From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaWithout Seeing the Dawn

The title of Stevan Javellana's only novel in English Without Seeing the Dawn was derived from one of José Rizal's character in theSpanish-language novel Noli Me Tangere or Touch Me Not. Javellana's 368-paged book has two parts, namely Day and Night. The first part,Day, narrates the story of a pre-war barrio and its people in the Panay Island and Iloilo City. The second part, Night, begins with the start ofWorld War II in both the U.S. and the Philippines, and retells the story of the resistance movement against the occupying Japanese [1]military forces of the barrio people first seen in Day.[2] It narrates the people's "grim experiences" during the war.[1]

First published in 1947, Javellana's novel sold 125,000 copies in the U.S. and was reprinted in paperback edition in Manila by Alemar's-Phoenix in 1976.[2] The same novel was made into a film by the Filipino film maker and director, Lino Brocka under the title Santiago!, which starred the Filipino actor and former presidential candidate, Fernando Poe, Jr. and the Filipino actress, Hilda Koronel. It was also made into a mini-series film for Philippine television. The published novel received praises from the New York Times, New York Sun andChicago Sun. Without Seeing the Dawn, the novel, became the culmination of Javellana's short-story writing career. The said novel was also known under the title The Lost Ones.

ABOUT THE AUTHORStevan Javellana (1918–1977) was a Filipino novelist and short-story writer in the English language. He is also known as Esteban Javellana.[1]

Biography: Javellana was born in 1918 in Iloilo. He fought as a guerrilla during the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. After World War II, he graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Law in 1948.[2] He stayed in the United States afterwards but he died in the Visayas in 1977 at the age of 59.[1]

Writing career : Javellana was the author of a best-selling war novel in the United States (U.S.) and Manila, Without Seeing the Dawn, published by Little, Brown and Company in Boston in 1947. His short stories were published in the Manila Times Magazine in the 1950s, among which are Two Tickets to Manila, The Sin of Father Anselmo, Sleeping Tablets, The Fifth Man, The Tree of Peace and Transition.[1] Without Seeing the Dawn, also known as The Lost Ones, is his only novel

Plot summaryWithout Seeing the Dawn was set in a small farming village called Manhayang in Santa Barbara, Iloilo. The residents of the barangay were living their simple life when the violence of war reached their place and brought death and suffering. Ricardo "Carding" Suerte, the young son of Juan Suerte wanted to marry Lucia (nicknamed "Lucing"), the daughter of the teniente del barrio. Although Ricardo's father wished to send him to school first, the blessing to marry was given and the traditional asking the hand custom known as the pamamanhikan was done. Ricardo built a house for him and his wife on the land that was entrusted to Ricardo's father by Don Diego (a landlord) despite the advice of the elderly that building one's house in May will bring misfortune. Soon after, misfortune struck: their first child was stillborn, Lucia had an affair with Luis, the son of Don Diego, and the land the Suerte's had been tilling was given to another tenant. The couple went to Iloilo City where Ricardo met fellow stevedore and union member Nestong and Rosing, a prostitute. Lucia left Ricardo because of Rosing. Ricardo followed Lucia who was then in Badlan after receiving news that Lucia was pregnant and that the representante (representative) entrusted them with a land to till. They named their son Crisostomo. Misfortune came again because their landlord sold the land they were tilling, and a flood destroyed their harvest and killed their carabao. They went to Mindanao to find a land to own. However, Ricardo was drafted for military service. Upon his return, Lucia was pregnant but his father and their son died. At first he was not told the truth, the real reason why his father and son died was because they were killed by Japanese soldiers, not by illness. His wife was also raped by the Japanese occupiers. He was angered after knowing the truth and became an enemy executioner. Because of Ricardo's behavior, Lucia sent him away. When the Japanese invaders ordered the people to go to a designated barrio to be identified as non-guerrillas, the Manhayang villagers evacuated the area, except for Lucia who wanted to wait for Ricardo who would be leading the "suicide attack" at the enemies' garrison. When they met, Ricardo asked for Lucia's forgiveness but said farewell after giving Lucia some money. Lucia refused and stayed even if she had to welcome back Ricardo as a corpse.