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'No matter how bad a book might be, something of value could be gleaned from it.
-Pliny

'A book that has no value is a trash.`


BeIore a reader accept or reject a work oI literature as a paragon oI beauty, virtue
and excellence, he must Iirst measure its quality by studying and analyzing the various
values it oIIers. But Iirst let us give the deIinition oI 'values oI literature in order to
have a common point oI reIerence and thereIore avoid conIusion and mistakes. The
phrase "values oI literature" reIers to those qualities oI poems, stories, novels, etc. that
make them worthwhile to read. II we Ieel our time reading is well spent, we can say that a
work has value Ior us. II reading the work was a complete waste, then we might say it has
no value Ior us. And there is a spectrum between the two extremes.

It is very important to analyze literary pieces because it is universally known that
literature attempts to promote certain ideas, values, or ideologies. So studying a certain
literary piece assures someone to know its precise nature and content. Let us not Iorget
that all literary works are produced by speciIic human beings belonging to speciIic
cultures at given historical times and occupying very deIinite positions within the
structures and hierarchies oI their societies. Not surprisingly, the ideas and values which
literary works seek to promote are inIluenced by the history, culture and circumstances
relevant to the individuals who produce them. Rather than a disinterested or idealistic
endeavor, literature is a very worldly and very practical sort oI activity aimed at the
promotion and dissemination oI cultural values and views oI the world which are tightly
connected to the interests oI the author and oI the dominant and other powers in her/his
society. It should be noted oI course that the relation oI the author to the powers,
institutions, and systems oI belieI oI his/her time can be one oI aIIinity, opposition, or
even ambiguity.
For these reasons, an understanding oI literature and oI particular literary texts
depends not only on the isolated reading oI certain individual works and the
consideration oI their authors` lives and their circumstances but also upon a solid
knowledge and critical examination oI the human history, language, and culture
(including art, music, philosophy, religion, science, politics, etc.) oI which literature
Iorms part and which it represents. The study oI literature is thereIore an eminently
interdisciplinary endeavor through which we attempt to make sense oI the human
experience throughout history and oI the ways in which human beings represent that
experience and come to an understanding oI themselves and oI the world around them.
Literary texts in eIIect oIten veil the 'truth' which they seek to convey in an attempt at
enhancing its attractiveness and endowing it with a sense oI mystery and transcendental
value. Literature, much like modern advertisement, is oIten an attempt at persuasion
which operates on subliminal levels and artIully instills its message by concealing it
under a cover oI Iictional situations and devices aIIecting the audience on emotional,
intuitive, experiential, and instinctive levels. An excellent specimen oI literature conveys
its true message by constructing a set oI emotionally charged and seemingly "realistic"
situations leading to the almost unavoidable, but always unstated, conclusion oI the
story's intended moral. Literary texts thus convey meaning to their readers in ways which
go Iar beyond the mere literal or "surIace" level oI signiIication. Indeed, literary texts
distinguish themselves Irom other texts by the subtleties and intricacies oI their many
levels oI meaning and by the common Iact that the actual "meaning" oI the text is almost
always hidden and implicit in the Iabric oI the work's devices. Meaning in literature is
thereIore something that needs to be determined not merely on the basis oI a Iace value
understanding oI the words in it but through a complete evaluation oI the signiIying
complexity oI the rhetoric, Iigures oI speech, images, symbols, allusions, connotations,
suggestions, and implications oI the entire text.

This essay then undertakes to measure the quality oI the contemporary novel
'#A' which is written by one oI the Philippines great writers in English; Francisco
Sionil Jose. The Iive parts into which this essay is divided are devoted respectively to the
Iactual or inIormational, psychological, human, symbolic and, lastly and most vital oI all,
ethical values that the novel possesses and oIIers to the critical and analytical reader oI
the digital era.
























VIBORA!
-F. SIONIL JOS-

The title oI this novel has something to do with seeking, Ior that is what it has
been, the search Ior this elusive character, this 'viper-no, not the snake, but the man who
used it as his nom de guerre, this enigma oI a patriot-even this deIining term is open to
question.

Characters:
Benjamin Singkol-the narrator, and the main character; a novelist
searching Ior Ricarte`s true character
JoseIina-his daughter; searching Ior justice, truth and other things missing
in our country
Pepe Leynes- Singkol`s Iriend; an Ilokano historian, searching Ior a true
Filipino patriot
Fred Lang-another Iriend; seeking the Iamous Yamashita treasure
aruko Kitamura- Singkol`s Japanese Iriend; a journalist and writer

Summary:
VIBORA! is a brieI yet perplexingly unique a novel composed oI letters, diary
and journal entries and little narration. It is a story within a story which tells about
Benjamin Ben Singkol`s research about the Filipino hero Artemio Ricarte Ior his novel
Vibora!. Benjamin "Ben" Singkol, who is described by Jose as 'perhaps the most
interesting character he created, is a renowned novelist who wrote the book entitled
"!ain", an autobiography written during the Japanese occupation oI the Philippines.
Singkol was described to be a coward, an uncircumcised man who did not only run away
Irom such a 'ritual oI manhood but also evaded his 'Ioxhole in Bataan when the
Japanese soldiers were closing in. Singkol was a 'runner or 'evader throughout much
oI his liIetime, while being haunted by the 'poverty oI his boyhood and oI the
'treachery that he may have committed in the past. In 1982, Singkol began receiving
letters Irom a Japanese named aruko Kitamura. It is just very opportune Ior Singkol
because Kitamura is a writer and a journalist who can help him Iind relevant inIormation
on Ricarte. During his research, he is visited by Fred Lana in order to ask Ior his help in
the Ior the Iabled 'Yamashita treasure. Singkol has a daughter who has her own search,
too; the search Ior the real Filipino heroes in the contemporary times, search Ior the truth.
Singkol read many letters Irom Iriends, diary and journal entries and other relevant
articles about Ricarte. In his research Singkol Iound out that During the US-Philippine
War in 1900 (a post extension oI the 1898 Spanish-American War), General Artemio
Ricarte (1866-1945), considered the "Father oI the Philippine Army was captured and
reIused to take the oath oI allegiance to the US Government. e was exiled, he returned,
was exiled again, returned and started to re-kindle an insurrection. e was arrested and
sentenced to 6 years in prison. e received political asylum in Japan where he lived with
his wiIe quietly Ior 30 years. e returned with the Japanese invaders to the Philippines in
1941 as an aide or interpreter to assist the Philippine people into accepting Japanese
occupation. Upon the invasion oI the US/Allies in 1944, Ricarte took to the hills as a
"hunted guerilla", with a bounty on his head, and died in the mountains at age 79. AIter
the long and careIul research, Singkol did not only learn many things about Ricarte but
also realized many vital things regarding Philippine history. But despite it all, he leaves
the Iinal decision to the reader whether Ricarte was a patriot or a collaborator.

About the Author
F. Sionil 1os or in Iull Francisco Sionil 1os is one oI the most widely-read
Filipino writers in the English language. is novels and short stories depict the social
underpinnings oI class struggles and colonialism in Filipino society. e is also the most
translated Filipino writer in English. is works have been translated into 22 languages,
including Korean, Indonesian, Russian, Latvian, Ukrainian and Dutch.
Jose was born in Rosales, Pangasinan, the setting oI many oI his stories. e spent
his childhood in Barrio Cabugawan, Rosales, where he Iirst began to write. Jose was oI
Ilocano descent whose Iamily had migrated to Pangasinan beIore his birth. Fleeing
poverty, his IoreIathers traveled Irom Ilocos towards Cagayan Valley through the Santa
Fe Trail. Like many migrant Iamilies, they brought their liIetime possessions with them,
including uprooted molave posts oI their old houses and their alsong, a stone mortar Ior
pounding rice.
One oI the greatest inIluences to Jose was his industrious mother who went out oI
her way to get him the books he loved to read, while making sure her Iamily did not go
hungry despite oI poverty and landlessness. Jose started writing in grade school, at the
time he started reading. In the IiIth grade, one oI Jose`s teachers opened the school
library to her students, which is how Jose managed to read the novels oI Jose Rizal, Willa
Cather`s My Antonia, Faulkner and Steinbeck. Reading about asilio and Crispin in
Rizal`s Noli Me Tangere made the young Jose cry, because injustice was not an alien
thing to him. When Jose was Iive years old, his grandIather who was a soldier during the
Philippine revolution, had once tearIully showed him the land their Iamily had once tilled
but was taken away by rich mesti:o landlords who knew how to work the system against
illiterates like his grandIather.
Jose attended the University oI Santo Tomas aIter World War II, but dropped out
and plunged into writing and journalism in Manila. In subsequent years, he edited various
literary and journalistic publications, started a publishing house, and Iounded the
Philippine branch oI PEN, an international organization Ior writers. Jose received
numerous awards Ior his work. The !retenders is his most popular novel, which is the
story oI one man's alienation Irom his poor background and the decadence oI his wiIe's
wealthy Iamily.
Jose Rizal's liIe and writings proIoundly inIluenced Jose's work. The Iive-volume
Rosales Saga, in particular, employs and interrogates themes and characters Irom Rizal's
work.
Throughout his career, Jose's writings espouse social justice and change to better
the lives oI average Filipino Iamilies. e is one oI the most critically acclaimed Filipino
authors internationally, although much underrated in his own country because oI his
authentic Filipino English and his anti-elite views.
"Authors like myself choose the city as a setting for their fiction because the city
itself illustrates the progress or the sophistication that a particular country has achieved.
r, on the other hand, it might also reflect the kind of decay, both social and perhaps
moral, that has come upon a particular people."-F. Sionil 1os, 2003
Sionil Jose also owns Solidaridad Bookshop, which is on Padre Faura Street in
Ermita, Manila. The bookshop oIIers mostly hard-to-Iind books and Filipiniana reading
materials. It is said to be one oI the Iavorite haunts oI many local writers.


























