Women Are Better Seen, Not Heard!

Women are better seen, not heard, as the adage says. The mere fact that there are complex and tabooed issues that are already existent in the early 1940s; it only proved that the women are asking for justice and equality, but sadly, there’s no one listening to them. Aside from the word of mouth, the authors during this time believed that there is no other way to narrate the most sensual and critical, but the most interesting stories about women and children alike, if they didn’t used their literary knowledge.

Based on the text, “The Virgin”, women are described as a powerful weakling. In all fairness, Miss Mijares is a figure of Filipina who is striving hard for her family and relatives, especially herself. But she unknowingly had a little time for love, like she ever wanted back when her mother was alive. Come to think of it, Filipinas that time are very conservative, and lo and behold, but not a girl like her! Miss Mijares is really in a rush to be in love! She even pretends to be kissed by someone where in fact, it is her fingers that touch her lips. In this case, it only shows that Miss Mijares wants someone beside her as she lay down asleep. In short, the text is not fit to be entitled “The Virgin”, because, the main character is already “womanized” in the denouement.

Meanwhile, as I read the text Magnificence, it reminds me of my very best friend who experienced the same as the child’s experience, the only difference is, the time frame. My friend experienced it only a year ago. She’s doing fine; in fact, she is studying hard in school. But since she is lacking (in terms of her social life, meaning, she doesn’t have much friends), she hoped that her efforts will be appreciated and besides, she wants to fulfill her dreams as a writer as well.

It is very obvious that at first, a man whom she had an affair with that time put her on a pedestal. In fact, he offered help when she had her application with me here in Benilde, (obviously, he wants something more in return). It shows that he seems that he really wanted to help, but in the end, it is my friend who suffered the most, after she became aware that the guy is getting hitched with his real girlfriend this coming December.

Going back to the text, the younger child, however, (as an application of the tenets of feminism), is also put on a pedestal. She was given three pencils, and was promised (by Vicente) to be given pencils as he comes back. Besides, he offered to teach her and her brother of what he has learned.

I was also become aware of the word “catharsis”, that very part of the two female characters which they have to let go. The mother of the child had a great influence over these catharses. As a provider and counselor, they did these big roles by adjusting themselves to the level of their child’s.

In the text The Wedding Dance, it’s not fit for Awiyao to wed Madulimay, even if he and his true wife Lumnay cannot bear a son (and that’s specific, huh!). Although in fact, it is an order to have a progeny, especially a son, it already underestimated the capacity of Lumnay. The true wife can bear a son, but not Awiyao. It doesn’t make sense that Awiyao wed another woman if he is aware that he himself cannot bear a child, especially, a son.

Women, women, and more women. There are injustices unveiled with the existence of the literary texts about them like the ones that we have read as we go over our PHILIEN class. There are surely many stories to tell, and we might never know, there would be more women who may experience those injustices, we never can tell! I hope that women like me would overcome these issues and injustices that life would offer, so that no one would ever be harmed in the next generation. As we tackle the literary trends, histories and criticisms and apply it to the literary texts that are included in the syllabi, we hope to have learned the lessons that it share to us.

Magnificence, The Wedding Dance, The Virgin. Three stories that include women. Three stories that include women and the injustices about them. Through literature, we find ways on how to solve the inequality that life can bring!