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21st Century Literature

21st Century Literature (Centro Escolar University)

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21st REVIEWER
Period of the Third Republic (1981-
1985)
After ten years of military rule and some changes in the life
of the Filipino which started under the New Society, Martial
Rule was at last lifted on January 2, 1981.

We first got our independence from the Spaniards on June 12,

1898.

The Second was when the Americans granted us our independence

on July 4, 1946.

This period, January 2, 1981, was the Third Republic when we

were freed from Military Rule.

The First Republic he claimed was during the Philippine

Republic of Emilio Aguinaldo when we first got our
independence from the Spaniards on June 12, 1898. The Second
was when the Americans granted us our independence on July 4,
1946. This period, January 2, 1981, was the Third Republic
when we were freed from Military Rule.

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During this period, it cannot be denied that many

people seethed with rebellion and protest because
of the continued oppression and suppression. This
stage of the nation had its effect on our
literature

FILIPINO POETRY
Poems during this period of the Third Republic were romantic
and revolutionary.

Writers wrote openly of their criticism against the

government. The supplications of the people were coached in
fiery, colorful, violent, profane, and insulting language.

Poets, surprisingly, by common consent, found themselves

writing on a common subject. They aptly call it Protest
Poetry of the ’80s.

The themes of most during this time dealt with courage,

shock, and grief over the “treachery inflicted upon Aquino.”

FILIPINO SONGS
“Hindi ka Pilipino kung hindi ka marunong kumanta.”

lol wala na akong nakita sa ppt ayan lang talaga,, xd

FILIPINO FILMS
The yearly Festival of Filipino Films continued to be held
during this period.

Bilangin ang Bituin sa Langit

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A 1989 film directed by Elwood Perez. Led by Nora Aunor and

Tirso Cruz III.

Oro, Plata, Mata (Gold silver death)

A 1982 film directed by Peque Gallaga. Some of the cast were by
Cherie Gil, Sandy Andolong and Joel Torre.

Himala
Another 1982 film was directed by Ishmael Bernal. Led by Nora
Aunor as Elsa.

MEDIA OF 1983
Many composers, grieved over Ninoy Aquino’s treacherous
assassination composed songs. Among them were Coritha, Eric,
and Freddie Aguilar. Coritha and Eric composed a song titles
LABAN NG BAYAN KO and this was first sung by Coritha during
the National Unification Conference of the Opposition in
March 1985. This was also sung during the Presidential
Campaign Movement for Cory Aquino to inspire the movement
against Marcos in February 1986. Freddie Aguilar revived the
song BAYAN KO which was written by Jose Corazon de Jesus and
C. de Guzman during the American period.

For journalists, it was a year loaded with libel charges,

lawsuits, and seditious trials which they gallantly bore as
harassment suits. JAJA (Justice for Aquino, Justice for All)
Movement called for a boycott of government-controlled
newspapers in protest of media suppression.

People picketed newspapers offices with coffins to symbolize

the death of press freedom. On campuses, newspapers were set
afire to protest the lack of free expression.

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They sold our papers with the red news to the starved public;
hence, smut magazines like the TIKTIK, PLAYBOY SCENE, and
SAKDAL also played the sidewalks. Radio led by RADIO VERITAS
started reporting coverage of demonstrations.

Information Minister Gregorio Cendaña called the tabloids the

“mosquito press” and called their new “political
pornography.” However, there was a perceptible liberalization
of editorial policies in the major newspapers.

Period of the Third Republic

Many Filipino songs dealt with themes that were really true-
to-life like those of grief, poverty, aspirations for
freedom, love of God, of country, and of fellowmen.

The Spanish lyrics of Bayan Ko were originally written for

the Severino Reyes zarzuela, Walang Sugat ("no wound").
Attributed to the propagandists, General José Alejandrino,
the song expressed opposition to the ongoing American
Occupation.[1] The current and more popular Tagalog version
is attributed to José Corazón de Jesús, and the music to
Constancio de Guzmán.

