“The God Stealer” F. Sionil Jose Is a Story of a Friendship Essay Example
“The God Stealer” F. Sionil Jose Is a Story of a Friendship Essay Example

“The God Stealer” F. Sionil Jose Is a Story of a Friendship Essay Example

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  • Pages: 2 (429 words)
  • Published: April 5, 2018
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An American and a Filipino go to the Cordilleras to look at the rice terraces which were built by the Filipinos ancestors. There they find the meaning of their friendship, how t defines the relationship between the colonizer and the colonized. The story begins with two officemates Philip LATA (an lawful from the Mountain province now working in Manila) and Sam Christie, an American on the bus to Baggie.

Phi (Ip-pig) now lives in Manila against the wishes of his immediate family, particularly his grandfather who intended to bequeath to Philip his share of the famous rice terraces.

They are on their way to Baggie for one purpose: Sam wants to buy a genuine Fugal god as souvenir and Philip was to help him find an authentic one through his local co

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nnections. Philip is a Christian who no longer has any respect or affection for the lawful customs and religion-He considers himself a city boy and has no inclination to return to mountain life. Despite this attitude, his grandfather is pleased to see him and decides to throw a big party in his honor. On the day of the party, Sam and Philip discover that no lawful is willing to sell his god.

And as a last resort, Philip offers to steal the god of his grandfather because he feels it would be his way of showing his gratitude to Sam for giving him a rise at work. The consequences of this act are severe. The next day, his grandfather died because he discovered that his god was stolen. He also informs Sam that Philip will no longer be going back to Manila. Curious, Sam

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looks for Philip and find him working in his grandfather's house.

Philip poignantly explains his reasons for choosing to stay in the mountains: "l could forgive myself for having stolen it. But the old man- he had always been wise, Sam. He knew that it was I who did it from the very start. He wanted so much to believe that it wasn't l. But he couldn't pretend - and neither can I. I killed him, Sam.

I killed him because I wanted to be free from hose. These cursed terraces. Because I wanted to be grateful. I killed him who loved me most. A faltering and stifled sob. Len the dark hut, Sam noticed that Philip is now attired in G-string, the traditional costume of the Fugal. Furthermore, Philip is busy carving another idol, a new god to replace the old one which Sam will take to America as a souvenir.

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