Calixta in “The Storm” does not find sexual fulfillment in her marriage with Bibi. But she finds it again in her old boyfriend Alcee. Sauce for the gander is sauce for the goose–this is how equality between the sexes could be expressed. But not in most cases. Since “The Storm” is only a work of fiction, that is, a projection of what should have been, it does not count as an observance of such maxim [if it is indeed a maxim] The crucial issue Chopin raises through the nonchalant manner in which the wife betrays her husband is that, if society finds it normal and acceptable for a man to be unfaithful, why would a promiscuous or adulterous woman be held with such contempt? Under Philippine law for example, before a man can be convicted of concubinage[very conveniently, this term, which, if I had the authority, I would exile to the archaic list, is used: one could hardly misconstrue the connotation], he has to put up his other woman in a house, live with her or have children with her as a result. If he just picks her up somewhere and bangs her in some cheap motel, even with the presence of his wife and kids, the law is silent. As a consolation however, the wife can kill him right then and there without any criminal liability. While this is justifiable circumstance under human eyes, she is in fact, selling her soul to the devil in the name of justice. And, morally speaking, I don’t think killing someone for whatever reason is acceptable to, or justifiable before God. If my hermeneutics is right, God orders man not to kill. No provisos, no exceptions. Moreover, if the womanizing husband has acknowledged illegitimate children during his marriage, they are entitled to one-fourth of his legal heirs’ inheritance from his fifty percent share of the conjugal property. Unfortunately for the wife, if she is caught in bed with another man, she can be immediately incarcerated for adultery [again, note the biblical term and its implication]. Thus, unfaithful wives commit adultery [a very strong and condemning word] while husbands commit infidelity. The scales are clearly tipped in favor of the husband. Anyhow, the reason for such rigid provision is to protect the husband from supporting or passing assets to illegitimate children that the wife might conceive due to her treachery. Hmmm. Sounds logical enough. By all means, let’s protect the interests of the husband. So who or what protects the wife from the heartache if it was the other way around? Can she claim moral damages for her pain? In another instance,and for the same reasons, the marriage can be voided if the wife was already pregnant with another man’s child before the marriage took place. AS if this isn’t enough, there are societies that permit a man to have multiple wives but not the woman to have multiple husbands. These are just a few of the classic examples of double standards. And, there is a classic question here that doesn’t have a definitive answer until today. If women insist on it being resolved, men would probably turn to Holy Books to defend themselves. But arguing with Holy Books is a futile exercise down unfathomable depths of rhetoric. So we might as well give this question another few millennia. After all, Chopin has been asking it since the 1800s.

The story “A Respectable Woman” has a controversial title. So, is the heroine a respectable woman or not?  She is a young wife who develops feelings for her husband’s friend. The feeling is mutual but neither acts on it of course.The wife regards herself as a respectable woman and upright women never betray their marriage. So she suppresses her desire for the other man, and consequently sacrifices her happiness to maintain that veneer of respectability. But what’s respectable about a wife wanting another man? Isn’t this in itself a form of unfaithfulness?

Edna in “The Awakening” is married to a most eligible man–older, financially successful, and indulgent. She has all the comforts and social position every woman aspires. But all these don’t seem to be enough. She is still restless and unhappy. As the story unfolds, we learn that she did not marry for love. In fact, she discovers love only when she meets Robert. All her negative realizations about her marriage start when she falls madly in love with the young man. What Chopin basically says here is that no amount of luxury can compensate for the misery of a woman trapped in a loveless marriage. Not even children. And if not for the traditional way in which women were made to think about marriage–that they should always look out for the financial security and social advantages attached to it–she probably would have never married Mr. Pontellier. It is only within this light that readers can understand her unfaithfulness and eventually sympathize with her.

WOMEN AND SOCIETY

These stories challenge societal norms, particularly those regarding women’s traditional role as home-makers.  Regret questions the image of the ideal woman; A Pair of Silk Stockings and The Awakening protest against the shackles of motherhood; while  The Storm and A Respectable Woman compromise society’s dictates about what a correct wife should be.  The Story of an Hour likewise voices a dissent versus male dominance [though not physical in this case] insensitivity, and emotional distance.  The oppression Mrs Mallard suffers stems from the restrictive environment of her marriage and her resentment, all the while repressed, has festered and become sore.  So that when dawning realization of what her husband’s death would mean to her, she thinks ecstatically: “…What did it matter!   What did love, the unsolved mystery, count for in the face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being!”   But ironically, her freedom lasts only for an hour, as her husband turns up alive after all.  Nevertheless, just like Edna in The Awakening, Mrs. Mallard escapes through death.  In Desiree’s Baby the same fate awaits Desiree, who gives birth to a black baby.  Her white husband, unaware of his black heritage, banishes her on the unfair assumption that Desiree is not white and heaps the blame on her for “the unconscious injury she had brought to his home and his name.”   What use is love indeed, if it is so fickle and based solely on color and race?

