Patron Saints of Nothing

Patron Saints of Nothing

by

Randy Ribay

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Jay’s Dad Character Analysis

Jay’s dad (Jay’s mom’s husband) is the brother of Tito Maning, Tita Chato, and Tito Danilo and the father of Jay, Emily, and Chris. He and his wife left the Philippines when Jay was one, and he now works as a NICU nurse in Michigan. Jay’s dad spearheaded the family’s move from the Philippines, which caused a rift in his relationship with Tito Maning. Tito Maning believes that Jay’s dad doesn’t raise his children with enough awareness of their heritage. For instance, Jay doesn’t speak the Filipino language of Tagalog and knows very little about his home country. Jay and his father also have a strained relationship, both because Jay’s dad is naturally quiet and reserved and because he doesn’t want Jay to fixate on the Philippines. He avoids speaking with Jay about Jun’s death, which angers Jay. However, Jay opens up to his dad at the end of the novel, hoping to rebuild their relationship so that they don’t end up estranged (the way Jun was with Tito Maning before Jun’s death). In turn, Jay’s dad learns to listen to his son.

Jay’s Dad Quotes in Patron Saints of Nothing

The Patron Saints of Nothing quotes below are all either spoken by Jay’s Dad or refer to Jay’s Dad. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Truth, Adolescence, and Justice Theme Icon
).
An Improvement to Society Quotes

She takes a deep breath. “Jay, it's easy for us to pass judgment. But we don't live there anymore, so we can't grasp the extent to which drugs have affected the country.”

[…]

“So I'm not allowed to have an opinion? To say it's wrong or inhumane?”

[…]

“That's not what I'm saying, Jay.”

“What are you saying?”

“That you need to make sure that opinion is an informed one.”

There's obviously no way to argue that point without sounding like an idiot, but knowing that doesn't dissolve my newfound anger. “So what's your informed opinion?”

“That it's not my place to say what's right or wrong in a country that's not mine.”

“But you lived there. You're married to a Filipino. You have Filipino children.”

“Filipino American children,” she corrects. “And it's not the same.”

Related Characters: Jay Reguero (speaker), Jay’s Mom (speaker), Jay’s Dad
Page Number: 25-26
Explanation and Analysis:
Things Inside Quotes

“It's easy to romanticize a place when it's far away […] Filipino Americans have a tendency to do that. Even me. Sometimes I miss it so much. The beaches. The water. The rice paddies. The carabao. The food. Most of all, my family.” He closes his eyes, and I wonder if he's imagining himself there right now. After a few moments, he opens them again, but he stares at his hands. “But as many good things as there are, there are many bad things, things not so easy to see from far away. When you are close, though, they are sometimes all you see.”

Related Characters: Jay’s Dad (speaker), Jay Reguero
Page Number: 53-54
Explanation and Analysis:
Every Single Surviving Word Quotes

He sighs. “It is a shame. When your kuya was first starting to speak, I said to your tatay, ‘You must teach him Tagalog and Bikol,’ and do you know what your tatay said to me?”

“No,” I respond, not wanting to know.

“‘The boy does not need to be confused,’” he says in a feminine, mock-American accent meant to imitate my dad. “‘Christian will be going to America, so he needs only good English.’” He lets out a sarcastic laugh. “And what is the result? None of his children knows their mother tongue. And if you do not know your mother tongue, you cannot know your mother. And if you do not know your mother, you do not understand who you are.”

Related Characters: Jay Reguero (speaker), Tito Maning (speaker), Jay’s Dad, Chris
Page Number: 95-96
Explanation and Analysis:
Let’s Do It Quotes

She shakes her head. “I think it's good that you finally talked to him about your cousin. I think you were brave.”

I drop my eyes to the edge of the table. That's not the word I'd use to describe how I felt during that conversation. It's not the word I'd use to describe how I feel when I think about the calls and texts from Dad, still unanswered. “Don't you think it's sometimes better not to say anything, not to dredge up those feelings for no reason?”

“No,” she answers immediately. “If you have something to say, you should say it. If you are to figure things out, you can't hide from them. Silence will not save you.”

Related Characters: Jay Reguero (speaker), Mia (speaker), Tito Maning, Jay’s Dad
Page Number: 186
Explanation and Analysis:
Patron Saints of Nothing Quotes

But I keep talking because I'm determined to resist falling into the same pattern as always. This is my life, and I want my family to understand it in a way none of us truly understood Jun's. If we are to be more than what we have been, there's so much that we need to say. Salvation through honesty, I guess.

