ERMITA F. SIONIL JOS I. INTRODUCTION Ermita deals with social crises in the Philippines.

For one, it tackles the problem of morality in the Filipino context and questions the extent as to how low Filipinos can put down their morality in times of need. Take for example the Camarin, a haven for those who demand pleasures, with no strings attached, satisfied by the human body as well as an escape route for women in dire need of quick money. A place wherein women are stabled, protected from the law, given the owner, Didis clientele is composed of influential people in the government as well as in the Judiciary, therefore, it would be nearly impossible to close down their operations, illegal as they may be. The issues presented by the novel are set during the Japanese occupation and the Marcos era. In both periods, there were some revolutions that happened. The novel also stresses the strength of the revolution, of how it could create great social change. F. Sionil Jos mentions that in certain times, a revolution is the best solution to solve crisis. Notwithstanding the fact that many lives will be lost, it is the only solution that can save the nation. While another issue would be the frequency of migration and the starting trend of Filipinos working oversees in search of better job opportunities. With these in mind, we can see that the author has posed a problem upon us, that there is a present decline in the Filipino morality as well as the presence of a corrupt government that encumbers the social, political and the economic growth of the county. This

problem would be discussed alongside the analysis of the characters in the novel.

II.

CHARACTERS A. Ermita Rojo A woman in search of her own identity, she plots revenge on the family who had disowned her, abandoned her at an orphanage and yet, gave her the family name. The Rojos were a rich and powerful family who mingled only with the upper class and the American generals. They were one of the socialite families of the country, and yet, Ermita Rojo was a prostitute. She had found a sense of wanting in her profession, for men wanted her, desired her, unlike her family who mistreated her. With her profession, came money, the power to manipulate men as well as the formation of her greed and the strengthening of her pride. Most of the time, she hated her past and reveled in her future. In time, she was able to learn a lot about man in his strengths and weaknesses, the constant search for an alternate reality, for pleasure, unlike in the world of crisis that they are living in. Ermi had also developed this kind of philosophy, she too created a world different from her past. She envisioned herself as a powerful woman, independent and free. Most of her live was centered on plotting revenge it was her purpose for living like a prostitute. Albeit, she discovers that revenge is not all she thought it would be. Once her revenge was completed, she found no happy ending. She realized that it did

nothing in order to find her true self. Instead, she became corrupted by her ideals and her pride. She had taken that job willingly. Even though she hated what she had become. For instance, she leaves before sunrise and cleanses her body of the impurities the men had left on her. In reality she was conscious about everything she did. There was always the stigma she could never escape from somehow it had already been a part of her. Especially when meeting people, in the back of her mind, she was afraid to let them see her, for they know that she was a prostitute. Her search for her identity led her to her fathers country, there she observed them and mingled with them, hoping that she would find a clue in knowing who she was. When she reaches the end of her career, dictated by her age, she fully realizes what she was missing all along, she chose her clients, unlike the other girls in Camarin, hoping that one of them could provide her with more that just being a pawn in her plot for revenge and greed, instead she chose them, hoping that one of them could give her the love she really wanted. All her years working at the Camarin and she never felt the same experience of bursting pleasure unlike the other girls. With the Puesto she created her new reality, she was intelligent unlike the others who ended up selling sweepstakes tickets, and the whole ambiance of the Puesto was the exact opposite of the Camarin, a symbol of how much she longed to forget her past and create a new reality. Later she discovers how blind she had been towards two men in her life. Namely Roly Cruz and Mac, whom she had cared for. She marries Andrew

Meadows, an American, but she still wasnt contented. And now she tries to remember her past, the irony of going back to a part of the past she tried to forget, the orphanage where her beloved Sister Constancia thought she was dead. Her longing for a child of her own was an obsession. She discovers what is essential only when it is too late. Alongside the problem of the revolution, deep inside, she desires to help change the reality for the people yet she cant even change her own reality. Unlike Lily, who knew what had to be done, Ermi wandered off, in a search made useless by pride, that brought her back to the place from where she started, and kept her with the people who truly cared for her since the beginning.

