EAFROLIT Afro-Asian Literature

The Lost

GENERATIONReported by: Angeline Dela Cruz

Donna De Guzman Alilin- Carreon & Renato De Guzman Rosales

WHO ARE THE AUTHORS?

CARREON & ROSALES

The original author of the This story was also co- Unlike Carreon, the works
story "The Lost written by the Spanish of Rosales are mostly
Generation" was written translator, Renato De about criticism,
by Donna De Guzman Guzman Rosales, there is interpretation, academic
Alilin- Carreon, there is no no indication that the two theses, and biographies.
available information authors are related to
showing on the internet each other due to their
and books about her. middle name.

Memory of a Deprived Childhood

EAFROLIT

The Lost Generation

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

RENATO DE GUZMAN
ROSALES
The following are the works of Rosales
that were published:
World literature: Asian, African,
Islamic, and South American
Reconsidered Literary criticism
Vida y obra de Jose Rizal (1861-
1896) en la literatura Hispano-
Filipina
Afro-Asian literature: a tapestry

THE LOST
GENERATION
This literature was a description and
narration through a story of the
Philippine-Japanese war which
serves as a memory of the deprived
childhood of the narrator's father.

Memory of a Deprived Childhood

EAFROLIT

The Lost Generation

WE ARE ALL VULNERABLE CREATIONS of Another aunt, a lovely woman who was in or
God. No matter how strong we are, we each 19 in her blooming years, almost became a
have some sort of weakness that we cannot "comfort woman' during that period. Thanks
face. Instead of confronting these realities, to my Yarner's strategy of hiding her rolled
we bury them somewhere far away --- as in up inside a hat in one of the corners of into
a lost memory. house during one particular day when some
Japanese soldiers madison ocular visitation
The story of my family isn't one of those
of all houses in the neighborhood.
heirlooms that get handed down from
generation to generation, so I don't know I can't perceive living that way. I never had
much about the time before my beginning. to run for my life, worry about a roof over
Maybe it's because I don't really initiate the my head, and most importantly I never had
questions that hold the keys necessary to to search for my next meal.
unlock the door of the past.
Those days of struggling are over now, but
What I do know is that my grandfather on the imprints created in war's path remain an
my father's side died in a Japanese prison unseen battle. My father is a strict man who
camp in the Philippines during World War Il. doesn't settle for anything less than
My father, six years old, along with his perfection. He doesn't believe that there is
brothers and my grandmother fled from the anything that cannot be done. I never
Japanese. They hid wherever they could, understood his ideals, until now - Now that I
enduring rain, cold nights, and hunger. Of can see beyond his visage.
the five of my father's brothers, only three
My father, Vincent, is the youngest.
are alive today. The other two died of
However, the effects of war took that title
dysentery during the desperate flight from
from him. There is no childhood in
the Japanese. They had no means of getting
struggling to survive. Though Dodong, the
medicine or money even if the means were
eldest, was responsible for providing food,
available.
shelter, and as much safety as he could,
The war left my aunt a widow after her each brother had to learn to provide for
husband's death during the war. As a himself. I remember my father's story of
widow, she became to be a mirror of life; telling my brothers how my uncle was
she never got married again and she never caught by the Japanese and almost killed.
abandoned her obligation of taking care and It's an intriguing story of survival, something
nurturing her only son who lost his father my brothers and I have no notion of.
during the Bataan March of the Philippine-
Japanese War.

