Feminist Reading - the Bread of Salt
I. Introduction Throughout the course of history, there has been an evolution of courtship ideals. In the past, courtship had patriarchy present. Before, the males were always the one chasing the females. The men had to be the one to impress or chase after the girl. However, whenever a female tried to be different and be the one to court a man, it was considered a bad thing and society would deem her pathetic and desperate, and several other kinds of negative thoughts. Now, on the other hand, several changes in the society about the importance of women and new ideas about gender equality have made the roles of men and women more diverse. Women are more empowered with the choice to court men, and some men even have their preference for women who make the first move. The expectation of women being the meek ones who had to wait around to be courted isn’t as strictly followed in the society anymore.
However, there are still several who support the traditional ideas of courtship. There are still certain pictures of courtship wherein the patriarchy is still present, and an example of this patriarchal view can be seen in N.V.M Gonzales’ short story, where the courtship is evident between the male protagonist and Aida. In N.V.M. Gonzales’ “The Bread of Salt”, the male protagonist and the way he views his own masculinity and Aida’s femininity, as also seen in the story’s literary details and setting, reflect a patriarchal picture of courtship where the female is chased and objectified. An analysis of the ending of the story and how the characters’ social statuses affected the courtship will also be discussed. These are the aims of the critic with this paper. II. Setting, Expectations of Gender and Patriarchy Within Courtship Within a society, there is a view of masculinity and femininity- namely, the ideas of gender and gender roles that have been formed over time, through a stylized repetition of acts. In the Bread of Salt, the society has its own set
However, there are still several who support the traditional ideas of courtship. There are still certain pictures of courtship wherein the patriarchy is still present, and an example of this patriarchal view can be seen in N.V.M Gonzales’ short story, where the courtship is evident between the male protagonist and Aida. In N.V.M. Gonzales’ “The Bread of Salt”, the male protagonist and the way he views his own masculinity and Aida’s femininity, as also seen in the story’s literary details and setting, reflect a patriarchal picture of courtship where the female is chased and objectified. An analysis of the ending of the story and how the characters’ social statuses affected the courtship will also be discussed. These are the aims of the critic with this paper. II. Setting, Expectations of Gender and Patriarchy Within Courtship Within a society, there is a view of masculinity and femininity- namely, the ideas of gender and gender roles that have been formed over time, through a stylized repetition of acts. In the Bread of Salt, the society has its own set
Bibliography: Butler, J. (1988). Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory. Theater Journal , 40 (4), 519-531. Coolidge, G. E. (2011). Guardianship, Gender and the Nobility in Early Modern Spain. Ashgate. Moore, N. (1985). Nonverbal Courtship Patterns in Women: Contact and Consequences. Ethology and Sociobiology, 6: 237-247. Valiente, C. (2007). Gender Politics and Society in Spain. Taylor & Francis. Walters, M. (2005). Feminism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.