''In the Claws of Brightness'' (

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

: ''Sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag''), is a 1986

Tagalog language Tagalog (, ; ; '' Baybayin'': ) is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by the ethnic Tagalog people, who make up a quarter of the population of the Philippines, and as a second language by the majority. Its standardized form, ...

novel written by Filipino author

Edgardo M. Reyes Edgardo M. Reyes (1936–2012) was a Filipino novelist. His works of fiction first appeared in the Tagalog magazine, ''Liwayway''. His novels include ''Laro sa Baga'', His works and Philippine cinema Aside from being a novelist, Edgardo M. Reye ...

, originally serialized in ''

Liwayway ''Liwayway''''Liwayway''
Komiklopedia, The Philippine Komiks Encyclopedia, Komiklopedia.wor ...

'' magazine from 1966 to 1967. The title ''In the Claws of Brightness'' is a word-for-word literal translation of the Tagalog title, which as a phrase effectively makes little sense in English. A more practical English translation would be ''At the Verge of Dawn''. The story became the basis for the award-winning

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

, ''

Manila in the Claws of Light ''Manila in the Claws of Light'' ( tl, Maynila, sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag) is a 1975 Filipino drama film directed by Lino Brocka based on the story ''In the Claws of Brightness'' by Edgardo M. Reyes. It is considered by many as one of the greatest f ...

''.

Summary

Julio, a poor fisherman, goes to

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

to search for his betrothed named Ligaya. Sometime before Julio's trip, Ligaya had left with a lady named Mrs. Cruz in order to study and work in the city. Now in Manila, Julio becomes a victim to some of the city's scums. Julio experiences abuses while working in a construction site. He eventually loses his job and desperately looks for a decent place where he can sleep. Slowly, Julio develops a cynical demeanor as he gradually loses hope of ever finding Ligaya. All this is put on hold, however, when Julio finally reunites Ligaya, and learns from her that she is a victim of

white slavery White slavery (also white slave trade or white slave trafficking) refers to the slavery of Europeans, whether by non-Europeans (such as West Asians and North Africa, North Africans), or by other Europeans (for example naval galley slaves or th ...

. Julio and Ligaya plan to escape."Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag" by Edgardo M. Reyes
(Tagalog), kabayancentral.com

Film adaptation

The 1975 adaptation of the book entitled ''

'' was directed by award-winning director

Lino Brocka Catalino Ortiz Brocka (April 3, 1939 – May 22, 1991) was a Filipino film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and significant filmmakers in the history of Philippine cinema. He co-founded the organization Concerned Art ...

. The script was written by Clodualdo del Mundo, Jr. Jose Capino, writing for '' Criterion'', noted that the film was met with "charges of anti-Chinese racism from reviewers."

Translation

The book had been translated into

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

by Motoe Terami-Wada. The novel, retitled as had become a bestselling book in Japan."Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag" by Edgardo M. Reyes
(Tagalog), goodreads.com

References

External links

Excerpt of ''Sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag'' by Edgardo M. Reyes
from ''Panitikan sa Pilipinas'' (Literature in the Philippines)] (Tagalog) at books.google.com Philippine novels 1986 novels Tagalog-language novels Novels set in Manila Philippine novels adapted into films {{Philippines-stub

Summary

Film adaptation

Translation

See also

References

External links