Biography

Javellana was born in 1918 in Iloilo. He fought as a guerrilla during the Japanese invasion of the
Philippines. After World War II, he graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Law
in 1948. He stayed in the United States afterwards but he died in the Visayas in 1977 at the age of 59.

Javellana was the author of a best-selling war novel in the United States (U.S.) and Manila, Without
Seeing the Dawn, published by Little, Brown and Company in Boston in 1947. His short stories were
published in the Manila Times Magazine in the 1950s, among which are Two Tickets to Manila, The
Sin of Father Anselmo, Sleeping Tablets, The Fifth Man, The Tree of Peace and Transition. Without
Seeing the Dawn, also known as The Lost Ones, is his only novel.
Without Seeing the Dawn

Stevan Javallana

The title of Stevan Javellana's only novel in English Without Seeing the Dawn was derived from one
of José Rizal's character in the Spanish-language novel Noli Me Tangere or Touch Me Not. Javellana's
368-paged book has two parts, namely Day and Night. The first part, Day, narrates the story of a pre-
war barrio and its people in the Panay Island particularly in Iloilo. The second part, Night, begins
with the start of World War II in both the U.S. and the Philippines, and retells the story of the
resistance movement against the occupying Japanese military forces of the barrio people first seen in
Day. It narrates the people's "grim experiences" during the war.

First published in 1947, Javellana's novel sold 125,000 copies in the U.S. and was reprinted in
paperback edition in Manila by Alemar's-Phoenix in 1976. The same novel was made into a film by
the Filipino film maker and director, Lino Brocka under the title Santiago!, which starred the Filipino
actor and former presidential candidate, Fernando Poe, Jr. and the Filipino actress, Hilda Koronel. It
was also made into a mini-series film for Philippine television. The published novel received praises
from the New York Times, New York Sun and Chicago Sun. Without Seeing the Dawn, the novel,
became the culmination of Javellana's short-story writing career. The said novel was also known
under the title The Lost Ones. It is currently a book requirement to the first year students of the
University of the Philippines Rural High School.

"I die without seeing the dawn brighten over my native land. You who have it to see, welcome it--and
forget not those who have fallen during the night! (Elias, Noli Me Tangere)

Upon his return, Lucia was pregnant but his father and their son died. At first he was not toldthe
truth, the real reason why his father and son died was because they were killed by Japanese soldiers,
not byillness. His wife was also raped by the Japanese occupiers. He was angered after knowing the
truth and becamean enemy executioner. Because of Ricardo's behavior, Lucia sent him away. When
the Japanese invadersordered the people to go to a designated barrio to be identified as non-
guerrillas, the Manhayang villagers evacuated the area, except for Lucia who wanted to wait for
Ricardo who would be leading the "suicide attack"at the enemies' garrison. When they met, Ricardo
asked for Lucia's forgiveness but said farewell after giving Lucia some money. Lucia refused and
stayed even if she had to welcome back Ricardo as a corpse.

SUMMARY:

The novel “Without Seeing the Dawn” first published in 1947, is set in a small farming village called
Manhayang, Sta. Barbara, somewhere in Negros. Like most rural barangays, the hardworking and
closely-knit village folk there had simple needs, simple wants, and simple dreams. They were living
their own simple lives when the violence of war reached their place and brought death to their
village, their homes and their hearts.

Here revolves the story of one Ricardo Suerte, also called Carding, son of Juan Suerte. An industrious,
strong and sometimes quick-tempered young man, he aspired to marry sweet Lucia, the daughter of
the teniente del barrio. Though his father thought he was not yet prepared and had wished to send
him to school, he gave his blessing to the decision of his son. He consented to asking Lucia’s hand
from her parents in the traditional pamamanhikan, accompanied by the village’s best orator and the
godmother of the lass. After agreeing to the conditions of the village chief, the marriage was set. Tatay
Juan gathered up almost all of his hard-earned savings for the dowry and expenses for the wedding
feast. Meantime, Carding excitedly built their house despite the advice of the elderly- that building
one’s house in May will bring misfortune to its inhabitants.

And so it came to pass that after the grand wedding and the feast that followed- which was even
attended by their representate- the newlyweds lived happily on the land entrusted to Tatay Juan by
Don Diego, but not ever after. Misfortune struck early when their first child was stillborn. A more
difficult trial came when Lucing disgraced herself, her family and her husband by the temptation of a
houseguest-Luis, the son of their landlord. Caught naked, he was beaten up by the strong, angry
husband whose honor and pride were hurt. The couple patched things up, but the land that Carding
and Juan Suerte had been tilling for a very long time was given to another tenant.

