“YOU HAVEN’T FAILED,

UNTIL YOU STOP TRYING”

-SOURCE UNKNOWN

TYPE OF LITERARY PIECE

"THE GOD STEALER" IS A SHORT STORY BY FILIPINO
NATIONAL ARTIST F. SIONIL
JOSÉ. IT IS JOSÉ'S MOST ANTHOLOGIZED WORK OF FICTION. IT IS NOT JUST A TALE
ABOUT AN IFUGAO STEALING A RELIGIOUS IDOL, BUT ALSO ABOUT THE
FRIENDSHIP THAT DEVELOPED BETWEEN A FILIPINO AND AN AMERICAN, A
REPRESENTATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP THAT DEVELOPED BETWEEN THE
"INFLUENCED" AND THE "INFLUENCER".

SUMMARY

STEALER
Sam Christie, an American, and
Philip Latak, a native from the
province of Ifugao, work
in the same office at an
"agency" in Manila. Philip is
Sam's assistant, and they are
good friends.
One day, Philip receives a
message that his aging
grandfather back home has
fallen sick and that
Philip needs to go home to see
him. It happens that it's also
Sam's last month in the
Philippines
before he heads home to the
United States for a much-
needed vacation leave. So, he
decides to
tag along with Philip for the trip
to Ifugao. He also plans on
buying an Ifugao god as a
souvenir
to take back home.
After a long bus ride, the two
travelers reach Philip's village
and after a brief visit with
his older brother Sadek's home,
the two head over to the house
of the old man - Philip's 80-
year-
old grandfather. Philip asks his
grandfather where he can get an
Ifugao god for his American
friend. The old man gets angry.
The two leave the old man's
house and head back to their
lodging. On their second night
at the town, a huge feast is held
at the village for Philip. A ritual
is
held at the grandfather's house.
Philip and Sam watch as the old
man pours fresh animal blood
on
an Ifugao god. The ritual is the
old man's way of thanking the
god for letting his grandson
come
home.
After the ritual at the old man's
house, Sam and Philip join in
on the festivities. Sam soon
gets bored and decides to leave
the party early and go to sleep.
Past midnight, he wakes up to
Philip coming home drunk and
carrying an Ifugao god. Sam
confronts Philip and tells him
he
shouldn't have stolen the god.
He adds that Philip should
return it and if he doesn't, Sam
will
return the god himself. BuSam
wakes up the next morning to
see Philip hastily leaving to get
back to the village. His
grandfather had collapsed due
to a heart attack and is dying.
The next
day, Sam is visited by Philip's
older brother Sadek and is
informed by him that their
grandfather
has passed away and that the
cause of his death was the loss
of his Ifugao god. Sadek also
informs Sam that Philip isn't
going back to Manila.
Sam decides to visit Philip at
the old man's house. But Philip
meets him with anger and
loathing. An argument ensues.
The story ends with Sam
leaving the old house and with
Philip
making another god to replace
the one he has stolen.t Philip
warns him that if he tries to
return
the idol, the old man will kill
him.
STEALER
Sam Christie, an American, and
Philip Latak, a native from the
province of Ifugao, work
in the same office at an
"agency" in Manila. Philip is
Sam's assistant, and they are
good friends.
One day, Philip receives a
message that his aging
grandfather back home has
fallen sick and that
Philip needs to go home to see
him. It happens that it's also
Sam's last month in the
Philippines
before he heads home to the
United States for a much-
needed vacation leave. So, he
decides to
tag along with Philip for the trip
to Ifugao. He also plans on
buying an Ifugao god as a
souvenir
to take back home.
After a long bus ride, the two
travelers reach Philip's village
and after a brief visit with
his older brother Sadek's home,
the two head over to the house
of the old man - Philip's 80-
year-
old grandfather. Philip asks his
grandfather where he can get an
Ifugao god for his American
friend. The old man gets angry.
The two leave the old man's
