A Marxist point6 of view in the

summer solstice by nick jaoquin

The Marxist approach to the reading of Nick Joaquin’s “The Summer Solstice” entails focusing on an
analysis of the class conflict, the economic relations and how different social classes and different social
strata relate to each other in society. According to Marxism, literature works are output that is
conditioned by the history and social relativity with emphasis on how owning and being owned,
domination, and submission work to form consciousness and relationships. From this perspective, one
can read Joaquin’s story as a representation of colonial, patriarchal society contradictions, focusing on
such categories as class, gender and colonialism. Historical and Social Context: The Philippines Under
Colonialism Set during the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines, "The Summer Solstice" reveals the
complex power relations between the colonizers and the colonized. The Philippines, during the era of
Spanish rule, was deeply structured by a class system influenced by feudalism and Catholicism, the two
pillars of Spanish colonial governance. The upper class, or the ilustrados, consisted of wealthy, educated
Filipinos who had adopted many Spanish customs and traditions. The story focuses on such a family —
the Moretas — who belong to this elite group. Focusing on the period of the Spanish colonization of the
Philippines, “The Summer Solstice” shows how the struggle for power is constructed between the
colonizers and the colonized. The Philippines before the American colonization was very much classified
by class division and dictated by the Spanish feudalism and the adoption of catholicism. The upper class
also known as ilustrados were like the Spanish nobility of the Filipino who were wealthy and had
received education hence effectively acculturated spaniards in Philippines. The story is based on the
family of the Moretas — they are the main representatives of this category. A Marxist analysis would first
of all note that the class portrayed in Joaquin’s story is the bourgeoisie of colonial Philippines—Filipino
by blood, but beneficiaries of colonialism in the Philippines. The ilustrado class thus gains its privilege by
working closely with the Spanish authorities which relate to how Marx noted that the bourgeoisie gains
from the suffering of the proletariat. The characters’ wealth and social status like that of Don Paeng
Moreta is rooted on the colonial system and exploitation of indigenous people of the Philippines. The
Patriarchy and Power Relations: Gender, as a form of class struggle, points to a struggle for control over
methods of reproducing labor power as the most useful category for engaging the complexities of
women’s contingent work arrangements and precarious employment statuses. The main themes of the
work, which at the same time are some of the most shocking features, are the problem of gender
identity in the context of a male-dominated society. The climax of the story is therefore when Doña
Lupeng, the protagonist, takes over power during the feast of St. John from which she engages in the
Tadtarin ritual. This festival honors the role of womanhood as the powerful and fertile counterpart of the
male-dominated world which is very typical for the highly colonial context of the British colony. From a
Marxist-feminist point of view, this part of the plot demonstrates gender as a site of conflict as a form of
class struggle. In this sense, women like the proletariat are oppressed by the dominant patriarchy the
social system in which men gain access to financial wealth, political power, and social prestige. The act
that Doña Lupeng engages in challenges this degenerate system of male dominance — a powerful
statement of women’s liberation in a world that confine women to the home front. This is quite similar
to the worker’s revolt that Doña Lupeng pulled off through asserting her authority. In Marxist theory,
revolution comes at a time when the oppressed class, that is, the proletariat wakes up from power and
rises against its masters. Likewise, the Tadtarin ritual makes Lupeng aware of the potential of women’s
power as witnessed in her dancing bare-breasted. But her power is not the complete revolt against and
dismantling of the system but a coup for a few hours and as symbolic as it is indicating the constraints of
the rebellion under the subjugation of strongly rooted patriarchal and colonialist realities. Class and
Gender Intersections: Order Colonial Hierarchies The story of Joaquin is far more than the presentation
of the relationship between gender; the interaction of the two concepts of class and gender with focus
on the impact of colonialism is depicted by Garcia. The Tadtarin is performed in indigenous perspective
that comes from pre-colonial Filipino that is in the context of goddess and matriarchal culture. That is
why Philippine indigenous beliefs are in contrast to the Spanish Catholicism that came later that
emphasizes male dominance and Submissiveness especially in the iconography of the Virgin Mary. This
way Joaquin underlines colonialism’s impact on the Filipino society with relation to gendered and class
