as their career was also important, they both forgot what being married was like. And at the very end, becoming a “member again” led them to enjoying what they have forgotten—and that is to make life worth living for while you’re still alive, and that’s exactly what they did, but more.
4. There is a certain mystical quality and sacredness of the Ilocos landscape as the Ilokano characters go back to the Ilocos as if it were a temple of some sort, idealizing it in many ways, and yet propping up the kind of psychic health that every exile needs as he comes to terms with the unfamiliar and the uncertain.
I think this thesis statement goes hand in hand with the previous, as the remembrance of one’s birthplace reflects the mystical quality and sacredness of the Ilocos landscape, as if it were a temple of some sort, idealizing it in many ways, and yet propping up the kind of psychic health that every exile needs as he comes to terms with the unfamiliar and the uncertain. In the stories that I’ve read, returning home became a sort of uncertainty, as the characters of these stories have been gone for long. There is one story, in particular, that I would like to discuss as the Ilocos landscape somehow had a certain mystical quality and sacredness, as it led them to come to terms with the “uncertain.”
Sing, Cicada, Sing is a beautiful story, written by Gregorio C. Laconsay, as mentioned in the previous response. I say beautiful because the depiction of the Ilocos, its landscape, is so mystic and serene, that even a person who’s too busy in life can take a moment of thinking, and enjoy the wonderful scenery. Just imagine, “The twilight green by lush mountains, the flowing fields of corn and mongo beans, rows of short white banana sheaths that sheltered eggplant and tomato seedlings from the sun, a dirt road, and talahib bunches near the roadside that lined the streams of both sides of the road,” upon entering this landscape. Isn’t that a wonderful laid-back country feeling? This is a brief description of the Ilocos landscape, as the character of Sing, Cicada Sing arrived. It is a description that is sacred because it gives way to remembrance. As the main character of the story returns home, he reminisces about his childhood memories and the Ilocos becomes some kind of temple. It puts him into this frame of mind, and he finds himself imitating the very actions he once did when he was younger. This moment of reminiscing props up the kind of psychic health that this man, an exile, needs to come to terms with the unfamiliar and the uncertain. The unfamiliarity is something that won’t be revealed until the very end. Since the main character, who is a doctor in the city, along with his wife, are too busy with their careers, they lose sight of their values and the importance of enjoying life. They forget the very reason why they were married, although either of them didn’t mind not spending time with one another due to work, they never found that time to enjoy one’s company, until returning home to Ilocos. This returning became very important, as the both of them, husband and wife, finally had the time to enjoy one’s company. Returning home was a kind of vacation for them, to get their minds off of work, visit the family, and sort of remembers what it was like when life was simpler. After seeing many of the villagers in his hometown, he and his wife began to wonder about their life as well. Seeing that many of the couples had children after children, people questioned why they weren’t already expecting—since the wife was very beautiful. This kind of questioning became that uncertainty, as they finally came to terms with it and realized, what it is that they needed. And the until the very end of the story, which is beautifully said, the husband and wife were both glad they returned home, as it brought them to enjoying each other’s company and also, finally expecting.
I believe that to ‘remember’ in Ilokano literature is always to become a ‘member again’ and such a remembering is a resistance to forgetting. In many of the stories in Module III, I found that this thesis statement is true. Every Ilokano, who has left their homeland, have always longed for returning to their roots, the very place of remembrance. And this kind of “remembrance” is to become part of the aesthetic landscape, the culture, the language, of remembering childhood memories to painful experiences, encounters and (mis)encounters, and/or historical references to acts of resistance. All these and more, of such a remembering is a resistance of forgetting, depending upon the experience of the Ilokano.
The Avocado Tree, by Marcelino A. Foronda, Jr., is wonderful example of such a remembering that is a resistance to forgetting. It is a story of sad memory of a women who reminiscing about a wonderful, but horrible, tragic past. Upon arriving at a house that brought sorrow and pain, a woman in her late fifties stared absentmindedly into the distance, past the fence which separates the yard from the road fronting the house. Standing there, her eyes gazed at the avocado tree and began the narration of her past. She spoke of love and death, as if they had no meaning years ago and the narration began with the history of that avocado tree, which was now thin and bleak-looking. The woman explains how the avocado tree in that very yard, was planted by her husband, to be grown together with their only son. Despite the good intentions of the husband, their son did grow up as they expected him to grow up, and this led to a tragedy of a father killing his own son, and eventually killing himself.
