The god stealer

“The God Stealer”

by: Francisco Sionil Jose

“The God Stealer” is a short story that

encapsulates perfectly how characters in fiction respond to the choices

they make and what they do to attain these choices.

Questions:1. What are the characteristics of

Philip? Sam?

2. If you were Philip, how would you treat the

natives like you?

3. Philip and Sam are symbols of what?

4. Who is the God stealer? Prove.

5. What was the reason of Philip in stealing the

Ifugao god?

“The God Stealer” is not just a tale about an Ifugao

stealing a religious idol, but also about the friendship that developed between a Filipino

and an American.(‘colonized’ and ‘colonizer’)

Philip His name was derived from the

word Philippines. Became a Christian and lived in

Manila Became less sentimental with

his cultural identity, beliefs and customs

SAM CHRISTIE His name was derived from

“Uncle Sam”, a representation of the United States.

An American who wanted to view the rice terraces.

He was also interested in purchasing an original figurine of an Ifugao god.

Philip and Sam went to Baguio City. During a feast honoring Philip for his return, Philip and Sam were

because of the unwillingness of the Ifugao people to sell any Ifugao statue. Philip plans to steal his

grandfather’s god in return for the salary raise given to him by Sam. After finding out that this god was missing, Philip’s grandfather dies.

Philip’s act of thievery represented the Filipinos’ giving up of their

past tribal origins and traditions, only to be replaced by an

“unnatural” culture brought by colonialism. At one time in history, colonialism brought to the Filipinos

a state of confusion, troubled emotions, helplessness, torment,

embarrassment and the inability to embrace the past.

Part of fiction is the challenge to the main

characters: What do they want?

What do they do to get it?What is the intention of the

character?

This intention sets the plot for the short story,

wherein you see how well-rounded the protagonist is

and what he or she is capable of doing just to

get what he or she desires.

Depending on the outcome of the story, the character may either triumph or fail, and seeing how the character

reacts to these changes also sets the tone for the climax,

until the short story is concluded.

Short stories also express a lot of irony in life situations.

What is irony?

VERBAL IRONY

When what is said by the character is not

what he or she originally meant

SITUATIONAL IRONY

When the actual outcome of a

situation is different from the expected

outcome.

DRAMATIC IRONY

When the readers know more than the

characters in the story.