Antonio Samson's Tag Price

Vizarra, Lara Christina M.

Prof. Joahna T. Eduarte

Humanities 014

8 September 2009

F. Sionil Jose’s The Pretenders: Calculating a man’s price is one that ultimately devalues all men.

How will you measure a man’s worth? By his looks, by the signature clothes he’s wearing, by the degree he had, by the way he converse with others. How can you measure it? Is it measurable at the first place? In this paper I will attempt to answer these questions that puzzled my mind after reading the novel.

In the fourteenth chapter of the story, Don Manuel, who wholeheartedly believes in human corruptibility, proceeds to show Tony how easy are it to buy people. This chapter shows much of depth in a man’s character. At what point does his pride end when money is involved. Don Manuel successfully showed Tony the reality of life that everybody has a price. That everybody can be bought in some circumstances just like what he did to Tony’s friend, Godo, bought for two thousand pesos.

“A man’s character comes out only in a crisis--when temptation is before him. We are all weaklings, son. No man is expected to be of steel--and even steel melts. There isn’t much choice for a man once he is born. There is no certainty except death. One has to live the best way he can. I believe that…” an elucidation of Don Manuel Villa for his son-in-law, Antonio Samson when he tried to prove his point and showed Tony a canceled check made out to Godo, a magazine journalist, whom Tony regards as a man of integrity.

Integrity and Pride two things that Antonio believed belong to him. He never wanted to be paid by his rich father-in-law for he believes that he married Carmen not for her wealth but for love. He wanted to prove to Don Manuel that he is different from the others, that even if he was born poor, his motives were right and pure. Tony tried to develop revolutionary ideas how his home county has to be changed but the masses didn’t change for it was he who changed and later became one of the illustrados. Now, what happened to his integrity? Where did his pride go? Her Manang Betty said that “Pride is not for us. It’s for the wealthy.” Therefore we can conclude that if pride has a price and principles can be sold, again, everything has a price.

If everything has a price, you can estimate a man’s worth therefore it can be measurable! In the novel, for Don Manuel, he can calculate man’s price, for Godo, he can name his price and for Tony, he cannot be bought for his words are worthy. These men are all worthy by their own way. The first two have already accepted their price tag but Tony hasn’t seen his yet. For him calculating a man’s price is one that ultimately devalues all men.

Tony wanted to have a revolution and we can see how the situation transformed him. People may say that he gained wealth when he married Carmen but what people don’t know is he started to lose everything when he came to the Villas. It only becomes clear that everybody can be corrupted, and as Antonio Samson realizes this, he took the only priceless thing in this world, his LIFE. He committed suicide. At first it was freedom which he lost, second was his work, third his friend who was bought for pesos, fourth his father, fifth the faithfulness of his wife, sixth his integrity and pride and last his life. Maybe in the end, I can say that Tony knew his price. He couldn’t accept the truth that he sold himself and once bought. He was just in denial about it and this pretention lead him to death. And may I add that after carrying all that burdens for a long time, Antonio Samson is a one great pretender.

References:

www.google.com

www.wikipedia.org

www.yahoo.com

< The Pretenders, F. Sionil Jose, Solidarid Publishing House, 531 Padre Faura, Ermita, Manila, Philippines>

H-U-M-A-N-I-T-I-E-S-0-1-4

Hearten

This is one of the main objectives of the course to hearten or to encourage the students not to fear to write, read and act. That we must not ignore the works of our Filipino artists but to help them in making the literary industry better and save it from death.

Undoubtedly Gracious!

That was my first impression when I saw Ma’am Eduarte on our first meeting. She really looks familiar to me. I know that we met before but I just didn’t know when and where. I was staring at Ma’am as she discusses the course syllabus and her voice; I heard it before! And then I remembered my proctor when I took the English Amplitude test she was the one who evaluated our batch. I don’t really know her even her name, all I know she is an English Professor. And on our second class meeting, I knew it! That English Professor was Ma’am Eduarte, once my proctor and now my professor.

She is someone who cannot be forgotten. She can love you even in your worst times. She is our Humanities professor who always gives her best in teaching and that’s why I feel so blessed to be part of her class. She is really one of the best, I can say. And who can forget her eyes? You know sometimes she doesn’t need to talk for her eyes answers all our questions.

Ladies and gentlemen, one of Literature’s eye openers, our mentor, our beloved Prof. Joahna Toledo-Eduarte.

Mistress

A challenging character in the short story of Estrella Alfon’s “Servant girl” which happens to be one of my favorite stories that we’ve discussed. When Ma’am announced in the class that we are going to have a one-act drama play, I actually got excited because I really love to direct and act. But what excites me most? Who will be my group mates? I immediately said that I want “Servant Girl” to be our drama play. And that’s when “D Muchachas” group was created. Meg wrote and directed the play, Jeshca assisted her. Lea played as Rosa, the protagonist in the story, I played as the Mistress, the role of Sancho was given to Dominic and Edward acted as “Anghel” of Rosa. Abie and Kim was the comforter of Rosa while Jordan and Alex worked backstage. Everybody did their job well and the results speak for it. I won the Best Character Portrayals and our group won the Best Big Group Performance. The activity went so well and all groups received positive reviews and comments.

