Philippine Literature: Sadness Collector

Family is regarded as
Residentially Nuclear but functionally extended
Consaguineal (blood)
Affinal (marriage)
Filipino who move away to study or work in cities,
locally & abroad, tend to stay with their more
affluent relatives and this increases the size of the
family household
The extended family system is further enlarged by
the compadrazgo system, a legacy of Spanish
colonial Catholicism
EGALITARIAN ROLE
More wealthy & powerful acquaintances, close
- Social role of mother = Social role of father
friend, or neighbor of the natural law parent is
PATRIARCHAL ROLE
called on to serve as a godparent (known as ninong
- Men rule over women
orninang to the child) and as surrogate parental
BABAYLAN
relationship to the child by virtue of acting as a
- Babaeng pinipili ng datu para mamuno
sponsor at the religious rights of baptism,
- Political advisers to datu
confirmation, and marriage. Godparents or
- Fortune tellers, witch doctor,
compadres also assume more active roles as
SURNAME
benefactors who may be expected to participate in
- Is based on the place where you are born
their godly socialization, oversee his/her religious
- Thus for example, names may be inherited
education, assist in times of financial need,
contribute to the cost of the childs education and
PRE-COLONIAL
assist in finding him or her employment
In addition to compadres, landlords, and employers
may further e viewed as surrogate parents to adult
family members; thus, other social institution and
relationships also become incorporated into the
extended family system. The compadrazgo system
extends and binds family ties, loyalties, obligations,
reciprocity, and interdependence among people in
the community.
Through this expanded network of kinship
relationships, a is likely to consider 100 or more
individuals as relatives,
Consanguineal or biological ties, however, remain
POST-COLONIAL by far the most important relations. The blood bond
is so close that even distant relatives are recognized
Familism gives emphasis on the welfare and
interest of the family over the welfare and interest
of the community, as it is the basis of group action.
The Filipino likely puts value on this notion of
kinship by prioritizing his family and connects it to
his responsibility over his community
This is because his awareness of Self is identified
with his family, wherein in his part, he is made
aware of his social responsibilities and to be
involved in the familys everyday business. This
means that all his undertakings must adhere to the
approval of his family
 Philippine Literature: Sadness Collector
This is often true among impoverished families
where all members (father, mother and children)
help pitch in any economical aid for the eldest child
to finish his or her education
Eventually, this child will in turn help the siblings to
either also finish their education and/or contribute
to the family budget
Even after marriage, this responsibility is passed
along to the spouse
3 FILIPINO FAMILY VALUES
1. Loyalty (blood is thicker than water)
2. Obligation
3. Interdependence
TYPICAL FAMILY MAXIM ABOUT MARRIAGE
Kapag nag-asawa ka ay nagiging asaawa mo rin ang
problema ng asawa mo
That once you marry, you also marry the problems
of your would-be spouse.
This notion of familial responsibility is both
constructive and destructive. Constructive since it
builds into the child a sense of importance and
family bond. But destructive as it can also cause
dependency for those relatives who often lose self
confidence and worth. Relying only on the help of
their more privileged, but emburdened, provider.
As with the encroachment of globalization and
modernity continue, the traditional concepts
regarding the Filipino family is dramatically affected
and problematized
BAYANI
- Taga-bayan
- Taong tumutulong sa bayan
Sadness Collector
MAGICAL REALISM
Different from fantasy (created world of logic)
books. Fantasy examples: Lord of the Rings,
Harry Potter
Enacts upon reality itself
Happens in our own world
2 PREMISES
1. Hyperbole exaggeration
You are flying People accept that it is
true without astonishment
2. Culture superstitions, traditions, rituals
Big Lady comes when Rica cries
Diaspora home sickness
- Felt by a person whos been gone for long
e.g. When people of Israel left Egypt to
search for their land
- They do not exactly know where they
belong
- OFW suffers this because of loss of culture
and loss of family
- Dysfunctional, sad & dangerous because of
the things that could happen to them
- Suffers this because they miss their family
DISLOCATION
Family is left with things without function
Social & economic effect of one persons absence
affecting those who the person has left behind
Ricas aunties often comment of her mothers
decision to go to Paris, taking care of other peoples
children while Rica cries herself to sleep
OFW mothers take away 80% of care giving factors
when they leave
As many young adults with migrant mothers feel
neglected or abandoned, they do not see their
fathers performing the caring work in the family
Children with mothers abroad tend to be more
angry, confused, apathetic and more afraid
DISPLACEMENT
Yung role ng nanay, iba na ang gumagawa
Process whereby strong negative or positive
emotions directed towards an object or person are,
because they are for some reason blocked,
redirected on to another object or person
Ricas father most usually takes god care of her,
even in dressing her hair
As soon as Ricas mother left for Paris to work as a
domestic helper, her father has since repeatedly
told her the story of the Big Lady (supposedly an
imaginary creature who goes to collect any traces of
sadness in everyones kitchen) to distract or divert
her loneliness
The Big lady goes from house to house and eats
the sadness in many houses, it just keeps on
growing each day, and cant stop growing too
Her father often comes home drunk late at night
He refuses to read the letters from her mom in Paris
The sadness collector/Big Lady became Ricas very
defense mechanism
she has listened intently to all the night noises
from the kitchen
No, that sound is not scurrying of mice shes
actually checking the plates now, lifting the lid off
 Philippine Literature: Sadness Collector
the rice pot, peeking into cups for sadness, both
overt and unspoken."
Big Lady knows, has always known. This feast will
last her a lifetime if she does not burst tonight.
The last letter from her mom is with a bank draft and a
Parisian hat.