CAPIRAL, Ma. Alyanna Mae L. Dr. Ma.

Antoinette Montealegre
III-8 AB/BSE Literature Literary Criticism

Desire: A Feminist Literary Theory

Feminist criticism is a political act whose aim is not simply to interpret the world but to
change it by changing the consciousness of those who read and their relation to what they read.
-Esther Lombardi, About.com

She wanted love, was starved for it. But she did not want the love that her body inspired
in men. She wanted something purer… cleaner.
- Desire, Paz Latorena 1928.

I was amazed upon discovering that the short story Desire was written in 1928.

The time was very repressive and judgmental for women or womyn for some feminist.

Even up to know, with modernity, even with changing roles of the society for men and

women, women are judged and have been the target of massive stereotyping. I remember

when I was in high school; these thoughts lingered in my mind for a long time. Men are

called “macho” when they have a lot of women while women are called “prostitutes”.

Where is equality? , judgment of the society is really biased. It is acceptable for a man

having many children of different mothers while women having many children of

different fathers are immoral and unacceptable. Also beauty is just skin deep, more often

than not face value is more important than the inner side of a women. Most of men just

don’t care if women are dumb and gullible. Looks are more important. Also, with

intelligent women, some of men are intimidated and do not like the idea that they are

outshined by women. I could cite many instances and ideas on how I view our society

with men being the superior and women are just decorations for them. Often, I am tagged

by my friends as a feminist. I just don’t like the idea of being submerged into an existing

order where the only essence of a woman is to procreate. The problem is the existing
structure--- Patriarchal and Machismo (even feminist are already making their mark, and

breaking the stereotypes), our culture has a big role on how women are viewed.

Going back to the short story, it was truly a remarkable short story written by a

woman during a period where not much respect and recognition are given to women

writers in the Philippines. Most of the literature world is male dominated. Only at this

later part, women writers are put into their rightful places. The short story started with a

detailed description of a woman (who is categorized now as a shrimp or hipon in gay

language). A homely women as referred by the writer Paz Latorena even with the use of

the word homely makes me think that the writer some how implicitly hid the negative

connotation of having a homely face. She could just straightly say ugly but she rather not.

I think for the purpose of not being too harsh on women as to women should not be

judged hastily. A language of a woman like Paz Latorena has the power to make the

negative seem to be not that negative. The longing for love like all human being do is

present in the story the difference is that the woman is homely yet she has a gorgeous

body not only that she diverts her frustrations and hurt into worthwhile things like

writing. I think what the writer wants to say is that women are not just mere figures or

warm bodies in bed but also human not devoid of feelings. Racial discrimination is

somehow present in the story too with the White man at first being judgmental of the

Filipino race. Upon recognizing that the unnamed woman’s ideas are the same as his race,

he took interest in meeting the lady. At first the white man took interest of getting to

know the woman but in the end upon discovering that she has the right curves in her

body(only hidden by the clothing she choose to wear), he said he loves the girl but not the

total being of her but only her body.

other men.” and with a weary smile the story ends. It is like a hanging ending for the

readers to create their own ending. Like if the woman will find love, or will the man

prove that he is sincere to her or not. For me, the effect of this masterpiece of Latorena is

that women must learn to channel their energy into productive work like writing, also that

women does not need men even she needs love it is not the end of the world with men

judging a female because of her physical characteristics. I think that the Latorena wanted

to show that unlike in early Philippine Folklore women would always weep and feel

helpless of their situation with Paz Laterona’s Desire eventough the woman is not that

empowered yet I think she is in the process of being one .

Also, we could look in an aspect that upon their meeting of the men, she came

alone and stated that she could afford to break conventions. I assume that the woman in

the story is intellectual and educated woman. The stereotype of a weak woman is not

showed by her. The language of Latorena does not have any mark of derogatory language

or language that would make the readers feel pity on the character but the language used

is very descriptive and forms mental images and we could not find words that would

make the woman be in a stage of drama or self pity.

I am wondering if the short story is autobiographical. Upon checking the internet

for her picture, my suspicions became stronger, that it was herself being describe in the

text.

The title “Desire”,could be in two interpretations : the desire of men for her body

and the desire of the woman for a purer and cleaner love. This proves how man and

woman differ in their perspective.

Changing the consciousness of the reader that even in 1928, women are treated that way.

That they should not be going on dates alone, that they must have a pretty face to find

pure love. I like to point out that the woman needs love not a man. She never stated she

needed a man but rather a pure love. With this, I assume that she is longing for a society

that does not judge a person by looks, not by color, also not by gender but with her

productivity, and if the person’s intellectual capacity, with how he/she expresses

him/herself openly.

References:

http://classiclit.about.com/od/feministtheory/Feminist_Theory_Womens_Studies.htm

Desire, Paz Latorena