In Sing, Cicada, Sing, by Gregorio C. Laconsay, is about a longing for home and upon returning, the characters remember what it was they have forgotten after moving away. Upon returning home, Dr. Pete Ringor and his nurse wife, reminisced about their childhood days, when life seemed so much simpler then. Dr. Ringor recalls the days he used to chase the singing cicada, but could never do it. He remembers everything form his childhood, that he once enjoyed doing, and somehow tries imitates what he did in his older age. And its interesting because by remembering, he becomes a ‘member’ again as he reminisces throughout the entire story. However, this remembering is also a resistance to forgetting, because back then, life wasn’t so busy. This busy-ness that he experienced after becoming a doctor and having a nurse for a wife led him to forgetting the values about life itself. As a doctor and a nurse, they became caught up with their work, although it didn’t bother either of them as their career was also important, they both forgot what being married was like. And at the very end, becoming a “member again” led them to enjoying what they have forgotten—and that is to make life worth living for while you’re still alive, and that’s exactly what they did, but more.
4. There is a certain mystical quality and sacredness of the Ilocos landscape as the Ilokano characters go back to the Ilocos as if it were a temple of some sort, idealizing it in many ways, and yet propping up the kind of psychic health that every exile needs as he comes to terms with the unfamiliar and the uncertain.
I think this thesis statement goes hand in hand with the previous, as the remembrance of one’s birthplace reflects the mystical quality and sacredness of the Ilocos landscape, as if it were a temple of some sort, idealizing it in many ways, and yet propping up the kind of psychic health that every exile needs as he comes to terms with the unfamiliar and the uncertain. In the stories that I’ve read, returning home became a sort of uncertainty, as the characters of these stories have been gone for long. There is one story, in particular, that I would like to discuss as the Ilocos landscape somehow had a certain mystical quality and sacredness, as it led them to come to terms with the “uncertain.”
Sing, Cicada, Sing is a beautiful story, written by Gregorio C. Laconsay, as mentioned in the previous response. I say beautiful because the depiction of the Ilocos, its landscape, is so mystic and serene, that even a person who’s too busy in life can take a moment of thinking, and enjoy the wonderful scenery. Just imagine, “The twilight green by lush mountains, the flowing fields of corn and mongo beans, rows of short white banana sheaths that sheltered eggplant and tomato seedlings from the sun, a dirt road, and talahib bunches near the roadside that lined the streams of both sides of the road,” upon entering this landscape. Isn’t that a wonderful laid-back country feeling? This is a brief description of the Ilocos landscape, as the character of Sing, Cicada Sing arrived. It is a description that is sacred because it gives way to remembrance. As the main character of the story returns home, he reminisces about his childhood memories and the Ilocos becomes some kind of temple. It puts him into this frame of mind, and he finds himself imitating the very actions he once did when he was younger. This moment of reminiscing props up the kind of psychic health that this man, an exile, needs to come to terms with the unfamiliar and the uncertain. The unfamiliarity is something that won’t be revealed until the very end. Since the main character, who is a doctor in the city, along with his wife, are too busy with their careers, they lose sight of their values and the importance of enjoying life. They forget the very reason why they were married, although either of them didn’t mind not spending time with one another due to work, they never found that time to enjoy one’s company, until returning home to Ilocos. This returning became very important, as the both of them, husband and wife, finally had the time to enjoy one’s company. Returning home was a kind of vacation for them, to get their minds off of work, visit the family, and sort of remembers what it was like when life was simpler. After seeing many of the villagers in his hometown, he and his wife began to wonder about their life as well. Seeing that many of the couples had children after children, people questioned why they weren’t already expecting—since the wife was very beautiful. This kind of questioning became that uncertainty, as they finally came to terms with it and realized, what it is that they needed. And the until the very end of the story, which is beautifully said, the husband and wife were both glad they returned home, as it brought them to enjoying each other’s company and also, finally expecting.
1 comment:
read, 12-15-07. asa.
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