Portraits of Filipino women in Nick Joaquin’s short stories: May Day Eve, Doña Jeronima and Summer Solstice

Abstract

This critical study aimed to find out how Nick Joaquin, a Filipino national artist for literature, depicted women in his three short stories May Day Eve, Doña Jeronima and Summer Solstice. Specifically, it sought to determine what roles and struggles women had, how they were portrayed and the differences in these portrayals. Among others, this study hopes to benefit literature students in making them aware of the significance of women’s roles in anticipation of how they will perceive them in several circumstances. Using the feminist approach, the descriptive content analysis of the stories revealed that (1) the main female characters in the story took on the roles of a wife for both Agueda and Lupeng and a lover for all three of them including Jeronima; (2) these women had struggles attributed by their femininity, as wives, Agueda and Lupeng struggled to have a voice and identity, and as lovers the three women struggled against prejudice of women being vulnerable/weak when in love; and, (3) despite the similarity in the roles these women played, Joaquin portrayed them differently. The topic of women’s portrayal goes beyond just the roles women play, it is an on-going discussion as women have been products of progress and development. Women have fought several battles, have struggled against second class treatment and are continually rising to the empowered individuals they are today. This can remind the readers of how the journey has been pushing forward and thus should acknowledge the efforts of the forerunners of equality.