!ART I

1^IJ1^1/ 1P1O1N^J1OP^1 ^111

lNTRODUCTlON

A good pIece oI IIterature, such as noveIs, must oIIer somethIng
IactuaI or InIormatIve to the reader to Increase hIs knowIedge and
Improve hIs perceptIon oI the worId. t must teII thIngs about the worId,
about other peopIe and IIIe In the other Iands. Furthermore, the reader
must Iearn somethIng Irom the author`s descrIptIon oI peopIe, pIaces and
thIngs In the noveI and Irom the characters` conversatIons.

CHAPTER l

The Philippine History and the Filipinos in VIOKA|

".I doub| il Ricar|c`s lilc will |cach us anv|hin, lor wc Iilipinos havc no mcmorv,
no scnsc ol |hc pas|" (i|alics oursi (VIBORA!, 10i.

Vha| |hcn is |hc lu|urc ol small coun|rics likc Iilipinas. Pcrhaps wc arc la|cd |o
allv oursclvcs wi|h |hc powcrlul il wc arc |o survivc" (VIBORA!, 29i.

A certaIn FIIIpIno crItIc and hIstorIan summarIzed the hIstory oI the
PhIIIppInes, whIch Is a hIstory oI repeated coIonIzatIon, wIth thIs
sentence: The PhIIIppInes stayed In the convent Ior three centurIes and
IIve decades In the HoIIywood. ThIs Is because the PhIIIppInes was
coIonIzed by the SpanIards Ior more than three hundred thIrty three
years and by the UnIted States oI AmerIca Ior approxImateIy IIIty years.
Yet, durIng the AmerIcan coIonIzatIon an AsIan natIon, ]apan, coIonIzed
the PhIIIppInes Ior IIve years and trIed to take It IorcIbIy Irom the IaIr
skInned chIIdren oI UncIe Sam. ThIs shortterm InvasIon serves as the
"secondary" settIng oI the noveI Vborn! ut what Is reaIIy the sIgnIIIcance
oI thIs short yet phIIosophIcaI noveIZ

FrancIsco SIonII ]ose`s Vborn! Is a contemporary noveI that must
be read by every FIIIpIno Ior hIm to be awakened Irom hIs Iong sIeep, II
not IeIgned sIeep. t teaches the reader much InIormatIon about the
PhIIIppInes durIng the ]apanese OccupatIon. t Is very rIch In hIstorIcaI,
socIetaI and, summarIIy, cuIturaI Issues oI the past whIch are stIII
connected and reIevant to the 21
st
century FIIIpInos because those Issues
are the roots oI the perpetuaI modern Issues that ruthIessIy pIague our
country. These Issues, ]ose wants the reader to know (that`s why he
keeps taIkIng and wrItIng about them), consIder and ImbIbe by
IntegratIng them wIth current Issues In the PhIIIppInes because he
beIIeves that

wc Iilipinos havc no mcmorv, no scnsc ol |hc pas|"(VIBORA!, 10i .|hc
Rcvolu|ion ol 1896, |hc Amcrican Occupa|ion as wi|ncsscd bv Ricar|c, and in morc rcccn|
|imcs, |hc mar|ial law ol Icrdinand Marcos. Think, and rcmcmbcr, and rcrc|. Thcsc
cvcn|s |cs|cd us, our in|cri|v, our loval|v. And as |hc prcscn| now clcarlv indica|cs, alas, wc
Iilipinos wcrc lound wan|in"(VIBORA!,87i.

VIORA! paInts the scenes In the PhIIIppInes and brIngs the reader
to that unknown PhIIIppInes durIng the ]apanese OccupatIon whIch
hIstory books don`t state. ThIs noveI Is actuaIIy a story wIthIn a story
because even though It Is about and narrated by the noveIIst named
enjamIn SIngkoI who Is searchIng and wrItIng a book about a
controversIaI FIIIpIno hero, the reaI essence IIes In the story oI the
FIIIpIno heroes, recognIzed and anonymous aIIke, who were InvoIved In
the RevoIutIon and who, one way or another, contrIbutes to eIther the
IIasco and success oI the revoIutIon.

F. SIonII ]ose`s 2007 noveI VORA!, a sequeI to hIs noveI en
5ngkoI, revoIves around the IIIe and heroIc or traItorous deed oI ArtemIo
RIcarte who used the SpanIsh term vborn or vIper as hIs nom de guerre
or war name. ArtemIo RIcarte`s reaI surname was Dodon, whIch means
grasshopper In Iokano dIaIect. FIguratIveIy speakIng hIs surname
connotes a person who "jumps Irom one opportunIty to the other"
(VORA!, 10). The noveI says that he became a SpanIsh teacher In ]apan
and became a shogun (warrIor) and he was caIIed RIcarte Shogun. The
reader wIII get to Iearn that RIcarte`s heroIsm Is controversIaI because he
sIded wIth the crueI ]apanese Invaders who treated FIIIpInos as anImaIs
Instead oI IIghtIng agaInst them. One wIII aIso Iearn that oI aII the
survIvIng Ieaders oI the RevoIutIon, onIy he reIused to vow aIIegIance to
the AmerIcan government that`s why he was exIIed to ]apan and IIved
there Ior thIrty years.

The noveI ImpIIes that the FIIIpInos are seIIIsh, seIIcentered and
greedy whIch Is one oI the reasons oI the IaIIure oI the revoIutIon. The
TagaIogs cIaImed that the revoIutIon was theIr soIe endeavor. No
Cebuanos, no Iokanos had been InvoIved. ut we must not Iorget that
Ishop AgIIpay, CeneraI AntonIo Luna and CeneraI ArtemIo RIcarte were
both Iokanos.

A typIcaI FIIIpIno cItIzen wIII be doubtIuI to know Irom the noveI
that that EmIIIo AguInaIdo, the IIrst presIdent oI the RepubIIc oI the
PhIIIppInes, ordered AntonIo Luna to be assassInated because he saw hIm
as hIs mIIItary rIvaI. ThIs Is one thIng no hIstory teacher oI mIne, or any
other subject teacher, had ever taught me. t Is aIso stated that the
SpanIshAmerIcan War was caIIed the PhIIIppIne InsurrectIon by the
AmerIcans because they IuIIy beIIeved they had a rIghtIuI cIaIm to us
aIter buyIng us Irom the SpanIsh Covernment Ior a very Iow prIce. He was
aIso the one who had Andres onIIacIo and hIs brother ProcorpIo kIIIed
by eIther extreme torture or gunshot In Mount untIs. He consIdered
onIIacIo hIs poIItIcaI rIvaI. ThIs Is the reason why he Is consIdered a
dIsgraced hero.


]ose attempted to prove that the attItude oI the FIIIpInos was one
oI the reasons oI the IaIIure oI the RevoIutIons. Many FIIIpIno were aIraId
oI IosIng theIr weaIth that`s why they Iought agaInst the AmerIcans and
]apanese Ior personaI and not Ior generaI and nobIe Intent. Look at these
IInes whIch are actuaIIy thoughts that ran In the mInd oI RIcarte whIIe
taIkIng to another FIIIpIno hero on theIr way back home to the
PhIIIppInes.