It is worthwhile to note that given the historical setting of these stories, Chopin is probably aware that very few would concur with her or see thi ngs in her perspective.  In fact, her works were banned, and this is the highest form of censorship.  Hence, the death of the heroines of these stories, though tragic, is hardly surprising.  Moreover, these women characters’  deaths symbolize the futility of Chopin’s struggle at that point in time.   And time is the greatest trickster, for in the end, Chopin emerged as an important writer in world literature.  And, so long as women are abused, there will always be Kates to fight for our rights as humans.

Tagged: adulterous woman, feminism, Kate Chopin, re-posts, women, writing ]]> http://scarletbroomstick.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/fascinated-with-kate-women-issues-in-chopins-fiction-part-2/feed/ 1 scarletbroomstick bayoufolk gcstoryofanhour_lg http://scarletbroomstick.wordpress.com/2012/01/15/fascinated-with-kate-women-in-chopins-fiction-part-1/ http://scarletbroomstick.wordpress.com/2012/01/15/fascinated-with-kate-women-in-chopins-fiction-part-1/#comments Sun, 15 Jan 2012 09:06:54 +0000 scarletbroomstick http://scarletbroomstick.wordpress.com/?p=808 ]]> In her TED speech, the esteemed Isabel Allende recalls how she and deceased daughter Paula had a memorable fight over the latter’s declaration that feminism is dated.Being one of the strongest women in fiction, her outrage is perfectly understandble. On the other hand, though I don’t know the exact context within which her daughter made this comment, I could say that the concept may indeed be overrated, seeing how, in my immediate society, woman empowerment abounds. Among others, no less than the immediate past president of the Philippines was a woman. Ms. Allende herself recognizes that Paula could casually assert such remarks as the latter grew up in a privileged environment. And with a mother who allowed her to be the woman she wanted to be, who could blame her for claiming that feminism is a lost cause?

Ms. Allende however, has sufficient reasons to defend feminism, insisting that it is a very present and permanent force. Facts and studies [including those that she herself passionately recounts] reveal that women may have achieved some measure of success in their struggle to penetrate the “man’s world” and may have come a long way since the birth of the Women’s Liberation Movement but in reality, a lot of women today are still suffering from a wide range of abuses–mental, emotional, economic, physical, to name a few. A friend of mine, a Muslim doctor, tells me that many female patients who go to their hospital only pretend to be sick; hence, they [the doctors] have resorted to drastic measures to be able to differentiate the real patients from the “psychic” ones. In one case, he was irritated when an eighteen year-old feigned illness because she could not stand the tyranny at home. It was 4 a.m., he hadn’t slept for 24 hours, and a great number of patients were waiting at the door. He didn’t need the aggravation of a girl’s whims against lives in danger at the threshold of the E.R. Amused, I was tempted to point out that given their kind of culture, this was not surprising–going to the hospital was probably the young woman’s cry for help; her situation was also a matter of life and death like the others. But he is a man confined within the walls of his profession: vital signs stable, so get lost. More importantly, I didn’t want to risk antagonizing him further by my prejudiced analysis, considering how we once argued about women in professional sports: his contention was that women make sports boring because they move slowly. At the opposing end, I insisted on equal opportunity.  In fairness to him though, he was genuinely distressed when another teen-aged girl suffering from severe infection due to a botched circumcision procedure, was brought to him for treatment. Taking these into consideration, I still hold that most women today are generally better off than those in previous centuries. I mean, why was feminism born in the first place?

To illustrate, take how the stories of late nineteenth century writer Kate Chopin depict the moral struggles [or the lack thereof] of women in her time, women imprisoned within the iron grip of traditionalism, living stereotyped existence and fashioned out of a man’s concept of what she ought to be. To even things out, I could cite male writers like Thomas Hardy or Henrik Ibsen who have shocked the public by the very unpopular ways that they portray the cruelties that women suffer from. But I see Chopin’s treatment of her subject matter as so much more fascinating. None of the patronizing tone,nor the propaganda, nor the contrived plots to arouse sympathy, reducing women’s issues as mere literary subjects. Instead, there is a very conspicuous, very absent moral judgment in Chopin’s portrayal of her characters’ moral transgressions as a result of their burgeoning discovery of their individuality–not just wife, mother, daughter but as a human being possessed with intelligence and free-will. Many have described Kate as a “woman ahead of her time.” The description couldn’t be more precise. Chopin has accurately and very sensitively presented her characters’ emerging discernment of their worth, their selfhood, and their otherness.

