“Soledad”: A Depiction of a Filipino Woman’s Chastity as Perceived by Pre-Service Teachers

Abstract

"Soledad" is a poem written by Angela Manalang-Gloria during a time when the Philippines was steeped in Catholic faith and men ruled the literary arena. The poem is found in Gloria's only published book titled "Poems" which came out in the 1940s. Gloria was known as a feminist writer during the Philippines pre-colonial years. "Soledad" tacitly speaks of society's treatment of women who went beyond acceptable bounds because of love. An undercurrent of reality mixed with beliefs that may or may not be present today shows morality as dictated by faith in Catholicism and love forbidden by norms in the society. Through the perceptions of selected students majoring in English at the College of Education of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, the paper intended to reveal how Filipino students, particularly pre-service teachers, view Filipino women of today based on the context of "Soledad". It specifically focused on the idea of pre-marital sex and virginity as the overriding reason for a Filipino woman's sin and crime and how the idea is viewed by the participants today. It also looked into common grounds in terms of the influence of media, beliefs, and society in general to the idea of chastity and what the participants feel about it as future educators.

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Author Information
Ma. Junithesmer D. Rosales, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Philippines

• Category: Education

Posted by James Alexander Gordon

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