Friday, January 7, 2011

A Letter for Women’s Liberation in Mabanglo’s Liham ni Pinay Mula Brunei ... A Literary Analysis

AUTHOR’S BACKGROUND

Ruth Elynia S. Mabanglo (born March 30, 1949) is a professor at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She is the coordinator for the Department of Hawaiian and Indo-Pacific languages and literatures as well as the Filipino and Philippine Literature Program. Her most recent publications were "Balada ni Lola Amonita" and "The Ballad of Lola Amonita" in Babaylan: An Anthology of Filipina and Filipina American Writers, edited by Nick Carbó and Eileen Tabios and published by Aunt Lute Books in the year 2000.

Born in Manila to Fortunato and Miguela Mabanglo, she received a degree in Filipino from the University of the East, a Filipino language and literature master's degree from Philippine Normal College, and a doctorate in Filipino from Manuel L. Quezon University. Aside from teaching at University of the East, Manuel L. Quezon University , Philippine Normal College, and De La Salle University, she was a journalist with Taliba and Abante for a while.

Achievements

Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards

"Caloocan: Balada ng Duguang Tinig" (Special Prize, Tula, 1972) "Dalit-puri at Iba Pang Tula" (Third Prize, Tula, 1973) "Si Jesus at si Magdalena" (First Prize, Dulang May Isang Yugto, 1973) "Dalawampu't Isang Tula" (Third Prize, Tula, 1979) "Awiyao" (Third Prize, Dulang May Isang Yugto, 1980) "Mga Abong Pangarap" (First Prize, Dulang Ganap ang Haba, 1983) "Mga Puntod" (Third Prize, Dulang Ganap ang Haba, 1984) "Mga Liham ni Pinay at Iba Pang Tula" (First Prize, Tula, 1987)

CCP Literary Contest

"Ang Pilipinisasyon ni Juan" (First Prize, Verse-Writing, 1974) "Supling" (First Prize, Verse-Writing, 1975) "Regla" (Honorable Mention, Verse-Writing, 1977)

Talaang Ginto, Surian ng Wikang Pambansa

"Kalookan: Balada ng Duguang Tinig" (Honorable Mention, 1972) "Gabi ng Isang Kasal: Isang Kakintalan" (First Honorable Mention, 1974) "Anibersaryo: Tagpo at Alaala" (Honorable Mention, 1974) "Sa Abenida, Sanghapo't Sanggabi" (First Honorable Mention, 1977) "Ang Pag-ibig ay Di Kasal at Iba Pang Tula" (Second Prize, 1978) "Hindi Ako Nawawala'y Hinahanap Mo" (Honorable Mention, 1980) "Gahasa" (First Prize and Poet of the Year Award, 1992)

National Book Award for Poetry, Manila Critics Circle , 1990 "Mga Liham ni Pinay"

LIHAM NI PINAY MULA SA BRUNEI

Elynia Ruth S. Mabanglo

Ako’y guro, asawa at ina.

Isang babae-pupol ng pabango, pulbos at seda,

Kaulayaw ng batya, kaldero at kama .

Napagod yata ako’t nanghinawa,

Nagsikap mangibang-lupa.

Iyo’t iyon din ang lalaking umuupo sa kabisera,

Nagbabasa ng diyaryo uma-umaga.

Naghihintay siya ng kape

At naninigarilyo,

Habang kagkag ako sa pagitan ng kuna at libro

Nagpapahid ng lipstick at nagpapatulo ng gripo.

Hindi siya nag-aangat ng mukha

Umaaso man ang kawali o umiingit ang bata.

Hinahatdan ko siya ng brief at tuwalya sa banyo,

Inaaliw kung mainit ang ulo.

Wala siyang paliwanag

Kung bakit hindi siya umuwi magdamag,

Ngunit kunot na kunot ang kanyang noo

Kapag umaalis ako ng Linggo.

Ayaw niya ng galunggong at saluyot

Kahit pipis ang sobreng inabot,

Ibig pa yatang maghimala ako ng ulam

Kahit ang pangrenta’y lagging kulang.

Ako’y guro, asawa at ina.

Isang babae-napapagal sa pagiging babae.

Itinakda ng kabahaging

Masumpa sa walis, labada’t oyayi

Kahit may propesyo’t kumikita ng salapi.

Iyo’t iyong din ang ruta ng araw-araw

Kabagutang nakalatag sa kahabaan

Ng bahay at paaralan,

Ng kusina’t higaan.

May karapatan ba akong magmukmok?

Saan ako tatakbo kung ako’y malungkot?

May beerhouse at massage parlor na tambayan

Ang kabiyak kong nag-aasam,

Nasa bintana ako’t naghihintay.