house and head back to their
lodging. On their second night
at the town, a huge feast is held
at the village for Philip. A ritual
is
held at the grandfather's house.
Philip and Sam watch as the old
man pours fresh animal blood
on
an Ifugao god. The ritual is the
old man's way of thanking the
god for letting his grandson
come
home.
After the ritual at the old man's
house, Sam and Philip join in
on the festivities. Sam soon
gets bored and decides to leave
the party early and go to sleep.
Past midnight, he wakes up to
Philip coming home drunk and
carrying an Ifugao god. Sam
confronts Philip and tells him
he
shouldn't have stolen the god.
He adds that Philip should
return it and if he doesn't, Sam
will
return the god himself. BuSam
wakes up the next morning to
see Philip hastily leaving to get
back to the village. His
grandfather had collapsed due
to a heart attack and is dying.
The next
day, Sam is visited by Philip's
older brother Sadek and is
informed by him that their
grandfather
has passed away and that the
cause of his death was the loss
of his Ifugao god. Sadek also
informs Sam that Philip isn't
going back to Manila.
Sam decides to visit Philip at
the old man's house. But Philip
meets him with anger and
loathing. An argument ensues.
The story ends with Sam
leaving the old house and with
Philip
making another god to replace
the one he has stolen.t Philip
warns him that if he tries to
return
the idol, the old man will kill
him.
SAM CHRISTIE, AN AMERICAN, AND PHILIP LATAK, A NATIVE FROM THE
PROVINCE OF IFUGAO, WORK IN THE SAME OFFICE AT AN "AGENCY" IN
MANILA. PHILIP IS SAM'S ASSISTANT, AND THEY ARE GOOD FRIENDS.
ONE DAY, PHILIP RECEIVES A MESSAGE THAT HIS AGING GRANDFATHER
BACK HOME HAS FALLEN SICK AND THAT PHILIP NEEDS TO GO HOME
TO SEE HIM. IT HAPPENS THAT IT'S ALSO SAM'S LAST MONTH IN THE
PHILIPPINES BEFORE HE HEADS HOME TO THE UNITED STATES FOR A
MUCH-NEEDED VACATION LEAVE. SO, HE DECIDES TO TAG ALONG
WITH PHILIP FOR THE TRIP TO IFUGAO. HE ALSO PLANS ON BUYING AN
IFUGAO GOD AS A SOUVENIR TO TAKE BACK HOME.AFTER A LONG BUS
RIDE, THE TWO TRAVELERS REACH PHILIP'S VILLAGE AND AFTER A
BRIEF VISIT WITH HIS OLDER BROTHER SADEK'S HOME, THE TWO HEAD
OVER TO THE HOUSE OF THE OLD MAN - PHILIP'S 80-YEAR-OLD
GRANDFATHER. PHILIP ASKS HIS GRANDFATHER WHERE HE CAN GET
AN IFUGAO GOD FOR HIS AMERICAN FRIEND. THE OLD MAN GETS
ANGRY. THE TWO LEAVE THE OLD MAN'S HOUSE AND HEAD BACK TO
THEIR LODGING. ON THEIR SECOND NIGHT AT THE TOWN, A HUGE
FEAST IS HELD AT THE VILLAGE FOR PHILIP. A RITUAL ISHELD AT THE
GRANDFATHER'S HOUSE. PHILIP AND SAM WATCH AS THE OLD MAN
POURS FRESH ANIMAL BLOOD ONAN IFUGAO GOD. THE RITUAL IS THE
OLD MAN'S WAY OF THANKING THE GOD FOR LETTING HIS GRANDSON
COME HOME.AFTER THE RITUAL AT THE OLD MAN'S HOUSE, SAM AND
PHILIP JOIN IN ON THE FESTIVITIES. SAM SOONGETS BORED AND
DECIDES TO LEAVE THE PARTY EARLY AND GO TO SLEEP. PAST
MIDNIGHT, HE WAKES UP TO PHILIP COMING HOME DRUNK AND
CARRYING AN IFUGAO GOD. SAM CONFRONTS PHILIP AND TELLS HIM
HE SHOULDN'T HAVE STOLEN THE GOD. HE ADDS THAT PHILIP SHOULD
RETURN IT AND IF HE DOESN'T, SAM WILL RETURN THE GOD HIMSELF.
BUSAM WAKES UP THE NEXT MORNING TO SEE PHILIP HASTILY
LEAVING TO GET BACK TO THE VILLAGE. HIS GRANDFATHER HAD
COLLAPSED DUE TO A HEART ATTACK AND IS DYING. THE NEXT DAY,
SAM IS VISITED BY PHILIP'S OLDER BROTHER SADEK AND IS INFORMED
BY HIM THAT THEIR GRANDFATHER HAS PASSED AWAY AND THAT THE
CAUSE OF HIS DEATH WAS THE LOSS OF HIS IFUGAO GOD. SADEK ALSO
INFORMS SAM THAT PHILIP ISN'T GOING BACK TO MANILA.SAM
DECIDES TO VISIT PHILIP AT THE OLD MAN'S HOUSE. BUT PHILIP MEETS
HIM WITH ANGER AND LOATHING. AN ARGUMENT ENSUES. THE STORY
ENDS WITH SAM LEAVING THE OLD HOUSE AND WITH PHILIP MAKING
ANOTHER GOD TO REPLACE THE ONE HE HAS STOLEN.T PHILIP WARNS
HIM THAT IF HE TRIES TO RETURN THE IDOL, THE OLD MAN WILL KILL
HIM.

