Abstract
The current paper intends to divulge the cultural considerations that prompted the rise of Aurelio Tolentino’s extant novels during the first two decades of US rule in the Philippines particularly in the province of Pampanga. An outstanding Kapampangan, Aurelio Tolentino (1875-1915) is an astute author who in spite of being a moralist has been best remembered as an insurrectionist-playwright in and out of prison due to his seditious writings. His five existing novels published from 1909 until 1914 prove to be an exposure of the interesting forces that urged the popularity of the new literary landscape brought about by dynamic circumstances. The socio-economic and political manifestations of the novels in the early 20th century merit a detailed study of the struggles that the author and the colonized Filipinos had undergone. A socio-historical approach towards the analysis of Tolentino’s fictions would disclose the racial background of the early Filipinos who had to bear the conventional Spanish rule and the sudden shift into the American liberal policy. The distinctness on how people have managed to survive and cried for sovereignty from a dual dominion is a remarkable field that the author has exhibited. Seemingly, the novels served as a means of survival for the author and a forum on his goal of advocating a total liberation for the motherland. Likewise, Tolentino’s fictions demonstrate his craftsmanship as a versatile man of letters and at the same time collaborating with his audience towards the reality of their situation as suppressed people.
Author Information
Loida L. Garcia, Bataan Peninsula State University, Philippines
Paper Information
Conference: ACCS2019
Stream: Indigeneous Studies – world wide
This paper is part of the ACCS2019 Conference Proceedings (View)
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