Ben Singkol
Encyclopedia
Ben Singkol is a 2001 novel written by Filipino National Artist F. Sionil José
. It is about Benjamin "Ben" Singkol, who is described as “perhaps the most interesting character” created by the author. Based on José's novel, Singkol is a renowned novelist who wrote the book entitled "Pain", an autobiography
written during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines
. Through the fictional novel Singkol recalled the hardships experienced by the Filipinos during the occupation. Singkol was described to be a coward, a "supot" or an uncircumcised
man
who did not only run away from such a “ritual of manhood
” but also evaded his “foxhole in Bataan
when the Japanese soldiers were closing in”. Singkol was a “runner” or “evader” throughout much of his lifetime, while being haunted by the “poverty of his boyhood” and of the “treachery that he may have committed” in the past. In 1982, Singkol began receiving letters from a Japanese
named Haruko Kitamura.
F. Sionil José
F. Sionil José or in full Francisco Sionil José is one of the most widely-read Filipino writers in the English language. His novels and short stories depict the social underpinnings of class struggles and colonialism in Filipino society...
. It is about Benjamin "Ben" Singkol, who is described as “perhaps the most interesting character” created by the author. Based on José's novel, Singkol is a renowned novelist who wrote the book entitled "Pain", an autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
written during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines
Japanese occupation of the Philippines
The Japanese occupation of the Philippines was the period in the history of the Philippines between 1942 and 1945, when the Empire of Japan occupied the previously American-controlled Philippines during World War II....
. Through the fictional novel Singkol recalled the hardships experienced by the Filipinos during the occupation. Singkol was described to be a coward, a "supot" or an uncircumcised
Circumcision
Male circumcision is the surgical removal of some or all of the foreskin from the penis. The word "circumcision" comes from Latin and ....
man
Men in the Philippines
Men in the Philippines is a term referring to the male members of Filipino society, or men who belong or come from the Philippines, a country in South East Asia or the Far East...
who did not only run away from such a “ritual of manhood
Rites of Passage
Rites of Passage is an African American History program sponsored by the Stamford, Connecticut US public schools. The program consists of an extra day of schooling on Saturday for 12 weeks, service projects, and a culminating educational trip to Gambia and Senegal. Gambia and Senegal are the...
” but also evaded his “foxhole in Bataan
Bataan
Bataan is a province of the Philippines occupying the whole of the Bataan Peninsula on Luzon. The province is part of the Central Luzon region. The capital of Bataan is Balanga City and it is bordered by the provinces of Zambales and Pampanga to the north...
when the Japanese soldiers were closing in”. Singkol was a “runner” or “evader” throughout much of his lifetime, while being haunted by the “poverty of his boyhood” and of the “treachery that he may have committed” in the past. In 1982, Singkol began receiving letters from a Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
named Haruko Kitamura.