"Bayan Ko" (usually translated as "My Country"; Spanish:

Nuestra Patria, lit. 'Our Fatherland') is one of the most
recognizable patriotic songs of the Philippines. It was
written in Spanish by the Revolutionary general José
Alejandrino in light of the Philippine–American War and
subsequent American occupation, and translated into Tagalog
some three decades later by the poet José Corazón de Jesús.

The song, which is a kundiman, is often considered the

unofficial second national anthem of the Philippines and is
sometimes sung by Overseas Filipinos groups after the Lupang
Hinirang or by itself. It is sometimes assumed to be folk

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music because of its popularity, and due to the nature of its

lyrics, it has been used as a protest song by different
political groups at various points in Philippine history.

In 1984, the song title was used for the movie Bayan Ko:
Kapit sa Patalim directed by Lino Brocka. The song was
censored from the film as one of the conditions for the
film's release in the Philippines.[14]

In 2013, the song was used for a series of the same title.

CONTEMPORARY PERIOD

I am not an icon of democracy. You are all, collectively,

the icon of democracy. President Corazon “Cory” Aquino

WORD BANK
APPEASING - To make someone less angry by giving or saying
something desired

CAJOLED - To persuade someone by making promises and nice things

PIQUANT - Having a pleasant or spicy taste

EPICURE - Someone who is always hungry.

Freedom became a reality

-Our freedom and democracy were won through peaceful, bloodless,
and God-blessed revolution.

What happened?

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In the span of four days from February 21- 25, 1986, the so-
called People Power (Lakas ng Bayan) prevailed. Together, the
people barricaded the streets petitioning the government for
changes and reforms.

In this historical event, the role played by two big figures

in history cannot be doubted. To Defense Minister Juan Ponce
Enrile and Armed Forces Chief of Staff Fidel V. Ramos, as
well as to the cause of freedom do the Filipinos owe their
gratitude for the blessing of independence.

LENGUA PARA DIABLO

EXCERPT FROM BANANA HEART SUMMER

MERLINDA BOBIS

About the author:

Merlinda Bobis is an Award-winning writer.

Legaspi City, Province of Albay

She is an acclaimed Filipino Australian writer and performer

who has published in three languages. 

She writes novels, short stories and poetry collections, and

plays that received various awards.

SEQUENCE:
1. I suspected that my father sold his tongue to the devil. He
had little to say in our house. Whenever he felt like
disagreeing with my mother, he murmured. “The devil ate my
words.” This meant he forgot what he was about to say and
Mother was often appeased. There was more need for
appeasement after he lost his job.

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2. The devil ate his words, the devil ate his capacity for
words, the devil ate his tongue. But perhaps only after prior
negotiation with its owner, what with Mother always
complaining, ‘I’m already taking a peek of hell!’ when it got
too hot or stuffy in our tiny house. She seemed to sweat more
that summer, and miserably. She made it sound like it’s
Father’s fault, so he cajoled her with kisses and promises of
an electric fan, bigger windows, a bigger house, but she
pushed him away, saying, ‘Get off me, I’m hot, ay, this
hellish life! Again he was ready to pledge relief, but
there’s something in my mother’s eyes that made him mutter
only the usual excuse, ‘The devil ate my words,’ before he
shut his mouth. Then he ran to the tap to get more water.

3. Lengua Para Diablo: tongue for the devil. Surely he sold his
tongue in exchange for those promises to my mother: comfort,
a full stomach, life without our wretched want…But the devil
never delivered his side of the bargain. The devil was alien
to want. He lived in a Spanish house and owned several stores
in the city. This Spanish mestizo was my father’s employer,
but only for a very short while. He sacked him and our
neighbor Tiyo Anding, also a mason, after he found a cheaper
hand for the extension of his house.

4. We never knew the devil’s name. Father was incapable of

speaking it, more so after he came home and sat in the
darkest corner of the house, and stared at his hands. It took
him two days of silent staring before he told my mother about
his fate.

