The Preying Birds by Amado V. Hernandez, Danton Remoto

Mando Plaridel is the lead character in this novel of social consciousness. His character combines the qualities found in Simoun and Ibarra, the two lead characters in national hero Jose Rizal’s novels: Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Ibarra is the passive character in Rizal’s novels, while Simoun is the active propagandist who wakes up the people from their centuries-old sleep under Spanish colonialism.

Mando starts out as Andoy, a houseboy in the house of the powerful Montero family. He works hard and gets himself a good education. After the war, society begins to know him as the brave editor of the Kampilan newspaper. He later becomes involved in the problems of the farmers with the abusive Monteros.

Told from an omniscient point of view, Hernandez is able to enter the consciousness of the wealthy characters. He shows how the ruling classes—the politicians, landowners, judges, deputies and the bishops—only protect their own interests, that is why they do not want to change the status quo.

Dr Sabio is the progressive president of a university founded by Mando, who used the treasure thrown into the sea at the end of Rizal’s novel to help improve society. The money is used to fund Freedom University and set up the brave newspaper Kampilan. The novel points to the cooperative system of land ownership as the way out for the landless poor. The novel implies that change can only begin when the eyes of society have finally been opened.