I kncw, ol coursc, |ha| |hc rich will pro|cc| |hcir wcal|h, |hcir privilccs lirs|, ra|hcr
|han |hcir honor. And |hcv will usc anv|hin and cvcrv|hin in |hcir powcr |o prcscrvc wha|
|hcv havc, cnlarc i|, and in |hc proccss harm o|hcrs, cvcn |hosc who do no| s|and in |hcir
wav bu| whom |hcv suspcc| ol opposin |hcm. Grccd (i|alics oursi, no| scll-prcscrva|ion, is
wha| drivcs |hcm, bccausc il i| wcrc onlv scll-prcscrva|ion, |hcn |hcv would no| havc |o do
anv|hin morc. Thcv wcrc alrcadv salc in |hcir vaun|cd posi|ions" (VIBORA!, 29i.

There are aIso Important IndIvIduaIs who have sIgnIIIcant
contrIbutIons to the PhIIIppIne hIstory who are mentIoned In the noveI.
One Is, MarIano Marcos, the Iather oI the Iate PresIdent FerdInand
Marcos, went around In Iocos usIng ]apanese armor just IIke ArtemIo
RIcarte, and thus was kIIIed by the guerIIIas. HIs body was burned In
Caba. ThIs made RIcarte Iear hIs own IeIIowmen that`s why he joIned
YamashIta In the CordIIIera MountaIn.


Another dIstInct Iokano mentIoned In the noveI Is Ishop CregorIo
AgIIpay who Iounded the EgIesIa FIIIpIna ndependIente whIch couId have
become the natIonaI church, IIke the church oI EngIand.

A certaIn sabeIo deIos Reyes Is aIso mentIoned In VIORA! He was
a schoIar anthropoIogIst who became the IIrst FIIIpIno Labor Leader. He
saw earIy enough the necessIty oI organIzIng the workIng masses Into
unIons.

A knowIedge about an remarkabIe eIIort oI another FIIIpIno Ieader
and hero durIng the 1896 revoIutIon was mentIoned In VIORA! .He Is
MarIano Ponce who went to ]apan to ask Ior heIp. The reader wIII then
know that the ]apanese dId send rIIIesbut the boat sank In a storm oII
Formosaand some mIIItary advIsers who had to return to ]apan basIcaIIy
because oI communIcatIon probIem.

The reader wIII aIso Iearn Irom the noveI the reason oI havIng
surnames, commonIy SpanIsh, oI the FIIIpInos. t Is stated that the
SpanIards assIgned Ietters oI the aIphabet In the dIIIerent pIaces In the
PhIIIppInes whIch wouId be the start oI the surnames oI the peopIe IIvIng
In those certaIn pIaces.

ObvIousIy, a reader who Is not very much InIormed or even IamIIIar
wIth PhIIIppIne "tortured hIstory" (VORA, 39) wIII be shocked to know aII
these noveI thIngs. And sureIy upon consIderIng and IearnIng aII those,
he wIII breed a new perspectIve regardIng PhIIIppIne`s "tortured hIstory"
(VORA!, 39) and he wIII start to reaIIze the reaI meanIng oI the word
sIory. As what F. SIonII ]ose had wrItten,

So rcali|v, his|orv, pcrsonali|ics and mcmorablc cvcn|s arc rcllcc|cd, rclrac|cd, in
manv mirrors, manv prisms, and whcn |his happcns |hcv assumc dillcrcn| lorms, a| oncc in
variancc lrom |hc rcs|"(VIBORA!, 86i.


Even the state oI ManIIa, the capItaI cIty oI the RepubIIc oI the
PhIIIppInes, was descrIbed durIng the tIme oI ArtemIo RIcarte, gIvIng the
reader an Idea oI what kInd oI envIronment ManIIa has when he was not
yet born.

'Manila had. chancd vcrv much. Handsomc ncw buildins, schools, hospi|als,
manv cars, s|rcc|cars, shops as bi and as clcan| as |hosc in Japan.Thc Iilipinos and
Iilipinas |hc coun|rv} havc chancd" (VIBORA!, 61-62i.

The reader wIII aIso Iearn somethIng about the EDSA RevoIutIon
and the reaI kInd oI IeadershIp the Iate PresIdent Corazon "Cory" AquIno
had durIng her admInIstratIon.

'Thc wcck al|cr |hc |riumph ol LDSA I in 1986 and al|cr Marcos and his
cohor|s.had llcd |o Hawaii, poli|ical prisoncrs,. wcrc lrccd (Vibora!6`i.

How quicklv |hc lus|rc and cxpcc|a|ions ol LDSA wcrc |arnishcd bv
incompc|cncc, bv |his Corv Aquino who soon |urncd ou| |o bc uncqual |o |hc ob |ha| was
ladlv |hrus| upon hcr. In a vcar, all |hosc lond hopcs had |urncd awrv bccausc shc did no|
lullill hcr promisc ol land rclorm, ol bcin abovc pcrsonal whim and abovc a svs|cm
burdcncd wi|h pa|ronac and |hc usual appcndacs ol lamilv and c|hnici|v" (VIBORA!,
65i.



CHAPTER ll

The United States of America and the Americans in VIOKA|

"Thc Ini|cd S|a|cs was much |oo powcrlul, was |oo bi an cncmv |o bc dclca|cd
cvcn bv a na|ion as uni|cd and as couracous as Japan" (VIBORA!, 77i.


F. SIonII ]ose aIso dIscussed In VIORA! Ie coIonIzatIon oI the
Western worId whIch Is represented by the countrIes SpaIn and UnIted
States oI AmerIcan. The worId knows that next to PortugaI, SpaIn was the
country whIch Ied In the coIonIzatIon perIod In worId hIstory. As tIme
went on even EngIand, France and even AmerIca joIned the competItIon
Ior terrItory.

Now Iet us see what InIormatIon and knowIedge the noveI
VIORA! has to oIIer regardIng the UnIted States oI AmerIca and the
PhIIIppInes and Its chIIdren durIng theIr coIonIzatIon.

|hc Lnlish, |hc Du|ch, and lon bclorc |hc Spaniards, |hc Romans. Powcr (i|alics
oursi is no| us| how bi |hcir armics arc-i| is |hc brcad|h ol |hcir |crri|orics, |hc lands |hcv
con|rol, |hc pcoplc |hcv subua|c. Tha| is |hc his|orv ol Vcs|crn na|ions, |hcir lus| lor
cmpirc."(VIBORA!, 29i.

The IoIIowIng quoted IInes beIow show the reader oI the perceptIon
oI the AmerIcans regardIng the FIIIpInos, theIr hIstory, attItude and
revoIutIon. Take a Iook at thIs certaIn paragraph Irom the noveI:

Thc Iilipinos arc no| a bi| an|aonis|ic. So I was vcrv much surpriscd whcn, las|
mon|h-|his vou bc||cr bclicvc-|his ra|a armv rou|cd our bovs in a skirmish-I won`| dinilv
i| as ba||lc."(VIBORA!, 2`i.

ThIs Is taken Irom a IIctItIous Ietter oI an AmerIcan war
correspondent to hIs brother In oIse, daho. t teaches the reader the
scenarIo durIng the tIme. NotIce the use oI the adjectIve "ragtag" to
descrIbe the FIIIpIno army. An obvIous superIorIty compIex Is runnIng In
the veIns oI thIs western man. CeneraIIy, these quoted IInes show racIaI
dIscrImInatIon even In the dIsgustIng worId oI war. The AmerIcans,
despIte the bIood, horror and scattered IImbs and organs, don`t Iorget
that they are reaIIy racIaIIy superIor.

Even the AmerIcan`s assessment oI our mIIItary oIIIcers and
revoIutIonary soIdIers who we now caIIed and IuIIy respected as natIonaI
heroes where ImpIIcItIy stated In VIORA!:

Thcir olliccrs havc no rcal mili|arv schoolin. Thcv usuallv comc lrom |hc uppcr
classcs. Thc soldicrs arc usuallv larmcrs and, as such, |hcv arc no| li|cra|c.Thcv arc
unwicldv Mauscrs, unlikc our Kras. Thosc wi|hou| uns arc armcd wi|h s|avcs, shor|
knivcs and bolos, as |hcv call |hcir bladcd wcapons. Thcv cvcn havc.Ioro|cs, hall-nakcd
cannibals (I|alic oursi wi|h woodcn shiclds and ba||lc axcs. Vi|h |hcsc wcapons, |hcv havc
|o lih| a| a vcrv, vcrv closc ranc."(VIBORA!, 24i.

