The Feast of Suffering

Second Lit Analysis PaperLit 13

Submitted by:Alyssa A. FuentebellaE01

March 14, 2012

The Feast of SufferingFeasting by Joshua L. Lim So is about a man named Makaon who ventured out of his stagnant community in order to provide meat for his family when he was left as the breadwinner after his fathers death. Meat in his community is something that constantly invigorates the townsfolks imagination because of the rumors and tales about its qualities. For them, whether meat is golden or tender like a silver of buko, one things for sure, it could be found at the other end of the ocean.In the village of Balay, the houses were built on sand, lined up along the black baybayon. In the aftermath of every storm, the people rebuilt their homes on the exact spot where these were torn apart (p.92). The village thrives beside the ocean, which is both the villages means of survival as well as emissary of burden. This is the setting of the story: Balay which is a stagnant community. In the real world, this represents the Philippines. With the countrys lagging development, the Filipinos tend to live day-to-day in a monotonous cycle, but the wealth found in other lands is no secret to them. As in the story, the people live in routine cycles and only the perception of an unknown matter keeps their imaginations alive: meat. Since, it could only be found at the other end of the ocean, which can never be crossed without a storm threatening those who traverse it, the taste of meat remained a hope no one could materialize, and life went on for the people of Balay: giving birth, fishing, dying, and back again (pp. 92-93). Meat symbolizes wealth and through it, a better life remained a hope that people craved for, in Balay as well as in the Philippines.The ocean is the barrier that separates the townsfolk from the meat. This symbolizes the challenges and sufferings that people face in order to achieve what they want. In the concept of Overseas Filipino Workers or OFWs, the ocean is crossed, literally, but symbolically, they pass through a lot of hardships in order to work abroad and while working there as well. Furthermore, Makaon, seeking a better life for his family, accepted the challenge of venturing into the other side of the sea. In the Philippines, thousands of Makaons bravely search and apply for jobs abroad in order to take a risk in providing a better life for the loved ones they left behind. Furthermore, in the text, the white man interviewed Makaon in what seems to be a getting-to-know-you deprived of concern or curiosity, tuba or laughter (p.94). This white man who was two heads taller than Makaon and had irises the color of a bright cloudless sky (p. 94) represents the foreign employers who seek to quench the Filipinos thirst by providing them with jobs abroad. In addition, Makaons age, 18 years, is the legally accepted age for working, locally or internationally. Again, this shows that the Filipinos try to work abroad, young as they are, to overcome the poverty they and their families face in their homeland. Also, when Makaon could not figure out what was written on the wooden signboard on the white mans stall, this symbolizes the uncertainty of Makaons as well as the Filipinos status overseas. Usually, illegal recruiters or employers deceive OFWs. As such, the Filipinos end up suffering from different forms of abuse and injustice such as the non-payment for services and physical assault. Whats more devastating is that even legally recruited OFWs suffer the same kind of misery. Furthermore, this uncertainty foreshadows the suffering that Makaon is about to face.When Makaon went home and told his wife about the news, she was happy it had never been that way with herSisita threw her arms around him, laughing and imagining the coming of meat as if it was going to arrive at that very instant (p.94). Makaon could not even force a smile with the view of his crying son and his silenced mother while Sisita had her back turned away from them. This is a metaphor of how spouses or some members of the family would usually be so insensitive when a family member is going to work abroad. Sisita does not take into consideration how it would feel for Makaon as well as for other households like the son who will have to grow up without a father and like Makaons mother who, after losing her husband, would have to face losing her son as well. All she thinks of is nothing but the meat. The promise of themeat held tasted like dreams and hopes. She would be rich in no time (p.97). Nobody knew why[Makaons mother] hated Sisita, (p.93), but this is perhaps why Makaons mother was against Makaons marriage to Sisitaher selfishness. This selfishness could also be seen when, in page 97, she held a feast at the arrival of the first meat package and she did not even care that her son was stumbling