Interview with the barfly talking with Jose Y. Dalisay, Jr.

• Main Author: Cao, Jeffrey Ngo
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1996
• Subjects: Authors; Filipino; Dalisay; Jose Y > Interviews; Short stories; Philippine
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/1398
• Institution: De La Salle University

This thesis concerns the thematic concerns of Jose Y. Dalisay, Jr., as manifested in his book Penmanship and Other Stories. The study in particular why Dalisay gives prominent attention to the themes of defeat and loss in his fiction, and how that would help the reader better understand his stories. An interview was conducted with the author regarding these matters: According to him his stories of failure reflect his outlook that people sometimes just suffer defeat no matter what they do but despite such a view he also believes that his characters learn more of themselves as a result of their frustrations, in some cases improving themselves despite their setbacks. This sentiment extends to his readers, whom he hopes his fiction will reach out to in some manner, particularly in breaking through the indifference that is so prevalent in modern times, as shown in what happens to some of the protagonists in his stories.