Busabos ng Palad

Largely influenced by the celebrated French novel Camille by Alexander Dumas in its use of the motif of "the prostitute with the golden heart", Busabos ng Palad is only one of the numerous Tagalog novels that took up the cudgels for the "fallen woman." Yet, it is probably the most powerful indictment of institutions that demonize this type of woman. The novel revolves around Celso, a writer, who saves a woman working in one of Manila's brothels by paying off her debt.. Rita, the prostitute, turns out to be his sweetheart who mysteriously disappeared two years ago. Hers was a tale of betrayal, systematic sexual exploitation and abject humiliation by hypocritical society. Spurned by his parents and friends, Celso chooses to live with Rita. But this togetherness is short-lived. Rita gets sick and while a priest tries to minister to the dying woman, she releases her anger and accuses society of cruelty and injustice. After Rita dies, Celso loses his mind and is confined to an asylum.