Chapter 2

Review of Related Literature

This chapter presents a review of related literature that is relevant to the current

study. The related literature provides as a baseline for comparison and frames of

reference. Some related studies are also added to assist in the analysis of the study.

Short Story

A short story is a piece of fiction that is only a few pages long. Fiction is a type of

literature that involves the creation of imagined events and characters. It is a type of

fiction that is generally written in prose and is often told in a narrative structure.

Furthermore, it is a brief piece of fiction with a common topic, plot, and effect (Fauzan,

2016).

A literary fiction is nothing without its characters. However, it does not mean that

the characters replace the plot and setting nor the theme and meaning behind the

literary piece. It inseparably connects to the other elements. Each character is armed

with uniqueness, characteristics, and complexities (Coles, 2009).

In addition, a short story is a brief piece of literature that aims for unity in

characterization, theme, and effect. The modern English short story does not try to

make everyday life more interesting by inventing exotic narratives. Instead,

contemporary short story writers have tended to build their works on their own

experiences. Here, the emphasis is much more on the less spectacular aspects of life,
on the meaning beneath what appears trivial. Perceptive writing results in perfection of

form, harmony of topic and structure, and precision of style to expose the complexities

of the human mind and behavior (Jones 1968).

Selinger (2014) also stated that in a fictional universe, the story's creator is

omnipotent, and his or her point of view defines reality. To accurately portray a person

or group of individuals in a story, the author is free to limit the type and amount of

information that can be revealed about them, and within the limits of the story, he or she

can define that portrayal as the truth. If the author perceives women in a specific way

and chooses to communicate that perception through the story, women embody that

perception. Fictional characters have no control and are hence whatever the author

claims they are.

Characteristics of Female in Feminism Perspectives

The term feminism is derived from the Latin word femina, which means woman,

and was initially used to concerns of equality and the Women's Rights Movement. One

of the main goals of feminism is to achieve gender equality and justice in all areas of

life. Since, there are so many psychological and cultural conceptions of feminity,

feminism is a genuine endeavor to analyze, grasp, and describe (Raina, 2017).

Furthermore, feminist studies the factors that can affect women's lives and the

diverse structural understandings of what it is to be female. Gender and sexual identity

are two of the main concepts in feminism.  However, there is no agreement on how to

define or describe their connection (Stevie and Jackie, 2009).

 The physical changes that young women undergo during adolescence are well-

known among Filipino youth. The onset of menstrual periods and the development of

breasts are among the physical changes that occur in girls (Marquez and Ortega 2016).

Along with the physical change, the behavior and characteristics will also change

that will lead them to different experiences and struggles. Girls have always connoted

sweetness, brightness, innocence, and beauty. Girls are angels and princesses in this

fantasy world of youth, with no behavioral or emotional issues. In reality, female children

and teenagers are far more complicated, with both positive and bad characteristics

(BELL, FOSTER, & MASH, 2005). Thus, it is important to recognize the particular

characteristics in which girls develop across biological, cognitive, emotional, and social

domains, as well as the ways in which environmental factors such as interaction from

family, school, and the broader culture. 

Simone de Beauvoir in her feminism view starts the book's first chapter, which

describes childhood memories. These stated that newborns do not first see themselves

as sexually distinct. Babies see the world through their senses, not their sexual organs.

Young girls and boys react the same way to being away from their caregiver or the

arrival of a younger sibling. But they swiftly develop distinct behaviors, shows different

attitudes and are seen as sexually distinct. Adults are more inclined to console a girl's

tears than a boy's at the same time, expecting boys to act more maturely than girls

favors them. Boys are raised to be self-sufficient adults. 'Be a man' means a kid may

grow up and meet adult male norms, including being self-sufficient. But small girls are

permitted to stay infantile for longer, implying that they will be more dependent on
others than men. They expand throughout childhood, growing at puberty (Leboeuf,

2016).

There are many more incidents in a growing girl's life that confirm the concept

that being born feminine is bad luck. The female body is a bother, a discomfort, an

embarrassment, a difficulty, unsightly, and uncomfortable. Society will quickly remind a

girl that she has a feminine body. To cite only a few, Beauvoir mentions a mother who

constantly dares to criticize her daughter's appearance and posture, a ‘man on the

street' who makes sexual remarks about a young girl's body, and a girl's humiliation

when male relatives laugh about her menstruation. However, Beauvoir also shows the

benefits of a feminine shape. She teaches us that young lady may be happy and proud

of their bodies in certain conditions. Consider a girl who likes strolling in the fields and

forests. She has a strong sense of joy and freedom in her body that she lacks in a social

setting. In nature, she has no male pursuers and no moms to criticize her. Since she is

no longer looking at herself through the eyes of others, she is at long last able to define

her own body (Joseph, 2008).

Furthermore, Wolf (2002) said that a woman's role as a housewife is to care for

children and assist her husband, even before marriage. Women, on the other hand,

carried the burden of home responsibilities and restricted part-time work. Even when

they have children, married women have more labor to do than unmarried women.

Women work so hard they don't have time to care for themselves.

According to The World Bank (2014) Many young women lack control over their

sexual and reproductive rights., about 142 million young females between the ages of

15 and 18 are compelled to marry. They will subsequently have an adolescent

pregnancy, and in underdeveloped countries, pregnancy-related factors account for

over 70,000 deaths yearly among females aged 15–19. Women appear to have less

say over their rights about their desire for marriage.

