Objective

 At the end of this lesson, you

should be able to identify postwar

and contemporary literary authors
and their works and name their
contributions to the development
of literature in the Philippines.

 What are the literary works

published during the post war and
contemporary period in literature?
Postwar and Contemporary Literature
 Postwar and contemporary

literature include all literary works written

and published in the Philippines from
1946.
 After World War II, the Philippines had to

deal with the economy and the need for

rehabilitation and reconstruction of
infrastructures. There was political,
economic, and social confusion, as well as
great poverty, and these issues found
their way into the short stories and novels
during that time
 Learn about it!
 During the postwar period,

Filipino writers got their

inspiration from American
teachers and were able to
learn their techniques, which
also helped in mastering the
English language.
 Writers wrote fiction that focused
on courageous deeds as well as
the sacrifices and suffering in the
lives of Filipinos. It was also
common for writers to write about
the experiences of the Filipino
people under the Spanish and
American rule and the Japanese
Occupation. Other subjects and
themes include:
religious faith
superstitions
fantasy
social problems
poverty
politics
nationalism
morality
 Literary Works
 Philippine literature flourished even more

during the postwar and contemporary period.

Writers were able to produce short stories,
novels, essays, and poems that continue to be
read by Filipinos today.
Examples:
 1. Nick Joaquin, a National Artist for Literature

awardee, wrote articles under the name of

Quijano de Manila. His short story "May Day
Eve," published in 1947, is about love in a
patriarchal society. It also made use of magic
realism.
2. Francisco Sionil Jose, one of the
most widely read Filipino writers
in English, wrote the short story
"Waywaya," which is about pre-
Hispanic society and the people’s
struggle for moral order.
 3. Alejandro Roces, a Filipino author,
essayist, and dramatist, wrote the
short story "We Filipinos Are Mild
Drinkers." This story focuses on the
drinking habits and culture of Filipinos
and Americans.
 4. Edith L. Tiempo's poem "The

Return" is a sentimental piece that

talks about life in old age.
 5. Horacio de la Costa wrote the essay
"History and Philippine Culture," which
emphasizes the importance of
understanding and presenting a
nation’s culture.
 6. Stevan Javellana wrote the first

postwar Filipino novel in

English, Without Seeing the Dawn.
This novel narrates what people
experienced during World War II under
the Japanese rule in the Philippines.
1. Which of the following is the first postwar
Filipino novel written in English?

 A. Without Seeing the Dawn by Stevan

Javellana
 B. The Return by Edith L. Tiempo
 C. Waywaya by F. Sionil Jose
 D. May Day Eve by Nick Joaquin
2. Which of the following years
are not considered as part of the postwar and
contemporary period?

 A. 1947-1960
 B. 1900-1930
 C. 1960-1975
 D. 1975-1990
3. Which of the following is a part of the issues
in the postwar and contemporary period?

 A. great wealth
 B. mass hysteria
 C. widespread epidemics
 D. great poverty
4. Which of the following is not a significant
historical event during the postwar and
contemporary period?

 A. declaration of martial law

 B. the colonization of the Spaniards
 C. the election of Fidel V. Ramos as president
 D. establishment of the Republic of the

Philippines
5. Who among the following inspired Filipino
writers during the postwar period?

 A. American teachers
 B. American dramatists
 C. American poets
 D. American leaders
6. Which of the following is not a topic or
theme of works during the postwar and
contemporary period?

 A. the creation of the world

 B. nationalism
 C. superstitions
 D. religious faith
7. Which of the following works is not similar
to the other three?
 A. "May Day Eve" by Nick Joaquin
 B. "We Filipinos Are Mild Drinkers" by

Alejandro Roces
 C. "History and Philippine Culture" by Horacio

de la Costa
 D. "Waywaya" by F. Sionil Jose
8. Kate wants to learn more about postwar and
contemporary literature, so she researched
about the topic.
 Which of the following would she have

learned about it?

 A. There are only very few postwar and

contemporary literary works.
 B. Only literary works in English were

produced during the period.

 C. Postwar and contemporary literature are

timeless and have great artistic value.

 D. These literary works captured Filipino life

and human struggles.

9. You were asked by your teacher to imagine
that you were a writer in the postwar and
contemporary period.
 Which of the following would you not write

about?

