Mark-Darrel D.

Contreras 10638245

The Martial law era was one of the darkest times in Philippine history. For the

first time, democracy was challenged, the whole nation was plunged in fear as the

government seized complete and total control of the media and the activities of its

citizens. Those who stood against the government suffered a horrible fate, all of them

were hunted down and killed. This was also a time of “greening activism”, young people

learned to participate in what the country is currently experiencing by joining the cause

even if this means that their lives will be in danger.

Indeed, our country’s darkest era was also the brightest era as seen through the

eyes of Amanda Bartolome, a mother of 5 sons and a masochist husband. In reality,

Amanda was torn between the feeling of how is she supposed to feel that her eldest son,

Jules, being involved too early in anti-government sentiments. Even her husband, Julian,

is involved in some way. I’m sure any mother would have been hyperventilating after

knowing that a family member could just vanish anytime without a trace, only to find out

later on, that her son’s/daughter’s body was found floating in some river. The despotic

ruler does not know of mercy nor forgiveness, anyone who is found guilty of anti-

government sentiments will be tortured and killed later on.

Amanda is the typical housewife, conservative and traditional. She even

restrained herself from initiating sex with her husband Julian because it is a taboo for
women to be the initiator or express liking in sex. As she puts it: “Hindi ko dapat ipakita

and pagkasabik ko sa sex dahil ako ay isang babae, marami pang bagay na mas

importante kay sa sex.” She lives up to the expectation of feminists by trying to free

herself from the binding grasp of society through an attempt to really show how she feels

about sex, sexuality of women.

Oppression existed in 2 different ways, one is through physical oppression like

forced arrests without warrants and later on torture then death. The other one is

emotional oppression by exercise of excessive control over the nation not normally seen

in a democratic country. What merits the most attention for political activism I think is

the emotional oppression, people become disturbed, helpless and crying for freedom.

By any chance, if such a family existed during the Martial law era, they would

have been the gem of the state, a triumph of society’s basic unit in an attempt to decide

the fate of a nation. Although not so perfect, the Bartolome family is both an image of

tragedy and courage in tough times. Amanda’s boldness in being a mother, it seems, has

given her a revitalized role in bringing up a family not only as an individual or mother

but more importantly, the active role of women in building society.

Lualhati Bautista, to say the least, is brilliant. He had an eye for that particular

tumultuous time in our country’s era nobody else had. He must have forgotten that

Amanda, Julian and Jules along with the other characters are just characters he created in

reliving the power of the family and women at the same time.