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Transcript

The Sadness Collector

By: Merlinda Bobis

QUOTE

‘Writing visits like grace. Its greatest gift is the comfort if not the joy of transformation. In an inspired moment, we almost believe that anguish can be made bearable and injustice can be overturned, because they can be named. And if we’re lucky, joy can even be multiplied a hundredfold, so we may have reserves in the cupboard for the lean times.’

Biography

- Merlinda Carullo Bobis is a contemporary Philippine

Australian writer

- Born in Legazpi City, Albay in the Philippines

- A performer and visual artist of her own poetry

- Wrote various genres in Filipino and English works

inspired by Philippine culture

- Currently teaches in University of Wollongong,

Australia

Accomplishments

- Bachelor of Arts (Summa cum Laude) from Aquinas

University of Legazpi

- Master of Arts in Literature (Meritissimus) from the

University of Santo Tomas, Manila

- Taught Literature and English at various universities

in Manila

- Completed her Doctorate of Creative Arts at the

University of Wollongong, Australia

- Member of Philippines Organization Women

Involved in Creating Cultural Alternatives (WICCA)

- Her plays have been performed in Philippines,

Australia, France, China, Thailand and Slovak

Republic

AWARDS

- Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas (National

Balagtas Award: a lifetime award for author’s poetry

and prose in English, Pilipino, Bikol) from the Unyon

ng Manunulat ng Pilipinas (Union of Philippine

Writers), 2006

- Gintong Aklat Award (Golden Book Award: Philippine

publishers’ award) for Banana Heart Summer (novel),

2006

- Nomination: Best in Foreign Language in Fiction from

the Manila Critics’ Circle for Banana Heart Summer,

2006

- Commended: National Short Story Competition,

Society of Women Writers for The Sadness Collector

(short story), 1998

WORKS

DRAMATIC WORKS

AWARDS

Novels:

• Banana Heart Summer (2005)

• The Solemn Lantern Maker (2008)

• Fish-hair Woman (2011)

Short Stories:

• White Turtle. (1999)

• The Kissing (2001)

• The Sadness Collector

  • River, River (adapted from Bobis’ short story Fish-Hair Woman) Bobis’ solo stage performance: USA, Spain 2009; Canada, Australia, Philippines 2012 
  • Corazon de Lorca (ficto-documentary for radio). Jane Ulman, Producer. ABC Radio, 2007
  • The Covenant (poetry sound piece). In collaboration with Jane Ulman, Producer. ABC Radio, 2002-2004. Entry to the 2002 International US Third Coast Festival.
  • The Query (in collaboration with Urban Theatre Projects). Performance Space, Sydney, 1999
  • Rita’s Lullaby (radio play). Christopher Williams, Producer. ABC Radio, 1997
  • Kantada ng Babaing Mandirigma Daragang Magayon

- Judges’ Choice Award, Bumbershoot Bookfair,

Seattle Arts Festival for The Kissing (collection of

short stories published as White Turtle in Australia

and the Philippines), 2001

- Philippine National Book Award for Fiction (Joint

winner) from the Manila Critics’ Circle for White

Turtle, 2000

- NSW Ministry for the Arts Writers’ Fellowship for

novel in progress, Fish-Hair Woman, 2000

- Pamana Philippine Presidential Award for

achievement in the arts (for Filipino expatriates),

1998

- Carlos Palanca Memorial Award in Literature

(Philippine national award), Honourable Mention

for Ms. Serena Serenata (one-act play), 1995

Poetry:

• Rituals: Selected poems, 1985-1990.