Memory of a Deprived Childhood

EAFROLIT

The Lost Generation

During that period, World War Il, the Still, no wood was sent down as their arms
Philippines was a war-torn country. Food and tired underneath the weight of the stones.
other materials necessary to sustain life were Worried about the situation, Vincent made his
very scarce. Somehow my family managed to way carefully upstream, sneaking through the
live day by day... bushy grass on the banks of the river. As he
drew near, he could hear the shouting of the
And nature showed her kindness for
Japanese tongue. Aware of the dilemma, he
disillusioned children as she stretched her
tried to make himself believe his brother was
golden arms lovingly to caress the gently
not caught.
flowing waters. A glowing sun was shining on
the gently flowing stream. Rays were dispersed Through the thick brush, he watched
in a sparking burst of prism-like light. Tall helplessly. The desire to jump from hiding and
grasses coated the banks of the stream. She help his brother twitched in his nerves, making
called the boys and beckoned them out of his hands quiver. The thought of a huge blade
hiding. Four small, thin boys inched their way ready to fall on Dodong's head almost made
into the reassuring sunlight, rolled in the tall him faint. Instead, he began scheming in his
grasses that coated the banks of the stream, terrified mind for a way to save his brother. His
and fell into the cool water. They stood in the thoughts wrestled with each other as he
waist-deep water, lifted smooth, round stones imagined blood, the small band of five
out of the water, and listened to the "plop!" as Japanese soldiers, the pain his brother would
they tossed them back in, giggling at the feel, his mother waiting at the shelter, and Ben
splashes the stones made. In the distance, the and Roger still standing in the water.
rat-tat-tat of machine gun fire echoed. The
The blade was raised high, ready to slice
boys listened for a painful yell then continued
anything in its path. Vincent shut his eyes to
with their play.
avoid the grim sight. An eternity could have
One day, Dodong went searching for firewood passed as he waited to hear steel on bone, as
and whatever else he could find to benefit he imagined the mad rush of blood spouting
them. To get firewood he would travel like a fountain. To his surprise, a roar of
upstream and send the wood floating down laughter thundered in his ears. He opened his
with the current. The others, Vincent Ben, and eyes slowly and reluctantly. There, standing in
Roger waited to collect the driftwood. On this the water was Dodong, wavering with fear still
particular occasion, Dodong was spotted by alive and in one piece. His arms dangled
some Japanese soldiers. They began straight at his sides, motionless.
threatening his life with unfriendly gestures.
My father stood downstream with Roger and
Ben waiting for wood to be sent to them.

Memory of a Deprived Childhood

EAFROLIT

The Lost Generation

The Japanese soldiers mocked him, poking him I don't know what happened after that. My
with a stick and waving a blade in his face. father only told the story to impress on my
Sweat heads that formed on his forehead and brothers how valuable food, clothes and
temples trickled down his cheeks and dripped other things we take for granted really are.
from his chin. But still, he stood facing them, He wanted them to know that wood for the
silent and prepared to meet his Father in fire was the price of life.
heaven if that be the case.
Though my father appears to be an
The handful of soldiers surrounded him and unmovable man, stiff in stature, serious-
pushed him back and forth to one another. He faced, and strict with his ideas and
could barely keep his balance. Fearing giving expectations, the past is his frailty. He tries
them any ideas of drowning him, Dodong to bury the tracks of that episode in his life
fought to stay on his feet. by avoiding it. The war is no longer a
struggle to survive, but a struggle to forget.
As the game of "catch" began to lose its
It is no longer around him but inside him. I
interest to the Japanese soldiers, the leader
respect him more now that I realize this. I
stretched out his left arm and with a vice-like
can understand the long hard road he has
grip yanked Dodong by the hair. His right arm
paved to get where he is now. I know it has
rose high into the air, a mighty blade reflecting
been a harder struggle to pave this road
a sinister blinding light.
with the memories of a deprived childhood
Vincent, who was unprepared to shield his eyes behind him.
from the fated disaster, almost screamed as
the blade fell through the air. Instead, he froze
on the spot, eyes wide as saucers. The blade
groaned an unsatisfied groan as it cut through
Dodong's hair. This time Vincent did faint. His
tensed body dropped with relief. They spared
his brother. Dodong ran homeward without
hesitation. The soldiers laughed as they
watched the almost bald boy speed
downstream as they set him free.

Memory of a Deprived Childhood

 EAFROLIT Afro-Asian Literature

The Lost

GENERATION
Donna De Guzman Alilin- Carreon & Renato De Guzman Rosales

ABOUT THE STORY

A STUDY GUIDE
1. As a Filipino Citizen, what is your honest reaction to what happened in the story?

