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Exploring Injustice in Crime Fiction

Aug 23, 2024

Smaller and Smaller Circles by Maria Felisa H. Batacan

Overview

  • Author: Maria Felisa H. Batacan
  • Genre: Crime novel
  • Publication Date: Originally published in 1996
  • Significance: Considered one of the first Filipino crime novels

Plot Summary

  • Main Characters:
    • Father Gus Saenz: Forensic anthropologist, tall and wiry, teaches at a university.
    • Father Jerome Lucero: Clinical psychologist, compact and solidly built, younger than Saenz.
  • Setting: Manila's impoverished Payatas slum.
  • Premise: Two priests investigate the murders of young boys, who have been mutilated.

Awards

  • Carlos Palanca Grand Prize for English Novel (1999)
  • Manila Critics Circle National Book Award (2002)
  • Madrigal Gonzalez Best First Book Award (2003)

Themes

  • Social Commentary:
    • Addresses injustice and inequality in the Philippines.
    • Critiques bureaucracy, poverty, police corruption, the Catholic Church, and media indifference.
  • Author's Perspective:
    • Initially written out of anger about the state of the country.
    • Revised in 2013, expressing increased frustration over worsening conditions.

Narrative Style

  • Perspective: Primarily third-person omniscient, with interjections from the killer in first-person.

Key Events

  1. Opening Scene:

    • Father Emil discovers a boy's body in a landfill, face peeled, heart removed, genitals taken.
    • This is the sixth boy found murdered in such a manner.
  2. Investigation Dynamics:

    • Father Saenz performs autopsy, deducing the murder methods.
    • The investigation is complicated by police incompetence and corruption.
    • National Bureau of Investigation: Elderly director Lastimosa acknowledges the serial killer's presence and enlists Saenz.
  3. Media and Corruption:

    • Investigative reporter Joanna Bonifacio aids the priests by retrieving information from officials.
    • Recognition that life is deemed cheap in the community.
  4. Child Abuse and the Church:

    • Father Saenz is aware of a pedophile priest, Father Ramirez, who is protected despite his crimes.
    • The narrative exposes how the church overlooks serious issues for convenience.
  5. Suspect Identification:

    • A mobile dental clinic in the community becomes a focal point of the investigation.
    • Dr. Alex Carlos identified as a suspect due to the similarity of murder weapon marks on the victims.
  6. Climactic Confrontation:

    • Saenz confronts Carlos, who is struggling with his past trauma.
    • A police chase leads to a violent conclusion where Carlos is shot after attacking Saenz.
  7. Aftermath:

    • Saenz recovers in the hospital, learns about Father Ramirez's corruption.
    • Saenz and Jerome visit Carlos's grave, reflecting on redemption and despair.

Author's Reflections

  • Batacan's acknowledgments reveal a deep emotional investment in the themes of the book, highlighting her reactions to societal issues over time.