THE EMPOWERED WOMEN
A Feminist Reading
Introduction:
Feminism studies and advocates the rights of women. It aims to
understand the nature of gender
inequality, and examines women's social roles
and lived experiences as reflected by literature. According to Judith Fetterley (1978), "Feminist criticism is
a political act whose aim is not simply to interpret the world but to change it
by changing the consciousness of those who read and their relation to what they
read." Thus, Kolondy (1982) explains, “What unites and repeatedly invigorates feminist literary criticism... is
neither dogma nor method but an acute and impassioned attentiveness to the ways
in which primarily male structures of power are inscribed (or encoded) within
our literary inheritance: the consequences of that encoding for women - as
characters, as readers, and as writers; and, with that, a shared analytic
concern for the implications of that encoding not only for a better understanding
of the past but also for an improved reordering of the present and future.”
Feminist theory in literature analyzes a text in terms of how women
have been portrayed in literature. It
examines the political, social and economic subjugation of women in society. It
looks at how the characters, the dialogue, the events and resolution of a piece
of literature can serve to either reinforce or challenge stereotypical
representations of women such as being weak—emotionally, mentally,
intellectually, physically, etc; that women should always obey and submit to
men; that they are the ones who should be protected by men because of their
incapacity to do so; that women are bound to be mothers and wives, whereas such
roles have their own stereotypes; that women are subordinates of men, and so
on.
This paper attempts to challenge these stereotypical representations
of women. It deals with the strengths of women as presented in the drama,
“Wanted: A Chaperon” by the Philippine National Artist for Literature, Wilfrido
Ma. Guerrero. It highlights the ideal image of women which feminists are advocating.
This paper also exposes the readers to the capabilities and potentials of
women, equality of gender, and the flaws and weaknesses of the male gender,
which is not commonly manifested by man’s literature—being masculinist in
nature. Thus, according to Judith Fetterley (1978), “Until we can understand
the assumptions in which we are drenched, we cannot know ourselves. And this
drive to self-knowledge, for woman, is more than a search for identity: it is part of her refusal of the
self-destructiveness of male-dominated society.”
Analysis:
“Wanted: A
Chaperon” is a satiric drama about a rich Filipino family whose father, Don
Francisco, is enforcing a conservative image among his wife, Doña Petra, and
children, Roberting and Nena. It presents the family’s quest in search for a
better muchacho which leads to the
search for chaperons who will look after the children, as a result of the
disputes created by the sudden arrival of Doña Dolores and her son, Fred, in
the family’s house, in addition to the mischievous issues created by Francisco,
the muchaho and Pablo, the mayordomo.
According to Fetterly in the book The Resisting Reader (1978), women’s image is “…the consequence of
the patriarchal predication that to be human is to be male.” She also mentioned,
“Feminism is a political act whose aim is not simply to interpret the world but
to change it by changing the consciousness of those who read and their relation
to what they read.” Notably, “Wanted: A Chaperon” presented negative attributes
of men which are not usually highlighted in many literary works. One of these
is being inconsistent, which is usually attributed to the female gender. The
following dialogue manifests male inconsistency:
FRANCISCO. Aba
Such authority manifested by the way the father speaks,
characterized the patriarchal system which is one of the factors being opposed
by Feminists. According to Millett (1969) “…the principles of patriarchy appear
to be two fold: male shall dominate female, elder male shall dominate younger.”
These are both manifested in the story through the character of Don Francisco
who imposes his authority over his wife and his daughter, Nena, (first fold)
and over his son Roberting (second fold). Moreover, being a persona who seeks
for help or assistance, which is usually attributed to women, is also
manifested by male gender in the story. Man’s being incapable to be in charge
of his own welfare, an attitude which is commonly associated to women, is also
highlighted in the following dialogues:
ROBERTING. You see, Father, what I'm driving at I~ I want-er -I
want-my old allowance.
FRANCISCO (jumping). Diablos! You want your old
allowance! You’re working and earning eight hundred, you don't pay me a single
centavo for your board and lodging in my house-and now you re asking for your
old allowance!