Here are some IInes that show the rampant racIaI and socIaI
dIscrImInatIon oI the tIme:

This ra|a armv is no| disciplincd. Dividc and conqucr-I |hink |his is |hc bcs| wav
|o kccp |hcm undcr con|rol."(VIBORA!, 24i.

The AmerIcan`s prejudIcIaI and ruthIess judgment oI the FIIIpInos
as cannIbaIs and undIscIpIIned shows, crystaI cIear, how much they
deprecIated and humIIIated us durIng the tImes when the western worId
was stIII hungry oI coIonIzatIon.

I linallv o| hold ol |hc novcl, Noli Mc Tancrc, bv Josc Rizal. Hc is vcrv much
rcvcrcd bv his pcoplc. I havc linishcd i| and am lookin now lor i|s scqucl, callcd Ll
Iilibus|crismo."

Vcll, il a na|ivc can wri|c a novcl likc |his, I |hink I havc |o modilv mv
vicws abou| |hcir capaci|v lor lcarnin. Bu| us| |hc samc, |his placc is |hc dumps and i| is
rcallv ood lor |hcsc pcoplc |ha| wc arc hcrc,."(VIBORA!, 25i.


n the noveI VIORA!, the reader Is aIso gIven an InsIght on the
crueItIes done by the AmerIcans to the FIIIpIno

How soon |hcv Iilipinos} had |hrown awav |hcir pas|, wha| |hcv had sullcrcd
undcr |hc Amcricans, |hc insul|s, |hc |or|urcs, |hc massacrcs inllic|cd on
|hcm."(VIBORA!, 77i.

The reader wIII thus Iearn that the FIIIpInos don`t care anymore
about the crueIty and barbarIsm done by the AmerIcans.

Had mv coun|rvmcn loro||cn |ha| |hcv wcrc brown, |ha| |hcv bcloncd |o
Asia....Vhcrc now is his|orv. And mcmorv."(VIBORA!, 77i.


The noveI stated good thIngs that the AmerIcan government had done to
the PhIIIppInes.

Thc Ini|cd S|a|cs immcdia|clv sc| up a public school svs|cm whcn |hc war was
ovcr. Iilipinos wan|cd i| badlv. Vc scpara|cd |hc s|a|c lrom |hc Church-aain ano|hcr
dcmand lrom |hc Rcvolu|ionis|s. And wc s|ar|cd buildin roads and bridcs, and abolishcd
|hc scourcs ol cholcra and |hc smallpox."(VIBORA!, 50i.

The AmerIcans came to the PhIIIppInes to drIve "away the corrupt
and IneIIIcIent SpanIsh ruIers" (VORA, 25). They beIIeved that they "have
a CodCIven duty to teach these natIves [FIIIpInos] that AmerIca stands
Ior Ireedom and justIce"( VORA, 25).


CHAPTER lll

|apan and the |apanese in VIOKA|

"cs, |hc Japancsc wcrc |ruc |o |hcir word-|hcv avc Iilipinas indcpcndcncc,
al|houh i| mav no| havc sccmcd |ruc lrccdom a| |hc |imc. Bu| |ha| could no| bc hclpcd; a
war was rain, |hc Ini|cd S|a|cs was |hc cncmv, and |o dclca| |his cncmv was morc
impor|an| |o |hc Japancsc |han |hc nicc|ics ol indcpcndcncc" (VIBORA!, 77i.


The noveI VIORA! gIves some InterestIng knowIedge about ]apan
and the ]apanese. AccordIng to the noveI,

"|hc Japancsc arc racis|s. Lvcn |hc mos| Vcs|crnizcd |hink |hcv arc a supcrior
pcoplc, par|icularlv in |hcir rcards lor Asians. Thcv don`| rcallv carc lor ou|sidcrs, |hc
aiin. Thcv arc scll-ccn|crcd, |hcv carc onlv abou| |hcmsclvcs"(VIBORA!, 50).

ndubItabIy, thIs gIves the reader some knowIedge regardIng the
]apanese psyche.

The noveI aIso IncIudes a IIttIe geographIcaI, hIstorIcaI and
mythoIogIcaI, backgrounds oI the country ]apan. From thIs, the reader
Iearns many thIngs. Let us dIscuss these backgrounds.

"To undcrs|and Japan, look a| |hc map. I| is a small coun|rv, likc Lnland, likc |hc
Philippincs. I| is obvious |ha| i| has a his|orical link wi|h Korca and China. This linkac is
vcrv impor|an| lor i| dc|crmincs cul|urc and civiliza|ion."(VIBORA!, 51i.

Here Is a mIxture oI quoted sentences arranged In such a way as to
Iorm a coherent whoIe. ThIs Is very much reIated to the prevIous one
whIch expIaIns why ]apan Is contInuousIy progressIve.

Japan had alwavs lascina|cd mc. I| could vcrv wcll bc |hc na|ion wc aspirc |o bc.
Look a| |hc land-i| is also an archipclao (VIBORA, 72i..Japan was poor and manv
Japancsc wcrc |rvin vcrv hard |o survivc-a |imc whcn |hcir womcn, |hcir workcrs and
cral|smcn wcrc all ovcr |hc rcion,.(VIBORA!, 75i And look a| i|s his|orv-lor so manv
ccn|urics, |hcir warlords louh| onc ano|hcr (VIBORA!, 7`i. Oh, |hcv slauh|crcd on
ano|hcr in |hc bcinnin, |hcv souh| |o subua|c cach clan, un|il onc lcadcr conqucrcd
|hc wcakcr oncs and uni|cd all ol |hc licldoms, |hcn lrom all |ha| s|rulc and |ha|
bloodshcd, Japan bccamc a na|ion (VIBORA!, 109i. .Thcv provcd |hcmsclvcs capablc
and s|ron. Bu| morc |han us, |hcv wcrc ablc |o shu| oll |hc Vcs| lor so manv ccn|urics
and wcrc |hus ablc |o cvolvc |hc basic charac|cris|ics which |hcv now havc-|hc social
cohcsion, |hc disciplinc and, mos| impor|an|, a scnsc ol na|ion" (VIBORA!, 72-7`i.



Now, we know why ]apan Is very progressIve! The ]apanese have
dIscIpIIne and, mostIy, a sense oI natIon whIch we FIIIpInos cIearIy do not
have, even In our mInds.


n thIs next paragraph taken Irom the noveI, the reader Is
acquaInted wIth the reason why the IIag oI ]apan has such Iorm.

"Thc Japancsc, likc mos| pcoplcs, havc |hcir mv|hs, and onc ol |hcsc is |ha| |hcv
arc dcsccndcd lrom |hc sun od-Ama|crasu-which cxplains |hcir lla, and |ha| |hcir
cmpcror has a divinc pcrsonali|v, lor which rcason, cmpcror worship pcrsis|s |o |his vcrv
dav, al|houh no loncr in |hc samc lashion as whcn kamikazc soldicrs dicd lor |hcir
cmpcror"(VIBORA!,51i.

The reader aIso Iearned why the ]apanese worshIp theIr emperor
and why the kamIkaze soIdIers are not aIraId but Instead are very much
wIIIIng to deIend and dIe Ior theIr emperor.

Ior manv ccn|urics, Japan was closcd |o |hc world, wi|h limi|cd acccss |hc Vcs| a|
|hc por| ol Naasaki. Durin |hcsc ccn|urics, |hc Japancsc wcrc in cons|an| war wi|h onc
ano|hcr un|il |hc coun|rv was unilicd undcr |hc powcrlul Tokuawa clan. Thcn
Commodorc Pcrrv opcncd |hc coun|rv |o |hc Vcs| and |hc Japancsc wcrc lorccd |o
modcrnizc undcr |hc Lmpcror Mcic. Thcv scn| |housands ol |hcir scholars abroad, |o
Luropc and |o |hc Ini|cd S|a|cs, |o s|udv Vcs|crn mc|hods. I slih|lv ovcr a cncra|ion,
|hcv had bccomc a s|ron mili|arv powcr, dclca|in |hc Russians in |hc war ol 1905. Thc
Japancsc modcrniza|ion appcalcd |o so manv Asians.(VIBORA!,51i

]apanese occupatIon oI ManIIa Is mentIoned In the noveI. t Is saId
that one oI the IIrst propaganda steps they []apanese] made was to set up
a medIa bureau and newspapers, among them the Roces daIIy paper, %e
%rbune. (VORA!, 43)

A paragraph In Chapter 8 oI the noveI teIIs about the current
economIc status oI ]apan when RIcarte was exIIed there by the AmerIcan
government.

