PASCUAL, JASMINE GAY M.

BEED III
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
1. Give your own example of gender socialization in an Ilocano household. Make it clear how your example shows gender socialization
(5 pts)
 Gender socialization is the difference of how men and women socialize with people, whether they have been influenced and in
turn passed on their own beliefs about what constitutes gender-appropriate attitudes and behavior to others. In an Ilocano’s
household, it is common for women to raise children and do the household chores while men mostly do jobs outside of the
house like farming and fishing. Therefore, women tend to be polite, obedient, and submissive in terms of socializing than men,
while men have the need to appear strong and brave always.

2. Feminist scholars have often pointed out that Maria is being “objectified” and “commodified”. This means that she is being treated
as an object or commodity. They say that the first evidence is in the title. Explain, in your own words, what that means (5 pts)
 Based on the title “How My Brother Leon Brought Home A Wife”, it was obviously referring to Maria who was the wife of Baldo’s
brother Leon. It is apparent that using the phrase “brought home a wife” really shows that Maria was being “objectified”. The
author could have plainly used Maria’s name on its title. Being “brought” signifies that there is “something”, not someone. And
Maria was obviously not a thing or object to be brought.

3. The author never says so, but we get the impression that Maria was beautiful. Cite two passages (give the numbers) that give us this
impression. Explain why (10 pts: 5 pts for each)
 Based on Baldo’s impression of Maria, she was indeed a beautiful young lady with how he has described her as shown in
passage [2], “Her nails were long, but they were not painted. She was fragrant like morning when papayas are in bloom. And
a small dimple appeared momentarily high on her right cheek”. Another passage [20] that proves how Baldo was mesmerized
by the beauty Maria possesses is, “She was smiling at him, and I stopped in the act of tying the sinta across Labang's neck to
the opposite end of the yoke, because her teeth were very white, her eyes were so full of laughter, and there was the small
dimple high up on her right cheek.” Based on these descriptions of him regarding Maria, she really is a girl who is glowing, and
very beautiful which men immediately notices just like Baldo. 
4. We also get the impression that she was not maarte, to put it in Tagalog. Cite two passages that give that impression, Explain your
answers briefly (10 pts.: 5 pts each)
 Maria is a woman who lived in the city that went to see his husband’s birthplace to meet his family. Although she is a city
person, she adjusted really well in the provincial life, for instance, when they travelled to Leon’s house, they rode a cart, and she
wasn’t bothered much by it. “She looked down once at her high-heeled shoes, then she gave her left hand to my brother Leon,
placed a foot on the hub of the wheel, and in one breath she had swung up into the cart”. Another scenario is when the three
went to see Labang, a bull that his family kept and cared for as a pet. Maria wasn’t frightened or scared and even went to
touch his forehead. “But she came and touched Labang's forehead with her long fingers”. We have this impression that city
girls are finicky or “maarte” but as for Maria’s case, she’s not. It may have been that Maria has been used to the hustle and
bustle of her city, so the province is no longer a big surprise for her.

5. Based on his name, describe Baldo’s pet in one sentence.

 Based on his pet’s name which is Labang, the bull is spotted or speckled in black and white. Labang is an Iloco word that means
spotted, dappled, speckled or molted.

6. Why did the father order Baldo to pass through the waig and not the camino real? Provide textual evidence to support your answer
(10 points)
 Baldo’s father wanted to assess how Maria would react to the life in the province, as shown in passages 30 and 31 “ When I sent
Labang down the deep cut that would take us to the dry bed of the Waig which could be used as a path to our place during
the dry season, my brother Leon laid a hand on my shoulder and said sternly: "Who told you to drive through the fields
tonight?"” They followed the Waig instead of the camino real because his father wanted to show how different their lifestyle is
compared to her growing up in a city. He wanted to prove to Maria that she cannot survive the life in the province. It is a fact
that Maria is a city girl and his son is from the barrio. They differ in many ways and his father believes that they are not meant
for each other. He tried her love for his son, of what she is willing to go through and if she would be ready to live with Leon and
leave her life in the city.
7. Cite the passages that tell us readers that Leon’s father is not in a good mood. Explain briefly. (10pts)
 Passage [73]: There was no light in Father's room. There was no movement. He sat in the big armchair by the western window,
and a star shone directly through it. He was smoking, but he removed the roll of tobacco from his mouth when he saw me. He
laid it carefully on the windowsill before speaking.
Passage [84]: He was silent again. I could hear the low voices of Mother and my sister Aurelia downstairs. There was also the
voice of my brother Leon, and I thought that Father's voice must have been like it when Father was young. He had laid the roll
of tobacco on the windowsill once more. I watched the smoke waver faintly upward from the lighted end and vanish slowly into
the night outside.

The arrival of Maria has made their father in a bad mood for he was not convinced that she is good for his son Leon. In the
passages above, I may say that the father is not in a good disposition for he was so silent and even not moving when Baldo saw
him. He must have been thinking deeply of how they would take Maria to be part of their family as her arrival was too sudden.

8. In passage number 2, Jhoanna Lynn Cruz tells us that “it was a disaster waiting to happen”. What is “it” and why did she say that?
Cite passages to support your answers. (10 pts)
 Jhoana imagined that they would defy societal norms and prove that love conquers all and that instead of a “theme song,” their
relationship had a story to live up to. But she knew that it was a disaster waiting to happen. They had all done the best they
could at the time for their relationship and family to endure but unlike the story of Maria and Leon, they got separated. They
wish to have done things differently to have been kinder, more understanding of each other’s quirks and shortcomings but it’s
all in the past now. They can only say, “Sapay koma naimbag ti biag yo dita.”

