The Virgin

Kerima Polotan

SUMMARY
Miss Mijares is thirty-four, too young to be an old maiden and too old to be a
bachelorette. She was dragged and still buried in the principle of family first. She was never
been in the hugs and kisses of a man, that is the reason why she is so distant and sensitive
when a man shows some desire to her.

Having spent most of her adult life caring for an ailing mother, Miss Mijares is past her
youth. She realizes to her disappointment that love and marriage have eluded her. She lives
a dull life and behaves with stiffness and aloofness, camouflaging her tiredness and
loneliness with ruffled and pastel-colored clothes.

When a new carpenter applied at her agency, she is unwittingly drawn to the man.
She loses herself when shes with him, but not completely. She is trudging on to a wholly
different and new experience. She finds herself caring for the man a subordinate but she
didnt care. When she found out that he has a son, she felt betrayed her feelings betrayed.
This is what she is getting into not all of the things are in her control. In the end, she lets go
of all her inhibitions.

INTERPRETATION
In the society, women are the ones responsible in taking care of the people in the
family. This was the case of the main character, she did all the responsibilities that she had
forgotten herself, her own life. She can be characterized as an old maid- still hasnt touched
a man at an old age. Despite her being a responsible daughter, she also wished to be loved
by others especially by a man. But her duties hindered her in fulfilling those dreams.

MORAL LESSON
The last paragraph proves that in her heart, she has gone through the protesting stage
and now, she's able to express her own self, her own feelings, and her own desires. It shows
that she is now capable of going beyond her social roles as she reveals that she is ready to
surrender her virginity. Her virginity is indeed a symbol of dignity.

Alan Carlo C. Galvez

BSA4-1 ENG203 TF/2:00-3:30