From DLSC Litfili Edu2.0 site:
Critical analyses, i.e comparisons and contrasts between Nick Joaquin's "Summer Solstice" and Aida Rivera-Ford's "Love in the Cornhusks" have reaped rich material for cultural, gender, and class studies. For your fourth blog requirement, compose an essay on cultural or political issues, occurences, problems, etc. related to relationships, sex and marriage.
Use the insights you have gained from our discussions of the above-mentioned stories as take-off points or writing prompts. You may focus on one or more characters, the conflict/s of each story, the theme/s, symbolism, etc. embedded in the stories. You may do a comparison and contrast between the social conditions then and now, or you may talk about cultural differences between regions, countries, religions, etc.
Whatever you choose to do, do some research on your topic. Cite concrete situations, practices, events, etc. and support these with sources.
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In "Summer Solstice", the couple seemed to be followers of the catholic faith. Following the popular generalization and behavior of catholics during the time of the story, the couple were conservative and somewhat good examples of well-mannered catholics. But during the course of the story, the catholic behavior of the married couple was slowly forgotten(temporarily?) due to their exposure to more liberal beliefs which eventually awakened their natural carnal desires. Marriage in this story was like some sort of handicapping rule which gives the couples gender-biased roles and dictates how they should think, speak, and behave.
Is that what marriage is for? To implement a certain way of life on couples? Why did people allow themselves to follow this seemingly inhibiting marriage trend? Perhaps to fit in with the norms of their society? Or maybe they believed the rule to be just a guideline for their faith?
In modern times, with the wane of the church's hold on nation governing, marriage isn't that restricting anymore, with gender-biased roles becoming less prominent and couples free to show all the affection they want. Some people have even forgone traditional religious marriage rites altogether and have just opted to be called "partners" and/or usually get marriage licenses.
In "Love in the Cornhusks" with the main character choosing to stick to her marriage partner to ensure a more secure future for herself and her child, marriage is seen as a fallback or support for those that need what marriage is popularly known to supply, love, belonging, and material possessions.
Since the story was about a woman who might have conceived a child without the forethought of its implications then having to marry as a solution for material(and possible psychological) problems, marriage was definitely portrayed as a fallback.
These days, when unintentional pregnancies happen the woman usually looks to the man for support and the man may give it or just disappear; resulting in the woman looking for other means of support(i.e. marrying someone else) or having an abortion.
In both stories marriage is an official unity of man and woman; but for what other--real-- reasons they marry is up to the author and reader to decide.
More information:
1. Christian marriage - Encyclopedia
2. Christian gender-based duties of a husband and wife - From a holy book, I think
3. Church's wants on sex after marriage - Mixture of news and opinion
4. What is a marriage license? - Encyclopedia
5. Regarding single-parenting - Casual info
6. Specific on single-motherhood - Lots of research
7. More on live-in partners - Simple, short, understandable
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