San Pedro, Janine Krystel S.

1J - MT

1. How did Rosario's family accept Masugi? Was the action justifiable? Explain.
Despite Rosario's constant rejection of Masugi's romantic gestures and sincerity for
her dignity cannot be bought by someone who has tainted her humanity, her family was
able to forgive Masugi because of the sincerity that he has shown and how he helped
their family especially during times of war. Rosario's family was won over by the gifts
of bounty rice grains and canned goods given by Masugi, as well as numerous attempts
shown by Masugi to make amends for all the ill actions that he had done to Rosario. In
the moral context, rape is absolutely unjustifiable. Furthermore, the particular scene
that was shown in the film just shows how numerous women were helpless as they
were abused and traumatized by foreign soldiers during the events of World war II.
However, due to their living conditions – how their foods were stolen by Japanese
soldiers as well as how they were only eating sweet potatoes all day, Rosario’s family
resulted to the help provided by Masugi, leading them to eventually forgive and
welcome him to their lives.

2. Identify the 5 characters and their dilemma within the story of the film. How did they
react?
 Rosario – Rosario’s dilemma is when she was being pinned down with her
hatred of Masugi while being pursued by her family to accept him, as well as
her thoughts on whether she will accept Masugi, one of the Japanese officers
whom all Filipinos fear and hate during the Japanese occupation and also the
man who raped her and caused her pain and sufferings. There was a scene in
the movie when Rosario was about to do a dreadful act, which is to kill her baby
on a stone bridge, in order to correct or forget what Masugi had done to her.
However, she decided to back down and chose to forgive Masugi and embrace
the new life with Masugi and her son.
 Masugi – Masugi is known to have his hatred towards Filipinos given how his
parents were killed by Filipinos in a prison even though his mother is also a
Filipino, and how he had to survive alone and seek safety just to be safe from
Filipinos. Hence, Masugi’s dilemma can be well represented by the scenario
when he agreed to help and assist Crispin when he was wounded despite
knowing that Crispin is one of those who seek and kill Japanese and fellow
Filipinos mercilessly – just like what happened to his mother.
 Crispin – Crispin was a member of underground resistance of Japanese
occupation and it was seen several times in the film that he left very often, and
it took a long time before he would come back. There was a point in the film
when Crispin just got home from the war and was surprised to know the news
about Rosario, thus, his dilemma comes in at the point when he is very reluctant
to accept Rosario, considering the fact that Rosario got pregnant and fell in love
with a Japanese officer, whom Crispin was trying to oppose against with in this
San Pedro, Janine Krystel S.
1J - MT
country. Furthermore, another dilemma has emerged in the last part of the film
when Crispin asked Padre Daniel if there is God after all the things that
happened to his loved ones.
 Francis – it was seen in the film how Francis, a Spanish mestizo and a friend
of Masugi, hesitated on talking to Rosario, and telling her who is the real
Masugi, what kind of man he is, his life story and experiences, and how Rosario
and her child changed Masugi as a person. The decision of Francis to tell
Rosario everything eventually led to resolving Rosario’s dilemma in the story.
 Rosario’s parents – the dilemma of Rosario’s family, particularly her mother
and father, was immediately seen in the moment Masugi arrived at their home
and made a pass at Rosario, as they were caught between going against Masugi
to help their daughter and staying silent because they fear for their safety and
survival, in which in the end Rosario’s family has chosen the latter. Moreover,
a vital dilemma has also emerged for this family whether they will accept and
forgive Masugi because of the gifts and protection that he gives that is essential
for the survival of their family during that time, or not.

3. What was Masugi's message to Crispin during their conversation? Explain the
importance of the message to all Filipinos.

 Masugi said that there is no difference between the Japanese and Americans –
this is because they will both give the freedom that every Filipino desire, but
they will never surrender the Philippines. This is why it is not right for the
Filipinos to stand against the Japanese in hopes of helping the Americans in
their war – this is because this is not the right way to fight and gain
independence. If we truly want freedom and in dependence, we should learn
how to fight and earn it for ourselves and not with the help of others. Because
if not, we would be no different from servants or pawns working for the
foreigners and fighting for their convenience. The message just primarily
emphasizes that the Filipino’s true freedom and independence cannot be
achieved if the Filipino people themselves continue to rely on the contributions
of the foreign colonizers for our own self-interests, not only during times of war
but even in today’s Filipino society.