Nagbabaga ang katawan ko sa paghahanap,

May krus ang dila ko’t di makapangusap.

Humihingi ng tinapay ang mga anak ko,

Itinotodo ko ang bolyum ng radio.

Napagod yata ako’t nanghinawa,

Nagsikap mangibang-lupa.

Noon ako nanaginip na nakapantalon,

Nagpapadala ng dolyar at pasalubong.

Nakahihinga na ako ngayon nang maluwag,

Walang susi ang bibig, ang isip ay bukas.

Aaminin kong ako’y nangungulila

Ngunit sariling kape ko na ang tinitimpla.

Nag-aabang ako ng sulat sa tarangkaha’t pinto,

Sa telepono’y nabubusog ang puso.

Umiiyak ako noong una,

Nagagamot pala ang lahat sa pagbabasa.

Ito lamang ang sagot,

Bayaang lalaki ang maglaba ng kumot.


ANALYSIS:

Even in contemporary societies, women oppression and marginalization have remained a poignant issue which fomented groups of women (some men) into an unending clamor for gender equality that is, giving women every social freedom, rights, and opportunities enjoyed by men.

In support to this movement, as it is undeniable that this unjust treatment to women in many cultures are reflected in various literary materials, women writers expose this glaring reality of which some are concealed and some are explicitly expressed in a number of literary arts. Some women are also clever in using their pens to unveil how women feel about being trapped in such a male-biased society and attempt to rectify such sexist discrimination and inequalities by vocally expressing their cry for social elevation and freedom from this looming bondage.

This, indeed, is true to one of the prolific Filipina writers, Elynia Ruth S. Mabanglo as she revealed the prevailing issue of women subjugation in the Philippines in her poetical piece Liham ni Pinay Mula Brunei .

An Overseas Filipino Worker in Brunei gives us a flashback through her letter, her tiring role as a wife and as a mother in the Philippines . She discloses how she has to suffer earning a living to rear her family and at the same time tending the house while her good-for-nothing husband remains numb of her misery, demanding for all his comforts. In the end, all these stimulated her to sail and work abroad.

As the poem commences, Mabanglo establishes the basic role of a Filipina woman in the Philippine context:

Ako’y guro, asawa, at ina.

In the Philippines , women are left with only two choices, that is, to remain single, or to embrace marriage – become a wife and a mother. The latter has always been associated to servitude – serving her husband and taking care of her children.

In a feministic approach, Beauvoir considered these roles to be immanent which puts women in stagnation walking to and fro in the same repetitive and uncreative usual routine. Women get no option but carry out such duties that her society expects her to portray because if not, she is considered a deviant.

The second line, “Isang babae – pupol ng pabango, pulbos at seda,” also conveys another societal expectation where women have to look pleasing and presentable – wearing make up, artificial scents, and all others applied in the holy name of aesthetics – which prime purpose is for the patriarchal society to say nothing about her. Though she distasted it, she can do nothing about it. She has to conform to the patriarchal norms.

This has been the feminist contention that in patriarchal cultures, man is the norm and woman is the deviation. The fundamental assumptions dominate social, political,and cultural life and how women have internalized this ideology so that they live in a constant state of inauthenticity (Beauvoir).

All these boring and choking roles, according to the speaker of the poem, drove her to strive for freedom by going abroad.

The second stanza of the poem delineates all her sufferings entailed by her functions as a wife and as a mother. It is vividly expressed how she is torn between her obligations to her children, to her husband, and to her job outside. And while attending to all these, her husband takes no share of these burdens and continue to demand for his kingly comfort.

Feminists view that men believe that these lots (burdens) are intended by nature for women thus, men need not bother themselves with alleviating these pains and burdens which they believe are physiologically for women.

In the third and fourth stanzas, the speaker vocally expresses her weariness – attending to her tiresome role as a woman – and from this emanated her longing for freedom – to emancipate herself not from her obligations but from the society of patriarchy and male dominance.

It was hard for her at first yet she’s satisfied to escape from immanence in the Philippines . Finally, she has absolutely attained what the feminist coined as transcendence.

In the end, she concludes:

Ito lamang ang sagot,

Bayaang lalaki ang maglaba ng kumot.

For it is only this way for men to realize how they have long treated women. Let men experience women’s immanent role as beasts of burden.

6 comments:

Isel said...

Thank you! :)

Unknown said...

thank you for this analysis

Unknown said...

Thanks for this analysis :) My question is what is the theme of the poem?

Unknown said...

hope, a little changes for font color. ty

Lyoid said...

Thanks for reading! Sadly, I can't access this blog now. 😢

Mema said...

Feminism