Dogeaters

The radio show Love Letters is beloved by Rio’s grandmother, Lola Narcisa, but is viewed with disdain by her father, who dismisses it as appealing to “the lowest common denominator” (18) of society. This dichotomy reflects the tension between traditional Filipino culture and the Westernized values that have permeated society post-colonization. The term “bakya crowd,” used by Uncle Agustin to describe the soap opera’s audience, refers to “bakyâ,” wooden sandals once commonly worn in the Philippines. The sandals symbolize a traditional agricultural way of life that is gradually being eclipsed by modern influences. The tragic nature of the show, in which characters often meet unfortunate ends, parallels the dark undertones in the lives of the novel’s characters. The soap opera becomes a metaphor for the Philippines itself, a country grappling with the remnants of its colonial past and the struggles of its present.

The motif of Love Letters also resonates with the theme of emotional expression within Filipino culture. As the narrator observes, “Our country belongs to women who easily shed tears and men who are ashamed to weep” (133). This statement captures the gendered expectations of emotional display, further emphasizing the deep-seated cultural and societal norms that characters in the novel navigate.