through the drunken crowd. She also did not care if her mother-in-law was all alone in the old crumbling house while she was living in the new house made of concrete. Furthermore, the mothers hatred foreshadows how Makaons marriage to Sisita would lead to no good. Before Makaon was interviewed by the white man, Sisita was pressuring Makaon to work. What moon is it? Why are you not fishing? Sisita asked. The voice of his wife made Makaon place a heavy hand on the door frame, gripping it and letting the splinters set (p.93). If Sisita was not pressuring Makaon to provide for his family, he would not have departed for the job at the other end of the ocean. In addition, it was the wifes duty to stop or dissuade Makaon from departing, if she were selfless enough to do so or if she were contented with the life Makaon gave her. Thus, as Makaons mother saw it beforehand, the wifes selfishness caused misery to Makaon and his mother when Makaon died because of the said job across the sea.Also, a celebration was held in Balay (p.95) the day before he departed. All feasted his departure, except for one personhis mother. This refusal to celebrate foreshadows the bad thing that is about to happen to Makaon. This foreshadowing can also be seen at the dawn of Makaons departure when there were no flags or singing or chantingno one, not even his wife was there to bid him farewell (p.95) but he was surprised when his mother who never left the house after his fathers death, was standing on the shore, staring at the sea (p.95). These scenes reflect and foreshadow how the mother saw the sea as the bearer of her burden. It took away her husband, and now, she could see that itwhich, as previously stated, also represents sufferingsis about to take her son away from her as well.The story also has the element of irony. When Makaon acquired the job across the sea, people feasted. Also, everyone suddenly became very friendly with Sisita, lending her money and food, assured that she would pay them back generously when Makaon finally sends meat (p.96). The wife, Makaon, the community, and even the readers expected that with Makaons new job, the life of Makaons family would be better because he will receive meat as salary. As stated in Makaons letter, I have found work immediatelyI am paid in meat , but I wont get to eat them. They will immediately send the meat to Balay. Youll be rich in no time. (p.96). The night Sisita received the meat, she held a great feast in Makaons honor. But in the end, when there was no more package of meat that arrived but a wooden crate with bones instead, Sisita raised her hand to her mouth when, like a sudden surge of a typhoon wave, she felt seventeen years of feasting rushing back up her stomach (p.99). Contrary to what the readers and the characters expected, the meat that was being sent to them for seventeen years was actually the meat of Makaonhis flesh. Even though Makaons family became rich, the readers and characters did not expect that for 17 years, the wife was feasting on her husbands body. This is a situational irony. When Makaon stated in his letter that I am paid in meat (p.96), we did not actually expect that he would literally be the payment in partitions of meat sent to Sisita. There is also a symbolism in this scene. The meat sent to the family is Makaons flesh. But symbolically, this represents Makaons sacrifice or suffering that the selfish wife has feasted upon. In colloquial Filipino terms, it is like pinapakain ko sa pamilya ko ang mula sa Dugo at Pawis ko or I feed my family food that I earned through blood and sweat. Sisita, however, has to see Makaons skeleton before she finally realized that she was feasting upon her husbands body. In addition, she was about to throw up when she realized that she ate her husband, but still, she has failed to realize that, she feasted upon her husbands sacrifice, which is his life, and suffering. Just like the concept of OFWs, those family members who enjoy the benefit fail to see the OFWs sufferings. It may be too late before they realize that the OFWs worked so hard for their happiness. Usually, this is seen when OFWs die and the family members would cry, usually realizing how they have taken for granted the OFWs efforts for the families good life. But though the families recognize the OFWs efforts, still, they would usually fail to see the SACRIFICES, SUFFERINGS, and the BAD LIFE that the OFWs faced for the familys better life.Joshua Lim So uses situational irony in Feasting to depict how Filipinos work abroad to provide a better life for the loved ones they left behind, but these beneficiaries of the OFWs tend to overlook the suffering of the workers at the expense of the good life that they receive. It may be too late before they realize those sacrifices and sufferings, and usually they do not even realize it.