5. I wondered how the devil ate my father’s tongue. Perhaps he

cooked it in mushroom sauce, in that special Spanish way that
they do ox tongue. First, it was scrupulously cleaned, rubbed
with salt and vinegar, blanched in boiling water, then
scraped off its white coating now, imagine words scraped off
the tongue, our capacity for pleasure. In all those two days
of silent staring, Father hardly ate. He said he had lost his

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taste for food, he was not hungry. Junior and Nilo were more
than happy to demolish his share of gruel with fish sauce.

6. Now, after the thoroughly clean, the tongue was pricked with
a fork to allow the flavors of all the spices and condiments
to penetrate the flesh. Then, it was browned with olive oil.
How I wish we could pick my father’s tongue back to speech
and even hunger, but of course we couldn’t, because it had
disappeared. It had been served in the devil’s platter with
garlic, onion, tomatoes, bay leaf, clove, peppercorns, soy
sauce, even sherry, butter, and Edam cheese with that aroma
of something rich and foreign. His silent tongue was already
luxuriating in a multitude of essences pampered into piquant
delight...

7. Perhaps, next, he should sell his esophagus, then his

stomach, I could if I had the chance to be that pampered. To
know for once what I would never taste. I would be soaked,
steamed, sautéed, basted, baked, boiled, fried, and feted
with only the perfect seasonings. It would become an epicure.
On a rich man’s plate, I would be initiated to flavors of
only the finest quality. In his stomach, I would be inducted
to secrets. I would be the ‘inside girl,’ and I could tell
you the true nature of state affluence

Region III Literature

Region III is rich in culture, most especially in literature.
This region was also known as the hometown of notable authors
that contributed so much.

Here are some of the well-known writers in Philippine Literature

from Bulacan.

Francisco Baltazar
Born April 2, 1788

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Bigaa, Bulacan

February 20, 1862

a.k.a Kikong Balagtas

King of the Tagalogs poets

Virgilio S. Almario
March 9, 1944

San Miguel, Bulacan,

Pen name Rio Alma

Ang Makata sa Panahon ng Makina (1972) - considered the first

book of literary criticism in Filipino

Di na Tayo Umiibig Tulad Noon.

Francisco “Soc” Rodrigo

December 30, 1955

Bulakan, Bulacan 

media personality and Senator who served in the 3rd, 4th, and
5th Congresses

playwright in English and Tagalog

most celebrated play was Sa Pula, Sa Puti 

most popular Kuro – Kuro sa likod ng mga Balita known for his

tanaga.

Francisco Baltazar was born on April 2, 1788 in

Bigga, Bulacan in the Philippines. He was the
youngest of four children. As a young child,
Baltazar displayed an interest in writing poetry

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and he displayed great potential. He won a number

of awards and accolades for some of his pieces
such as "Ama ng Balagtasan." He was even featured
on the front cover of a local magazine in
recognition of his outstanding writing talent.
Francisco Baltazar became a very well-known and
highly regarded poet not only because he had a
gift for words but also because he associated with
individuals who helped him hone his craft. Two
people that would influence Baltazar's development
as a poet were:

Literature is one way for us to hear the voices of

the past and work with the present. It is a way
for the present to connect to the possible future.
Story telling is one way for humans to reach out
to other humans. It is therapy, confession,
entertainment,

Asian Literature
-encompasses the rich and widely diverse cultural and ethnic
heritages found in Asian countries

Histories under Asian Country (Afghanistan)

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Afghanistan used to be a progressive Muslim country before

the Taliban gained power

The Taliban also protected the well-known terrorist Osama

Bin, Laden

The USA invaded Afghanistan and removed the Taliban from

power.

Gender roles are highly patriarchal and rigidly defined in

Afghan culture.

The men are viewed as the main income earner.

A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS by Khaled

Hosseini
Khaled Hosseini
Kabul, Afghanistan

Moved to the United States in 1980

He wrote this novel to voice out the rights of every woman in

Afghanistan

MARIAM
Jalil- a wealthy businessman, Jalil abandons Mariam, his only
illegitimate child, at his wives' wishes. Years later, he finds
Mariam to express his deep regret for her childhood and his love
for her.

