The Man Who (Thought He) Looked Like Robert Taylor
Encyclopedia
The Man Who Looked Like Robert Taylor (1983) is a book written by Filipino-American novelist and short story author, Bienvenido Santos
. The title basically imparts that the protagonist of the novel lived believing that he has a semblance to his idolized American actor, Robert Taylor
. This fiction by Santos is regarded as one of the finest examples of exceptional English-language writing
s about the personal, emotional, and moving experiences of Filipino migrants in America
.
. Moving to the United States, he lived by himself in Chicago
for thirty years. While in America, although he kept mementos from his Philippine hometown, he felt alienated and ignored while surrounded by Polish people living in Chicago. Aging as he was, he decided to travel to Washington, D.C.
to search for earlier acquaintances. He, together with other Filipinos of his generation, became further estranged by "better educated" Filipinos he encountered along the way, adding to his bitterness in experiencing a weakening in the "spirit of ethnic unity".
through the 1970s. Among Santos's characters, apart from the men
, are female
émigrés who "were prepared to do almost anything" in order to have a better life in America.
Bienvenido Santos
Bienvenido N. Santos was a Filipino-American fictionist, poet and nonfiction writer. He was born and raised in Tondo, Manila. His family roots are originally from Lubao, Pampanga, Philippines...
. The title basically imparts that the protagonist of the novel lived believing that he has a semblance to his idolized American actor, Robert Taylor
Robert Taylor (actor)
Robert Taylor was an American film and television actor.-Early life:Born Spangler Arlington Brugh in Filley, Nebraska, he was the son of Ruth Adaline and Spangler Andrew Brugh, who was a farmer turned doctor...
. This fiction by Santos is regarded as one of the finest examples of exceptional English-language writing
Philippine literature in English
Philippine literature in English has its roots in the efforts of the United States, then engaged in a war with Filipino nationalist forces at the end of the 19th century. By 1901, public education was institutionalized in the Philippines, with English serving as the medium of instruction. That...
s about the personal, emotional, and moving experiences of Filipino migrants in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Description
The story is about a Filipino immigrant named Solomon King, a man who was born in Sulucan, a town in the PhilippinesPhilippines
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...
. Moving to the United States, he lived by himself in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
for thirty years. While in America, although he kept mementos from his Philippine hometown, he felt alienated and ignored while surrounded by Polish people living in Chicago. Aging as he was, he decided to travel to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to search for earlier acquaintances. He, together with other Filipinos of his generation, became further estranged by "better educated" Filipinos he encountered along the way, adding to his bitterness in experiencing a weakening in the "spirit of ethnic unity".
Historical background
The Man Who (Thought He) Looked Like Robert Taylor is a literary discourse illustrating the yearning of many Filipinos to go and reside in America despite hardships, and the "loneliness and sense of exile" they experienced while being in the United States after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
through the 1970s. Among Santos's characters, apart from the men
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...
, are female
Women in the Philippines
The role of women in the Philippines is explained based on the context of Filipino culture, standards, and mindsets. The Philippines is described to be a nation of strong women, who directly and indirectly run the family unit, businesses, government agencies and haciendas.Although they generally...
émigrés who "were prepared to do almost anything" in order to have a better life in America.
Excerpts
An excerpt from The Man Who (Thought He) Looked Like Robert Taylor is an award-winning short story entitled "Immigration Blues", which became anthologized in Santos’s short-story collection, Scent of Apples. This short story was a recipient of a New Letters award for fiction in 1977.External links
- Ty, Eleanor. A Filipino Prufrock in an Alien Land: Bienvenido Santos's The Man Who (Thought He) Looked Like Robert Taylor (link to abstract), Literature Interpretation Theory, 1545-5866, Volume 12, Issue 3, 2001, pages 267 – 283, informaworld.com
- Ty, Eleanor. A Filipino Prufrock in an Alien Land: Bienvenido Santos's The Man Who (Thought He) Looked Like Robert Taylor (link to PDF), Literature Interpretation Theory, 1545-5866, Volume 12, Issue 3, 2001, pages 267 – 283, informaworld.com