The Woman in the Mirror: Imaging the Filipino Woman in Short Stories In
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The Woman in the Mirror: Imaging the Filipino Woman in Short Stories in English by Filipino Woman Authors [PP: 109-124] Veronico Nogales Tarrayo Department of English Faculty of Arts and Letters University of Santo Tomas The Philippines ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article History This paper attempted to draw the image of the Filipino woman as The paper received on: depicted by female protagonists in selected short stories in English 17/01/2015 (1925-1986) written by Filipino woman authors. Specifically, the Accepted after peer- paper aimed to answer the following questions: (1) How are female review on: protagonists depicted in the selected short stories written by Filipino 11/02/2015 woman authors? What are their virtues, vices, passions, and struggles?; Published on: 07/03/2015 and (2) What roles do these female protagonists play in the Philippine society? A virtue displayed by the most female characters is having a Keywords: sense of responsibility. Most of the woman characters are passionate in Filipino woman, Filipino preserving their relationship with their loved ones or keeping the peace woman authors, among the family members. The Filipino woman, in the short stories, feminism, short stories has projected varied images which could be categorized as martyr, social victim, homemaker, mother, and fighter. The Filipino woman is a product of her time and milieu – heterogeneous in looks, psyche, and roles in the society. Suggested Citation: Tarrayo, V.N. (2015). The woman in the mirror: Imaging the Filipino woman in short stories in English by Filipino woman authors. International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies, 3(1), 109- 124. Retrieved from http://www.eltsjournal.org International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies ISSN: 2308-5460 Volume: 03 Issue: 01 January-March, 2015 1. Introduction: The (Filipino) Woman liberated the woman who has been chained in Question to the kitchen sink for years. It sent her out Much has been written and said about of the home where she was a mere woman. A wide range of opinions and housewife and babysitter. Yes, she still varied reactions about the female of the attends to her domestic chores, but she now species has sprung from every border of has a career to balance her old society. She is man’s friend and foe, responsibilities. Many working mothers personifying calm and chaos. She is an idiot double as government officials, journalists, and a savant, a sinner and a saint (Cañares, social development workers, engineers, and 2005). Yes, she can be contradiction itself, the like. Nowadays, more and more women but there is no denying that her presence take on roles previously perceived for men cannot be ignored. only. The Asian women, according to People are classified in different ways, Francisca Fearon (1989), have now the yet the easiest and oldest way is to freedom to choose their own identities. categorize them into man or woman. Since Obstacles brought by the traditional and the time of Adam, man has enjoyed an closed culture still exist. In this respect, elevated position in the home, in the Fearon (1989) believes that “Asia still trails workplace, and in society while the woman behind the West in accepting women’s has been viewed as a mere housekeeper, equality and femininity as a respectable proud of her man’s success outside the combination” (p. 27). This seems true in home. The woman’s place is the home; the places like Iran, Singapore, Thailand, and man’s place is the board room. The woman China. is thought of as inferior to the man. She Iranian authorities claim that there is no exists “to gratify man, be part of his legal basis for sex discrimination in their conquest and enhance his manhood” country. All citizens have the right to work (Azarcon, 1988, p. 36). in any capacity and in any position. But This perception, elicited and imposed because of patriarchal norms and attitudes, by society, is now debunked by women who women are discouraged from working have become more assertive in articulating outside the home and discriminated against their demands for equality between the sexes when employed (Columbia University and respect for rights they are entitled to. School of Law, 1977). In Singapore, Women valorize themselves by women are regarded as inferior to men exploring their spectrum of values and because of traditional and patriarchal position they occupy in a largely patriarchal attitudes of its people. Thai women are society. The woman is not only a given opportunity to work side by side with domesticated partner of man but someone their men but are still expected to prepare who also carries the noble task of shaping the evening meal and to attend to the and improving humanity. She wants to be children’s needs. Chinese women are still recognized as an intellectual, capable of full tied to the home. To Eoyang (1994), participation in the society where she moves “Women