 A. a piece encouraging Filipinos to fight

against the Spaniards
 B. what Filipinos experienced under the

hands of the Japanese

 C. your thoughts about the martial law
 D. a story about life under the Philippine New

Republic
10. Will's teacher asked the class to read a postwar
and contemporary literary work that will
enlighten them about the experiences of Filipinos
during the war.
 Which of the following should Will choose to

read?

 A. Dead Stars by Paz Marquez Benitez

 B. The Return by Edith L. Tiempo
 C. Without Seeing the Dawn by Stevan Javellana
 D. History and Philippine Culture by Horacio de la
Costa
1. Which of the following is the first postwar
Filipino novel written in English?

 A. Without Seeing the Dawn by Stevan

Javellana
 B. The Return by Edith L. Tiempo
 C. Waywaya by F. Sionil Jose
 D. May Day Eve by Nick Joaquin

Explanation
 Without Seeing the Dawn by Stevan Javellana

is the first postwar Filipino novel written in

English.
2. Which of the following years are not considered as
part of the postwar and contemporary period?

 A. 1947-1960
 B. 1900-1930
 C. 1960-1975
 D. 1975-1990

Explanation
 Years 1900 to 1930 are not considered as part of the

postwar and contemporary period as these

were the years before World War II.
3. Which of the following is a part of the issues in the
postwar and contemporary period?

 A. great wealth
 B. mass hysteria
 C. widespread epidemics
 D. great poverty

Explanation
 Among the issues experienced during the

postwar and contemporary period is great

poverty.
4. Which of the following is not a significant
historical event during the postwar and
contemporary period?

 A. declaration of martial law

 B. the colonization of the Spaniards
 C. the election of Fidel V. Ramos as president
 D. establishment of the Republic of the Philippines

Explanation
 The colonization of the Spaniards happened

before and not after the Second World War.

5. Who among the following inspired Filipino
writers during the postwar period?

 A. American teachers
 B. American dramatists
 C. American poets
 D. American leaders

Explanation
 Filipino writers were inspired by American

teachers during the postwar period, and they

were able to learn their techniques.
6. Which of the following is not a topic or theme of
works during the postwar and contemporary
period?

 A. the creation of the world

 B. nationalism

 C. superstitions

 D. religious faith

Explanation
 In the postwar and contemporary period, the

creation of the world is no longer a topic of literary

works. Instead, writers focused more on human
experiences and social issues.
7. Which of the following works is not similar to
the other three?

 A. "May Day Eve" by Nick Joaquin

 B. "We Filipinos Are Mild Drinkers" by Alejandro Roces
 C. "History and Philippine Culture" by Horacio de la
Costa
 D. "Waywaya" by F. Sionil Jose
 Explanation
 "History and Philippine Culture" by Horacio dela
Costa is an essay while the rest are short stories.
8. Kate wants to learn more about postwar and
contemporary literature, so she researched about the
topic.
 Which of the following would she have learned about it?

 A. There are only very few postwar and contemporary

literary works.
 B. Only literary works in English were produced during

the period.
 C. Postwar and contemporary literature are timeless and

have great artistic value.

 D. These literary works captured Filipino life and human

struggles.
Explanation
 From studying postwar and contemporary literature, one

would learn that these works are timeless and have great
artistic value and that they captured Filipino life and hu-
man struggles.
9. You were asked by your teacher to imagine that you
were a writer in the postwar and contemporary period.
 Which of the following would you not write about?

 A. a piece encouraging Filipinos to fight against the

Spaniards
 B. what Filipinos experienced under the hands of the

Japanese
 C. your thoughts about the martial law

 D. a story about life under the Philippine New Republic

Explanation
 What you should write about are the events that hap-

pened during that period or are still relevant during that

period, and a piece encouraging Filipinos to fight
against the Spaniards would not have been relevant or
significant during that time.
10. Will's teacher asked the class to read a postwar
and contemporary literary work that will
enlighten them about the experiences of Filipinos during
the war.
 Which of the following should Will choose to

read?

 A. Dead Stars by Paz Marquez Benitez

 B. The Return by Edith L. Tiempo
 C. Without Seeing the Dawn by Stevan Javellana
 D. History and Philippine Culture by Horacio de la Costa

Explanation
 Without Seeing the Dawn narrates what people

experienced during World War II.