I am married to become an engineer; I have no choice but to be wed with it. So after taking this course I realized something, that even if I cannot be what I really want I can be someone just like the “Querida” of Angela Manalang- Gloria. Or let’s use a suitable title for me, Mistress. A mistress of the art of Philippine Literature, a book lover, a leading exponent of poetry and stories and a paramour of theatrical plays.

Amplest

This course is more than enough! Amplest! We were taught generously by our professor. We got all what we want and beyond. We gain knowledge. We gain wisdom. We gain friends; I personally met a lot of friends that lead to a good company. We were bonded and tied by our common likes and tastes especially when it comes to guys. FYI we have a fans club!Mr. Right’s Fan’s Club,( as what Meriz described the guy) I think it was Lea & I who initiated it. Abie, Meg, Meriz, Jeshca and even Dom and Alex are members of our club. Wanna join us? Hahaha. But kidding aside we really had fun! We achieved a lot of things within this course and most of all we were given the chance to salvage the dying Literature of our generation.

Nose-bleed

It is our class’ expression: Nose-bleed!!!We always experience it when Ma’am will assign us a lot of reading works and story analyzations. When there’s a recitation or group reporting Ma’am will not let you sit without asking any questions and there when “Nose- bleed” starts.

But I personally enjoyed every moment in this course even if there were lot of works to do and Ma’am would assign something, I never got bored! Never at all. Especially when we made and presented our own tanaga, which Nico’s work really stood out, it was in August 1, I won’t forget it for it was Pres. Cory’s death date, that day was very relaxing I felt at peace when I did mine.

Inestimable

How much have we learned in this course? My answer: It is too great to calculate! The experience we’ve had within the class is priceless. The joys and jokes we’ve shared, incalculable. The lessons we’ve learned, immeasurable. And our Professor, Ma’am Joahna, she is incomparable!

Transformative

Just like what Salvador P. Lopez is into. His goal in writing is to transform the society and not to impress it by the language he is using. This course is transformative. There are some points of Literature that I couldn’t understand but when I enrolled in HUM014, all questions were answered.

Back in my elementary and High School days, I used to join the Literary Contest, Linggo ng Wika, etc. I became the school representative to compete in other schools and fortunately I always get the prize. But the problem is I know how to speak, to act, but sometimes I couldn’t understand the message of the piece. Some of my mentors taught me the right diction, intonation of the words but not the meaning of it.

This course helped me a lot in understanding and knowing the importance of an artwork. Thanks to you Ma’am!

I loved it!

I loved it on our first meeting and I loved it more when the class was about to end.

I love my classmates. I met Lea, my new confidant and my joy, Alex, my new friend who became the antagonist of our club. hahaha.. Meg, my seatmate & tutor, Abie and Dom, my commentators, became closer to me. Meriz, Jeshca & Kim joined our fans club and maybe Jenny and Ezhra would also say “Yes!”, I hope they'll join us. I was given the chance to mingle with Edward, the “Anghel of the class”, to Mr. Right who always makes me melt.. Hay!!!, to Noel, our great “rapper-judge”, Andro, Robert, Jolo, Majay, Blanche. And Lee-Mark, who happens to be the “Pappie” of our class (and I’m his Luningning) my classmates together with Ma’am would always tease us and also another chance to bond with my block guy-mates, Jordan, Nico, Justin, and Alay. Thanks to Kuya Mark for being our class photographer and sound engineer during our play and for being nice to me. To Ralph, who has been so quiet within the term, I didn’t have the guts to approach you. And for those names I was not able to mention, still I love you guys!

My deepest gratitude to our teacher, Ma’am Joahna T. Eduarte. I love you Ma’am!

Endless

An endless patience, which Ma’am always had during our meetings, an endless reading of books, essays, articles, etc. An endless hopes that Philippine Literature will live again. And finally an endless faith in God that if we seek Him first everything will be alright, just like what we always do in class we pray first before we start and maybe that’s the reason why we always had a good day.

Sampaguita

Literature is like the sampaguita that the Sam.vendor in Marjorie Evasco’s poem is selling. The fragrance of the works we’ve discussed is so pure and white as a sampaguita flower.

-SAMSONS

I don’t want to be like the “Samsons”. I don’t want to be a pretender just as what Antonio Samson did. If he said,” I’m the most comfortable man on earth”, I said, “I’m the most uncomfortable man on my MATH class. If he said,” I’ll be a mess! And he shuddered” I said.”Even if I’m the most uncomfortable man, I won’t mess up! I won’t be a mess!

-SADNESS

I am in deep sadness. Sad as what Maningning Miclat sounded in her poem “Laughter”. I am sad that I may not do “it” again.

0-Zero OH MY!

My blog is about to end. We have “zeros” time left. But the words and images I’ve posted will be in my mind and heart. I will keep these memories till forever if you may allow me. It will be endless…

1 subtract one from four then read the difference twice (4-1=3) 33

4 Exactly 33 days

All in all we shared the 33 days of our life together. Time really flies to fast. I never imagined that 33 days would be fast as that. How I wish we had 33 seconds more, even 33 minutes, or 33 terms together. Hay! But we need to move on. Maybe after 33 years (how old am I then?, just do the Math..) we would bump to each other and say Hi, Hello or we can even share how this course had helped us and discussed the things we’ve done in the past years of our lives.

Thanks Ma’am Eduarte! Thanks to my classmates! May God bless us as He continues to be the pillar of our strength and source of inspiration. Till then…