ROBERTING. I have so many expenses, Father.
FRANCISCO. How much have you got saved up in the bank?
ROBERTING. How can I save anything?
The aim of feminism, according to Fetterly (1978), “is not simply to
interpret the world but to change it by changing the consciousness of those who
read and their relation to what they read.” The conversation between the father
and the son, in relation to Fetterly’s idea, obviously manifests some flaws of
male gender—masculinity, which for a long time has been set to be the epitome
of perfection, is now being demolished in favor of gender equality. Such
demolition is impliedly manifested by the binary opposition between two male
characters in the story: Don Francisco, the master of the house, the authority,
the symbol of power, the patriarch; and Francisco, the servant, the foolish,
the inefficient, the poor and uneducated, the weak… Hence, readers’ eyes are
opened to see another reality about the male gender which is usually overlooked
by many writers and readers of literature. Thus according to Millet in Sexual Politics (1969) “What goes
largely unexamined, often even unacknowledged (yet is institutionalised
nonetheless) in our social order, is the birthright priority whereby males rule
females. She also mentioned, as quoted in the work of Fetterly (1978), “When a
system of power is thoroughly in command, it has scarcely need to speak itself
aloud; when its workings are exposed and questioned, it becomes not only
subject to discussion, but even to change.”
Such changes
advocated by feminists are presented through the women characters in the
“Wanted: A Chaperon”. They are portrayed in an unconventional manner, deviating
with attitudes which do not follow the patterns that are expected by the
masculine society from women.
Women power as highlighted by the dialogues of Doña Petra (a woman)
over Francisco-the muchaco (a man).
Several unrealized facts that manifest female prowess are as follow, vis-à-vis
the dialogues:
- It is not men who always make
decisions; women are also capable to do so.
- Women can be equally or even more
powerful (intellectually, socially, emotionally, etc.) than men. Equal to
men, they can also command authority and impose obedience.
(FRANCISCO, the servant, enters. He
is a dark, tall, thin boy. He looks foolish and is. He has his mouth open all
the time.)
SERVANT. Opo, senora.
SERVANT. The one you told me to make?
SERVANT. No, senora. I didn't make it yet.
SERVANT. I forgot how it should be worded. I
suddenly remember now.,
- Women like men can also give logical and wise arguments, sometimes even better than the later. Their voice should be heard as well.
FRANCISCO. Petra
FRANCISCO. Old-fashioned, maybe, in some other
civilized countries.
FRANCISCO. Are you sure?
FRANCISCO. I suppose that makes her immune from any
moral falls.
According to Fetterly (1978) “Our literature neither leaves women
alone nor allows them to participate.” “Wanted: A Chaperon” opened the door to
women, not only to participate but also to be heard and be equally respected by
men. They are also presented with pride and confidence, characteristics which
are usually attributed to men, but are vested among women characters in this
text as manifested by the following lines from women characters vis-à-vis
critical interpretations:
“Anyhow our women can take
care of themselves… our Nena is, in her senior year in education at the University of Santo Tomas
“But there's nothing wrong,
Father. After all I’m an educated girl.” (Nena). This
passage shows a woman’s capacity to stand for her self, to make decisions of
her own and to take a full responsibility for her life. Simone de Beauvoir in The Second Sex (1949), upon questioning
the wrong assumptions against women says, “‘Woman is losing her way, woman is
lost.’ One wonders if women still exist, if they will always exist, whether or
not it is desirable that they should, what place they occupy in this world,
what their place should be. ‘What has become of women?’” Nena’s line reinforces
a woman against such skepticism. She guarantees the world of what a woman is
and what she could become.
“(To ROBERTING)
Don't you dare touch my son! Che! (To FRANCISCO)
You should advise your daughter to stop going to parties unchaperoned!
