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The premier University in

Republic of the Philippines
historic Cavite recognized for CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY
excellence in the development of Bacoor City Campus
globally competitive and morally
Soldiers Hills IV, Molino VI, City of Bacoor
upright individuals.
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Cavite State University shall provide
excellent, equitable, and relevant educational
opportunities in the arts, science, and technology
through quality instruction and responsive
research and development activities.
It shall produce professional, skilled, and
morally upright individuals for global
competitiveness.

DEPARTMENT OF TEACHER EDUCATION

Bachelor of Secondary Education major in English Program
BOOK REVIEW

Name: Keziah O. Barrientos Date: January 3, 2023

Course & Section: BSE 3-1E Instructor: Ms. Urbiztondo

NVM Gonzalez, a Filipino novelist, wrote the historical novel The Bamboo Dancers.
This book, which was released in 1959 by Bookmark, tells the story of a Filipino man
who has become Americanized and his struggles to return to his rural roots. A
member of the series of Filipino Literary Classics, The Bamboo Dancers has won
appreciation for its delicate handling of intercultural conflicts. Gonzalez received the
1960 Philippine Cultural Heritage Award for Literature and the 1961 Rizal Pro-Patria
Award before passing away in 1999. He was recognized as a National Artist in 1997.
The plot chronicles the journey of the main character, Ernie Rama. On a scholarship,
Ernie works as a sculptor in the United States. He keeps his distance and avoids
becoming involved with anyone. He has a clear sense of who he is and just vaguely
remembers his Filipino forebears. As part of his trip, Ernie is offered the choice to go
on the road. He meets other Filipinos via his travels and activities who, like him,
have left rural life to pursue their aspirations in the West. Ernie first meets an old
acquaintance who is a girl on a writers' fellowship while he is still in the US.
Dating begins between Ernie and this young woman. In a leased apartment in New
York, they cohabitate for a week. The young girl begins to question her values as a
result of their sexual connection, and the pair chooses to be married. However, she
does a swift about-face. Herb Lane, a budding American writer who enlists in the
USIS and has a fascination with the Far East, becomes her fiancé instead. To get
married, they set out on their adventure to the Philippines. But Herb passes away en
route, so the daughter is transported to a hospital for obstetric treatment.
Ernie learns that his brother or sister is in California in the interim. In a nearby
hospital, he does his duties as a resident doctor. The relationship, however, is short-
lived, and he goes back to his house to be with his family. He transports a car and a
television to Manila when he leaves. He finds that, after being away for so long, he
no longer has a strong bond with his wife and has no genuine love for her. A
housemaid who feels sexually intimidated by him and makes an effort to avoid him
is another person with whom he does not get along.
Ernie still doesn't seem to be concerned about the problems with his brother or ex-
girlfriend. He shows no remorse and doesn't seem to be affected by their personal
connection ending. Even worse, towards the end of the novel, Ernie had a close call
with death. at peril of drowning It's remarkable that nobody seems to notice or be
affected by it, especially because Ernie doesn't mention it to anyone. The chapter
closes without providing a solution to the question of why Ernie appears to be
having identity issues. Death in this context might be seen as a metaphor for the
acceptance of one cultural identity while simultaneously letting go of another, with
no real sense of harmony existing between the two.
Gonzalez repeatedly employs the image of bamboo dancing. A traditional Filipino
dance called "bamboo dancing," or "tinikling," involves banging bamboo sticks
together. This represents the conflicting ideals represented by indigenous Filipino
culture and foreign influences. It could also act as a reminder of the risks associated
with journeying and vanishing from one's identity. Gonzalez consciously used a
detached narrative perspective in The Bamboo Dancers to highlight Ernie's
personality issues and the general apathy felt by the characters. The protagonists'
cultural disillusionment leaves readers with the impression that they might be
anyone.