hierarchies. To the ilustrado class, the Tadtarin represents their apprehended past which seems to blur
the achievements they have at present. It is established on indigenous people oppression and women as
well, and this is the source of their riches and authority. That the Tadtarin has been brought back to life
in particular to the summer solstice is a manifestation of the dormant indigenoous culture still lurking in
the realm of possibility even in the face of colonial oppression. From a Marxist perspective, this is
important because it shows how the culture, religion or the general ideology stands for the economical
relations of production. Thus, it becomes quite clear that the Catholic Church in cooperation with the
Spanish colonialism was instrumental in creating and sustaining a class structure through which the
emerging upper-class Filipino was able to dominate the indigenes. In this light, the Tadtarin can be seen
to be not only a rebellion by women, but can also be a rebellion against colonial culture as well as class
culture in the Philippine's. Alienation and the Symbolism of the Tadtarin Marxist theory also talks about
alienation, which occurs when individuals are disconnected from their labor, their culture, or their
humanity as a result of the exploitative conditions under capitalism. The Tadtarin festival in Joaquin’s
story serves as a counter to this alienation. It is a space where women, particularly women of the elite
class like Doña Lupeng, momentarily reconnect with their primal, pre-colonial selves. In this context,
Doña Lupeng’s experience can be interpreted as a temporary escape from the alienation imposed by
colonialism and patriarchy. She is momentarily freed from the restrictive roles that society imposes on
her as a wife and a woman of the elite class. The ritual allows her to experience a form of liberation,
though it is temporary and symbolic, and by the end of the story, she is still entrenched in the power
structures that define her life. Bridging and the Construction of Tadtarin Another idea in Marxist theory
that is related to the above concept is alienation; this happens in a situation where people are cut off
from their work, their culture or their humanity due to the exploitative nature under capitalism. Tadtarin
festival shown in Joaquin’s story is the other end of the spectrum to this alienation. It is a place that
women, especially women from the higher class such as Doña Lupeng get to have a taste of inner them,
the much earlier days even before colonialism. In this regard, it can be seen that Doña Lupeng is but a
fleeting relief from the isolation that colonialism and patriarchy insist on per†Burgos, Maribel. She is
for a while relieved of societies narrow expectations of her as a wife and as a woman of the high class. It
does gives her a small taste of freedom and a way out the system but a very brief one as soon as the
ritual is over she is right back to facing the oppressive reality of her life. The Reaction of Don Paeng: A
class action represents a way of restoring the status quo since the party that has been injured gains
authority to take legal actions against the party that has caused harm in a civil suit. One of the important
scenes of the movie is Don Paeng’s response to the change of heart of Lupeng. His embarrassment and
subsequent surrender to her pressure is an indication of vulnerability of male in colonial society. This is
how Paeng, rendered as the agent of patriarchal power, becomes its emblem and its breakdown at the
same time: All his reaction tells us so much about overly performed, overly anxious masculinity and how
brittle the system is. This is depicted by his refusal to participate in the Tadtarin festival meaning he is
uneasy about any formulation of revolt against the system. Nevertheless, his final acceptance of
Lupeng’s dominance is not a change of power equations but a temporary distortion of it. According to
Marxist theory, the hegemonic power prefers to regain its dominance any time its dominance feels
threatened, which is seen in the ending of the story of Don Paeng. Although he permits Lupeng to
dominate him for some time, the colonial and patriarchal order prevails, nonetheless. Conclusion:
Hence, the title of the piece, which translates as the “The Limits of Symbolic Rebellion”. All in all,
analysing “The Summer Solstice” by Nick Joaquin from the Marxist perspective, one is able to describe
the relations of class, gender and colonialism. A more elaborate understanding of the Tadtarin ritual is
that it provides a representation of a protest against the oppressive structures of patriarchy as well as
colonialism. However, the story equally tells of the frustrations which such rebellions possess in order
away from the warranted objectives. For a while, Lupeng and other women get to have the upper hand,
however, the problem of subordination of women is not solved. Similarly to what Marx pointed out
saying that any real change can only happen through the elimination of the bourgeoisie, the story
suggests that for women and the colonized to stand any chance at a better existence, a more profound
revolution is required