A Literary Criticism of the Novel the Firewalkers by Erwin E. Castillo
“A Literary Criticism of the novel The Fire Walkers by Erwin E. Castillo”
“We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth…” – President Barack Obama on his inaugural speech.
Relation with other nations is one of the most important things for the United States of America today. As history have shown, the need for the connection with other countries had been existing since the late exploration period, where United States had just achieved their independence from the British monarchy and began their own conquest around the globe. The Americans are the second, yet the most celebrated colonizer of the Philippines. Until today, the Filipino-American bond is evident, from the highlighted date of July 4 as the Filipino-American friendship day, through Filipinos being the most excellent speaker and teacher of the English language in Asia, to the full coverage of the inauguration of the new leader of the US, President Barrack Obama. The camaraderie of the two nations has come a very long way.
One of the major reasons for such friendship is the kind of orientalism the Americans have manifested during their residence in our country. Orientalism is the study of the orientals – non-European civilizations – and their culture. Although the Spaniards, the colonizer prior to Americans, had their orientalism too, that of the Americans was different. The Spanish orientalism is ethnocentric. Historically, as the Spaniards occupied our country, they began the eradication of the primitive Filipino culture as they find it offending to the teaching of Christianity. They have accused the ancient Philippine beliefs as a cult, and manipulated the religion of people through reduccion – segregation of people from the woodlands to the pueblo (town) near the church.
The context of orientalism actually draws an abstract boundary between the more urbanized west (occidentals) and the exotic east (orientals), according to Edward W. Said in his book
“We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth…” – President Barack Obama on his inaugural speech.
Relation with other nations is one of the most important things for the United States of America today. As history have shown, the need for the connection with other countries had been existing since the late exploration period, where United States had just achieved their independence from the British monarchy and began their own conquest around the globe. The Americans are the second, yet the most celebrated colonizer of the Philippines. Until today, the Filipino-American bond is evident, from the highlighted date of July 4 as the Filipino-American friendship day, through Filipinos being the most excellent speaker and teacher of the English language in Asia, to the full coverage of the inauguration of the new leader of the US, President Barrack Obama. The camaraderie of the two nations has come a very long way.
One of the major reasons for such friendship is the kind of orientalism the Americans have manifested during their residence in our country. Orientalism is the study of the orientals – non-European civilizations – and their culture. Although the Spaniards, the colonizer prior to Americans, had their orientalism too, that of the Americans was different. The Spanish orientalism is ethnocentric. Historically, as the Spaniards occupied our country, they began the eradication of the primitive Filipino culture as they find it offending to the teaching of Christianity. They have accused the ancient Philippine beliefs as a cult, and manipulated the religion of people through reduccion – segregation of people from the woodlands to the pueblo (town) near the church.
The context of orientalism actually draws an abstract boundary between the more urbanized west (occidentals) and the exotic east (orientals), according to Edward W. Said in his book