Voice Tape Reflective Essay

Scherenee Reign Cuyos August 9, 2017

12 D Ms. Fatima S. Guarino

Voice Tape

The short story Voice Tape by Ariel S. Tabag illustrates the story about a young guy
named Dante who is still curious and looking for the reasons behind the death of his Uncle Ato.
It shows that certain events can change people, while Dante was looking for his best in math
certification he saw another thing which is the voice tape with a written mark, “4 my one
and onli lab ATO” that got him reminisce about the accident where Uncle Ato was hit by a bus
but there are lots of rumors that spread in the community saying that Uncle Ato didn’t just get hit
by a bus, he really did jump off in front of it, other people say that it was a suicidal act.
The problems that occurred in the story Voice Tape could be related to the Sociological
Perspective which is Conflict Theory, this is a theory propounded by Karl Marx, this has been
used to explain a range of social phenomena, including wars and revolutions, wealth and
poverty, discrimination and domestic violence (Investopedia, 2017). The Conflict Theory would
be the opted theory for the short story voice tape because, in this study, it states that change is
inevitable, often beneficial, and can be violent; it can also seem to make the notion of conflict
seem like a bad thing. One example that can be related to the Conflict Theory is when
Magdalena, who is the wife of Uncle Ato decided to go abroad to be an Overseas Filipino
Worker (OFW) with an unidentified work because of financial problems that they are
encountering. Being an OFW is believed as something that could bring the family to get back up
again from poverty because they are thinking that there are lots of opportunities that are waiting
for them in other countries that could offer the needs of their family who is staying in the
Philippines. The change was advantageous for Uncle Ato’s family because it will be a lot easier
for them to have money but it turned out into disruptive when Uncle Ato heard the message
behind the voice tape that states that his wife was being maltreated by her boss, and that’s the
reason why he started losing his hope that someday they will ever get back together.
Another Sociological Perspective that could be related to the short story Voice Tape
would be the propounded theory of Max Weber which is the Symbolic Interactionism, this is an
interaction between individuals is negotiated through shared symbols, gestures, and non-verbal
communications. This theory also analyzes society by addressing the subjective meanings that
people impose on objects, events, and behaviors. (Crossman, 2017). One example is the voice
tape that was found by Dante, inside it there was a hidden message that came from his wife for
his husband, Uncle Ato and this served as an instrument. Second example is the scene where
Uncle Ato asked Dante’s help in writing a letter for his wife just to show his love and concern.
Using the voice tape and giving or sending handwritten letters are one of the famous form of
communication in the Philippines before messenger or any communication application was
discovered. Third example is the way Uncle Ato act when he heard the message behind the voice
tape it changed him and then the depression ate him alive.
On the other hand, some of the Filipino culture were found and presented in the short
story voice tape such as the togetherness or being family-oriented, in the story Dante was living
with his Nanang and other relatives. The saying of po, opo and ho when talking to older people.
Even if it is marked as fiction, some of the events in the short story Voice Tape can also be seen
in real life which makes it non-fiction also just like being an Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW)
in order to provide money for everyday life and when it comes to loving someone and writing
letters or recording voice messages while they are far away from each other. The Filipino beliefs
were also portrayed, just like in the scenes at the wake of Uncle Ato, whether the belief is true or
not the practices are still being followed by Filipinos such as the prohibition of sweeping floors
because the person who will do sweep it will have lice, which was in the story was proven by
Dante when he swept the floor, the day after that he had lice and removing the head of the
chicken so there will be no other family member that will follow the dead.
Overall, the insight that I got from this story is that even if we have problems, we can
always ask for help and guidance. It also made me appreciate my family even more because at
the end of the day, even if we had a lot of misunderstanding and conflicts, they’re still and going
to be your family. Although the story would have had a good ending if Uncle Ato only speak up
for what he feels, maybe Dante, Nanang and others have help him. I don’t really get why people
think suicide would be the answer for every bad thing that is happening to them but maybe
there’s a really big reason why, but I think the answer for it is really communication. I also
realized that there are lots of different sides in every story (Evans, n.d.) and it’s really hard to
know which to pick because sometimes, getting all the facts isn’t that easy.
References:
Crossman, A. (2017, August 7). Learn About Symbolic Interactionism. Retrieved from
https://www.thoughtco.com/symbolic-interaction-theory-3026633
Investopedia. (2017). Conflict Theory Definition | Investopedia. Retrieved from
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/conflict-theory.asp
Tabag, A. S. (2012, July 13). asseng: Voice Tape. Retrieved from
http://assengtabag.blogspot.com/2012/07/voice-tape.html

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Scherenee Reign Cuyos August 9, 2017

12 D Ms. Fatima S. Guarino

Magdalena, who is the wife of Uncle Ato decided to go abroad to be an Overseas Filipino

communication in the Philippines before messenger or any communication application was

Investopedia. (2017). Conflict Theory Definition | Investopedia. Retrieved from

Tabag, A. S. (2012, July 13). asseng: Voice Tape. Retrieved from

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