".|hc coun|rv was undcroin |rcmcndous chanc. Thc innova|ivc and vcrv s|ron
ovcrnmcn| ol Lmpcror Mcii had lon cxpircd and his son, |hc Lmpcror Raisho, was
incllcc|ual. Bu| |his |imc, |hc hcavv indus|rics |ha| wcrc sc| up-all ol |hcm in Japancsc
hands-wcrc alrcadv providin Japan wi|h so much cconomic powcr"( VIBORA!, 52i



!ART II

!SYCHOLOGICAL VALUES

A good noveI must have psychoIogIcaI vaIues. PsychoIogIcaI vaIues
are cIassIIIed Into two kInds; sensory and emotIonaI. The sensory aspect
under the psychoIogIcaI vaIues oI a noveI deaIs wIth the Images Iormed
on the mInd oI the reader whIIe readIng the noveI. n addItIon, a good
noveI creates cIear and varIed Images or pIctures that wIII IInger In the
reader`s memory Ior a very Iong tIme aIter IInIshIng the noveI.

CHA!TER I

The !icture on the Water

AIter readIng the noveI VIOKA|, the reader wIII have myrIad
Images that wIII IInger on hIs probabIy revoIutIonIzed mInd. Let us
enumerate and dIscuss the outstandIng sItuatIons In the noveI that have
the potentIaI to cIIng to the reader`s memory even II the pages where
they dweII are aIready cIosed and the voIume Is pIaced on Its respectIve
space In the sheII.

A) Vibora and Agueda

ArtemIo RIcarte has a wIIe by the name oI Agueda. eIng two oI the
Important IIgures In the noveI, Iet us pIck out the portIons oI the noveI
that portray them by the use oI descrIptIve words.

Here Is the pIcture that wIII IInger on the memory oI the reader
about ArtemIo RIcarte`s physIcaI Ieatures:

Hc was shor|, wi|h no imposin prcscncc or charisma |o o wi|h his |i|lc ol
cncral"(VIBORA!, 10i.

.Ricar|c is small and unimposin." (VIBORA!, 104i

Here Is the counterpart pIcture the noveI draws oI hIs endeared
wIIe, Agueda.

Aucda was small, dark and, likc |hc ac|ivis| womcn ol hcr pcriod, was commi||cd
|o hcr poli|ical idcals" (VIBORA!,57i.

Mv cvcr pa|icn| wilc, shc was couracous as wcll" (VIBORA!, 75i

The next paragraphs may be the source oI the reader`s concIusIon
oI Agueda`s character. t Is about one oI the perIIs she experIenced In
whIch she acted braveIy and caImIy and Irom whIch she came out aIIve.

I| happcncd on |hc cas|crn ou|skir|s ol Manila. A Spanish pa|rol ovcr|ook mc bv
surprisc and i| was |oo la|c lor mc |o movc awav lrom i|s pa|h. A Spanish olliccr on
horscback ordcrcd mc |o s|op. A Iilipino soldicr askcd wha| I was doin in |ha| isola|cd
par| ol |hc coun|rv and I said I was oin |o Mariquina |o scll |hc ricc cakcs in mv baskc|.
Thc olliccr dismoun|cd and s|ar|cd lookin a| |hc bundlcs ol suman and |hc suar panocha
|o o wi|h |hc suman. I ollcrcd him onc which hc |ook. Hc pcclcd i| and bi| in|o i|. Hc
rinncd and ordcrcd |hc pa|rol |o movc on.

I had ac|cd na|urallv, plcasan|lv cvcn, as a pcasan| woman docs. Al|cr all, I was
drcsscd as onc. Had hc cmp|icd |hc baskc|, hc would havc sccn undcrnca|h a map
indica|in |hc ncw Spanish posi|ions in |hc ci|v. Vi|hou| much hcsi|a|ion, hc would havc
ordcrcd mc sho|"(VIBORA!, 59i.

) Vibora and en Singkol

Perhaps It Is not so presumptuous to say that the scene whIch wIII
reaIIy IInger on the reader`s memory Is that when en SIngkoI was In a
pIaza one aIternoon gazIng at the newIy erected and unveIIed monument
oI ArtemIo RIcarte, the VIORA! hImseII. t wouId be best to quote the
paragraphs to see theIr Impact.

I| was la|c al|crnoon. Thc plaza was cmp|v ol pcoplc. A s|rav do amblcd pas|;
lrom |hc ncar dis|ancc, a ripplc ol lauh|cr, indis|inc| Ilokano voiccs, a sul|rv brcczc. I
Bcn Sinkol} sa| on |hc bcnch, |houh|s crowdin mv mind, imacs ol |hosc woodcd
moun|ains Cordillcra}, |hc whump ol uns. Hc Ricar|c} was |hcrc, |oo, bu| on |hc o|hcr
sidc wi|h his Japancsc lricnds.

I azcd a| vour Ricar|c} monumcn|, a| vour s|crn bu| quic| lacc. Sincc I was now
|hc samc ac as vou a| |hc |imc ol vour dca|h, I wondcrcd wha| vour |houh|s wcrc bclorc
vour las| brca|h cbbcd. Did vou rcrc| wha| vou did, kcp| lai|h al|houh vou kncw |ha| i|
brouh| vou no ov, no rcward or lullillmcn|-no|hin rcallv bu| |hc con|cmp| ol vour own
coun|rvmcn who vou |houh| vou wcrc lai|hlullv scrvin, and |hc dcrision ol vour
collcaucs who saw vou |urn vour back on vour chanccs lor wcal|h.

Vibora, vou old lool-vou pincd awav all |hosc vcars vou could havc spcn| buildin
|his na|ion had vou s|avcd; vou could havc cxposcd |hc |rai|ors amon |hosc who lil|cd |hc
sword} casilv namcd |hcm, kcp| |hcm lrom usurpin |hc powcr |ha| was ncvcr |hcirs bv
rih| in |hc lirs| placc bccausc |hcv avc up |hcir loval|v |o Iilipinas bv plcdin |hcmsclvcs
|o scrvc |hc Amcricans!

The next paragraph Is the part that wIII reaIIy IInger on the reader`s
memory Iong aIter he has IInIshed readIng the noveI.

Suddcnlv, |hc s|a|uc camc |o lilc. Old man Ricar|c umpcd down lrom his pcrch,
s|ood bclorc mc, his solcmn cvcs now blazin wi|h con|cmp|, wi|h volcanic ancr. Pcoplc
who kncw hIm said hc spokc sol|lv, cn|lv, wi|hou| rancor or ancr and i| was in |his
manncr |ha| hc spokc, his voicc clcar likc sunlih| bu| sharp likc a ncwlv polishcd bavonc|.
(VIBORA!, 106-107i

Even to the narrator hImseII, en SIngkoI, the very person to whom
RIcarte materIaIIzed as a reaI human beIng couId not erase that
unexpected, II not undesIred, conIrontatIon between hIm and VIbora.

Lvcn now, I can scc him poin|in a lincr a| mc, savin sol|lv in |ha| voicc s|ccpcd
in poli|cncss. Do no| look a| mc wi|h such cvnicism, cvcn disdain-I havc had morc |han
mv sharc, no| us| lrom vou, bu| lrom |hosc ol mv cncra|ion, who avc up |hcir bclicls
and acccp|cd moncv lrom |hc Spaniards, lrom |hc Amcricans" (VIBORA!, 109i

Thcn, hc swun, |ha| sword lcamin lor an ins|an|, bclorc i| cu| across mv lacc.

And |ha| is wha| I las| rcmcmbcr, lor a suddcn darkncss lcll on mc"(VIBORA!,
110i

C. Manila and the Philippines

There are many paragraphs In the noveI that create pIcturesque
and panoramIc pIcture oI ManIIa, Its neIghborIng cItIes and the entIre
country oI the PhIIIppInes. Here Is a paragraph taken Irom the IIrst
chapter oI the noveI that creates a mentaI Image oI CordIIIera MountaIns
and the guerIIIas takIng reIuge there.

