Dalubhasaan NG Lunsod NG San Pablo: Test-Mourner-2

CITY GOVERNMENT OF SAN PABLO
DALUBHASAAN NG LUNSOD NG SAN PABLO
CHED Recognized Local College

TESDA Recognized Programs
ALCU Commission on Accreditation – Level 1 Reaccredited
Member, Association of Local Colleges and Universities
Member, Local Colleges and Universities Athletic Association, Inc.
Daet, Jireh Mae

DeGuzman, Dianne
ENG 119
Lesson Title: The Chieftest Mourner
References:
https://acasestudy.com/the-chieftest-mourner-summary-and-analysis/
https://obinajohnraybrondo.wordpress.com/2016/03/14/an-analysis-of-aida-rivera-fords-the-chief
test-mourner-2/
https://acasestudy.com/the-chieftest-mourner-summary-and-analysis/
Lesson Objectives
At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
● Identify the author of the story

● Understand the story of “The Chieftest Mourner”
● Analyze the literary analysis of the story
Lesson Proper
Author:
Aida Rivera Ford

Born in Sulu, Aida Rivera-Ford crossed over to Negros Oriental in 1949 for an English degree at
Silliman University. Records toast her as the first editor of Sands and Coral, the school's literary
folio. In 1954, she flew to the University of Michigan on a Fulbright grant to secure her master's
degree in English.
Summary
The story is about the death of the narrator's uncle. The girl in the story narrates during her
college days. The girl sobs as she listens to lengthy eulogies especially when she got the line
which said that his uncle was the sweetest lyre that ever throbbed with Malayan chords. She
included her memories with her uncle. She remembers the time that her Aunt Sophia put her in a
car and sent her to a hotel where her uncle was waiting.
He married Sophia, and found out that he had made a mistake, that he had made a wrong choice
and decision in his life; they separated for ten years and found another woman who will fulfill
his dreams. Things were too complicated when he was alive, and became more so when he died.
Confusions came of who must be the official widow of this man. My sympathy catches first for
the legal wife.
It is true, it really hurts to be deserted and know that your husband has another woman. It really
broke her heart so much being left alone for ten years and still hoping for that man to come back
in her arms.But I realized, the wife had made flaws in their relationship that forced her husband
to end up his commitment with her, and find another woman who can give what had been
searching for; the woman whom the society will call “mistress”. We, the Filipinos are known to
be conservatives, we give importance to our dignity and honor. Basically we are strict when it
comes to morality, for we hold on to the virtues of life that we have; the virtues that our
fore-fathers planted within us. Mistresses are wicked in the eyes of most Filipinos.
They ensnared husbands, they are horrid, they are no good to the society, they ruin families, this
is what people used to say and see when they heard off or even see a mistress. Isn't it unfair for
the part of these persons to be judged and be degraded without even knowing who they really are
and what they have done? Just like what happened to the poet’s mistress. Basically, the
ridiculous funeral set up leads us to the point of knowing this mistress deeper. Aida Rivera-Ford

used symbolisms for the reason of showing the depths of the wives love for their husband.
…Aunt Sophia was sitting in one of the front pews at the right section of the chapel.
She had on a black and white print which managed to display its full yardage over the seat.
Across the aisle from her was a very slight woman in her early thirties who was dressed in a
dramatic black outfit with a heavy veil coming up to her forehead…”(Ford 2) The style of
clothing they wore shows their feelings of compassion for their destroyed husband. Aunt
Sophia’s black and white print clothes symbolize her shallow sympathy and love for the poet
while for the mistress’ dramatic black outfit pictures out her deepest love and condolence for her
husband.The cluster of white flowers that was seen by the poet’s niece near the casket with the
note “From the Loyal One” definitely I should say from the mistress, for that ingeniously
fashioned-dove shaped flower defines that features of the mistress. That cluster of white flowers
symbolizes her pure love and loyalty that she had offered to her husband.
Her love for the poet could not be measured and priceless. (qtd in Velasques 21) We can see pain
that even the pride of the mistress was swallowed just to be there inside the funeral to see the
man of her life for the last time.She didn’t mind sitting there in the aisle with voices that whisper
through her ears that simply tell her to get lost in the scene. And compared to that wife who’s
during the burial she returned to visit her husband lying in the coffin with a hidden purpose
inside her soul; to get the part of the belongings his husband had left. It just only means that the
wife went back to claim her inheritance.
The legal wife portrays practicality towards things. I can say that she loves her husband and she
wanted to get her part to have something which she can use in her living, and that’s what all she
wants.I was able to see the mistress’ sufferings, sacrifices and true love in the end of the story;
with her words that I have read; I see that she didn’t deserted the poet when he was in the midst
of darkness, she sold her jewels those times that the poet’s pockets were empty, she lend her time
to take care of that man when he was ill, she peddled the books and poems of her husband to
raise money for all his hospital and doctor’s bills. The poet spent his last breath in the embrace of
his mistress, because she never leaved him up to the end.If that mistress just ensnared the poet
and all that she wants was only his money, she would definitely desert that man when the time
came that he doesn’t have those anymore and let that man die alone, but she didn’t, because
there’s love within her, and that love was for real. We can see the pain of being that mistress, that