9. In one sentence: what do Jhoanna and Maria have in common?

 As the story described, they were both beautiful and strong women who were born and raised in the city and fell in love with a
barrio man.
10. Point out three things that were different about the two female protagonists (mga bidang babae). Put your answers in a matrix style
like this: (15 pts)
Difference #1
Description Textual evidence
Mari Maria was a Passage [1] SHE stepped
a delicate down from the carretela
woman. She of Ca Celin with a quick,
moves with delicate grace. She was
grace and lovely. She was tall.
Baldo finds
her lovely.
Jhoa Jhoana was Passage [9] What was
nna a lesbian most ridiculous (though I
who had refused to see it at that
relationship time), was that I was a
s with other self-proclaimed lesbian
women. feminist. Despite all the
tragic relationships I had
had with women, I still
believed that it was worth
fighting for the right of a
woman to love another
woman.
Difference #2 Difference #3
Description Textual evidence Description Textual evidence
Maria’s Passage [26] She sat up Maria Passage [59] and [60] “You
choice of straight on the bottom embraced miss the houses, and the cars,
wardrobe is of the cart, legs bent the and the people and the noise,
modest. together to one side, provincial don't you?" My brother Leon
her skirts spread over life so well. stopped singing. "Yes, but in a
them so that only the different way. I am glad they
toes and heels of her are not here."
shoes were visible.
Jhoana is a Passage [5] It didn’t Jhoana Passage [23] When I
little liberated help that I was wearing seemed confronted my husband
on how she a leopard print hard to about the bread, he
dress up. spaghetti-strapped adapt with explained that in the Igorot
dress, which exposed their culture, everything belongs to
the tattoo on my back. culture. the community. So, I took a
permanent marker and wrote
my name on my next loaf of
bread. It was a Saussurean
signifier of sorts – and it was
unforgivable.
11. Point out three things that were different about the relationships between husband and wife. Put your answers in a matrix style like
this: (15 pts)
 Difference #1 Difference #2 Difference #3
Descriptio Textual Evidence Descripti Textual Evidence Description Textual Evidence
n on
In They are Passage [56] Suddenly he broke out They Passage [65] and They are Passage [46] She
Arguilla’ very much into song and the song was "Sky Sown assure [66] "I am afraid. He very laughed then, and they
s Story in love with Stars"---the same that he and each may not like me." affectionate laughed together and
with each Father sang when we cut hay in the other. "Does that worry you with each she took my brother
other. The fields at night before he went away to They still, Maria?" my other. Leon's hand and put it
fact that study. He must have taught her the know each brother Leon said. against her face.
Leon song because she joined him, and her other "From the way you
taught voice flowed into his like a gentle really talk, he might be an
Maria the stream meeting a stronger one. And well. ogre, for all the
song his each time the wheels encountered a world. Except when
father big rock, her voice would catch in her his leg that was
taught him throat, but my brother Leon would wounded in the
was tender sing on, until, laughing softly, she Revolution is
and warm. would join him again. troubling him, Father
is the mildest-
tempered, gentlest
man I know."

In They Passage [6] Against better judgment, They were Passage [14] Thus we They had a Passage [29] But it was
Cruz’s choose to we decided to get married. We were not ready began our married tough too late. By then, my
Story be together under the influence of hormones, of for life: full of relationship. husband and I had been
because pregnancy, of the Catholic church, of marriage. contention, They’ve grappling with our own
she’s Manuel Arguilla. They confusion, and faced a lot issues for the past five
pregnant. weren’t concealment. of issues years. He had gotten
able to during their tired of my
each other married life. transgressions and
well. sought solace with his
friends. After coming
home late from another
“Happy Hour” with
them, I screamed at
him, “What happy
hour? Nobody is
allowed to be happy in
this house!”
12. Give 3 indications that the relationship was doomed, bound to fail, not going to work (15 pts).

Sign/ Indication #1 Sign/ Indication #2 Sign/ Indication #3

Passage number Explain why Passage number & Explain why Passage number & Explain why this is
& sentence this is a sign/ sentence this is a sign/ sentence a sign/ indication
indication indication
In None None None None None None, because they
Arguilla’ supported each other
s Story and made their
relationship work.
They proved to their
family that despite
their differences,
they complement
each other
In Passage [14] Marriage is a Passage [29] “But it They had too Passage [9] What Jhoana was even
Cruz’s “Thus we began lifetime was too late. By then, many issues in business did I have hesitant at first. She
Story our married life: commitment, my husband and I had their marriage getting married to a was indecisive why
full of and all should been grappling with our that they were very young man? And she would marry
contention, be in own issues for the past not able to fix. for all the wrong him.
confusion, and agreement and five years. reasons. Must have
concealment.” certain. He had gotten tired of been oxytocin overdose
my transgressions and sponsored by the baby
sought solace with his in my womb. Or
friends.’’ planetary
alignment exerting
mysterious forces on
my consciousness. Or
gasp—Love!”
13. In one sentence: what do the two fathers in both PLE texts have in common? Give textual evidence. (5 pts)
 Both fathers were men of few words.
Arguilla’s Story: Passage [84]: He was silent again. I could hear the low voices of Mother and my sister Aurelia downstairs.
Cruz’s Story: Passage [24] My father-in-law was a man of few words. In fact, my daughter was already two years old when he
decided it was time to acknowledge my existence and say something to me. In the past, he would use an intermediary (usually
my husband) if he wanted to get information from me.