'.in |hc Cordillcra, on so manv occasions, a| sunrisc whcn |hc rim ol |hc world
slowlv |urncd lrom silvcr |o |hc cllulcn| splcndor ol dav, and a| dusk whcn |hc lih|
dimmcd and |hc s|ars swarmcd ou| ol |hc black bowl ol skv, I had lookcd a| |hc moun|ains
|ha| rincd us, ranc upon ranc ol bluc wall, |hcn lookcd a| mvscll, oursclvcs, our
wcapons and saw how insinilican| and punv wc wcrc. Indccd, |his is wha| moun|ains can
do |o |inv crca|urcs likc oursclvcs, ol|cn los| in our own rap|urc, bu| humblcd bv |hc
|owcrin macs|ics` (VIBORA! `i.

NotIce that the subtIe and artIstIc used oI IIguratIve Ianguages In
thIs reIIectIve paragraph appeaIs to the reader`s senses and, thus, make
It powerIuI whIch makes It stay on the mInd oI anyone who has read the
noveI. The author used just sImpIe words but he arranged them In the
best order that Is possIbIe such as "rIm oI the worId", "eIIuIgent spIendor
oI day", "stars swarmed out oI the bIack bowI oI the sky", "bIue waII", and
"towerIng majestIes".

WhIIe readIng thIs descrIptIve paragraph, It seems that the words
are jumpIng out oI the IImIt oI the pIaIn pIece oI paper to Iorm the
pIctures oI nature rIght beIore the eyes oI the reader.

Here Is another portIon oI the noveI whIch wIII sureIy create a vIvId
mentaI Image oI Luzon In partIcuIar and the PhIIIppInes In generaI and oI
a patrIotIc FIIIpIno desIrous oI returnIng to hIs homeIand:

.|hc Coas|linc ol Cavi|c and Ba|aan appcarcd, lirs| a hazv bluc-rccn risc abovc
|hc wa|crs |ha| bccamc clcarcr as wc ncarcd i|. Homc a| las|! I| would bc hcrc whcrc I
would dic, no| in somc alicn land.

How rccn mv coun|rv is, |hc moun|ains risin lrom |hc dark carpc| ol |hc sca.
Iinallv, |hc mou|h ol Manila Bav, and bcvond, |hc rccn hump ol Corrcidor.I |hink ol
mv nipa housc., |hc kindlv ncihbors, |hc rcla|ivcs who |ook carc ol mc, lcd mc.

Now |hc spircs ol |hc churchcs ol In|ramuros loomcd in |hc hazv horizon. Thc air
sccmcd warmcr. Vc wcrc now in |hc Pasi and |hc wa|cr is no loncr dark bluc-i| is
brownish cvcn, and |hc smallcr boa|s arc all ovcr, ciscocs loadcd wi|h producc, somc
s|camcrs anchorcd a| |hc mou|h ol |hc rivcr. A lo| ol ac|ivi|v on |hc ship now, |hc sailors
shou|in, hcavin ropcs, as |hcv movcd |hc ship closc |o |hc cus|oms housc" (VIBORA!,
``i

These paragraphs reIIve the surroundIngs oI ManIIa durIng the
AmerIcan coIonIzatIon. t Is as though the pIaces mentIoned swIrI and
twIrI beIore the reader`s Iace onIy to Iorm cIear and pIcturesque Images.





















CHA!TER II

The Feelings in the Air

.all I nccdcd was |o s|okc |hc cmbcrs in |hcir hcar|s, and aain, |hc lirc would bc
lanncd alivc" (VIBORA!, 74i.

There Is no questIon that the noveI VIORA! wIII arouse IeeIIngs
through the words used by the author. The sentImentaI scenes wIII sureIy
touch the heart oI any reader. And Ior those who Iove our country so
much, sureIy thIs noveI wIII IntensIIy, magnIIy the Iove they IeeI. Many
readers wIII IeeI what the characters IeeI, major and mInor aIIke. The
IeeIIngs oI joy, paIn, hope and despaIr In the noveI wIII make a reader
IdentIIy hImseII wIth the characters and reaIIze that what he IeeIs Is
normaI and unIversaI.

Now, Iet us pIck out Irom the noveI the most conspIcuous scenes
that have psychoIogIcaI vaIues In terms oI arousIng oI emotIons. The
most sentImentaI scenes In VIORA! to enjamIn SIngkoI, basIcaIIy
because he Is the protagonIst, and to hIs aIterego; ArtemIo RIcarte. So
we wIII conIIne the content oI thIs chapter to the sentImentaI scenes that
InvoIves these two men.

A) Benjamin Singkol and 1osefina

enjamIn SIngkoI has a IemaIe IrIend named Nena who was
very cIose to hIm. TheIr reIatIonshIp was summarIzed by these words oI
hIs:

.I camc |o ha|c |hc Japancsc no| so much lor wha| |hcv did |o mc, bu| lor killin
hcr Ncna} onlv bccausc shc was closc |o mc" (VIBORA!, 7i

He marrIed a woman "much IIke [hIs] Nena, and she bore
[hIm] a daughter whom [he] named ]oseIIna" and who he descrIbed as hIs
"IIesh and bIood" (VORA!, 2)

The most touchIng scene between en SIngkoI and ]oseIIna was
when they were dIscussIng about ArtemIo RIcarte. AIter FerdInand Marcos
IIed to HawaII, the poIItIcaI prIsoners were reIeased. And one oI them was
the daughter oI SIngkoI. ]oseIIna Is one oI the youth actIvIsts and she Is
openIy contradIctIng the Marcos` dIctatorshIp that`s why she was
ImprIsoned.

WhIIe en and ]oseIIna were taIkIng about RIcarte, en changed the
topIc and asked her a daughter a very movIng questIon.

"Did vou know I had |o dcs|rov mvscll so |ha| vou could bc lrcc." (VIBORA!, 67i

ThIs questIon must not be taken IIteraIIy. DestroyIng hImseII means
that he was Iorced to Iorget hIs hatred oI the Marcoses, Iorget hIs own
prIncIpIes. ThIs Is because CeneraI DaweI, hIs chIIdhood IrIend who
became a Marcos` crony demanded hIm to rewrIte a bIt oI PhIIIppIne
hIstory and make hIs master the hero oI the LIberatIon attIe oI essang
Pass. ut en SIngkoI knew that Marcos was not present at the battIe. So
how couId any hIstorIan or wrIter dIstort our own hIstoryZ

The Iove oI a Iather to hIs daughter Is seen on the quoted IInes
beIow:

~I did try to write something at Iirst. I tried to appear like I was doing it with great
diIIiculty although truth is I was not doing anything. I wanted you there, in that prison,
and you know the reason why.

'You don`t love me then.

'That is how it looks on the outside-to those who don`t know my thinking. But
had they Ireed you Irom prison, you would have gone back to them, to the mountains,
and who knows what could have happened?

'I could have been in greater danger in that prison.

'I was certain General Dawel would not let anything evil happen to you.

And SIngkoI was rIght. For aII DaweI`s corruptIon, he knows hIs
character. TheIr ancIent IrIendshIp mattered to hImhe dId not harm
]oseIIna.

ThIs conversatIon Is emotIonaIIy very stImuIatIng. And when It
seems they were havIng a dIssent regardIng RIcarte`s character, twIce
SIngkoI saId to hImseII: couId not dIsagree wIth my daughter.

And at the end oI the conversatIon, when ]oseIIna mentIoned
SIngkoI`s IIIeIong commItment to hIs oId IIame, hIs Nena and to her own
mother, SIngkoI became speechIess. And when unknowIngIy hIs eyes
mIsted, and he started to cry, she came to hIm to brushed the tears Irom
hIs cheeks and hugged hIm.



B) Benjamin Singkol and Fred Lang

Another emotIonarousIng scene In VIORA! Is when
enjamIn SIngkoI was vIsIted by an unIamIIIar person who Iater became
hIs IrIend; Fred Lang. He`s AmerIcan Iather came to the PhIIIppInes In
1945 as IIeutenant on MacArthur`s staII. Her mother was a FIIIpIna who
taught hIm TagaIog. He Is partIcuIarIy Interested wIth the YamashIta
treasure. He wants to IInd the IInd the treasure so It can be Invested
wIseIy by the government and be used to create jobs and brIng prosperIty
Ior the PhIIIppInes.

And when en SIngkoI asked hIm why he has such nobIe motIve,
thIs Is what he rejoIned:

I havcn`| |old vou |hc cn|irc s|orv ol mv mo|hcr`s lamilv. Thcv wcrc all killcd
(emphasis oursi bv |hc Japancsc. Mv mo|hcr was |hc onlv (emphasis oursi survivor.


