Tong

I. Introduction

Tong is a story about the forbidden love story of a Filipino man and a Chinese woman. They
can't be together because of their culture differences.

II. Summary

Conrado Lopez fell deeply in love for the first time when he was thirty years old. It was one time
of those beautiful things destined to bleakness from the very beginning, Alice's family is against
their love story. He had an inkling that this was how it would be and all because Alice Tan is a
chinese, but they fight for their love. Because their love story is forbidden this story does'nt
have a happy ending.

III. Brief Background of the Author

Francisco Sionil Jose also known on his pen name as F. Sionil Jose. He has been called a
Philippine National Treasure. Was born on December 03, 1924 in Rosales, Pangasinan,
Philippines. He was introduced to literature in public school and later at the University of Sto.
Tomas. While working as a journalist in Manila, he moonlighted writing short stories and
eventually novels. In the late fifties Jose founded the Philippine branch of PEN, an international
organization of poets, playwrights, and novelists. In1965 he started his own publishing house
SOLIDARIDAD, and a year later he began publishing the remarkable Solidarity, a journal of
current affairs, ideas, and arts, still going strong today.

Jose wrote in English rather than in his national language Tagalog, or his native language
Illocano. In 1962 hepublished his first novel The Pretenders. Today his publications include
twelve novels, seven books of shortstories, a book of verse, and five important books of essays.
His works are available in 28 languages.

He has been awarded numerous fellowships and awards, most notable being the 1980 Ramon
Magsaysay Award forJournalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts, the most
prestigious award of its kind in Asia, andmost recently, and the 2004 Pablo Neruda Centennial
Award from Chile.

Jose lives and works in Manila where with his wife Teresita and a faithful staff he still runs the
SolidardadPublishing House and the Solidarity Bookstore, still considered the best little
bookstore in Asia. On occassion heleaves Manila for Japan, US, or Europe, where he finds the
peace to write or teach.Random House has recently published Three Filipino Women, and the
Rosales saga in three volumes: Sins, Dusk,and Don Vincente in North America. The last three are
in the Modern Library Editions.

In June of 2001, Jose was awarded the prestigious title of Philippine's National Artist for
Literature in an officialceremony at Malacañang.In March 2002's issue of the Discovery
magazine, Jose's book Ermita was rated as one of the top ten English-language novels set in
Southeast Asia, along side Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness," Graham Greene's "TheQuiet
American," James Clavell's "King Rat."and others.Frankie's latest novel Vibora! was published in
2008.

IV. Description

Shows the difference of the two cultures the Filipino culture and the Chinese culture. This is a
great story, it may have a sad ending but still we can learn many lessons. A story that shows that
if something is meant to happen it will happen.
V. Analysis

Tong is a Chinese word for “pambayad utang”, and in the short story, the Chinese woman was
the tong. Her, being the tong is also a factor of their forbidden love story, they cannot be
together because their fates does not match. Tong is a story that tells us to that in the world of
love, we cannot predict which and what our love stories can be. There are different endings for
every story, that even though you fight hard for it, if it’s not for you, it’s not for you. You cannot
get what you want no matter what. This story want to show us two different cultures. This story
wants to tell us we should be careful in love because as what people always say, “Love is the
most dangerous thing in the world.” It’s a story not only for lovers but for everyone at all age.
We can't say that in this present time this kind of love story doesn't exist because until now
there are still forbidden love stories not just because they are Chinese but also because of their
different cultures, beliefs, likes and traditions.