in China have been long suffering; about. She is capable of carrying out they have literally borne the burden of the anything she puts her mind into. country’s patriarchal heritage” (p. 5). A great revolution has also taken place Like most Asian women, the Filipina in some Asian countries. This upheaval supplements and, in many cases, solely Cite this article as: Tarrayo, V.N. (2015). The woman in the mirror: Imaging the Filipino woman in short stories in English by Filipino woman authors. International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies, 3(1), 109-124. Retrieved from http://www.eltsjournal.org Page | 110 International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies ISSN: 2308-5460 Volume: 03 Issue: 01 January-March, 2015 provides for the family’s needs and yet, in However, in the Philippines, the image spite of her effort, she becomes an unwilling of the Filipino woman has evolved from victim of discrimination. Azarcon (1988) being a bearer of children to becoming the refers to her lot as “double day or dual life bearer of the earth’s fruit as she expands her which implies that housework and childcare activities beyond the household. Thus, man is [sic] a woman’s primary responsibility” has accepted her in the farm, in the office, (p. 20). and in the factory. Focusing on the Filipino The Filipina wife is supposed to enjoy women who play different roles in life’s equal footing with her husband. This was significant activities, Pura Santilllan true before the coming of the Spaniards Castrence (1977), in a speech delivered when she was considered her husband’s before the faculty and the graduate students companion, not his slave (Mananzan, 1997). of the Angeles State University, commented The Filipino woman of pre-Hispanic era that: was a chanter, a priestess, and a warrior. We have shown the Filipina in the sweeping Her predominant role was unquestioned. As scenes of her life as heroine in the story of priestess and healer, she performed ritual her country. We see her now, active in dances and songs during weddings and almost every field of endeavor, in agriculture, funerals. The coming of the Spaniards in industries both as worker and as administrator, in educational institutions, changed all these. The Filipino woman both as teacher and as head in offices, as became silent and docile, hovering over clerks and secretaries but also as managers in kitchen, church, and cradle. Women were hospitals, as doctors, nurses or attendants in treated as secondary citizens. Missionaries high government and in low government acknowledged their intelligence, positions, in foreign service, a chief or practicality, and sensuality; but that was all. helper. She is ubiquitous, and her Women were controlled by their husbands. everywhereness is taken for granted. True, Everything the wife did had to conform to she is still dissatisfied with the inequities the standard of the husband whom she caused by sex discrimination, but she is needed to gratify. In this regard, Mananzan taking these things in stride and continues (1997) rightly points out that “He also fighting for man-woman equality along with her other work. (pp. 16-17) exercised authority over her personal These women concerns are appearance; she should dress in accordance contemporary subject matters in fiction too. to her husband’s wishes” (p. 24). Therefore, this paper is an attempt to But the Filipina wants to revolutionize analyze how the image of the Filipino this negative perception ─ unwanted before woman is mirrored by female protagonists in birth and childhood, wanted as an adult for selected short stories in English (1925-1986) sex, unwanted again as an elderly. So she by Filipino woman authors. Specifically, fights for her own place under the sun. She the study is aimed to answer the following affirms that sex is not a determinant of a questions: (1) How are female protagonists person’s capacity and ability to serve the depicted in the selected short stories written people and to stand as an individual. by Filipino woman authors? What are their Espousing feminism, she wants to “struggle virtues, vices, passions, and struggles? and for equal rights at all levels in the present (2) What roles do these female protagonists socio-cultural system where man enjoys the play in the Philippine society? The dominant role.” (Muñoz, 1992, p. 27) Cite this article as: Tarrayo, V.N. (2015). The woman in the mirror: Imaging the Filipino woman in short stories in English by Filipino woman authors. International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies, 3(1), 109-124. Retrieved from http://www.eltsjournal.org Page | 111 International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies ISSN: 2308-5460 Volume: 03 Issue: 01 January-March, 2015 researcher attempted to take a look at the words and actions, as well as through what Filipino women, borrowing the female the other characters say about the writers’ gaze, to present a more authentic protagonist (Barnet, Burto, Cain, & Stubbs, image of themselves as it evolved through 2003).