However, Wolf (2002) stated that despite this newly acquired media literacy, has

also observed that it became an increasingly sexualized ideal that younger and younger

girls are beginning to feel they must live up to in order to be accepted by society. Today,

many females have a degree of freedom in dressing up or down, applying or removing

lipstick, flaunting themselves or wearing sweats—even—and occasionally, to gain or

lose weight—without fear of jeopardizing their value as a woman or their seriousness as

a person. They did not make these decisions without some concern not long ago.

In the Philippines, the active women's movement is the result of a long history of

effort and engagement in many historical contexts. As a country with a troubled colonial

history, it's important to understand the role of women in the struggle for independence.

The Filipino women's movement has come far, but there is still much to perform.

Problems have been overcome, wars won, yet each generation faces new problems

distinct from the last. Nonetheless, each generation gains fresh resources and

strengths. Each challenge and resistance breed new forms of competence. Every day,

the Filipino women's movement moves closer to achieving equality, empowerment, and

social justice. The younger female’s and the future generation will also benefit from all

of these (Hega, Alporha , & Evangelista, 2017).

The Images of Modern Female Youth

 The Filipino adolescent's microworld is his or her family. It serves vital duties by

giving members with basic support, emotional stability, security, and prestige. The

family through its socialization activities plays an essential role in the development of

cultural values, customs, and practices in the shaping of personality and character of its

members and in ensuring norm obedience. A convergence of aspects relevant with the

industrialization and urbanization processes had led to the breakdown of the family

structure. Social and economic possibilities have enticed family members to run

errands. A long with the growing dominance of media and technology, it is feared to

sever the ancient norms and values that formerly bound the Filipino family together

(Medina, 2001).

Chiara Pattaro (2016) published an article titled "Character Education: Themes

and Researches: An Academic Literature Review" in the Journal of Sociology of

Education. This research examined the appealing traits of a father or Papa possessed

that were maybe commendable, followed by a consideration of his unpleasant qualities

that were possibly blameworthy. The research concluded that the use of

authoritarianism and the enforcement of societal constraints in family matters should be

abolished.

Patriarchy has long been entrenched in society, with men controlling women's

lives. Patriarchy allows men to increase in power and authority, as power is passed

down from father to son. While women are compelled to accept their status as a

second-class citizen, oppressed by men. As a result of patriarchal culture, women suffer

physically and mentally (Sedayu, 2018).

 However, Jeanette G. Dials (2017) conducted a study titled “Feminism in

Philippine Mainstream Short Stories in English”. A feminist perspective criticism was

used to assess the award-winning short stories in English. It determined the images and

emerging roles of women in the short stories, as well as the causes and reasoning

behind them. The Filipino women embodied authority, human weakness, socio-cultural

assertiveness, and adaptation to changing circumstances. Almost all of the female

characters in the stories studied are modern. It is clear that women are escaping their

long-held historical cocoon. They can now manage their own emotions and lifestyles.

Women are no longer restricted to conventional roles as wives and mothers. They've

proclaimed their equality in practically every way. They confirmed that sex does not

determine a person's competence or ability to stand alone.

Budiman (2019) also conducted a study about Feminism Analysis in John

Steinbeck Short Story, it is concluded that the character of Elisa is a striking

representation of feminism. In Elisa's temperament, which is independent, strong, and

hardworking, radical feminism could be seen, and she dared to challenge society's

perception of women within the family. Elisa exemplified radical feminism in that she

illustrated the challenges of women inside the patriarchal framework.

Women now have positions of power. There are constitutional queens and prime

ministers, and women have reaped rewards in varying degrees. But none of that

changes the fact that the system is governed by males and women are merely

accommodated. To advance women's status, patriarchal subjugation must be avoided.

Patriarchal ideology assigns separate roles, rights, and responsibilities to women and

men. There is no reason to divide works based on sex as both men and women do
them. Ensuring that children and the elderly are cared for makes males more

compassionate, sympathetic, and human and relieves women of some of the work

responsibility. Women should learn and exercise male attributes like boldness,

fearlessness, reason and efficiency (Sultana, 2011).

In a study of Chloe Brooke (2016) Postmodern Qualities of the Feminism of

Nancy Drew”, a figure of perfect truth and goodness of a teenager, Nancy's modernist

emergence into culture allows her to transcend the original modern Nancy by being

constantly reinvented and so always culturally relevant. Because of the remaking, she

presents numerous cultural views that typically cannot coexist, but postmodern Nancy

Drew allows them to do so.

Furthermore, according to the findings of a related study of Tarrayo (2015) about

The Woman in the Mirror: Imaging the Filipino Woman in Short Stories in English by

Filipino Woman Authors, it stated that short stories about the Filipino woman have

projected a wide range of images that may be classified as martyr, social victim,

homemaker, mother, fighter, and a host of other things. The Filipino woman is a product

of her period and environment, and she is heterogeneous in terms of appearance,

personality, and social roles. A variety of circumstances, including social and political

conditions, as well as personal ambition, can have a significant impact on the

transformation that a Filipino woman can go through. The Filipino lady has also

progressed from the traditionally demure Maria Clara to the modern Filipina who is

fearless and dedicated to her goals.