MOTHERHOOD AND INDIVIDUALISM

“Regret” is a bittersweet story of a spinster who gets a glimpse of the wonders of motherhood when her neighbor temporarily leaves her children in the former’s care. That Mademoiselle Aurelie is never married can be attributed to the fact that she is not feminine enough–she looks more male than female. And she thinks like one too. Most men go for dainty, fragile women. Ranch managers like Aurelie would intimidate a man because she isn’t someone he could protect and therefore, she is a threat to his macho image. The Age of Chivalry [as we all know being a social construct could have been easily left behind where it belongs--in the past] has been much too ingrained in the male psyche it’s become instinct instead of a simple recognition of the biological difference between men and women: men being physically stronger than women should naturally do the heavier work. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to be polite. Thus, men would prefer to take care of their women as befitting a true knight. But Aurelie is no damsel in distress. She isn’t someone who would vow “to love and obey” either. Who wants a woman who defies her husband? Poor Aurelie, in utter regret, misses out on the most essential part of being a woman: motherhood.

If Aurelie regrets not having children, Edna in “The Awakening” resents the demands of motherhood. Her awakening comes too late however, as she is already tied to her husband and sons. Her self-declaration that she is her own woman and not her husband’s property has a hollow ring to it for she was never able to articulate and insist on her husband her growing sense of self, to make him see that she, being young,passionate, and starving for romance, has had enough of their boring, predictable and socially correct marriage, that she loves someone else closer to her age and to hell with what people say. In fact, he totally misinterprets the changes in her moods and behavior. But who cares if he never fully grasps the situation? He isn’t expected to anyway. Realizing finally that there is really no way out, she breaks her bonds by drowning herself in the ocean. Death is the ultimate freedom, the ultimate choice, the ultimate rebellion. But her real tragedy lies in wanting too much too soon. Her awakening as a woman and as an individual places her above the rest of her flock, the flock she disdains so much. She is on her way to being in command of her life yet she does not fully understand her accomplishments.

In “A Pair of Silk Stockings” a single mother struggling to make ends meet couldn’t resist the temptation of a pair of silk stockings, obviously a symbol of life’s little luxuries that motherhood deprived her of. This story is a typical demonstration of how mothers[or parents for that matter]sacrifice for their children. Is it possible to actually draw the line separating the self and the mother? Can an impoverished widow spend for herself and not feel guilty from the pleasure this self-indulgence brings her? Should society condemn this woman for not wanting the exciting cable car ride to end because for once she feels freedom from the responsibilities of parenthood?

The thick rows of trees were still and the crackle of dry leaves echoed faintly into the gloom as I stepped on them. I heard the distant sound of running water. A filter of light escaped the protective roof of leaves and illuminated my path. As the light grew stronger, everything was bleached in black and silver. The trees thinned, making way for the wide expanse of water.I flopped into the soft bed of moss covering the bank. Across the mist was a jungle of coconut trees swaying slightly in the breeze. The murky, still depths rippled as a cow bent its head to the water and drank. A loud squawk cut the silence and the cow lazily raised its head, droplets of diamonds from its muzzle causing more ripples. A responding screech followed, and then another and another, until the noise rose to a wild crescendo as I became a captive listener to nature’s symphonic orchestra.

At last, the frantic beating of my heart slowed to an even, normal tempo. I opened my eyes and turned my head to the sound of Rofel Brion’s soft voice.

There aren’t enough words to express the common grief that we, residents of Cagayan de Oro City feel over the loss and devastation we have recently experienced. We are left clueless why something like this would happen to our beloved city, the City of Golden Friendship.

Born, raised and lived almost all my life in this small but thriving commercial center of Northern Mindanao, I have fond memories of its youth and, though I long for those days of the simple city life, I couldn’t help but feel proud of its  fast and steady progress, of its stable political environment, of its economic growth;  even enjoy the mostly warm and fair weather all year round.  And then this tragedy–so sudden, unexpected and  extensive.  And it had to happen at Christmas time!

Indeed, this is a day of mourning for all of us.  And perhaps, of learning, of faith, of hope and someday, of acceptance.  But for now, cry, my beloved CDO.

“Pssst. Open your window. I got something to show you.”

“Another trick again?”

“No. Just come down quick.”

“I can’t. I have to take a nap.”

“Don’t worry. Yaya is listening to the transistor.”

“If I get caught again…”

“You won’t. Come down now.”

***********

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll know soon enough. Hurry.”

“Uh-oh. Are you taking me to the river again? My dad will kill me!”

“No. At the memorial park. They built something new out there. It’s really cool. You’ll see.”

***********

“What is it?”

“It’s a well, dummy.”

“Oh.”

“Here.”

“Coins?”

“You’re supposed to drop one into it and wish.”

“What should I wish for?”

“Anything.”

“What are you going to wish for?”

“I won’t tell. You shouldn’t too.”

“Why not?”

“Coz it might not come true. Close your eyes tight and repeat the spell after me then say your wish silently. Wish really hard, ok? Let’s do it together now. Here. Hold my hand. Ready?”

“Ready.”

***********

“You think my wish will be granted?”

“Sure.”

“Great. Let’s go home now.”

“Not yet. I’m starved. There’s a funeral. Let’s go ask for some snacks.”

“But we’re not dressed for a funeral this time.”

“They won’t notice.   Everyone will be too busy reviving the relatives.Come on.”

“Wait up, will you?”