The central theme. Amanda moves from “I don’t understand politics” to “We are all part of history.” Her journey mirrors that of many middle-class Filipinos during Martial Law.
The novel’s enduring relevance lies in its depiction of the Filipino middle class’s journey from indifference to engagement. Amanda Bartolome’s transformation serves as a powerful reminder that the true strength of a nation lies not in its military or its economy, but in the courage of its ordinary citizens—specifically its mothers—to say "no" to tyranny. In the end, Dekada '70 teaches us that history is not just written by presidents and revolutionaries, but also by the struggles of families trying to survive the night.
Lualhati Bautista’s Dekada '70 (Decade of the 70s) is often hailed as the definitive novel of the Martial Law era. While many narratives of the period focus on the oppressed masses or the radical youth, Bautista shifts the lens to the Filipino middle class. This paper explores how the novel utilizes the dissolution of the Bartolome family to mirror the disintegration of the Philippine social order under the Marcos dictatorship. Specifically, it analyzes the character of Amanda Bartolome as a symbol of the "political awakening" of the apathetic middle class, transforming from a passive observer into an active agent of change.
The 1970s was a turbulent decade in Philippine history, marked by the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus, the declaration of Martial Law, and the rise of a totalitarian regime. Literature during this period served as a form of resistance, documenting the atrocities that official history often sanitized.
The central theme. Amanda moves from “I don’t understand politics” to “We are all part of history.” Her journey mirrors that of many middle-class Filipinos during Martial Law.
The novel’s enduring relevance lies in its depiction of the Filipino middle class’s journey from indifference to engagement. Amanda Bartolome’s transformation serves as a powerful reminder that the true strength of a nation lies not in its military or its economy, but in the courage of its ordinary citizens—specifically its mothers—to say "no" to tyranny. In the end, Dekada '70 teaches us that history is not just written by presidents and revolutionaries, but also by the struggles of families trying to survive the night.
Lualhati Bautista’s Dekada '70 (Decade of the 70s) is often hailed as the definitive novel of the Martial Law era. While many narratives of the period focus on the oppressed masses or the radical youth, Bautista shifts the lens to the Filipino middle class. This paper explores how the novel utilizes the dissolution of the Bartolome family to mirror the disintegration of the Philippine social order under the Marcos dictatorship. Specifically, it analyzes the character of Amanda Bartolome as a symbol of the "political awakening" of the apathetic middle class, transforming from a passive observer into an active agent of change.
The 1970s was a turbulent decade in Philippine history, marked by the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus, the declaration of Martial Law, and the rise of a totalitarian regime. Literature during this period served as a form of resistance, documenting the atrocities that official history often sanitized.
