Patron Saints Of Nothing Research Paper

Jaidyn Seitzer Mrs. Stuart Honors World Literature 17 September, 2024 Rough Draft of PSON Essay The feeling of guilt is a sense of responsibility for a negative outcome. Randy Ribay's novel, Patron Saints of Nothing, follows a young Filipino-American boy named Jay as he searches for his true identity and uncovers the truth about his cousin, Jun’s, life leading up to his death. Jay Reguero, a Michigan high school senior, has recently been accepted to the University of Michigan but is unsure of his future plans because he does not know what he wants to pursue in college. Soon after Jay is accepted, his father informs him that his Filipino cousin, Jun, has died. However, Jay's father will not say how, and tells him there will be no funeral. Jay

As he learns more about President Duterte's drug war and how police officers are killing innocent people for money, he becomes more interested in Filipinos' lives. After conducting research, Jay concludes that, “No matter the source, most follow the same flow: They describe the drug and corruption problems, Duterte’s solution, and the mounting body count. Few include victims’ full names. Most suggest that these killings are crimes against humanity, including a note about the international community's condemnation - but inaction” (Ribay 30). This quote demonstrates Jay’s true interest in the drug war and how even though he went to different sources, all of them stated the same ideas. After researching about the drug war, Jay goes to the Philippines hoping to achieve change for not only his cousin but for other Filipinos. Due to this research, he begins to form a greater sense of obligation to the Filipino people and his culture. The death of Jun causes the feeling of guilt in Jay because he feels somewhat responsible for Jun running away, which lead to his

As Jay learns more about the struggles the Philippines is facing, as a result of his guilt relating to his cousin’s death, his obligation to the Filipino community grows. He gains a need to protect others from the effects of the drug war so that they do not meet the same fate that his cousin did. Jay’s growing obligation to the people of his culture is an example of how guilt can drive people to curiosity, resulting in feeling a sense of obligation to people whom you did not feel that way before. As a result, Jay opens his universe of obligation to the Filipino people as he discovers more about their lives regarding the guilt he feels for never caring or understanding about their lives before. The feeling of guilt can lead to a desire to learn about how others live and how you can improve their lives, resulting in a sense of self-obligation to those to whom you previously felt no obligation to. Jay's guilt over his cousin Jun's death drove him to learn more about how Filipinos are dealing with the Duterte drug