2. What does the story would like you to understand?

3. Do you agree that "a piece of wood for the fire could be a price of life"?
Can anything be a price of life?

4. Are there good and bad effects of colonization in our country?

5. If you were born during the Japanese War, what do you think you did for yourself or for your
family?

ABOUT THE LECTURE

REFERENCES
https://www.canva.com/photos/MAC8TLc2ddY-surrender-of-port-arthur-during-russo-
japanese-war/

https://books.google.com.ph/books?
id=wbu68fPr9ygC&pg=PA38&lpg=PA38&dq=The+Lost+Generation+by+Renato+Rosales+and+D
onna+Alilin+Carreon&source=bl&ots=3fWvX6VgLh&sig=ACfU3U1OnNFXncol2ciAfQnFUZ0ENZ4
aDw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjXrNWcx-
35AhUEmFYBHTSrCJIQ6AF6BAgCEAM#v=onepage&q&f=false
Young Love and the Pleasures of Youthful Age

Memory of a Deprived Childhood

EAFROLIT Afro-Asian Literature

Footnote to

YOUTH
Reported by: Paula Pagatpat

Jose Garcia Villa

WHO IS THE AUTHOR?

JOSE GARCIA VILLA

He is a national Artist for language. Villa, who lived innovative, poetic way.
Literature (1973) and was in Singalong, Manila, The first of his poems
born on August 5, 1908 introduced the reversed “Have Come, Am Here”
and died on February 7, consonance rime scheme, received critical
1997. He is considered as including the comma recognition when it
one of the finest poems that made full use appeared in New York in
contemporary poets of the punctuation mark in 1942 that, soon enough,
regardless of race or an honors and fellowships

Young Love and the Pleasures of Youthful Age

EAFROLIT

Footnote to Youth
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JOSE GARCIA VILLA

were heaped on him: Guggenheim,
Bollingen, the American Academy of
Arts, and Letters Awards. He used
Doveglion (Dove, Eagle, Lion) as his pen
name, the very characters he attributed
to himself, and the same ones explored
by e.e. cummings in the poem he wrote
for Villa (Doveglion, Adventures in
Value).
Villa is also known for the tartness of his (1962), Poems in Praise of Love (1979)
tongue. Some of Footnote to Youth Selected Stories (1982), Mir-i-nisa (1929)
(1933), Many Voices (1939), Poems by
Doveglion (1941) Poems 55

FOOTNOTE TO
YOUTH
The sun was salmon and hazy in the
west. Dodong thought to himself that
he would tell his father about teang
when he got home after he had
unhitched the carabao from the plow
and led and led it to its shed and fed it.
He was hesitant about saying it, but he
wanted his father to know. What he had
to say was of serious import as it would
mark a climacteric in his life. Dodong
fully decided to tell it, but as thought
came to him his father might refuse to
consider it.

