Silence by Carlos Bulosan
"Silence" by Carlos Bulosan tells the poignant story of a man grappling with deep loneliness in an unnamed town. Over the course of five years, he moves through various living situations—first near a park filled with joyous young people, then by a bakery where he feels invisible, and finally to a rooming house next to a college. Despite his surroundings, he remains isolated, speaking to no one and finding solace only in the objects within his room.
His life takes a turn when he notices a girl reading on the college lawn, sparking a brief moment of connection that brings him joy. He begins to decorate his room in vibrant colors inspired by her changing outfits, a reflection of his yearning for companionship. However, when the girl disappears for extended periods, his hope wanes, leading him into deeper despair and ultimately a withdrawal from work and social interaction. The narrative captures the themes of isolation, the search for connection, and the emotional toll of silence, offering a reflective look at the human condition and the longing for companionship.
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Silence by Carlos Bulosan
First published: 1979
Type of plot: Social realism
Time of work: Unspecified
Locale: Unspecified
Principal Characters:
An unnamed man , the protagonistA female college student
The Story
A man living in an unnamed town has rented a series of rooms, first near a park, then near a bakery, and finally, "in desperation," in a roominghouse adjacent to a college. His moves, each to a different section of town, are motivated by loneliness. The park was filled with young people enthusiastically playing games, but he had no part in their delight. The workers in the bakery building treated him as though he were not there. Now he only looks at the college campus from his window; he has not spoken to anyone in the five years that he has been in town.
The man works long hours every day to combat his isolation, but his evenings are almost unbearable for him. He paces slowly, looking at old pictures on the wall, lies sleeplessly in bed thinking of the past, or simply sits in a wooden chair, staring blankly at the walls. He has conversed with nearly all the objects in his room, even the walls.
One Sunday morning he notices the green curtains on his window and is surprised that it has taken him so long to discover them. As he looks out this window and spots a girl sitting on the college lawn, reading a book, he experiences a catharsis. After an hour the girl leaves, and the man dashes to a nearby store to buy white curtains, to match the color of her sweater. The next afternoon, after he hurries home from work, he sees the girl in her place on the college lawn and is shocked because she is now wearing a red sweater and a black skirt. A similar scenario is repeated each day for six months, during which time the man matches the colors of the girl's skirt and sweater until his room becomes a riot of color. When the girl does not appear during the two weeks at Christmas break and occasionally thereafter, the man is so let down that he does not go to work.
One day a friend visits. The man considers sharing his source of joy with his friend, but, feeling jealous, decides not to. Never again does he receive a visitor. After adding two heavy locks to his door, he turns out his light and peers out his window. Spring comes and then summer, with its heat, ripening fruits, full-leafed trees, and warm wind from the sea. In mid-June the girl leaves, never to return. A year passes. The man stops working and his curtains fade and become soiled.
Bibliography
Campomanes, Oscar V. "Filipinos in the United States and Their Literature of Exile." In Reading the Literatures of Asian America, edited by Shirley Geok-lin Lim and Amy Ling. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1992.
Evangelista, Susan. Carlos Bulosan and His Poetry: A Biography and an Anthology. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1985.
Kim, Elaine. Asian-American Literature: An Introduction to the Writings and Their Social Context. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1982.
Libretti, Tim. "America Is in the Heart by Carlos Bulosan." In A Resource Guide to Asian American Literature, edited by Sau-long Cynthia Wong and Stephen H. Sumida. New York: Modern Language Association of America, 2001.
Morantte, P. C. Remembering Carlos Bulosan: His Heart Affair with America. Quezon City: New Day, 1984.
San Juan, E., Jr. Bulosan: An Introduction with Selections. Manila: National Book Store, 1983.
San Juan, E., Jr. Carlos Bulosan and the Imagination of the Class Struggle. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press, 1972.