Feminist approach defines the revelation of a woman's real desires and struggles in the society. The word "virgin" that the author talked about in the short story refers to those who are, of course, pure and unstained. We all know that virginity, society wise, is really important. It is a woman's way to achieve respect and dignity so she really has to keep it until she gets married, like what Miss Mijares did. She wasn't able to express herself, her emotions to males to shield her virginity/dignity. The story showed the struggles of Miss Mijares of this "scoial dictate" that hindered her in finding her identity as a person and as a woman.
Finishing college, sending her niece to school, and taking care of her mother. This is where Miss Mijares had spent her life. This role was dictated by the society and perhaps by her own family.She was shaped to to be a woman for other people and not a woman for her own self.
Moreover, the author showed the inner struggle of a woman in the story. Miss Mijares struggled to stick to the societal expectations of a woman and to hide her own self. She was lost because she cannot be her own self and has to be a woman that the society dictates her to be.
In the society, women are the ones responsible in taking care of the people in the family. This was the case of the main character, she did all the responsibilities that she had forgotten her self, her own life. She can be characterized as an old maid-- still haven't touched a man at an old age. Despite her being a responsible daughter, she also wished to be loved by others especially by a man. But her duties hindered her in fulfilling those dreams.
A scenario in the story that showed Miss Mijares' romantic feelings towards the carpenter is when she felt angry after knowing that the carpenter has a son. She thought he was married, but was relieved knowing that he is not. It showed that she is affected, emotionally, by the revelations of the carpenter. The rain ad the weather can be a metaphor to the main character's feeling to prove her hidden emotions towards the man.
Elaine Showalter argued that literary subcultures all go through three major phases of development. For literature by, or about women, she labeled these stages the Feminine, the Feminist and the Female. These three stages can be found in Miss Mijares' life in the story.
The Feminine involves "imitation" of the prevailing modes of dominant traditon and internalization of it's standards. Miss Mijares ha gone through this, at the beginning where she allowed the dictates of the society to rule her life. As the story evolves, the main character also evolved from being feminine to feminist.
The Feminist stage involves protest against the standards and values and advocacy of minority rights. Miss Mijares didn't protest explicitly or politically but there is an inner protest within her-- the inner protest to go beyond what is expected to her. Now she is torn between the dictate of the society and her own self.
The last stage which is the Female stage is a phase of self-discovery, a turning inwards freed from some of the dependency of opposition, a search for identity. The last paragraph showed that she has gone through the protesting stage and is now able to express her self, her feelings, and desires. It showed that she has overcame her struggles in the dictates of the society. It showed that she is not capable of going beyond her self as she is ready to surrender her virginity. Virginity indeed is dignity but it is a part of a woman's existence to have a man to consume that long-preserved virginity.
Reference:
http://pinoylit.blogspot.com/2005/03/virgin-by-kerima-polotan-tuvera.html
Finishing college, sending her niece to school, and taking care of her mother. This is where Miss Mijares had spent her life. This role was dictated by the society and perhaps by her own family.She was shaped to to be a woman for other people and not a woman for her own self.
Moreover, the author showed the inner struggle of a woman in the story. Miss Mijares struggled to stick to the societal expectations of a woman and to hide her own self. She was lost because she cannot be her own self and has to be a woman that the society dictates her to be.
In the society, women are the ones responsible in taking care of the people in the family. This was the case of the main character, she did all the responsibilities that she had forgotten her self, her own life. She can be characterized as an old maid-- still haven't touched a man at an old age. Despite her being a responsible daughter, she also wished to be loved by others especially by a man. But her duties hindered her in fulfilling those dreams.
A scenario in the story that showed Miss Mijares' romantic feelings towards the carpenter is when she felt angry after knowing that the carpenter has a son. She thought he was married, but was relieved knowing that he is not. It showed that she is affected, emotionally, by the revelations of the carpenter. The rain ad the weather can be a metaphor to the main character's feeling to prove her hidden emotions towards the man.
Elaine Showalter argued that literary subcultures all go through three major phases of development. For literature by, or about women, she labeled these stages the Feminine, the Feminist and the Female. These three stages can be found in Miss Mijares' life in the story.
The Feminine involves "imitation" of the prevailing modes of dominant traditon and internalization of it's standards. Miss Mijares ha gone through this, at the beginning where she allowed the dictates of the society to rule her life. As the story evolves, the main character also evolved from being feminine to feminist.
The Feminist stage involves protest against the standards and values and advocacy of minority rights. Miss Mijares didn't protest explicitly or politically but there is an inner protest within her-- the inner protest to go beyond what is expected to her. Now she is torn between the dictate of the society and her own self.
The last stage which is the Female stage is a phase of self-discovery, a turning inwards freed from some of the dependency of opposition, a search for identity. The last paragraph showed that she has gone through the protesting stage and is now able to express her self, her feelings, and desires. It showed that she has overcame her struggles in the dictates of the society. It showed that she is not capable of going beyond her self as she is ready to surrender her virginity. Virginity indeed is dignity but it is a part of a woman's existence to have a man to consume that long-preserved virginity.
Reference:
http://pinoylit.blogspot.com/2005/03/virgin-by-kerima-polotan-tuvera.html
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