SUMMARY OF THE STORY
"The God Stealer" by F. Sionil Jose is about cultural identity, the gap between tradition and modernity,
and the cost of severing ties of one’s roots.
Philip "Ip-pig" Latak, is an Ifugao who has fully embraced a modern lifestyle in Manila where he met his
American friend, Sam Cristie, who is fascinated by native cultures.
Aside from being friends, they are also officemates. Philip is the assistant of Sam to be exact. Sam is a
collector of cultural heritages. It is December and in just a matter of days, Sam would return to Boston
to have a vacation but before that, he wants to take home a souvenir.
Sam persuades his assistant Philip to accompany him to his hometown in the Cordilleras, hoping to
acquire an Ifugao hod figurine or with Philip's help, who seems to detach himself from his tribe,
reluctantly agrees. He treated the trip as nothing more than a favor to a friend-who the reason of his
raised salary- rather than a return to his homeland.
Throughout the journey, it is evident that Philip is not happy nor excited in going home. Whenever Sam
inquires about his Ifugao roots, Philip was reluctant to answer him further. He is particularly
embarrassed whenever Sam asks about his grandfather, a village doctor who still clings on their
traditional beliefs. Philip speaks about his grandfather rudely, like he was just an ordinary old man who
do stupid things, ashamed of the traditions that his grandfather represents.
Being an Ifugao, Philip sees it as a burden. He has work hard to blend into Manila’s urban culture which
costs a gap to his own culture. He sees himself as a modern, educated, and free from being an ignorant
native who still believes in his tribe’s traditions. His reluctance to talk about his roots reveals a deep
internal conflict—he focused on how to be accepted in the modern world, but in doing so, he has
thrown a half of him.
When they arrive, Philip and Sam are welcome by Sadek, brother of Ip-pig. His relationship to his
brother is not that good since he went to manila. After an awkward conversation with his brother, Ip-pig
together with Sam went to his grandfather who is overjoyed at his return. The Old man does not
question Philip’s changes but instead welcomes him with open arms, clinging to the hope that Philip still
carries a piece of their heritage within him. But it did not last long after he asked where they sell idol.
Upon mentioning "American", the elder was enraged and Philip has no choice but to leave. Leaving
them no choice, they went to different villages to look for an idol. Unfortunately, there was none.
The night where a feast is made for Philip, the old man used an idol as part of the ritual. It was seen by
Sam and Philip's two naked eye. Sam is eager to acquire an idol, but he learned from Reverend Doone
that the figures are not for sale. The Ifugaos regard them as sacred, believing that they are the center of
everything. To them, these figures are more than just carvings—they are part of their spiritual and
cultural identity.
However, Sam does not understand or respect this belief. He only sees the Idol as a unique artifact,
something he can take back to America as a souvenir. Hearing those things, Sam's desire was fueled
when he learned the value of the statue. That night, in an attempt to please Sam—who had helped him
gain a salary increase—Philip sneaks into his grandfather’s hut and steals the sacred Idol when everyone
was busy with the celebration.
The next morning, the old man died-when he learned about the idol being stolen-full of hatred and grief
in the arms of Philip. The news reached Sam so he prepared to leave together with Philip and bring the
idol with them.
However, when Sam went to the hut of Philip's grandfather to convince him, Philip refuses to leave with
him. The death of his grandfather awakened him from his stupidity. Sam is urging him to leave but
Philip decides to stay behind, choosing to mourn for his grandfather and trying to replace the idol that
he had stolen. Perhaps, trying to feed his guilt that is slowly eating him.
