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Kit A. Nadado English 343: Asian Literature Dr. Sherman Han

The Americanized Filipino: The Traditional Versus The American Ideals in Dogeaters Jessica Hagedorns Dogeaters is a novel deemed as a collage of perspectives from people in different walks of life, portraying the ups and downs, joys and dilemmas of the Philippines in a time where the country was bound by the post-colonial influence and illusions of the American dreams. Each chapter is narrated by an independent character of a certain social class. Each character portrays a story in their own perspective that reveals much of their personality, situation and social status. Each narrative, however fragmented, contributes to a wider picture, a bigger story, revealing the ideals and the issues the people face in the Filipino society altered by the American post-colonial influence. This research aims to analyze the narratives told in the story and examine the effects on the emergence of the American ideals and its effects to traditional Filipino culture. This research will also examine how American ideals are disseminated to reshape the taste and culture of the people and society as a whole. We will accomplish this task by analyzing and comparing contradicting character narratives on both traditional and Americanized perspectives. By undertaking these methods, Jessica Hagedorns Dogeaters becomes is a testament on how post-colonial American ideals alter the

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traditional Filipino culture using media by popularizing taste preference, therefore, establishing class distinctions in the society. Dogeaters is a story set in an era of economic and political instability in the Philippines during the 1970s where American influence is apparent in the media and is dominant over the Filipino culture. Dan Bacalzo, in his review for Dogeaters described the setting of the story as an era infused with a Filipino pop culture aesthetic that draws from American movies, local radio soap operas, and a celebrity-driven political system(np). This description portrays a dominance of the American culture versus the Filipino that is apparent to the taste of characters in the story as portrayed by the media. One of the notable characters for analysis relevant to this description is the first lady, the presidents wife. Her name was not disclosed by the author but is known by the title Madame. Madame is considered to be the foremost carrier and transmitter of the American taste in the country. From her eccentric dream of George Hamilton in a tuxedo to her encounters with Cristina Ford, her words and actions spell a fanatic obsession with everything American. Being the wife of the president, she possesses the wealth and capacity to fulfill her American obsessions. One of her obsession is to guarantee the showing of the most recent American movies throughout the Philippines. In a talk show, she states her reasons behind these actions, What would be life without movies, di ba? We Filipinos, we know how to endure, and we embrace movies. With movies, everything is okay lang. (224). Madames reasons point out that the purpose of American movies is to help Filipinos endure life by acting as a form of diversion to temporarily forget personal predicaments. The movies then take a big

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step forward in the popular culture of the country as it becomes the most popular source of entertainment. Thus, Hollywood was brought to the Philippines through Madames will, a result of her whims. Hollywood becomes Madames basis of taste and later on affects the whole nations taste as a part of assimilation. Werrlein, commenting on Madames statement, indicated that Hollywoods appeal produces a nation of infantilized people for whom the decontextualized pleasure of consumption perpetuates assimilation. (37). This means that Hollywoods influence not only provides entertainment and leisure but generally changes peoples perspective in taste. By the continuing support and exposure to Hollywoods influence, people are assimilated to the taste portrayed by its movies and shows. The Philippines at the time of Dogeaters is relatively new to these colonial influences and is considered an infant. That is the reason why the Filipinos, as portrayed in the book exhibits immature obsession over this new culture. This is true in the context of Dogeaters . We achieve the relevance of the Hollywood influence in the analysis of characters like Rio and Pucha. They are perhaps the best example of the infantilized Filipino in lieu with the influence of Hollywood. Rio and Pucha exhibits the willful obsession about everything Hollywood in their choices of fashion, movie preference and ideals. For example, we examine Rio, one of the primary voices in the book and her childhood narrative. She recounts growing up watching American films, imitating and idolizing actresses from the United States. With these actions, Rio is practicing colonial mimicry over American culture through the influence of movies, a form of popular media. Werrlein, in his article