[…]

We are not doomed to suffer things as they are, silent and alone. We do not have to leave questions and letters and lives unanswered. We have more power and potential than we know if we would only speak, if we would only listen.

Related Characters: Jay Reguero (speaker), Jay’s Dad
Related Symbols: The Letters
Page Number: 317-318
Explanation and Analysis:
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Patron Saints of Nothing PDF

Jay’s Dad Quotes in Patron Saints of Nothing

The Patron Saints of Nothing quotes below are all either spoken by Jay’s Dad or refer to Jay’s Dad. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Truth, Adolescence, and Justice Theme Icon
).
An Improvement to Society Quotes

She takes a deep breath. “Jay, it's easy for us to pass judgment. But we don't live there anymore, so we can't grasp the extent to which drugs have affected the country.”

[…]

“So I'm not allowed to have an opinion? To say it's wrong or inhumane?”

[…]

“That's not what I'm saying, Jay.”

“What are you saying?”

“That you need to make sure that opinion is an informed one.”

There's obviously no way to argue that point without sounding like an idiot, but knowing that doesn't dissolve my newfound anger. “So what's your informed opinion?”

“That it's not my place to say what's right or wrong in a country that's not mine.”

“But you lived there. You're married to a Filipino. You have Filipino children.”

“Filipino American children,” she corrects. “And it's not the same.”

Related Characters: Jay Reguero (speaker), Jay’s Mom (speaker), Jay’s Dad
Page Number: 25-26
Explanation and Analysis:
Things Inside Quotes

“It's easy to romanticize a place when it's far away […] Filipino Americans have a tendency to do that. Even me. Sometimes I miss it so much. The beaches. The water. The rice paddies. The carabao. The food. Most of all, my family.” He closes his eyes, and I wonder if he's imagining himself there right now. After a few moments, he opens them again, but he stares at his hands. “But as many good things as there are, there are many bad things, things not so easy to see from far away. When you are close, though, they are sometimes all you see.”

Related Characters: Jay’s Dad (speaker), Jay Reguero
Page Number: 53-54
Explanation and Analysis:
Every Single Surviving Word Quotes

He sighs. “It is a shame. When your kuya was first starting to speak, I said to your tatay, ‘You must teach him Tagalog and Bikol,’ and do you know what your tatay said to me?”

“No,” I respond, not wanting to know.

“‘The boy does not need to be confused,’” he says in a feminine, mock-American accent meant to imitate my dad. “‘Christian will be going to America, so he needs only good English.’” He lets out a sarcastic laugh. “And what is the result? None of his children knows their mother tongue. And if you do not know your mother tongue, you cannot know your mother. And if you do not know your mother, you do not understand who you are.”

Related Characters: Jay Reguero (speaker), Tito Maning (speaker), Jay’s Dad, Chris
Page Number: 95-96
Explanation and Analysis:
Let’s Do It Quotes

She shakes her head. “I think it's good that you finally talked to him about your cousin. I think you were brave.”

I drop my eyes to the edge of the table. That's not the word I'd use to describe how I felt during that conversation. It's not the word I'd use to describe how I feel when I think about the calls and texts from Dad, still unanswered. “Don't you think it's sometimes better not to say anything, not to dredge up those feelings for no reason?”

“No,” she answers immediately. “If you have something to say, you should say it. If you are to figure things out, you can't hide from them. Silence will not save you.”

Related Characters: Jay Reguero (speaker), Mia (speaker), Tito Maning, Jay’s Dad
Page Number: 186
Explanation and Analysis:
Patron Saints of Nothing Quotes

But I keep talking because I'm determined to resist falling into the same pattern as always. This is my life, and I want my family to understand it in a way none of us truly understood Jun's. If we are to be more than what we have been, there's so much that we need to say. Salvation through honesty, I guess.

[…]

We are not doomed to suffer things as they are, silent and alone. We do not have to leave questions and letters and lives unanswered. We have more power and potential than we know if we would only speak, if we would only listen.

Related Characters: Jay Reguero (speaker), Jay’s Dad
Related Symbols: The Letters
Page Number: 317-318
Explanation and Analysis: