REPLICATING HUMAN STRUGGLES THROUGH LITERATURE: A STRUCTURALIST DECONSTRUCTION OF COGNITIVE WRITING PROCESSES IN NOVELETTE WHERE THE GALE SHALL WEEP

This paper explores the principle of mimesis, the imitation or representation of reality in literature, through a novelette that captures farmers' narratives after a traumatic super typhoon wrecked parts of the Philippines in December 16, 2021. The study analyzes farmers' emotional, mental, and communal tribulations based on one-on-one, in-depth interviews with eight participants from affected communities. Using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis, key themes of loss, financial instability, and psychological distress emerged. The findings unveil extensive damage to the land, leading to sustenance shortages, economic hardship, and long-term psychological trauma. Drawing on the Cognitive Process Theory of Writing and Structuralism in constructing the creative work, this study further illustrates how Where the Gale Shall Weep functions as a mimetic piece that not only echoes the conceded findings but correspondingly employs symbolic representations to enrich the emotive and social influence of the narrative. Moreover, by probing the establishment of these frameworks in the writing process of the novelette, the paper exemplifies how structural elements, symbolic figures, and cultural tropes convey the farmers' backgrounds and broader socio-political implications. It asserts that mimesis, in this context, functions as a transformative agency for social commentary, allowing readers to confront the realities of marginalized communities while cultivating a cathartic response that harbors the power to catalyze social metamorphosis and deepen the understanding of people concerning disaster-affected populations.