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Legacies of the Innocent Frontier, described colonial mimicry as the desire for a reformed recognizable Other, as a subject of a difference that is almost the same, but not quite (33). The Other described by Werrlein is the better preference as established by the society over the deemed degenerate traditional preference. The Other refers to the good taste as prescribed by the society through the American movies. Werrlein goes on saying, *Rios+ privilege of viewing a film in English provides a sense of connectedness to what resides outside the Philippines. (Hagedorn 34). Thus, by watching American films, Rio is satisfying her desire to be assimilated into the American ideals even through the superficial way of the movies. The same goes with Rios cousin, Pucha. Heavy preference on the American ideals establishes identities for both Rio and Pucha as they both get immersed by the American ideals portrayed in the media through the movies. Considering taste preference of the upper class through the perspectives of Madame, Rio and as well as her cousin, class distinction is established through the recognition and application of taste preference as prescribed by American ideals portrayed in the movies. Obviously, Madame belongs to the upper class, being the presidents wife, as well as Rio and Pucha, being relatives to the businessman Gonzaga. These characters belong to the upper class and are representations of the taste existing in that class. Acceptance and membership to the upper class may likewise depend on the capacity of the person to acquire commodities as requirements. The acquisition of commodities then becomes a way for assimilation to the preferred ideals to be possible. Istvan Konya, a researcher for cultural assimilation stated that, assimilation is a costly activity, and the cost might differ across generations (18). This means that in order for a person to be accepted for membership into the upper class, a great

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extent of wealth is needed. Assimilation will only be possible depending on the capacity of a person to obtain certain commodities as requirements for membership of the upper class. A certain taste preference is also needed for this assimilation to be possible. Hence, the American taste becomes the basis for the taste preference in the upper class. People who are accepted in this class then experience a sense of colonial mentality for the American taste. In connection with the statements above, the process of experiencing colonial mentality includes a degrading effect over traditional taste and ideals, favoring colonial taste. Basically, the term colonial mentality is defined as the preference of colonial taste which includes feelings of inferiority with the persons own culture. EJ David, a Filipino studying the effects of the post colonial American ideals in the Philippines described colonial mentality as an insidious psychological consequence of Filipinos' historical and contemporary experiences. colonized Filipinos were inculcated to believe that being White, Western, or American is the only right or civilized way to live, making Filipinos aspire to become as American or as White as possible, and regard anything American or European as superior to anything Filipino. (np ). This means that acquisition of colonial commodities and qualities becomes the major goal of a person experiencing colonial mentality as these actions give them a feel of assimilation. The traditional practitioners then are deemed as inferior and primitive. This description is true in the context of Dogeaters and its characters like Rio. One of the chapters depicts Rio and her family going to Baguio, a place known to be a cold place in the Philippines, resembling an American-like atmosphere, for a vacation. One of Rios apparent motives for this excursion is to experience the Western way of living by utilizing fashion and clothing imitating actresses they idolize from American movies. Rios description of their lifestyle in Baguio, such as, renting an imitation

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Swiss chalet and her dreamy make believe of being the actress Jane Wyman depicts her utmost preference over the colonial taste. Important to also take note, is that during this vacation, Rio was depicted exploiting her Filipino ancestry by her show of disgust over traditional ornaments sold in the marketplace. Such preference of the American taste over the traditional Filipino taste is a clear evidence of the colonial mentality experienced by Filipinos in Dogeaters. Having established the influential effects of the post-colonial American ideals on the taste of the upper-class, we now examine the other perspective portrayed in the story: the traditional. Also featured in Dogeaters, are interesting accounts of Filipinos who remain intact in their enduring preference of traditional ideals despite of the overpowering influence of the American ideals. Two characters of great interest are Lola Narcissa and Domingo Avila. Their narratives provide accounts of their great efforts of preserving traditional Filipino ideals, as well as their defiance over the overpowering influence of American ideals. We first analyze Lola Narcissas narrative. Lola Narcissas way of living symbolizes the traditional perspective on Filipino values in an Americanized setting. Lola Narcissa, Rios grandmother, who is now in her later years, is perhaps the oldest character depicted in the story. She was married to an American soldier early in her years yet her ways and practices are signs of refusal to adapt to the American way of living. This refusal is shown in her persistent superstitious beliefs and her traditional ways of living. Take for example her belief of the cause of death of her husband. When her husband Whitman got sick, he was first diagnosed with malaria in an American hospital. Later on, the doctors were unable to find out his real illness and came up with farfetched stories that were not related to his sickness. Lola Narcissa, on