all of her good work was just a piece of trash, no matter what you do and how hard you try to
make your man happy still, in the end it’s not you who will receive the honour.
Characters of The Chieftest Mourner
Narrator - (the girl)

Poet - (the uncle of the narrator)
Sophia - (the legal wife of the poet)
Esa - (the mistress)
An Analysis of Aida Rivera Ford: The Chieftest Mourner
First theory is psychoanalytic theory; we define it as the psychological background of the

author as well as the characters in the story; the behavior they possessed and the reasons behind
their acts.
It is psychoanalytic theory, the meaning of death in which according to Tyson (2006) the crisis
brings into the spotlight wounds, fears, guilt and desire or unresolved conflicts that have failed to
deal with that demand action.
In the story, the said to be the crisis that brings wound and scars to the psychological action of
Esa is the death of the poet. Her fear of abandonment leaves her in agony, sorrow and pain. She
loves the poet so much that’s why the emotions she feels are as deep as her love.
The symbolisms used in the story as well of the character are the “dramatic black outfit with
heavy veil on forehead” means the deepest emotion and sorrow of the widowed Esa; and “cluster
of white flower fashioned in the shape of dove” means the pure love (flower) and loyalty (dove)
of Esa to the Poet.
The psychoanalytic, meaning of death, helps us understand the behavior that brings conflict to
those of the characters.

Second literary theory is the Feminism and we define it as women empowerment and of the
oppression of women in the patriarchal society. However, there were many points of views raised
by the feminist that characterizes each of the oppression.
The French Psychoanalytic Feminism argues that it is focused on individual psyche as well as
woman’s personal psychology that she must learn to liberate herself. This is something to do
with liberalism whereas she has the freedom to do whatever she wants to in the society without
having barriers of oppression that can limit her freedom to do such things.
In the story, Esa is described as accomplished, liberated and a woman of means. This means that
her character has a power to do things on her own without the bias of the patriarchal society and
because of her liberal attitude, her acquisition of power within the sociopolitical system would
not change the system rather she would become more likely to patriarchal men because she
learns to think like patriarchal men.
Lastly, the Cultural Criticism; based on our analysis, we are unconsciously unaware that culture
changes from a given period of time because; according to Tyson (2006), of the collection of
interactive culture that intersects. Culture grows and changes from a period of time according to
Tyson.
Thus, this may result from what we call cultural production. It is just a manifestation of our
culture that results in a concept.
In the story, Esa is a victim of cultural production and she was labeled as “mistress”. Mistress is
a product of changing culture where she belongs to. She is not aware that she exceeds the way
the culture defines the relationship because culture changes from a given period of time. And
because Esa is psychologically oppressed by the death of the poet, being a “mistress”, as a
cultural production, dominates her as an individual and as of her culture. This defines the “high”
and “low” culture.
The theme of the story is the genuine love of the mistress to her man no matter how the society
viewed their relationship. That’s why Esa is the “Chieftest Mourner”.


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CITY GOVERNMENT OF SAN PABLO

DALUBHASAAN NG LUNSOD NG SAN PABLO

CHED Recognized Local College

Daet, Jireh Mae

Lesson Title: The Chieftest Mourner

At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

● Identify the author of the story

CHED Recognized Local College

CHED Recognized Local College

CHED Recognized Local College

Characters of The Chieftest Mourner

Narrator - (the girl)

An Analysis of Aida Rivera Ford: The Chieftest Mourner

First theory is psychoanalytic theory; we define it as the psychological background of the

CHED Recognized Local College

CHED Recognized Local College

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