A Glimpse of the Life of an Ifugao as Depicted in the Text The God Stealer

A. Introduction of the Issues

1. Ifugao Culture

2. The importance of the Ifugao culture in the lives of the characters (Philip Latak, Sam
Christie, Sadek, Grandfather, and the natives)

3. Issues

Reciprocity (utang na loob)

Foreigners
Social conformity
Selfish
Unconditional love
Fragmentary Filipino identity

B. Brief Summary or Outline of the Report

The God Stealer

By: Francisco Sionil Jose

Sam Christie and Philip Latak were best of friends and that was possible because they worked in the
same office. On one December dawn, Sam Christie was on his way to Ifugao with his native assistant.
It was his last month in the Philippines and in a matter of days he would return to Boston for that
leave which he had not had in years.

During their journey, they talked about the grandfather of Philip and the different views in the Ifugao.
Philip encountered an acquaintance that he did not want to recognize because the latter called him by
his native name. When they had arrived on the village of Philip Latak, they met Sadek, Philips brother.
From there, Philip told Sam how his brother, as well as all the others in the village, disliked him. After
staying for quite some time in the house of Sadek, they went to Philips grandfather; but only Philip
went inside to meet and talk to the elder.

They visited the Mission the following day after having hiked to the villages. And there Reverend
Doone invited them for lunch. He told them how he reminisced San Francisco and how he feels like
home.
Going down the hill, Sam told Philip that he would not leave Ifugao without a god because its more
than a souvenir and it would remind him of Philip. Philip then told Sam that he would steal a god for
him since he made the vacation and the raise possible.

They hiked to the village and this time it was not as difficult as it had been the previous day. When
they reached the village, they went to the grandfather of Philip. Sam was pleased with the prospect
of being inside a native Ifugao house for the first time. He was able to see the Ifugao god for the first
time, and he witnessed the rite wherein the blood of the slaughtered pig was poured on the head of
the idol, and was returned to where it was kept.

The feast began. For some time, Sam Christie was entertained by the dances and the songs, but soon
he was bored. He told Philip that he would like to return to the boarding house.

Philip Latak went to the boarding house past midnight carrying his grandfathers idol and he handed it
to Sam Christie. They argued if it was better that Philip returned the bloodstained god back to his
grandfather. When Sam Christie woke up it was already daylight. It was Philip Latak who had stirred
him, his voice shrill and grating. H told Sam that his grandfather is dying. The next day, Sam was told by
Sadek that their grandfather is dead and that Philip would not return with Sam to Manila.

Philip told Sam that he would not be going back to Manila and that he was the reason his grandfather
is dead. From that moment, their friendship was broken. Philip Latak did not, even once, face Sam. He
seemed completely absorbed in his work. Sam knew then that Philip was determined to stay and break
his bonds with Sam. Sam realized that Philip was carving a new god to replace the one he stole from his
grandfather.
C. Comprehensive reporting of the various aspects of the issue

D. Discussion of the given literary text as mirror of the issues at hand

1. Biography

Jos was born in Rosales, Pangasinan, the setting of many of his stories. He spent his childhood
in Barrio Cabugawan, Rosales, where he first began to write.
 Jos started writing in grade school, at the time he started reading. In the fifth grade, one of
Joss teachers opened the school library to her students, which is how Jos managed to read the
novels of Jos Rizal, Willa Cathers My Antonia, Faulkner and Steinbeck. Reading about Basilio and
Crispin in Rizals Noli Me Tangere made the young Jos cry, because injustice was not an alien thing
to him.

When Jos was five years old, his grandfather who was a soldier during the Philippine revolution,
had once tearfully showed him the land their family had once tilled but was taken away by rich
mestizo landlords who knew how to work the system against illiterates like his grandfather.

Jos attended the University of Santo Tomas after World War II, but dropped out and plunged
into writing and journalism in Manila.

He started a publishing house, and founded the Philippine branch of PEN, an international
organization for writers.

Jos received numerous awards for his work. The Pretenders is his most popular novel, which is
the story of one man's alienation from his poor background and the decadence of his wife's wealthy
family

2. Literary Text

Prodigal Son

E. Conclusion and summing up of the points taken in the report

Moral / Philosophical Approach

Historical / Biographical Approach
Mimetic Approach
Reader Response Criticism
Psychological (Jungian) Approach