''Mass'', also known as ''Mass: A Novel'', is a 1973

historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

and

political novel Political fiction employs narrative to comment on political events, systems and theories. Works of political fiction, such as political novels, often "directly criticize an existing society or present an alternative, even fantast ...

written by Filipino National Artist

F. Sionil José Francisco Sionil José (December 3, 1924 – January 6, 2022) was a Filipino writer who was one of the most widely read in the English language. A National Artist of the Philippines for Literature, which was bestowed upon him in 2001, José's ...

."Mass"
, Francisco Sionil José, The National Artist for Literature, nationalartists.panitikan.com Together with ''

The Pretenders Pretenders are an English–American rock band formed in March 1978. The original band consisted of founder and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), James Honeyman-Scott (lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), Pete Fa ...

'', the ''Mass'' is the completion of José’s ''

The Rosales Saga ''The Rosales Saga'', also known as the ''Rosales Novels'', is a series of five historical and political novels written by National Artist of the Philippines F. Sionil José. Chronologically, it is composed of five interconnected novels, namely ...

'',"Mass"
Samsons: The Pretenders and Mass F. Sionil José, barnesandnoble.com
The Samsons: The Pretenders and Mass by F. Sionil José, Modern Library, 432 pages, palhbooks.com which is also known as the ''

Rosales Rosales () is an order of flowering plants. Peter F. Stevens (2001 onwards). "Rosales". At: Trees At: Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. At: Missouri Botanical Garden Website. (see ''External links'' below) It is sister to a clade consisting of Faga ...

Novels''.Yoser, Elizabeth G
Under the Balete Tree: F. Sionil José’s Rosales Novels
World Literature Today, Vol. 62, No. 1 (Winter, 1988), University of Oklahoma, pp. 82-84, jstor.org The literary message of ''Mass'' was "a society intent only on calculating a man's price is one that ultimately devalues all men".

Description

The narrative of ''Mass'' pictures the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

during the years prior to and after the imposition of

Martial Law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

in 1972,. It depicts a movement advocating reform, the resulting struggle for human rights, students’ rights, tenants’ rights, and women’s rights, and mass protests that were manipulated by "fraudulent leaders". The uprising fails, and one of the characters goes back to

Central Luzon Central Luzon ( pam, (Reyun ning) Kalibudtarang Luzon, pag, (Rehiyon na) Pegley na Luzon, tgl, (Rehiyon ng) Gitnang Luzon, ilo, (Rehion/Deppaar ti) Tengnga ti Luzon), designated as Region III, is an administrative region in the Philippines, ...

to discover his origins in order to rebuild his life.

Characters

The main character of ''Mass'' is José “Pepe” Samson, a resident of

Tondo, Manila Tondo is a district located in Manila, Philippines. It is the largest in terms of area and population of Manila's sixteen districts, with a Census-estimated 631,313 people in 2015 and consists of two congressional districts. It is also the seco ...

. He is the illegitimate son of Antonio “Tony” Samson, the primary character in José’s ''The Pretenders''. Pepe is also the great-grandson of Istak, the principal protagonist in José’s ''

Po-on ''Po-on A Novel'' is a novel written by Francisco Sionil José, a Filipino English-language writer. This is the original title when it was first published in the Philippines in the English language. In the United States, it was published under ...

''. Instead of becoming like his father who was enticed by wealth, Pepe became a follower of a former commander of the

Hukbalahap The Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon (), better known by the acronym Hukbalahap, was a Communism, communist Guerrilla warfare, guerrilla movement formed by the farmers of Central Luzon. They were originally formed to Philippine resistance against Ja ...

(Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon) rebels, turned local affairs devotee and student leader in

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 ...

. Pepe Samson is raised by Emy in Cabugawan, then goes to live with an aunt in Manila in order to study in college. He becomes a drug dealer for a gangster named Kuya Nick. After leaving the illegal job, Pepe joins the revolutionary group known as The Brotherhood. In the end, Pepe commits a "revolutionary act". Other characters included student activists, members of women’s liberation movement, drug addicts, and intellectuals. Some characters are from previous novels of ''The Rosales Saga''.Yabes, Leopoldo Y. and Judson Knight
"Mass"
by F(rancisco) Sionil José, Contemporary Novelists, 2001, The Gale Group Inc., Farmington Hills, Michigan, encyclopedia.com

References

{{FSionilJose-RosalesSaga Novels by F. Sionil José Historical novels Political novels 1973 novels Philippine English-language novels Novels set in Manila