Young Love and the Pleasures of Youthful Age

EAFROLIT

Footnote to Youth
His father was a silent, hardworking farmer A small, angled stone bled his foot, but he
who chewed areca nut, which he had dismissed it cursorily. He lifted his leg and
learned to do from his mother, Dodong's looked at the hurt toe and then went on
grandmother. walking. In the cool sundown, he thought
wild you dream of himself and Teang.
I will tell it to him. I will tell it to him.
Teang, his girl. She had a small brown face
The ground was broken up into many fresh and small black eyes and straight glossy
wounds and fragrant with a sweetish earthy hair. How desirable she was to him. She
smell. Many slender, soft worms emerged made him dream even during the day.
from the furrows and then burrowed again
Dodong tensed with desire and looked at
deeper into the soil. A short colorless worm
the muscles of his arms. Dirty. This
marched blindly to Dodong's foot and
fieldwork was healthy, invigorating but it
crawled calmly over it. Dodong go tickled
begrimed you, smudged you terribly. He
and jerked his foot, flinging the worm into
turned back the way he had come, and then
the air. Dodong did not bother to look
he marched obliquely to a creek.
where it fell, but thought of his age,
seventeen, and he said to himself he was Dodong stripped himself and laid his
not young anymore. clothes, a gray undershirt, and red
kundiman shorts, on the grass. Then he
Dodong unhitched the carabao leisurely and
went into the water, wet his body over, and
gave it a healthy tap on the hip. The beast
rubbed at it vigorously. He was not long in
turned its head to look at him with dumb
bathing, then he marched homeward again.
faithful eyes. Dodong gave it a slight push
The bath made him feel cool.
and the animal walked alongside him to its
shed. He placed bundles of grass before it It was dusk when he reached home. The
lands the carabao began to eat. Dodong petroleum lamp on the ceiling already was
looked at it without interest. lighted and the low unvarnished square
table was set for supper. His parents and he
Dodong started homeward, thinking how he
sat down on the floor around the table to
would break his news to his father. He
eat. They had fried fresh-water fish, rice,
wanted to marry, Dodong did. He was
bananas, and caked sugar.
seventeen, he had pimples on his face, the
down on his upper lip already was dark-- Dodong ate fish and rice but did not partake
these meant he was no longer a boy. He of the fruit. The bananas were overripe and
was growing into a man – he was a man. when one held them, they felt more fluid
Dodong felt insolent and big at the thought than solid. Dodong broke off a piece of the
of it although he was by nature low in cake's sugar, dipped it in his glass of water,
stature. Thinking himself a man grown, and ate it. He got another piece and wanted
Dodong felt he could do anything. some more, but he thought of leaving the
remainder for his parents.
He walked faster, prodded by the thought of
his virility.

Young Love and the Pleasures of Youthful Age

EAFROLIT

Footnote to Youth
Dodong's mother removed the dishes when then became angry because his father kept
they were through and went out to the looking at him without uttering anything.
batalan to wash them. She walked with slow
"I will marry Teang," Dodong repeated. "I
careful steps and Dodong wanted to help
will marry Teang."
her carry the dishes out, but he was tired
and now felt lazy. He wished as he looked at His father kept gazing at him in inflexible
her that he had a sister who could help his silence and Dodong fidgeted on his seat.
mother with the housework. He pitied her,
"I asked her last night to marry me, and she
doing all the housework alone.
said...yes. I want your permission. I... want...
His father remained in the room, sucking a it...." There was an impatient clamor in his
diseased tooth. It was paining him again, voice, an exacting protest at this coldness,
Dodong knew. Dodong had told him often this indifference. Dodong looked at his
and again to let the town dentist pull it out, father sourly. He cracked his knuckles one
but he was afraid, his father was. He did not by one, and the little sounds it made broke
tell that to Dodong, but Dodong guessed it. dully the night stillness.
Afterward, Dodong himself thought that if
"Must you marry, Dodong?"
he had a decayed tooth, he would be afraid
to go to the dentist; he would not be any Dodong resented his father's questions; his

bolder than his father. father himself had married. Dodong made a
quick impassioned easy in his mind about
Dodong said while his mother was out that
selfishness, but later he got confused.
he was going to marry Teang. There it was
out, what he had to say, and over which he "You are very young, Dodong."

had done so much thinking. He had said it "I'm... seventeen."

without any effort at all and without self- "That's very young to get married at."

consciousness. Dodong felt relieved and "I... I want to marry...Teang's a good girl."

looked at his father expectantly. A crescent "Tell your mother,”His father said.

moon outside shed its feeble light into the "You tell her, Tatay."

window, graying the still black temples of his "Dodong, you tell your Inay."

father. His father looked old now. "You tell her."

