Stylistic Analysis of The 70s

Daniel R.
Gaad
IV-1 BEE
Stylistic Analysis of The 70s (Dekada ’70)
Dekada ’70 (translated as “The 70s”) is a novel by Lualhati Bautista that tells the story of a family
under the Martial Law regime of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos. It depicts the terrors of the said era in
the context of Amanda Bartolome, a mother watching her sons grow and plunge into real life in the
martial law, hence the title. In the novel, Bautista boldly portrays the realities of the Martial law even if
lots of people have different interpretations on it. In result, the book was widely received by the
audiences and even found its way on the Filipino textbooks of students. The fourth chapter of this book
is what the translator chose to work on since it is the essential chapter of setting up events in the
Martial law era. Let's look at the following excerpts:
The Free Press, Leader, Manila Times, and those which were considered as
"subversive" publications were shut down. Large businesses who allegedly has sins to
the people by way of unpaid bank loans and delinquent taxes were confiscated. The
Propaganda "discipline is what we need for the country to succeed" were widely
spread out along with the jingle of the New Society.
Student councils were suspended. Campus papers were suspended. Stray arms and
weapons were forced to be surrendered and licensing of firearms to unauthorized
people were suspended. Assemblies were prohibited, except from the Assembly for
Development, and even being in the streets after 12 midnight were forbidden.
Areas were partitioned to barangay levels wherein all people are obliged to register.
Land Reform Program was laid down, government agencies that will address housing
problems and censorship of the press and the film industry were organized. Decrees
that determine punishments for corruption in the government, tax evasion, price
manipulation and others were released.
The point of view of that novel is mostly the mother, Amanda, while she tells the readers the events
when martial law was implemented. The excerpt is full of past-tensed verbs indicating that she is telling
us a narrative but right after telling to us what had transpired when Martial law was implemented, the
tense shifts from past to present tense.
But let's not talk about those things. What is important is that Gani just graduated
from high school and it is time to ask about his plans regarding his life, the course he
wants to take, the school that he wants to be enrolled in.
This indicates that the shift of tenses mark the author’s intention of commenting on the development of
the narrative.
Aside from the point of view, the conversations and lines of the characters can make us feel the
intensity of what the characters feel and it also makes us see how a certain character feels about
something. Let’s look at this line:
"Whatever is fine with me, Dad, I'll take it", Gani said to Julian. "Besides, I plan to
take only eighteen units in college. Then I will apply to the US Navy."
Jules reacted quickly. "Unbelievable! US Navy? You'll be slaves to those Yanks!"
Gani heatedly responds, "What slaves? You're too angry with the Americans!
Opportunity is there! If you're an employee of the US government, your salary is big!
Plus you have many benefits."
Registers present are obviously casual and consultative. However, I want us to look at the exchange
between Gani and Jules. Gani says he wants to apply to the US Navy but Jules said that he will be slaves
to those Yanks. The word from the SL is “’kano” and I tried to translate it with the same cultural
derogatory effect. Anyway, with Jules using that word, it manifests how the character feels about the
Americans. He thinks that the Americans are just plain, bad people to work with because they will abuse
your service. On the other hand, Gani, by saying that opportunity is there means he feels the Americans
are better people to work for.
Lastly, the literary work used innuendo as a stylistic device to further tell us what it looks like living in
the era of Martial law. Let’s look at this:
If the news were to be believed, the government cleansed the corruption that most of
the students were protesting about; together with the government’s alleged efforts
to raise Philippine economy by way of developing the country's tourism and inviting
foreign investments that can be a source of additional jobs and money. If the news
were to be believed, the impending revolution was quelled through the causes that
are pushed by the New Society.
The author here tells us a big if; if the government is to be believed, society is getting better. However,
through her usage of the word if, it implies doubt upon the readers. Innuendos are stylistic devices that
tell us indirectly, mostly a negative implication of a certain action. Here, the author successfully makes
the readers doubt the validity of the claims of the government. She could have just said that “According
to the news…” but that would lack the implication that the government is spreading lies.
Stylistic analysis helps offer fresh insights about how a text is read and can be understood linguistically
and aesthetically through literary and linguistic analysis.

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Daniel R.

Stylistic Analysis of The 70s (Dekada ’70)

Jules reacted quickly. "Unbelievable! US Navy? You'll be slaves to those Yanks!"

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