C) Artemio Ricarte and Agueda

n the Iast Ietter oI ArtemIo RIcarte to hIs beIoved wIIe, a very
sentImentaI remInIscence was mentIoned by RIcarte to hIs wIIe. Here Is a
portIon oI RIcarte`s Iast Ietter to hIs wIIe:

So manv vcars ao-la|c dccrccd |ha| wc would bc scpara|cd,.Vc havc.sullcrcd
|oc|hcr as pcrhaps no couplc has sullcrcd and vc| cndurcd.
Thosc davs, whcn wc workcd so hard in |ha| ccramics lac|orv, whcn wc had so li||lc |o ca|,
whcn in |hc dcp|h ol win|cr wc wcrc no| onlv hunrv bu| cold! Vha| sacriliccs vou willinlv
madc no| us| lor mc, bu| lor Iilipinas!

ThIs Ietter he ended wIth, our mosI jnIjuI nnd Iovng ArIemo
Vborn RcnrIe. How maudIIn It Is then to know that "unknown to hIm,
Agueda, hIs beIoved wIIe, had aIready dIed oI dIsease and starvatIon
somewhere In the mountaIns oI Northern Luzon. He aIso dId not know
that twenty oI hIs reIatIves who had IIed wIth the ]apanese were
mnssncred (emphasIs ours) by the ]apanese themseIves.

]ust ImagIne the paIn IeIt by RIcarte upon knowIng that hIs wIIe
was aIready dead due to starvatIon and that hIs reIatIves were sIew by
peopIe he consIdered IaIthIuI aIIIes.

D) Artemio Ricarte and Apolinario Mabini

On theIr way back home to the PhIIIppInes, ArtemIo RIcarte and
ApoIInarIo MabInI shared theIr grIeI to each other.

"I| is wha| o|hcr pcoplc inllic| upon vou wi|h |hcir dark in|cn| |ha| is dillicul| |o
bcar bccausc i| is likc lih|in a shadow, |hc air, or no|hin a| all, al|houh vou know i| is
|hcrc"(VIBORA!, `0i.

Thc ill |hins said ol mc, how I was cnrichin mvscll wi|h con|ribu|ions lrom
pcoplc who bclicvcd in our causc. Bu| bo|h ol us know wc canno| s|rulc bv oursclvcs.

ThIs Is one oI the paInIuI thIngs RIcarte experIenced despIte hIs
eIIorts to heIp our country. He was stIII unapprecIated and much worst he
was revIIed by hIs countrymen who were envIous oI hIm.

And |hcv callcd mc svphili|ic. Oh, |hcv did no| |cll |his |o mv lacc-|hcv whispcrcd
i|. How docs onc c| i| cxccp| |hrouh |hc companv ol pros|i|u|cs. I do no| dcnv |hc urcs
|ha| pursuc all mcn. Bu| mv con|rac|in ol discasc |hrouh |hc companv ol pros|i|u|cs-I am
no| ol |hc purcs| vir|uc, bu| I am morc carclul |han mos|, carclul no| bv choicc bu| bccausc
I ncvcr had |hc moncv |o indulc in |hc plcasurcs ol |hc llcsh"(VIBORA!, `0i

To end thIs chapter, Iet us quote two paragraphs In the noveIs that
are Iaden wIth emotIon:

Il vou havc lovcd somconc lor manv vcars, vou bccomc ins|inc|ivclv awarc ol his
lcclins, cvcn divinc his |houh|s and an|icipa|c his ac|ions, so |ha| i| would sccm |ha| vou
|wo havc rcallv bccomc onc.

Vhcn vou lovc somconc, |ha| lovc has no limi|, no mcasurc, bccausc vou know in
vour dccpcs| bcin |ha| whcn |ha| lovc dcmands sacrilicc, vou will ivc i| wi|hou| qucs|ion.
vou will no| look lor rcasons, lor us|ilica|ion-|hc ac| ol ivin, ol sacrilicin, is a na|ural
compulsion, likc brca|hin, and i| will, in |hc cnd, surprisc vou bccausc vou did i| wi|hou| a
sccond |houh|" (VIBORA!, 62i



!ART III

HUMAN VALUES

INTRODUCTION

One oI the most essentIaI thIngs crItIcs Iook Ior In a noveI Is human
vaIues. A good noveI shouId gIve a cIear understandIng oI the motIves
behInd human actIon. The reasons oI the characters Ior actIng the way
they do must be cIear to the reader. n the same way wIth theIr speech,
the motIves Ior sayIng what they say must be cIear to the reader. A good
noveI has consIstency. Furthermore, It must show good personaIIty
patterns oI the characters.

The thIrd ArIstoteIIan ruIe In characterIzatIon In hIs !oeIcs Is that
the character must be true to IIIe. The Iourth Is consIstency. For Ioug
Ie sub]ecI oj Ie mInIon '[IIterary pIece].be nconssIenI, sIII e musI
be conssIenIIy nconssIenI. %e cnrncIer musI ncI nccordng Io Ie
Inws oj necessIy or robnbIIy (Poetics XJ).


CHA!TER I

The Reason behind the Action

Vc mcasurc o|hcrs |hrouh oursclvcs, scc pcoplc |hrouh |hc prism ol our own
pcrsonali|ics, and lrom such narrow, pcrsonal indiccs wc cvalua|c mo|ivcs and lorm our
conclusions" (VIBORA!, 6i

The noveI Vborn! Is a very phIIosophIcaI noveI whIch trIes to
anaIyze motIves behInd human actIons. The characters In the noveI are
aII preoccupIed wIth theIr personaI quest Ior somethIng pecuIIarIy
InterestIng to them. ut It must be emphasIzed that the major personaIIty
In questIon Is that oI ArtemIo RIcarte`s. And thIs chapter wIII be devoted
to the InterpretatIon and anaIysIs oI hIs motIves behInd hIs IntrIguIng
and, thereIore, mIsunderstood decIsIon and actIons oI coIIaboratIng wIth
the ]apanese. The most conIoundIng questIon Is: Was he a patrIot or a
traItorZ ut beIore proceedIng dIrectIy to the core oI the dIscussIon It wIII
be judIcIous to dIscuss IIrst the personaIIty oI the narrator and some oI
the mInor characters and theIr motIves on theIr search.

A) Why the search for the "Viper"?

The noveI VORA! Is about enjamIn`s SIngkoI`s search Ior the true
personaIIty oI ArtemIo RIcarte who was captured and reIused to take the
oath oI aIIegIance to the US Covernment. He Is now consIdered the
"Father oI the PhIIIppIne Army". Why en SIngkoI Is so Interested to know
the reaI personaIIty oI RIcarte Is aIso another InterestIng poInt to dIscuss.

t Is heIpIuI to note that enjamIn 'en" SIngkoI, a renowned
noveIIst. When he wrote hIs IIrst who book entItIed "!nn", an
autobIography wrItten durIng the ]apanese occupatIon oI the PhIIIppInes,
he dId not used hIs reaI name. He was descrIbed to be a coward, an
uncIrcumcIsed man who dId not onIy run away Irom such a "rItuaI oI
manhood" but aIso evaded hIs "IoxhoIe In ataan when the ]apanese
soIdIers were cIosIng In". SIngkoI was a "runner" or "evader" throughout
much oI hIs IIIetIme, whIIe beIng haunted by the "poverty oI hIs boyhood"
and oI the "treachery that he may have commItted" In the past.

ArtemIo RIcarte aIso used dIIIerent names when he secretIy
returned to the PhIIIppInes.

I had rc|urncd |o Iilipinas in sccrc| and undcr a ncw namc, I visi|cd mv old
comradcs, hopin.|o s|okc |hc cmbcrs in |hcir hcar|s,. I was no| prcparcd lor |hcir
adaman| rclusal, lor |hcir ra|ionaliza|ion-.

I had |o llcc aain (same wIth SIngkoIi, |o Shanhai undcr |hc namc Minami
Hikosukc;."(VIBORA!, 74i.