"All right, Dodong."
"I am going to marry Teang," Dodong said.
"You will let me marry Teang?"
His father looked at him silently and "Son, if that is your wish... of course..." There
stopped sucking the broken tooth. The was a strange helpless light in his father's
silence became intense and cruel, and eyes. Dodong did not read it, so absorbed
Dodong wished his father would suck that was he in himself.
troublous tooth again. Dodong was
uncomfortable and

Young Love and the Pleasures of Youthful Age

EAFROLIT

Footnote to Youth
Dodong was immensely glad he had Suddenly he felt terribly embarrassed as he
asserted himself. He lost his resentment for looked at her. Somehow, he was ashamed
his father. For a while, he even felt sorry for to his mother of his youthful paternity. It
him about the diseased tooth. Then he made him feel guilty, as if he had taken
confined his mind to dreaming of Teang and something not properly his. He dropped his
himself. Sweet young dream.... eyes and pretended to dust dirt off his
kundiman shorts.
Dodong stood in the sweltering noon heat,
sweating profusely so that his camiseta was "Dodong," his mother called again.
damp. He was still as a tree and his "Dodong."
thoughts were confused. His mother had He turned to look again, and this time saw
told him not to leave the house, but he had his father beside his mother.
left. He had wanted to get out of it without "It is a boy," his father said. He beckoned
clear reason at all. He was afraid, he felt. Dodong to come up.
Afraid of the house. It had seemed to cage
Dodong felt more embarrassed and did not
him, to compare his thoughts with severe
move. What a moment for him. His parents'
tyranny. Afraid also of Teang. Teang was
eyes seemed to pierce him through and he
giving birth in the house; she gave screams
felt limp. He wanted to hide from them, to
that chilled his blood. He did not want her to
run away.
scream like that, he seemed to be rebuking
him. He began to wonder madly if the "Dodong, you come up. You come up," his
process of childbirth was painful. Some mother said.
women, when they gave birth, did not cry. Dodong did not want to come up and
stayed in the sun.
In a few moments, he would be a father.
"Dodong. Dodong."
"Father, father," he whispered the word with
"I'll... come up."
awe, with strangeness. He was young, he
realized now, contradicting himself of nine Dodong traced tremulous steps on the dry
months comfortable... "Your son," people parched yard. He ascended the bamboo
would soon be telling him. "Your son, steps slowly. His heart pounded mercilessly
Dodong." in him. Within, he avoided his parents’ eyes.
He walked ahead of them so that they
Dodong felt tired standing. He sat down on
should not see his face. He felt guilty and
a sawhorse with his feet close together. He
untrue. He felt like crying. His eyes smarted
looked at his callused toes. Suppose he had
and his chest wanted to burst. He wanted to
ten children... What made him think that?
turn back, to go back to the yard. He wanted
What was the matter with him? God! He
somebody to punish him.
heard his mother's voice from the house:
"Come up, Dodong. It is over."

Young Love and the Pleasures of Youthful Age

EAFROLIT

Footnote to Youth
His father thrust his hand in his and gripped Teang did not complain, but the bearing of
it gently. children told on her. She was shapeless and
"Son," his father said. thin now, even if she was young. There was
And his mother: "Dodong..." interminable work to be done. Cooking.
Laundering. The house. The children. She
How kind were their voices. They flowed cried sometimes, wishing she had not
into him, making him strong. married. She did not tell Dodong this, not
"Teang?" Dodong said. wishing him to dislike her. Yet she wished
"She's sleeping. But you go on..." she had not married. Not even Dodong,
whom she loved. There has been another
His father led him into the small sawali
suitor, Lucio, older than Dodong by nine
room. Dodong saw Teang, his girl-wife,
years, and that was why she had chosen
asleep on the papag with her black hair soft
Dodong. Young Dodong. Seventeen. Lucio
around her face. He did not want her to look
had married another after her marriage to
that pale.
Dodong, but he was childless until now. She
Dodong wanted to touch her, to push away wondered if she had married Lucio, would
that stray wisp of hair that touched her lips, she have borned him, children. Maybe not,
but again that feeling of embarrassment either. That was a better lot. But she loved
came over him, and before his parents he Dodong...
did not want to be demonstrative.
Dodong whom life had made ugly.
The hilot was wrapping the child, Dodong
One night, as he lay beside his wife, he rose
heard it cry. The thin voice pierced him
and went out of the house. He stood in the
queerly. He could not control the swelling of
moonlight, tired and querulous. He wanted
happiness in him.
to ask questions and somebody to answer
“You give him to me. You give him to me," him. He wanted to be wise about many
Dodong said. things.

