Erispe, Isabela G.

10-13-18
Eng 4-2 Literary Criticism
Breaking the Chains
An Insight Paper on Abrogation and Appropriation: Post colonial Literature in
English in the Philippines

From more than 333 years of colonization of different conquering countries, the
Philippines is one of the lands that experienced colonialism. As the Philippines went
through different colonizers,sadly, its identity and culture were lost as time passes by. At
the end of the period of colonization especially the era of American invaders, different
post colonial literature sprout out to express the hidden feeling of the Filipino writers and
used their experiences and observations to reflect the society current situation. More so,
these literature were written in English. English as a language used by the American
invaders was used to concretize the ideas of the writers. It may imply that it is another
form of colonization yet writers abrogate it to show resistant in any form of colonization.

It was mentioned by Renato Constantino in his work The Miseducation of the

Filipino in 1959, that the best way to conquer a country is through education, especially
in language. It is indeed true, for the American colonizers used the English language to
manipulate Filipinos. More so, they encourage the Filipinos to learn yet it is another way
around. The Filipinos learned through the means of education but they lost their selves as
they possess knowledge. As the American leave the Philippines, they left their mark of
invasion and that is the use of English language. However, as the early Filipino writers
express their ideas, they used the English language but they defy its nature. They used
English language as the medium yet its true nature of making the American’s culture in
pedestal was defy. It is defy to make it appropriate. Appropriate to the needs during that
time. The time after the invasion, the Filipinos are in the healing period. To heal its
unbearable pain and wounds, the early Filipino writers wrote stories that reflect their
lives before, during,and after the colonization. It is used by Filipinos to reflect on their
lives and selves. The early Filipino writers used the language to be defiant to the
established mentality. Post colonial literature enable the Filipino writers to express not
only resistant but also the numbness of the Filipinos during that time. The Filipinos
became numb as they became puppets of the invaders. To express this, the early Filipino
writers wrote different forms of literature that reflect their history. Moreover, post
colonial literature reflect the courage and bravery of the early Filipino writers to destroy
the pedestal built by the invaders. However, it is a permanent mark which can be seen
until the present time. The Philippines is still under different colonizers yet it is not
visible. As time passes by, it may imply that the true identity of the Filipinos is lost. It is
partly true and not, Filipino identity is not lost but it only lingers on the darkness of the
never-ending invasion.

As a language and literature teacher, it is highly depend on me how I will used and
present these literature pieces to my students. Post colonial literature will unlock the past
for my students. It will made them realize it and understand why it is like this in the
present. It will made them see beyond the words and the message that lies within it. It
also implies that literature simply do not reflect society or the life of a man but it is also a
fortune-teller. A fortune-teller that sees the past, the present, and the future. Nowadays,
literature is no longer dictated by the society but the literature now dictating the society.
In addition, the post colonial literature is not limited that only written in Filipino
language but also in English language. Language may be used to manipulate the
Filipinos before but it is also used now to unravel the past to free oneself.