With no land to till, the pair tried their luck in the city. There, in Iloilo, Carding met Rosing and
Nestong. The latter was his fellow stevedore and union member, and the former, a prostitute besotted
with him, and also the reason why his wife left him and returned to their barrio. Soon, Carding
followed Lucing with news that the representante entrusted them with land to till in Badlan. Lucing
too, had news for her husband: she was again pregnant.

They moved to Badlan and worked harder than ever. They were blessed not only by a promise of a
bountiful harvest, but also with a healthy son they named Crisostomo. Sadly, their landlord sold the
land, and they were given time to harvest what they sowed. Misfortune was like a shadow though. A
great flood destroyed everything that they had- harvest and carabao as well.

Wanting to own their own piece of land, they were convinced to move to Mindanao, but Carding was
drafted for military service. When he returned, he was delighted to find his wife heavy with another
child. Misfortune welcomed him again as he was told that Tatay Juan and Crisostomo died of some
illness. Little did he know that the Japanese soldiers who attacked their village killed his father and
son and raped his wife. When he found out the truth, he became like a fearsome madman that even
his wife and mother-in-law thought him to be bad. As his neighbors, relatives and friends in barrio
Manhayang were tortured, raped and massacred by the Japanese soldiers, Carding too became a
seemingly heartless executioner to his enemies, and not even his friend nor the brother of his mother-
in-law were spared. He also almost killed the child that his wife had just delivered, were it not born
dead. For that, Lucing was so enraged that she sent him away and wished him dead.

The Japanese ordered everyone to enter a collective barrio or else be considered guerrilla supporters
and be shot. But the villagers of Manhayang also refused to be considered enemies of their own sons,
and so they decided to evacuate in barrios farther away. However, Lucing was hesitant to go. She was
waiting to see her husband despite everything, knowing that he will be leading the suicide attack to
the Japanese garrison. When they did see each other, Carding asked for her forgiveness and left her
what cash he had as he bade her farewell. In the end, Lucing refused to flee for she knew that she was
still his wife, duty-bound to receive the corpse of her beloved husband.
Characters

 Polo
 Gondoy
 Flora
 Rosing
 Alicia
 Reuben
 Ricardo "Carding"Suerte
 Lucia "Lucing"
 Juan "Tatay Juan" Suerte
 Luis
 Don Diego
 Rosing
 Nestong
 Crisostomo

Main Character:

CARDING - An industrious, strong and sometimes quick-tempered young man. The son of Juan
Suerte who helps his father to plow the land.

LUCING - The beautiful daughter of Teniente Paul. Holds the beauty title as Ms. Barangay Fiesta.
And Cardings, sweetheart.

Teniente Paul - Barangay Chief of Manhayang.

Theme

The Filipinos resistance and movements against the Japanese while they occupied the Philippines.

How the Filipinos lived before and during the invasion of the Japanese

The Filipinos constant search for Love, Justice and Freedom

Point of View

The story is narrated in third person.

Symbolism

"Day - talking about a time of peace, hapiness

"Night - talking about a time of war, Terror, Chaos

Dawn - new beginning, hope, freedom

Cow - wedding is prepared grandiosely

Gun - revenge, war

Genitals - manhood, Identity

Pair of shoes - Carding’s loyalty/ whom he gives importance

Setting

The story was happened in the suburbs of Iloilo, a barrio named Manhayang in the town of Santa
Barbara.

Place - Manhayang, Sta. Barbara, Iloilo City

Time - World War II, Japanese Invasion

Day - Pre-Japanese war

Night - WWII

Conflict

MAN vs. MAN

MAN vs. SOCIETY

Plot

The novel was set in a small farming village called Manhayang in Santa Barbara, Iloilo. The residents
of the barangay were living their simple life when the violence of war reached their place and
broughtdeath and suffering. Ricardo "Carding" Suerte, the young son of Juan Suerte wanted to marry
Lucia (nicknamed"Lucing"), the daughter of the teniente del barrio. Although Ricardo's father wished
to send him to school first,the blessing to marry was given and the traditional asking the hand custom
known as the pamamanhikan was done. Ricardo built a house for him and his wife on the land that
was entrusted to Ricardo's father by Don Diego (a landlord) despite the advice of the elderly that
building one's house in May will bring misfortune. Soon after, misfortune struck: their first child was
stillborn, Lucia had an affair with Luis, the son of Don Diego, and the land the Suerte's had been
tilling was given to another tenant. The couple went to Iloilo City where Ricardo met fellow stevedore
and union member Nestong and Rosing, a prostitute. Lucia left Ricardo because of Rosing. Ricardo
followed Lucia who was then in Badlan after receiving news that Lucia was pregnant and that the
representante (representative) entrusted them with a land to till. They named their son
Crisostomo.Misfortune came again because their landlord sold the land they were tilling, and a flood
destroyed their harvest and killed their carabao. They went to Mindanao to find a land to own.
However, Ricardo was drafted for military service.