Three Generations
3 Generations
By Nick Joaquin
Three Generations talks about a Celo Monzon, whose unhappy childhood still haunts him even if he is already a father. At the beginning of the story, his wife tells him about their son 's plan to enter priesthood. He is also told about the call his sister has made because she no longer knows what to do with their sick father. At this point, readers are already given the impression that during this time, women 's role caters only to men 's needs and their children.
It will be known later in the story that the sick father has been wild since he, Celo, has driven his latest woman away. So, in the setting of this story, it seems that having concubines is but normal. Sofia, Celo 's wife, has even been convincing him to allow the old man to have his girl back. She tells him, "Your father could never live without women . . . and now you have driven that one away. It is death by torture."12 This speaks about downright oppression of women as men are accepted in the society to have number twos, threes or fours while women are not. This is an obvious discrimination in the society, as women do not have the opportunities that men do. This is somewhat like Shirley Chisholm 's "Equal Rights for Women" in which she says that, " . . . Women that do not conform to the system, who try to break with the accepted patterns, are stigmatized as "odd" and "unfeminine."13 Just like in the case of Celo 's calling his wife as vulgar when she tries to convince him that he allow his father to have what he wants.
As the story continues, he then remembers how his father has whipped him in his childhood. He adds that his own youth had been so unhappy because he lives in those times that "gave the head of the family absolute dominion over his women and children. . . They bowed to the paternal whip as long as they had to; then broke away to marry and breed and establish families over whom they had in turn set themselves up as lords almighty."14
He also recalls
By Nick Joaquin
Three Generations talks about a Celo Monzon, whose unhappy childhood still haunts him even if he is already a father. At the beginning of the story, his wife tells him about their son 's plan to enter priesthood. He is also told about the call his sister has made because she no longer knows what to do with their sick father. At this point, readers are already given the impression that during this time, women 's role caters only to men 's needs and their children.
It will be known later in the story that the sick father has been wild since he, Celo, has driven his latest woman away. So, in the setting of this story, it seems that having concubines is but normal. Sofia, Celo 's wife, has even been convincing him to allow the old man to have his girl back. She tells him, "Your father could never live without women . . . and now you have driven that one away. It is death by torture."12 This speaks about downright oppression of women as men are accepted in the society to have number twos, threes or fours while women are not. This is an obvious discrimination in the society, as women do not have the opportunities that men do. This is somewhat like Shirley Chisholm 's "Equal Rights for Women" in which she says that, " . . . Women that do not conform to the system, who try to break with the accepted patterns, are stigmatized as "odd" and "unfeminine."13 Just like in the case of Celo 's calling his wife as vulgar when she tries to convince him that he allow his father to have what he wants.
As the story continues, he then remembers how his father has whipped him in his childhood. He adds that his own youth had been so unhappy because he lives in those times that "gave the head of the family absolute dominion over his women and children. . . They bowed to the paternal whip as long as they had to; then broke away to marry and breed and establish families over whom they had in turn set themselves up as lords almighty."14
He also recalls