MASS By F
“MASS”—a novel written by F. Sionil Jose, a Filipino National Artist for Literature. When I bought the book, and seen the awards it receives which is located at the bottom part of the book cover, I am curious about it that it gets awards not just ordinary awards but big ones. Like The 1980 Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts and 2001 National Artist Award for Literature.
The main character in the story is Jose “Pepe” Samson who lived in Cabugawan and who has a mother who dreamed of studying in Manila and leave Cabugawan to be like his Father. Reading the novel and Pepe’s life, I can say that Pepe is the symbol of Filipino race, being lazy perhaps, his desires to have food to eat, his concern for himself, his desires of being happy and his desires to have freedom. And Juan Puneta, who represents the rich that are influential and abusive. And there is a positive elite people who is represented by Betsy, who is part of the elite family and is ready to lose everything just to be with Pepe. And I somewhat see myself to Pepe, for I am sure that each and every one of us seeks what we truly wanted but doesn’t know how and each and every one of us has a rebel side in our hearts. And there is also Juan Puneta nowadays who crushed their own kind. Shame on this people for they should not be called Filipinos.
The story is set of the time of the Marcos dictatorship in the Philippines. Mass is a political novel and published during Marcos term so I really praised F. Sionil Joses’s courage to speak by the means of this novel. The mass is the key to the success of revolution. We all know that because it’s written in history books and it really happened. But most people would rather live the life they had even though it’s not livable than to fight or speak their heart out. As they say, “Stomach first before your heart”. Included in the novel the problems in the society especially in Manila during the 1980’s and it is sad to think
The main character in the story is Jose “Pepe” Samson who lived in Cabugawan and who has a mother who dreamed of studying in Manila and leave Cabugawan to be like his Father. Reading the novel and Pepe’s life, I can say that Pepe is the symbol of Filipino race, being lazy perhaps, his desires to have food to eat, his concern for himself, his desires of being happy and his desires to have freedom. And Juan Puneta, who represents the rich that are influential and abusive. And there is a positive elite people who is represented by Betsy, who is part of the elite family and is ready to lose everything just to be with Pepe. And I somewhat see myself to Pepe, for I am sure that each and every one of us seeks what we truly wanted but doesn’t know how and each and every one of us has a rebel side in our hearts. And there is also Juan Puneta nowadays who crushed their own kind. Shame on this people for they should not be called Filipinos.
The story is set of the time of the Marcos dictatorship in the Philippines. Mass is a political novel and published during Marcos term so I really praised F. Sionil Joses’s courage to speak by the means of this novel. The mass is the key to the success of revolution. We all know that because it’s written in history books and it really happened. But most people would rather live the life they had even though it’s not livable than to fight or speak their heart out. As they say, “Stomach first before your heart”. Included in the novel the problems in the society especially in Manila during the 1980’s and it is sad to think