Feminism: Babae Akong Namumuhay Mag-Isa by Joi Barrios

Agbay, Noralyn G. December 2017

Overview

Virginia Woolf laid the foundation for present-day feminist criticism in her seminal work A Toom
of One’s Own. In this text, Woolf declares that men have and continue to treat women as inferiors. It is
men, Woolf asserts, who defines what it means to be female and who controls the political, economic,
social and literary structures.
Feminist critics want to show humankind the errors of such a way of thinking and to free
themselves from such oppression, Feminist Critics said that women must analyze and challenge the
established literary canon that help shape the images of female inferiority and oppression ingrained in our
culture. Thus, women must create an atmosphere that is less oppressive by contesting the long-held
patriarchal assumptions concerning their sex. Feminist critics may begin by debunking of male
superiority or societal stereotyping by exposing the presence of this throughout the text.

Bressler, Charles E. (1994). Literary Criticism: An introduction to theory and practices. 2nd Ed. New
Jersey: Prentice Hall, Inc.
Babae Akong Namumuhay Mag-isa by Joi Barrios

Babae akong namumuhay nang mag-isa, -1

hiwalay sa asawa, -2
matandang dalaga, -3
kerida, -4
puta. -5
Ang aking pag-iisa’y batik na itinuring, -6
latay na pabaon ng nakaraan, -7
pilat na taglay habambuhay. -8
May pagsusulit na di ko nakayanan, -9
may timbangan sumukat sa aking pagkukulang, -10
May pagsusuring kumilatis -11
sa pagkatanso ng aking pagkatao. -12
Lagi’y may paghuhusga saaking pag-iisa. -13
Ang di nila nakita’y -14

Akin ang pasya. -15

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 Feminism: Babae Akong Namumuhay Mag-Isa by Joi Barrios
Agbay, Noralyn G. December 2017
Maliit na kalayaang -16
Hinahamak ng iba pang -17
Pagkapiit at pagkaalipin -18
Sa akiing lipunan. -19
Ang pag-iisa’y di pagtalikod sa -20
pag-ibig, o pagnanasa o pananagutan. -21
Hindi ito pagsuko -22
Sa katuparan ng mga pangako -23
O pagkakatutuo ng mga pangarap. -24
Hindi pagtanaw sa buhay -25
Nang hubad sa pag-asa. -26
Paghangad ko lamang -27
Na kamay ko ang magpatakbo sa aking orasan; -28
Puso at isipan and sumulat ng aking kasaysayan, -29
Sarili ko ang humubog sa aking kabuuan. -30
Hayaan akong mabuhay nang payapa, -31
nang hindi ikinakabit sa aking pangalan -32
ang mga tawag na pagkutya: -33
puta, -34
kerida -35
matandang dalaga, -36
hiwalay sa asawa, -37
babae man akong namumuhay nang mag-isa -38

In what ways might we say that Joi Barrios’ Babae Akong Namuhay Magisa plays with traditional
gender categories, revealing the biases and limitations of traditional definitions of gender?

Talking about traditional gender categories, we go back to the idea that men are superior, strong,
protective and normally polygamous. And for the women, we are weak, submissive, born to serve men
and if it happens we love or have relationship to several men, then we are whore. In this poem, this

traditional gender categorizing is depicted. “may timbangan sumukat sa aking pagkukulang, -10
May pagsusuring kumilatis -11 sa pagkatanso ng aking pagkatao. -12 Lagi’y may paghuhusga saaking
pag-iisa. -13”. It still limits the capacity of a woman. It shows that still, the basis or the standard is the
societal norms. Thus, having this kind of stereotypical standards that the society is imposing it only

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 Feminism: Babae Akong Namumuhay Mag-Isa by Joi Barrios
Agbay, Noralyn G. December 2017
creates these kinds of woman in their eyes: “hiwalay sa asawa, -2 matandang dalaga, -3 kerida, -4 puta.
-5”. At some point these kinds of women are being produced by the society, being compelled to be one.

On the last part of the poem, there is stated the desire freedom of the woman in the poem.
Freedom from all types of oppression. “Paghangad ko lamang -27 Na kamay ko ang magpatakbo sa
aking orasan; -28 Puso at isipan and sumulat ng aking kasaysayan, -29 Sarili ko ang humubog sa aking
kabuuan. -30 Hayaan akong mabuhay nang payapa, -31 nang hindi ikinakabit sa aking pangalan -32
ang mga tawag na pagkutya: -33 puta, -34 kerida -35 matandang dalaga, -36 hiwalay sa asawa, -37”

Is a balanced or lopsided view about the binary perception between a bachelor and a spinster? How
does the woman in the poem address the social pressures and biases against single blessedness?

Obviously, there is. Spinsters refer to unmarried women whose age are exceeded the ideal age of
marriage and is considered unlikely to marry. Seemingly, bachelors compared to spinster are highly
regarded and is likely to still marry. Society considers that bachelors who are older are more capable and
stable. Thus, more ideal to become a husband. Whilst, spinsters are not. And in the poem, it answers the
negative notions that society is attaching to them. “Ang pag-iisa’y di pagtalikod sa -20 pag-ibig, o
pagnanasa o pananagutan. -21 Hindi ito pagsuko -22”.

https://gissellemildredpaulo.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/babae-akong-namumuhay-nang-mag-isa-by-joi-
barrios/

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