The the almighty stealer composition

“The God Stealer” is a brief story simply by Filipino National Artist Farrenheit. Sionil José. It is José’s most anthologized work of fiction. It is not just a tale about an Ifugao thieving a religious idol, but likewise about the friendship that developed between a Philippine and a north american, a rendering of the romantic relationship that created between the “colonized” and the “colonizer”.

The main heroes in “The God Stealer” are Philip Latak and Sam Cristie. Philip, often known as Ip-pig, can be an Ifugao who became a Christian and occupied Manila.

Simply by becoming a town dweller, Philip became fewer sentimental along with his cultural identity, beliefs, and customs. Call him by his name was produced from the word Korea. On the other hand, Mike Christie was an American who have wanted to view the rice balconies of the Hill Province (also known as the Cordilleras). He was as well interested in purchasing an original porcelain figurine of an Ifugao god. His name was produced from Uncle Sam, a representation states.

Philip and Mike were co-office workers.

The story commences with two officemates, Philip Latak (an Ifugao through the Mountain Province now working in Manila) and Sam Cristie, an American around the bus to Baguio. Philip (Ip-pig) right now lives in Manila against the wishes of his immediate friends and family, particularly his grandfather whom intended to bequeth to Philip his reveal of the well-known rice terraces. They are prove way to Baguio for one purpose: Sam wants to acquire a genuine Ifugao god as souvenir and Philip was to help him find an traditional one through his local connections.

Philip is a Christian who will no longer has any respect or perhaps affection intended for the Ifugao customs and religion. This individual considers him self a city boy and does not have any inclination to come back to mountain lifestyle. Despite this attitude, his grandpa is pleased to see him and chooses to throw a big get together in his reverance. On the day in the party, Mike and Philip discovered that simply no Ifugao is usually willing to promote his god. And as a last resort, Philip gives to steal the god of his grandfather because he seems it would be his way of displaying his appreciation to Sam for giving him a greater at work. The results of this action are extreme.

The next day, his grandfather died because he found that his the almighty was stolen. He also informs Mike that Philip will no longer become going back to Manila. Interested, Sam actively seeks Philip and found him doing work in his grandfather’s house. Philip sadly clarifies his factors behind choosing in which to stay the mountains: “I could forgive myself for having stolen this. But the aged man- he had always been sensible, Sam. He knew it turned out me who did it from the very start off. He desired so much to think that it wasn’t me. Nevertheless he could hardly pretend – and neither can I. I killed him, Sam. I killed him because I needed to be free from these types of. These cursed terraces since I wanted being grateful. I killed him who loved me most…” a faltering and stifled sob.

In the dark hut, Sam noticed that Philip is now attired in G-string, the traditional costume of the Ifugao. Furthermore, Philip is occupied carving an additional idol, a new god to replace the old one that Sam will require to America as a memento. Philip’s repudiation of his Ifugao heritage may be extrapolated to imply that Filipino’s denial of his own roots and its replacement unit with colonial values.

Philip’s denial of his Ifugao custom may mean that Filipino’s rejection of his very own roots and its particular replacement with colonial principles. It is significant that Philip shop lifts the Our god for Sam out of gratitude. Therefore is it the Filipino gave up his the majority of precious mark of his past traditions to the Americans as an expression of honor? And by giving this symbol away, the Filipino killers his individual roots. Again, the colonial time culture is a negative pressure in the Philippine History and the real Filipino is the tribal Philippine, or the poor Filipino least touched by simply colonial lifestyle.

Philip’s act of fraud represented the Filipinos’ stopping of their past tribal roots and traditions, only to get replaced by a great “unnatural” lifestyle brought by colonialism. At one time of all time, colonialism taken to the Filipinos a state of confusion, struggling emotions, helplessness, torment, shame and the failure to embrace the past. It really is symbolic with the foreigner’s exploitation and imperialistic ambitions for the Filipino.

But it’s not only regarding the Philippine culture and tradition also, it is about the great characters with the Filipino people, the life they have suffered, the difference between the Ifugao belief plus the stranger, regarding the love of Filipinos inside their native area, the contentment of Ifugao of what they have.

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