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