(1990)

• Summer was a Fast Train without

Terminals. (1998)

• Pag-uli, Paghuli, Homecoming

(trilingual poetry collection)

AWARDS

- Gawad Cultural Centre of the Philippines

(National award for Poetry in Pilipino) for Mula

Dulo Hanggang Kanto (‘From End to Corner’,

collection of poems), 1990

- Likhaan Award for Daragang Magayon and other

poems, University of the Philippines Writers’'

Workshop, 1990

- Carlos Palanca Memorial Award in Literature,

Second Prize for Lupang di Hinirang: Kuwento

at Sikreto (‘Land Not Dearest: Story and Secret’,

collection of poems in Pilipino), 1989

- Carlos Palanca Memorial Award in Literature,

Joint winner, First Prize for Peopleness

(collection of poems in English), 1987

Sources

www.merlindabobis.com.au/biography.html

http://www.poetryinternationalweb.net/pi/site/poet/item/22871/15/Merlinda-Bobis

http://www.poemhunter.com/merlinda-carullo-bobis/biography/

http://faculty.washington.edu/kendo/bobis.html

http://www.spinifexpress.com.au/Bookstore/author/id=97/

http://www.tayoliterarymag.com/merlinda-bobis/

SUMMARY

CHARACTERS

  • Big Lady/Sadness Collector
  • Rica
  • Mother
  • Father

INTERPRETATION

THEME

SYMBOLS

How migration of a person affects his/her family (Diaspora, Displacement, Dislocation)

CONFLICTS

  • Burst - mother getting Rica from the father
  • Parisienne winter hat - the mother wanted Rica to go to Paris with her
  • “She’s licking a spoon for any trace of saltiness..” – tears
  • “Rica was not philosophical at all..” – she’s gullible

The story represents the importance of the specific roles played by each of the members of a Filipino family. It is evident that a mother and a father in a Filipino family tends to have a very distinct role to perform in the household. In the story they have seemed to break tradition. The mother went to Paris to work and actually be the bread winner while the father, although still working, stayed at home with Rica. In the absence of the mother, the Filipino perspective that the mother is the best person who can look out for the welfare of her child/children was represented in the story seeing Rica as a confused and disturbed child because her mom is not by her side. The father was so hard to connect with Rica because of the reason that it was hard for himself to accept the fact that he had to stay with his child which is for him is not his real role. Merlinda Bobis depicted the corroding of what is said to be the essence of a Filipino family. The message of the story is that, breaking the tradition or the culture of the essence of the family, will affect the emotion and performance of their own child

This short story basically revolves on the theme of diaspora (the dispersion of any people from their original homeland) or migration, how it affects families and the importance of having a complete family. In the story, the mother migrates to Paris and it destroys the family because first of all in our culture the one working is the father and the mother is the one left behind with their child/children but in this case it’s the other way around. Second, Rica really became sad when her mother left and it was really hard for the father to comfort her and make her happy that’s why he told Rica a story about the Big Lady/Sadness collector who eats sadness from people and if Rica becomes sad all the time the Big Lady will get big too fast and soon will burst. The real reason behind this story is that if Rica still continues to be sad, soon enough her mother will get her and bring her to Paris. People nowadays prefer to work overseas and leave their families because the pay is higher but there’s nothing good they get in these but the money; their families get destroyed and even sometimes they just get scammed or abused overseas. The story wanted to show us that the completeness of a family is very important in a child’s life and it greatly affects the child whatever happens in the family.

  • Man vs Man
  • Man vs Society
  • Man vs Himself

The short story, The Sadness Collector is about a girl named Rica who has problems while growing up with her father because her mother works overseas as a domestic helper. After her mother left for Paris she’s use to send different gifts to Rica just to show her love and her presence. To divert Rica's attention, her father told her a story about a big lady who eats sadness away from houses at night. Her dad told her that if the big lady eats all of their mess, the big lady might grow too fast and burst, so Rica has to be a good girl and save the big lady by not being sad. Ever since her mother left, Rica would be so eager listen to all of the sounds at the kitchen and waiting for the big lady to show up. One night, Rica heard noises again and because of the story that her father made about the lady who eats sadness, she became nervous and afraid that the big lady might burst but unfortunately it wasn’t even the big lady at all, not even her aunties. But it was only her drunk dad. Rica told her dad about her hesitations and her thoughts about the noise she heard and argued with her dad that it was really the Big lady. But maybe, because of her dad’s guilt about making a story and about his wreckless actions, he said sorry and assured Rica that big lady can’t and won’t ever get her away from him, and to top it off she assured Rica that he really loves her. But due to her young mind Rica tends to wait patiently for Big Lady to appear.

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