People gossip and include my son!” (Doña Dolores.) Such dialogue manifests
courage. According to Fetterly (1978), “…it is necessary to grasp the
fundamental fact that women have had the power of naming stolen from us.” The line addressed to Roberting
manifests a woman’s desire and willingness to protect her loved one (by all
possible means) if a threatening situation arises, and the next line addressed
to Francisco highlights women’s capability to give sound advice—one that is based
in logical reasoning, thus giving her the courage to even impose it. Such
behavior is usually manifested by men and is believed to be an attribute of the
male gender. Thus, Mary Daly as quoted by Fetterly said, “Women are now
realizing that the universal imposing of names by men has been false because
partial. That is, inadequate words have been taken as adequate.” Women, as
manifested by Doña Dolores’s dialogue are now beginning to regain things that
they really possess but were not realized before.
According to Millet (1969), “As to status, a pervasive assent to the
prejudice of male superiority guarantees superior status in the male, inferior
in the female…” Fetterly (1978), on looking at how women are viewed and treated
in the society lamented, “Bereft, disinherited, cast out, woman is the Other,
the Outsider, a mourner among children; never really child because never
allowed to be fully self-indulgent; never really adult because never permitted
to be fully responsible; forever a "young mourner," a "little
woman"; superhuman, subhuman but never simply human.” And as a response to
de Beauvoir’s (1949) argument, “If her functioning as a female is not enough to
define woman, if we decline also to explain her through ‘the eternal feminine’,
and if nevertheless we admit, provisionally, that women do exist, then we must
face the question ‘what is a woman’?” “Wanted: A Chaperon” calls for the reader
to realize the essentiality of giving the female gender what is worth for them.
The portrayal of women as characterized by Doña Petra, Doña Dolores and Nena,
in this drama, deviates from the pre-imposed expectations of the patriarchal
society from women. This signals the readiness of the female gender to stand
and fight for a change. Eyes have been opened and falsities are clearly seen.
Thus according to Cynthia Ozick
as quoted by Fetterly (1978) says, “A culture which does not allow itself to
look clearly at the obvious through the universal accessibility of art is a
culture of tragic delusion, hardly viable.” Moreover, as supported Fetterly (1978) also quoted Adrienne Rich
who said, “A radical critique of literature, feminist in its impulse, would
take the work first of all as a clue to how we live, how we have been living,
how we have been led to imagine ourselves, how our language has trapped as well
as liberated us; and how we can begin to see--and therefore live--afresh.”
The following conversation marks the awareness of women on what is
going on in human society, and their readiness to criticize it in order to open
the eyes of everyone for a change:
FRANCISCO. Were?
Women are now empowered. The female gender is ready to take the
challenge of initiating change. They are ready to be heard, they have something
to say. The Bible says, from John 4:35: “…then comes the harvest? Behold, I say
to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for
harvest. The message is clear; thus according to Kate Millett, “When a system
of power is thoroughly in command, it has scarcely need to speak itself aloud;
when its workings are exposed and questioned, it becomes not only subject to
discussion, but even to change.”
Conclusion
de Beauvoir (1949) exposed the idea that “woman is a womb” as it was
viewed predominantly by the masculinist society. It has been the advocacy of
feminist to correct this view and educate the entire human race that woman is
more than just a woman. The bottom line of all the argument is the recognition
of gender equality between the male and the female, and the abolition of the
morals which has been established by the patriarchal system. “Wanted: A
Chaperon” successfully presented women in a distinct lens and perspective. This
drama portrayed woman with power, courage, authority, prestige, intelligence
and stability. It also manifested a liberal society which listens, and treats
women with equality; double standards have been dismantled and both genders,
male and female, are treated with realistic dignity. Thus according to Fetterly
(1978), “Re-vision--the act of looking back, of seeing with fresh eyes, of
entering an old text from a new critical direction--is for us more than a
chapter in cultural history: it is an act of survival.”
References:
de Beauvoir, Simone. (1949). The second sex. Retrieved from:
Fetterley, Judith.
(1978). The resisting reader A feminist approach to American fiction.
Guerrero, Wilfredo
Ma. (Wanted: a chaperon. Retrieved from:
http://upreplib.tripod.com/chaperon.htm
Millett, Kate,
(1969) Theory of sexual politics. Retrieved at:
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