Fissures Within Society

Throughout modern Asian history, the influence and intervention of foreign countries have greatly disrupted the socio-economic, ethical, and political fabric of these lands. Like growing pains an adolescent endures while striving to find his or her identity, these lands, too, suffered in order to obtain its own nationalistic sense. Thrust into modernization, rifts within Asian societies developed at the hands of their intervening foreign oppressors. Wide-scaled discrimination and ignorance of native inhabitants promoted widening gaps between the rich and the poor, rural and the urban, native and foreign. All the while, foreign ideologies re-enforced these discrepancies, and for the masses, rationalized their exploitation. In the novels, "Dusk" by F. Sionil Jose, "Raj" by Gita Mehta, and "Red China Blues" by Jan Wong, accounts of their changing world (Philippines, India, and China) is expressed through the protagonist as they try to understand their environment and, in turn, within themselves and their traditional upbringing.

In "Dusk" by F. Sionil Jose, Istak Salvador, a young Filipino apprentice-priest tries to come to grip with his religion's philosophical dogma in relation to the color of his skin and the indiscretions of his foreign superiors. Set at a time when the Philippines was divided by regional differences, upon which, indigenous dialects, languages, and cultures had blossomed, a disparity or lack of national identity had paved the way for Catholicism to succeed. Through the Spanish Conquest, which made its first settlement in the Philippines at Luzon in 1565, Catholicism was able to supplant the local animalistic cults and spread its influence for the next four and a half centuries. However, over most of this time, many fissures within the Filipino society developed as a result. Such fissures included education and the possession of land.

For Istak, Catholicism provided him an education that was otherwise attainable only by the elite. Spanish was the language taught and reserved for the elite, as was ownership of land. For the rest of society, language varied according to geography, while education was a luxury that they could ill afford, for they spent their lives toiling on land that was deemed to be the property of such institutions as the Catholic church, of which the fruits of their toil went to. This was no more evident than in Istak's case when he and his family was forced off the land upon which their sitio, (or small village) was built due to being deemed as unproductive workers. However, the true reason behind their eviction from the land was due to Istak's discovery of the new priest, Zarraga, performing an indecent act with Captain Berong's daughter. After the murder of Zarraga by Istak's father, his family flees their sitio in hopes of finding a new settlement, away from the vengeful Spanish and their minions. Through their journeys, the disparity between the Filipinos becomes all the more apparent and striking, especially when contrasted with the Spanish. The peasants, as fore-mentioned, spent most of their lives on the land and were poor and meager. The elite, by contrast, were sustained by the products of their labor and lived in finery. This feature is typical of imperialism, of which, exploitation and the widening disparity between the classes is drastic. This trend continued with the Americans when they defeated the Spanish and made the Philippines its first overseas colony in 1898. (Murphey, 1996) Concentrating on producing commercial crop for export, the basic needs of the people were often neglected. (Murphey, 1996) However, both the Americans and the Spanish did accomplish one thing, and that was the Philippines growing sense of nationalism which developed through education and transportation networks. Ultimately, the Philippines gained independence in 1946, the first of Asian country to do so.

For India, independence was achieved on August 14, 1947, after a long and bloody history involving religious strife and factionalism and the reluctance of Britain to release control of India. In "Raj" by Gita Mehta, the fight for independence and the events leading up to it is accounted by Jaya Devi, a Hindu princess of Balmer, and later Maharani of Sirpur. In her progression from child to adult, princess to queen, daughter to mother, Jaya goes through life witnessing and experiencing the fissures brought on by the internal chaos of India and by Britain's exploitative endeavors. For Jaya, her first and main fissure experienced, of which continues throughout the novel in many forms, is the disparity between traditional Indian beliefs with that of modern Britain. For many of the elite Indians, orthodox Hindu beliefs were considered backward or even repulsive when compared to the British lifestyle. (Murphey, 1996) This was especially so for the princes of Sirpur whom longed for all things British (or American). For Jaya this was no more evident than at her first meeting with her Sirpur Husband-to-be whom found her traditional appearance repulsive. For the peasants, the British were considered a better alternative than their oppressive rulers whom were harsh and exploitative (ironically, their new British masters would continue this trend through crop concentrated exports, a zamidar landlord system, and suppressive market forces). (Murphey, 1996) As a result, peasants oftentimes became British informants or militia against the old regime. In many ways, it seemed as if the fissures caused within society were due to two opposing forces: religion and modernization. This was evident in the Revolt of 1857 in which many were killed due to rumors of an improved rifle cartridge was said to be coated with lard and animal fat. (Murphey, 1996) This led to an outcry of protest by both the Muslims and Hindus due to their religious beliefs, resulting in several regiments mutinying against their British officers and the recompense that followed thereafter. (Murphey, 1996)