Nana- Mariam's mother who, after having lost her teenage

sweetheart and becoming a mother out of wedlock, is a strict,
bitter woman who eventuallycommits suicide.

LAILA

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Hakim - Laila's father, Hakim is bookish and sensitive and does

his best to give Laila an education, stressing to her that women
should have every opportunity that men have.

Fariba- Utterly destroyed by her sons' decision to go to war and

then both of their deaths as a result of it, Fariba is a distant
mother to Laila — although once she was an exuberant presence in
her community.

CONTEMPORARY THEMES AND TECHNIQUES

What is a theme?
The theme of a story is what the author is trying to convey -
the central idea of the story

Short stories often have just one theme – novels usually have
multiple themes

What is contemporary Literature?

Contemporary means living, belonging to, or occurring in the
present

Contemporary literature is defined as literature written

after World War II through the current day.

reflect a society's social and/or political viewpoints, shown

through realistic characters, connections to current events,
and socioeconomic messages.

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What are Techniques? Techniques are similar, irony may be

a statement or situation where the meaning is
contradicted by the appearance or presentation of the
idea.

CONTEMPORARY COMMON THEMES AND TECHNIQUES

IRONY - is the use of words to convey the opposite of

their literal meaning.

a. Situation Irony  - When the outcome in a situation is the

opposite of what is expected.

b. Verbal Irony - When words are used to convey a meaning that

is opposite of their literal meaning

c. Dramatic Irony- When the reader or audience knows more about

the action than the character involved.

INTERTEXTUALITY - a literary device that creates an

"interrelationship between texts"

PASTICHE - also applies to a literary work that is a broad

mixture of things – such as themes, concepts, and characters
imitated from different literary works.

METAFICTION - fiction about fiction, It is fiction that

thinks, writes, or talks about itself. Stories that are about
writing stories are an example of metafiction. In short,
metafiction is a story that acknowledges itself as a story.

POIOUMENA - a specific type of Metafiction that refers to the

process of creation. Some writers are using poioumenon to
tell the creation of the story they are telling.

HISTORIOGRAPHIC METAFICTION - Refers to works that

fictionalize actual historical events or figures. But some
definition states that it rejects projecting present believes

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and standards on the past and asserts the specificity and

particularity of individual past events.

TEMPORAL DISTORTION - fragmentation and non-linear narratives

are central features in both modern and postmodern
literature. Distortions in time are central features and the
author presents multiple possible events occurring
simultaneously

MAGIC REALISM - refers to the real world whilst adding

magical elements thus making it magical in a real-world
setting. It paints fantasy and magic in the real world.
Within a work of magical realism, the world is still grounded
in the real world, but fantastical elements are considered
normal in this world.

TECHNOCULTURE AND HYPERREALITY - It is a type of fiction

where reality is influenced by technology, most computers,
and the internet. It is when society has moved from the
industrial age into the information age. It is in which
simulations replaced the reality

PARANOIA - belief that there's an ordering system behind the

chaos of the world. For the postmodernist, no ordering system
exists, so a search for order is fruitless and absurd.
Paranoia also means the fear of the unknown.

FABULATION - A rejection of realism which embraces the notion

that literature is a created work and not bound by notions of
literature (e. g. traditional structure of novel, or role of
the narrator, including fantastical elements)

MAXIMALISM - This technique has a sprawling canvas and

fragmented narrative. Maximalist novel disorganized, sterile,
and filled with language play for its own sake, empty of
emotional commitment—and therefore empty of value as a novel.

MINIMALISM - the short stories are "slice of life" stories.

The opposite of maximalism. A representation of only the most
basic and necessary pieces, specific by the economy with

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words. Minimalist authors hesitate to use adjectives,

adverbs, or meaningless details. instead of providing every
minute detail, the author provides a general context and then
allows the reader's imagination to shape the story.

GCASH: Aaliyah Cristobal (0977-777-8219)

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