LESSON
THE STORY HAS A LOT OF MORAL LESSONS THAT CAN BE
LEARNED FROM IT. ONE OF THE LESSONS WE CAN LEARNED
FROM THE STORY IS THAT NEVER TRUST SOMEONE EASILY, WE
SHOULD ALWAYS GET TO KNOW THE PERSON REALLY WELL
WITH WHOM WE SHARE OUR STORIES, PAIN, HAPPINESS, AND
LIFE BECAUSE TRUST IS VERY IMPORTANT IN ANY KIND OF
RELATIONSHIP. SOMETIMES, IT TAKES ONE TO KNOW A REAL
ONE.

CULTURE/TRADITION
THE ACT OF STEALING, BETRAYING ONE'S OWN LAND IS DOMINANT IN
THE PHILIPPINE SOCIETY. AT THE HEIGHT OF COLONIZATION, MANY
FILIPINOS DID CHOOSE THE COLONIZER OVER THEIR OWN, WHICH
INFLICTED GREAT DAMAGE UPON THE MOTHERLAND.AS RELIGION
AND CULTURE SYMBOLIZED BY THE IFUGAO IDOL IS CRUCIAL
FOR THE LIFE OF THE IFUGAO, IT IS THE PILLAR OR THE
BASTION OF THE DYNAMISM AND PURITY OF THEIR LAND,
RACE, AND IDENTITY.

SIMILARITIES/DIFFERENCES
PHILIP'S ACT OF THIEVERY REPRESENTED THE FILIPINOS'
GIVING UP OF THEIR PAST TRIBAL ORIGINS AND
TRADITIONS, ONLY TO BE REPLACED BY AN
"UNNATURAL" CULTURE BROUGHT BY COLONIALISM. AT
ONE TIME IN HISTORY, COLONIALISM BROUGHT TO THE
FILIPINOS A STATE OF CONFUSION.

REALIZATION
IT MADE ME REALIZE THAT WE SHOULD NOT FORGET
OUR CULTURE, OUR ORIGIN. WE ARE NOW IN A
MODERN AGE BUT IT DOESN’T MEAN THAT WE SHOULD
DENOUNCE THE THINGS WE HAVE (BELIEFS, VALUES,
CHARACTERS AND ETC.) ON OUR CULTURE. THE STORY
TEACHES US THAT WE SHOULD VALUE OUR FAMILY
MORE THAN OUR FRIENDS BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW
THAT FAMILY ALWAYS STAND BY US NO MATTER WHAT.
AND MOST OF ALL WE SHOULD LEARN FROM OUR
MISTAKES AND EMBRACE THE CONSEQUENCES.

LITERARY ANALYSIS
 “ THE GOD
STEALER”

SUBMITTED TO :
F2 ROYLAN HOPE PETILUNA
SUBMITTED BY :
ZHAMAINE ANN B. BALUNGAG