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the other hand never believed the American Doctors. She persistently claims that her husband is actually sick with bangungot, a sickness described as a nightmare sickness, a delirious fever in which *the patient+ sweats, sleeps and screams. (Hagedorn 14). This sickness is believed to kill the victim in his sleep by overpowering nightmares wrought by evil spirits. Dr. Leary, Whitmans doctor dismissed this notion as a native superstition, a figment of the overwrought Filipino imagination (Hagedorn 14). Bangungot then, is deemed as nothing but a superstition yet Lola Narcissa faithfully adheres to this traditional idea with total faith. Lola Narcissas perspective is a form of defiance to the American grip in the country during those times. This perspective is contrary to the rest of her family who are fanatics to everything American. For example, instead of eating with her Americanized family who talks nothing but American movies and fashion, Lola Narcissa eats with the house maids while they eat kamayan (Hagedorn 9) listening to Filipino drama on the radio. Kamayan here means eating using the hands. This way of eating is without the aid of the spoon and the fork, a century old traditional way of eating for Filipinos. Her refusal to embrace the fad has earned herself the title eccentric, an outcast in the family. She is kept from visitors to prevent shame in the familys part. Hence, Lola Narcissa is just one of the victims of the postcolonial taste selection in the country. Society time has defined the acceptable and the unacceptable. Preference must lead to the modernized American style. Deviation from it or simply staying in the traditional way will deem you as unacceptable in the upper class. Although Lola Narcissa is undeniably part of Rios upper class family, her actions and beliefs put her to a class, lower than the rest of her family as defined by the society.

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Another interesting character that is notable for his adherence to traditional beliefs is the senator Domingo Avila. Avila is the head of the opposition in the senate and opposes the governments lavish regard on the American dream including the purchase of unnecessary commodities to satisfy the upper class taste. Avila believes, speaking to the Filipinos in his speech that we Pinoys suffer collectively from a cultural inferiority complex. We are doomed by our need for assimilation into the West (Hagedorn 175). This accusation is directed to the whole country that seems to be in a constant hunger for th e Hollywood dream, the glamour of America. Avila believes that the original Filipino culture is dying and being replaced by this foreign culture. Avila deems this behavior as atrocious, and so he fights for the return to the Filipino ideal. Leonard Casper, a literary critic, described Domingo Avila as an incorruptible rare oppositionist to a way of death disguised as a way of life (153). Later in the story, the senator will be assassinated for his political opinions. Caspers comment means that Avilas death will soon be the cause of an awakening, a means of giving life to nationalism that was long gone in the country. The established social taste in Dogeaters would not allow Avilas ideals to pursue because these ideals are contrary to that of the dominant class, which is the upper class. Avilas assassination is a means of retaliation to maintain these ideals and therefore maintain the governments class and status. Lola Narcissas narrative, in lieu with Domingo Avilas narrative, depicts not only the efforts of maintaining traditional ideals but also the consequences of going against the established American post-colonial ideals of the dominant class. In the case of Dogeaters, traditional nationalists are deemed as weird or having bad taste in the eyes of the dominant class. Based on the narrative of Domingo Avila, forcing traditional ideals to the upper class

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results to an offensive retaliation of that class, in their mutual attempt to maintain their own established ideals. The upper class defense for the American post-colonial ideals is in fact a form of hegemony. Hegemony is a term coined by the Marxist, Antonio Gramsci. According to Gramsci, hegemony is a process of moral and intellectual leadership through which dominated or subordinate classes consent to their own domination by ruling classes, as opposed to being simply forced or coerced into accepting inferior positions. (qtd in Mastroianni). This means that cultural taste is defined by the ruling or the dominant classes to establish class distinction among the dominant and the dominated. This is another way to separate classes and maintain status of each class. This concept is working in the context of Dogeaters. The media, through the control of the dominant class, becomes the medium for the establishment of taste in the Dogeaters society. American ideals are promoted and traditional ideals are gradually eradicated in the process. Thus, the upper class maintains their social status and the traditional lower class maintain the same social status as well. The play between narratives of the traditional and the American idealized characters in Jessica Hagedorns Dogeaters provide interesting insights on how taste is established in the Filipino society. The upper-class Filipinos in this novel embrace the post-colonial American ideals, defining taste as well as boundaries for class distinction in the society. Like most of the characters in the story, finding a place within the classes is complex as this process requires the acquisition of certain commodities and preferences. What we call a better way of living in this society can be a mutual embracing of both traditional and American ideals. If this feat is at all possible, there is a potential for a balanced ideology for Filipinos. The traditional ideals are satisfied as well as the American.