Perhaps en SIngkoI Is abIe to reIate to the character oI ArtemIo
RIcarte so he wants to research, know and wrIte a book about hIm. He
senses that there Is a sImIIarIty between themIrencery. t Is saId that he
may have commItted treachery In the past, and the knowIedge that
ArtemIo RIcarte was consIdered a traItor by hIs own countrymen gIves
hIm a sense oI assocIatIon wIth hIm.. t can be deduced that SIngkoI Is
somehow bothered by hIs cowardIce and he wants others to understand
hIm. t Is perhaps not a mIstake to say that ArtemIo RIcarte Is enjamIn
SIngkoI`s aIterego

When SIngkoI was vIsIted by hIs IrIend Fred Lang, who Is IookIng
Ior the YamashIta treasure whIch Is "rumored to be the source oI
FerdInand Marcos` IabuIous weaIth" (VORA!, 8), hIs onIy answer Is:

Ircd, I am no| in|crcs|cd in vour |rcasurc a| all. Lvcn il i| docs cxis|, i| docs no|
in|crcs| mc" (VIBORA!, 55i.

And when Fred Lang trIed to convInce hIm, he asked:

Bu| whv arc vou so cacr |o convincc mc. (VIBORA!, 55i.

And Fred Lang saId that he can trust hIm wIth any InIormatIon, hIs
repIy was thIs:
"No, I don`| wan| |o par|icipa|c in |his vcn|urc" (VIBORA!, 55i.

) Why the search for the Yamashita treasure?

Another Important character In VIORA! Is Fred Lang. He Is
haIIAmerIcan and haIIFIIIpIno. HIs Iather came to the PhIIIppInes In 1945
as IIeutenant on MacArthur`s staII. Her mother was a FIIIpIna who taught
hIm TagaIog. He Is partIcuIarIy Interested wIth the YamashIta treasure. He
wants to IInd the IInd the treasure. ut en SIngkoI Is baIIIe by Lang`s
motIve In beIrIendIng hIm because obvIousIy Lang notIced that he Is not
Interested In the treasure. And thIs Is Lang`s expIanatIon:

Bu| vou arc a wri|cr. ou should bc in|crcs|cd. I|`s an cxci|in s|orv, and i| mcans
so much bccausc i| is |hc csscncc ol rccd no| onlv ol mcn bu| ol na|ions. Can`| vou scc
|ha|". (VIBORA!, 55i.

ut en SIngkoI was not yet convInced so he asked thIs questIon:

Bu| whv arc vou so cacr |o convincc mc." (Ibid.i.

And thIs Is what Lang saId:

"I can |rus| vou wi|h anv inlorma|ion. I alwavs havc |o |rcad carclullv. ou know
wha| I mcan. I could disappcar |omorrow and nobodv would lind a |racc. This can happcn
casilv in |his coun|rv. How manv havc disappcarcd and no onc knows wha| happcncd |o
|hcm." (Ibid.i

.I am |cllin vou lor |hc rccord, bccausc vou arc a wri|cr, bccausc vou can
pcrhaps wri|c abou| i| somcdav" (Ibid.i.

Now, what wIII Fred Lang do wIth the treasure II Iate sIdes wIth hIm
and he Indeed IInd It Irom the bosom oI the earthZ ThIs Is hIs unusuaI
answer:

.il |ha| |rcasurc is lound, i| should s|av hcrc, no| o |o Japan. I| is a small pavmcn|
lor all |hc dcprcda|ions |ha| |hc Japancsc inllic|cd on |his coun|rv. Invcs|cd wisclv, |ha|
|rcasurc could crca|c obs, prospcri|v lor |hc Philippincs, likc |hc diamonds |ha| wcrc
brouh| back |o Japan" (VIBORA! , 21i

And when en SIngkoI asked hIm why he has such nobIe motIve,
thIs Is what he rejoIned:

I havcn`| |old vou |hc cn|irc s|orv ol mv mo|hcr`s lamilv. Thcv wcrc all killcd
(emphasis oursi bv |hc Japancsc. Mv mo|hcr was |hc onlv (emphasis oursi survivor.

ThIs conversatIon between en SIngkoI and Fred Lang proves that
every character In the noveI has a deep personaI motIve Ior hIs search.

C. Why collaborate with the enemies?

Don`| lorc| |ha| mcn s|ccpcd in rcvolu|ionarv ac|ivi|v wcrc also s|ccpcd in
conspiracv. Thcv arc no| dcmocra|s-|hcv arc usuallv obscsscd wi|h |hc idca ol powcr and
how |hcv can inllucncc pcoplc |o do |hcir biddin" (VIBORA!, 52i

VORA! Is a very good noveI because It shows that a person aIways
has hIs motIves In doIng hIs actIons. Whether the motIve Is good or bad
Is another questIon. Here, It Is RIcarte`s motIve In coIIaboratIng wIth the
]apanese that Is In questIon.


Rcmcmbcr |his: i| was scll-lcss lovc. Hc did no| proli|, unlikc so manv ol |hosc who
collabora|cd wi|h |hc Japancsc, who callcd |hcmsclvcs pa|rio|s, or claimcd |hcv brouh|
ordcr whcrc |hcrc would havc bccn anarchv and |hcrclorc, morc sullcrin and morc livcs
los|. Thcsc arc us|ilica|ions. Lovc, rcal lovc rcquircs no us|ilica|ion a| all. I| is |hcrc, mixcd
wi|h vour blood, which vou mav havc |o shcd"(Vibora,47i





















CHA!TER II

The Rare !attern

UnderstandIng others Is not an easy thIng Ior a person to do that`s
why human beIngs are naturaIIy prejudIcIaI and judgmentaI. ThIs chapter
oI thIs essay wIII be devoted to the personaIIty pattern oI Iamous FIIIpIno
heroes mentIoned In the noveI. ut we wIII Iocus on the two domInant
IIgures oI the RevoIutIon mentIoned In the noveI.

Ricarte and Aguinaldo

VIORA! shows how we human beIngs harshIy judge theIr
IeIIowmen wIthout tryIng to know the reasons behInd theIr actIons.

Let us quote some paragraphs Irom the noveI whIch teIIs the roIe pIayed
by VIbora In the KatIpunan.

"Ricar|c was a Ka|ipunan oriinal; onc ol his obs was |o prick |hc arms ol |hc
rccrui|s lor |hc blood wi|h which |hcv sincd |hcir namcs in |hc covcnan|. Hc was a
scuris|a, a doblc cara. In |ha| Tccros convcn|ion |ha| cndcd in |hc murdcr ol |hc
Ka|ipunan loundcr, Andrcs Bonilacio, hc abandoncd Bonilacio and sidcd wi|h Auinaldo.
On March 2`, a dav al|cr |hc Tccros clcc|ion, lollowin Bonilacio, hc sincd |hc
documcn|s rcnouncin and disclaimin |hc rcsul|s ol |hc clcc|ion. Thcn on March 24, in
Tanza, whcrc |hc ollicials ol |hc rcvolu|ionarv ovcrnmcn| wcrc a|hcrcd, hc |ook |hc oa|h
ol ollicc as Cap|ain Gcncral ol |hc Auinaldo Cabinc|, |hc samc ovcrnmcn| hc rcpudia|cd
|hc dav bclorc" (VIBORA!, 40i






!ART IV

SYMBOLIC VALUES

CHA!TER I

The Biggest Symbol of All








CHA!TER II

The Lesser Symbols












!ART V

ETHICAL VALUES

INTRODUCTION

Matthew Arnold says that literature has a deIinite relation to the problem oI how to
live right. In other words, literature has ethical value. A good novel has an ethical value iI
reading it gives occasion to think about ethical questions. II a story dramatizes conIlicts
and dilemmas, it is not necessarily teaching us how to live, but it encourages us to
contemplate the codes that the characters live by. II an author wants to promote a
particular perspective oI liIe and the world he may use a character to do the promotion.
While reading, the reader is given the opportunity to meditate on the perspective the
character advances. e may not always agree with the character's sense and standard oI
morality, but seeing that morality in action can shed light on what it means or how it
changes the world. II a novel makes the reader reIlects on a moral code, instead oI simply
rejecting it or embracing it, then we can say that it has an ethical value. But it is not
expected that the questions raised by the novel will be answered at the end oI the novel. It
is because a literary work does not preach Ior it is not its inherent Iunction. A good novel
must only disclaims and insinuates, it persuades instead oI convinces, it stimulates and
does not oblige.



CAPTER I
To Die for One`s Own !rinciple



I| is |hc hcar|, al|cr all which dic|a|cs, which rulcs, which lc|s us livc and dic."(Vibora,118i


Vha| is |hc loic ol. lovc. I| is |hc willinncss |o sacrilicc, |o pav |hc cos|, wi|h
onc`s lilc il ncccssarv. And sinccri|v. And in|cri|v. All |hcsc words o |oc|hcr"
(VIBORA!, 47i.