WITHOUT SEEING THE DAWN

By : Esteban Javellana

AUTHOR’S BIOGRAPHY:

Esteban Javellana was a Filipino novelist and short-story writer in the English
language. He was born in 1918 in Iloilo. He fought as a guerilla during the Japanese
invasion of the Philippines. After World War II, he graduated from the University of the
Philippines College of Law in 1948. He stayed in the United States afterwards but he died
in the Visayas in 1977 at the age of 59.
Javellana was the author of the best-selling war novel in the United States (U.S) and
Manila. His book Without Seeing the Dawn, published by Little, Brown and Company in
Boston in 1947. Without Seeing the Dawn is also known as The Lost Ones, is his only
novel.

BACKGROUND OF THE NOVEL:

Without Seeing the Dawn was derived from one of Jose Rizal’s character in the
Spanish-language novel Noli Me Tangere or Touch Me Not. The book contained two
parts namely, Day and Night.
His first part, Day, narrates the story of a pre-war barrio and its people in the Panay
Island particularly in Iloilo. The second part, Night, begins with the start of World War II
in both US and the Philippines, and retells the story of the resistance movement against
the occupying Japanese.

BOOK 1 : DAY OF WITHOUT SEEING THE DAWN

PLOT

EXPOSITION/ BEGINNING:

In the barrio of Manhayang, Iloilo, Carding, who is only eighteen years old, son of
Juan Suerte. An industrious, strong and sometimes quick-tempered young man. He
aspired to marry Lucia, the daughter of the Tentiente del Barrio.

RISING ACTION:

After they got married, they had their first baby but they found out that the child was
stillborn.

CLIMAX:

Lucing was tempted to make love with Luis Castro but then Carding, with the feeling
of anger them in action. Lucing regret what she have done and Carding ended up
forgiving her.
FALLING ACTION:

The couple went to the city, where