Quote by Jessica Hagedorn: “We are all dogeaters, consuming and consumed, in the grand, absurd carnival of life.”

This quote uses a provocative metaphor to suggest that in the chaotic and often ruthless spectacle of life, everyone is both a consumer and consumed, highlighting the cyclical nature of power, survival, and absurdity within society and the human condition.

The title 'Dogeaters' was a derogatory term for Filipinos. Hagedorn reclaimed and subverted it, using it as a central metaphor in her novel to explore the survival, resilience, and brutal realities of life in the Philippines under dictatorship and neocolonialism.

Filipino-American novelist, poet, and performance artist, born in Manila in 1949 and based in New York City. Her debut novel Dogeaters, shortlisted for the National Book Award in 1990, is a vivid portrait of Manila under the Marcos dictatorship, blending pop culture, history, and literary experiment.