) Religion was also instrumental in preventing nationalism (and from independence) due to a variety of Hindu sects and, as well, those whom followed the Islamic belief. Rajputs, Sikhs, Marathas, and Mughals were amongst the many sects that constantly fought each other, all the while weakening India in the process. This ultimately led to foreign traders (i.e. Britain) to be able to gain a foothold and eventually the establishment of a new overseas colony due to the lack of unity. Eventually India was split into two according to the two major religions: Hinduism (India) and Muslim (Pakistan). However, what ensued was a wide-scale tragedy as Indians rushed to move to their respected religious lands. For Jaya, the partition cost her the life of her son, Arjun, and her Prime Minister, Sir Akbar, while trying to help his citizens through the chaos. Although the chaos eventually subsided, skirmished between the borders of Pakistan and India, and even within India, would continue throughout the nineteenth century.

. In China, religion was not the cause of fissures within society, but an ideology. Although Communism is foreign in a sense that it was imported from Russia, it was distinctly Chinese, being that it was reshaped and molded according to Mao Zedong. Living in a totalitarian society, people lived in fear of the government, their peers, and even their families, for this Communist system relied on people checking and reporting on each other and their indiscretions. In "Red China Blues" by Jan Wong, a Canadian born Chinese, goes back to her to her motherland as a "starry-eyed Maoist" in 1972. (Wong, 1996) During her time there, she emerges herself into Maoist thought by travelling throughout country, toiling on the land, and through interaction with her peers. However, her actions were always monitored, her letters screened, and the conversations with her were always strained. This is due to one of the main fissures within the Chinese society… that between the people and its government. Throughout most of China's modern history, the people lived in fear of being accused of crimes against The People (oftentimes this paranoia was so extreme that people did as they were told by officials, despite their personal convictions). Accused were often beaten for confessions, while punishment usually involved public humiliation. In the backdrop were restrictive measures on the people. Such freedoms as speech, movement, and press, were highly suppressed and controlled by the government. This is evident throughout Jan Wong's novel as a student and later as a reporter for The Globe. After Mao Zedong's death, restrictions began to lesson and an outcry for democracy became more pronounced. People were able speak their minds freely and an outburst of anti-Maoism took flight, shattering Jan's image of the happy Mao people. Ultimately, these sentiments became more pronounced and reached a head on May 4th, 1989 at Tiannamen Square where the government reverted back to its totalitarian roots killing around 1000 unarmed students. (Murphey, 1996).

Throughout Asian history, fissures within society have always been present, however, with the intervention of foreign countries, modernization was able to develop and nationalistic feelings to emerge. With imperialism, foreign countries built-up the countries infrastructure in order to more efficiently manage their colony's goods. Transportation and communication networks, as well as an education, allowed people to converse with others from other regions of the colony. However, without the fissures that resulted from the foreigners and their exploitative endeavors, nationalism and, ultimately, independence, would have never happened in these lands (due to their prior-to-intervention native rulers whom were also exploitative). For China, after many years of suppression that was promoted by Communism/Maoism, semi-capitalistic and democratic rights began to filter through to the people, resulting in a quality of life that rose. All in all, fissures within society are the natural process of life, which in turn, promotes a higher standard and self-awarness as evident in the cases of the Philippines, India, and China.


References


Jose, F. Sionil. "Dusk". New York: Modern Library, 1998.

Mehta, Gita. "Raj". New York: Fawcett Columbine, 1989.

Murphey, Rhodes. "A Modern History Of Asia". New York: HarperCollins, 1996.

Wong, Jan. "Red China Blues". Toronto: Doubleday/Anchor, 1996.