Lualhati Bautista Dekada 70 Pdf 359 //top\\ May 2026

Informative Report: Dekada '70 by Lualhati Bautista

Subject: Analysis and Overview of the novel Dekada '70 (Decade of the 70's) Author: Lualhati Bautista Publication Year: 1983 Genre: Historical Fiction / Social Realism lualhati bautista dekada 70 pdf 359

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If you're looking for a specific analysis or excerpt from page 359 of a work by Lualhati Bautista from the 1970s, ensure you have the correct title and author. Good luck with your search! Informative Report: Dekada '70 by Lualhati Bautista Subject:

Analyzing Page 359: A Close Reading

Let’s pretend we have the PDF open to page 359. What literary devices does Bautista employ? Copyright : Be aware that some materials might

Parallel Structure: Amanda compares her domestic past ("my only revolution was hot rice") with her subversive present ("hiding subversive pamphlets"). This highlights the intrusion of the state into the private sphere.
Hypothetical Violence: The conditional "if I had a gun... I might have shot the General" is powerful because Amanda is a pacifist mother. The fact that she contemplates violence is more shocking than actual violence.
Rhetorical Question: "Ano bang nangyayari sa akin?" (What is happening to me?)—This is not confusion but a Socratic realization. She knows exactly what is happening: she is awakening.

Page 359 is a masterclass in showing, not telling. Bautista doesn’t say "Amanda became radicalized." She shows a mother fantasizing about regicide.

Historical Context

September 21, 1972 – Marcos declares Martial Law.
The 1970s saw massive student protests, the rise of the Bagong Lipunan (New Society), and the brutal suppression of dissent.
Dekada ’70 was published in 1983, amidst growing opposition before the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution.

4. Major Themes

The Martial Law Era: The novel provides a graphic depiction of the "First Quarter Storm," the suspension of habeas corpus, media censorship, and the brutality of the military police (Metrocom).
Gender and Feminism: Bautista intertwines national freedom with women's liberation. Amanda’s journey questions the traditional role of women confined to tahanan (home). She realizes that a society that oppresses its citizens will inevitably oppress its women.
Social Realism: The book does not romanticize the revolution; it shows the cost of resistance—torture, broken families, and financial ruin.
The Generation Gap: The conflict between the "old" Philippines (Julian Sr.) and the "new," awakened generation (the sons) highlights the fracturing of the Filipino family unit under authoritarian rule.

3. Key Characters and Representations

Amanda Bartolome: The protagonist and narrator. She represents the silent majority of Filipino women who transition from passivity to political consciousness.
Julian Bartolome: The patriarch. He represents the traditional, conservative Filipino male who initially believes that politics should be separated from family life, prioritizing stability over activism.
Jules (Julian Jr.): The eldest son who becomes an NPA (New People's Army) rebel. He represents the radical leftist youth.
Isagani (Gani): The second son who joins the Philippine Constabulary. He represents the youth co-opted by the system and the internal conflict of serving a corrupt regime.
Emmanuel (Eman): The third son, a writer and activist. He represents the intellectual resistance.
Jason: The fourth son, whose tragic death at the hands of the police serves as the catalyst for the family's ultimate disillusionment with the regime.
Benjamin (Bingo): The youngest, whose perspective offers a look at the "normalization" of violence and fear during the era.

1. Executive Summary

Dekada '70 is a seminal work of Philippine literature that chronicles the life of the Bartolome family during the Martial Law era under the Ferdinand Marcos regime. Through the lens of a typical middle-class family, author Lualhati Bautista explores the erosion of civil liberties, the radicalization of the youth, and the political awakening of the Filipino woman. The novel is widely regarded as a primary text for understanding the social and political climate of the Philippines in the 1970s.

5. Regarding the Search Query "PDF 359"

In your search query, the term "359" likely refers to the page count of a specific printed edition or digital scan of the book.

Edition Context: The novel was originally published in Filipino (Tagalog). The specific edition you are searching for—likely the most recent trade paperback edition published by Anvil Publishing—typically runs approximately 355 to 365 pages. Therefore, "PDF 359" is a common search term used by students and readers looking for that specific digital copy of the full text.
Availability: The novel is widely available in Philippine bookstores. While digital versions circulate online for educational purposes, the most reliable versions are the official e-books or physical copies published by Anvil Publishing, Inc.

Example from the novel (translated from Filipino):

Early (1970s) – “Tumango na lang ako. Hindi na ako nakipagtalo.”
(“I just nodded. I didn’t argue anymore.”)
Later (near end) – “Kailangan naming unawain kung bakit may mga anak na lumalaban sa sariling gobyerno — hindi dahil sa gusto nila, kundi dahil ito na lamang ang natitirang paraan.”
(“We need to understand why some children fight their own government — not because they want to, but because that’s the only way left.”)