B. Rolando Cruz A PhD in History who was obsessed with Ermi Rojo, he was captivated by her charm, her beauty, and her straightforwardness towards her profession. Like Ermi, he was one of the people who knew the problems of society, and yet, he did nothing to salvage the country from the present corrupt government. Instead he went with the flow of the tide, clinging to those in power, working for them, as if he did not know the inner workings of the government. In more ways than one, he was like Ermi, a prostate selling his ideas and loyalty to the highest bidder. He is also a man who tried to run away from reality, like the many people who fled the country, in order to escape it. He befriended the foreign businessmen and politicians,

bringing them to Camarin for quick pleasure. When he realized that he had indeed fallen for Ermi, he fled to Japan and the United States, only to realize how much he needed her. Ermi told him the truth, harsh as it may be, it is real. The abandonment done onto him by his wife made him realize his faults although he found it hard to accept. He would have preferred there be another man, but there was none. In life, it is really difficult to face ones own faults and often, it is the people themselves who create their own fears and cause their own downfall. In Rolys case, his final solution was to end his own misery, but in the end, he still cared for his family. By his cunningness, he pulled off his suicide as murder, thus, making his family the benefactors of his insurance money. His suicide denotes that in time, everyone needs to make a final decision in life.

C. Macarthur Mac is very platonic towards Ermi. Albeit he has seen all of her facades he just stays there, watching her, observing how she had transformed into the innocent child Ermi, who lived with him in that garage, into a woman driven by revenge tainted with greed. Although his feelings for Ermi hadnt changed, he kept his distance, he had a large debt of gratitude for her, and he knew he could never be able to repay her. Even with his success, it wasnt enough to level with her stature. He loved Ermi with all his heart. Else he would have not patiently waited for her at the

Camarin, making sure she was alright, nor he would have watched her in America, while she was taking classes. Even for true love, his pride gets in the way, he avoids Ermi for months, and in a final confrontation, he reveals his true feelings for her and waits. Probably his reason for leaving again was because he knew that Ermi was still confused and knowing her for so long, he could easily decipher Ermis real motives, making it difficult for Ermi to have her way with him. For Mac, Ermis return might seem to be more on impulse rather than a realization of her love for him. And so he waits for her no matter how long it takes.

III.

GENERAL TRUTHS Often, man desires what he would not normally get. Something that is limited to only a few would be desired by most. Things like power, fame, money, and the like. But even if some men and women do have these things, they still hunger for more and thus become greedy. No matter how innocent man can be in the beginning, the inherent weakness by the temptation of greed will get them in the end. For example, the poor who have less in the beginning will desire to have a little more than what they have in order to sustain there lives, just like Arturo and his family. Since they were used to that kind of living, they maintained it. They didnt ask Ermi for favors, even though they knew she would give it to them, instead, they waited for her to make the choice. While in Ermis case, she started out with an innocent motive: to gain money in order for them to move into a new home before her uncle evicts them from living in the garage. And as the years

passed, she became greedy for more than what she had originally planned on getting. Another example is Andres Bravo, riches, power, influence, he had them all but still desired Ermi, the one thing he could not buy with his riches or persuade with his precious gifts. The reason why man works so hard in the beginning is to get the rest for free. In the business sector, one starts in the lowest position, he works as an intern, then becomes a regular. With hard work he gets promoted, to a higher position. After years or decades of hard work he becomes the president or the owner of the company. And what is left for him to do? Does he still work as hard as he did in the beginning as an intern hoping to maintain the job? Probably he thinks of his retirement, or what he should order his subordinates to do. Just like Andres Bravo, the only reason why he lavished Ermi with expensive clothes, jewelry and other gifts was to get her services for free. That in the end, man does not want to work as hard as he did before in order to get what he wants.

IV.

CONCLUSION In the back of my mind, I cant help but think that Ermita is a foreshadowing of the Philippines future. The ideas the author presented were all linked towards a certain concept. To me this concept was about escaping reality. In the present setting, there are no more foreign invaders and powerful dictators in the country, but still, we are in a state of crisis. And to this problem, the authors solution is a revolution. In the scene wherein Ermi and Andrew talk about the activists of the revolution, Andy, mentions that if he were Filipino, he would join them too. Ermi

on the other hand, ponders about a girl she knew, Lily who had more courage than she did to face her reality. The future is scary we know that for a fact. The whole idea of the uncertain scares most people for we feel better when we are secure, and who would feel secure if they are marching along, rallying, partaking in the revolution, when who knows, their lives could end at just that moment. Basically, I felt that the novel is a reflection of the Filipino society for it bares the possibility that the whole country could end up like Ermita, a place for cheap sex and easy women. If Filipinos keep trying to escape reality all these would not seem too farfetched. Like what happened with Mac and Ermi, he just stood there watching, he knew what he should do, instead after a few unsuccessful tries of making her give up her profession, he stopped and let fate take its course. In the end comes the biggest realization of all. It is when people realize all the mistakes they have done in the past, what they should have done, but didnt do and all other faults. And what is even more painful about it is, when one reaches the end, he has to make the final decision.