Luha ng Buwaya
Encyclopedia
Luha ng Buwaya or, "Crocodile's Tear" in translation, is a 1983 novel written by Palanca Awardee and Filipino
novelist Amado V. Hernandez. It consists of 53 chapters. The story is about poor farmers uniting against the greedy desires of the prominent family of the Grandes. In Filipino
idiom
s, "crocodiles" were used to symbolize those people who are corrupt. The "buwaya" (crocodile
) in the title refers to the Grandes family, who were greedy for money.
, was based on his personal experiences while imprisoned in the New Bilibid Prison
from 1951 until his release on parole in 1956.
The novel was about peasants from a barrio and their leader, in the person of a school teacher, fighting against oppression and greed. Through their action, the people find renewed belief in their capabilities. In a larger persepective, Luha ng Buwaya was Hernandez's realistic embodiment of the socio-political crisis happening in the Philippines
during the 1930s until the 1950s.
Hernandez wrote the novel employing an "easy style" and contemporary Pilipino language. While writing the manuscript for Luha ng Buwaya, Hernandez was also acting as the editor of the prison newspaper named Muntinglupa Courier.
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
novelist Amado V. Hernandez. It consists of 53 chapters. The story is about poor farmers uniting against the greedy desires of the prominent family of the Grandes. In Filipino
Filipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
idiom
Idiom
Idiom is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made...
s, "crocodiles" were used to symbolize those people who are corrupt. The "buwaya" (crocodile
Crocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
) in the title refers to the Grandes family, who were greedy for money.
Description
Luha ng Buwaya, together is the with Hernandez's other novel Mga Ibong MandaragitMga Ibong Mandaragit
Mga Ibong Mandaragit or Mga Ibong Mandaragit: Nobelang Sosyo-Politikal is a novel written by the Filipino writer and social activist, Amado V. Hernandez in 1969. Mga Ibong Mandaragit was described as Hernandez's masterpiece about the neocolonial dependency and revolt in the Philippines...
, was based on his personal experiences while imprisoned in the New Bilibid Prison
New Bilibid Prison
The New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, Philippines, is the main insular penitentiary designed to house the prison population of the Philippines. It is maintained by the Bureau of Corrections under the Philippine Department of Justice. As of October 2004, it has an inmate population of 16,747....
from 1951 until his release on parole in 1956.
The novel was about peasants from a barrio and their leader, in the person of a school teacher, fighting against oppression and greed. Through their action, the people find renewed belief in their capabilities. In a larger persepective, Luha ng Buwaya was Hernandez's realistic embodiment of the socio-political crisis happening in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
during the 1930s until the 1950s.
Hernandez wrote the novel employing an "easy style" and contemporary Pilipino language. While writing the manuscript for Luha ng Buwaya, Hernandez was also acting as the editor of the prison newspaper named Muntinglupa Courier.