The Grotesque in David Hontiveros’ Craving

Date of Award

8-2020

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Literature ( Filipino) Thesis Option

Department

English

First Advisor

Mr. Danilo Francisco M. Reyes

Abstract

It is has been strongly observable in societies2irrespective of temporal and spatial placement of people and cultures throughout human history2instances when acts or beliefs not agreed upon are marginalized or Othered. These acts or beliefs are materialized in societies by agents2individual and social. There are instances when the degree of deviance, the moving away from the norm, are too small that the deviant is punished, but nevertheless, still tolerated in the sense that they are not discriminated against too strongly. Chance for societal integration is afforded to the deviant. One good example is lying. There are also instances when the deviance is too strong that the only response it provokes is being casted out by society. A good example of this is massacre or genocide. While these instances are easy to determine, there are also instances when the composition of the deviant2the combination of its parts2does not make it an easy subject for recognition or derision. This study proposes that these instances can be understood in the phenomenon of alternation known as the Grotesque David Hontiveros' Craving. While generally the grotesque is not the norm, it can be observed that it is embodied in the different aspects of human society and culture such as in clothing, food, and even in regular everyday behavior. This study proposes the notion of the corporeal grotesque and grotesque sensibility to be the two main manifestations of this phenomenon. This study also offers insights into the theoretical assumptions and pragmatic process of the grotesque's placement in the individual and societal consciousness. These assertions are understood to provide valuable perspective in understanding the grotesque and the broader field which is Othering.

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