Caitlin Keely S.

Ong HUMALIT N05 The Girl in the Red Shawl Going Beyond is a short story written by Joshua L. Lim So. I honestly had trouble finding out more information about the author and the story over the internet. I cant find any publication date or even a brief biography of who the author is. Judging by the content and language use (e.g. Buang) of Going Beyond I safely assume that the story is of local Philippine context. Having heard of several folklores and folk beliefs, it came as no surprise to me when I read the very first sentence of the Going Beyond. It came as a great disappointment when no one died building the bridge. My initial thoughts are then confirmed with the following sentence in the same paragraph. Going Beyond is a short story with an underlying theme of folk culture and beliefs. The villagers in the story strongly believed in legends and traditions passed on by their forefathers, including the requirement of bloodshed on the bridge as a will and rite in order for it to be passable. First, let us get to know more about the village and the people. Joshua So describes the village as located in the highlands. It is separated from the rest of the world by a deep ravine. The people have lived there ever since their forefathers built the place. They never moved to other dwellings. They are also heavily invested in their own culture and beliefs, cut away from other people outside their village. This can be seen when they oohed and aahed as the builders from the lowlands tell them all about skyscrapers, edifices could stretch far up to scratch the sky, and cell phones, a certain apparatus could mingle with the entire world. It is safe to assume that these people are also unaware of the advancements of technology outside as they dont even know what to call them. The characters in the story arent given names except for one, Buang. Although this is not her real name, the alias Buang plays a very important role which I will be explaining later on. Buang is described as clutching a red shawl, old, wrinkled down to her toes, ardently roamed around town at night, dispelling malevolent wraiths by waving the crimson cloth in their direction.

As the story progress, the builders finish building the bridge and left the village. Everyone is awed by the intricacy of this infrastructure but there is one single problem, no one had perished. Remember, there should first be bloodshed before passing. Until one night, a commotion broke that made everyone go to the bridge. A child had died and blood poured on the bridge. Going back to Buang, she might as well be the whole point of this story. I do think that Buang is a metaphor, a symbol, of the whole village. Let us start with the name; Buang is a Bisaya term meaning crazy, mad, insane, stupid, lunatic, etc. How then does this symbolize the village? No, the people are not literally mentally ill but for someone of different upbringing to hear about their ways, theyd be viewed as just that. In what world will there be a joyous celebration when an innocent person dies? In what world is it a great disappointment that a life is not lost? In what world is it to not have an initial reaction of Who committed this crime? or What happened to this poor child? when they see a lifeless girl right in front of their eyes? Their buang world, apparently. Buang is said to be old, wrinkled down to her toes. There is no question that the villagers way of thinking is very traditional and rooted down to their forefathers. With their way of thinking they are also trapped and limited. Enticing us with what wonders could be found beneath, the bridge not only served as literally a way out of their dwellings but also symbolically a way out of their boxed selves. Thus, the title Going Beyond. Buang is also always seen with her crimson red shawl. The colour itself already screams blood but guess what she does with this shawl. She is dispelling malevolent wraiths by waving the crimson cloth in their direction with it. In laymans terms, shes casting away evil ghosts/spirits by waving her red shawl at them. Although it only says that bloodshed on edifices and infrastructures is a will and rite, it is plausible that it is their way to keep away evil spirits or keep the users of it away from harm. Joshua L. Lim So ends Going Beyond with Buangs arms stretched wide waving her red shawl at the mountains.