Blas was not Dodong's only child. Many One of them was why life did not fulfill all of
more children came. For six successive Youth's dreams. Why it must be so? Why
years, a new child came along. Dodong did one was forsaken... after Love.
not want any more children, but they came.
Dodong would not find the answer. Maybe
It seemed the coming of children could not
the question was not to be answered. It
be helped. Dodong got angry with himself
must be so to make youth Youth. Youth
sometimes.
must be dreamfully sweet. Dreamfully
sweet. Dodong returned to the house
humiliated by himself. He had wanted to
know a little wisdom but was denied it.

Young Love and the Pleasures of Youthful Age

EAFROLIT

Footnote to Youth
When Blas was eighteen, he came home Blas' voice stilled with resentment. "I will
one night very flustered and happy. It was marry Tona." Dodong kept silent, hurt.
late at night and Teang and the other
"You have objections, Itay?" Blas asked
children were asleep. Dodong heard Blas'
acridly.
steps, for he could not sleep well at night.
He watched Blas undress in the dark and lie Dodong whom life had made ugly.
down softly. Blas was restless on his mat One night, as he lay beside his wife, he rose
and could not sleep. Dodong called his and went out of the house. He stood in the
name and asked why he did not sleep. Blas moonlight, tired and querulous. He wanted
said he could not sleep. to ask questions and somebody to answer
him. He wanted to be wise about many
"You better go to sleep. It is late," Dodong
things.
said.
One of them was why life did not fulfill all of
Blas raised himself on his elbow and
Youth's dreams. Why it must be so? Why
muttered something in a low fluttering
one was forsaken... after Love.
voice.
Dodong would not find the answer. Maybe
Dodong did not answer and tried to sleep.
the question was not to be answered. It
"Itay ...," Blas called softly.
must be so to make youth Youth. Youth
Dodong stirred and asked him what it was. must be dreamfully sweet. Dreamfully
"I am going to marry Tona. She accepted me sweet. Dodong returned to the house
tonight." humiliated by himself. He had wanted to
know a little wisdom but was denied it.
Dodong lay on the red pillow without
moving. "Son... n-none..." (But truly, God, I don't
"Itay, you think it over." want Blas to marry yet... not yet. I don't
Dodong lay silent. want Blas to marry yet....)
"I love Tona and... I want her."
But he was helpless. He could not do
Dodong rose from his mat and told Blas to anything. Youth must triumph... now. Love
follow him. They descended to the yard, must triumph... now. Afterward... it will be
where everything was still and quiet. The life.
moonlight was cold and white.
As long-ago Youth and Love did triumph for
"You want to marry Tona," Dodong said. He Dodong... and then Life. Dodong looked
did not want Blas to marry yet. Blas was wistfully at his young son in the moonlight.
very He felt extremely sad and sorry for him.
young. The life that would follow marriage
would be hard...

"Yes."
"Must you marry?"

Young Love and the Pleasures of Youthful Age

 EAFROLIT Afro-Asian Literature

Footnote to

YOUTH
Jose Garcia Villa

ABOUT THE STORY

A STUDY GUIDE
1. What do you think the author wants to convey in making a "Footnote to Youth"?

2. How will you compare the story of Dodong to our generation today?

3. What will you do as a future educator or parent to ensure that what happened to Dodong
does not happen to your future students or child?

ABOUT THE LECTURE

REFERENCES
https://www.carousell.ph/p/selected-poems-and-new-jose-garcia-villa-hardcover-first-
printingsigned-with-a-poem-1089658713/

https://news.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/06/27/10/freeways-villa-collection-merging-fashion-and-
poetry

https://bryanluisballesteros21stcenturyliterature.wordpress.com/2017/12/27/footnote-to-
youth/

https://ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/culture-profile/national-artists-of-the-
philippines/jose-garcia-villa/

Young Love and the Pleasures of Youthful Age

Young Love and the Pleasures of Youthful Age